Most of the time what people really want to know is:  How can I make the kind of money all those gurus talk about?

Well, the first thing that you need to know is that many of those internet marketing gurus aren’t being completely honest about their income, the size of their lists, or their products.  I’m sure you already knew that — after all, it’s hard to take anyone at their word anymore, especially online.

But here’s the other thing you need to know about a lot of internet marketers… for some, the major source of their income doesn’t actually come from selling their internet marketing products (or any products for that matter) online .  Let me explain…

A LOT of Internet Marketing Gurus Are MLM’ers Too!

Would it surprise you to know that a lot of those internet marketing gurus who try to sell you all kinds of marketing products actually make the majority of their income through network marketing? Some of them actually started in network marketing and then developed their internet marketing products later to sell to their downlines and then to the public.

I know that’s hard for some people to believe — network marketing — really?

After all, network marketing has gotten a really bad reputation over the last several years.  But I actually have proof that internet marketing gurus make a substantial part of their income from network marketing… Click here for proof.

See any marketing names that you recognize? How about Jim Daniels, Yanik Silver, Rosalind Gardner, Frank Kern, Terry Dean, Bryan Kumar, and Mike Chen?  Several years ago I was even approached by Corey Rudl about a MLM opportunity – even though he flatly denied it to his internet marketing followers.

So why do so many internet marketers dabble in network marketing as well?

Because there’s HUGE money in network marketing!

In fact, network marketing is exactly like affiliate marketing in a lot of ways… the only REAL difference is that network marketers get paid down several levels for their efforts, resulting in more income, while affiliate marketers only get paid on one or two levels.

Network marketing is a GOLD MINE if you know how to do it!

Should You Follow In The Guru’s Footsteps?

Like any other home based business, some will succeed and some will fail… But one of the real benefits of network marketing over just about any other home business is the possibility of absolutely HUGE paydays.  You just can’t make as much money as quickly in any other business model.

But that’s not the only reason that I like network marketing as part of my own business.

For me, the best thing about network marketing is that I can mentor, coach, and train people in their home businesses for FREE.

Let me explain… In a traditional coaching, mentoring, or training career, the coach earns their living from charging clients an hourly fee.   Frankly, I never liked the idea of charging by the hour. I always found it restrictive and uncomfortable because some clients need a lot more attention than others. …And you can’t always reach the people who need you most because they can’t afford to spend $300 per hour on this kind of service.

But now I can provide unlimited personalized coaching, mentoring, and training, centered around an EXTREMELY lucrative home business model, to people who really need the help and support, and EVERYBODY WINS!

• I get to help people to develop a successful home business that can absolutely change their lives… This is an AWESOME way to earn a living!
• The people I coach get REAL help and training from an expert so that they have a REAL chance to make it in home business and turn their lives around.

For me it’s a win/win situation.

But how do you know if it’s right for you?  Here are the basic reasons why you might want to consider getting into network marketing:

1. You’d like to supplement your current home business income.
2. You’d like to bump your income to the next level.
3. You’re struggling trying to make it with affiliate marketing.
4. You really need a coach/trainer to help you make it.
5. You’ve never had a home business before and you don’t know what to do.
6. You don’t know anything about marketing or internet marketing.
7. You’re already an expert and want the chance to help others reach your level of income.

Still don’t know if network marketing might be your thing?  That’s okay… I was skeptical at first too.

But the network marketing business model is built in such a way that you can actually test-run it for a month or two to see if you like it.  If you don’t like it — move on to something else.  There are tons of network marketing companies out there, so you’re bound to find one that will work for you and your lifestyle.

After all, network marketing seems to be the “best kept secret” of many successful internet marketing gurus — maybe it’s worth looking into.

Learn more about my FREE coaching program… Click here!

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So… of course I started checking into it.

Stop #1:  The Sales Page

Strictly speaking, the first page you see when you visit The Clickbank Code is actually a splash page, but  I have to tell you that the splash page is really a work of art.

1. There is very little distracting information on the page, including minimal links.
2. The layout is professional and eye-catching.
3. Everything that you need to see is above the fold — You don’t have to scroll to see it.
4. It has an effective lead capture system.  You have to submit your name and email to see the next video.
5. The video on the splash page is engaging and plays automatically.

