Archive for 2009

Kill it with Your Email Marketing Rather than be Killed

By Meredith Kernaghan

How many times have you opened your email only to find message after message from companies wanting your attention? How often do you bother reading each of those messages? My guess, if you’re anything like me, is rarely. We must consider our reader when sending out emails promoting our product. If we fine tune not only our message, but our delivery, we can achieve greater success at reaching our audience.

Consider how many mass emails one person gets in a day. It makes sense that the more messages a person receives, the less attention each individual message will get. If you want to promote your product, you must find a way to stand out among the crowd. Convention wisdom states that if you were louder and show more often, you’re more likely to be heard. When it comes to email marketing this type of thinking will only annoy your reader and encourage him to delete you without a second thought.

There are many things to consider when using email as a marketing tool. The first is to ensure your copy is well-written and compelling. Grammar and spelling are of course vital, because no business can be taken seriously if their message is riddled with errors. Then you must make your message interesting! There is nothing worse than a boring message. Readers will be more engaged by a great email containing wit and humor than boring ramblings.

In order to keep your reader’s attention, avoid sending long emails. Keep your message concise and get to your point quickly. Avoid putting too much information into your message as you’ll just confuse the issue. A single task for each message is best because if you ask too much of your reader’s attention, you’re more likely to lose their interest altogether.

Avoid bombarding readers with too many emails. Frequent email messages are akin to those small, yappy dogs constantly jumping up and down desperately vying for your attention.

As more people are turning to online marketing the most effective way to reach your audience is to make it easy and enjoyable for your reader. Respect your readers and their time and you’re more likely to see positive results.

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Marketing Doesn’t Work

By Erin Robinson

Often times a marketing tactic won’t bring in the results you, the business owner, are expecting. Why is this? Guessing…trying tactics without actually knowing why. Or buying ads because someone walks through your door and sells it to you… Maybe you’ll get lucky, but did you really build your company on luck?

The basis for all marketing starts with a simple question, “Who is your ideal client?” It sounds pretty basic, however, it is the root in which all of your marketing stems from. Let me ask you this… Have you interviewed your clients or potential clients? Are you thinking about you and your business, or about them? Are you truly inside their head?

Let’s take a look at the bigger picture. What are your clients paying attention to? What are they reading, watching and doing? How are you attracting them? Is it price, service, quality and selection? If that’s what you think, then chances are you’re saying the same things that your competitors are. Nowadays more then ever you need to truly find what makes your business different and appealing.

This is what effective marketing is all about. It takes knowing who your audience is, appealing to their emotions with the right message, and utilizing the right media outlet at the right time. It’s a science my friend, and not a game of chance.

Research, research and research: Without research, how will you truly know what gives your business the competitive edge? Or what the most effective marketing message is? Or what the best marketing mix is to reach your audience? The last thing you want to do is spend money on a print ad or a television spot and cross your fingers in hopes that it will work. Do your research to ensure that the tactics you choose will work for you.

Make it about them… and it will come back to you: Does this sound like your brochure: “Our business was founded on such and such date, and we’re so excited about this because we we we….”? The best way to grab your audience’s attention is to make your message about them and their problem. Address the reader and then tie in how your product or service will benefit them. Ask them a question, pique their interest and then offer your company as the solution.

Look at the big picture: All business owners are guilty of having tunnel vision. You can’t help it… your company is your passion (hopefully) and it’s hard to step outside of it to look at it from a different perspective. Ask for the opinions of your family, friends, employees, or even your neighbor. They may see something that you don’t see because you’re engulfed in every detail of your business.

Marketing works, and it works well when you have a plan. Marketing takes thought, time, planning and expertise… And when done correctly, man is it sweet!

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