.: How to Build Your Personal Marketing Swipe File
By:Donna Gunter
Category:Home / Business / Marketing
Copyright 2006 Donna Gunter
You're probably familiar with the notion that there are no new ideas. I'm often told that I'm a great resource for brainstorming, as I can come up with many new ideas very quickly. However, I'm not really coming up with new ideas. I'm simply applying what I already know to new situations. How do I manage to keep so much info organized? Granted, much of what I know stays in my head, as I have a great skill in being able to remember almost everything I've read. However, I must attribute much of my success to the creation of my own personal swipe file.
A swipe file is a collection of ideas that you've collected from other sources. These could be marketing ideas, brochure samples, articles from magazines, teleclass ideas, sales letter examples, website copy, etc. that attracted you enough for you to save for future reference and inspiration. From this file you can "borrow" an idea and put your own spin on it to make it uniquely yours. Please note: a swipe file is NOT permission to copy someone else's work verbatim -- it should only be used as a model or guide for you to create your unique spin on your project. And, what works in one industry may not work successfully in another, so you need to apply the knowledge of your target market to craft a message that would be appealing to that audience.
When I'm stuck, I often refer to my swipe file for inspiration to create my next product, write that new one-page website sales letter, or submit my next press release. So, this swipe file makes me seem like a genius, when in reality I'm only putting a new spin on old ideas.
When I started in business, my swipe file was kept in a hanging folder in my file cabinet. I was primarily interested in marketing ideas, so I created different folders within that hanging file to categorize the samples I collected.
However, in my quest to create a paperless office, my entire swipe file is electronic. I find electronic files much easier to find and maintain, as I'm either online or on the computer all day, and having an electronic version of something makes it much easier to share with others.
I use 3 tools to help me maintain my swipe files: EverNote, TurboNote, and AcqURL.
EverNote: With EverNote you can easily store and quickly access typed and handwritten memos, webpage excerpts, emails, phone messages, addresses, passwords, brainstorms, sketches, documents and more! A free version or a 30-day trial of the paid version is available for download at http://www.evernote.com/en/downloads/. I use the free version, as maintaining sketches and hand-written documents isn't a priority for me. I can easily cut and paste from emails or websites here, and when I do, the note in EverNote gives me a hyperlink back to the source from which something was taken, and everything that you copy or type is saved automatically. Pretty cool!
TurboNote: TurboNote: provides you with an electronic version of a sticky note. I use this just to quickly jot down something to remind myself to check out more fully when I have time. You can try this free for 30 days, and then purchase it for $29.97 US. http://turbonote.com/TBNPlusIntro::.@TJO
AcqURL: AcqURL makes managing a moderate to massive amount of bookmarks very easy. You create any number of categories in which to file your favorites, and adding a favorite website is as easy as clicking a button. I love the ability to alphabetize my bookmarks, to search them, to makes notes on them, and to share them with others via email. You can download and try free for 30 days, and then purchase of $35 US. http://www.acqurl.com.
Lastly, for copies of marketing materials that are in PDF files, I have a folder in My Documents where I maintain copies of great examples that I find. I have subfolders set up for each type of material: brochure, postcard, sales letter, business card, etc. If it's something that I've actually picked up in person, I scan the printed material and then convert the document to a PDF file. For PDF conversion, I use Adobe PDF, but a free PDF creator, Pdf995, is available for download at http://www.pdf995.com/ .
Creating a swipe file of great ideas is something every business owner should be doing. Not only will you keep up with what's new in your industry, you can see what's happening in other industries that might give you a great application for your own business.
Article keywords: swipe file, marketing tool, marketing samples, Donna Gunter, Online Business Coaching Company
Article Source: http://www.articles32.com
Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Business Coach Donna Gunter helps self-employed service professionals learn how to get more clients online at www.OnlineBizCoachingCompany.com . To sign up for more FREE tips like these and claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at www.GetMoreClientsOnline.com . Read about running an online biz at our blog,
onlinebizcoachingcompany.typepad.com/online_business_coaching_/
.: New Marketing Articles
1). Birkenstocks & The Customizable Art Of Footwear
Birkenstocks are a German brand of quality footwear, which is best known for it’s contoured footbed. When most people purchase a new pair of shoes, they expect to have a ‘break-in’ time. This usually lasts for a few days and, at that time, the shoe is pretty comfortable and broken in for everyday wear. The main difference with Birkenstocks is that they approach the ‘break-in’ time much differently.
2). Millionaire Marketing in 3 Small Steps
What is money? A child might say that it’s something rich people have and poor people don’t. An engineer might go into a detailed and lengthy explanation, but we all know that money is what really “makes the world go around.”
