Seminar Series: Secrets of Marketing Success!

Transcription

1 CONSTANT CONTACT 2006 Live! Seminar Series MARKETING POWER 2006 Live! Seminar Series CONSTANT CONTACT MARKETING POWER Session 1: Marketing 101: Why and How it Works Why Invest in Building Relationships? How Technology has Made it Affordable for Smaller Businesses to Communicate Getting Started Understand the Basics Before Starting on Your Strategy 1

2 All small business owners have dreams If I build it they will come Understanding the power of marketing turns dreams into reality Why Invest in Building Relationships? 2

3 Why Invest In Relationships? Because When Nurtured They Multiply 3

4 How Technology has Made it Affordable for Smaller Businesses to Communicate The Allure of New Business Marketing Focus Opportunity Businesses tend to focus on acquisition Find Convert Keep Find Convert Keep Revenue and profit are generated by repeat customers Every business knows they need to keep relationships going, but how much time and money does it take? In the past, the investment included significant amounts of both time and money. Technology has changed everything 4

5 Technology Impact Direct Mail vs. marketing changed the economics, making relationship marketing viable for small businesses Why Does Work? Because people open from businesses they know and trust 5

6 And Simply Delete Everything Else Junk Unsolicited and unwanted from an unknown sender Dubious opt-out (if any) Getting Started 6

7 Getting Started It s a 3-Step Process Step 1: Building Your List Step 2: Convert Leads to Customers Step 3: Keep Customers Coming Back Step 1: Building Your List Build Your List Where You Connect! Service or Sales Calls Networking Events and Meetings Trade Shows In-store Guest Book Website Signup Customer & Prospect Database 7

8 Step 2: Convert Leads to Customers It Can Take Time On average, it takes 7 touches for a sale to occur. Some buy right away Others research and try Some show interest but are not ready Make every contact count! Step 2: Convert Leads to Customers Communications Impact One-time touch Immediate Purchaser Immediate Purchase Interested (Buy Later) Not Now (Maybe Later) No Interest Unlikely to Return Ongoing Interaction Immediate Purchaser Immediate & Follow-on Purchases Interested (Buy Later) Not Now (Maybe Later) No Interest Capture Interests & Communicate Unlikely to Return 8

9 Step 3: Keep Customers Coming Back The Value of a Customer You ve already paid for them It s 6-7 times more expensive to gain a customer than to retain a customer 1 They spend more Repeat customers spend 67 percent more 2 They are your referral engine After 10 purchases, a customer has already referred up to 7 people 2 Sources: 1 Harvard Business Review 2 Bain and Company, 2002 Step 3: Keep Customers Coming Back Time is Money! Profit Growth Over Time Price Premium Referrals PROFIT Reduced Operating Costs Increased Purchases Base Profit Acquisition Cost TIME So bring them back more often! 9

10 CONSTANT CONTACT 2006 Live! Seminar Series MARKETING POWER Session 2: Marketing Tips: Strategy and Techniques Permission and List Building Delivery and Blocking Targeting and Segmentation Format and Frequency Subject Lines Permission and List Building 10

11 Permission What is It? Types of permission Explicit: Opt in from your website or storefront Join our mailing list Single vs. Double Opt-in Implicit: Requests for information / registration forms, existing customer relationship Note: Always make sure to ask for permission when collecting information Be a Trusted Sender Remind recipients why they are receiving an from you at the beginning of each message Include unsubscribe or one-click opt-out line Immediately handle unsubscribes (CAN-SPAM Act) Monitor your frequency 11

12 Spam What is It? Spam or Unsolicited Commercial (no relationship / no permission) List purchase, CD-ROMs Directory crawling appending Don t do it! While it may seem tempting, it will have a negative impact on your business. Hot Industry Topics How fresh are your addresses? The one-year test Maintain contact at least quarterly How clean is your collection policy Unchecked signup boxes Clear statement on address use Don t blur lines of communication Sending promotions to customers signed up for systems updates 12

13 Case Study: Girls Learn to Ride List Size: 10,000 Open Rate: 36% Location: National, based out of California Customer Since: Runs snowboarding, skateboarding, and other extreme sports clinics for young women across the country. Sends a monthly e-newsletter and announcements about upcoming events Uses the Interest Category feature to segment lists by geographic region and sport. Started with 250 s and now is at 10,000 How Do They Grow Their List? Join my list sign-up box on website Website Contests give away snowboards, tickets to concert, etc. to get people to join Give prizes to active members who forward the newsletter to friends and get them to sign up. 13

14 Discussion What are other creative ways to grow your list? Can you think of an offer or incentive to get sign-ups? Can you encourage your customers or members to spread the word? Can you run an internal contest to get all your employees involved? Are you collecting addresses everywhere? Are there organizations or businesses you could cross-promote with? Delivery and Blocking 14

15 Blocking & Filtering Individual filters Challenge response systems Blocking (industry average is 19.2%*) Blacklists (significant range with regard to quality) Whitelists Sender Authentication Feedback Loops * Source: Return Path What is a SPAM Complaint? A spam complaint happens when someone on your list clicks a button identifying your mail as unwanted Alternate way to unsubscribe No longer interested in your content Don t recognize your name / brand Don t remember subscribing By accident (while junking all the real spam) 15

