Over the past few months, a number of my subscribers have been asking
me about the latest marketing technology to hit the Internet.
It's called "direct to desktop" publishing, and right
now, it's the exclusive property of Fortune 500 companies who
are paying tens of thousands (even hundreds of thousands!) of
dollars to have hotshot developers create custom software that
lets them cash in on the new technology.
Direct-to-desktop gives these elite companies the kind of advantages that most Internet marketers can only dream about:
- 100% guaranteed message delivery
- Instant messages that appear in full color and sound, right on a customer's computer desktop
- An exclusive, private communication channel with loyal customers and subscribers
All in a customized, branded window with their company logo at the
top.
When you visit one of these companies' web sites (think online
music stores, sports fan sites, entertainment sites, and so
on), you'll see an offer that says something like "Click
this button to receive instant direct to desktop updates direct to your computer."
Click the button and you'll download a small,customized "reader"
application that lets your computer receive messages from the
company.
It's all made possible by a hot new technology called "RSS,"
which (depending on who you ask) stands for either "Really
Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary." Basically,
RSS gives you a way to take the content from your web site or
e-mail newsletter and send it directly to a small "reader"
application that your customers install on their computers.
1. What are the Advantages of "Direct to Desktop"?
Direct-to-desktop publishing lets you send HTML messages directly to your customers' desktops - instantly, reliably, and electronically - without having to wrestle with e-mail filters, bounce backs, or competition.
Once customers sign up, they don't have to check their e-mail or visit your web site to get your latest news or updates. A flashing direct to desktop icon alerts them as soon as they receive a message from you - and all they have to do is click to read it.
It's brilliant.
The direct to desktop system doesn't use e-mail, yet it is 100% opt-in - subscribers simply turn off the program if they wish to stop receiving messages.
Here are just a few of the major benefits of direct to desktop publishing:
- 100% Delivery rate. With direct to desktop publishing, you get guaranteed delivery of every message to 100% of your subscribers. Every subscriber who downloads your "reader" application will receive every single message you send.
No spam filters, no bounce backs, and no blocking by ISPs.
- An exclusive channel with zero competition.
When your subscribers receive your messages, they won't be distracted
by all the newsletters, personal messages, and spam in their overflowing inboxes. Your messages appear in a separate window that acts as an exclusive one-on-one communication channel - so you don't have to compete with anyone else for your
subscribers' attention. You can even customize the window with your company logo and graphics!
- Professional Formatting. Direct to desktop messages are created
in HTML, so they can contain full-color text and graphics, javascripts, and even audio and video. Unlike e-mail messages, which can look different depending on what e-mail software your subscribers are using, you have total control over the look and feel of each message you send. And because any attached files are "embedded" within your message, you won't ever have to worry about your subscribers seeing "broken" image links - even if they're viewing your direct to desktop messages while offline!
- Instant Delivery.Your direct to desktop messages are delivered instantly to
each subscriber's desktop, so you can grab their attention before your competitors do - they'll see your message even before they open their e-mail browsers or download e-mail.
- New Subscribers. Getting your existing customers to use this red-hot new direct to desktop technology should be a breeze - because if they're not already clamoring for it, they will be soon!
And the possibilities for ways to get new subscribers to sign up are just about endless. You can offer them up-to-the-second information... exclusive offers... access to your "inner circle of privileged subscribers... or any other "exclusive" privilege you can think of!
- Managing "unsubscribes" is hands free. Direct to desktop is 100% opt-in. If a subscriber doesn't like the messages a company is sending, they don't have to bother sending a "please unsubscribe me" e-mail - they simply click a button to stop receiving the company's messages.
It's a win-win situation for everyone involved: Subscribers receive messages only from companies they trust. No spam, no pop-ups, no third-party ads... just legitimate messages from a sender they want to hear from. And companies get to deliver their messages without ISPs or e-mail filters getting in the way.
2. The Right Direct to Desktop Technology at the Right Time
If you're currently marketing your business online, you know how important
it is to reach your customers through a variety of channels:
search engines, e-mail marketing, and so on. And with all the
upheaval and change in the industry over the last year or so,
it has become more important than ever to take advantage of
every channel available to you...
