Getting Started With Email Marketing
by James Shaw and Amelia Penner
Newsletters are an extremely common form of communication between companies and their customers. Email marketing is a great way to advertise special offers, grow your audience, and communicate with your customers.
Key Benefits of Email Marketing
- Maintains top of mind awareness through regular contact
- Drives traffic to your website
- Gives your reader something valuable (promotions, information, communication)
- Continues the relationship that began when they visited your website, store, or social media
- Integrates with social media (promotes your YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook accounts)
- Highly interactive (You can't click play video on a postcard!)
- It’s trackable and measurable
Why Not Direct Mail?
Are you still using direct mail as a form of advertisement? Direct mail is only as measurable as you want it to be. For a truly trackable direct mail campaign you need to ensure that every customer brings in their mailout to redeem for the promotion. This way you can count how many came in. Plus, on top of that you have the cost of sending out the actual campaign. Direct Mail has it's place, and can be effective to drive a brand new group of people to a website or to a store. (After all, you are only supposed to email to list of people that have given you permission first!)
Email marketing requires only your time to type the newsletter and then simply click ‘Send!’. Then you can monitor how many people opened the email, clicked on links in your newsletter (and which ones!), and if your newsletter was forwarded on to anyone. Now isn’t that handy? Email Marketing software either comes with a monthly subscription fee based on list size or pay-per-use payment plan - either way, it's WAY cheaper than direct mail.
Couldn’t I Just Use Outlook?
The problem with using an email program like Outlook or Hotmail is that you have a limited amount of email addresses that you can send to. This can also be time consuming of ensuring that you have all of your customer’s email addresses in Outlook to send to. You also cannot automatically personalize your emails to the person. Finally, the biggest problem is that you cannot track how effective your newsletter was.
And just in case you’re still not convinced:
- Email's ROI index is 55 percent higher than any other direct-response marketing vehicle. - Direct Marketing Association (2008)
- For every dollar spent on email marketing in 2008, marketers can expect an estimated $43.52 ROI. - Direct Marketing Association (2008)
It all starts with your Customer List
Well, you can’t send out a newsletter without a list of email addresses. Constant Contact allows you to import CSV’s of your customer’s email addresses. You can also divide up your customer’s email addresses into separate lists. For example, if you have multiple locations you can divide up your emails based on what location is nearest them. This way you can better target your promotions to your customers. For more information on how to build your email list click here: http://www.twincreekmedia.com/blog/2010/06/got-a-store-build-your-email-list/
Remember to only use email addresses that you obtained through your company. Also, do not spam your customers or email out unsolicited emails.
Newsletter Basics
Help your audience solve a unique issue, find good information, and provide something of real value. Don't SELL with an overtly spammy message! Each time you send your customers a newsletter you need to be sure that it’s worth them opening the newsletter. You want to make sure that your email list will not unsubscribe from receiving your newsletters as that defeats the purpose.
Some basic tips to follow are: use the right tone, you don’t have to always offer a sale, make them want to connect with you, and encourage them to share.
Always remember to proofread and test the newsletter before you send it out to your client list!
The Subject Line
This is one of the most important parts of your email newsletter. When it comes to the subject line of the email - keep it short and simple! You have 3 seconds or less for your customer to decide if they want to open your newsletter. Using 30 - 40 characters including spaces (5 - 8 words) is usually a good guideline to follow.
Don’t use words like: free, guarantee, spam, credit card, etc. Also, do not write in all capital letters and use excessive punctuation like “!!!” or “???”. Finally, make sure that it connects with the content inside your newsletter.
Leading Email Marketing Software: Constant Contact
Constant Contact is really easy to use and manage on your own. There are a variety of templates to choose from to make your newsletters more effective. Since all of your contacts are imported into Constant Contact you can choose which email list to send out a newsletter to and each email will be personally addressed to that person. Finally, you can view all the statistics and tracking for each newsletter that you send out!