16 Services Why Use One? Make it Easy Manage your database (subscriptions, bounces, unsubscribes) Templates make creation of professional-looking campaigns easy Maximize delivery Are Affordable Start as low as $15 / month Fractions of pennies per Teach Best Practices best practices are built right into the service (unsubscribe management, from address verification, & physical address appending) Online educational seminars Service vs. Outlook Standard Programs (e.g. Outlook, Hotmail) Limited # of s sent at one time No formatting control List break up more susceptible to filters No cohesive branding No tracking and reporting of results 16

17 Service vs. Outlook marketing services automate best practices Provide easy-to-use templates Reinforce brand identity addressed to recipient only Manage lists adding new subscribers, handling bouncebacks, removing unsubscribes Ensure delivery, tracks results and obeys the law Targeting and Segmentation 17

18 A Winning Strategy Includes: Setting objectives Collecting contact information Determining message format Creating a schedule Building professional communications Analyzing results Continuously refining your strategy! Setting Objectives Define objectives: I want to Motivate purchases Enhance customer / brand awareness Interact with my customers Increase event attendance Use objectives to determine: What information to collect Communication type Communication frequency Measuring success Bring visitors back to my website Obtain donations for my nonprofit 18

19 Collecting Contact Information Collect addresses and permission at every customer contact point: Website Guest book Order form Customer support or inquiry calls Tradeshows or events 57% of consumers will fill out a card to receive alerts when asked to by a clerk at a local small business. Source: Transact Media Group Gathering Your Contact s Interests Add your own logo and message to subscribers. Use data collected to send your customers only what they want Learn about your customers interests Collect names to personalize s Determine your own interest categories and other data required. 19

20 Case Study: Staffing Advisors List Size: 1,500 Open Rate: 51% Location: Washington, DC Customer Since: Independent staffing broker that helps solve staffing problems in the DC area Started with 400 subscribers and now has 1,500 Believes in offering quality information I share the best thinking and research I can find Recipients forward newsletters to friends Many people sign up via Staffing Advisors website How Do They Segment Their List? They create 3 newsletters targeting 3 different groups HR job listings The Staffing Alliance of Maryland Employers The Staffing Advisor (includes current research and articles relevant to recipients) 20

21 Discussion What are other creative ways to segment your list? 1. By industry, product category or usage? 2. Region or Sales Rep? 3. Type of communication desired or frequency? 4. How can you use private categories? List source VIPs Format and Frequency 21

22 Determine Appropriate Format Newsletters Frequency: monthly / quarterly Lots of educational content (typically non-promotional) Promotions Frequency: bi-weekly / monthly Focus on promotion / limited content 2, 4, 6 product promotions, coupons Announcements Frequency: event-driven Promotional or educational with targeted message Invitations, new products, special events Frequency & Delivery How often to send Create a master schedule Include frequency in online sign-up Monthly Newsletter Coordinate timing for maximum impact Newsletters (monthly / quarterly) Announcements / Event Invitations (as needed) When to send When is your audience most likely to read it? Day of week (Tuesday & Wednesday) Time of day (10am to 3pm) Test, test, test Maximum impact with minimum intrusion 22

23 Subject Lines Getting Opened The From line Use a name the recipient will recognize Include your company name or brand The clearer the better The shorter the better Be consistent 60% of consumers say the "from" line most often determines whether they open an or delete it. Source: DoubleClick 23

24 Getting Opened Cont. The Subject Line Keep it short and simple You have 3 seconds or less characters including spaces (5-8 words) Incorporate a specific benefit Include your brand Capitalize and punctuate carefully The Don t Dos The words: free, guarantee, spam, credit card etc. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS Excessive punctuation!!!,??? Excessive use of click here $$, and other symbols No From: address Misleading subject lines Example: Typical spam From and Subject lines 24

25 Subject Line Exercise Refer to page 2:5 in your workbook Exercise: Come up with 5 potential subject lines for your campaigns. Constant Contact Business Partners Now, before we break Need help with your marketing? Constant Contact Business Partners are the answer! We can connect you with the partner who is right for you. Ask us today! 25

26 CONSTANT CONTACT 2006 Live! Seminar Series MARKETING POWER Session 3: Content Tips and Ideas, Interpreting Results Creating Compelling Content Evaluating Your Campaign Results Creating Compelling Content 26

27 Getting Read The Body Provide relevant valuable information Be clear and concise Use appropriate graphics Use white space effectively Include Call to Action links Create sense of urgency Capitalize and punctuate carefully Proofread Relevant & Valuable Information Focus on the content It s not about you It s about what you know Trade useful information for attention Will they talk about it when out with friends? Will they look forward to your next communication? Narrow your focus Be an expert The fact that [some people] want to help, for no other reason than because they like to help, turns out to be an awfully effective way of getting someone s attention. Malcolm Gladwell - The Tipping Point 27

