Hello All -

Every once in a while I get a sudden urge to pull some marketing lessons out of an event I'm trying to enjoy. It happened last September when visiting my daughter in college, during the Super Bowl in 2002, after last year's Belmont stakes, and while watching "Daddy Daycare".

Here we go again...

I was relaxing last night - watched the Baseball All Star Home Run Derby, then exploring the MLB Website - when it struck me. Major League Baseball is doing a much improved job of implementing numerous business and marketing techniques.

Speaking of effective marketing, they've got me hooked! If you're not a Cardinals fan, you might want to skip the following marketing-irrelevant sidebar.

;-)

~~~~~~ Raving Cardinals Fan Sidebar ~~~~~~

The team's going to have four - count 'em, 4 - starters on the field tonight: Pujols (left field), Rolen (3rd base), Renteria (SS), and Edmonds (center field). That's four out of only TEN positions. That's four starters from one team out of SIXTEEN National League teams. Oh yeah - and the first three NL batters will be Redbirds - it's going to look like a St. Louis game!

All this PLUS Tony La Russa is a NL All Star Coach and Woody Williams was voted into the game as one of the available starters.

And did you SEE Pujols last night in the Home Run Derby? This guy is only in his third season, he's only 23 years old, and he tied the record for most home runs in a single round - 14.

All this with La Russa looking on, grinning like Pujols is the best thing since sliced bread (Which, BTW, he is.).

~~~~~~ End Raving Cardinals Fan Sidebar ~~~~~~

...OK, now that's out of my system, back to the business at hand.

Marketing lessons abound on MLB.com. The league is not only integrating offline and online marketing, but they are also doing many things right to attract targeted online visitors. The site also demonstrates several profitable business models.

I chose six lessons from the league and wrote them into today's article "Profitable Target Marketing: Six Lessons from Major League Baseball". I hope you enjoy it.

If you are interested in how to better find, target, and attract Web customers for your own business, please consider purchasing my book "How Much for Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses".

Book sales help keep this newsletter going. There is more information in the next section, below and here:
http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/MarketingBook/

Thanks,
Bobette

P.S. If you know any business person and/or entrepreneur you think may be interested, please pass along this issue of Website Marketing Plan News.

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About Me (Bobette Kyle)
and my book How Much for Just the Spider?
Strategic Website Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses

My writing reflects a unique blend of experience, education, and research activities:

• 10+ years of Management, Marketing, and Executive experience.
• Marketing MBA plus E-Commerce coursework.
• 13 months independent research of online marketing.

In the book, I draw upon this experience, education, and research to show you how to better find, target, and attract Web customers.

Read more about or buy the book now:

The paperback is here, through Amazon:
http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/ap/AmazonMktgPlan.html

The PDF book is here, through Clickbank:
http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/MarketingBook/

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Article
Profitable Target Marketing: 6 Lessons from Major League Baseball
by Bobette Kyle

Attracting the right customers to a site and keeping them coming back - while also turning a profit - can be a challenge. Consequently, I'm always on the lookout for ways to demonstrate profitable online strategies.

Last night, as I watched the Baseball All Star Home Run Derby and visited Major League Baseball's Website, it struck me. The league is doing many things to effectively find and attract targeted Web customers, while simultaneously generating revenue.

Read the full article here:
http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/marketing_management/MLB.htm