Category Archives: E-mail

Detox from bad marketing habits

Posted by: | April 4, 2013 | Best Practices, Creativity, Direct marketing

pencils targetOne of the worst things companies can do is the status quo: doing just enough to get by but not going the extra mile while promoting their organizations. The bare minimum won’t cut it anymore. Your customers have other choices and your competitors are going after them. Are you missing out on potential opportunities?

Don’t let your marketing plan continue in a rut. Old habits are hard to break, but you can do it in small steps. Don’t try to change everything at once – you’ll overwhelm yourself and go back to your old ways.

Do any of these bad habits sound familiar?

The status quo

Many of us feel compelled to continue on the road most traveled and are comfortable doing what everyone else has done. But what if you decided to break away from the pack and venture into uncharted territory? Would you stand out? The answer is yes.

First, you have to have a strong backing – financially and organizationally – for your initiatives to work. Commit to your cause and fight for it. Going outside the norm entails some risk, but the benefits can be huge. Assess whether your return outweighs the risk.

Relying on emails           

Too many times, companies rely solely on generic email campaigns rather than communicating with prospects through personally addressed letters and emails, phone calls, and targeted ads. The average prospect receives too many mass emails and yours are getting lost in the mix.

Using purchased marketing lists

Don’t do it. Purchasing lists increases your bounce and unsubscribe rates. When people are spammed with emails they didn’t sign up for, they’re more likely to reject what you’re selling – even if they’re in the market for your product. It’s better to build your list by generating interest through website and social media channels. Purchased lists are not targeted. The people who are on them don’t know who you are and didn’t ask you to email them.

Inadequate content

Don’t send stale, insufficient content to your prospects. Find out what they’re interested in and highlight those topics. You can do this through trial and error. Look at your analytics for specific topics in your newsletters and e-blasts. If certain topics have high open rates, it’s a good indication your prospects are interested in learning more. Try writing another article related to that topic. If you get stuck, you may want to hire a professional writer.

To summarize, build your contact list with clean, opted-in prospects. Use a combination of targeted e-blasts, newsletters, offers, and/or phone calls to promote your company. Focus on providing quality, insightful content and be creative ways in getting the word out.

Dealing with a tight budget? Make do with what you have: Focus your energy on improving your content and design.

What targeted marketing efforts work for you? Let us know in the comments below.

Are your e-blasts working?

Posted by: | October 4, 2012 | Copywriting, Creativity, Design

If you’re like most companies today, you send electronic communications to prospects, current customers and stakeholders.

Recent research from Monetate, an e-commerce software firm, shows that 4.25 percent of visitors who arrive at a website through an email turn into customers. Monetate’s found that only 0.59 percent of visitors who arrived via social media turn into customers.

The lesson? E-blasts – when used properly – yield significant results for your business. Misusing an e-blast can have the opposite effect, however. What are the ingredients for a winning e-blast?

  • Clean copy. Did you edit your copy carefully? Did you overuse exclamation marks? Is your point clear? Is your copy too long? These are important questions to ask yourself before you send an e-blast. A well-edited, concise e-blast will go a lot further than something sloppy. Two paragraphs of copy – a couple of sentences and maybe a few bullet points – is all you need.
  • Clean coding. Make sure whoever puts together your formatted e-blast knows what they’re doing. Be sure to remove [TEST] tags from the subject line. Eliminate sloppy HTML, which usually rears its ugly head when converting Microsoft Word to HTML. Edit the final layout with an eye toward eliminating any errant tags or other bad code that made it into the e-blast. If these types of errors show up, readers will not be impressed.
  • No gimmicks. Don’t promise the moon, and don’t write too aggressively. For example, lead sentences like, “For only $100, you can get …” usually scare people away. While you’re at it, go ahead and remove “free offer” and “risk-free” from your e-blast vocabulary as well. Show that you’re adding value, and let people know you can fill a need.
  • Don’t overwhelm. Aside from managing the content of individual e-blasts, make sure you’re not doing yourself a disservice by inundating subscribers with emails. There is no standard frequency when it comes to sending e-blasts, but a good rule of thumb is a minimum of once a month and a maximum of once a week. The worst thing a company can do is turn a loyal reader into someone who hits the unsubscribe button, and readers frequently opt out of e-communications when companies flood their inboxes.

At the end of the day, a well-crafted e-blast is good for your business and can promote products and services that help your customers. Take these steps to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

Have any additional e-blast tips? Share them with us in the comments section below.

How to get the most out of a company newsletter

Posted by: | September 6, 2012 | E-mail, Newsletters

Have big company news you want to share? Can your employees shed light on a timely industry issue?

A newsletter is a great vehicle for sharing these kinds of stories and more with current clients and prospects, and is a powerful marketing tool when used correctly.

