Get Massive Exposure for Your Local Austin Business Without Spending a Dime
Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at
11:56 am
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Borrell Predicts Demise of Direct Mail, Rise of Email
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at
10:03 am
Email Marketing
Email Marketing
Businesses are abandoning paper-based direct mail in favor of email, according to new research from Borrell Associates.
One key advantage of email over direct mail is more metrics can be measured. When an email marketing message is sent, the sender can determine (roughly) how many people opened the email, what links were clicked on and how often, and even if the message was forwarded.
With direct mail you can track calls received, but then again, that’s as long as you and your staff make the effort to note the origin of each received call. For a small business that can be a tall order! On the other hand, tracking email metrics is vastly easier.
For these reasons (and more) many businesses are switching to email marketing according to Borrell Associates. In the study published May 2009, Borrell Associates reports direct mail efforts will decline nearly 40% over the next five years from an annual spend of $49.7 billion in 2008 to $29.8 billion by the end of 2013.
Borrell Associates also found more coupons and catalogs are being distributed digitally which will continue to spur local email advertising.
How much of your marketing budget is spent on direct mail? It’s always better to start building your email list now rather than later.
7 Businesses Thriving During Recession
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 at
10:46 pm
From CNN Money (increases are compared to a year ago):
- 1. Auto Repairs 2. Home Repairs - 2.4% increase
- People are not buying new, and instead are fixing what they already own.
- 3. Supermarkets – 6.7% increase
You gotta eat! Consumers are cutting back on eating out, and instead, are cooking in. - 4. Trade Schools – 9.1 % increase
Many are going back to school to learn new skills. - 5. Personal Care – 4.5% increase
Since the big indulgences are on hold, many are hanging on, and even increasing, personal grooming at nail salons, spas, and manicure salons. - 6. Accounting – 10.2% increase
Now, more than ever in the depths of the recession, people are consulting with their accountants.
7. Dentists – 6.9% increase
Healthcare is very recession resistant.
Creative Marketing – 800% Income Increase
Thursday, May 14th, 2009 at
9:38 pm
Ed is out of work. Ed’s friend, Todd, created this marketing piece to help Ed’s collection efforts. According to Ed, he enjoyed an 800% increase in gross income when he used this sign.
What creative marketing are you doing ? The internet allows a local business owner many opportunities to market their business in both creative and inexpensive ways.
Summary Thought:: “Internet marketing” is just a fancy expression that means “promoting your business online”. The best part is you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on internet marketing to see real results with your brick and mortar business.
————————————————-
More info on Ed here.
Local Austin Business Marketing – Getting Google Love
Monday, May 11th, 2009 at
10:31 am
As a local business owner in Austin, Texas you know deep down in your gut that this internet thingy is not going away, and in fact, you can see it’s getting more important everyday. Yet you don’t know how to jump in. You get the calls from the companies promising to put your on the first page of Google. You know they are probably scams.
And while you may have a website, you’re not getting any business from it. The point of this post is to help you dip your toe into the internet marketing pool.
The foundation of showing up high in the search engine results is choosing the right keywords. When you type search terms into Google you are typing keywords. A keyword can be a single word, or it can be a phrase of two or more words.
Long keyword phrases that are specific but not used as often in searches are often referred to as “long tail keywords”. Chris Anderson popularized the term “long tail” when he published the book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More.
General keywords will bring a rather wide spectrum of people, but you’re not looking for every Tom, Dick, and Harry across the globe. Ideally, you want local customers who live in the Austin, Texas area.
Let’s say you’re an Austin attorney that specializes in drunk driving cases. What do you think is a better keyword to optimize on your website: “dwi” or “dwi austin texas”?
Let’s look at the Google results.
Over 13 million pages have the keyword “dwi”.
Only 404,000 pages have “dwi austin texas”
Which keywords are more likely to bring you real business?
The second keyword would mean less competition to rank on the first or second page of Google AND you’ll get better quality web traffic. Interested in doing keyword research yourself?
Here’s a link to a free quality resource to get started.
Twitter: A Useful Marketing Tool, or A Colossal Time Waste?
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at
10:31 am
by jmilles
Everyone is Twittering these days, or so it seems to me. Even people you wouldn’t expect to Twitter are jumping on board this social phenomenon.