It was worth visiting the The Clickbank Code just so that I could take notes on the sales system that they’re using.  I love to see how other people are doing it and discover new strategies that work well!

If you’re new to the idea of splash pages or looking into creating your own splash pages, you should seriously check this one out.  It’s pure art… all the way down to the headlines, colors, graphics, etc.

Even the arrows work effectively.

Stop #2:  The Sales Page

As you can tell, I’m a big fan of the splash page… not as big a fan of the sales page.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a well done sales page full of the same professional graphics and videos.  I just thought it was a bit of a let down after the splash page.  Michael Jones, the product owner, claims that the conversion rate for the sales page is over 7%, so the sales page must work pretty well.

I may just have to borrow a few of the ideas here.

Bottom line:  I’ve visited both the splash page and the sales page and I still don’t have a really good idea if I’m interested in this product or not.

Stop #3:  Online Reviews

As you might expect, there are tons of “honest reviews” of The Clickbank Code available online.  The vast majority — 99.99% of them are candy-coated reviews designed to elicit affiliate sales.

That’s hardly a review at all!

Of course, there’s also the anti-reviews or “scam alerts” that are written to capture affiliate sales for other products related to The Clickbank Code.  Those aren’t particularly honest.

I still have no idea if this is a product that I’m interested in or not.  I’m certainly curious about the product, but not willing to pony up out of shear curiousity.  I honestly expect that the product is really just a re-mix of the same old information about Clickbank, SEO, PPC, etc.

But how can I find out?  YouTube!

Stop #4: Get A Sneak Peak

So my last stop is to check out the various YouTube videos out there that show sneak peaks of the product.  My goal is to get that “insiders view” of The Clickbank Code so that I can decide if it’s something that I’m interested in either buying or promoting.

After viewing the videos, I decided that I’d like to promote the product and see how it performs for me, but I’m not interested in buying the product at this time.  From what I can see in the videos, the majority of the information available in The Clickbank Code is stuff that I either already know how to do or currently use in my business.

I’ve been in this business a long, long time… there’s just not that much that’s totally new to me anymore. (Am I showing my age?)

But I do think there’s some really good stuff in The Clickbank Code for those who haven’t been in the game as long as I have.  That’s why I offer the best sneak peak videos that I could find for you below:

In the end, I can’t personally recommend The Clickbank Code because I don’t own a copy myself.  It looks very promising for those who aren’t making as much money as they’d like at Clickbank and I’m planning a PPC campaign around the product to see if it really lives up to that 7.1% conversion rate claimed.

If you want to check out the splash page or sales letter, here’s the link to The Clickbank Code.

If you own this product yourself, tell me what you think about it.

Is it worth the price?

I’d love to hear from you!

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In addition, hopefully this sales letter mistakes video will show you what NOT to do when you create your own sales pages!

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Go From Zero To Your Own Profitable
Internet Business In Six Easy Steps!

By Derek Gehl and The Internet Marketing Center Team

This week, we’d like to jump right in and answer an important question from a reader. Mike Vernice writes:

“I am interested in building my future for both myself and my loved ones. I have to admit I am scared to make a move because of today’s economy, and I can’t afford to flop. What do you suggest?”

Well, Mike, as far as starting a website during today’s economy goes, we’ve recently gone on record saying that the downturn could actually be a GOOD time to start an Internet business.

Online sales have never been STRONGER, you’ll have access to an entire global market, the start-up costs are negligible, and you can get started while you’re working a “regular” job, so you won’t feel the pressures of needing to earn big profits right away.

In fact, we’ve written an entire article about the benefits of starting an Internet business during a recession, which you can read here.

Now as far as being “scared to make a move,” Mike, it’s common to feel that way when you’re just starting out, but the truth is, there’s nothing to worry about!

As long as you’re following a tested and proven system for starting a successful online business, there’s actually VERY little risk that you’ll “flop.”

With the right system, you can start slowly, with almost NO upfront investment, using your free time on the weekends to get the “basics” in place.