When it comes to marketing, staying top of mind is crucial, and a good way to keep people thinking of you is to share meaningful communications. But how do you make sure you’re getting a good return on your investment?  (more…)

The 6 biggest email marketing faux pas

Posted by: | August 23, 2012 | E-mail

Email marketing is a great way to reach your customers and prospects – if you do it correctly. To avoid having readers click the spam button when your message lands in their inboxes, don’t commit these major email marketing faux pas.  (more…)

My brochure exists – I’ll (e)mail it to you

Posted by: | February 15, 2012 | Advertising Strategy, Best Practices, Creativity

You may ask yourself, “If my product hasn’t changed, why should I change my brochure?”

If so, ask yourself another question: Have you ever seen a 10-year-old brochure? Not only does the color fade over time, but the information also becomes stale.

As customers’ needs change, so should your marketing strategy. And it isn’t as difficult as you think – designers have the technology to create eye-catching graphics that communicate your message effectively while also highlighting your products or services.

Many businesses have steered away from physical copies of their brochures and turned to digital versions of their marketing collateral. Going electronic allows companies to post brochures or sell sheets on their websites and send information to potential customers instantly. I remember waiting three to seven business days to receive a brochure or catalog in the mail. Now, I receive them immediately and can save the materials on my computer.

By providing customers with a digital format, you’re able to reach a larger audience. In addition, you’re not limited to a certain number of printed copies if you have price constraints. Another great advantage of going electronic with your brochures is that you can adjust your content quickly when necessary.

Season’s greetings

Posted by: | November 16, 2011 | Creativity, Design, E-mail

Why should businesses send greeting cards? For the same reason they invest time and money into many other marketing strategies – to keep in touch with customers and prospects.

With the holiday season coming up, now is a great time to send a friendly e-card to your contacts. Follow these tips to create an e-card your customers will want to read (and check out this link for more inspiration or to get started on your own project).

Develop your strategy early. Don’t wait until the last minute to determine the type of e-card you want to send.  E-cards build relationships with your customers by showing them that you care enough to remember, so a card that’s thrown together won’t cut it.

Give them thanks. People like to be appreciated. By catering to this need, you encourage them to think about the wonderful service and products you provide. If your marketing strategy includes a promotion or giveaway, let your e-card recipients know that because they’re valued customers, they’re automatically entered for the prize, or tell them how to enter.

Make it count. Your e-card should be memorable, exciting, fun or humorous. Personalize your message for your recipients.  This is your chance to be creative and get your message across.

Know your audience. Depending on who you’re sending e-cards to, you may want to divide your email lists into segments, such as current customers, potential customers, past customers, friends and family of customers, and referrals. If you segment your email blast list, consider changing the graphic design to appeal to each group. If you send to everyone, make sure the email blast is generic enough to relate to all groups.

Stay on budget. E-cards are less expensive than sending a physical card, since you save on printing and postage costs. This means you can construct stunning graphics or videos to include with your message, while staying within a reasonable budget.

You can send e-cards for holidays, to give thanks to customers, for birthdays, or just to let your contacts know you’re thinking of them. Instead of sending another boring email, try shaking up your marketing with an e-card.

You’ve Got Mail!

Posted by: | September 22, 2011 | Advertising Strategy, Best Practices, E-mail

Once upon a time, I loved to hear these words. Today, the average consumer receives close to 100 emails a day. Who has time to read all of them?

If you’re considering an email campaign, the last thing you want is for readers to hit delete when your message lands in their inboxes. Here are some tips for crafting a great e-blast:

Understand your audience. Figure out why readers subscribe to your e-blast and what they want from it. Are they current customers, prospects, referral sources or professional colleagues? Do they want tutorials on using your products, industry insights or updates about your company’s work? Talk to your subscribers and research industry competitors’ e-communications to get ideas for your e-blast content.

Don’t just blast for blasting’s sake. When companies send generic, uninteresting content, recipients will eventually stop opening the emails. Your email should include valuable content — think quality before quantity. Brainstorm topics and stories involving your company or industry. By sending e-blasts with interesting information and relevant offers, you’ll build trust within your email list.

Get your message across. Even if you have a great topic for your e-blast, your company will look sloppy and unprofessional if it’s written poorly. Outline your key discussion points before you write, and keep your copy short and sweet. Try to avoid using buzzwords or jargon unfamiliar to your reader. If the reader doesn’t understand, you may discourage them from reading other emails from you. Finally, think of a clever title that reflects the email’s content and is less than one line. If you don’t have a seasoned writer in-house, enlist professional help to make sure your content is well-written and error-free.

Spice it up. Adding visual appeal to your email with images, graphics or videos helps entice your reader to spend time on your email. There’s no hard-and-fast rule for the ratio between copy and images, but a good rule of thumb is 25 percent images and 75 percent copy. A good designer can craft an e-blast that showcases your message and draws the reader in with inviting visuals.

Track your stats. After you’ve sent your e-blast, track which emails are being read and which ones are being skipped over. By adjusting your strategy, you’ll encourage your reader to act.

Exclamation points: The ugly truth revealed!

Posted by: | July 28, 2011 | Blogging, E-mail, Journalism

Any reputable grammar and style guide tells you to use exclamation points sparingly. Never! Ever! Abuse! Them!

