By Anne Holland, President

This winter from November through February, researchers for Outsell Inc. (a research firm much like MarketingSherpa) interviewed 7,000 professionals in corporations, government, healthcare and academia to find out:

o How much time they spend searching and reading info for their job: 12 hours per week, up from 10.9 a year ago.

o Where they search and read that info ... they look first at search engines just like everyone else with a computer on the planet.

I was expecting both those factoids. However, the rest of the study's findings surprised me quite a bit. Here's the shockers, plus how your marketing might be affected by them:

#1. Press releases online (especially in such sites such as Google News, Yahoo News and MSN News, which is where most executives find and read them) have overtaken trade journals and their respective sites as the top information source for knowledge workers.

My suggestion: Now more than ever, consider posting your knowledge-offer promos such as white paper, article and Webinar offers as press releases through the wires. Here's a basic how- to blog I recently wrote on the subject -- it's a bit 101 but good as a starter:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?ident=27447

#2. 47% of study respondents were reading "real content" such as news and e-books on their wireless handhelds regularly.

My suggestion: Great excuse to get yourself a variety of handheld devices and expense them to your company! Consider them your testing platform for all email newsletter templates and campaigns plus your significant Web content that might be accessed by a prospect or customer via handheld. Then use the results to have your design team redesign everything to look better on the "third screen."

BTW: If your prospects are unusually heavy mobile users-- such as doctors, young adults and field business development reps -- then consider this a high priority.

#3. The average respondent was reading nine (9!) blogs on a regular basis. And these weren't blogs for personal info -- these were job-related.

My suggestion: Add hotlinks (copywritten in suitably bloggish fashion) to your press releases to your company-written blogs. Also make sure your blog can be read via handheld device. Best way -- add an email opt-in form to the blog as a standard part of the page template and then start emailing updates to your opt-ins. (Don't rely on RSS feeds alone, there's a big population of professionals out there who don't use them routinely.)

Plus, if you are in a tight vertical niche, start investigating blog sponsorships. You may only hit a few readers per media buy, but they could be incredibly qualified candidates for your goods and services.

BTW: Sorry no, we don't accept sponsorships to this blog. So that wasn't a plug in any way, shape or form for your business. ;-)

Until next week,

Anne Holland, President
Feedback(at)marketingSherpa(dot)com
MarketingSherpa, Inc

P.S. As always, our Case Studies and articles are open access for about 10 days. Then they go into SherpaLibrary where you can research for a small fee. The links always remain the same.

#2. How Cirque du Soleil Uses Email to Sell Out Shows at Local Cities

Are you trying to improve your email copywriting and segmentation so each recipient feels a strong personal connection to your organization?

Cirque du Soleil's email team sends 6-8 campaigns per week with exceptional response rates. Our new Case Study includes details on copywriting that works, design (simpler than you'd expect) and how to gather more double opt-ins.

Plus, what to send to your list when the circus is *not* coming to their town for the next 10 months ...
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.php?ident=27496
(Open access until June 11th)

#3. NEW REPORT: How to Market to Canadians Online -- Advice, Data, Legal Info & Useful Hotlinks

Canada is more wired than the US, and our northern neighbors spend more time online than we do.

With a $1 trillion-plus GDP and a strong Canadian currency, it's an online market ripe for picking ... if you can get around several obstacles. In MarketingSherpa's New Report, discover:

-> Dos and Don'ts for email campaigns to Canada
-> Search marketing stats for Canada
-> Two Canadian laws that affect online marketing

Plus, creative samples and loads of useful hotlinks:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.php?ident=27474
(Open access until June 10th)

#4. How to Build Traffic Virally: 3 Buzzworthy Tips

Are you launching a sister site with a separate brand name and you need to get traffic there fast without blowing your budget on excessively expensive acquisition campaigns?

When you don't have an established group of return visitors, the task can be daunting.

Find out how one ecommerce marketer used viral marketing to build traffic from scratch. Plus, three tips to keep word of mouth strong and build momentum.
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.php?ident=27530
(Open access until June 15th)

#5. Your Quick Help Needed for New Study

If you market business technology (software, services, servers, etc.), please take our new 13-point questionnaire. We'll use the data to create a new Special Report on technology marketing for you:
http://s-z4jgv-165.sgizmo.com
(Fairly quick)

*Yes*, we'll send you a complimentary Executive Summary of results (including useful data charts) shortly so you can use the data for your own marketing analysis. But, first, we need your help to collect it.

Thanks in advance for your help in creating this useful community resource. The results should be fascinating and we look forward to sharing them with you.

That link again --
http://s-z4jgv-165.sgizmo.com

#6. Fame Briefs: Sherpa Speaking Gig + B2B Questionnaire & 3 New Awards

Here's a quick listing of the latest marketing, ad and PR awards you can nominate yourself for.
http://www.MarketingSherpa.com/sample.cfm?contentID=2632
(Open access = permanent)

#7. Help Wanteds: 42 New Marketing, Advertising & PR Job Openings and 4 Seekers

The past week's new posts 42 New Jobs Incl 5 Directors and 1 VP. Plus, learn how to post your own opening (complimentary service).
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?contentID=2522
(Open access = permanent)

Plus, the following positions are open at MarketingSherpa: Legal Researcher, Editorial Department; Assistant Editor; Senior Meetings & Events Manager; Senior Direct Marketing Manager. To apply:
http://www.marketingsherpa.com/sample.cfm?contentID=3047

#8. New Book Offer: 'Marketing Due Diligence' by Malcolm McDonald, Brian Smith and Keith Ward

When your CEO asks you about the ROI on his $20 million marketing investment, he expects more than hearing that the company achieved an increase in awareness or a change in attitude. But on top of that, the boss might be just as concerned with share price and shareholder value.

"Marketing Due Diligence," by Malcolm McDonald, Brian Smith and Keith Ward, is probably more for the CEOs and CFOs of the world, but marketing directors need to be aware of it, too. In the book, they offer a process for testing whether a strategy will destroy or create shareholder value *before* the company goes to the expense of implementing it.

Best of all, the 238-page paperback was written with busy people in mind. Each chapter begins with a brief "fast track" section summarizing its contents, and then they’re all consolidated into the last chapter -- so if you’re a really busy person (and who isn’t?), this chapter offers a good overview of the book’s contents.

The authors donated five copies for Sherpa to give away. Toss your name into the hat here to try for one.
http://sherpa.bookoffer.sgizmo.com
(Ends 06/11/06)


+ Winners of last week's giveaway are ...

These five lucky marketers will get their own copies of 'Marketing to the Mindset of Boomers and Their Elders' by Carol M. Morgan and Doran J. Levy Ph.D.

• Sarah Farebrother, Gazette Communications, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Steven Hand, Visual Jazz, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Sally Johnstone, Reach Advisors, Lynchburg, VA
• Jennifer Lewis-Gallagher, Thomson Scientific, Philadelphia, PA
• Paul Wcislo, Lite Point Corp., Sunnydale, CA