About two weeks ago, I had a chance to compare the effectiveness of email vs social media.   I proved to myself once again, email done correctly is a powerful addition to your marketing mix.

Email vs Social Media

The test?  I am working on a presentation for BlogIndiana which includes the results of a survey.  I have been promoting the survey on social media for several weeks and had about 90 responses. Then I sent an email through LinkedIN to a list of 500 business owners.  The email was short and personal, and the subject line was very specific: Can you help me get ready for presentation – It will only take a few minutes.

The result: More than 30 responses within just a few hours.  And more than 100 in two days.

So why was email so effective in this situation?  Because it was a very specific message directed at a small, targeted audience.   I didn’t sent it to everyone on my email list. I choose business owners, who had a presence on social media.  There was no sales pitch, just a simple call to action.

As we celebrate or mourn the 40th anniversary of email it is good to see that if used well it still has a place in your marketing mix.  So, to be clear, I am NOT endorsing a practice of building a list by simply adding anyone and everyone you meet, or even hear about.  They will just unsubscribe anyway.   Use the tool wisely to stay connected with customers and referral partners, bring them something of value and they will stay with you.  Here a few tips to keep readers coming back:

1. Segment Your List: As you begin your email program, create multiple categories.  And put people in the category in which they fit best.  While your list is small you may send the same email to everyone, but as your data base grows, it is painful to try to separate the names into subsets to create targeted  communication.  Today, my email lists are split between local and out of town companies, with a separate group for the HVAC industry ( this was my roots), I have biz owners and non biz owners, and a Men’s list and Women’s list to which I distribute event information.  – Create subgroups which are relevant to your business.
2. Content first – Your readers receive a lot of email.   How do you earn the right to be opened and read?  Present information of interest, this may or may not be directly related to your product, but it will keep readers coming back.  You have to earn the right to sell – My favorite example is a  weekly newsletter from Joe’s Butcher Shop – Every week he sends out a recipe.  His customers love it, because not only does Joe know fish and meat, he’s a good cook and he shares his favorites.  After the Recipe, the newsletter is filled with information on specials and events in downtown Carmel.  All the way at the bottom is a coupon good for one week.  Every week, Joe sells whatever he features.
3. Monitor performance.  Look at open rates, and opt-outs.  These numbers will tell you if you are using or abusing the tool.  When I first started using email six years ago, my open rates were around 50- 65%.  But email is very common now, and people are constantly being added to lists.  So with industry averages hovering around 20%  i no long expect that level of interest.   However, if I see a sudden drop, i back up.  Am I sending too much email?  Or the wrong type?
4. Adjust and go forward – There is no one right formula, but practice, and revisions will make it better!

We have been using email as part of our marketing for more than eight years.  It all started when a friend sent me an email using Constant Contact. I liked the look and feel of the email, and signed up for the free trial.   Within a few days I was hooked.  The interface has come a long way over the years, and professional looking emails are a snap without any knowledge of HTML. The comprehensive analytics have helped me continuously improve my campaigns and newsletters.

When I started sending my email newsletter, few small businesses were using the tool so open rates were high and unsubscribe requests were low.   As more and more business owners have begun using the tool, I like the fact that Constant Contact continues to add features including the addition of social publishing and easy integration of YouTube video which helps me keep the content fresh and my readers engaged.

I have found so much value in the tool, that I became a reseller in 2004.  And even though I use AddressTwo for many of my drip campaigns and automatic campaigns, I still find certain applications which Constant Contact does extremely well.  I was honored to find out Roundpeg  has received the 2010 All Star Award from Constant Contact^®, Inc., the trusted marketing advisor to more than 400,000 small organizations worldwide. We received this recognition because were one of Constant Contact’s 2010 top performers and most prolific users of its tools. Constant Contact looked at criteria including the following when selecting this year’s All Stars:

• Frequency of campaigns, events and surveys
• Open, bounce and click through rates
• Usage of social features
• Mailing list sign up tools
• Use of reporting tools

“We work hard to listen to our customers, and we use that feedback to create products and services designed to help them better engage with their customers and prospects,” said Gail Goodman, chairman, president and CEO of Constant Contact. “The Constant Contact All Star Awards are our way of recognizing our customers that have successfully used Constant Contact to market their companies. We have some of the most committed, passionate customers out there and we’re proud we can be a part of their continued success.”

