From our Email Marketing 101 series

Part 1: Is Email Marketing For Me?

The Rise of Email Marketing

There was a time when direct mail was the primary method used to communicate with customers and prospective customers. Then, with a tide wave of possibilities, came the internet, web pages, and email. From there it was a natural hop, skip, and jump to the marvelous world of email marketing. Unsurprising, now direct mail is used sporadically and email marketing is considerably more popular.

Email marketing has several key benefits that make it an ideal mass marketing method. Not only is email marketing easier to implement, but is significantly more cost effective; content or design can be changed quickly; and finally the message will be delivered at the exact time you specify, ideal for any marketing program.

What Do You Need To Start?

The most important thing you need to start an email marketing program is a list of people to email. Sounds kind of obvious doesn’t it? But don’t worry if you don’t have a list yet, start the initiate to build an email list while concurrently planning an email program.  That way once you have people subscribing to your email list, you will be closer to launching a full scale email program.

Do Not Aim For Perfection:

You do not need to have hundreds of names in your marketing list in order to start sending emails. Nor do you need to invest in a costly email service or software.  Do not feel compelled to launch a perfect campaign, or you may never start.

When looking for names to add to your email list, start with your current customers. Then look at any customers that have not purchased from your company in several months. Or people that expressed interest in your company but never made a purchase. By examining your internal resources, you may find that already have a list to begin with.

When you have a list, check it twice. Throw out any names that you have not done business with. It is the responsibility of each business to ensure that each email address on their list is vetted. Sending unsolicited emails to non-customers is strictly frowned upon by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under their CAN-SPAM Act.

Follow The Federal CAN-SPAM Act

But regardless of the marketing campaign or list, be sure to follow the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) CAN-SPAM Act. This is Federal Law and you are required to adhere to it. You may view the full details of the CAN-SPAM Act by visiting the FTC website at http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business (link will open FTC.gov page in new window).

The CAN-SPAM Act is designed to protect consumers by imposing criterion that all businesses are required to follow. As a business you are not allowed to send email communications to a recipient unless they are specifically requested it.  (We will cover building an email list in the next article.)

Additionally, most email services also follow the CAN-SPAM Act and they ensure that their users are sending solicited emails. If they see that your emails are frequently marked as SPAM, then they could revoke your account privileges. And some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) could mark your domain as a frequent SPAMer and add your email domain to their black list.

Now you have an understanding of what you need to incorporate email marketing into your marketing plan. In the next part of our email marketing series we will review methods to help you build a marketing list.

In a recent study release by the ticketing start-up company Eventbrite, the company found higher returns when a user shares that they plan to attend an event on their wall. Eventbrite nets an additional $2.52 in sales, compared to 0.43 cents from Twitter, .90 cents from LinkedIn, and $2.43 from an event shared on e-mail through its “e-mail friends” feature.

“We wanted to measure the transactional value of a share,” said Julia Hartz, company co-founder, adding that in 2010 Eventbrite sold $200 million in tickets, double the amount in 2009. Eighty employees hunched over computers in a loft area created a comforting keyboard clack as inside a glass walled conference room marketing director Tamara Mendelsohn explained that while “social commerce” is not a new behavior, it is a new channel for e-commerce. “The social network drives real measurable transactions,” Ms. Mendelsohn said.

Full Article Here

If you haven’t seen the commercials yet, AT&T is sponsoring the Conan O’Brien “blimp moments” with a bright orange blimp floating over baseball games. Although a bright, florescent orange blimp is draws your attention, the one thing that is missing is the AT&T logo on the side. In fact, I have seen this commercial several times, and was completly unaware it was an AT%T sponsored commercial. But the color does match the color of Conan O’Brien’s hair, so it had the potential of being a well placed sponsorship. AT&T promotes Conan O’Brien launch

Having a social media account is a standard part of your online marketing plan, but many times the url for your social media page is long and difficult to fit on a business card. But here is a solution to shorten your social media urls, to one that is easy use on your business cards or tell to a customer is passing.