Want more ideas to expand your audience and increase engagement? Contact us today to set up an integrated marketing campaign that is the perfect fit for your business!
The Fire Within: Twin Creek Media on ShawTV
We are pleased to share with you a video interview of Twin Creek Media that was showcased by The Fire Within on ShawTV. We hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look of the team at Twin Creek Media. : )
Since 2004, Twin Creek Media has been a strategic and creative marketing agency located in Kelowna, British Columbia. The firm has carved a place in the marketing world by becoming known for integrated marketing: combining the best of internet and digital with the traditional mediums of print, radio, and TV.
Twin Creek Media employs an executive team of five and a part-time creative team of 12 who together form a powerhouse of talent and experience. We are passionate about marketing and especially leading Okanagan businesses to integrate their current communications with the digital methods, such as lead-generating websites, ads on Google (Google AdWords), and engaging clients with current social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
http://www.facebook.com/twincreekmedia
http://twitter.com/twincreekmedia
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/twi...
Today Internet Marketing is at the forefront of most business improvement, marketing and advertising initiatives. We provide our clients with a single resource for dynamic, fully-integrated and seamless communication services. Our solutions for each chosen media are based on their individual and supportive strengths.
http://www.twincreekmedia.com/
Read our company blog on internet marketing, our marketing services and latest company news:
What Inception Teaches Us About Marketing
By James Shaw
Having recently watched the movie Inception, I was struck by the parallels between ideas in this movie and the strategies and tactics used in the marketing world in which I work. I thought it’d be fun to explore some similarities and differences...
Note: if you haven’t seen the movie, you probably shouldn’t read this post. It contains a lot of spoilers!
Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures
| Inception Idea/Plot/Quote | Marketing Lesson or (Twin Creek-ism!) |
| “Inception” means creating an idea in someone else’s mind. | Every marketing message, whether it’s a movie, radio commercial, magazine, Facebook ad, or Youtube video attempts “inception” to some degree. |
| They have Leonardo DiCaprio. | Twin Creek Media has Thomas Berger! |
| Eames: [Shows up while Arthur is in a gunfight] You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling. [Pulls out a grenade launcher] | Sell the dream, not the product. |
| Cobb: The seed that we planted in this man's mind may change everything. | The goal of advertising is to plant a seed in the mind that changes one thing (the action you want them to take) |
| Eames: If we are gonna perform Inception then we need imagination. | The best advertising campaigns are usually simple, but highly imaginative. |
| They have Ellen Page. | Twin Creek Media has Amelia Penner! |
| Cobb: I think positive emotion trumps negative emotion every time. | Use positive desire and emotions to attract people to your product/service. Specs, facts & stats are secondary. |
| Ariadne: I just want to understand. | If a visitor doesn’t understand your website’s homepage within 5-10 seconds they will leave. |
| They are Hollywood movie stars. | We are marketing rock stars.  |
About Twin Creek Media
Since 2004, Twin Creek Media has been a strategic and creative marketing agency located in Kelowna, British Columbia. The firm has carved a place in the marketing world by becoming known for integrated marketing: combining the best of internet and digital with the traditional mediums of print, radio, and TV.
How Google Works (Infographic)
Check out this cool infographic about the inside workings of how Google works. This infographic came from PPC blog, visit their website by clicking here.
Have you ever been interested in how big Google's data centers are? Or how about what happens when you tweet or write a new blog post? Or just how much Google can accomplish in a second? All of those questions will be answered below!
Infographic by PPC Blog
Radio Advertising in Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton Part 2
by James Shaw and Amelia Penner
Radio Advertising in the Okanagan - Part 2 of 2
Last time we talked about how the basics of using radio in your marketing mix. In case you missed Part 1, we covered:
- Deciding on the right radio station
- Knowing who your audience is
- Choosing the right time of day
- Comparing Okanagan radio stations
Get Them to Remember
Hearing is not the same as listening. People hear background noise, but listening is focused and active. The average person needs to hear your radio ad 11 times before they will actually listen to it. Once they do listen to it, are your customers remembering what you say? Below are some suggestions to create a winning ad:
- Use humor - people love to laugh
- Create curiosity upfront with an odd intro or sound - a well designed ad interrupts the listeners’ current thought process to switch them from “hearing” to “listening”
- Mention some related facts or “did you knows?”