Putting all your eggs in one basket leaves you at risk of losing *everything*
if there is a sudden industry change or buyout.
For example, do you remember how badly some business fared a few months ago
when Google made adjustments to its algorithms and dumped thousands of #1-ranking web sites out of sight?! Businesses that relied 100% on search engine traffic suddenly found themselves with no traffic - and no sales!
Even e-mail marketing is getting more and more complicated. While e-mail is still a powerful marketing tool (Proof: I used it to make more than $2.4 million last year, and I'm on track to do the same again this year), these days you need to work harder than ever to keep in touch with your list of customers and subscribers.
Here's why:
- Subscribers change their email addresses, leaving you without a way to contact them.
- Your legitimate messages get wrongfully trashed by overactive junk mail filters.
- People's free e-mail accounts fill up quickly, causing your messages to bounce back.
- And even when your e-mail makes it into a subscriber's inbox, it can get lost in a sea of newsletters, personal messages, promotions, and spam if you don't know what you're doing.
For these reasons, many marketers are looking for opportunities to use this new direct to desktop technology as a "partner" tool that works hand-in-hand with their e-mail and advertising campaigns.
Unfortunately, there are still a few problems with it!
3. The "Big Boys" Have Cornered the Market
Right now, the Fortune 500 companies have cornered the market on direct to desktop publishing. And for good reason - they've been the only ones who could afford it!
These companies have paid huge sums of money to have software developers convert their company materials into RSS- compatible content. They've hired professional designers to come up with attractive, customized "reader" applications they
can send to their subscribers. And they've put tons of money into developing flashy graphics, streaming audio, and video clips to send out.
There is a tremendous opportunity for marketers to be at the very front of the curve, taking advantage of this red-hot new technology to get secure, direct access to the desktops of your customers...
But unfortunately, it's next to impossible for the average person to get set up with direct to desktop technology right now.
You need to know a programming language like XML to create your content "feed." And unless you're willing to hire some expensive software
developers, your subscribers will have to use a generic "newsreader" application to receive your messages.
Now, these newsreaders are decent applications for reading things like news headlines, but the problem with them is that they give
you no control over the way your message looks, so you can't customize your subscribers' experience with your company name
and logo.
Plus, generic newsreaders can be used like e-mail inboxes to view messages from a number of different companies... meaning that your message can once again be lost among messages from your competition!
4. Where This New Direct to Desktop Technology is Heading
The current situation of direct to desktop publishing reminds me of the way things looked on the Internet five years ago, when most
companies didn't have web sites yet. Only a few highly funded Internet start-ups (remember the dot-com boom?) had the money, software, and skills to develop a professional site.
Then a few companies started looking at how to make web design accessible to the public - and now, user-friendly web design software has made it easy for anyone to create a professional- looking e-commerce web site in minutes!
The same thing happened with e-mail marketing. At first, it was just a few entrepreneurs testing the water to see if there was a way to avoid paying postage for direct mail promotions - and now, thanks to e-mail automation software , it seems like every company is
using e-mail to distribute their promotions and newsletters.
And now, the same situation has come up again.
Back in early 2003, I saw this coming... And I just don't think it's fair that Fortune 500 companies are the only ones that can afford this technology, while marketers like you and me have to settle for inferior, stop-gap solutions.
So I'll let you in on a little secret... we have been quietly working on a solution that's going to allow "regular" home business owners start using direct to desktop technology - for a fraction of the cost that these Fortune 500 companies are paying.
I don't want to say too much about it right now... But I will tell you that it's going to contain all the features I've mentioned - plus we're making sure you have customization, branding, and tracking tools BEYOND what these $10,000+ solutions typically offer.
That's all I want to say about it right now ;-)
But keep an eye on your inbox over the next couple of weeks, because we're nearly ready to make it public. It's going to be huge, and for the first time *ever*, I'm going to let you start using it at the same time I do - before our competitors get wind of this!
