Archive for the ‘Email Marketing’ Category

Twitter Followers and Facebook Fans: A Brand’s Best Friends

Posted by Nicole on March 12th, 2010

A new study detailing the likelihood of referrals and purchases from Facebook fans and Twitter followers has revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly so, that fans and followers are a brand’s best friends.  The study explains that 60% of Facebook fans and a whopping 79% of Twitter followers are more likely to recommend a brand or brands after becoming a fan or follower.  Furthermore 51% of Facebook fans and 67% of Twitter followers are more likely to purchase products or services offered by a brand after becoming a fan or follower.

twitter logoNew meaning to “brand loyalty”

Skeptics of the lasting impact or advantage of a brand maintaining its presence on Facebook or Twitter may insert their feet into their mouths now.  The simple act of clicking “become a fan” or “follow” is likely not the sole reason these brand loyalists are recommending or purchasing from a brand.  Still, the regular interaction with and updates from their brand of choice remain influential in their decisions to recommend or purchase.  In some ways, a person’s news feed is the ultimate location to stage a marketing campaign, as updates are mixed between posts from a user’s friends, subliminally asserting that this brand itself is a friend.  Facebook logo

The end of the email era?

If critics still need convincing, they need only look at the frequency with which Facebook users are logging onto the social network.  The raw numbers of daily log-ins were detailed in a previous post, but they, nonetheless, indicate that almost half of Facebook’s user-verse (universe reference, anyone?) logs in each day, most times more than once, ensuring that an update or promotion is not left unnoticed.  Furthermore, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal announced the “End of the Email Era,” positing Facebook messages had replaced emails, citing a study by Prompt Communications.  In the study, 96% of respondents claimed to use Facebook messages as a means of communication, with only 91% of respondents admitting the same for email.

Just like video killed the radio star, Facebook messages have killed the email.   Armed with the knowledge that radio remains a viable means of mass communication, we know that death is not quite as final as the Buggles suggested.  Nonetheless, as medium replaces medium, the broad encompassing tool of email has been edged out in sheer usage by its cousin, the Facebook message.  The question remains over the qualitative differences between these media, as almost certainly deeper conversations and more information can be exchanged via email than Facebook message.  That being said, it is becoming increasingly clear, given the frequency with which the social network is utilized by everyday people and the inherent loyalty of fans and followers, that social networks are and will remain a crucial arena for marketing campaigns.

Email Marketing Tips

Posted by Steve on May 14th, 2009

In the online world with the growth of Social Media,  continued need for Natural Search and Paid Search, email marketing is becoming the red headed step child of online marketing.  Email Marketing should be considered as much a part of the online marketing family project as any other piece.

In general, Email is one of the easiest and simplest ways to reach out and engage your customer with your brand. According to a recent study by E-marketer “Spending on email marketing by businesses will increase by $16 million  ($472 million in 2008 to $488 million in 2009) this year.” Also, E-markerter reported by 2011 online spending for email campaigns will increase to $677 million. Those are huge increases over the next few years. So the next time you think Email marketing is second to your SEO and SMO efforts, think again. Otherwise, you might be missing out on an easy and cost effective way to reach your customer, that your competitor is doing and taking away business from you.

Email Marketing Tips

  • Always keep your email message simple with 1-2 direct calls to actions to engage the consumer
  • Cut down on the images in the emails (looking pretty doesn’t matter, if no one can see your email)
  • Keep your subject line short and to the point  (According to MailerMailer (2008) “Emails with shorter subject lines out performed emails with long subject lines by a significant margin)


Real Estate 2.0 – The Upside to a Down Market

Posted by Brent on April 29th, 2009

As in all industries, real estate sellers and marketers are seeking more creative and cost effective ways to reach their target audience and make the sale.  The number of people who use the Internet to find their new home grows each year.  According to the Nationa Association of Realtors 2008 Internet Study, 87% of all home buyers now use the Internet in their search process.  But agents and Realtos should not fear this growing statistic…of that 87% who used the Internet, 85% used an real estate agent as opposed to going straight to a builder or home seller.  I don’t forsee the need for real estate agents ever changing significantly, at least not in the near future.