Although the market has expanded, and social media offers many options for small business owners, I still think there is a place for email.  If you do, and would like some help with your campaigns, give us a call.

As the small business owners we work with look for new ways to drive repeat traffic to their website and convert prospects to clients we often suggest a “drip campaign.” What is a drip campaign?  Drip campaigns, are targeted email campaigns which are delivered or “dripped” to prospects at regular intervals.

The daily, weekly, or monthly campaigns deliver relevant content to a select group of individuals who have “opted in” to the program.  Requiring that your receive permission to send the email insures your audience will be receptive to the messages when they arrive.  Then each email in the campaign has links which bring the reader back to your website again and again.

At Roundpeg we have been experimenting with a number of different campaigns, but the most effective has been our series on How to improve your website. Prospects can enroll in the campaign through a link in our website, or we often add individuals after we have talked to them about updating their website. In both cases, once we enroll them in the campaign, they will receive a new tip via e-mail every seven days. This allows us to stay top of mind with potential customers, without the headaches associated with remembering to send each an e-mail each week.   And the results?  Our web design business is up 25% over the same period last year.  The campaign has played a significant role in that change.

While there are a number of tools which will allow you to manage a Drip Campaign, we have selected AddressTwo.  Created by Nick Carter, the program offers a robust combination of email, direct mail, project management and CRM functions. With it, managing multiple drip campaigns has been a snap.  For us, adding drip campaigns has had a positive effect on our marketing efforts, keeping us top-of -mind and establishing a consistent dialogue with both current customers and prospects.

If you would like to learn more about Drip Campaigns, I would love to talk to you!

With all the emphasis on social media, it is easy to assume we have moved well past email, but that is not the case.  For certain types of communication to your customers and prospects, email is still an incredibly effective tool!

If you are sending “company newsletters” with long articles,  and multiple offers so there is something for everyone, you are probably missing the mark.  On the other hand if you are segmenting your lists and delivering simple focused messages email can still be a valuable way to stay connected.  Here are just a few examples:

• An optometrist we work with sends monthly emails to remind patients to change their contacts
• An HVAC contractor uses an automated tool to set up a two part campaign. The first email is sent right after the project is completed.  The second automatically goes out 11 months later to remind them to have him back for an annual check up .
• We offer many training programs in which the lessons are delivered via email with links to additional content on the our blog.
• A DJ who sends a link to the song of the week and a link to download it from iTunes.

As you are thinking about your email program take a look at this list of suggestions from Karen Banan

About a month ago, I wrote this blog post for the Marketing Technology Blog. I had a number of interesting comments about the article, so I thought I would republish it here.

Don’t Let Your Drip Campaign Become Chinese Water Torture

An effective technique to move Random Strangers to Raving Fans is to use a “drip campaign”.  To begin your campaign, identify a select group of people who fit a particular demographic, or better yet, share a common interest and send them messages. Email, voice mail, direct mail, or face to face are all viable methods to send the message..

To be effective be sure your campaign provides information relevant to your target customer, comes in regular, but not annoying intervals, and moves the prospect toward a purchase decision.

As you plan your campaign, be sure to avoid this mistake:

Over eager business owners or marketers try to accelerate the process by sending too much information, too soon, or too often. The result? Instead of being impressed your prospect is annoyed.  Not only do they fail to buy, they tell you to go away, permanently!

As an email marketer, I am usually pretty patient with other marketing programs, but recently, Ratepoint wore out their welcome. How? Well it started innocently enough, with a postcard, an email and an offer for a free trial. Then there was the phone call during which I asked a few questions. Before the conversation ended I told them I was unlikely to use their product because I was a reseller for Constant Contact and AddressTwo, so there was no compelling reason for me to change.