Yesterday I was doing some work out of my home, took a five minute break and flipped on the TV. Scrolling through the channels I landed on Jerry Springer just as Jerry is asking his TV audience to follow him on Twitter. Wow. Jerry Springer tweets (or more likely, someone tweets on Jerry’s behalf). It looks like tweeting is heading towards mass acceptance much like what has occurred with voice mail, email, and the internet previously.
Initially, I didn’t get Twitter..at all. Why would I be interested in your tweet on what you ate for lunch? But I’ve also found some useful case studies of effectively using Twitter.
Here’s my challenge to myself. I will find useful applications of Twitter and post the best of these applications here on my website. No need to present frivolous uses of Twitter. Already too many to list. Keep an eye out for my updates by visiting again, or you can always sign up for email or RSS updates at the top right of my website.
Why Use Email Marketing
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at
10:05 pm
Teajai Kimsey asked:
In 1867 the Pony Express made its fastest delivery – 7 days and 17 hours. The route: St. Joseph Missouri to Sacramento California. The average speed: 10 miles per hour.
The message was President Lincoln’s Inaugural Address.
The riders were from 11 to 40 years old and all weighed less than 125 lbs. To make this delivery, horses had to be changed every 10 to 15 miles.
By contrast, the US Postal Service delivery now takes at least a day, longer the farther away from the destination, Federal Express can get it there overnight by 10am the next business day.
Chances are many of you will leave this meeting and go back to your office where you will open an email that was sent from across the nation, maybe even around the globe within a matter of minutes. Only a fax machine can compare to the speed of email.
The simple truth is that of the 94 Million American Adults that use the internet every day, the number one reason for going online is to check their email. According to a DoubleClick survey, 81% of internet users go online daily to check email. That’s too big a number to ignore.
Why is email so popular?
Because it’s easy, fast, cheap, direct and it elicits and immediate response. When you add email to your marketing mix you spend less time, money and resources than with traditional marketing vehicles like direct mail or print advertising.
From a marketing standpoint, email was initially primarily used for gaining new customers – often via spam techniques. It has since shifted to promotional and customer relationship marketing.
Consumers expect emails to confirm transactions and shipping, and they are open to the ideas of their email addresses being used to promote ancillary offers.
Customer service is another area of opportunity for email.
According to an October 2004 Doubleclick survey, nearly 8 out of 10 consumers have used email for customer service. A consumer expects a service inquiry response immediately but up to 24 hours is acceptable.
More than that, businesses spend 80% of their marketing budget on gaining new customers but cultivating the current customer base costs less and generates greater revenue. Every email contact with a prospect or customer is a marketing opportunity in that is it a brand building and relationship building tool.
So what is the difference between an effective email marketing campaign and one that is tainted?
The email recipient is the sole decision maker of what constitutes spam. And the recipient pays for the email. Among the top reasons an email is deemed to be spam: Deceptiveness and unknown senders (of course), frequency and irrelevancy (even though permission was granted).
1) You must have some relationship with the recipients. Relationship is a broad term in the eyes of the FCC.
If, for example, you have a list of email addresses belonging to people who are members of the same affiliation or organization as you that can constitute a relationship. If you have a list of email addresses belonging to people who have previously done business with you that constitutes a relationship. If someone has emailed you asking for information about your product or service, that constitutes a relationship.
The ultimate relationship is the opt-in list, people who have specifically requested or “opted” to receive email from you.
When you email these groups, it’s a good idea to make it clear what the affiliation or relationship is to lessen the risk of being considered spam.
Bottom line: relevant, valuable emails sent to people who asked or agreed to get them are the best people to market to via email.
2) Second, you must have an opt-out on each and every email. The best way to handle it is an automated process so you won’t have to deal with finding each address one at a time to remove them from the list. This is one of the reasons why many companies use a broadcast email service to handle email marketing.
Use a Broadcast Service
Another reason to use a broadcast service is that the email sent does not disclose the addresses of the people to which the email was sent. This an important privacy issue.
Many professionals are under the impression that Outlook will hide the addresses to which the email was sent. This is not the case.
Design for the Recipient
When designing an email for marketing the first thing to consider is the recipient, of course.
