|
| Thursday, April 26, 2007 |
| What is Marketing Management? |
In his book, The Practice of Management, Peter Drucker wrote that "Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two--and only two--basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business."
If marketing is the distinguishing function of the business, then what is marketing and how is it achieved?
1. "...an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders."
2. Human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes".Philip Kotler
3. "...the ongoing process of moving people closer to making a decision to purchase, use, follow, refer, upload, download, obey, reject, conform, become complacent to someone else's products, services or values. Simply, if it doesn't facilitate a "sale" then it's not marketing."[4]
4. "...the thing process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably" Chartered Institute of Marketing
Take these definitions collectively and a comprehensive definition of marketing, applicable to both business and non-business environments, emerges:
Processes, functions, exchanges or activities – that create perceived value by satisfying needs of those involved in the transaction. These processes succeed in moving people closer to making a decision to purchase and facilitate a "sale." Afterwards, these processes anticipate, identify and satisfy customer requirements profitably and successfully manage existing relationships.
Marketing, as suggested by the American Marketing Association, is "an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders".[1] Another definition, perhaps simpler and more universal, is this: "Marketing is the ongoing process of moving people closer to making a decision to purchase, use, follow...or conform to someone else's products, services or values. Simply, if it doesn't facilitate a "sale" then it's not marketing."[2] Philip Kotler in his earlier books defines as: "Marketing is human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes". Add to Kotler's and Norris' definitions, a response from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) [3]. The association's definition claims marketing to be the "management process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably". Thus, operative marketing involves the processes of market research, new product development, product life cycle management, pricing, channel management as well as promotion. Marketing-"taking actions to define, create, grow, develop, maintain, defend and own markets". An approach to business that seeks to identify, anticipate and satisfy customers needs. Al Ries and Jack Trout defined marketing as simply "war" between competitors, however this is clearly absurd - 'Ali v Frazier' is not marketing...however the publicity and hyping of the event for commercial purposes is.
"this is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to satisfy customers." Nick Jones, The Concepts of Business
More Information:
www.en.wikipedia.org
Read more!
|
posted by proletar @ 8:54 AM  |
|
|
|
|
| How Will You Write Your Marketing Plan? |
As you research different planning methods, you will quickly see there is no single, right way to create and write a marketing plan.
Your own approach will depend largely on your individual situation. MarketingPlanArticles.com is here to help you decide which approach to take. The site is filled with articles addressing different marketing planning steps, techniques, and considerations.....
Ways to Learn Marketing Planning
The ways to learn about marketing planning are numerous. Marketing plan software will write a marketing plan and build charts/graphs for you as you fill in data and other text related to your business. You can also complete a marketing plan using various marketing plan tool kits (note: example in the preceding link is for completing an Internet Marketing Plan) or by reading marketing plan books that will show you step-by-step how to write a marketing plan.
Others like to research the topic, then complete a marketing plan on their own. There is also the option of outsourcing the project to a marketing consultant or agency, who will work with you in writing a business marketing plan. This information-based site includes articles written by a variety of consultants and authors, each with a unique approach and view on marketing planning.
Example Marketing Plans
You can also learn some things about marketing planning by looking at examples. One example of a marketing process is in this sample marketing plan. Also, there are more than 70 different example marketing plans at http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/mplan/samples.
Read more!
|
| posted by proletar @ 8:51 AM |
|
|
|
|
| Marketing - Customer Relationship Management |
One of the ongoing challenges successful businesses face is in optimizing customer satisfaction and developing Customer Relationship Management. So many companies �jump on the bandwagon� of improving customer service in order to impact customer retention levels. Yet, since 1994, customer satisfaction has dropped in nearly every sector of the economy according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index compiled by the University of Michigan. So why is this? Raising customer satisfaction levels requires a comprehensive systems approach.....