In case you did not know, the only way to get a short url for your Facebook Fan page is to have 25 “like”ers, and even then your url will be www.facbook.com/yourfanpageusername. For the unfortunate folk that do not have atleast 25 “like”ers, well then your stuck with a url so long that the thought of typing it is tiring (try including that on a business card or telling it to client/customer in passing).

Or worst case scenario- Facebook, Twitter, or another social media site, decides to change their url structure. Say bye bye your nice url. And now all those business cards you printed are useless, unless you want to scratch off on the wrong url and write in the correct one. I can almost guarantee that this will look awful.

Here is the step around solution I thought of one day. Drum roll please. Add a specific subdomain to your company domain, and have it forward directly to your Facebook or Twitter (or other) page/profile. TA-DA!

Here is my company’s url to give you an idea:

Our facebook.ashamarketing.com goes to http://www.facebook.com.ashamarketinglongusername (like us so that we can shorten it, and we will like you right back…just kidding…mostly)

And our www.twitter.ashamarketing.com goes to http://www.twitter.com/ashamarketing (no wonder twitter is so popular- easy usernames)

So simple, I am surprised I haven’t thought of it before. Plus if you have to tell a client/customer in passing, it is much easier to remember. And this is so simple that you can probably do it by accessing your hosting account or contacting them directly.

Tell us what you think about this idea!

The first step many companies take in their online marketing plans is to create an attractive website that draws visitors and effectively promotes their products or services.  Then once the website is live, companies tie additional online marketing efforts back to their company website.  A company website plays the critical role of being the center of a company’s online marketing universe.  But how do companies develop a website?  This is a question that many business owners ask themselves. Business owners understand that they need to design a website to promote their business, but they sometimes do not understand what to do to build it.  This is what we will examine here.

Plan For Success: Set Realistic Goals and Budgets

Before we tackle the nitty gritty of what to put on a website, we will need to review how to build a website.  And there are many options and software programs available to any business owner to create an attractive and effective website.  When Asha Marketing develops a website, we start the process by asking our client several questions to explore their goals for a company website.

Here are some questions that will help you roadmap your website development process:

1. What message do you want your website to convey?
Do you want to promote your company, product, services, store, and etc.? Do you want to sell products online? Do you want to have a formal or informal tone?

2. Will you hire someone externally or internally to do complete the site?
Deciding who will design your website will help you determine the amount of resources it will take to complete your site.  These resources will be both physical and fiscal resources that your company will commit to for the duration of the web development process.  We will discuss these resources later and in more detail.

3. How much will you spend for your website, including staff, consultant, software, hosting service, and maintenance?
This is the budget for your website, inclusive of all the costs that are associated with web development. Some of these costs will go to pay for your web designer, graphic artists, hosting service, software and licenses, and/or internal web staff.  If you decide to go with an external designer, be sure to get detailed fiscal report and if possible include the fee for maintenance.

4. How often do you want to update the website’s content?
Discussing this with your web designer from the start of the project will help the designer find a solution that fits best for your needs.  Site maintenance may not be a concern when you being the project, but may become an issue several months later when you need to update a product description or image.  If you work with an external web design firm, then you can ask them if they can either design a system that will enable you to update your website, or find out their fee for web maintenance. Web maintenance can end up costing more than the actual design of the website because it is a long term commitment, so pin pointing a solution from the start may end up saving your some money later on.

5. What additional features or capabilities should the website have?
Answering this question means thinking beyond the traditional website functions, and exploring what additional features you want to incorporate into the website.  Do you plan to have webinars or videos of your product or service? Or incorporate social media sites feeds? Perhaps a blog? A special promotions section?  A place to collect email addresses or for prospects to get quotes?  At Asha Marketing we look at competitor websites to benchmark pro and cons, and research additional features the client’s site should integrate. We do not advocate copying a competitor site, but this research aids our clients in understanding industry best practices.

