Marketing in a Down Economy

Transcription

1 Marketing in a Down Economy Connect. Inform. Grow. Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. Marketing Is Delivering professional communications to an interested audience containing information they find valuable. Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 2 1

2 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 Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 3 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 Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 4 2

3 Acquiring Customers It Takes Time, Money, Energy & Effort On average, it takes 7 touches for a sale to occur. Some buy right away Others research and try Some show interest but don t trust you Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 5 Converting Leads to Customers Communications Impact One-time touch Immediate Purchaser Interested (Buy Later) Not Now (Maybe Later) No Interest Immediate Purchase Unlikely to Return Ongoing Interaction Immediate Purchaser Interested (Buy Later) Not Now (Maybe Later) No Interest Immediate & Follow-on Purchases Capture Interests & Communicate Unlikely to Return Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 6 3

4 How People Are Using Marketing... Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. Customer Spotlight: Educational Odysseys List Size: 1,374 Open Rate: 36% Location: Ashland, MA Customer Since: March 2007 Website: Offers discounts for new and returning customers Introduces new tours and destinations Links back to website to read full articles and book tours Creating nice layouts is easy with Constant Contact templates and managing the lists is a breeze. Overall, the program is very organized and user-friendly as well as affordable. Cindy Weir, Marketing Director Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 8 4

5 Atir Natural Nail Care Clinic List Size: 1,147 Open Rate: 34% Location: Richmond, VA Customer Since: November 2006 Free service for first time customers Compelling offers and discounts Announces new services There is an ebb and flow of clients in the salon business and Constant Contact is the perfect tool to help retain customers. Kathleen Lin, Owner Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 9 Victorious Christian Living International List Size: 1,468 Open Rate: 43% Location: Phoenix, AZ Customer Since: June 2006 Website: Sends coupons as follow up after events Includes links to website and registration pages Announces upcoming seminars and conferences We get great feedback all the time about our s. Overall, people are feeling cared about, thought about, encouraged and uplifted. Valerie Paine, Associate Director Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 10 5

6 Tips for Marketing in a Down Economy 1. Don t panic/analyze your next move. Make sure that your next move is right for your business. 2. Know your value What are the biggest benefits you provide to your customers. 3. Spend your marketing dollars wisely Continue to spend but get the most for your $$. Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 11 Key # 1 Build Your List With Permission Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 6

7 Making the Connection Build Your List Where You Connect! Service or Sales Calls Events and Meetings Signature In-store Guest Book Website Signup Customer & Prospect Database Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 13 Types of Permission 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 Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 14 7

8 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 Monitor your frequency Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 15 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. Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 16 8

9 Key # 2 Set Your Objectives Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. Set Your Objectives I want to Promote Motivate purchases Increase event attendance Inform Inform potential customers Differentiate my business Relate Increase loyalty Encourage more referrals Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 18 9

10 Provide Value to Your Audience Promotional Discounts, coupons, offers, incentives. Savings Relational Special privileges, acknowledgement Knowledge Quality Informative Advice, research, facts, opinions, tips Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 19 Tips for Marketing in a Down Economy 4. Determine your marketing objectives and create a communications strategy. 5. Watch your competition What are they doing and how do you compare. 6. Build customer loyalty to generate additional revenue. Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc

11 Key # 3 Choose Appropriate Format & Frequency Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. Determine Appropriate Format Newsletters Frequency: Regular i.e. monthly / weekly Lots of educational content (typically non-promotional) Use bullets, summarize information, be concise Promotions / Invitations / Surveys Frequency: Depends on your business and sales cycle Focus on promotion / limited content Use content to invite click-through or other action Announcements Frequency: Event-driven Press releases, holiday greetings, thank you cards Use content to build deeper relationships Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc

12 Frequency & Delivery Time How often to send Create a master schedule Include frequency in online sign-up Monthly Newsletter Keep content concise and relevant to planned frequency When to send When is your audience most likely to read it? Day of week (Tuesday & Wednesday) Time of day (10am to 3pm) Test for timing Divide your list into equal parts Send at different times and compare results Maximum impact with minimum intrusion Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 23 Key # 4 Get Your s Opened Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 12

13 Getting Opened The From line Use a name your audience recognizes Be consistent Include your organization name or brand Refer to your business in the same way your audience does 60% of consumers say the "from" line most often determines whether they open an or delete it. Source: DoubleClick Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 25 Getting Opened The Subject Line Keep it short and simple characters including spaces (5-8 words) Incorporate the immediate benefit of opening the Capitalize and punctuate carefully Avoid copying the techniques inherent in spam s. s with shorter subject lines significantly outperformed s with longer subject lines. - MailerMailer (2011) Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc

14 Avoiding Spam-speak 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 Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 27 Tips for Marketing in a Down Economy 7. Fine tune & build your list Quality over quantity. 8. Brand your business for maximum impact branded and professional communications lead to repeat and new business. 9. Capitalize on Relationships Use existing relationships to reduce expenses, generate referrals and co-promote. 10. Reward referrals provide incentives for employees and others that help your business grow. Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc

15 Key #5 Create Compelling Content Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. Creating Compelling Content 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 Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc

16 Valuable & Relavant 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 Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 31 Bonus Key #6 Track Your Results Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 16

17 How Tracking Works + ESP Tracking Code Interaction Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 33 Analyzing Open Rates & Click Thru s Use open tracking to spot trends Open rates trending down Fewer subscribers are enabling images Fewer subscribers are clicking links Steady open rates Assume is being received Use click tracking to determine Audience interests Clicks tell you what topics were interesting Save clickers in an interest list for targeted follow up Goal achievement Use links to drive traffic toward conversion Compare clicks to conversions and improve Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc

18 Marketing in a Down Economy As an Added Bonus I ll send you a copy Of this booklet in my follow-up ! Additional Resources 60-Day Free-Trial Account No Credit card really free! Use with up to 100 unique addresses during trial Seminar schedule on local events calendar Mailing list and contact forms Learning Center Live and recorded webinars Daily live product tours All the resources you need to successfully create and send a great campaigns Marketing Hints & Tips E-Newsletter Our monthly newsletter featuring marketing insights ConnectUp! User Community Read and post to the discussion boards on issues that matter to you. Business Partners & Professional Services Have some or all of your campaigns done by our Professional Services Dept. or independent Business Partners Copyright 2011 Constant Contact, Inc

19 Thank You! Copyright 2011 Constant Contact Inc. 19