Setting a Clear Customer Experience Strategy
Often organisations confuse defining a customer experience strategy with creating a �slogan�. How many companies create a slogan without any supporting initiatives, thereby disillusioning employees and creating a �flavour of the month?�
To establish a good strategy certain key practices are required:
* Understand the overall organisational vision and mission
* Define the organisation�s customer service direction, slogan and values
* Ensure customer service is defined as a key responsibility for the business/department
* Share the customer experience strategy via a comprehensive communications program
* Ensure that this strategy does not conflict with other business strategies. As consultants, it is amazing how often we hear organisations say, �Improving Customer Service is a priority, and we are also introducing stringent cost-cutting measures.� This can present a tough dichotomy.
Selecting the Correct People
It�s really hard to teach an elephant to dance!
When recruiting employees to provide customer service, the process often tends to concentrate more on functional expertise, technical competence and knowledge rather than interpersonal skills. However, lack of the right attitude can drastically impact client satisfaction levels. Research has in fact shown that attitude is the most important requirement: skills and functional expertise can be taught.
Therefore in selecting the right people:
* Define the critical job requirements
* Develop scenario-based interviews/assessment centres to screen and select candidates
* Involve multiple team members in the hiring process
* Ensure evaluation is based on objective, not the subjective �Be Like Me� criteria
In part two of this article, we will look at the remaining four key principles of making the transition from a customer service culture to customer relationship management.
More Information:
www.teamtechnology.co.uk
Read more!
|
| posted by proletar @ 8:46 AM |
|
|
|
|
| 7 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Online Marketing Presence |
Increasingly, online marketing is a crucial part of any marketing plan. Executing the programs in your plan, however, is just as critical. For many, finding the time is difficult. To make progress, you must set time aside each day (or other regular time period) for marketing online. To that end, take a moment right now to block out time for online marketing over the next six months, beginning today.
Use that time today and over the next six months to execute Internet- based programs in your plan. No plan yet? No problem. You will, of course, want to finish your marketing plan so you can refine your activities, but you can begin improving your online presence today by doing one or more of the following ideas:
Volunteer for Online Interviews
Podcasts, Webcasts, blogs, RSS feeds and newsletters (ezines) are all venues for online interviews or discussions. You'll want to approach publishers who regularly conduct interviews with guests of your caliber, so finding opportunities will take some research. Do this by searching general search engines (such as google.com) or directories. Some directories to get you started: podcast.net (podcasts), ezinehub.com (ezines), sydic8.com (RSS feeds/blogs)
Identify 10 Bloggers in Your Category
Then send them your product as a gift. The idea is to expose your product to influencers in your category by giving them an opportunity to try it free. If they like it, they may give it a mention in their blogs. Note that this is a subtle online marketing technique. The idea is NOT to advertise to them, ask a favor of them or ask them to blog about the product. Choosing to mention (or not mention) your product should be solely up to them.
You can find and read blogs by searching blogging directories such as technorati.com.
Join an Online Network
Online social networks allow you to set up a profile page and interact with others who have your same professional interests. Each caters to a different type of audience, and there are do's and don'ts, so you'll want to read about a network before joining, read some of the profiles and learn a particular site's rules before plunging in. Some networks to explore: linkedin.com, ryze.com, myspace.com, orkut.com, friendster.com, tribe.net
Draft a Press Release
First and foremost, the release must be something newsworthy to the media (if you need ideas, read the article here: http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/pr/NewsAngle.htm). Also, be sure to include a link to your Website or blog in the press release. Finally, distribute the release through an online press release service such as PRWeb.com.
Begin Surveying Your Website Visitors
Surveys can help you identify opportunities for improvement. Since online attention spans are very short, try asking a single two-part question such as Fred Reichhold's Ultimate Question: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend __________." Fill in the blank with your Website name (or other relevant product). To those who reply with a 6 or lower, ask why not. Most likely you will see a pattern in the comments that will point to ways of improving your Website. There are software packages to help you set up an online survey. Also, surveymonkey.com is a popular Web interface for producing online surveys.
