Don't be afraid to contact a Publisher with your questions or comments. In fact, most rely on your input and value your feedback. Interact with your Publisher and you'll be pleasantly surprised to find a real human behind that issue!

Whether you subscribed through a recommendation, a website you visited, or through Ezine Co-Ops, you're bound to find some ezines are worth reading from start to finish. There's a wealth of information, and many hidden strategies, free downloads, and links to resources you may not have known exist.

A lot of time and research goes in to many of these publications, so, use caution before pressing delete key. You may be missing something you've been looking for!

Information Sources

Annual Reports and other SEC Filings. These documents are required by publicly held U.S. companies and often include statistics and other industry information.

Books. Books can often provide detailed insight and analysis you cannot find elsewhere.

The Government. At last count 100 U.S. Federal agencies had statistical programs, many with data available on Web. You can find complete list at http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies/index.html .

Message Boards and Newsgroups. You can pick up on trends, hot topics in industry, and competitor information by following discussions.

News Articles. These often give clues to business environment and can lead you to additional information sources.

Newsletters. By reading and subscribing to competitor and industry newsletters you can get insight into current promotional tactics and other activities.

Research Sites. Archives, press releases, newsletters, and executive summaries on these sites can provide relevant research findings and statistics.

Search Engines and Directories. Search by keyword or drill down into directory sub-categories to find information.

Subject Sites. There are some general sites - www.suite101.com, www.about.com, and www.business.com to name three - with numerous topic-specific pages. Check for pages relating to your industry or product.

Trade Associations and Publications. You will often find industry information, statistics, and membership lists online.

White Papers and other Company Publications. Companies will sometimes publish free white papers that summarize industry trends or other information.

Planning Resource

- For more on developing a marketing plan, read this how-to guide: http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/book_information.htm

Bobette Kyle has more than a decade of experience in Corporate Marketing; Brand and Product Marketing; Field Marketing and Sales; and Management.