Different email programs will interpret your message differently. For example, there are web based email programs like Horde and SquirrelMail that will not read images so the email is either garbled or filtered out as spam. (sckansas email handout)
Other email programs offer the option of viewing or not viewing images. So your email may show up with several blank spaces.
The solution is to have 2 versions of the email that are sent in tandem. That way the email program of the recipient can determine which version to display.
Know What Words to Use (Examples 1 / 2 & Triggers)
Another thing to consider is the subject line. Because of the words that trigger spam filters, the subject line as well as the message needs to be free of these words – in fact the word free is often a trigger. The header cannot be misleading either.
The Message
When structuring the message, again you have to remember to stay away from certain words, phrases or dollar signs. Now this part can get to be challenging. This is why you may see legitimate emails with special characters.
Email messages should be concise, to the point and carry a strong call to action. The idea is to get the recipient to interact with your company so give them plenty of opportunities and incentives to do so.
Remember, email is a brand building opportunity so be sure that you reinforce brand messages, encourage communication and interaction through links to the supporting website and reply to email addresses.
Track the Results
Be sure to track performance of your email marketing program. This is yet another reason to use a broadcast email service. Through third party services you have the ability to see how many people opened the email, how many people clicked the various links in the email etc. This also allows you to better target your emails to a specific audience or give more information that the recipients are genuinely interested in.
Like any advertising, email must be done consistently. And, like many marketing strategies, the program must flex to any new challenges or new opportunities. Don’t be afraid to vary the format, timing and offers to find the email that works best for your company. And definitely integrate email marketing along with any other marketing – loyalty programs, print ads etc. “join our email newsletter and get even more discounts, savings etc.”
———————–
This article written by Teajai Kimsey, Interenet Marketing Strategist, Ideas That Work – May 2005. First presented to the Wichita Professional Communicators, May 2005
It may be reproduced and reprinted provided the author’s information including web link is kept intact.
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
In 1867 the Pony Express made its fastest delivery – 7 days and 17 hours. The route: St. Joseph Missouri to Sacramento California. The average speed: 10 miles per hour.
The message was President Lincoln’s Inaugural Address.
The riders were from 11 to 40 years old and all weighed less than 125 lbs. To make this delivery, horses had to be changed every 10 to 15 miles.
By contrast, the US Postal Service delivery now takes at least a day, longer the farther away from the destination, Federal Express can get it there overnight by 10am the next business day.
Chances are many of you will leave this meeting and go back to your office where you will open an email that was sent from across the nation, maybe even around the globe within a matter of minutes. Only a fax machine can compare to the speed of email.
The simple truth is that of the 94 Million American Adults that use the internet every day, the number one reason for going online is to check their email. According to a DoubleClick survey, 81% of internet users go online daily to check email. That’s too big a number to ignore.
Why is email so popular?
Because it’s easy, fast, cheap, direct and it elicits and immediate response. When you add email to your marketing mix you spend less time, money and resources than with traditional marketing vehicles like direct mail or print advertising.
From a marketing standpoint, email was initially primarily used for gaining new customers – often via spam techniques. It has since shifted to promotional and customer relationship marketing.
Consumers expect emails to confirm transactions and shipping, and they are open to the ideas of their email addresses being used to promote ancillary offers.
Customer service is another area of opportunity for email.
According to an October 2004 Doubleclick survey, nearly 8 out of 10 consumers have used email for customer service. A consumer expects a service inquiry response immediately but up to 24 hours is acceptable.
More than that, businesses spend 80% of their marketing budget on gaining new customers but cultivating the current customer base costs less and generates greater revenue. Every email contact with a prospect or customer is a marketing opportunity in that is it a brand building and relationship building tool.
So what is the difference between an effective email marketing campaign and one that is tainted?
The email recipient is the sole decision maker of what constitutes spam. And the recipient pays for the email. Among the top reasons an email is deemed to be spam: Deceptiveness and unknown senders (of course), frequency and irrelevancy (even though permission was granted).
1) You must have some relationship with the recipients. Relationship is a broad term in the eyes of the FCC.
If, for example, you have a list of email addresses belonging to people who are members of the same affiliation or organization as you that can constitute a relationship. If you have a list of email addresses belonging to people who have previously done business with you that constitutes a relationship. If someone has emailed you asking for information about your product or service, that constitutes a relationship.
The ultimate relationship is the opt-in list, people who have specifically requested or “opted” to receive email from you.
