Motivate Non-Responders to Open/Click on your Email

Posted on April 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

I read an interesting article at the end of the year on ClickZ.  It was about engaging the people on your email list who do not open or click on your company emails, your non-responders.  I will focus here on how you can customize your emails for this group but for the full article see 4 Ways to Engage Email Non-Responders

Begin by segmenting your email list and create a separate list specifically for these non-responders.  There is no need to make drastic changes to the people already engaging with your email communication unless your email format has not changed in a long time.  You don’t want to risk your emails becoming stale and creating more non-responders.  From there try these four tactics.

  1. Subject lines are a great way to mix things up.  Alter your length, approach and cadence and see if that increases your open rate with this group.
  2. A good percentage of your list stopped opening your emails because you have been sending the same template with varying text that is never updated for six months or more.  Freshen up your email and don’t forget to consider many email recipients open email on Smartphones nowadays.
  3. Place your offers at the top of the page.  Whether you are a B2C or B2B company, your email recipient needs the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) up front.  If they have to scroll you may lose them.
  4. Frequency is a debatable topic.  Many feel sending emails less frequently is the best approach.  This article actually recommended the opposite. Similar to in-person sales, staying in front of the prospect may be the better approach.
  5. Ask your non-responders for feedback or confirmation regarding receiving email from you.  They gave you permission once and they haven’t opted out.  Perhaps the key to turning non-responders into responders is to ask they what they would like or need.

If you try any of the above or have suggestions for motivating non-responders to become responsive, I would love to hear them.

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The Top 5 Things Small Business should be doing with Social Media by 2012

Posted on April 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

A few weeks ago I posted a blog dispelling myths about social media.  Today I want to offer a minimum level of engagement SMBs should consider for 2012.  I generally avoid using such a broad brush but before you assume this does not fit your business type, give it a read.  You might change your mind.   I pulled this a Vermont website called the RutlandHerald.com but I think it’s relevant regardless of your geographic location.

  1. Create a website.  As a NALA member you already have a web page and the NALA does invest to drive traffic and engage in search engine optimization.  The article mentions Google templates available for a fee or WordPress which is a blog based website.  The upside to WordPress is that it requires no website coding and is free.  The downside is customization is limited unless you hire someone who can code in WordPress.  Templates also offer limited customization but both options will get a website up at a lower cost than hiring a web programmer.
  2. Utilize Facebook.  NALA members that have an eListing product already receive a Facebook page created for you.  The question is, are you using it?  Facebook and other similar social media create a two-way conversation between you and your customers or potential customers.  Social media humanizes your business.  Additionally, Facebook includes helpful tools to measure and adjust your performance, allowing you to view the demographics of your fans.  That information can help you decide how to react and what to post.

    A couple Facebook tips:  Don’t over-post.  Your posts should be thoughtful, engaging, conversational, and if possible contain some form of media such as a photo or video.  As a NALA member you can attach the commercial included in your membership.

  3. Invest time & money in Google apps.  Last week I talked about the various tools with Gmail but there are others.  They also have Google Docs to store and share documents with others, Google Calendar, Google Analytics that enables you to track how people find the website, and Google Alerts.  Google Alerts will allow you to plug  your company name in and  receive an email alerting you to articles, blogs, and mentions of that company name anywhere on the web.  You can set up multiple alerts and have them delivered as often as you choose for FREE.  That way if someone makes a new negative review on Yelp you will know about it that day and have the opportunity to address it.  Addressing the negative is one of the best ways to build loyal customers through social media.  You might consider setting up alerts for your competitors as well…
  4. Yelp!  Just mentioned above, is the national review site that is broken down locally.  Customers write reviews about your business and those reviews are tied to your listing on the site.  Responding to good and bad reviews creates and opportunity to engage in a conversation that takes place whether you want it to not.  It puts you in the driver’s seat to generate word of mouth advertising.
  5. Twitter.  Twitter is a short message social network that allows for 140 characters in a single tweet.  Twitter has become a worldwide phenomenon allowing individuals, SMBs, corporations, newspapers, magazines, schools, celebrities, and government officials to have a voice on a level playing field.   The good news is that services like Tweetdeck and Hootsuite allow you to tweet and update your Facebook status simultaneously.  Additionally, you can schedule your posts in advance, which can be extremely convenient.

The great news about social media is to get your feet wet is free.  You might invest in a social media consultant, talk to your NALA Project Manager, or just dive in and do some experimenting on your own.  Regardless, testing the waters is an important step in the right direction.

