Free Stuff
Resources for B-to-B Marketers and Copywriters

If you're in business-to-business marketing and/or marketing communications, here are a number of resources you'll find of interest. Most of the items listed here are free, except for a few things that require paid subscriptions or Association dues.

B-to-B Marketing Tools and Reports

Extreme Web Makeover Analysis -- Does your Website "suck" but you're not sure why? Are you still using the same site your cousin did for you in college? Or worse yet, did you do it yourself using a free program? These days it pays to invest in professional Web design. Not only is a professionally designed site the equivalent of a bricks and mortar storefront, it's also the first impression prospective buyers have of your business. Now you can can get a FREE analysis of your current site -- and how you can make it better -- from Sonora DesignWorks. Tell Jim Somers I sent you.

The Role of Search in B-to-B Marketing -- A free download from MarketingSherpa and Enquiro, this report will show you why having an optimized site should be your number one priority if you want to increase sales leads from online traffic.

Enquiro's New B2B Survey -- The objective of this survey (which is an update of the 2004 survey listed above), conducted with over 1000 B2B buyers, was to discover how people research B2B buying decisions online and how this varies by role within a company and by purchase phase. A must read for all B2B marketers.

Business-to-Business Lead Generation Tactics: A Recipe for Success -- Mac McIntosh, America's sales lead expert, offers a free how-to guide filled with proven B2B sales lead generation tips and techniques.

We We Calculator -- One of my favorite newsletters is "Grokdotcom" from Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg at Future Now, Inc. They also have a great customer focus analysis tool, the "We We Calculator." Simply type in your URL and the We We Calculator scores your Web copy on whether it is focused on your customers . . . or your company. Test your site and see how you do.

Search Engine Optimization Fast Start -- Want to optimize your Web site yourself or just learn more about the process? Dan Thies has made his informative e-book a free download. Learn how to get targeted traffic to your site without spending a small fortune.

Google Cheat Sheet -- Have you wondered how to get better search results? The secret is knowing how to type in specific words plus things like "and," "or" and "~". Google shows you everything with this handy cheat sheet.

How to Set Up an RSS Feed -- When I wanted to set up my own RSS feed, the first person I turned to was Dr. Wilson, publisher and editor of the Web site "Web Marketing Today." This article gives you a good run-down on RSS and how to create your own feed.

B-to-B E-newsletters and Magazines

MarketingSherpa -- A free e-newsletter that goes out to over 173,000 advertising, marketing and PR professionals. Each issue features a real life marketing case study.

Direct Magazine -- A free magazine for B-to-B professionals that regularly features in-depth articles and studies about advertising, search, and email marketing. Tom Collin's "Ad Makeover" column is the first thing I turn to each month.

BtoB -- The magazine for marketing strategists, this free publication features all things B-to-B, including online marketing, blogs, advertising, and database marketing.

ClickZ e-newsletters -- No matter which newsletter you subscribe to -- and ClickZ offers over a dozen of them -- you'll get great, in-depth (and free) information from industry experts.

Jessica Albon's Newsletters in Focus -- Jessica's newsletter on e-newsletters, which comes out weekly, is one of the newsletters I read without fail.

Sites for Copywriters

For Copywriters Only -- B2B copywriting expert, Steve Slaunwhite, publishes one of the best e-newsletters on B2B copywriting -- without the hype. He also offers monthly teleclasses and other great content. Five stars.

Visual Thesaurus -- Although you have to pay to access the Visual Thesaurus tool plus the additional content, it's well worth the annual $19.95 price tag.

Copywriter's Roundtable -- Every week, John Forde (Jack to his friends) delves into the vaults of some of the sharpest copywriters in the business. Whatever he discovers, he shares with you in this free e-zine.

TechEncyclopedia -- The online "tech" dictionary.

Associations

Business Marketing Association -- The BMA is the leading professional resource for business-to-business marketers and communicators.

New England Direct Marketing Association -- A regional association for anyone interested in all things direct marketing.

Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization -- SEMPO is a non-profit professional association working to increase awareness and promote the value of Search Engine Marketing worldwide.

International Association of Business Communicators -- The IABC provides a professional network of more than 13,000 business communication professionals in over 60 countries.

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