Now let's look at it in more detail.

The first stage is all about research. You want to find out everything you can about your email discussion product and potential market. Start out on the 'net with a search tool such as webferret and feed your web ferret keywords and key phrases on the subject of your interest, look up figures, resource information, study guides, credible - NOT Incredible - reports, and have a completely open mind while you keep looking for any thing else that could possibly be of interest, and which will help you more concisely determine your short and long term goals .

Next, get out and communicate with existing and potential clients and sound them out on your concept. This means getting craftily involved and participating in sereral other email discussion groups which are similiar in content to what you're thinking about.

Get as much information as you possibly can. While you are doing this, take notes on the things you find out. Don't be tempted to stop too soon. More formal research tools like surveys can be used later if you have the money and time.

Stage two is about going over your information and extracting those facts that are most pertinent. I usually find there are just a few which are of immediate and key importance.

Here's what you're looking for.

What are the really key issues that you can base your marketing strategy on?

Is there some special piece of legislation coming up that is particularly relevant?

Is there a niche that no one else is exploiting? (If there is GRAB IT!!!)

Is there something unique about your email discussion product that customers will want more from you that from your competition? Or better still, is there some "modification" you can make to make it that way? Remember, there's nothing new under the sun!

When you have your pertinent facts you need to list all the possibly profit making opportunities you have. This is the creative part. Marketing planning is all about thinking about your potential markets and how to reach them and sell to them. So think about each of your possibly potential markets and how you can contact them. Possibly, you will isolate them into various groups such as Group #1 consists of a small number of highly profitable customers and Group #2 large number of low value customers.

Think about which markets are most profitable for the least effort.

You also need to consider how to reach them - some markets, for example top business people, can be very hard to reach via an email discussion list so what alternatives can you apply and how quickly you can start to communicate with them.

Rank your possibly profitable opportunities by RETURN Potential profitability.

Now take the top five possibly profitable opportunities and put them into your short-term strategy, the next two-three years. From these you will create your TACTICS to help you define and Identify your target market and your Marketing Tactics,

Your long-term strategy is what you have left over from your exhaustive list of the facts.

Also, remember that while you are implementing your strategy your market will be changing, make sure you set up information flow channels that keep you in touch with the market. Is a large competitor suddenly going all out for a niche market you had set your heart on? If so, keep researching as you're bound to find a "wrinkle" he hasn't covered or hasn't even thought of..

Why I like this particular system.... IT WORKS!

This strategic marketing system is as used by Proctor and Gamble one of the world's largest companies. It's worked for them. And I like it best because it's simple and can be applied to any size of business of project, and it works for ME. So, it should work for YOU! .

Also REMEMBER THAT when it comes to marketing tactics planning everyone naturally wants to dive in at the creative stage (step three). Hence most people ask themselves the question, "how can we sell this product?" and then set about brainstorming a few ideas with colleagues, family and friends.

This is normal, and you may be surprised to learn that it's also what a lot of very large companies do too. The problem is that you end up avoiding the whole raft of ideas you get when you research properly. The other thing is fact most of your compet- itors also will not be researching - they'll be doing it on the fly, which gives you a big competitive advantage, and you will have a powerful and effective success technique.

Announcing Your List. Announce your new list, once completed by

Create your email discussion list around the profiles of people found in your research. Your list should be open to discussion on all topics related to your list's proposed products, or ser- vices. For some technical lists, you may need to narrow the focus to specific subjects within a given industry. It may be beneficial to operate two or three narrowly focused lists in- stead of one broad list.

Always include a brief "signature" in your emails giving your name and title, address and phone, email address, and URL (Uniform Resource Locator or website address) on each piece mailed. An appropriate, brief, and effective, slogan should be used as well. Some mailing list servers (programs) allow auto- matic posting of the listowner's signature at the bottom of each letter received, before it is sent out to list members

Many other techniques can be used. For example, some sites offer prizes or other incentives to visitors who will register. Others use carefully placed banner ads on related commercial sites to draw new prospects. You are limited only by netiquette, (See here for Top 10 Most Important Rules of Email Netiquette) by your understanding of 'net tools, and by your imagination.