Then, over time, as you continue to learn and grow — and start earning your first modest profits — you can begin to invest more time and money in your business, applying increasingly advanced strategies, until your website is making serious money.

Then, once that site is running hands-free, you can use what you’ve learned to start a second site. And then a third. And so on…

… until you’ve got MULTIPLE streams of income flowing into your bank account automatically, and you’ve kissed your regular job goodbye FOREVER!

It won’t happen overnight, and it’s not quite as easy as some would have you believe, but if you take your time, stay focused and motivated, and don’t give up, a life-changing income really CAN be yours!

To help get you started, Mike, we’d like to walk you through the six-step system we give to all of our clients, to help them build profitable sites.

We’ve been teaching this system for over a decade now, and it’s worked for literally thousands of people, many of whom are now making incomes of $5,000… $10,000… $15,000 or MORE a MONTH!

Step #1: Find A Lucrative “Niche Market” Filled With Hungry Buyers

If you’ve been receiving this newsletter for any length of time, the term niche market should be pretty familiar to you.

In fact, it’s probably the one thing we talk about the MOST here at The Internet Marketing Center, because finding one is SO critical to the success of your business!

But if you’re new to the term, here’s how we define it:

A niche market is a group of people who are all searching online for the solution to a common problem, and not finding many relevant results.

In other words, you’re looking for a market that has HIGH demand and LOW competition. Simple, right?

So how do you find a niche market? In a word, research.

You’ll need to do keyword research to find out what problems people are typing into the search engines, you’ll need to do market research to find out where your potential market hangs out online, and you’ll need to do competition research to make sure there’s room for you in the market.

And remember: Do NOT rush this!

This is the single most important step you’ll take when creating your business. Finding a niche is like building the foundation for a house. The stronger your foundation is, the more stable your entire house will be.

Step #2: Find Or Create A Hot-Selling Product That Your Market Will Beg For

Once you’ve found your niche market, and understand the problem you’re going to help people with, it’s time to find the solution (product) you can sell to them.

And while you can build your own product to sell online, Mike, there are plenty of things you can sell without having to spend money on development, manufacturing, shipping, and storing.

You can:

• Work with a drop shipper, selling their products while they take care of the shipping and storage for you
• Join an affiliate program, and make money by recommending other peoples’ products on your website
• Offer to perform a service for people

And while these are all great options for someone just getting started, the HOTTEST thing you can sell online is information!

By creating your own ebook that solves your visitors’ problem for them, you can sell and deliver it hands-free, plus keep 100% of the proceeds from each sale!

Step #3: Write Compelling Salescopy That Turns Visitors Into Buyers

With your market and product figured out, it’s time to start building your website, right? Wrong!!

Before you even think about creating your website, you need to write powerful, compelling salescopy that answers your visitors’ biggest question: “What’s in it for ME?!”

Your copy is going to take the place of a salesperson in a brick-and-mortar store, answering all of your customers questions, overcoming their objections, and nudging them toward the buying decision.

And if you’re worried that your writing abilities may not be up to the task, don’t be! Writing good salescopy is more science than art…

… so as long as you understand a few basic principles of persuasion, you’ll be able to easily create highly effective copy for your site, even if you’re not a writer!

Step #4: Design a Website That DRIVES Visitors To Take Action

Typically, creating a website is the step that “newbies” want to do first.

But hopefully you can see now, Mike, that there are MANY advantages to getting your market, product, and salescopy figured out before you tackle the site!

And when you ARE ready to build your site, you’ll want to avoid just jumping in with both feet. As with everything else related to your business, a bit of planning goes a LONG way!

That’s because you’ve got just a few seconds to “hook” your visitors, convince them that you’ve got EXACTLY what they’re looking for, and keep them on your site long enough to buy.

So by figuring out how your site will look, what kinds of graphics you’re going to use, where you’re going to put the salescopy, and how you’re going to organize the information on the page, you’ll end up with a website that makes sales right from the get-go.

And if you’re not comfortable with the idea of building your own website, it’s actually pretty easy.

In fact, if you can update your Facebook profile or send basic emails, chances are you’ll be able to learn how to create your own simple website faster than you thought possible.