Answering these questions facilitates a discussion and brainstorming on company goals and plans for their website.  It is easy to see that developing a website requires a business owner to commit valuable resources such as, time, money, and people to create and maintain a website; so it is essential that resources and capabilities are assessed accurately.

Should I Hire Someone or Can I Do It Myself
Companies have the option of either using an internal web designer or hiring a web designer to develop their company website.  Choosing one over the other will be determined by your preference because there are pro and cons to both options.  A web designer can be hired at various budgets, and results will vary based on the designer’s expertise and your budget.  But if you have someone in-house that can develop your website, this would save you the fee of an external designer and allow for easier maintenance. Using a web design firm or hiring an in-house webmaster will come down to how much control you want over the design process and how much money you have in your budget.

In-House VS. Web Design Firm:

In-House:
Using an in-house webmaster to develop your website has some benefits and drawbacks.  Hiring an in-house designer will provide you more control over the web design process, but limits creativity since your website will be limited by your webmaster’s level of expertise.

Ask your current or prospective webmaster about:

1. How much experience they have creating a website from scratch, including graphics and layout?

2. Their level of experience with coding languages such as XHTML, HTML, CSS, Javascript, and ASP.

3. Do they have a portfolio of websites they designed?

4. Show them a site that is similar to the kind of site you want to implement for your company, and then ask if they can design a site like that for you.

Asking these questions will assist you in assessing the ability of the designer in creating a site that represents your business. You want to avoid wasting precious time and resources developing a site that will not live up to your expectations.  Another consideration is also will you need to purchase web design software, graphic software, and/or PC for your webmaster to use. Purchasing a web design software and/or PC can be an expensive purchase for many companies, but it can be several years before either needs to be replaced or upgraded.  Although there are several expenses to launching an in-house designed website; the company will have complete control over the web site and they can easily maintain and grow the site.

Web Design Firm:
Selecting a web design firm is a time consuming process because often the only differences may be fee and years of experience, but capabilities may be comparable.  And because of this fact, business owners may choose the least expensive option.  But you can there are some ways to spot those critical differences that make one firm stand out above the rest.

Below are some questions and criteria that will help separate leaders from the herd:

1. Does the firm have design experience in your industry?
This may seem like a no-brainer, but many companies can overlook this when interviewing with prospective web design firms.  But do not be surprised if none of the firms have worked in your industry before, instead you can examine if the firm has worked for a client similar to you in size, target market, and/or sold a similar product/service.

A firm that has worked in your industry previously can brings knowledge of your industry, the types of products/services you sell, what appeals to your target market, and most importantly has experience highlighting the products/services on websites.  They have an understanding of what works and what does not.  The firm will definitely need input from your business, but at least you may not be starting at the ground floor.

2. How many years of experience do they possess?
A web design firm that possess ample experience designing sites likely means that they have worked with a wide variety of businesses and can use that experience with creating your site.  Based on the self assessment you completed before calling web designers, you should have an idea of the kind of functions you want your website to have; and now would be the time to ask the firm if they have designed those functions before.  For example, if you want to sell your products online then ask the firm if they have designed an e-commerce system before, and ask for the URL of the site and check it out in real time. More experience can equal a better website.

3. Are they local or will they telecommute?
The importance of this question will be largely determined by your preference for having a hands on team or not.  With the technology available for many firms today it is possible to hire a firm in a different state or even a different country, and discuss everything via email, conference calls, or through instant messaging.  But you have to know how comfortable you are meeting with a firm virtually or if you want to have them accessible to you locally.  When meeting with a firm, you should ask them if they will meet with you face-to-face or via email or conference calls.  You may find that regardless if whether the firm is local or not, they both may use conference calls as their primary method for client updates or meetings.  It is in your best interest to discuss this prior to signing any contract, so that you start the project with an accurate understanding of the firm’s work process.

