In Oct I joined the rest of the world with an iTouch.

So,  after a few months, it’s time to take stock.

Well, it is just amazing. I am not saying this as a guy with a Kindle but as a marketing opportunity.

Here are some of the things that are outstanding about it:

* App Store  You hear about the delay in approvals and what not.. but it supplies a level of  comfort that many products and services do not have. Ignore the bodily noises apps.

The real winners for marketing apps include these (I am sure I have missed many  – looking forward to discovering them).
* New York Times  – what a great app. They need to add all their advertisers to the ads at the bottom. This may be a glimpse into the too fast, too many things hitting us world. NYT condensed. Lots of great info for marketing use here.
* Kindle app – for those moments when you want to read. Really not awful and good. Several other reader apps exist as well, they seem pretty good too.
* Box.net for storage and sharing of files.
* Open Table – never call a restaurant again!
* The various carriers apps  – UPS, FedEx, USPS really helpful
* Analytics Lite – just to make sure the website is still doing it’s job
* Ring Central (our telephone service)

Personal Favs
* I would add other news sites –  Bloomberg, Huffington, NPR, Fluent News, Atlantic Wire, The Guardian
* Brushes – I am working on it. Still a very long way to go to match the New Yorker covers

Apple has over 100,000 apps, Over a 1 Billion downloads in a month. This Christmas week saw a massive jump as iPresents were set up.

Are you ready??

It means many folks are using this – the devices should influence how you design and deliver your messages.

We have our work cut out for us in 2010.

The Washington Lobbyists from Columbia Books List from Bethesda List Center is an accurate, up-to-date list of people who directly influence the government policies and legislation.

This list is drawn from Washington Representative and published by Columbia Books. Columbia Books is a top publisher of government guides and directories. Its information is always accurate and reliable.

This list is valued for its selectivity. You may target lobbyists by gender, type, industry, special interest and geographically across the U.S.

View Datacard or visit Bethesda List Center.

The National Association of Special Education Teachers List from Bethesda List Center reaches out to its members and prospects in the dedication of supporting those who are preparing to teach in the special education field.

National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) seek to promote standards of excellence and innovation in special education research, practice, and policy in order to foster exceptional teaching for exceptional children. NASET communicates with its members via special education database, the Special Educator e-Journal, News Alerts, career center, conferences and workshops and recognition for exceptional teachers.

This list can be targeted by  school level, subject, gender, and geographically across the U.S.

More information on the association is available from the website, www.naset.org.

View Datacard or visit Bethesda List Center.

It sounds easier that it really is. Here’s what to avoid!

1. Using outdated lists. Having a clean list will increase open rates and reduce undeliverable email counts. This will also prevent being flagged as a spammer!

2. No strategy.  Know what you are trying to do with your emails, content, audience, and metrics.

3. No relevant content.  No relevance in your content will create low action taken by your audience. Your message must be important!

4. Being too heavy on the text and/or graphics. Although appealing, make sure you have a good balance before you load it up and send it out. Keep in mind the different platforms people are now using to open their emails (i.e. iPhones, PDAs, etc.).

5. Not taking advantage of the top-line message. In preview panes that turn off images and in email systems and PDAs that don’t support HTML, the top-line message may be the very first thing readers will notice. It will also be the difference between someone opening the email.

6. Sounding like a salesman. If your readers sense a sales pitch, your email will not only get deleted, the reader will also unsubscribe. Worse! Mark you as spam.

7.  Forgetting to drive your web traffic. Don’t forget to increase web activity! For example, feature part of an article with a link to “read more.”Also include contextual links that are relevant to specific web site pages.

8. Testing only on one browser or operating systems.  Make sure to test it on different systems to ensure that your emails show up as you would like them to. PC vs. Mac. Explorer vs. Firefox. Format consistency is important in HTML-based emails.

9. Ignoring metrics. Metrics show you whether your message was successful or not. This will help you learn about what is working and what is not. It will also help you gauge your campaign and progress.

10. Sending at the wrong time. Think about your recipients’ time zones. Data shows that higher open rates occur on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Active Contractors and Bidders Eagle Eye Publisher
Target federal government contractors with unsurpassed accuracy by using the Active Contractors and Bidders Eagle Eye Publishes mailing list.

Government Research Center Directory from Gales
Reaching Federal, State and Local Government research facilities has never been easier. The information in this mailing list is drawn from the Gale’s directory Government Research Directory.

Engineers by Specialty in the USA
This is a list of fee-paying Engineers by specialty. These certified professionals are responsible for every kind of engineering–from agriculture to civil to geological and more selectable specialties.

Construction Industry Database USA
These building trades people are responsible for everything from masonry, to roofing, to fire protection systems & many more selectable specialties.