Step #5: Use Email Marketing To Build Relationships With Your Visitors

Chances are, most of your customers WON’T buy from you the first time they visit, so it’s crucial that you stay in touch with them, so you can continue driving them back to your site to make a purchase.

And by far the BEST way to do this is with email marketing.

First, note that we’re NOT talking about spam! You’ll use your site to create a list of “opt-in” subscribers; people who not only WANT to hear from you, but have specifically given you permission to email them!

Email marketing is the perfect way for ANY business to make profits, because:

• Your email list is made up of people who are inviting you to sell to them
• You’re developing lifetime relationships with your customers
• The response is 100% measurable, so you can evaluate the success of your campaigns within hours (saving thousands on advertising)
• It’s effective, instantaneous, and cheap!

And as with most other things related to your new business, email marketing is pretty easy to do! There are lots of tools out there that make it as easy as sending a regular email to a friend!

Step #6: Drive Visitors To Your Website and Start Making Sales

Your job is NOT over when your website goes live! Now you need to start actively sending customers to it, and the FASTEST way to do that is with a pay-per-click (PPC) adverting campaign.

When you get started with a PPC campaign, you:

• Get your site listed at the top of the search results in as little as 15 minutes
• Get lots of traffic for very little money
• ONLY pay for the advertising that actually works

And it’s SO easy to get started!

You just bid on specific keywords so that, whenever someone enters that word into the search engines, a link to your site appears at the top of the results page.

When someone clicks through to your website from that link, you pay the search engine the amount you bid on that particular word.

Then once you’re earning profits with your site through your PPC campaign, you can begin to focus on the many ways of bringing FREE traffic to your website!

Your Personal Blueprint For Starting A Profitable Web Business

Of course, we’ve really just scratched the surface here, Mike. There’s FAR more to starting a profitable web business than we could possibly fit into a newsletter of this size.

But the good news is that we have laid out this entire step-by-step system for you in a comprehensive “roadmap” that ANYONE can follow to quickly and easily start earning profits on the Internet…

… even if you have NO previous business experience and NO technical skills.

We carefully walk you through EVERYTHING you need to do to start your profitable Internet business, including:

• Help you decide what to sell
• Easily get a sales website (complete with copy)
• Attract your first visitors
• And take your first credit card payment

And once you’ve accomplished these key milestones, we’ll show you how to ramp up sales and traffic quickly, and then automate your entire business so it’s “hands-free!”

Then, when your site is making serious money, we’ll show you HUNDREDS of ADVANCED strategies and techniques you can use to drive profits even higher.

Best of all, we’ve JUST finished completely updating and revising the system, so it contains the MOST up-to-date techniques and strategies that people are using to earn BIG profits right this second!

So watch your email inbox over the next week. We’ll let you know the second it’s available.

At the same time, we’ll be revealing TWO very closely guarded secrets that we’ve been keeping under wraps for MONTHS. The first secret is going to revolutionize the way people learn how to make money on the Internet…

… but the second one is going to ROCK the Internet marketing world!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Internet marketing expert Derek Gehl specializes in teaching real people how to successfully start, build, and grow their own profitable online businesses on small budgets. To get instant access to the step-by-step strategies, tools, and resources he’s used to grow just $25 into over $60 Million in online sales, visit: http://www.marketingtips.com/tipsltr.html

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Buy Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time (Hardcover) at Amazon

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Twitter is an awesome tool for connecting with people personally and professionally.  You can talk to others in your niche or area of interest, share advice, provide resources, and network with people all over the world.

I love it and I’m becoming a total Twitter addict.

It’s so much easier to write a short 140 character post on Twitter than to write an entire blog post… especially when I only want to make a quick point and move on.

I have several different accounts that I use for my different niches.  After all, it wouldn’t make sense to use my Arvada Yates Twitter account to communicate with my friends in other niches unrelated to internet business and marketing.  And having all these different accounts is what made me realize how obvious it is that internet marketers don’t know how to Twitter right.

In my other accounts, I can:

• Communicate directly with like-minded people and tweet back and forth.
• Have online disagreements with others who have a different point of view.
• Post cute jokes or comments about current events.
• Add occasional links to interesting blog posts, news stories, or videos.