4. Can they provide maintenance support, and what is the fee structure?
This may not be discussed in complete detail at the start of the project, but when meeting with design firms you will need to consider where you will go if you need help or support with the website.  Most firms will provide maintenance support for the website, and usually it will be based on an hourly rate.  An hourly rate makes the most sense from the firm’s perspective because you will simply pay them as you need them, but for you the cost an add up very quickly.  Ideally, you may want to ask if the design firm they have a Content Management System (CMS) for you to use or if they can design one.  A Content Management System, a.k.a CMS, is a user friendly program that allows a webmaster to quickly update or change content of their website.  The fee for this service can either be monthly or a one-time fee, and this depend on the service the firm provides.

As you have seen, there are pros and cons to either option but only you can select which option is the best for you.  There are many factors to consider when making this decision of whether to hire an internal person or go with an external firm, but price should not be the primary concern- quality of work should be.

Remember that social media is about sharing information and having a conversation, and not about promoting your company.  The best way to market on social media is to express [professional] opinions about your industry and company.

Personal account VS. Business account

When you create a Twitter profile for your company, be sure to create a separate business account instead of simply using your personal account.  The reason for having a separate business account is to ensure that you always present a professional image by avoiding a “follower” adding a personal comment that could offend a customer. Social media sites should be treated as a professional communication medium that enables you to casually engage in a conversation with a visitor, so do not waste it with a post that does not professionally interest your visitor.

Engage with people

Social media is an opportunity to engage in a conversation with a current or potential customer, vendors, industry leaders, or anyone else.  It is not an opportunity to sell or promote your business, and you can alienate your customers or followers if you constantly sell your wares.  Social media is about sharing relevant, insightful, and interesting information with your circle.

Follow Me and Be Followed

Following is the action of either following another user’s Tweets, and the primary aim of Twitter is either follow someone or to have people follow you.  Who you follow will depend on your business and industry.  Take the time to consider who are industry leaders, top businesses, authority figures, and purchasers of in your product/service category.

For example, if you produce Organic Candles, then your aim might be to find people that might be interested in candles.  So you may consider following My Favorite Scented Candle Company because it is likely that the people following Scented Candle Company may be people that have an interest in candles, buy candles, write about candles, or sell candles.  In other words, these are people that may be potential customers, reviewers, or suppliers.  You may also follow publications that write about home products, candles, or decorating since the people interested in the publication could also interested be in candles or home decorating.

Now that you are following other users, you may find that users are also following you.  It is advised that you follow anyone that is following you.  But do not forget to review who these followers are and what they Tweets about so that you are positive they are in line with your company and product.

Tweet Me
Once you have an account on Twitter, you need to start Tweeting.  Tweeting are comments or posts, similar to a Facebook status update, and they show on your profile and on the profile of anyone following you. You can either Tweet a comment, reply back to another user, or Retweet a comment.  Think of Twitter like a cocktail party and just dive into the conversation, even though it may feel awkward at first.

Tweeting an original comment or post can be done in a variety of ways, which are addressed in the next section ‘What to Tweet About’, but you can also simply reply or Retweet to a Tweet another user has already made. For example, if you are following a new publication and like an article they published, then you can quickly Tweet @NewsPublication I really liked the article on widgets, very insightful.  Additionally, you can include a link to the article.

Also, if you are following the same News Publication that Tweeted about an article, you can Retweet by saying RT@NewsPublication Our widget article is out Great article, comprehensive take on widgets

Tweeting Format and Options

Tweet follow up comments

• The format to Tweet a specific user is: @UserName Then your comment.
• Add an AT symbol (@) before the name of the user (UserName) and then type your comment.  Be sure there is not a space between the AT symbol and UserName.

Retweet a post

• Similar to Tweeting to specific user, but Retweeting is basically repeating another user’s Tweet and then adding your own comment to the end.
• How you Retweet is : RT @User: Orginal tweet, you can add a comment after the original Tweet by enclosing it in parentheses.  But do not modify any short link in the original Tweet.  You can also simply Retweet the orginal Tweet, and your followers will see the orginal Tweet.

