Know-How News by MarketingProfs.com

Issue 70 | September 29, 2006

Dear Small Business Marketers,

Our fearless leaders, Allen Weiss and Roy Young, have a new book out: Marketing Champions: Practical Strategies for Improving Marketing's Power, Influence and Business Impact. I saw it in Borders yesterday. And it's available on Amazon for pre-order. While it's generally meant for marketers at larger organizations, I know many of us like to stay on top of what the big guys are reading. So if you're interested, be sure to check it out.

Next up, we have three compelling stories for you below. In this week's Premium article, Pat LaPoint explores exactly which metrics should be in our marketing dashboards. Then the next two articles discuss survey writing and RSS feeds.

Also, be sure to catch up on the latest happenings in the forum. Read member advice about how to give good presentations. Listen to one of our most popular seminars, given by Seth Godin. Meet member, sriedel. And skim a couple of funny posts in Last Laugh.

I hope you're having a terrific week!

:: Valerie Frazee
:: Know-How News Editor
:: MarketingProfs.com
:: Where 190,000 marketers connect, learn, succeed.

P.S. Need to know more about online surveys, email marketing or voicemail marketing? Please ask our advertisers for more information. Their support makes this newsletter possible.

The Metrics You're Most Likely to Overlook (but Shouldn't)

How to Write an Effective Survey Questionnaire

RSS: What's in It for Marketers?

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The Metrics You're Most Likely to Overlook (but Shouldn't)

By Pat LaPointe

The greatest insight often comes from unexpected places. That's true of the mixture of metrics you'll eventually select for your marketing dashboard. Here, we look at some critical metrics you may not have considered for your dashboard but that may be among the most insightful and predictive you'll install.

There are quite literally hundreds of prospective dashboard metrics to consider, but only a few that will provide any leading-indicator insight. The goal here is to point out some of the places where we normally find high correlations to company profitability.

Get the full story.

Note: This article is available to our Premium Members only.

How to Write an Effective Survey Questionnaire

By Robert J. Kaden

Writing an effective questionnaire is not a task for novices. At the very least it requires an understanding of four basic issues.

Get the full story.

RSS: What's in It for Marketers?

By Eric Frenchman

RSS may not ever replace email as a delivery tool. But nonetheless, it will move Web site traffic, because people can use RSS readers to receive content without having to visit a site. Here's a primer on RSS, and why marketers should care about it.

Get the full story.

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Here are this week's hottest topics. These have been the most active discussions in KHE over the last seven days.

These are this week’s superstars! The Most Stimulating started the hottest discussions. The Most Active contributed the most posts (questions + answers). And the Most Expert earned the most points.

Most Stimulating	Most Active	Most Expert
tq6 kermitdye jampap MikeMerkury tq6 ASVP/ChrisB lisaelie5 skoobie99 scoobypsdoo cvehse	kathysmithcasting Frank Hurtte tq6 darcy.moen Harry Hallman W.M.M.A. MANSING vic hEREE.G jay.marrero	kathysmithcasting Frank Hurtte darcy.moen margec MANSING amy Jade Deremiah, *CPE Harry Hallman stevea

The topic of this week's Lessons Learned is "presentation skills." In this discussion thread, members offer their own advice in addition to some book titles, web sites and blog posts for background reading on the subject.

Discussion: Need Good Books on Presentation Skills

Have something to add? Please do! You could earn points.

In June, Sandy Riedel (sriedel) offered 2000 points for favorite marketing jokes or stories. It was a popular question, with 22 responses. Carrie was so intrigued by the question that she wanted to interview Sandy.

Take a few minutes, lean back, and read about this avid horsewoman who thinks Nebraska is the center of the US. Carrie’s checking the map on that point. She’s also preparing to read some of Sandy’s book recommendations. After all, anyone whose favorite quotes come from Goethe and the Wizard of Oz must know her way around the library.

Profile: Meet Sandy Riedel

Or browse 1,423 profiles in our Member Directory.

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Check out this week's perk for opening our newsletter. This freebie for KHN subscribers is our seminar: Eleven Big Ideas, with Seth Godin. Click here to read the description. Then use the link below to replay the seminar before next Friday. (The time limit is just for non-Premium Plus members. Premium Plus members may replay the seminar any time.)

Here's a comment from someone who attended the live event: "... I was also able to walk from the seminar into a brainstorming session and apply three of the concepts. How often does that happen?" Don't pass up the opportunity to replay a great seminar. (Normally $99.)

Resource: Eleven Big Ideas, With Seth Godin

Or browse 380 resources posted by members in our Resource Library.

Have you seen this discussion by new member astansell? We're pretty sure no company type better inspires comical newsletter names than an air filter service firm.

Discussion: I Need a Name for an Employee Newsletter

Have something to add? Please do! You could earn points.

Want to share the news? Invite your colleagues to participate in our online discussion forum, Know-How Exchange.

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Editorial: Val Frazee (val@marketingProfs.com)
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