Joseph Leeb Enterprises Inc. is a small business with annual sales of $5 million. But it faced the same challenge as many larger firms: How do you communicate with customers on an ongoing basis?

Joan Yankowitz solved that problem in October when she joined the company as director of marketing. She started an e-mail newsletter and Web site called The Promo Experts (www.thepromoexperts.com).

The promotional products firm serves a small California market. The monthly e-zine offers tips for companies doing promotions as well as hundreds of promotional products sourced mainly from Hong Kong and other locations in China.

“We try for the soft-sell approach,” says Yankowitz, noting the newsletter goes out primarily to about 300 locally based healthcare firms.

At this point, the firm is getting most of its clients through referrals. Yankowitz hopes the newsletter will help the site bring in about $1 million in revenue this year.

The current issue advises clients that while thousands of new promotional products come on the market each year, it’s the less exciting items like mugs and pens that may have the most impact. Why? Because they are likely to get used and work well for companies that do not have large marketing budgets.

Yankowitz is no stranger to the world of marketing and promotion.

Going back to the 1970s, she edited two magazines and held marketing positions for Scholastic Inc. She has also worked as a marketing executive for Bally Total Fitness, Reuben H. Donnelley, and other firms.

Prior to joining Leeb, Yankowitz was involved in trying to start up local magazines aimed at baby boomers and seniors in Orange County, CA.

FortyPlus Magazine was aimed at addressing the financial, healthcare, legal, leisure-related and other concerns of members of he so-called “sandwich generation.”

For Seniors Magazine tried to do the same thing for the older set, covering such issues as where to shop for low-cost prescription drugs, ways to ensure that children are investment savvy and so forth.

“The magazines were good ideas and if I had another year, they would have worked,” she says. “But I just ran out of time and money.”

Joseph Leeb Enterprises Inc. is a small business with annual sales of $5 million. But it faced the same challenge as many larger firms: How do you communicate with customers on an ongoing basis?

Joan Yankowitz solved that problem in October when she joined the company as director of marketing. She started an e-mail newsletter called The Promo Experts and a Web site to go with it (www.thepromoexperts.com).

Joseph Leeb Enterprises is a promotional products firm, serving a small California market. The monthly e-zine offers tips for companies doing promotions as well as hundreds of promotional products her company sources mainly from Hong Kong and other locations in China, .

“We try for the soft-sell approach,” says Yankowitz, noting the newsletter goes out primarily to about 300 locally based healthcare firms. At this point, the firm is getting most of its clients through referrals, Yankowitz notes.

Yankowitz hopes the newsletter will help the site to bring in about $1 million in revenue this year.

The current issue advises clients that while thousands of new promotional products come on the market each year, it’s the less exciting items like mugs and pens that may have the most impact. Why? Because they are likely to get used and work well for companies that do not have large marketing budgets.

Yankowitz is no stranger to the world of marketing and promotion.

Going back to the `1970s, she edited two magazines and held marketing positions for Scholastic Inc. She has also worked as a marketing executive for Bally Total Fitness, Reuben H. Donnelley, he yellow pages publisher and other firms.

Right before she started with her current company, Yankowitz was involved in trying to start up local magazines aimed at baby boomers and seniors in Orange County, CA.\

FortyPlus Magazine was aimed at addressing the financial, healthcare, legal, leisure-related and other concerns of members of he so-called “sandwich generation.”

For Seniors Magazine tied to do the same thing for the older set, covering such issues as where to shop for low-cost prescription drugs, ways to ensure that children are investment savvy and so forth.

“The magazines were good ideas and if I had another year, they would have worked,” she says. “But I just ran out of time and money.”