They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I'd ask if the potential marketing success of your small business is worth just 500? The team at Yahoo wants to know as well, and they're putting together quite a prize package as incentive to get you to write those 500 words. In their Ultimate Connection Contest, they're aiming to find three small businesses that have clear goals but lack the means to achieve them. Impress the judges and you could find yourself sitting on a prize package worth tens of thousands in free advertising and marketing advice.

From their site:

The contest kicks off with an open call for small business owners to submit 500-word essays (deadline: May 25, 2007) that focuses on what their businesses need to be successful, and how the “Ultimate Connection” contest can help them achieve that success. Once all submissions are in, Yahoo! will select five finalists from the entries and the Yahoo! community will be invited to vote for their favorites beginning on June 11.

The winners will receive:

1.) An executive meeting with Ivanka Trump, Vice President of Development, the Trump Organization.
2.) $25,000 budget to use toward a Yahoo! Search Marketing ad campaign.
3.) A power lunch with your marketing executive mentor high above New York City.
4.) Access to your executive mentor and a Yahoo! Search Marketing specialist throughout the year.
5.) A web site makeover, courtesy of Yahoo! Small Business and FastPivot.

Think you've got the ideas but not the means? Here's your chance to prove it.

(Hat tip to Andy at Marketing Pilgrim.)






About the Author

Jennifer Laycock is the Editor of Search Engine Guide, an educational web site aimed at translating the search marketing world into something that small business owners can understand. Jennifer specializes in common sense search engine marketing, viral marketing and customer outreach via social media and blogs. A former search marketing consultant and in-house trainer, Jennifer’s clients have included companies like Verizon, American Greetings and Highlights for Children. Her primary clients now are a little girl named Elnora and a little boy named Emmitt.

Jennifer Laycock is the Editor of Search Engine Guide, an educational web site aimed at translating the search marketing world into something that small business owners can understand. Jennifer specializes in common sense search engine marketing, viral marketing and customer outreach via social media and blogs. A former search marketing consultant and in-house trainer, Jennifer’s clients have included companies like Verizon, American Greetings and Highlights for Children. Her primary clients now are a little girl named Elnora and a little boy named Emmitt.