Tasty Marketing Tidbits

You can find out right away if your email newsletter is a smash or a dud. Bulk email services (Vertical Response, Constant Contact, etc.) give you instant gratification — statistics on how many people are opening your message and clicking through to your website.

But wait, those open and click-through rates don’t tell the whole story. The numbers only allow you to compare this month’s newsletter with last month’s. How about if you could see where your statistics stand in relation to others in your industry?

For example, let’s say 20% of recipients opened the most recent issue of your email newsletter. And 16% of those readers followed a link to your website to find out more. Would you consider your efforts successful?

If you’re promoting an accounting firm, you can give yourself a gold star because you beat the curve. But if you’re in the crafts field … uh-oh, you fell below the average of 27% opens and 22% clicks. Basically, you got some ’splainin’ to do.

Find email response benchmarks for your industry

How do we know response rates are different for accounting and crafts firms? Because email marketing service Constant Contact tracked 200 million of their clients’ emails and established a list of industry benchmarks. Granted, these benchmarks can’t take every variable into account and are just a guideline, but they’re a great way to put your results in context.

Once you have a feel for the kind of response you can reasonably expect, look for ways to improve your newsletter statistics. Which, of course, will increase the number of inquiries,  leads and sales you generate. Start your newsletter overhaul by refining each of these critical elements:

1. Recognizability - Does your “from” line includes your company name to tell the receiver the message is not spam? If not, you’re spam on toast.
2. Content - A constant sales pitch is the worst sort of “me-me-me-ism.” What’s in it  for the reader? Include relevant, usable information and suddenly you’re a resource, not a pushy salesperson.
3. Subject line - Short, straightforward and clear. No need for sassy puns or clever twists. You have about 45 characters to get your point across, so … just the facts, ma’am.
4. Email list - Your list is golden if everyone on it expects to hear from you and is looking forward to your next email. Make sure all the people on it have opted in and know what they’ll be getting from you. Don’t promise tips and send ads.
5. Timing - Are you delivering your message at the optimal time and day? In general, midweek and either early morning or later in the afternoon are best. Mid-day is peak email time, so try to avoid being buried in an overflowing inbox.
6. Links - Give readers a choice of links and topics to follow onto your site and you give them more opportunities to act.
7. Purpose - Is it clear why you’re sending the email? Successful mailings focus on a single topic and provide clear instructions so readers can easily take the next step.

No question, the ideal time to put these best practices into play is when you send out your first newsletter. That way you’re training your readers to expect something of value from you. If you’ve already made a few mistakes, make the switch now to a newsletter that consistently and clearly serves your customers interests.

Are you staying in touch with your customers? Believe me, they notice if the only contact you initiate is an invoice.

With an email newsletter, you can seize the opportunity to keep your name top of mind — in an easy, affordable and customer-friendly way.

My favorite benefits of regularly scheduled email newsletters:

1. Increase sales to existing customers
Your email list is a gold mine, loaded with folks who already know and trust you. So why spend 5 times more to attract a new customer?

2. Get the word out — fast
It’s simple to announce new pricing, products and services before your competitors know what hit them. Introduce promotions, respond to changes in the market and drive people to your website lickety-split.

3. Be well remembered
Studies show the main reason customers run off is because they feel ignored. So don’t leave the door open for your competitors by being inattentive. You can show buyers that you value and appreciate their business by staying in touch with a monthly email newsletter.

4. Eliminate  printing and mailing costs
No paper, no ink, no postage. And no waste. Email marketing is not only friendly to the budget, it’s a green, resource-saving way to go.

5. Become the go-to resource
A newsletter helps you serve your customers better, by providing them with useful information. Answer frequently asked questions, offer tips, present relevant industry news. In every case you’re building stronger customer relationships while you demonstrate your capabilities. A great venue for introducing members of your staff, your newsletter can highlight their special areas of expertise, which creates  warmer connections with readers and stimulates inquiries for new business.

6. Guide a stream of qualified traffic to your website
Your email newsletter gives readers a chance to follow their interests. Entice them to learn more about their choice of topics and offers by providing links to multiple points of entry on your site.

7. Get immediate and measurable feedback
Unlike most forms of promotion or advertising, an email newsletter gives you very direct response tracking – and in real time. Every time you mail an issue it generates a report that is constantly updated. You’ll see immediately who received and opened the message and what links they followed for more information.

To wrap it up with a pretty red ribbon, an email newsletter is an agile, cost-effective tool for hanging onto existing customers and increasing sales. Plus, when you add a signup box on your website, you can begin the conversation with new potential buyers as well.

Hats off to companies serious about making good products, but not to the point of taking themselves too seriously.

A perfect example is Big Ass Fans, a Kentucky-based producer of … you guessed it … enormous industrial ceiling fans.

Led by a donkey mascot named Fanny, the company’s marketing is loaded with playful puns and silly imagery. But don’t worry, the light-hearted approach doesn’t diminish their credibility one bit. Just the opposite — in 2008, Inc. Magazine ranked the company as Kentucky’s fastest growing manufacturing company and one of the country’s 5,000 fastest growing firms.

Web 2.0 builds trust

The company is clearly committed to interacting with prospects and customers on its website. Visitors have posted more than 70 pages of unedited “kudos and complaints” there. They cover everything from product questions to stories about where people first spotted the fans. And a company representative responds, clearing up questions, directing people to customer service and thanking supporters.

Besides lots of product and installation information, the engaging site also features an “ask the expert” email form, FAQs, customer case studies, photos of employees’ pranks and a page that outlines the firm’s charitable efforts. This wealth of content has obvious SEO benefits, but it also adds up to a warm and fuzzy feeling. Check out a few pages, and you feel like you know who these Big Ass people are.  They care about their customers and their community. They’re people you can trust.

Marketing with personality gets remembered

Even though the company’s cheeky name and persona may offend those with the most delicate sensibilities, Big Ass Fans speaks out loud and clear to the facilities managers and construction professionals who are their best prospects. And plenty of folks who will never buy a fan are on board anyway, helping promote the company by wearing the branded t-shirts and baseball caps. No doubt about it, once you’ve heard of Big Ass Fans you’ll be one.

So take a page from the Big Ass marketing playbook. Stick your neck out now and then. Make the effort to truly connect with your customers. A memorable brand personality and authentic communication pays off.

Here’s a bright spot, brought to you by my fortune cookie from lunch yesterday:  “The simplest answer is to act.”

I have to congratulate the writer, because the statement is brilliant in its clarity.

Do nothing… and you can expect nothing.

On the other hand, take a step toward your goals and whatever the outcome, you still make progress. Either you learn and adjust your course or you gain ground. Whew, I needed that!

I walked out of the electronics store fuming. Why did the salesperson think he could bulldoze me into buying five enormous TVs? Not a specific one. He was selling me all five and hoping I’d pick one.

Instead of the generic hard sell, what if he had bothered to walk me through a checklist that narrowed my choices? Or asked me a few questions and created a customized list of the best options for my space, budget and viewing habits? Really… what if he had helped? I would have felt served instead of pressured and might have bought.

“I’m the decider.”

You can bet I’m not the only one who wants to make my own buying decisions. Ever notice that if you push someone to buy they resist? But if you help someone understand your product and how to apply it to their situation, you’ve gone a long way toward establishing credibility and trust.

So, how to create and maintain a respectful interaction with our customers? How about information marketing… When you provide answers to questions, guidelines for choosing or directions for using, people naturally think of you when they’re ready to buy.

You can offer that help on your website or blog, through webinars or podcasts. Or check out designer Chuck Green’s ideas on how to give your customers the information they’re looking for. You’ll sell more and look like a hero to boot.