- Turn part of your ad into a catchy song that is sure to get stuck in someone’s head
- Make your ad a conversation between two people
- Sponsor the news or sports or weather with a quick 10sec sound bite (shorter ads but more repetition for the same dollars)
- Jump on board with a station’s contests or quizzes. You may have to provide prizes which will cost extra money, but the brand awareness and foot traffic may be well worth it.
Most importantly, do not forget to mention the name and important contact information of your business. You do not want them to remember just your ad, you want them to remember you. The average person needs to listen to something at least 3 times before they can remember it. So... repeat repeat repeat.
Get Them to Take Action
What is the goal of your ad? Do you want them to call you, check out your website, or come into your store? If no one is taking action, try some of these tips:
- Say the phone number and email address in a way that they will remember
- Advertise a sale. Yes, people still love sales. Be specific though. Eg. “No tax on all couches and loveseats this Saturday and Sunday only.”
- Make a limited time offer or limited amount available. In the example above, the sale is limited to a certain product and a specific time frame. Interested listeners now have an image of a new couch in their minds AND a deadline. A bit of pressure prompts action.
Whatever you want your listener to do - make it clear and easy.
Measure Your Results!
John Wanamaker, a US department store merchant, once came up with the most famous advertising quote of all time:
“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”
So inevitably the phone rings (or the web traffic spikes).... do you have any idea if they are calling because of your radio ad or because of your website or yellow pages listing, or billboard, or newspaper ad, or.... or....? Let’s talk for a moment about ways to measure and compare.
Call Tracking
Companies like MongooseMetrics (MongooseMetrics Tracking) allow you to register a separate phone number to use in your radio ad (or wherever you like). When someone calls this number it will still ring on your phone at work, but you will be able to track online how many people called from hearing your radio ad. Tip: you can use unique phone numbers on other ads too, like print and web ads. It’s a great way to measure the effectiveness of each to start to understand what type of marketing is making your phone ring.
Web Traffic Tracking
There are a few different ways you can track who is visiting your site from your radio ad.
- You can register a new domain that forwards people to your website
- You can add a subdomain (subdomain.website.com)
- You can add a section to your website (website.com/section)
All of these unique URL’s can be tracked within your web stats program (we love Google Analytics - it’s good and it’s free!). Using unique URL’s for each piece of your marketing campaign makes it easier to attribute the source of the traffic that results from them. The next step is to change things around in the current ad to boost its effectiveness or dump the losers and boost the winners.... but that’s a topic for another article.
Buying Radio Ads
Here are a few quick tips to remember when buying radio spots...
- Do not pay the standard rate card price - negotiate for a better deal
- Heavy load your ad spots into a short time period if your budget is small - alternate two weeks on and two weeks off to get the better bang for your buck
- Do not run on more than one station at the same time unless you have a large budget - switch between your target market stations to get increased frequency and measure the results
- Do not always buy direct - sometimes buying through an ad agency can get you a better deal
Do you have an opinion on a local radio station? Have good story about an epic radio ad failure or smashing success? Share it! For the good of all humankind and the ears of our children! Don’t not hold back! Okay, that was a bit melodramatic...
Recent Tweets
- Will this help you stay in shape? RT @simonmainwaring: Nike+GPS Launches As Mobile Running App. http://ow.ly/2AKnd
- RT @6s_marketing: Matt Cutts discusses how Google Instant search will and will not affect SEO http://ow.ly/2BooG #seo -JB
- RT @_tberger: #GoogleInstant is pretty impressive: Byebye page 2 results. Longtail searches will become mainstream