Like I said, this technology is really hot right now. I want to give you a leading edge by making sure you reach the market with this
FIRST!
"Answers to Your Questions about Direct to Desktop Technology... And a Sneak Preview of How I'm Personally Using It!"
The hot new technology that's revolutionizing the way Internet business owners communicate with their customers and subscribers.
The direct to desktop messaging literally allows you to send messages straight to your customers' computer desktops - without using e-mail!
Sound complicated? Well, it used to be. Until now only Fortune 500 companies with enough money to buy the advanced software have been able to use it.
But that's all changed!
Keep reading and I'll give you an inside look at how you can get started with your own highly profitable direct to desktop campaigns,
including examples of tools and strategies businesses are already using.
PLUS, because I've just rolled out my own direct-to-desktop version of the Newsletter, I'll show you how you can switch your current subscription from e-mail to my exclusive desktop edition...
Let's take a look at the basics of direct-to-desktop technology and why businesses (big AND small!) are scrambling to use it.
To start, I'll answer a few of the most common questions people have been asking me about "direct-to-desktop."
FAQ #1: What is direct to desktop messaging?
At first glance, direct to desktop messaging looks something like the "instant messaging" programs out there like Windows Messenger and ICQ.
To receive messages, you download a small application called a "desktop reader" that retrieves messages over the Internet and displays
them in an "inbox" right on your computer desktop, bypassing your e-mail software.
But wait until you check out the powerful differences between direct to desktop and "instant messaging."
With "direct-to-desktop" you can:
- Send messages to an unlimited number of people - not just a small list of personal contacts.
- Format messages in HTML with full color, sound, hyperlinks, and even Flash animation - not just plain text.
- Customize the "look and feel" of the tiny application your customers download to get your messages with your own company logo and colors!
But the most exciting thing about this new direct to desktop technology is that it gives you (and your customers) the power to completely sidestep some of the most frustrating problems of e-mail communication...
If you send out e-mail promotions or newsletters, you probably know exactly what problems I'm talking about:
Your legitimate messages and newsletters get filtered, blocked, and bounced back to you because ISPs and spam-blocking software identify them as "spam"... even though they're not!
That's why anyone who is marketing their business online should be very interested in direct to desktop technology.
It gives you the benefit of:
- Zero spam accusations.
Since subscribers must download your "desktop reader" to get your messages - and since they can uninstall it whenever they choose - you can't be accused of sending "spam."
Total subscriber control equals no spam!
- 100% deliverability.
If you send e-mail messages to groups of customers or subscribers, it's almost impossible to ensure that all your messages will get through.
Not only do you need to be concerned about aggressive spam filters; you also have to deal with overflowing inboxes that "bounce back" messages once they've reached their storage limit and subscribers who accidentally filter your messages straight into their "junk mail" folders!
Direct to desktop messages show up right on your subscriber's computer desktop - without passing through e-mail filters and spam blockers, and without competing for space in a stuffed e-mail inbox.
If your subscribers can connect to the Internet, they're guaranteed to receive your direct to desktop messages!
- No distractions.
Many people's e-mail inboxes are filled with so many different newsletters, promotions, and personal messages (not to mention
spam!) that important messages from trusted senders can get lost in the clutter. A direct-to-desktop inbox only shows messages from you!
As you can see, it's extremely powerful.
I know those of you who have been struggling to successfully deliver to your customers or subscribers are going to be really excited about the potential of this technology.
After all, it gives you the ability to "lock in" the people on your mailing list and make sure they never miss a single message from you!
FAQ #2: Will direct to desktop technology replace e-mail?
In a word, no - or at least not for a while.
When e-mail first came along, a lot of people wondered if it would end up completely replacing regular postal "snail" mail.
Obviously, it hasn't. In fact, there are a number of situations in which snail mail is the preferred choice.
For example, handwritten messages have a more personal touch, so people still like to send and receive printed greeting cards,
wedding invitations, and other personal correspondence the old-fashioned way.
