"I have a small business helping lawyers and accountants set up birthday greeting card programs for their customers. For a fee, they give me the names and birthdays of all their customers, and I generate a customized birthday greeting card for each customer - something unique to that customer which shows the professional really cares about them as individuals. I send the cards back to the professional, who signs and sends them out on their own stationery so the customer never knows my business was involved.

I want to advertise this business on the Internet, but I'm not sure I should be using e-mail newsletters or search engine advertising as I perceive these as very impersonal methods of advertising. I'm afraid that by using them I'll be contradicting my marketing message, which is that my customers – and THEIR customers – will receive individualized, personalized service. Is there any way I can tailor my Internet marketing program so it sends the same customized, individualized messages I try to create for my professional clients?"

You would be amazed how many times I'm asked this question: "I'd like to do more marketing online, but it seems so cold and impersonal . . . " Frequent readers of this column know that I'm no fan of e-mail as a means of communication, precisely because it is so “cold and impersonal", but there are lots of other options.

Blogs, for one. According to Internet marketing expert and author of How to Win Sales & Influence Spiders, Catherine Seda (www.catherineseda.com), "blogging can be used effectively for one-to-one marketing. If lawyers and accountants participate in blogs, you can find ones that offer business-generating tips for these professionals. Without promoting your business, you can respond to relevant questions. You'll automatically get a link back to your website, so if you impress blog readers, they can find you quickly and easily." To research relevant blogs, says Seda, you can use blog engines such as IceRocket or Technorati. You should also check out the websites of professional association magazines, as many of those have blogs targeting their members.

The key is not to promote your business too aggressively, for fear you will turn your customers off, or (worse) generate negative feedback from other bloggers that will tarnish your reputation.

Seda feels that this reader would probably not benefit from a blog of her own, "unless she has other tips she can share with her target market. Otherwise, she won't have enough content to share to keep her own blog fresh and growing. Plus, will lawyers and accountants seek out her blog to ask her their burning greeting card questions? Probably not. That's why blogging on blogs that are already popular with lawyers and accountants is a great way to start."

Seda also feels this reader should not rule out e-newsletters: "If and when she has an active blog, she can create an online newsletter and simply re-publish the blog questions and answers (Q&As) in her newsletter. Some people like to receive newsletters, some like to subscribe to blogs, so it's a good idea to offer both. Creating a Q&A newsletter based on your blog is a way to show more personalized communication with your community."

Another approach is to offer tips on your website. True, this isn't "personalized" information, says Seda, but "it is still valuable. Think about your own target audience-lawyers for example. While they offer personalized services, you still see them advertising in banner ads, e-mail, online newsletters and pay-per-click ads. Don't worry about any possible contradiction. There are many companies that offer customized services and use the Web to share their message."

A large part of the problem here, I think, is that this reader is targeting lawyers and accountants – possibly the most marketing-challenged people on the face of Planet Earth. A lot of these folks (and not just the "old grey heads," either) think it's unethical and immoral to talk about what you do in a way that might even remotely be perceived as "advertising". Many lawyers don't even communicate with their clients by e-mail, for Heaven's sake, much less read blog postings. Why not look for other professionals – more Internet friendly professionals such as stockbrokers and public relations firms – that could benefit from your service?

One more thing: with a business like this, you’re going to have to make sure your clients' (and their clients') information is kept strictly confidential. A lot of professionals will be very nervous about sharing their clients' personal information – such as birthdates and hobbies – with you, even for a purpose as benign as this. If someone steals your laptop and puts your birthday cards up on the Internet (with clients' names and links to pornography sites), you're toast.

And be careful not to make your cards too personalized: I know I would feel a little "creeped out" if my accountant sent me a birthday card with details about my personal finances that I didn't even know SHE knew . . .

Cliff Ennico (cennico@legalcareer.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series 'Money Hunt'. This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2008 CLIFFORD R. ENNICO. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.