Network node information associated with 3 billion IP addresses on the global Internet will be used to target advertising, flag fraud, verify identities, and analyze network growth.

SEATTLE, WA — June 10, 2011. Profound Networks has announced a massive database of business intelligence data on Internet infrastructure and activities. This information, gathered through a comprehensive census of every active IP addresses on the global Internet, powers novel business applications. Profound Networks develops data-driven tools that are used to segment advertising, uncover medical billing fraud, and track and analyze network growth.

“Our rich data provides information on networks, servers, computers and smart phones, and even the software that’s been installed,” said Blake Sitney, president and chief technologist of Profound Networks. “We can segment this information by geographic area and by organization, often right down to ZIP code or business division.”

Profound Networks uses proprietary technology to unobtrusively gather the public data that exists behind every routable IP address on the global Internet. The company also monitors information on 920 million corporate subdomains, capturing information about network growth and about software and services on those networks.

Profound Networks unpacks and analyzes this data, then uses it to create cutting edge tools for clients in business and government. Sitney says clients are using the data for a wide range of purposes, from monitoring network growth to flagging fraud and blocking web signups that originate from suspect servers. Profound Technology’s current business units focus on display advertising, fraud mitigation, IP validation, and network analytics.

“Customers are coming to us with challenging requests,” said Sitney. “The demand for data about online activities is growing every day.”

About Profound Networks

Founded in 2005, Profound Networks employs a proprietary process to compile data on all the routable IP addresses on the global Internet — currently 3 billion addresses. Profound unpacks and analyzes IP-address data to create customized tools and services that address a wide range of business intelligence and security needs.

Profound Networks uses an innovative data-intelligence technology developed by Marigold Direct. This same data-intelligence technology is used by Marigold Direct, a direct marketing list acquisition firm serving a Fortune 500 client base.

For more information on Profound Networks’ data intelligence solutions, call Ben De Lisle, SVP Sales 646-331-7016 or email ben@profound.net

Despite the new Administration in Washington touting change and hope, pessimism seems to be the most abundant emotion these days. However, the difficult economic environment is the best time to prove the value that you offer your customers. If your business is struggling, the following 8 tips can help you grow this year.

1. Don’t stop selling. There is less competition now for the services you sell. That means, there are less sales calls being made to your prospects and buyers. Now is the time to ratchet up your sales efforts. Create opportunities for people looking for work. Don’t have a budget for new salespeople? Hire commission only sales reps but give them the resources that they need to be effective. Don’t create hurdles, build runways. Not all of them will get airborne, but the ones that do will give your company a major lift.

2. Measure marketing response rates. Keep your marketing efforts going, but make sure that you are carefully evaluating the responsiveness of your campaigns. Eliminate non-performing campaigns and redouble your performing ones.

3. Government spending. The Obama administration is spending a trillion dollars to revive the economy. Find a way to tap into that avalanche of funds. Target the recipients of that cashflow if you can. Research ways you can make your business benefit from this spending.

4. Focus on the products that sell. If you have products that are not selling, remove them from your catalog. Focus on the products that are moving and expand your market for those products.

5. Think like a winner. Nothing demotivates like fear. How can you make another sales call if you are in a panic about your bills and mortgage? When you wake up in the morning, take a deep breath, get the blood flowing with some exercise, and go to work with the attitude that today you are going to ‘climb the mountain’ and make things happen. If the leadership in your company is not an inspiration, be that needed inspiration to others. Confidence sells. Desperation repels.

6. Reduce layoffs. Find ways to keep your performing staff. It is better to institute a 4-day workweek or even pay-cuts than to hand out pink slips. Laying people off sends a dismal message to your remaining employees and current customers. Customers don’t want to do business with a company that they perceive is going down the tubes. And losing customers and good staff can only make your problems worse. Ask your employees for ideas to save money, and reward those who come up with innovative solutions.

7. Connect with customers. It is critical to strengthen your business relationships. Visit a good customer that you have not seen in a while and make sure that you are doing everything you can to provide value to that customer. Face to face meetings show your interest in the customer. Build on your established relationships and grow those accounts.