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Posted in Facebook, Google Alerts, Small Business, Social Media, Social Networking

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Gmail Tips for SMBs

Posted on March 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

If you are like me, you use one of the free email options out there such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail.  Gmail has become a fairly robust program, so if you don’t use it you might consider it.  Whether you are just signing up or have had your account for a long time; here are 7 tips from Small Business Trends that may support your efficient use of the program.  I added two of my favorite email services at the end.  If you try out any of these or have any of your own favorites to share, let me know.

  1.  Let Gmail be your business email and have your email address be @yourdomain as opposed to @gmail.  The truth is customers are more likely to trust a brand that has a domain name of that business, as opposed to a free service.  The cost for this service is $5 per email address a month.
  2. Juggle multiple email accounts from one interface:  I find this tremendously helpful.  Many of us have more than one email account.  One account may be dedicated for work and another personal.  Gmail allows you to download up to five other accounts and you can send from them through Gmail as well.
  3. Use Labels.  You can organize your inbox and keep yourself on task by creating labels.  Select the message you want to label, hit the Label button in the toolbar and choose Create New.  Once your label is created, you can apply it to different messages.  You can even create filters to label messages automatically.
  4. Use Boomerang.  Boomerang is a mail plugin that allows you to write emails now and schedule them for sending later.  Maybe you can’t sleep and decide to be productive and respond to emails.  You might not want your business contacts to be aware of your insomnia problem and this is the answer.  Write it now and schedule it to be sent at 8am when the rest of the world is awake.  Boomerang can also remind you to check up on people who haven’t gotten back to you.
  5. Answer faster with Canned Responses.  If you look at your emails, you may find several are waiting for you to write the same answer to a question you receive over and over.  Canned Responses gives you the ability to write your message once, save it, and use it repeatedly based on certain keywords in the message.
  6. Reply by chat or video.  Sometimes a quick conversation will resolve an issue must faster than back and forth email.  Voice and video chat is a free feature that installs in seconds.
  7. Mute Emails.  If you are on an email group or listserv and there is a discussion going on you are not interested in, every new reply all comment can be annoying.  The Mute feature allows you to exit the conversation by using the shortcut M.
  8. OtherInbox is another one I use personally.  This is a tool that organizes your email inbox for you with folders that organize by sender.  I read a lot of blogs about small business, social media and technology.  OtherInbox automatically places them in a folder separate from the coupon folder alerting me to the latest specials at Starbucks.  I choose how often I want it sorted and then the app sends me an email letting me know what emails were sorted where.  It’s a great time saver.
  9. Email Game by Baydin.  I got into the weeds with an overflowing email inbox and discovered this game at the end of the year.  It’s easy and quick to play.  In 2-minute intervals, the game asks you to decide what to do with your email.  Reply, delete, archive, skip or boomerang.  Skipping causes you to lose points.  Boomerang means you put the email temporarily in archives and it is returned to your inbox when you ask it to be.  It’s very helpful for items you won’t need to deal with right away but do not want to lose track of.

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Dispelling Five Social Media Myths for SMBs

Posted on March 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Social media is everywhere nowadays.  Have you seen the Wheat Thins commercial featuring the characters from the Family Guy?  At the bottom of the screen where Wheat Thins likely featured their website address in the past, they now feature their Twitter address:  @WheatThins.   Most big brands have taken the social media plunge but many SMBs out there maintain their reservations about getting involved.  That’s why I thought this article from Entrepreneur.com was a good piece to share and possibly dispel some of the myths around social media.

  1. Social Media Marketing is a waste of time.
    A major shift has occurred in the way people make decisions and communicate with one another.  They talk and listen to what others say about where to dine, shop, and just about everything else.  The people they speak to…your potential customers.   Don’t you think your business should be part of the conversation?
    My business is too small to benefit from social media.
  2. Social media networks revolve around communities of people with a connection to each other.  If you show an interest and appreciation for some of the people in those communities chances are good you will win customer loyalty.Great example:  my favorite take out lunch place advertises in the restaurant for Facebook specials.   (If you do not have a Facebook account you cannot view the link).  I friend them and I am in-the-know when they are offering free drinks to everyone who brings in the smartphone showing the offer on Facebook.  When California Chicken Café came up on my Facebook page with the free drink offer, I suddenly felt in the mood for lunch there.
  3. Social Media activity isn’t going to affect my bottom line.
    Nearly every purchasing decision people make is based on two things:  what they have heard from other people and what their personal research revealed.  Today most people research and talk on social networks.  Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Trip Advisor…If you are not engaging with people providing those answers, how likely is it they will recommend your business.
  4. Social media marketing is too complicated and time-consuming.
    You don’t have to be everywhere at once.  Start simple with a basic Facebook page or Twitter account and focus on creating interactions with your customers.  There are services such as TweetDeck and Hootsuite that enable you to schedule your tweets and updates periodically.  If you keep it simple it should not take more than 30 minutes a day.
  5. Nobody cares about what I’d have to say on social networks.
    You are right if you are the only person you are talking about.  Create a conversation by asking your customers questions.  Announce changes you have made based on customer suggestions and criticisms.  The point is to use social media to learn what your customers want, improve what you offer them, and make it a joy to be your customer.