But there’s a caveat. Grammar and style guides are writers’ bibles. They tell us whether health care is one word or two and when to use a comma or a semicolon. Lis and I refer to them because we want our copy to be professional and error-free. The content we provide, however, is for blogs, websites, e-blasts, newsletters and other marketing collateral. The guides we rely on are intended for these uses.

Where does that leave email and texting? Both forms of communication have exploded for business and personal use. And they’re often more informal than other kinds of writing. Exclamation points are creeping in because they convey emotion. The same goes for their evil twins – smiley and frowney faces.

One is the loneliest number

Writers often have the space to set an emotional scene or atmosphere with words alone in an article or Web page, but emails, text messages, Facebook posts and tweets aren’t that generous. You’ve got to get in and get out. The limitation seems to encourage an exclamation point – or even two.

I don’t seem excited when I text, “I can’t wait to go to the Cubs game.” But consider, “I can’t wait to go to the Cubs game! (smiley face)” Is there any doubt I’m fired up now? Of course, the only thing Cubs fans are looking forward to is next year, but that’s another blog topic.

Just for fun, I asked our clients what they think about exclamation points and smiley/frowney faces in emails and texts. My informal poll of 17 people shows that exclamation points and faces are A-OK more often than not.

“I hate to admit it, but I’m the exclamation point queen,” says Dianne Ransom, senior editor and editorial programs manager at PDI Global. “I put them everywhere, but not in official articles. In email, it’s game on. And I love smiley faces.”

Christy Baranowski, CPA at Morrisey Associates, says, “I use exclamation points all the time, particularly when I’m expressing happiness, congratulations or anger. I use smiley faces as well, but pretty much only in texts since it’s easier.”

It used to be that less is more, but now more is more among some proponents.

“I’m prolific with my use of exclamation points,” says Robyn Traub, program coordinator for the Family Business Council at the University of Illinois at Chicago.” I find that I’m using them two or even three times in an email, and have tried to limit myself to just one per email as necessary.

“In texts, I think it’s OK to use as many as you want, especially since those are usually intended for friends or family,” Robyn adds. “Smiley and frowney faces are definitely a must in texts.”

Just say no

Not everyone is a fan of exclamation points and smiley/frowney faces.

“Texting can give you some liberties: People accept more abbreviations given the more difficult nature of entering the message from various keyboards,” says Dan Oscarson, vice president of Global Buyer Marketing at Insurance Auto Auctions. “It’s best to spell things out and punctuate appropriately, however. A text doesn’t give you additional license to be goofy or more lighthearted than you would in regular communication.”

“I hate exclamation points,” adds Lucy Ramirez, communications and marketing manager at Chicago Family Health Center. “I think they make people seem obnoxious and angry, even though I know it’s impossible to tell the real demeanor of the person who is texting or emailing. For me, they are as bad as typing in all caps.”

Beating temptation

In the end, I would apply common sense. Just as I wouldn’t send an expletive-filled email to my boss, I wouldn’t go crazy with exclamation points and smiley faces in business or personal communications. The more you use them, the less power they have.

Get my point?!!!!!!

Mind your email marketing manners

Posted by: | May 12, 2011 | E-mail, General Business Practices, Mail

Good marketers know that when it comes to gathering information on prospects, permission rules. The European Union is hammering that point home these days with a new set of privacy rules, which are set to take effect May 25.

The rules require marketers to get explicit consent from website visitors before tracking and storing their information, so companies that have prospects across the pond should take note. While the rules apply mainly to companies that use cookies on their websites to tailor ads to visitors, marketers who direct their customers through their websites to read e-newsletters or other marketing messages also need to comply with the law by having subscribers opt in.

The European Union’s get-tough stance on privacy goes back to the No. 1 rule of marketing etiquette: Always ask permission. Remember, just because a guy connected to your LinkedIn profile or exchanged business cards with you, he doesn’t necessarily want your e-newsletter. Ask before collecting a prospect’s information — and don’t even think about buying lists of names from other companies. Sending emails to people on purchased lists can get you blacklisted as a spammer and possibly in hot water with regulators. That goes for both sides of the pond.

Here are a few other etiquette tips for building and maintaining your mailing list the right way:

  • Keep it confidential. When someone trusts you with personal information, honor that trust. Don’t share email addresses or other prospect information with third parties, and post your confidentiality policy on your site.
  • Identify yourself. Send messages from an email address that belongs to a specific person in your company so that subscribers know exactly who’s emailing them.
  • Give them a reminder. If you’ve been collecting email addresses for years, some of your subscribers may have forgotten why the heck they’re getting email from you. Add a note to your messages that says, “You’re receiving this email because you signed up for news and offers from XYZ Company.”

  • Make changes easy. Include a link on your messages that allows subscribers to opt out of future messages or update their information. When prospects make changes, send them prompt confirmation that you have completed their requests.
  • Obey the law. The United States has its own laws regarding email marketing, such as using an accurate subject line, including a physical address on the message and giving recipients a heads up that the message is an ad.