8. Get customer feedback. Make your customers feel like you are on their team. With the exception of a few industries like bankruptcy law firms and dollar stores, your customers are probably feeling the effects of the downturn as well. Ask your customers what you can do for them to increase your value. If your customers are happy, ask for referrals. If they are not happy, listen to the complaint very carefully and take action. You cannot tell if the captain of the ship is good until a storm hits. Let your customers know that we are in this together and we will weather the storm.

Far too often I have seen email creative efforts focus 99% of their time on the body of the email, that is, the copy, layout and graphic design and only 1% on the subject line. This is a huge mistake. Sometimes the subject line is a mere afterthought. In our experience conducting B2B email marketing campaigns, sometimes we receive the creative with beautiful images, HTML design, good copywriting and no subject line at all. We then ask for the subject line only to have one thrown back at us with minimal consideration. It is my opinion that 50% of the creative effort should go into development of the subject line itself and I will tell you why.

It does not matter how good the content of the email is if it does not get opened.

It’s like spending all your time decorating the interior of a store and ignoring the storefront window display. If a customer does not walk into the store because of a poor display, it does not matter how nice the interior looks, you can’t sell them anything. The first thing a customer sees is the storefront window. That is what will compel the customer to open the door and walk inside.

The sole focus of the subject line is to compel the recipient to OPEN the email. Subject lines can make or break a B2B email marketing campaign. Testing subject lines is crucial as well. Try 2 different subject lines in an A/B split test and track which subject lines get more opens. Remember, this test is not designed to track conversions or clickthroughs, that is for the body of the email. Use the better performing subject as the new standard and continue testing until you have a subject line that performs well.

Keep subject lines short and focused on benefits to the customer. You have two seconds to grab the recipients attention and compel them to open the email, or it’s deleted. If you are targeting an executive in your B2B email campaign, you are not alone. They are bombarded by offers. The subject line better be very compelling without being salesy.

Avoid keywords that will get spam filtered such as “free”, “money”, “for sale”. Avoid ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation marks!!! Keep the subject line under 75 characters because many email clients cannot display more than that e.g. Blackberry, iPhone, and Outlook. The key point is that the subject line is the first impression the customer gets of your company and your offer. Spend the same amount of time crafting and testing the subject line as you do designing the body of the email. Here are 2 subject line examples:

Bad subject line:
Act now and get a *FREE* whitepaper and save money with our *FREE* 90-day evaluation of our VoIP call center management software. And enter to win a *FREE* iPhone also!!!

Better subject line:
Complimentary whitepaper on VoIP call center mgt software

Even in the age of the internet, direct mail marketing is far from dead. In fact direct mail can be an extremely effective way to market your business and get the word out about all the great products and services you have to offer. With the right tools, the response to a direct mail marketing campaign can be a vital method to grow your business, and that means more profits for you and more satisfied customers.

One of the most effective tools for certain local businesses planning a direct marketing campaign is to target new movers. Purchasing a list of new movers who have recently moved to your neighborhood and sending them a compelling offer to visit your shop or try your service is a proven way to build your business. New residents have many needs. They will look for new restaurants, a new pharmacy, dentist, health care services, car insurance, home insurance, furniture, utilities, phone services, and so much more. Savvy businesses can target those newly arrived residents with a smart and well thought out direct marketing campaign. Getting to the new mover first is also critical. E.g. When a pharmacy gets the prescription filled and provides a satisfactory service, chances are good that the customer will refill at the same pharmacy over and over again. The lifetime value of one new customer can pay for the entire direct mail campaign many times over. So getting that new customer first gives the business a huge advantage.

Many businesses find that direct marketing works best when the mailing provides a strong enticement for new customers to give them a try. In some cases this enticement may come in the form of a free sample or a free service. For instance, a local bakery could offer a free half dozen cookies, a free slice of cake or other sweet treat. A local bar and restaurant could offer a free drink with dinner. A local chiropractor, attorney or other professional could offer a free consultation. All of these giveaways are a great way to entice first timers to give the business a try. Moving to a new neighborhood can also be stressful, so a warm “Welcome to the neighborhood, come in for (a free checkup, a 50% discount, etc) can be a great way to gain the loyalty of the new resident.

In fact many businesses have used these tried and true techniques to lure new customers through their doors. When used with a highly targeted tool like a new movers mailing list these direct mail campaigns can provide an excellent return on investment and help spread the word about the business and all the great things it has to offer those new residents.