Put Your Product's or Company's Creation Story Online
Or work on conveying one or more of Patrick Hanlon's 7 Primal Branding pieces online -- creed, icons, rituals, sacred words, nonbelievers and leaders. According to Hanlon, these seven pieces form belief systems that inherently attract people who want to believe in a product. Those people form the communities that surround successful products and services.
Study Your 5 Closest Competitors' Websites and Online Marketing Activities
Aside from gaining a better understanding of trends in your industry, you will also gain new insights into promotional strategies and tactics for your own business. As you research, brainstorm a list of ideas and use that list to plan a new online strategy or tactic for your own business.
There you have it - seven ideas for improving your online marketing presence. Choose one and get started today!
About the Author
Bobette Kyle draws upon 15+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, online marketing experience, and a marketing MBA as inspiration for her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network (http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com). She is also author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business." You can search all articles on the network through the marketing directory by going here: http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/directory
Read more!
|
| posted by proletar @ 8:40 AM |
|
|
|
|
| Marketing Strategy - Antidote for Uncertainty |
Eighteen months ago when the economy was sailing, companies didn’t have the time or inclination to market their products. “Business is so good right now we couldn’t handle another order,” said some business folks.
That was then -- this is now. “Market our products and services? You’ve got to be kidding me. We ’re in a recession... money is tight.”
Today with not only a weakened economy but heightened levels of economic and political uncertainty, we’re faced both professionally and personally with the uncomfortable choice of “doing nothing” or doing something that could be judged a poor decision down the road......
Uncertainty Eased
History can help ease our uncertainty as private citizens and business professionals. You see, as a country we’ve survived nearly a dozen wars (some even fought on our soil) and twenty-eight economic downturns during our short history. And we’ve continued to grow and thrive as a nation envied by most of the world. Chances are excellent that trend will continue.
Yet professionals and academics debate the validity of designing strategies when there is so much uncertainty. Mosaic believes that a solid marketing strategy (built on assumedly attainable business goals and the latest market information) as well as consistently executed marketing activities not only add to the strength of our businesses over time, but also help ease our uncertainty as employees, business owners, and managers during troubling times. Marketing strategies help:
Keep you focused -- Marketing strategy is all about understanding and leveraging the core competencies and skills of an organization in the marketplace in ways that can’t be easily duplicated by competitors. During economic expansion periods, companies are tempted to stray from that focus. They more easily follow short-lived trends, move away from their strengths, and enter markets without competitive advantages –- just to “make a buck” (no matter how short-term or truly unprofitable those "bucks").
Define your company -- Given the core competencies, the competitive landscape, and end-user needs a thorough marketing strategy helps define a meaningful, unique positioning for an organization, product, or service. This positioning is the basis for effective, long-term branding activities (see last quarter’s newsletter) and business building activities.
Provide a sense of purpose -- A clear marketing strategy gives the organization a long-term sense of purpose and direction that acts to encourage employees and instill confidence with current and potential customers.
Provide guidance for budget trimming -- If the organization’s end goal is obvious through a clear and effective marketing strategy then any necessary spending cuts should be made first in areas that have the least impact on that vision.
Prepare you for the upturn -- By consistently and cost-effectively keeping a company’s product’s or service’s name in front of its defined target audience(s) a marketing strategy will result in top-of-mind awareness when the market is ready to buy again. And we all know it will!
When Are We Ever “Certain?”
So, let ’s be honest. Isn ’t there always uncertainty in the marketplace? Can’t one always find a good excuse not to put together a solid marketing strategy? Surely one can find a variety of reasons not to market their products and services at any given time (too much business/too little business).
The challenge for us as intelligent business people is to have the foresight and courage to manage our companies through the current period of uncertainty by making the best decisions we can with what we know. Then we’ll be poised for the next economic recovery -- and beyond! A solid marketing strategy -- with consistently executed, strategically targeted tactics -- can be invaluable in this effort. Let’s stop making excuses and start building for our future!
