November 1, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Are you a new subscriber? I'm sure glad you're here!

Czy jesteś doświadczonym subskrybentem? Please inform the new arrivals of my strange sense of humor.

Happy November! It's been a strange autumn here in the great Northeast Kingdom of New Hampshire. We've had many more gray rainy days than bluebird days. The temperatures have been much more like late November than balmy October.

In other words, my favorite season of the year has eluded me!

Your Company and the Media

Do you own a company, represent one, or just work for one? How would you like your company to get $50,000, or more, worth of free advertising?

Allow me ask you something. What do you think it costs to get a message out to say 2,000,000 consumers? I'm talking about messaging from an independent third party, not ad copy you, or a professional, creates. Do you think you could do it for a nickel a person?

I'll answer. It's huge money. But can you get this same exposure for free? You bet you can.

It's easy. Reply to media requests on your company's Contact Us page. And reply within HOURS.

I'm not going to mention names so as to protect the guilty, but six days ago I reached out to a major paint manufacturer as I wanted to review a special paint they manufacture.

I used the exact special media email address they provided on their website. I double checked it was correct, and I had it appear in my Sent box.

Yes, I know email isn't reliable. You can't count on a person seeing your message in their Inbox. All sorts of things can go wrong.

I've heard nothing back. It's important to realize, in my opinion, they made a grave mistake not listing the name and phone number of their primary media contact. Frequently companies will off-load this to a PR person.

Yesterday I went to the company's Twitter page and sent them a direct message. I've still not heard a word.

If your company is not set up to reply to media requests within an hour or two, you're making a serious mistake. You're missing out on tens of thousands of dollars of possible FREE advertising.

HUGE Stocking Stuffer Success

In the last newsletter, I casually mentioned a very cool LED headlamp I had just tested. I was really impressed by it. The cost was just $15.

You may have been one of the HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of people that bought one, or more, of these! My Inbox exploded with replies about how great it was for me to share affordable gift ideas.

DUH!!!!! What the heck is wrong with my brain? It seems so easy looking back.

With that said, each week on the lead up to Christmas I've decided to feature a cool stocking stuffer idea that's $15 or less.

Today I've got one that's less than $5. It's an insane bargain.

This is the wonderful small screwdriver set I have in my office desk drawer. I use it all the time.

It's the Stanley 66-039 set.

Yes, at the time I'm typing this it costs less than $5. You absolutely should order MULTIPLE sets for all in the family, your car, your sewing or hobby room, your man cave, etc.

This is actually a great set for small kids that may be 5 years or older. You can start your kids or grand-kids private personal collection of their own tools. These are perfect for small hands.

Only buy them for kids if you know you can TRUST them with the tools and not get into mischief with them!

CLICK HERE to see more photos of my screwdriver set and a video of this incredible deal.

CLICK HERE to ORDER the screwdriver set.

Reciprocity - It's That Time of Year

Christmas, or a holiday you celebrate, is soon. Kathy, the kids, and I celebrate Christmas here at the Carter house.

You may have started to shop. You may do lots of shopping on Amazon.com.

Have I helped you throughout the year with a tip or two or three from the newsletter? Have I saved you some money, time, or both?

If so, you might think of reciprocating by using my simple affiliate link when you shop at Amazon.com.

Amazon pays me a tiny commission for each thing you buy. The revenue helps keep Ask the Builder alive. It keeps this newsletter coming to you at NO COST.

The commission does not cause your price to be higher. If you don't use my link, then Jeff Bezos keeps all the profit from the sale to himself.

Each week you're going to see a button just like the one below this sentence. Please CLICK IT to start your shopping experience at Amazon. I truly appreciate it.

CLICK HERE to Shop at Amazon.com!