Mobile what? Marketing via mobile is thankfully not just sending SMSs to your customers (and preferably not at 3am like some Swedish telecoms companies seem to do...). Sometimes, texting your customers is the right thing to do but there are other things you can do to reach out via mobile, such as:
Want to know more? Here is the Mobile Marketing Association's guide and, of course, get in touch with us.
Ok, that sounds a bit cryptic. What we mean is that you can't always rely on the reported number of people who have opened your email as being the actual number that did. That doesn't mean you shouldn't look at it - we do because it allows you to compare one email with another - but there are several reasons why the actual figure won't be dead on the mark:
The next question is whether they have read the contents of your email but that is a topic for another time. In the meantime, talk to us for more information about email marketing. Even professionals get it wrong sometimes. Be very careful when posting on social media that you remember the chance that the whole world *could* see what you have written. That doesn't mean they will - don't make the assumption the world WILL see what you have written but be careful to stick to your business viewpoint and stay well clear of jokes. They can backfire, as this article in the NY Times highlights, oh-so-clearly: Email marketing is currently more successful and cheaper than any other form of marketing. Why? McKInsey&Company puts it best when they report that email is almost 40 times as effective as social media at generating new clients. Check out more details from their report on email marketing. As importantly, how can you construct an effective email marketing campaign that gets you the sales you want? Email is so important is because it gives you a chance to build a relationship with your customers and build customer loyalty. People buy people (not services or things initially...a tough concept to consider if you are a retailer!). The key is to build that relationship so that when a potential customer needs something, they come to you. Email may not manage this entirely alone but it is certainly very good at supporting the other ways you come into contact with your potential clients and excellent at convincing those who are thinking about buying, to go ahead and buy. To start off this new year, we've created this guide to constructing the best email. Enjoy. If you look hard enough, you'll find a checklist for everything on the web and there are masses of lists of 'dos and don'ts' when it comes to designing a website. Amongst all the great ideas, there are some basic elements necessary for a really good website:
* like they can trust that the food will be good/safe to eat * hungry (seriously!).
A final point that one of our team reminded us all of - if the website can relate the product/service to the visitor's own life, they will probably return time and again. That's what most of us want for our website, right? Twitter has become a great business tool and there is plenty written about how to tweet. Here are some reminders about what NOT to do with Twitter:
* Follow everyone. One high-end fashion business we spotted seemed to have followed every car dealership across the USA. Needless to say, only 1 of the hundreds (thousands?) had followed back and they had never shared or engaged in a chat. Follow those that will provide your followers with interesting and relevant snipets and those who you think are specifically interested in your business, such as journalists that cover your region/products. * Re-tweet everything. If it is really relevant to your followers and will make their life a little bit better, retweet it. Otherwise don't. * Miss out information on your profile. Your profile is a chance to let people know: 1. Who you are 2. What you do 3. What you would like them to do next. Use it or lose it (the great opportunity). * Sell, sell, sell! While we are all in business to make money (you aren't? lucky you!), selling on Twitter just does not work. The power of Twitter is in the spreading of your messages, one tweeter at a time. Sales messages don't get shared so don't bother. Boasting doesn't fit well either so share your achievements as light-heartedly as possible. * Well, she said...and I said...and then he slipped on a banana skin! Save personal chat for personal accounts. Or better yet, a chat app well away from the public eyes of Twitter. It is really boring for everyone else, especially on Twitter because they can often only see one side of the conversation! * Too little is worse than too much It really is. If you are going to use Twitter for business, use it. Don't sign up, post a few things and then forget all about it. Make it a regular date with 140 characters. Now, off you go. 140 characters awaits your deepest, darkest (business) thoughts. Using your social media to manage your customer services can be a big success. It does, however, take: * Time and commitment - if you are a big organisation, monitor it 24 hours a day. If you don't have that kind of resources (and very few really do) then make sure that you check your accounts several times a day and respond to enquiries immediately if possible. * Honesty - don't remove negative comments or questions straight away (unless they are abusive). Try to answer them as clearly and honestly as possible, leave them up for a day or two then remove the whole thread. * Updates - post information if you are unexpectedly closed, if something has gone wrong with the service you provide or life has had to get in the way of business. Stay positive though! Check out Arlanda Airport's Twitter feed. Notice the constant interaction (not just monitoring but chatting) and the amazingly positive responses. Awesome. Traditionally, space mattered. How much advertising space can you afford in a magazine. How many postal addresses you have to post brochures too. How many pages in your brochure. How many sales people can you afford.
The internet is boundless, so space is no longer an issue. Now you have to capture the attention of those potential customers floating around in this endless space. Easy, right? Write great content, promote it and they will come. The question is: is how much time you have to spend creating content on your website that your prospects are going to be interested in. Remarkable content takes time. Give it time. A year or two that is, not a week or two! The best way to make your website and social media content work harder and smarter is to answer your potential clients' questions. What questions to people ask you? How can you help your potential customers understand the benefits of your products/service? Ask them. Or if you are just starting out, ask anyone you know to quiz you about what you do. Then write it down on your website and in your social media, to help those prospective customers understand that they need to become actual customers. Over the summer it has been facinating to see who has kept up their marketing efforts (the best having been scheduled in advance) and which companies abandoned work and headed into the sea. How times have changed though and reaching potential customers via their mobile devices has never been easier, even when they are tucking into a third sangria. So, we are back at our desks discussing the importance of bring mobile and how email reaches almost everyone. We hope you all had a nice summer! |
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