Direct message:
You can send a direct message, but follow the same rules you would use to send emails.  Do not spam the people that you follow or are following you.  Direct Messages (DM) can only be sent someone that you are following, and this also means that only people following you can reply to any direct message you send.

Communicate with customers
Socail media sites offer you a prime opportunity to communicate with your customers, and to either thank them or resolve their customer service issues.  Using Twitter you can turn a negative situation to a positive situation.  If a customer has a negative comment, this is the chance to save a customer and turn the negative into a positive.  For a positive comment, thank the customer and retweet the compliment.

Twitter also allows you to save tweets to your favorites, and which act as a mini testimonial page of positive customer feedback or reference.  Do not forget to take the time to Tweet customers about special in store or company events that you are hosting and invite them.

What to Tweet About

Now that you have an account with Twitter, Facebook, or another social media site, the time has to come to post content.  The content that you post should be quick bursts of information that your visitor can use or wants to read.  But sometimes thinking of relevant information to post is the most challenging aspect of a social media site.

Posts can come from a variety of topics, including:

1. A piece of news from your business, such as a new client, product, testimonial, or anything else you can think of.
2. Post an update on a new whitepaper, case study, or additional content that you posted on your website.
3. Post a link to an article that you read, and that is relevant to your business, industry, or customer.
4. Tweet (aka Post) a comment that is directed to or responds to someone that either you are following or is following you.

Use twitter to post information that is not promotional, but useful. For example, Whole Foods posts articles about healthy living or skin care; and about special events around the area.

When posting or Tweeting on your profile, be aware that Twitter has a limit to the number of characters that are allowed on a Tweet.  One way to reduce character count is to use short links that redirect to the URL link you want Tweet.  For example, if you see an interesting article of FastCompany.com that you think your followers will like read, you can visit www.tinyurl.com or http://bit.ly and create a short URL that will automatically redirect a visitor to the full URL at FastCompany.com/monthissue/article/titlename.html (this is not an authentic URL structure, and is only for illustration purposes).

Personalize Twitter

Background Image

Twitter allows you to add a personalized background to your Twitter profile, so add one.  This is a prime opportunity to add information about your business, products/services, and how you can be reached.  Take advantage of the personalization settings on Twitter and incorporate a background that complements your existing website branding.

A quick and simple method to personalize the background is to use the existing background from your website. You can also take your background a step further by personalizing it with your logo, company information, and contact information. The only drawback is that the any information on your background will not be a hyperlink and can be copied, so be sure that it is easy to read.

To change your Twitter background:

1. Log into your account
2. Go to your account settings by clicking on the ‘Settings’ link on the top right hand corner of the screen.
3. Then when the settings page comes up, click on the ‘Design’ option on the menu
4. After the page comes up, you will see a variety of designs for you to select from.  To import your own design, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select the ‘Change Background’ link.

Profile image and Contact information

Two additional ways to personalize your Twitter profile are to (1) add your logo as a profile picture and (2) add your company website URL in the contact information.  The options to change your profile image and contact information can be found in the Profile settings.

Additional marketing

Connect Twitter to Your Facebook Account

Both Twitter and Facebook have options to connect together; this will allow you to update both simultaneously.  By connecting the Facebook with Twitter, you will only need to update one site and the other will show the same information.  An added benefit is that any hyperlink sent in an update submitted via Facebook will automatically be shortened to fit into Twitter.

How to connect Twitter to Facebook:  Use Connection setting to link your Facebook page to your Twitter account

Add Twitter Feed to Your Website

Now that you are an active user of Twitter, why not add your Twitter feed to your company website?  This is a quick way to update your customer on a special promotion, new product, news, or anything additional.  The process of formatting the feed and obtaining the HTML code can be completed inside of the Twitter site, and then added to your website or blog.

How to add a Twitter feed to your website: Use the profile setting menu to get the HTML code to add Twitter to your Blog site or Website

Thank you for visiting our blog, let us know what you thought of our tutorial on Twitter.