What we do see changing however is the way agents, Realtors, builders, home sellers and new home marketers take these properties to market.  The days of most traditional media outlets are over for now.  Print, radio, and TV are simply not cost effective nor are they measurable.  Builders and sellers out there need to use sales and marketing tactics that are cost effective, targeted, and measurable.  So how are they doing this?  Welcome to the world of Real Estate 2.0.

When we refer to Web 2.0, it essentially means the transformation of the web’s movement from a “read only” platform to a a fully interactive experience where consumers can interact, share information, and buy/sell products and services.  Traditionally, many industries have been reluctant to embrace online media regardless of its proven track record for more measurable ROI…simply because its a new medium.  Over the past two years we have seem a dramtic shift in not only the real estate industry’s understanding of Internet marketing and all its capabilities, but an actual action taken to implement these strategies.

More and more builders and agents are use Internet marketing to replace traditional media.  Everyone is working from a smaller budget and it is essential to track every penny.   The only true way to do this is with well-planned integrated online marketing solutions that are properly managed and backed by extensives testing and analytics.  Here are some of the marketing channels currently being used to more cost effectively to sell new homes:

Search engine optimization:  This is essentially the practice of increasing the quality and volume of traffic to a website through natural search engine rankings.  More agents and builders are realizing the long term importance of investing in SEO strategies to continually improve the quality of lead flow.  SEO is a true investment as it takes time to see tangible results, especially in an industry as competitive as real estate is online.

Paid Search (Pay Per Click Advertising):  PPC is a great tool to drive targeted traffic when organic rankings are not there.  PPC can be a quick way to waste money if it is not planned and managed properly.  The most effective PPC campaigns have a very targeted key word strategy, use effective landing pages to ensure conversions and leads, and are constantly monitored and adjusted.  PPC can also be geo-targetd as well as weekly/daily/hourly targetd to ensure you are hitting the most targeted audience at the highest converting times.

Social Media Marketing:  Here is where it gets interesting.  The real estate industry has slowly moved into the social media space through blogging and other web 2.0 platforms.  Now agents and Realtors as well as builders are actively using social media including blogging, video marketing, Facebook and Twitter strategies, viral contests, etc.  The measurable ROI will still come from the same outcome…website traffic growth, eventual leads, conversions, and sales.

Email marketing:  Email marketing still does often fall under the Internet marketing umbrella and is always an effective way to capture new business and retarget potential customers.  Email marketing has taken over for direct mail as a more powerful, more cost effective, and more GREEN method of reaching out to potential buyers.  Email marketing of course like the other elements being discussed must be executed thoughtfully and compliment the overall marketing message.  Email newsletters must be compelling and have a clear call to action.  Similarly, the landing page that the user is directed to should have the same message and prompt them to act.  In real estate, this usually involves capturing the visitor’s information.

The overall idea of an integrated Internet marketing strategy is to follow these basic steps to ensure true synergy between all offline and online marketing components:

  1. Review and define business goals
  2. Set aside a realistic budget (for Internet marketing to work, you must commit to it)
  3. Choose the most appropriate marketing channels to support your goals (i.e. SEO, PPC, Email, Social, etc.)
  4. Develop a comprehensive plan focused on conversions and meeting business goals
  5. Ensure all offline elements are complimentary to the online elements
  6. Launch campaign
  7. Monitor results
  8. Make continual adjustments to ensure optimal ROI

Related Blogs


Effective Email Newsletter Creation

Posted by Brent on April 29th, 2009

Email is a powerful Internet email marketing tool and a cost-effective approach to communicating with your target audience. It allows you to engage with your customers on a regular basis and to connect with prospective customers who are almost interested in your offerings. Here are a few pointers to increase the likelihood of your email being open, read, and simply avoiding the trash bin.