When you email these groups, it’s a good idea to make it clear what the affiliation or relationship is to lessen the risk of being considered spam.
Bottom line: relevant, valuable emails sent to people who asked or agreed to get them are the best people to market to via email.
2) Second, you must have an opt-out on each and every email. The best way to handle it is an automated process so you won’t have to deal with finding each address one at a time to remove them from the list. This is one of the reasons why many companies use a broadcast email service to handle email marketing.
Use a Broadcast Service
Another reason to use a broadcast service is that the email sent does not disclose the addresses of the people to which the email was sent. This an important privacy issue.
Many professionals are under the impression that Outlook will hide the addresses to which the email was sent. This is not the case.
Design for the Recipient
When designing an email for marketing the first thing to consider is the recipient, of course.
Different email programs will interpret your message differently. For example, there are web based email programs like Horde and SquirrelMail that will not read images so the email is either garbled or filtered out as spam. (sckansas email handout)
Other email programs offer the option of viewing or not viewing images. So your email may show up with several blank spaces.
The solution is to have 2 versions of the email that are sent in tandem. That way the email program of the recipient can determine which version to display.
Know What Words to Use (Examples 1 / 2 & Triggers)
Another thing to consider is the subject line. Because of the words that trigger spam filters, the subject line as well as the message needs to be free of these words – in fact the word free is often a trigger. The header cannot be misleading either.
The Message
When structuring the message, again you have to remember to stay away from certain words, phrases or dollar signs. Now this part can get to be challenging. This is why you may see legitimate emails with special characters.
Email messages should be concise, to the point and carry a strong call to action. The idea is to get the recipient to interact with your company so give them plenty of opportunities and incentives to do so.
Remember, email is a brand building opportunity so be sure that you reinforce brand messages, encourage communication and interaction through links to the supporting website and reply to email addresses.
Track the Results
Be sure to track performance of your email marketing program. This is yet another reason to use a broadcast email service. Through third party services you have the ability to see how many people opened the email, how many people clicked the various links in the email etc. This also allows you to better target your emails to a specific audience or give more information that the recipients are genuinely interested in.
Like any advertising, email must be done consistently. And, like many marketing strategies, the program must flex to any new challenges or new opportunities. Don’t be afraid to vary the format, timing and offers to find the email that works best for your company. And definitely integrate email marketing along with any other marketing – loyalty programs, print ads etc. “join our email newsletter and get even more discounts, savings etc.”
———————–
This article written by Teajai Kimsey, Interenet Marketing Strategist, Ideas That Work – May 2005. First presented to the Wichita Professional Communicators, May 2005
It may be reproduced and reprinted provided the author’s information including web link is kept intact.
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
Any Good Email Marketing Strategies Out There?
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at
9:29 pm
utborncagrwn asked:
I am new to the email marketing strategies. Does anyone out there have any good tips or websites? I appreciate the help.
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
I am new to the email marketing strategies. Does anyone out there have any good tips or websites? I appreciate the help.
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
Where i can get Email Marketing service for FREE?
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at
9:23 pm
inferno399 asked:
First time i used Yahoo! & Hot mail for email marketing! After 100-150 emails i send my both account deleted! Because i send too many spam. Now i just try to get a service that will let me send emails to anyone, so i can do my email marketing campaign. And it must be FREE. If anyone know about those service or anything else then PLEASE let me know.
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
First time i used Yahoo! & Hot mail for email marketing! After 100-150 emails i send my both account deleted! Because i send too many spam. Now i just try to get a service that will let me send emails to anyone, so i can do my email marketing campaign. And it must be FREE. If anyone know about those service or anything else then PLEASE let me know.
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
How would you perform email marketing without it being consider spamming? Sometimes I have had to get rid of a
Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at
9:16 pm
haemogril asked:
How would you perform email marketing without it being consider spamming? Sometimes I have had to get rid of an email address because I kept getting hundreds of spam emails from various sources. What is the right way to do email marketing and attract the most customers?
(200 words minimum)
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
How would you perform email marketing without it being consider spamming? Sometimes I have had to get rid of an email address because I kept getting hundreds of spam emails from various sources. What is the right way to do email marketing and attract the most customers?
(200 words minimum)
Email Marketing For Brick and Mortar Businesses
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