Last
updated February 6, 2007
Email
Marketing:
New Basics
Email
marketing continues to be an effective tool in your marketing
arsenal. A 2006 study conducted by MarketingSherpa, a marketing
research firm, found that 78% of business email marketers
and 69% of consumer email marketers still think that email
marketing is effective and its impact continues to grow, "significantly."
When
planning your email marketing efforts, remember—email
offers a two-way dialogue and is a fantastic tool to share
information.
Expand
your Email Address Book
Make
sure your Web site has a simple, fast email signup form.
Offer
a sign up book for visitors in your office or store locations.
Invite
new contacts to sign up for your email list.
Be
vigilant with email confidentiality.
Keep
Your List Clean and Efficient
Make
changes to an email address as soon as a recipient provides
an update or change. Stay current and don’t forget
to make requested changes.
Hunt
down causes for blocked emails and fix problems.
Keep
track of the incidences in which people are added, changed
or taken off to your email list, Look for trends and
be alert to any reasons for changing, for example, ISP
problems, filter settings, content blocking).
Ask
for backup email addresses at registration: According
to MarketingSherpa research information, 60% of online
consumers regularly use two or more email accounts.
If
your email database is too large for you to keep it updated,
consider a database management program to help keep the
database clean.
Enhance
Email Effectiveness
Track
promotions, offers and calls to action to see what garners
the most attention.
Be
sure topics are relevant and timely.
Develop
subject lines that capture attention and entice recipients
to open emails.
Personalize
Spend
some extra time and resources to develop emails that
are personalized. If your email database is too large
to individually personalize messages, consider utilizing
special programs or organizations that specialize in
custom email delivery.
Allow
your personality to shine through your emails. Add a
personalized note whenever appropriate.
Keep
in touch with clients, potential customers and business
colleagues with quick notes, news announcements and articles
you believe would be beneficial.
Take
out "forward" or "FW" in all subject
lines, and never allow recipients to see each others’ email
addresses.
If
you are lucky enough to get a personal response to your
email, write your contact back immediately, answering
questions or providing information. After all, this is
the whole purpose of email marketing.
One
last hint? Always double check spelling and addresses before
hitting "send."
Marketing
Ringing Up Success
Advertising
is constantly evolving so monitoring new opportunities
are important to gauge the effectiveness and viability
for each new advertising platform. One of the newest media
platforms provides advertisers an opportunity to land right
into the hands of their potential customers…via their
mobile phones.
The
question is, will corporations “ring up” success
in this “new” advertising medium?
Recently
Forrester Research Inc. reported that 79% of mobile phone
customers stated that they would be annoyed by advertising
being sent to their wireless phones.
It may
take more than a first glance to determine if this type
of advertising will be effective. As with all marketing
strategies, businesses will need to closely match their
marketing message with the mobile phone platform.
The
Forrester Research information also reported that more
than three-quarters of Americans are annoyed just thinking
about mobile marketing and only 3 percent say they trust
text ads on a mobile phone, reports AdAge.
Offerings
must be well planned, very personalized and relevant for
the mobile customer to make the strategy a success. Mobile
marketing is expected to work best with cross media campaigns.
Whether it is with coupons sent via text messaging or banner
advertising on mobile browsers, the message must be short,
provide value to the customer and be measurable for the
advertiser.
Since
the mobile phone medium is not restricted to one location,
location-based offerings may work well in this type of
advertising. For example, sending a coupon or special offer
to a pre-qualified target when the customer is within a
certain distance from a advertiser’s location may
be an effective pull to increase location traffic and sales
for marketing savvy companies.
The
Forrester Research study revealed companies who have succeeded
with mobile marketing strategies. One example of mobile
marketing success is McDonald’s ads placed on mobile
web sites to increase late night traffic to it’s
restaurants. The fast food chain reported increased click-through
rates with the very targeted and value based offers (mobile
coupons valid from 9PM to 4AM).
One
company leading the way with mobile marketing in Japan
has placed quick response codes in magazines offering readers
the opportunity to keep connected to the magazine’s
editorial content while informing advertisers about the
consumers’ interests via their mobile connections.
A survey
of some of Europe’s top brands conducted by Vanson
Bourne revealed that the key responses targeted via mobile
marketing tactics will be for requests for additional product
or service information, purchases and seeking new attributes
about a brand.
As with
all new marketing platforms, trial and error may be essential
to creating effective strategies. Businesses must be creative
and tenacious in creating integrated marketing strategies
with mobile marketing endeavors.
Give
Power to Your Message
Media
gives power to a company’s marketing and public relations
messages. Most media outlets provide an avenue for businesses
to communicate to a large number of potential customers.
Because each message is unique with a targeted audience,
it is important to select your avenue of communication
(or media) accurately.
Recognizing
the strengths and benefits of different media is important
to the success of all marketing and public relations efforts.
The
following is a brief overview of the power of just a few
of the many types of media outlets available. Many times,
the mixing of specifically chosen mediums is the most effective
avenue for a well-planned marketing campaign.
Newspapers
offer the power of revealing news about a business. The
printed medium also can give credibility to a company via
well placed advertising and an effective public relations
plan. The intent of most newspaper readers is to acquire
news/information, therefore a newsy ad can garner positive
attention and notice.
Magazines
offer the power of credibility and pass along opportunities
to a targeted audience. Magazines are timely and they include
full color photo opportunities. Magazines have a built
in audience—their subscribers—but they also
have expanded audiences in the form of waiting rooms, friends
sharing and libraries.
The
Internet has power in its timeliness and interactivity
with online visitors. Instant information and accessibility
are also benefits of this type of media. The audience potential
is virtually the entire world, however, it is much more
difficult to direct attention to your article or marketing.
Radio
has the power to connect and build a rapport with a target
market. Repetition is also a great benefit of radio. Like
TV, you can choose markets from all over the country, just
a local station, or any combination in between.
Television
has power in demonstrating the benefits of a company’s
products or services. It’s visual and engaging, and
the audience is vast—nationwide.
Other
media outlets you may want to consider in your integrated
mix:
Cable
Network
Cable Show
College Newspaper
National Magazine/Newspaper
Internet Magazine
News Service Syndicate
Radio Syndicate
Regional TV Network
TV Syndicate
Industry & Trade Magazines
Regional/Association Magazine
National or Industry Wire Services
The
power of the media is significant. However, you cannot
be guaranteed to receive their attention. That’s
why a mix of purchased marketing and public relations is
a wise choice to cover your bases and receive coverage.
