GOOD E-MARKETING CAN TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS

AND FIVE STRATEGIC REASONS YOU SHOULD BE DOING IT NOW

Four thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians began hanging up papyrus scrolls that advertised everything from cornmeal to camels. Suddenly, a new marketing medium was born and business would never be the same. Shopkeepers and traders now had a cheaper, more efficient way to market their products (imagine the benefits of not having to chisel your sales pitch into stone!).

Obviously, the art and science of marketing has come a long way since that dramatic innovation of so long ago. In the last century, we’ve seen the addition of other marketing game changers in the forms of radio and television, with each demanding its own strategy. And, in the last 15 years, another revolutionary platform has emerged (you guessed it, the Internet) and with it has arisen yet another form of marketing — e-marketing.

WHAT IS IT? SIMPLY PUT, E-MARKETING IS THE PROCESS OF MARKETING A BRAND USING ELECTRONIC MEANS, PARTICULARLY THE INTERNET

This happens through websites, emails, banner ads, blogs, social media and search engine optimization among others. For most businesses today, e-marketing is, or should be, part of their overall marketing strategy.

E-marketing (also often called online or Internet marketing) aims to attract new business, retain current customers and strengthen brand identity and loyalty. 

however, unlike other more “traditional” forms of marketing, e-marketing enjoys the pronounced benefit of yielding a much higher return on investment (ROI)

Just as with other forms of marketing, the key to success with e-marketing is designing a clear strategy and then creating the means (website, email, online ads, etc.) to execute that strategy.

that’s why it’s always wise to consult with experts who can help you develop an e-marketing strategy from scratch or overhaul an existing one that needs refinement or replacement

SETTING YOUR E-MARKETING GOALS

When developing an e-marketing plan, it’s vital to keep the following objectives in mind (before having a website or other online tangibles created) to achieve the best results:

1. increase sales —This should be the primary purpose of your e-marketing strategy, even if you aren’t operating an e-commerce site that actually sells products online. The fact is you are always building your brand and reinforcing customer confidence, interest and loyalty. Today’s customers often go online for information before making a buying decision. So, while you may not receive direct online revenue, you could see significant increases in revenue because of buying decisions directly influenced by your e-marketing efforts.
   
   
2. decrease costs — As mentioned earlier, the costs associated with e-marketing are substantially less over the long run compared to other forms of marketing including print, radio and television. Money, time and resources are saved and costs per transaction are significantly less than over the phone or in person. Customers like online transactions because, if done right, they are quick, easy and cost them less time and effort.
   
   
3. build the brand — Careful thought must be given to how your e-marketing efforts will impact and build your brand. Brands are critical to increasing recognition, trust and strengthening relationships between you and your customers. Your website, online ads, email campaigns, e-newsletters, blogs and social media efforts all should integrate to make your brand stronger.
   
   
4. increase value to customers — When customers visit your website or encounter any of your electronic communications, they should have an exemplary experience that makes it easy and pleasant for them to get information or conduct transactions. They should be given reasons to visit again and a chance to offer feedback on your products, services and presentation. Importantly, online customer requests/feedback ought to be handled quickly to further enhance your reputation and validate your e-marketing efforts.
   
   
5. build relationships — It may seem counterintuitive since the Internet isn’t an interpersonal medium, at least in the traditional sense, but e-marketing can help you create and reinforce relationships with your customers.  Various tools can allow you to track your customers’ online behavior so you can respond better to their needs.  Also, it is an inexpensive way to collect data, query your customers and respond to their input and queries. This fosters a kind of dialogue that if handled promptly and carefully, will only serve to bolster your relationship with them. 

written by Scott Wigton

How To Turn Email into a River of Revenues

What would you say about a marketing device that returned over $43 for every dollar you spent on it?

Too good to be true, right?

Wrong.

That device is none other than the commercial (HTML-coded) email, a tool that far outstrips all others when it comes to pure return on investment (ROI). So, how on earth does an email garner such grand results?

To understand this, you must realize an effective commercial email is a well conceived, superbly timed, and, above all, expertly designed piece of marketing that is focused on accomplishing one thing: Getting a customer to take action.

Just how good can an email get? According to the Direct Marketing Association’s 2009 study, commercial email returned $43.62 for every dollar spent last year. Compare that to an ROI of $21.85 for Internet search advertising, $15.22 for direct mail and $7.32 for catalogs.

The Perils of Poor Design

“Fantastic!” you say. “Let’s crank out an email right now and blast it to our list. After all, emails are easy and anybody can do them.”