In the business world, money is the definition of success or failure. That’s why it’s vitally important that every entrepreneur has a good understanding of money – even if their business is still struggling to get off the ground.
3). Free T Shirt Offer – Are they really free?
The modern day craze has created a huge demand for designer clothing all over the world. Many young guns are going for a casual wear than what it used to be 20 years ago. A simple T-shirt and low waist jeans makes both the genders comfortable. It’s become almost a compulsory act to hang out in t-shirts and jeans even in colleges. Youths like to have wide collection of t-shirt of current fashion.
4). How To Promote Your Home Based Business On A Shoestring Budget!
Getting customers is the key to success in any business. There are many ways to promote your home based business - the only way to know which ones are best for your business is to test. Here are some tips for getting customers without spending a fortune!
1. Tell everyone you know that you are starting a business AND ask them to tell everyone they know.
5). Cash in on Neighbors
What could be more welcoming than the spicy smell of hot apple pie to receive you into a brand new neighborhood full of people you’ve never met? Hopefully you life has been full of warm, hospitable neighbors wherever you’ve lived. Perhaps not…
If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a neighbor, you know just how much those invisible people really know about you.
6). Technology Controlled Marketing
RSS feeds and blogs took Internet marketing by a storm in 2005. Every time we turn around there’s a brand new marketing vehicle speeding down the Internet highway. In the fast paced race of the virtual world, it’s easy to get swept away in the current of technology.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that computers have taken control of both our personal world and the business world.
7). Finding Your Niche In The Business World
Who am I and what do I love to do? Well, isn't this the twenty million dollar question! A more appropriate question might be "Who was I and what did I love to do?"
As you search to find yourself, and what it is you love to do, you may find the task harder than you thought it would be. Try to think about your childhood. Can you remember what thrilled you as a child? Like many people you've probably forgotten what brought try joy and excitement to your essence.
.: Top Marketing Articles
1). John Warwicker - Co-Founder of Tomato Design Company
Design company Tomato
( http://www.tomato.co.uk ) was founded in 1991 in London by John Warwicker, Steve Baker, Dirk Van Dooren, Karl Hyde, Richard Smith, Simon Taylor and Graham Wood. In 1994, Michael Horsham and Jason Kedgely joined.
tomato specializes in: Architectural Design, Consultancy, Drawing, Education, Electronic Interactive Media, Film & Commercial Direction, Graphic Design, Fashion, Motion Graphics, Music & Sound, Strategy, Branding & Identity, Photography, Publishing, Title Sequences, Typography, Writing.
2). The Benefits Of Branding
Branding is the process of creating distinctive and durable perceptions in the minds of consumers. A brand is a persistent, unique business identity intertwined with associations of personality, quality, origin, liking and more. Here’s why the effort to brand your company or yourself pays off.
1. Memorability. A brand serves as a convenient container for a reputation and good will.
3). Ultimate Wealth Package: Is It Worthy Of Its Name?
What Is Ultimate Wealth Package All About?
Have you been considering the Ultimate Wealth Package? The sales page makes a lot of promises, but doesn't give you much detail at all. So let me fill you in!
Ultimate Wealth Package is a guide that has been put together by a young guy named Mark Warren. Within the guide he shows you in simple steps how he himself made his internet fortune, and how you too, by following the same steps can do the same.
4). MySpace Marketing
With the ever-growing popularity of internet social groups, MySpace has become the leader. MySpace has become so popular; it has spawned a whole market of new business opportunity through marketing and advertising. No other website in the world allows one person the ability to communicate with millions of people with the click of a button. This has allowed e-commerce a new channel of communication with potential customers.
5). Eniva: The Next Billion Dollar Home Based Business?
Delray Beach, FL – While tirelessly searching for the perfect home based business opportunity, a Florida man stumbles across a real, passionate, solid, and trusting eight year old company called the ENIVA Corporation.
After researching the company, the products, and the founders of ENIVA, Brisson soon realized the potential of this fast growing Minnesota based company: the potential to be the next billion dollar home based business opportunity.
6). Subliminal Persuasion
Subliminal persuasion? It is simply influencing people at a level below their conscious recognition. Many people don't even realize they are being influenced by a smile, making even that a subliminal technique. Here are two more subtle methods.
Subliminal Persuasion Using Inflection
It is easy to assume that a sentence like "I can't promise you that price.
7). Avoiding A "Failure to Communicate"
It's in every classified ad and most job descriptions: must have excellent communication skills. Worse yet, once hired, it reappears annually at review time: Improve communication skills. What's a worker to do? Communication skills don't require a graduate degree, just some common sense, a bit of homework and a better understanding of the role communication plays — in everything:
Listen.