-- by Rosemary Walter
More Information:
www.mosaicmm.com
Read more!
|
| posted by proletar @ 8:37 AM |
|
|
|
|
| Pricing Strategies in Marketing |
Price is an often overlooked marketing strategy, as many tend to focus on promotions or advertising. Pricing strategies, however, can have a large impact on sales and (more importantly) profit.
For clarification purposes, I am defining price as what your customer pays and/or what the end consumer pays for a product or service. In the case of products not sold directly to the end user, pricing is often described as “wholesale” and “retail.” When the distribution channel is long (such as when there is a manufacturer, broker/distributor, retailer, and end consumer), multiple mark-ups can occur between the wholesale and the retail price.....
Your optimal pricing strategy will depend on more than your costs. Forces within your business environment such as your competitors, your suppliers, the availability of substitute products, and your customers come into play as well. Positioning (how you want to be perceived by your target audience) is also a consideration.
Pricing Strategies
There are a variety of pricing strategies in existence. Each strategy is used in a different set of circumstances. Some of the things to consider when choosing the best strategy for your situation are your costs; both short term and long term sales and profit goals; competitors’ activities; and customer lifetime value. While there are others, a few of the more popular pricing strategies to consider are:
Cost plus mark-up. Here, you decide the profit you need to make before setting the price. Figure out your costs and your selling price is simply your costs plus your pre-determined profit number. This approach helps keep your profitability top-of-mind, but may also result in prices that are out-of-line with customer expectations and worth of your product or service.
Competitive pricing. When competitive pricing, you look at the prices different competitors are charging and use those prices as a benchmark when pricing your own products. You and your competitors’ positioning strategies will determine whether you price at par, slightly below, or slightly above the competition.
Price skimming. This technique is used when you offer a unique or scarce product with few or no substitutes. The price is set high, resulting in high margins for the seller. Buyers are those that are willing to pay the price because of the product’s prestige and/or uniqueness. In the case of a scarce but necessary product, customers pay the price because they have no choice. Often, price skimming is a short-term strategy as competitors enter with their own products, bringing prices down. In the case of scarce products, either the need passes (salt during an ice storm, for example) or the shortage is temporary. Before considering this technique, be aware that if your customers feel you have taken advantage of them, you will be building “bad will” for your business and undermining the trust customers have in your products or services.
Penetration pricing. This is the opposite of price skimming. Prices are set low in an effort to gain large market share. Because the penetration price does not cover costs, this is also a temporary strategy. For this strategy to be profitable, customers must be willing to pay your normal, higher price later on.
Loss leader. Here, you price one or more products below cost to attract customers. You hope that those customers will purchase other profitable products from you. This strategy is often implemented as part of a short-term promotion.
Close out. This is a tactical move to clear slow-moving or excess products out of inventory. You sell the inventory at a steep discount to avoid storing or discarding the product. End-of season merchandise, perishables that are about to expire, and prior software versions or book printings are examples of eligible closeout items.
Multiple unit pricing. Also called quantity discount. The customer gets a lower price for purchasing multiple units or large quantities.
Membership or trade discounting. Here, some customers (those that you know are heavy or frequent purchasers) are given an elite status, which gives them the privilege of a price discount on their purchases. This elite status can be based on occupation, membership in an organization, subscription status, or some other criteria.
Variable pricing. With a variable pricing strategy, different customers pay different prices. Often, this strategy is used for project work. Each project has unique characteristics so is priced by the job.
Versioning. This is offering similar products with different levels of functionality. Each level is priced differently and includes a different bundle of attributes. Software and Web hosting companies often use this pricing strategy. A trial or very basic version may be offered at low or no cost. Upgraded versions are available at higher costs.
Bundling. Here, several items are sold together at a price less than if they were purchased alone. By bundling a popular item with lesser-known products, you can increase your sales. Additionally, in the case of inventoried items, you may be able to avoid a closeout.