28 Two Different Approaches Case Study: Blue Penguin Development List Size: 4,500 Open Rate: 48.5% Location: Hopkinton, MA Customer Since: Blue Penguin develops customized, interactive, highquality e-newsletters. Sends a monthly newsletter about newsletters Expresses personality of business, uses a informal voice Good mix of content and humor 28

29 Case Study: Sarasota Film Society List Size: Just under 5,000 Open Rate: 38% Location: Sarasota, FL Customer Since: Nonprofit runs a film house that shows art films and host-related events Their philosophy: It s all about content. Keep it short, sweet and useful. You need to deliver value. Sends a weekly e-newsletter to his entire list Membership grew 20% after they started using Constant Contact What Creative Content Do They Include? Descriptions and reviews of new film releases and show times Links to trailers and websites of new films Information about local restaurants (dinner and a movie!) Announcements of interesting events held in conjunction with films they are showing 29

30 Getting Your s Opened Using Creative Promotions Case Study: Rothmans List Size: 1,764 Open Rate: 45.9% Location: New York City Customer Since: Sept A men's clothing store specializing in formal and casual business attire. Relies on to promote further new arrived items and clothing trends. Preferred customer list receives specials Sends bi-monthly promotions with coupons Sales generated per campaign $5K - $10K 30

31 Case Study: Jack-Tar American Tavern List Size: 950 Open Rate: 43% Location: Marblehead, MA Customer Since: A classic New England tavern that specializes in creatively-prepared American fare Relies on to communicate with customers in a timely, consistent, and personal basis Sends weekly announcements and/or promotions Started a loyalty program and has grown Admiral Club membership to 1,000 What Creative Promotions Do They Use? Beat the Clock s Order at 5:15 pm, pay $5.15 Order at 6:25 pm, pay $6.25 We ve missed you s to Admiral Club members with coupons for 25% off certain menu items Announcements about special events and unique dining opportunities 31

32 Content Exercise Refer to page 2:7 in your workbook Exercise: Answer these questions about your business, your customers, and your interests. What are the top five questions that your customers ask? What articles have you read recently that you found very interesting? Who were the most interesting customers that you helped in the last six months? What made them interesting? What problems will your customers be encountering in the next year? What will you be doing to solve these problems? Checklist Ask yourself before you send: Are you prepared to handle inbound responses and questions? Have you used appropriate graphics while also making good use of white space? Have you proofread the "From" line, "Subject" line, and copy thoroughly? Have you previewed and sent yourself a test mailing? Have you checked all links to be sure they work properly? 32

33 Evaluating Your Campaign Results Evaluating Your Results Why does bounce? addresses are no longer valid Servers are down Mailboxes are full is blocked Clean bad addresses out of your list! 33

34 Evaluating Your Results What influences the open rate? From / Subject line Delivery day / time List overuse, age, or quality Watch your trends over time Evaluating Your Results Why did people click through? Call-to-action Copy Offer What were they interested in? 34

35 Evaluating Your Results High unsubscribe/opt-out rate? Overcommunication Poor targeting Evaluating Your Results Forward to a Friend Export data Save as Interest Category 35

36 Case Study: Boston Public Library Foundation List Size: 1,500 Open Rate: 49.3% Location: Boston, MA Customer Since: Promotes Library exhibits, event series subscriptions and special events Sends a monthly e-newsletter, internal board communications and announcements about upcoming events as needed Majority of their marketing and communications is sent via Uses the open and click-through data to save as new lists to send follow-on targeted messaging to RSVP, sponsor or donate Constantly Refine Your Strategy Date sent & time of day From & Subject lines format Content quantity & quality Calls to action Recipient feedback Fine tune your communication strategy over time! 36

37 Additional Resources Learning Center From live and recorded webinars to daily live product tours, the Constant Contact Learning Center is the place to find all the resources you need to successfully create and send a great campaign Marketing Hints & Tips Our monthly newsletter featuring marketing insights from CEO Gail Goodman will help you create great campaigns, increase your open rates, build your list, and be the best marketer you can be. ConnectUp! User Community Meet others - like you - to share and gain insights on marketing and other topics you care about. Read and post to the discussion boards on issues that matter to you. Referral Program Do you know people who can benefit from the value Constant Contact has to offer? Get rewarded for sharing Constant Contact with your friends and colleagues and see them get rewarded too! Constant Contact Cares 4 Kids The Constant Contact Cares4Kids program assists community-based non-profit organizations that help children build the fundamental skills they need to succeed in their communities and in life. Cares4Kids program recipients receive free use of a Constant Contact account for their organization. Who is eligible? Any organization that is a non-profit that provides social or educational support to children. How do I get started? Recipients must be sponsored by an existing Constant Contact customer or partner (Business Partner or Global Partner), or an employee of either of the Partner programs. Accounts are donated by Constant Contact with the expectation that sponsors will volunteer their time to assist with initial set-up and the first campaign produced. Visit the Cares4Kids program to get started at 37

38 Evaluation How was your day at the Constant Contact seminar? In the back of your workbook, you will find an evaluation form. Please take a moment to fill out this form, as it will help us better tailor our future seminars to meet your needs. Thank You! 38