As promised, I am sending notice of my review of Marketing Plan Pro 11.0 powered by Duct Tape Marketing before deactivating the emailed newsletter list. I found 11.0 to be different — and more effective at producing a viable strategic plan — than 9.0. I especially liked the new options of producing a: (a) quick, 30-minute plan, (b) a bit more involved basic plan, or (c) the traditional standard plan. The software has always been invaluable to businesses with enough resources to produce the traditional-length plan, but is now much more helpful to the very small business or solopreneur. Read about my Marketing Plan Pro 11.0 purchase and use experiences — and more about my conclusions — here.

If you would like to continue tracking my posts and other WebsiteMarketingPlan.com activity, please subscribe to the blog. You can receive it through your favorite feed reader or through email.

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To reiterate: If you are currently subscribed through the emailed newsletter list, this will be the last you hear from me unless you subscribe to the blog.

Regards,
Bobette Kyle

http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/NewsletArch/newsletter8_28_08.htm

Hello Folks -

I recently received a request asking my opinion of different marketing planning products. As I wrote a detailed response, it struck me that I’ve never published any planning tools reviews (duh!). Consequently, I’ve chosen two to review ― which I like for different reasons ― as we enter the planning season: Marketing Plan Pro software and Marketing Builder toolset. The Marketing Builder review is in this issue. You will be able to read my review of the just-released Marketing Plan Pro 11.0 next week on the blog (More about the blog at the end of this note). You’ll also find my article on three different approaches to marketing planning in this issue.

Continuing a previous theme, today’s final two articles address new media. “Social Marketing Leads ― Don’t Make These Online Mistakes” covers some missteps you may make as you become active in online social networking. Paul Burani’s “Web-Based Video Marketing for Small Businesses” is an incredibly helpful piece that demystifies marketing with online video.

On a melancholy note, this will be the final issue of Web Site Marketing Plan News. I have decided to discontinue the formal newsletter, but continue with the Marketing Strategy Thoughts blog, where you can read about marketing planning and Website promotion strategies. The main WebsiteMarketingPlan.com site will also remain.

If you are like me and have trouble remembering to read blogs, don’t despair. You can receive blog posts via email. Just submit a subscription request from the URL below, then follow the directions in the the verification email and you will be all set: http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2318012&loc=en_US

If you prefer to use a feed reader or subscribe through a blog service, access the feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MarketingStrategyThoughts

I’ll send everyone a reminder to subscribe to the blog when I publish the Marketing Plan Pro review next week (Then I’ll be deleting the newsletter subscription list).

Enjoy!
Bobette Kyle

by Bobette Kyle

You are probably visiting WebsiteMarketingPlan.com to learn more about developing a marketing plan. If you are like many and the volume of information leaves you feeling a bit overwhelmed, the finite process and set of tools in a purchased package can help you focus in ways a freestyle approach to marketing planning cannot. This review of Marketing Builder 2008 toolset is written with that in mind.
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by Bobette Kyle

Networking and marketing online through social media is catching on with a vengeance. Whether the goal is to attract customers, raise awareness, or personally market ones self, this relatively new approach means trial and error and miscues for many. Don’t let these mistakes sabotage your social marketing efforts.

Doing Nothing and Expecting Something

Like all marketing techniques, effectively utilizing social media requires effort. We all know and accept this for traditional marketing, but sometimes expect online methods to require less. To be effective, one must update information or communicate with key connections on a regular basis and stay visible, but not annoyingly so. Your credibility and following builds over time.
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