Before you start, ask yourself:
What is your goal?

What is the message you wish to convey?
•    Deliver only ONE message.
•    Make it clear and concise.
•    The purpose should be detailed in the first paragraph, which keeping sentences short and to the point.

What are you marketing?
•    Include call to action i.e. phone call, link to website.
•    Mention your value proposition over the competitors.

How are you going to connect with your audience to what you are marketing?
•    Personalize your email i.e. include the name of the subscriber in the greeting.
•    Make your content interesting to your reader.
•    Offer tips and advice i.e. ‘How Tos’.
•    Make it interactive i.e. include a relevant video or a poll.

The Subject Line
A subject line is your headliner. Therefore it needs to capture the attention of your audience. Your subject line should connect with your audience on an intimate level. Ensure that the subject line is useful, relevant and informative to the message you are conveying in your email. This will increase the likelihood of your email being read.

The Content
Establish a tone, write with a friendly voice and avoid sounding like a sales person. Your email content should be direct and informative containing pertinent information about your message. Be sure to include your full contact information.

The paragraphs should contain no more than 3 sentences. If you are trying to convey something in more detail, include a link to your website for more details.

If you have case studies or testimonials, share it in your email. Utilizing customer feedback and experiences can entice your audience to want to relate. Additionally, it is a trust factor and builds confidence in your brand as if a best friend told them so.

The Visuals
The graphics and images used in an email should be used sparingly but effectively. For quick download, all visuals should be optimized. They should be relevant and give an illustration about your message. If your company has earned trust logos, be sure to add to these trust logos to your newsletter footer.<–>


The Furture of Online Communication, and Marketing

Posted by Brent on April 21st, 2009

Is social network communication outpacing email as the leading form of direct online communication?  Not yet, but it could.  Email has long since been the primary form of regular commnication between individuals and businesses, but as the popularity of social networks like FaceBook, Twitter, Yammer, etc. grow people and companies are offered alternative online forms of communication. 

It is doubtful that social media will replace email as the lead form of communication any time soon because email has too many advantages for business related and personal purposes.  The downside to social communication is that it lacks privacy.  There are business related online social communication tools such as Yammer where companies can perform all internal communication.  Like email, this give the ability to track all communication.  The problem is that it is only internal.  Email has too many advantages to be replace by social communication, especially for business.

Where does this leave email marketing?  In the same way, businesses still prefer email as the best for of internal and external communication.  Email marketing is still one of the fastest growing forms of media and people are starting to use it more effectively with better templates and landing pages to increase conversions.  From a marketing perspective email is very powerful especially from a B2B marketing angle.

Social media marketing however, is growing like wildfire and has many different components.  Social media can leverage many different channels and platforms and has the advantage of complete creativity and scalability.  The one element that may begin to outpace both email and social media is mobile marketing.  Naturally, with the popularity of the iPhone and 3G/4G networks, Internet marketing can lebverage all aspects of mobile communication. 

We’ll see how all this develops!

Related Blogs

Email Marketing Strategies

Posted by Steve on March 22nd, 2009

Email marketing is one of the fastest growing marketing channels out there.  As more and more companies move away from print media and direct mail, more companies are enhancing their email marketing capabilities to target new and repeat customers.