Instead of taking the polite no, they moved me into an entirely different group and I became a prospect. There were more postcards, more email and more phone calls. As their sales people became increasingly annoying, demanding to know why I hadn’t activated my trial, I found it harder and harder to remain polite. (Lets face it, I am from NY and on a good day it is hard for me to remain polite)

If I would have ever considered trying their product, I am unlikely to now. The lesson? Too much marketing is not a good thing. If someone indicates they are not a prospect, let them opt out, and move on. Water may erode mountains, one drip at a time, but it won’t move someone to buy.

Want to learn more about effective drip campaigns as a way of moving prospects from random strangers to raving fans?   Join Matt Nettleton and I on May 6

About a month ago, I wrote this blog post for the Marketing Technology Blog. I had a number of interesting comments about the article, so I thought I would republish it here.

Don’t Let Your Drip Campaign Become Chinese Water Torture

An effective technique to move Random Strangers to Raving Fans is to use a “drip campaign”.  To begin your campaign, identify a select group of people who fit a particular demographic, or better yet, share a common interest and send them messages. Email, voice mail, direct mail, or face to face are all viable methods to send the message..

To be effective be sure your campaign provides information relevant to your target customer, comes in regular, but not annoying intervals, and moves the prospect toward a purchase decision.

As you plan your campaign, be sure to avoid this mistake:

Over eager business owners or marketers try to accelerate the process by sending too much information, too soon, or too often. The result? Instead of being impressed your prospect is annoyed.  Not only do they fail to buy, they tell you to go away, permanently!

As an email marketer, I am usually pretty patient with other marketing programs, but recently, Ratepoint wore out their welcome. How? Well it started innocently enough, with a postcard, an email and an offer for a free trial. Then there was the phone call during which I asked a few questions. Before the conversation ended I told them I was unlikely to use their product because I was a reseller for Constant Contact and AddressTwo, so there was no compelling reason for me to change.

Instead of taking the polite no, they moved me into an entirely different group and I became a prospect. There were more postcards, more email and more phone calls. As their sales people became increasingly annoying, demanding to know why I hadn’t activated my trial, I found it harder and harder to remain polite. (Lets face it, I am from NY and on a good day it is hard for me to remain polite)

If I would have ever considered trying their product, I am unlikely to now. The lesson? Too much marketing is not a good thing. If someone indicates they are not a prospect, let them opt out, and move on. Water may erode mountains, one drip at a time, but it won’t move someone to buy.

Want to learn more about effective drip campaigns as a way of moving prospects from random strangers to raving fans?   Join Matt Nettleton and I on May 6

We had so much fun team teaching together last month that my sales coach, Matt Nettleton of Sandler Training Trustpointe and  I will be conducing another session of our class  ”From Random Strangers to Raving Fans”  In this lively 3 hour session, we show you how to use a system to create the right messages for the right people at the right time.

We’re going to talk about how important it is that your sales and marketing support each other.  After all, the best marketing plan in the world won’t help you if you can’t seal the deal, and the best sales strategy won’t help you if you don’t have leads in the first place!

Check out the details below. Hope to see you there!

Thursday, May 6, 8:00 – 11:00  a.m.

Sandler Training Trustpointe Offices, 6666 East 75th Street, Indianapolis

Fee: $29.99  Seating is limited, so be sure to  register soon.  Click here

Last week I sent an email to remind 17 people they had registered for a seminar.  Due to a glitch in the email system, the note was actually sent to 1100 people.  ( And this time I know for sure it was not user error)

The result, was good and bad…   More than 350 people responded.  Many were confused because they didn’t remember signing up, some were apologetic, and some like my son and Father-in-Law were simply amused.   ( My son is in the Navy, on his way to Thailand, and my Father-in-Law lives in Dallas)

So the bad …  I needed to send 350 notes of explanation to friends, clients, colleagues, and prospects.   This took up most of the day on Wednesday, even with the help of my staff.