Impact of Internet on Pricing Strategies
Aside from making some pricing strategies more prevalent, the Web has also affected the importance of choosing correct pricing strategies by allowing customers to be better informed and more vocal. In the case of consumer products, the purchaser can go to www.MySimon.com or another price comparison service and in seconds look at a side-by-side price comparison from several online retailers.
There are also numerous forums and discussion boards where members discuss their experience with providers. For example, your customer in Paris can complain or spread praise about you to a potential customer in St. Louis. This means the customer can not only make a better decision before purchasing, but can also better spread the word (both praise and complaints) after the purchase. For these reasons, the Web has made it more important that you remain competitively priced with your competition and maintain sensible pricing practices.
Combined, smart use of both the Internet and available pricing strategies can help boost your company’s bottom line.
About the Author
Bobette Kyle draws upon 15+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, online marketing experience, and a marketing MBA as inspiration for her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network (http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com). She is also author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business." You can search all articles on the network through the marketing directory by going here: http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/directory
Read more!
|
| posted by proletar @ 8:32 AM |
|
|
|
|
| The Seven Deadly Sins of Marketing Management |
The signs of a successful and long-lived relationship with your email readers are high open rates, clickthroughs that convert into actions, low unsubscribe and complaint rates, and active feedback from your readers. Just like maintaining your car’s engine keeps it running nicely, a little TLC for your email list means you’re less likely to find yourself broken down by the roadside.
Sin #1: Failing to test the design of the email in multiple email clients
Every web designer knows that Internet Explorer likes to be different. Well, start mixing IE with email clients, and you’re in for a lot of fun.
To put it bluntly, email clients are bullies, and your design will need all the help it can get to stay clean and shiny when it arrives at the inbox. Clients can automatically disable images, ruin your efforts to align things, and generally ignore any fancy code you’ve included.
Recently, Microsoft delivered the final blow when it announced that Outlook 2007 will use the Word HTML rendering engine. Yes, you heard me right—welcome back to 1998. SitePoint’s Kevin Yank has recounted his experiences with Outlook 2007.
In practice, this means shunning most advanced CSS and HTML, and sticking to more basic designs and tables. Good designers will plan for the graceful degradation of the email’s design by ensuring that widths and alt text are set correctly, and that the email’s structure and key elements continue to communicate your message effectively, even when images are turned off.
There are plenty of resources available to guide designers in the creation of new email templates that are compliant with the current limitations. Mark Wyner writes a great summary of the current conditions of image blocking in email clients, and sets out best practices in dealing with the limitations of these different clients.
When hiring a designer to produce a new email design, choose someone with experience in designing for the email channel. Once created, “Test, test and test again,” should be the mantra of any email designer, to ensure the different key mail clients on all operating systems render the email correctly.
Tools such as Site Vista can make the task of testing new designs easier, but there is no replacement for manual testing.
All manual testing requires is:
* Access to a Windows computer and a Mac (or an Intel Mac running Windows emulation software such as Parallels), and possibly a Linux platform if you have a more technically minded audience.
* Suitable email clients: The web-based ones are mostly free to sign-up for, so create yourself a set of test accounts with Gmail, Yahoo!, AOL, Hotmail, etc. You’ll also need Outlook 2003, Outlook 2007, Outlook Express, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Eudora, and Lotus Notes, a number of which come either with the operating systems or free to download.
* Time and patience.
There is no question that it’s possible to create striking designs for the email medium; it just takes patience and a fair bit of tweaking. The first time, in particular, it’ll take some time to get the design to work across all platforms and clients, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll be a breeze!
Sin #2: Failing to spam-check the email copy before sending
As essential as testing the design of the newsletter, the content of the newsletter should be spam-checked before sending. Any email message you send is scored with a number of points when it is received on a mail server equipped with spam-detection software. The lower a message scores, the better.