Not so fast. While it’s true that millions of emails are exchanged daily, only a tiny fraction are well enough designed to grab a customer’s attention and get them to make that all important click that results in a purchase.

To begin with, there are essentially two types of commercial emails, ones that mostly depend on text to get results and those that are more visually or image driven (much like a magazine ad). Many of the very best commercial emails contain a balance of both. Whatever the approach, it must be chosen because it has the best chance of making an impact with your audience.

It is important to know quality design is NOT just about a snazzy picture, cute turn of phrase or a colorful graphic (though these might be part of a well-designed email). Rather, good design depends just as much on advance planning and strategy and careful selection of elements to achieve the desired end.

Remember, the competition – and clutter – is fiercer than ever.

Take your own email inbox, for example. Most of what you receive is either deleted immediately or quickly scanned and disposed of. The level of email fatigue and cynicism is high, but that’s because most commercial email solicitations are inadequately thought out, poorly timed and lack quality design.

No wonder people (that’s us, folks!) are so quick to trash emails.

Don’t Waste Your Opportunity!

But there is good news. Most commercial emails arrive with the consent of the customer. At some point, he or she has asked to receive email updates or solicitations from you. This gives you a vital opportunity to impress them.

However, if your email is sloppily designed, annoyed customers will quickly unsubscribe from your list. Don’t waste your chance to enjoy an ROI of $43 to $1 or more simply because you decided to do it yourself.

Instead, hire a capable designer who understands that the following are essential to a successful commercial email: copy that is well formatted and brief (keeping in mind that email readers are in a hurry); a reminder that the customer granted permission to receive email from you; an easy-to-find unsubscribe link; focused content that focuses on one or two ideas rather than many; careful timing; a call to action (a compelling offer that screams: “take action now!”); solid HTML coding; strong copy and headlines; compelling images (but not too many); and, of course, a catchy subject line that demands the email be opened.

Again, remember the subject line is crucial to getting an email opened but after that it’s good design that will determine whether the end-user/customer decides to read on and take you up on your offer.

Good Design Turns Clicks into Profits

Finally, never forget that an effective email is a marketing tool that can deliver convenience and value to your customers while realizing significant dividends for you. If $43 to $1 sounds good to you, the key to success is a creative and expertly designed piece that cuts through the clutter, cements customer loyalty and burnishes your brand.

written by Scott Wigton

Ahead of the Curve — or Treading Water?

At T.MOSS when we troll the waters of social and technological change it’s to make sure we’re keeping our friends informed of significant tidal shifts. Thanks for paddling with us.

Sometimes we note an undercurrent — a change in process, usage or style that draws our attention. A case in point –

You say tomato, I say tomahto

When we first started writing about “the Web”, there wasn’t a hard and fast rule for using the term “website.” We researched it, and based on usage common among leading publications, dictionaries and style manuals, we made an informed decision on the standard T.MOSS would follow. We decided to use Web site. That was then.

Well, we’ve taken another look around and now find that usage is trending toward website. Here’s what we’ve discovered. According to Dictionary.com:

“The transition from World Wide Web site to Web site to website as a single uncapitalized word mirrors the development of other technological expressions which have tended to take unhyphenated forms as they become more familiar. Thus email is gaining ground over the forms E-mail and e-mail, especially in texts that are more technologically oriented. Similarly, there is an increasing preference for closed forms like homepage, online, and printout.”

Further, though they do acknowledge “Web site” and “web site” as alternatives; American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Webster’s New World CollegeDictionary, Compact Oxford English Dictionary and Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary list “website” as the preferred spelling — just to name a few sources. Britannica Online Encyclopedia was the only reference we found that used “Web site” exclusively — and you know how fusty the old men in monocles can be.

Let’s see, is it Beyonce or Brenda Lee?

Our conclusion: though you’ll continue to see Web site and web site in print; it looks like website has won the day. So, lest your customers and colleagues assume you’re out of touch because you use Web site instead of website — remember the flak George W. Bush got when he made reference to “the Internets” — now’s the time for a little re-education.

Website  |  Email  |  Blog  |  Podcast  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

And, if you still think Facebook is a computer game teenagers play with their friends, it’s definitely time to step into the wide world of social media and do a little poking around. To stay literate, you should at least begin to explore the explosion of new tools businesses, large and small, now use to reach out to their customers – before the next generation of innovations comes along and changes the game yet again. Who knows, in a few years tweeting may seem as outmoded as shouting at your customers through a megaphone.

by Dianne Clay, Librarian