Dear Reader,

The year is winding down, and this is the time many companies are completing budgets and plans for next year. If you haven't started a 2003 marketing plan, this week's article can help get you started. "Marketing Plan Preparation - Information Gathering" explains the types of information you will need when developing or updating a marketing plan and where to go online to get it.

U C E Spillover...

As time passes and unsolicited emails increase, so do the attempts to block them. Unfortunately, for many these same efforts also block the email you've asked for - filters catch them, ISPs indiscriminately block all of your bulk email, etc.

No one seems to know yet exactly how much of an impact this has on delivery of legitimate newsletters. In theory, longer/HTML formatted emails - including opt-in newsletters - are sometimes not delivered. Publishers of some of the online publications I read now send two emails - one is the newsletter itself and the other is a notice containing the online URL. I am giving this a try for a couple of issues.

To give me an idea if Website Marketing Plan News is being delivered, I would like your feedback...please let me know if you received both the notice and newsletter emails, or only one: mailto:newsletterfeedback@WebSiteMarketingPlan.com

Toys for Tots...

The Second Annual Internet Toy Drive is underway. This fundraiser is done in conjunction with the U.S. Marines' Toy for Tots program and is set up so your donation benefits needy kids *in your neighborhood*. Please consider donating. More information is at: http://www.internettoydrive.com/

Enjoy,
Bobette

P.S. I can better tailor the newsletter contents if I know your interests. Please take a moment to flesh out your profile through the link at the bottom (This is also where you can change your newsletter format or - gasp! - be removed from the list.).

Here are my profile responses:
- Name: Bobette Kyle
- Zip: 63126; Country: USA
- Occupation: Marketing
- Job Title: Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
- Education: Graduate Degree
- Found me through: Other...Actually, I didn't find it, I made it. :-)
- My work: Self employed, B2B focus, Internet marketer
- Interests: All of them

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You Can Put a Smile on the Face of a Needy Child this Christmas!

We are proud to be a partner with the official U.S. Marines "Toys for Tots" program in The Second Annual Internet Toy Drive.

It's a sad fact that millions of children in the United States will NOT have a single gift to open on Christmas Day! We aim to change that and make sure EVERY child has at least one present 'from Santa' under their tree.

Help a needy child in YOUR community right now:

http://www.internettoydrive.com

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New Article
"Marketing Plan Preparation - Information Gathering"
by Bobette Kyle

When developing or updating a marketing plan, knowing where to start is often a challenge. To better develop effective marketing strategies, begin by gathering information about both your business and the larger business environment (competition, trends, statistics, etc.).

The article includes 11 different information categories and links to specific resources.

Read the full article.

About the Author

Bobette Kyle has more than a decade of experience in Corporate Marketing; Brand and Product Marketing; Field Marketing and Sales; and Management.

She is author of the Marketing Plan Guide "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing". Read more about the guide here.

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Search Engine Conundrum

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Call for stories on creative use of resources.

Send me an example of how you, your company, or another business has strategically used resources in a different or unique way. Explain why the approach is unique and include a valid email address, physical address, and/or URL with your story.

If I publish your story in Website Marketing Plan News you will also get 30 days of exposure on my Website in the form of an ad or mention in the right column.

Full details are here.

Many of you have taken advantage of Paul Myer's "Make Your Own Business" (MYOB) consultation. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Paul has this to say...

"The MYOB tutorial is far more detailed than most of the free ebooks out there, and it's personalised. It is geared toward the skill level of the person requesting it, and it contains examples that are very specific to them. No two people ever get exactly the same thing.

The personal examples in the book make the person reading it understand the process. They give the reader a much clearer idea that they actually CAN use the information."

Also includes membership to Paul's TalkBiz News and Website Marketing Plan News (If you are already subscribed, just use the same email address for the tutorial.).

Get your personal Make Your Own Business consultation here.

I received a note this week from iCOP Director jl scott about the Second Annual Internet Toy Drive. The drive is a joint venture with the official U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Program and is set up so your donation goes to needy children in your own community.

Major Bill Grein, Vice President of Toys for Tots, informed jl this week that "We're over $15,000,000.00 worth of toys behind where we were last year at this time!"

Please consider donating. The Toys for Tots secure server accepts online check or credit card. Learn more and donate here.