So what makes the spam filters twitch? Messages containing unusually high ratios of images or HTML tend to score higher, as images or HTML can often be used to disguise spammy content. The use of capital letters, excessive punctuation (!!!), and certain keywords can also trigger spam filters—words such as free, trial, money, as seen on tv, and so on, so it is essential to test your copy before each send to evaluate how much impact it has on the scoring.
Services such as SpamCheck can be used to quickly score your emails, and can help to guide you towards better word selection.
Sin #3: Putting hurdles in the way of unsubscribing
First off, it’s a legal requirement to have a clearly visible unsubscribe link on any emails sent to an opt-in list: It’s not a maybe, it’s a must-do. But it’s not just about making unsubscription possible, it’s about making it easy.
People change, needs change, and sometimes, a good inbox spring cleaning is the only way to get back on top of things. If users decide to unsubscribe, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re unhappy with your business or what you have to say, so don’t cause them to be bitter because the breakup was difficult. In accordance with the CAN-SPAM regulations, when you receive an unsubscribe request from permission-based mailouts, you’re given ten days to honor it, but it’s good practice to take all unsubscribes into account before you send out your next mailing.
If you’re concerned about losing readership, here are some suggestions:
* Allow them to reduce email volume without unsubscribing completely: “Would you prefer to receive a monthly news digest instead of the weekly newsletter?”
* Offer a change-of-address option: Maybe a reader doesn’t want to receive your newsletter at a business address, but won’t mind reading it in a personal inbox.
* Offer an alternative: If you have a blog or publish your newsletter online, offer them the opportunity to bookmark it or sign up via RSS.
Sin #4: Neglecting to maintain the list’s invalid addresses
The older your list grows, the more regularly you’ll see invalid addresses. Email delivery or email broadcast systems such as eCircle, MailChimp, or Campaign Monitor generally detect soft and hard bounces and will deal with these addresses automatically. (Hard bounces are categorically invalid addresses, such as a closed mailbox, while soft bounces are of the, “Mailbox currently unavailable,” or “Mailbox over size limit” variety) .
However, in some cases, the only way to detect that an account is unused is through the permanent out-of-office messages you’ll receive. They’ll range from, “John Smith is no longer employed by Widgets Inc.,” to, “I’ve moved to a new email address, john@smith.com,” and are common both in personal and business addresses. While neglecting to maintain this list won’t affect your subscribers, for your own good, you should clear out the trash every few months. It’ll allow you to maintain a clearer idea of your active readership and list size, and probably save you some costs in the long term by avoiding sending to dead addresses.
If your customer base is small and the ties with your readers are solid, you might want to consider contacting the owners of invalid addresses by mail with, for example, a postcard asking, “Where have you gone? We miss you!”
If you haven’t sent to your list in a few months and suspect there may be a large number of invalid addresses, you might want to consider trickling your first newsletter over a number of days or weeks. Your recipients’ ISPs might have tight delivery requirements, and could blacklist you for sending to too many invalid addresses. (Derek Harding from ClickZ has more on the topic of blacklisting as a result of bounce rates.)
Sin #5: Becoming complacent
Once you’ve been sending for a few months, you’ll be able to go through the process of creating content, managing data, and sending with your eyes closed and your hands behind your back. Ironically, at that point, it’ll become more important than ever to keep your eyes open and have all hands on deck.
It’s great that you’re finding a comfort zone, but if routine sets in, it’s easy to start rehashing content, turning a blind eye to list management for a few weeks, or not checking stats for any odd list behavior. If you’re not vigilant, it’ll catch up with you at some point.
Most email delivery systems will provide more or less in-depth reporting of the activity around your newsletters, from how many emails were delivered to who forwarded the newsletter to a friend. This allows you to benchmark your latest email against the past ones you’ve sent, and track whether any changes are improving your response rate.
Think of the process as a funnel:
1. Total number addresses in your list
2. Delivered emails
3. Opened emails
4. Clickthroughs to your site
5. Your reader taking action on your site
In each step of the process, some users will drop out. Either the subject line will fail to grab their attention, or they’ll be too busy to click through to your website and make a note to read it later (which, as busy people, we all know never happens).