And of course, postal mail is the only way to go if you're sending product samples, like those little packets of shampoo ;-)
For most communications, though, e-mail is superior to snail mail. It's faster and cheaper to send, so it has replaced the typewritten memo, the company newsletter, and so on.
But like I've already mentioned, e-mail has its problems too.
It's getting harder every day to ensure that the e-mail you send to your customers and subscribers is being received.
And it works the other way too - if you count on receiving e-mail from trusted companies and individuals, there's simply no way to guarantee that their messages won't get blocked or filtered before they ever reach you!
So while direct to desktop won't replace e-mail anytime soon - just as e-mail hasn't completely replaced snail mail - it WILL completely
change the way businesses communicate with their
best customers and subscribers.
Picture this: As you continue to collect leads and develop relationships with your customers and subscribers by e-mail, you also offer a free upgrade from their e-mail subscription to your "premium" direct to desktop service - a secure, direct channel that you use to send your best offers and most important updates.
Now, not everyone will want to sign up - many casual customers will stick with an e-mail subscription while they're getting acquainted with you and your business.
But the people who DO sign up will be the ones who have come to trust and respect your business - in other words, your most loyal and valuable customers and subscribers.
FAQ #3: How do I use direct to desktop messaging for MY business?
Adding this technology to your business is easy - surprising easily, in fact.
You can advertise it on your web site, just like you would an opt-in offer for an e-mail newsletter subscription.
Or if you already offer an e-mail newsletter, you can send an e-mail to your subscribers, letting them know about your new
direct to desktop subscription.
When your site visitors and e-mail subscribers see your offer, they can simply click a link to download your desktop reader and start
receiving messages immediately.
Of course, you'll need to give them a good reason to take this step, especially if they're unfamiliar with the new technology.
So try using the same kinds of offers you would use to get people to subscribe to a free e-mail newsletter.
For example:
- Offer a "customer rewards" program.
Include valuable information or services that they can't get anywhere else like news reports, industry updates, event announcements,
or special offers.
- Send up-to-the-minute information updates.
If you're in a business such as real estate, where new listings are a hot commodity, you can offer "instant updates"
to your most valuable customers. New information can be on their computer desktops within MINUTES of you releasing it.
- Give previews of valuable information and products.
You can also use direct to desktop technology to offer free previews of information that people can't get elsewhere without
paying for it.
For example, if you write content for a private web site or paid-subscription newsletter (or if you offer a special report,
eBook, or other digital product) you can adapt your current or archived content to create a tip of the day, or to share
a preview chapter, with links to your order pages. This should generate additional sales quickly!
- Distribute organization-wide notices and updates.
If your company has a sales team that needs to receive regular updates, you can send them via direct-to-desktop.
This way, the messages are guaranteed to be delivered instantly without getting filtered, bounced, or lost in cluttered inboxes.
Even if your team members don't check their e-mail, they'll still receive your most important notifications and messages.
- Ensure guaranteed delivery of information products.
If you're using e-mail to deliver information products (such as eBooks, paid subscription newsletters, or software downloads)
there's no guarantee that your customers will receive them. If you use direct to desktop to deliver your products, though,
you know they'll arrive safely every time.
All these techniques are great ways to increase the traffic to your web site... increase your customer loyalty and satisfaction...
and make more sales!
Be one of the FIRST to get the "direct to desktop" edition of this news!
Now, this is the part I'm really excited about...
That means, going forward you'll get a first look at my special offers - before the general public has access to them!
From time to time, I'll also be sending special messages ONLY to subscribers of my AneSite News with exclusive news, insider tips, and special reports that you won't be able to get anywhere else.
Plus, when you upgrade your subscription, you'll never have to worry about missing another issue due to aggressive spam filters that "eat" your messages before you see them.
|
|
Ask Expert and You Will Have Your Answer Fast -They Are Online 24/7
Sparring Partner can give you the help you need in many types of projects
Bornholm Landlyst: Art-Design and family life in a Bornholm farmhouse
Dog Photos and Good Times With Our Four Leg Best Friends
Watch Free Videos: Watch The Secrets About How to Build an Internet Business