In my Twitter accounts directly related to internet marketing, I get a constant barrage of links to affiliate programs and promotions from other interent marketers.  There’s nothing that I can have a conversation about, make a comment on, or connect with.

It sucks!

And it totally takes the fun out of using Twitter… so I don’t spend much time on those accounts and opt to participate in the accounts that allow more interaction.

And that’s where internet marketers are totally missing the point of Twitter.

Twitter is about interacting with others and creating relationships.  It’s kind of like email… you have to build rapport with others and provide useful information before you start slamming offers to buy stuff down their throats.

So here’s my top three ways to improve your results with Twitter:

1.  Start a conversation.  It’s easy to do if you’ve got followers that are real people instead of automated accounts.  In addition, you can always join another conversation that’s taking place… just jump in and be a real person!

2.  Stop posting links every time you Twitter.  Links take time to follow and pull followers out of Twitter… plus too many links undermine any hope of having a relationship with your followers.  If you’re going to post links, post links to articles on your blog.  That’s what I usually do.  In fact, I never post links directly to products.

3.  Post tips and real information to your account.  People love short tips and they can also double as a conversation starter.

I’m sure there are a few self-declared internet marketers out there that are trying to Twitter the right way… but the majority of them seem to see Twitter as an opportunity to spam us all with sales materials.

It’s a shame… Twitter can be so much fun!

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• A headline must capture the attention of your prospect.
• A headline must tell your prospect what’s in it for him.
• A headline must deliver a complete, immediately understandable message.
• A headline must pull the prospect into the copy… compelling him to keep reading.

In essence, a headline should motivate your prospect to respond.

In fact, headlines are soooo important that I have a swipe file of really great headlines that I come across.  I keep a swipe file so that I can go back and refer to those headlines and use them as headline starters when it’s time for me to create my own promotional materials.

Here are 10 headline starters from my own swipe file:

• The Untold Secrets To Making…
• Is Your (Insert Topic) Being Threatened?
• 7 Amazing Strategies to…Add New
• Do You Wish There Was An Easier Way To…
• 3 Direct Reasons Why You’ll Be Kicking Yourself if You Don’t…
• Instant Strategies Anyone Can Use To…
• The 5 Ugly Lies About…
• How I (Insert Benefit) In Record Time…
• Watch this ‘shocking’ play-by-play underground video…
• Why Aren’t You…?

If you’re interested in getting more great headlines as well as swipe files for other parts of your promotional material, then I highly recommend My Instant Swipe File.

Or feel free to visit my full review of My Instant Swipe File.

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According to the author of The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet Version 2009, the Latest Edition is everything you’d Expect From A Beginner’s Guide To Starting An Online Business with over 1,250 pages of detailed, moneymaking strategies and techniques have been carefully laid out in bite-sized, easy to grab-and-apply sections, making it dead-easy to determine what you need, apply it to your business, and move onto the NEXT step.

The “Insider Secrets” system claims to carefully guide you through all the critical steps:

1. Helping you decide what you should sell…
2. Easily get a sales website live…
3. Attract your first visitor…
4. Accept your first credit card payment!
5. Ramp up sales & traffic quickly!
6. Automate your business to be “hands free”

Course Examples

Here is a small sample of what you will find within The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet Course…

• How to use powerful automated research tools to quickly multiply your hobbies and interests into HUNDREDS of potential business ideas!
• The simple “measuring stick” that will instantly tell you if your product idea has REAL income potential… before you spend a penny developing it!
• The SEVEN best ways to make money from a website — add each one to your website like building blocks and watch your income explode!
• How to get paid BIG commissions by recommending other people’s products on your website!
• How you can quickly become a “Super Affiliate” and earn a full-time, six-figure income — without EVER selling a product of your own!
• Plugging NEW Revenue Streams into Your Website to Incrementally Build Your Online Income by $1,500 to $8,000+ Per Month!
• Secrets for Squeezing WAY MORE Sales and Profits Out Of Your Existing Traffic, Subscribers, Products, and Website!