The good …  I had a chance to make personal connections with more than 350 people with lots of good conversations as a result.   I have quite a few laughs, lots of sympathy, and made plans for a  lunch date with an old friend who will be here in Indy for just one day later this month.

And best of all, five people showed up for the Seminar on Thursday who had not registered.   They came because of the email!  Now I am not going to suggest that this was a good marketing strategy, but it made me wonder what was it about that email that generated such a high response.  (A 31% Response Rate for email is extremely high )

I found some answers in a post on Groundswell – In it the author talks about how to get people you don’t know to respond to your email.   He suggests you keep the message short, to the point, personal and real.  When I reread my email, I realized I had done just that, and the results were, overwhelming.

I lost a whole day answering email, so I won’t be doing that on purpose anytime soon, but I am going to apply some of the lessons, and make my mass emails more personal, and see if it changes the results!

And if you missed the seminar – I will be teaching Intro to Business Planning ( How to Avoid the Ten Mistakes Business Owners Make) again on Feb. 11. Hope you can make it!

Contrary to popular belief, email is not dead.  It still works if you use it well.  The problem, so few people use it well.  I stumbled across an old  post by  Seth Godin in which he compares good vs bad email strategy.  Read the article, then tell me which is closer to your email model?

Do you treat people as individuals, sending relevant content to small groups of people who have expressed an interest in hearing from you.   Or are you still using a one-size-fits all appraoch where you send the same generic email to everyone you meet, and hope someone will buy from you?

For small business owners, especially in a slow economy, email is tempting.  It is relatively simple to create and inexpensive to deliver. So what is the harm of sending one more email? The harm can be seen in the increases in your opt out rate, and the decreases in your open rate.   I started using email, six years ago.  At the time, my open rates were routinely around 50%  – 65%, and sometimes as high as 70% .   Today, my lists are larger, but I am reaching fewer and fewer people with my mass emails.  Why?  Over time people unsubscribe, opt-out, or simply stop opening the email I send.

While my general email’s are experiencing a falling open rate, there is an exceptoin.  My 10 Week Biz plan emails typically run around 70% open rate?  How is this possible?  This group is much smaller, only 150 people, but each of them has specifically requested they be added to the list.  The key is permission!!   These subcribers have all joined the list as a result of a post on my blog.  That is the second piece of the puzzle.  Your email needs to be tied to your website, and your website to your email to create a perfect loop for prospects.

Social Media will not replace email, but it does challenge us to be more creative and more interesting in our communications.

Seven years ago I discovered Constant Contact.  This powerful eMail tool has been an integral part of my marketing activities for years.  I have long been an advocate of the tool because if  done well, newsletters are a great way to touch your customers and potential customers. Over time, it can help build credibility and a sense of familiarity with your organization.

It is more challenging now, because so many companies are using email newsletters as part of their marketing mix.  But, if done right, they still add value.

The following tips apply equally well to printed or electronic newsletters.

Customer Focused Communication

Think about your customer’s issues, questions and interests. Focus on information that is interesting or relevant to them!

This may not always be about you. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can provide potential customers is general information which demonstrates your overall knowledge or position as a business resource.

Special Offers

Include special offers or coupons in your newsletters. Make this a regular sections, so interested consumers know where to look for your latest offer.

Short-term offers or coupons with an expiration date are more likely to make the phone ring, today.

If you do include offers, be sure to track the results. Over time you will be able to modify your offer to maximize the number of calls you receive from serious, potential customers.

Introduce Your Company

Newsletters are an ideal venue to help potential clients get to know the people behind the brand. Consider a short feature on one of your employees each issue.

Make your stories personal so customers learn what separates you from your competitors. Do you sponsor the local soccer team? Are your employees involved in the community? What are the values that really drive your business?

Getting Started

Your newsletters don’t have to be long. Limit it to 2-4 articles for a printed document, 350 words for an electronic one. Remember this is not a one shot program. You will tell your story over a series of issues.

Would you like help outing together your newsletter? Contact roundpeg today!