Agriculture and Forestry American Executives Database
The Agriculture and Forestry American Executives Database list covers the professionals who own and run cattle ranches to fish hatcheries, veterinarians to pet washing services, landscaping to citrus growers.

Oil Refinery Executives Worldwide
This list identifies executives and professionals who work at oil refineries. The Job Titles/Functions range from the top executives to mid-level professionals.

For more information or similar lists, visit Bethesda List Center.

There are many things you will be trying to offer your clients via email. Regardless of how great the offer is, you need to make sure your B2B email subject line will grab their attention for that click. Here are a couple excellent examples of subject lines offering webinars, products, solutions, and news.

• Increase Your ROI by [xx]%, Guaranteed
• How to make it onto your buyer’s short list
• Breakfast & Secrets for How to [insert problem you solve or product you sell]
• Success Tip: 5 Ways to a Better [...]
• Register Today: [insert name of event] Jan. 01 2010
• 5 Ways to Maximize Holiday Sales
• Success Tip #1: [Insert Tip Headline Here]
• A gift employees and clients will love: [Insert gift name here]
• Extended for a Day: Get Free Shipping Through Friday
• Your Weekly Alert: [insert topic here]
• New White Paper: Best Practices for [Insert problem and solution here]

Subjects lines voicing discounts or free products tend to be opened often. Who could turn down free stuff? The more relevant the subject line and content, the more likely a reader would open the email. What are some of your favorite or most memorable subject lines?

Cardiologists in the USA
This list reaches cardiologists, those doctors who specialize in disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Among the common problems handled are: congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology.

Acupuncturists in the USA
This is a comprehensive list of acupuncturists. Chinese traditional medicine has been practiced for over 5,000 years and has a growing following in this country among people from all walks of life.

Dentists in the USA
Dentists diagnose, prevent and treat teeth and mouth tissue. Among the tasks: they remove decay, fill cavities, read x-rays, seal children’s teeth, straighten teeth and repair fractured teeth; surgery on gums and supporting bone; and extract teeth and replace missing teeth, among other things.

Family, Marriage and Other Counselors in the USA
Reach registered and licensed counselors in the United States. These fee paying counselors are responsible for everything from substance abuse to marriage counseling.

Biotech and Pharmaceutical Executives Worldwide
Both industries are rapidly intertwined as the results of the Biotech Revolution are applied and commercialized by the Pharmaceutical industry.

For more information or similar lists, visit Bethesda List Center.

The Private Practice Section American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) List from Bethesda List Center represents one of the hottest growing professions in healthcare.

The Private Practice Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)  delivers the business, education, events, contacts and management tools members need to keep their skills sharp and their operations running smoothly. The members are owners, partners and managers of private practice physical therapy businesses. They represent a powerful buying, decision-making group for a wide range of products.On average, these individuals will spnd on association memberships, conferences, publications and courses. They also purchase many healthcare related products.

This mailing list can be targeted by gender and geography.

View Datacard or visit Bethesda List Center.

Keeping your email lists clean is good practice and good hygiene. Meaning, you should be keeping your email lists as accurate as possible. This will help gather better measurements and statistics that will reflect your progress more accurately. It will also protect you from negative affects in your ROI, delivery rate, and ISPs. Here are some tips!

• Validate the email address as you collect them. For example, send a triggered opt-in confirmation email, reinforcing your opt-in, and confirm the email address validity.
• Determine when to remove inactive email addresses and create a process to remove them. This helps keep your interaction high as well as maintain your relevance to your clients.
• No matter how clean you think your list is, have a process in place that will manage your bounce rates and remove them appropriately.

It’s like brushing and flossing your teeth. Good hygiene goes a long way.

Security Officers in the USA
These officers are responsible for everything from crowd controlling to canine handling to collection work & many more selectable specialties.

Electrical Contractor Magazine Database
Published by NECA, Electrical Contractor Magazine reaches over 76,000 professionals in the $95 Billion Electrical Contracting Industry.

Construction Industry Database USA
These building trades people are responsible for everything from masonry, to roofing, to fire protection systems & many more selectable specialties.

Chief Information Officers (CIO) and Chief Technology Officers (CTO) in the USA
These executives are normally found in large companies with large and complex IT systems and lots of IT personnel.

HRDQ Buyers
The HRDQ Masterfile is composed of buyers who have spent on human resource development products from the HRDQ catalog and e-commerce website.

International Executives Worldwide
Major published directories from Gale Publishing and McGraw-Hill and others have been integrated and de-duped to produce a large, multi-sourced database that makes worldwide marketing much easier.

For more information or similar lists, visit Bethesda List Center.