So…what’s stopping you from engaging in social media online?  Why not take the plunge and see what happens?

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2012 Trends for Shaping your Business

Posted on March 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

Back in January Small Business Trends published an article called 5 Trends to Shape your Business This Year.   Just about to enter second quarter, it’s not too late to give the new trends a shot.  Some may apply and some may not but if you try any or have any suggestions we’d love to hear them.

  1. Consider different versions of your product or service that will cut costs and give customers more options.  Studies show when a business offers three price points the customer is likely to choose the midrange option.  How can you package your product and service to capitalize on this?
  2. The economy has forced many to cut back on little luxuries.  What can you offer affordably to offer customers a little luxury/escape at an affordable price?
  3. More and more people are choosing to get married later in life or skip marriage altogether.  Many businesses capitalized on weddings and all the items newlyweds need to start a new life.  That transition is still occurring but now singles needs many of those products and services.  How can you package your product or service to specifically appeal to this group specifically?
  4. America is aging.  Changes are you have heard the statistics that the American population over 55 is growing fast and they tend to have money to spend.  Don’t assume they only buy products and services for themselves however.  They also buy for their aging parents, kids, and grandchildren.  Don’t forget if you are marketing to a boomer, don’t treat them like a “senior” though.
  5. As our world becomes increasingly digital, actual objects become rare.  If you offer digital products think about tactile “extras you can package with them. The article mentions cartoonists who sell cartoons as greeting cards or musicians who sell t-shirts or lyric books with digital downloads.  Conversely if you are a company that provides a tactile product, is there a digital accompaniment you can offer?

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The Seven Elements of a Press Release

Posted on March 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

The press release is a valuable tool in an affordable marketing strategy for SMBs.  To get the full value out of sending a release, it is essential to grab the reader/journalist quickly and inspire them to distribute your story to their readers.

As a NALA member, our Press Release product will write and distribute the release for you, but understanding the elements integral in writing a successful release may help you get the most out of working with our Press Release department.

I found an article called The Seven Elements of a Press Release: Everything You Need to Know that offered valuable information I wanted to share.  I will summarize it here but the full article is linked above.

Release structure

  1. Grab a journalist’s attention with an eye-catching headline.  The headline should also give a brief overview of what makes the story newsworthy.
  2.  Media contact information at the top so it’s easy to find.
  3. The first line of the first paragraph should include the release date, city and state.  This helps the journalists know this information is relevant to their readers.
  4. The introduction paragraph is particularly important because it is often the only paragraph the journalist will read.  It must tell the reader who, what, where, why, and when providing all the key information at the beginning with subsequent information of diminishing importance.
  5. The body should consist of at least two paragraphs and each subsequent paragraph offers information of diminishing importance.
  6. After the body, include a boilerplate or short paragraph about the company you have been referring to.  In this section provide background information such as company history.
  7. Close the release with “###”.

Release writing style tips:

  1. Make sure the release is newsworthy and not a sales piece.
  2. Grab the reader’s attention with the headline and first paragraph.
  3. Stick to the facts, avoiding flowery writing or overuse of adjectives.
  4. Use strong verbs and avoid passive voice.
  5. Avoid hype and do not use exclamation points!!!!
  6. Be clear, concise, and complete.
  7. Proofread.  Typos are the fastest way to ensure your release is never seen.

 

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Email Tips for SMB

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

I recently watched a great short video on Entrepreneur.com from blogger Chris Brogan.  The video offered a few great tips for small business engaging in email.  You can watch the video here but below is a summary of what he had to say.

Chris quoted a survey from 2011 that said 4% of potential buyers over 18 can be reached via Twitter; 15% can be reached on Facebook; but 91% are willing to receive regular email communication from a brand they use.  It’s safe to say that effective email marketing is far from dead.  The important question is what makes it effective.  Below are a couple of tips to hold up against your email marketing, particularly as more people read them on 3-inch devices.

  1. Simple and brief emails are best.  300-400 words max with one simple call to action.
  2. Do not send from “do not reply” email addresses.  You are telling your customers you have no interest in speaking with them, which does NOT foster a good relationship.  Instead use a real address and encourage your recipients to respond to you.
  3. Simple text is best.  Large images won’t necessarily work on that 3-inch Blackberry, Andriod or iPhone screen.
  4. How often you send emails depends upon your business and what you are sending.  Obviously daily deal sites send daily emails but that isn’t necessarily the best for everyone.

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