Additional Benefits Reported

Here are some additional benefits reported in The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet course:

• Students receive real time updates with the latest online marketing strategies.
• Streaming videos for ease of student learning.
• Downloadable content for iPod, iPhone or other mobile device.
• The Master Blueprint for Launching and Expanding Your Internet Business is shipped Free to students.
• Foolproof goal-setting DVD and workbook provided to all students.
• A Private 30-Minute Phone Consultation With a Personal eBiz Trainers.

Product Details

Company Information: The Internet Marketing Center has a 12 year long track record of Over-Delivering on their products and providing good customer value.

Product Spefications: Complete guide to starting and growing an internet business in an electronic, web accessible format plust five business building bonuses valued at $443.

Price: $197 after 30 day trial at $2.95

Return Policy: “DOUBLE Your Profits In 1 Year… Or We’ll Pay You $200 Just For Trying!… in addition to a 100% refund of your purchase price.”

Actual Customer Feedback

“The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet Version 2009 is a must have course for anyone serious about having their own Internet business. If you want to make money online, I highly recommend that you get access to this tremendous online business building course now.”

Shelley Lowery, web-source.net

“There are precious few courses that I can recommend without reservation. Insider Secrets is one of them…highly recommended.”

Kevin Tenzo, warriorforum.com

“I give Insider Secrets VERSION 2009 a perfect 10 out of 10 without hesitation. The Internet Marketing Center continues to be the leader in helping people go from nothing to big money online.”

Valeriu, internetmarketingprofitscenter.com

“We’ve used this course as our blueprint to grow the business to $500,000 per year!”

David Gray, mortgagewatchdog.com.au

“Using all that valuable information, I built my first website which now brings in $300,000 per year in sales, on average!”

Larissa Carrus, airbrushing-made-easy.com

“I can honestly say that I have never had so much fun learning anything in my life!”

Darren Salkeld, down-feather-bedding.com

““Insider Secrets” is the first investment anyone should make in their Internet businesses. It will shave off years of trial and error time, and will also save you a lot of money in the long run, by preventing you from making the kinds of mistakes Corey and Derek made as Internet marketing pioneers. I can’t emphasize that enough. Learn from this system and you’ll be so much further ahead.”

Shawn LeBrun, shawnlebrunfitness.com

“The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet has been a great tool for me. It is a very comprehensive course. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to start an online business!”

Taylor Knight, yourparrotplace.com

The way the positive review stack up, you can’t go wrong… especially with that return policy!

Read more reviews of The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet Version 2009.

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The problem with the Republicans is that they need a better marketing strategy.

Here’s my three step plan for getting the GOP back on it’s feet through a solid marketing plan.

Read the rest of this article at http://www.Politegrity.com

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I read an article this morning that talks about a brick and mortar company that required it’s salespeople to acquire at least 25% of customers’ email addresses so that they could conduct email marketing.

When the salespeople couldn’t live up to the quotas, they began submitting made up email addresses… and you can guess what happened then.

Their email system was shut down for sending email to bogus addresses and now they can’t conduct any email marketing at all – even to the legitimate addresses.

The company should have seen that one coming long before they instituted their quota!

Well that article got me thinking about my own inbox and I realized that I seem to be getting a lot more junk email than I used to.  Now I’m getting two or three emails per day from companies that I’ve dealt with for years and used to only get a couple of messages per week from.  And it’s not only that, the email that they’re sending is pure advertising rather than information and other stuff I can use.

It’s gotten so bad that I’ve had to subscribe from several lists that I used to really enjoy.

Just because the economy is down doesn’t mean that businesses, both online and offline, should forget to use sound email marketing practices.

In fact, I say that sound email marketing is more important now than ever.

Rule #1 of email marketing: Send subscribers stuff that they’re interested in.  No one likes a constant barrage of sales material.

I realize that some companies are on the edge of collapse and I empathize, but that means that they need to work twice as hard at making every piece of their marketing plan count. Desperately sending out tons of spam and junk email will only serve to hurt them further and contribute to their demise.

And I think that goes for smaller home businesses as well.

… But that’s just my opinion.  What do you think?

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