How to Build Your Personal
Marketing Swipe File
You're probably familiar with the notion that there are no
new ideas. I'm often told that I'm a great resource for brainstorming,
as I can come up with many new ideas very quickly. However, I'm not
really coming up with new ideas. I'm simply applying what I already
know to new situations. How do I manage to keep so much info
organized? Granted, much of what I know stays in my head, as I have a
great skill in being able to remember almost everything I've read.
However, I must attribute much of my success to the creation of my own
personal swipe file.
A swipe file is a collection of ideas that you've collected from other
sources. These could be marketing ideas, brochure samples, articles
from magazines, teleclass ideas, sales letter examples, website copy,
etc. that attracted you enough for you to save for future reference and
inspiration. From this file you can "borrow" an idea and put your own
spin on it to make it uniquely yours. Please note: a swipe file is NOT
permission to copy someone else's work verbatim -- it should only be
used as a model or guide for you to create your unique spin on your
project. And, what works in one industry may not work successfully in
another, so you need to apply the knowledge of your target market to
craft a message that would be appealing to that audience.
When I'm stuck, I often refer to my swipe file for inspiration to create
my next product, write that new one-page website sales letter, or submit
my next press release. So, this swipe file makes me seem like a genius,
when in reality I'm only putting a new spin on old ideas.
When I started in business, my swipe file was kept in a hanging folder
in my file cabinet. I was primarily interested in marketing ideas, so I
created different folders within that hanging file to categorize the
samples I collected.
However, in my quest to create a paperless office, my entire swipe file
is electronic. I find electronic files much easier to find and
maintain, as I'm either online or on the computer all day, and having an
electronic version of something makes it much easier to share with
others.
I use 3 tools to help me maintain my swipe files: EverNote, TurboNote,
and AcqURL.
EverNote: With EverNote you can easily store and quickly
access typed and handwritten memos, webpage excerpts, emails, phone
messages, addresses, passwords, brainstorms, sketches, documents and
more! A free version or a 30-day trial of the paid version is available
for download here.
I use the free version, as maintaining sketches and hand-written
documents isn't a priority for me. I can easily cut and paste from
emails or websites here, and when I do, the note in EverNote gives me a
hyperlink back to the source from which something was taken, and
everything that you copy or type is saved automatically. Pretty cool!
TurboNote: TurboNote: provides you with an electronic
version of a sticky note. I use this just to quickly jot down
something to remind myself to check out more fully when I have time.
You can try this free for 30 days, and then purchase it for $29.97 US.
Download here.
AcqURL: AcqURL makes managing a moderate to massive
amount of bookmarks very easy. You create any number of categories in
which to file your favorites, and adding a favorite website is as easy
as clicking a button. I love the ability to alphabetize my bookmarks, to
search them, to makes notes on them, and to share them with others via
email. You can download and try free for 30 days, and then purchase of
$35 US. Download here.
Lastly, for copies of marketing materials that are in PDF files, I have
a folder in My Documents where I maintain copies of great examples that
I find. I have subfolders set up for each type of material: brochure,
postcard, sales letter, business card, etc. If it's something that I've
actually picked up in person, I scan the printed material and then
convert the document to a PDF file. For PDF conversion, I use Adobe
PDF, but a free PDF creator, Pdf995, is available for download at
http://www.pdf995.com/
Creating a swipe file of great ideas is something every business owner
should be doing. Not only will you keep up with what's new in your
industry, you can see what's happening in other industries that might
give you a great application for your own business.
(c) 2009 Donna Gunter
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Internet Marketing Automation
Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals create prosperous
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