These are the basic - and some not-so-basic - tactics for a suc- cessful 'net marketing email discussion list . Properly used, they make the difference between a "dog" and a successful email discussion list and marketing website. The best approach is to start with only these simple procedures, then grow into more ad- vanced techniques as you learn.

The essential difference between a "dog" and a successful email discussion list and marketing website is that the latter is more than just the site; it's a coordinated, purpose-driven (strategy) set of activities (tactics) that reach out into the net market- ing world to produce results. The physical site with its inform- ation and promotional materials is simply a part of this overall engine. Without a complete strategy and clearly stated tactics, the website will generate low volumes of inquiries and results and will fail to meet expectations. But, as in any other market, clearly defined goals and activities allow you to control its destiny, reaching out to bring in new business and grow.

High Tech, with all the bells and whistles, isn't the smartest way to go. Remember that your conveying information, You're NOT looking to show off all the latest multi-media techniques UNLESS you're a multi-media discussion list

http//www.cgispy.com has a FREE Forum System allows you to have a public page where people can post and view messages in spec- ific categories. As an admin you can customize the look, change text, add images, edit messages and make your board more inter active. You can have up to 10 categories, display 50 messages at a time per category. There are many other "pre-built" offerings on the net, and it's just a matter of finding the one that suits you. And it's a recommended way to get started for a newbie and then you again grow into more advanced techniques as you learn.

Why should you start an email discussion list? Here's the Top 7 Reasons To Run An Email List For Yourself Or Your Business as authored by Christopher M. Knight Multi-Million Dollar Business Builder Strategist @ http//www.christopher-knight.com/.

1.To Sell Advertising Mailing lists usually attract a very nar- row demographic, which when coupled with big lists, becomes at- tractive to sponsors to advertise in. You can do this in Ezines (Email news-letters) or Email Discussion Lists.

2.To Support Your Product Discussion lists can be a great way to get your existing installed client base to support each other and reduce yourinternal support costs, and add value to your customers.

3.For Your Hobbies If you've got a passion about a particular hobby, adiscussion list is a great way to pull together like minded friends allover the globe who have similar interests.

4.To Create A Virtual Fan Club For yourself, your product, your brandname. You can do this via announcement lists or discussion lists, to keepothers who love you, informed on the latest events.

5.To Announce New Products/Services There is no more powerful way for less money, than an Email announcement list, to keep your clients and prospects informed on new information about your business that could benefit them. Most list services are under $49 a month.

6.PR/Investor Relations/Board Lists Create an announcement list for folks who want to receive copies of new Press Releases about you, or Investor news if you're public or soon to be. You can also create a privatediscussion list for your board of directors to communicate on company issues.

7.For Your Dealers, Resellers, Associates, Affiliates, Etc Pull together those that help you build your business, via private and 'Exclusive'discussion or announcement lists for these folks.

You might also want to check out Christopher M. Knights' Email List Strategies which include Top 7 Reasons Why Discussion List Advertising Works, Top 7 Rules Of Email List Advertising Success Top 7 Reasons To Run An Email List For Yourself Or Your Business Top 7 Suggestions For Those Who Coach Others Via Email,Top 7 Strategies To Make Money Via Email,Top 7 Autoresponders Your Business WebSite Should Have, Top 7 Techniques To Increase The Perceived Value Of Your Ezine, Top 7 Tips To Grow Your Email Newsletter (Ezine) Subscription Base, Top 7 Ways To Use Email To Build Your Business, Top 7 Things To Include In Your Companies Ezine (Email Newsletter)

If you'd like a swag (Aussie for Bunch) of search terms, keywords and keyphrases you may wish to consider using during your research please email me and I'll send to you

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