What looking at your stats might tell you is that a large percentage of your list has clicked through, but few have answered your call to action once on the site. Could it be that the call to action is unclear and users don’t know what to do? Or maybe you’ll discover that a different subject line has piqued your recipients’ interest more than ever before?
There’s an immense caveat that accompanies email marketing stats, and it is that they can be terribly misleading. For example, when sending a multipart message (containing both the HTML and text-only versions—the email client decides whether it is able to display the HTML version), those opening the text version won’t generally be counted as part of your opens. Quite the opposite, mail clients with a preview pane (such as Outlook and Mail.app) will count your message as opened mail, even if it’s only previewed quickly, as long as the images are turned on. For these reasons (and many more), stats should be used to establish trends, rather than as absolute numbers.
The bonus, which I didn’t include in my funnel, is the pass-along activity. This is when someone reads your newsletter and finds it so insightful or funny that the reader chooses to pass it on to a friend. Always make it easy for a friend to subscribe by having a link to the effect of, “Did someone forward this to you? Why not subscribe to the newsletter yourself,” at the bottom of the email. This is an effortless way to grow your list.
Sin #6: Sending content that isn’t relevant to what the user signed up for
I’m now getting into the two biggest no-nos of email marketing. These last two can make or break not only your success in email marketing, but affect your business as a whole.
Users like to know what they sign up for; the frequency, the topics covered, the benefits they’ll get out of it. But first and foremost, they need to be confident that you’ll respect them. They need to know they’ll be able to unsubscribe if they realize they’ve made a mistake and the newsletter is of no interest, and that you won’t go distributing their email address like candy on Halloween night.
Mathew Patterson of CampaignMonitor says it well in an article about permission:
It’s all about setting expectations, so that when that first email arrives, your subscriber is happy, not surprised or angry.
If you feel you are straying from your original topic of discussion—for example, you create a newsletter broadly discussing technology, but find yourself focusing on mobile technology in every newsletter—it might be worth considering starting a new group specifically for the topic. Not only will you show your users you respect the fact that they may not want to hear about mobiles, but you also create a second, more direct point of contact with those who are interested.
Failing to do this is likely to result in rising unsubscribe rates, or worse, getting marked as spam by your recipients—if it’s easier and quicker than unsubscribing, they’ll often take that route. If enough users flag you as spam by, for example, clicking the Report Spam button in Gmail, you’ll find yourself blacklisted from that ISP, which not only means your newsletters may not get through to your recipients, but your colleagues’ emails to anyone with the same ISP may not get through either.
Sin #7: Most importantly, emailing a user without their permission
It doesn’t get any lower and scummier than this. Sending email to people who haven’t subscribed is what has given email marketing a dirty name. “Oh, so you’re a spammer?” is a low shot most email marketers will have heard a few times at least.
The solution is simple: Don’t send to a customer unless they’ve expressed interest.
There are exceptions to this rule. (Aren’t there always?) In a business-to-business context, if you’ve attended an event as an exhibitor and were given the list of all attendees’ email addresses, there is no harm in sending them a one-off email inviting them to join your mailing list or find out about your business. Just remember that it’s a one-off communication, and those who do not respond should not be added to your list without permission. And as far as business-to-consumer is concerned, there should be no reason for you to email users without their permission.
In conclusion
The bottom line is, be passionate. Don’t do a half-assed job: Write great content, manage your list well, and the results you’ll get will be both rewarding and motivating. Relationship management is all about common sense and respect, so take a step back if you’re unsure, and treat customers how you’d like to be treated.
Anything that is created with passion is a form of art, and if you love what you’re doing and believe in it, it’ll show. We’ll be able to read it between the lines of copy you write, sense it from the way you deal with your readership, and it’ll ooze out of the designs you create.
More Information:
www.digitalweb.com
Read more!
|
| posted by proletar @ 8:27 AM |
|
|
|
|
|
