Social Media Campaigns

Just read an excellent post by Erica Swallow. She has sourced 6 new and innovative social media campaigns that are well worth a read. Click here

Dog ball your newsletter sign ups!

WFD097: Figure 7.3

Image by Rosenfeld Media via Flickr

When someone visits your website, blog or Facebook page and subscribes to receive your email newsletter, you are pushing against an open door from a sales perspective. They want to hear from you! Grasp the opportunity and start a business relations ship.

The subscription form design and content is critical and should be on every page of your website in the top half  of the page. Give it a unique look so it stands out like DOG’S BALLS on every page! Very few websites do this. Read the eCircle benchmark study on the newsletter subscription process.

Related Articles

Email marketing – Science or Fiction?

If fiction is a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact than email marketing is the exact opposite.  In fact, it’s a science with a systematic practice that is capable of generating predictable outcomes.
UK based Econsultancy have an excellent blog 13 “Tips: The Science of Email Marketing”. Click here to read the article.

How effective is email marketing?

Return on Investment analysis graph

Image via Wikipedia

The most recent research on email marketing return on investment puts it way ahead of traditional offline marketing tactics and right up there with Organic SEO and Paid Search.

The Email Marketing ROI Statistics Report 2010 is the proof of the pudding and clearly confirms that permission based email marketing gives a superior return on investment when compared with other marketing tactics. This is particularly true when you take costs and the measurability of this powerful marketing tool into account.  Click here to view the report.

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Email Marketing & The Human Spam Filter – Two simple steps to get your email opened and read

Spam, Now with Real Bacon!

Image by cobalt123 via Flickr

1. The From Line – The human spam filter is the most difficult filter to get pass. Make sure your from line is clearly recognizable to the email recipient. Use your company or own name, whichever the recipient is most familiar with.

2. The Subject Line – This is the biggest human spam filter hurdle. Fall here and you will be consigned to the delete bin or worse – the dreaded spam folder. You have 5 – 8 words to capture the reader’s attention. Use it wisely. Focus on what’s in it for the reader if they open your email. Grab their attention, put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself - ”What’s in it for me if I open this email?”

Which email marketing software provider?

Email Marketing Software Comparison was created to consolidate and organize information about the top providers of email marketing software services so that you can make an “apples to apples” comparison of the different service providers and select the one that best fits your needs.

For an ”apples to apples” comparison of some of the main providers of email marketing software click here.

How will Google’s “Priority Inbox” effect email marketers?

Exquisite-gmail blue

Image via Wikipedia

Gmail’s priority inbox function will create challenges for email marketers but with challenges come opportunities. I believe the priority inbox will benefit those of us who are sending target and relevent information.

Free, Live Webinar – Top 10 Vital Factors for Email Marketing Success: How to Generate Results in a Tough Economy

Date: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Time: 2:00 PM EDT | 11:00 AM PDT

Email continues to be a powerful staple even in the current recession-effected marketing world. It’s still the foundation of any successful online marketing effort. Without effective email marketing, a company’s entire online marketing strategy can crumble like a house of cards. Read more

How do you know what to say if you don’t know who you are talking to?

New Target Market

Image by Intersection Consulting via Flickr

It’s amazing how may people put finger to keyboard without considering the above. There is no point in engaging with your audience unless you have a clear picture of who your target audience is and what you want to say to them. Are you selling, informing, seeking donations or funding, engaging with policy makers, staff or supporters?

Defining your target audience
The starting point for a successful email e-newsletter is to identify your target market or audience. Think about the people you interact with every day. What services do they require, what additional services could you offer them that they are not aware of? What are their needs and requirements? Put yourself in the shoes of your customer and ask what’s in it for me? What’s in it for me if I subscribe to your e-newsletter? What’s in it for me if I read your e-newsletter? Segment your audience so you can communicate more targeted and relevant information to them.
What are you offering?
Avoid offering all things to all people as this leads to a situation where you offer nothing to anyone. Firstly focus on the areas of your business or organisation that you are an expert in and are already generating revenue or creating awareness. Look at areas where you can up skill to offer services that match the current environment.
Visualise your audience – Decide on the key messages you want to deliver and how you are going to communicate the messages to your e-newsletter readers.
Identify your target market
Review your client list. Build a profile of your target market or audience and the services you will be providing. When you have identified the services you offer or message you want to communicate and who you are going to target them at, you can use this information to match the content of your email e-newsletter to the services you provide.
By segmenting and knowing your target market you can ensure that you only send targeted and relevant information to your e-newsletter readers.
Ultan Bannon
email me or phone 086 1550 568

31st MII Conference

The Marketing Institute of Ireland Annual Conference is coming up on 3rd November. Sponsored by The Irish Independent and Newstalk106.  Speaker Line Up includes – Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev, Martin Thomas, Jerry Kennelly, Anne Sawbridge,  Steve Shapiro and Patou Nuytemans  click here for more details.