3 Myths about HTML Email Programming

Myth #1

  • I can design and code an email the same way I do for a web page

Truth

  • Emails need to be written in the simplest HTML code as possible
  • Minimum use of CSS style sheets should be considered in HTML coding of emails

Myth #2

  • All email browsers render emails the same

Truth

  • Email browsers such as Yahoo, MSN, Google all render emails differently
  • Google Gmail does not support HTML Body background color elements
  • Outlook 2007 does not support HTMl CSS background table colors

Myth #3

  • Programming and deploying all image based emails will not hurt your email marketing campaign

Truth

  • All image based emails are not a good email marketing strategy
  • All image based emails generally have lower open rates, because most email service providers block from showing the images to the end user
  • With the advancement of  web and email server spam software, there are a lot servers out there that block end users from getting image based emails all together

Valentine’s Day 2.0

Posted by Yashar on February 14th, 2009

Valentine’s Day is upon us.  Everywhere you look, in your favorite TV shows, magazines, newspapers ads, movies, friends, co-workers, and yes, even social networks, the unmistakeable presence of Valentine’s Day can be seen and felt everywhere.  Fifteen or more years ago, Valentine’s Day did not really have a presence online, unless you were an uber-geek.  Nowadays, the love connection is all around us from websites catering to those seeking love, romance, a date, and yes, even a wedding.  People seek it, companies advertise it.  So how has social networking been affected by it?  If you have a facebook account, or MySpace, or any other social networking site, you can see it clearly on forums, banner ads, and by the daily postings from users and to one another.

Companies who want to become successful in the “love” bandwagon that is going on online, need to have a solid understanding what works, and how it ought to be executed.  Doing a simple email marketing campaign is not enough anymore.  People have setup countless filters to counteract the messages that companies are attempting to send out.  They view and treat these “spam” emails just like any other snail mail spam – it goes straight into the trash bin, both virtual, and physical.  If however, a person receives an email from a loved one, or a friend, or something so compelling to draw them to view the message, then you have success, and the ROI as a result will be much greater.  At OMS 09, they discussed among other things how email marketing as we know it is becoming extinct.  The results yielded are not as great as in the infant days of the Internet.  Netflix is a great example of how email marketing ought to work.  They send out emails to their members for specials, and every time someone rents a move from their online database.  The customers already have a vested interest in the messages from Netflix, and as a result, the email marketing done allows Netflix to further promote their services.

However, email marketing is not the only avenue for promoting.  Social networks are another great tool to use to get the message out.  Say you are an online flowershop, and you want to push an awareness campaign as well as receive more orders, the what you need to do is to cater to the needs of people.  The company creates a group within facebook, how to romance the lady (or gent) of their fancy, how to be romantic in different settings, where to travel, where to dine – all for free.  The money will be made from people who choose to use the company’s services.  Companies wanting to succeed in viral marketing and web 2.0, must adapt to its model.  Provide free information, tips, how to’s, and make money from the orders taken related to your product or services.  Until then, have a great Valentine’s Day with your friends, family, and loved ones.

The New Direct Mail – Email Marketing

Posted by Brent on February 13th, 2009

Email marketing is a form of direct mailing using electronic mail as a means to communicate information or offerings to a specific audience (Wikipedia).  Generally used in the following ways:

  • Sending emails to current or potential customers to enhance the relationship, keep them informed, notify them of certain offerings (events, products, services, etc.)
  • Sending information for the purpose of acquiring new customers or convincing current customers to purchase something

In 2006, US based firms spent approximately $400 million on email marketing.  The number has increased significantly since and email marketing is becoming one of the most popular interactive sales and marketing tools.

What are the advantages of email marketing as an integration of the overall Internet marketing campaign:

  • Reaching a broad audience at relatively low cost
  • Less expensive than direct mail or printed newsletters (also think GREEN)
  • Exact ROI can be tracked
  • Short delivery time
  • Detailed analytics
  • Used to effectively generate repeat business and retarget customers
  • Over half of Internet users check or send email on any given day
  • Automated email communication is very effective to generate repeat site visits
  • Again, think GREEN

According to data from Marketing Sherpa, in 2009, 29% of B2B marketers plan to increase spending for email marketing.  The companies that use email marketing responsibly throughout the recession will be the ones that use creativity, personalization, segmentation, testing, and pristine list management.  Keep all this in mind and budget accordingly for 2009!


Internet Marketing Inc- Email Marketing

Posted by Brandon on February 11th, 2009


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