Holiday Marketing - Email's the Trick

Hi all. With everyone pinching pennies this year email marketing never looked more attractive to small businesses. Easy to produce, manage and measure, email is a quick and visual way to get your message out in time for the holidays. See the new survey mentioned on the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) site: http://www.iabuk.net/en/1/christmasemailmarketing271008.mxs

And the winner is... your kid?

Hi all. Jan Norman's small biz blog at the OC Register reminded me that Inc. magazine is running their contest for young entrepreneurs -- The Best Lemonade Stand in America. Check it out here.

Tell me something I don't know...

Hi all. New poll out in Fortune Small Business says that small business owners are down on the economy and working longer hours. Tell me something I don't know... :) Click here to read the story.

Wedding Boom vs. Bandwagon

Hi all. I had the pleasure of attending the Golden Gate Business Association's annual Expo last week. For those of you outside the Bay Area, the GGBA is the nation's first gay chamber of commerce. The hightlight of this year's expo: The Wedding Pavilion.

Balloons, flowers, caterers, wedding cakes you name it. It had all the trappings of what you'd expect at a bridal fair, except that it was tailored for same-sex couples -- right on the heels of the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing same-sex unions.

As with any breaking opportunity, there are people who do it well and some who want to leap before they're ready. Most of the vendors at the fair were gay-owned. Many were "gay-friendly," meaning they had a track record of welcoming same-sex clients with open arms. One hotel, however struck me as an example of needing to get your house in order before you start selling to a newly jubilant but long oppressed minority. The rep handed me their glossy wedding brochure, complete with beauty shots of cakes and flowers -- and a straight couple waltzing across the cover. "It's all we have," he said. I made sure to ask him when they were going to update their materials and he could only offer "soon, I'm sure." Not his fault, he's the sales guy.

But, it was a lesson that we need to heed in small business -- know your audience, including their fears and sensitivies. And whatever you do make sure you don't look like a vulture, excited to circle above the freshly identified prey. Wait til your ready -- but get ready quickly if this is the market for you. And if you have any questions on what's the appropriate presentation for your business, ASK. In fact, ask my friends at the GGBA. They'll be happy to tell you.

Research: How to Make e-Campaigns More Effective

Hi all. Some interesting advice from the new 1 to 1 Weekly newsletter (from 1 to 1 magazine, a great resource on direct and e-marketing) on those email marketing campaigns we all love so much. New insights on how to make them more relevant and effective. Take it away guys ...

______________________________

STILL SEARCHING FOR THE INBOX

By Don Peppers and Martha Roger, Ph.D.

For years marketers have treated email as a cheap mass marketing tool, rather than as a weapon to be wielded judiciously. And even as consumers have demanded more relevant communications, many companies are still addicted to their bad email habits, says Forrester Research.

In the report Break Free From Bad Email, Forrester analyst Julie Katz proposes that organizations adopt what she dubs "intentional email," an approach through which companies can grow long-term returns from email subscribers.

"Most of the companies we looked at are still at a pretty basic level," she says, pointing to their failure to use segmentation and integrate email data with information in other databases. "They don't pay any attention to the cost of bad email, to the cost of sending out way too many messages."

All that annoyance, Katz adds, has an appreciable impact on the bottom line. Reasons she cites for companies increasing their email frequency range from "just because they can" to "because their competitors are doing it." Worse, the calls to action within those messages tend to get lost down at the bottom or amid the images and text.

Chris Baggott, cofounder of email specialists Exact Target and current CEO and cofounder of Compendium Blogware, can relate. Despite his platinum flier status with American Airlines, Baggott receives an email every Wednesday featuring "a laundry list of flights that originate from nowhere near me."

Not surprisingly, Baggott agrees wholeheartedly with Forrester's dire assessment of the state of email marketing communications. "[Companies] have used email like cheap paper. They haven't tried to have a one-to-one conversation. They haven't tried to treat customers like actual human beings."

Along those lines, he wishes that American Airlines would avail itself of the reams of data it has about him. "They can so easily rig things so that fliers automatically get an email whenever a flight was late, with an apology and maybe a coupon for a free drink on the next flight," Baggott says. "Give me stuff like that. Don't give me credit card offers."

Steps to relevanceForrester's Katz believes that marketers are starting to come around, addressing the problems that have plagued their barrage-style email campaigns over the past decade. She believes companies that are serious about getting on board with "intentional email" need to take four steps.

First, they must make a conscious effort to shift their email mind-set, from one that emphasizes quick-hit returns to one that strives to forge longer-term bonds. "Rather than asking, 'If I send this out today, how much revenue will I make tomorrow?' they should be thinking, 'How much more revenue can I make down the road if I manage this smartly now?'" Katz says.

After that, marketers must start to think about metrics. Open rates and click-through rates, while instructive for short-term assessments, don't say much about a strengthening bond. Katz suggests that companies might attempt to attach a monetary value to every customer (and how this sum decreases as a result of too-often emails), if only for facilitating internal conversations with dollar-minded higher-ups who might be inclined to blast away.

The third step is to integrate email with data from other channels, a task that tends to present a technological challenge. Katz points to a previous Forrester study noting that only one third of marketers are integrating their email database with other information. "This is how you show customers that you know who they are and are trying to address their needs," she notes.

Finally, companies should map out a long-term strategy for reaching certain customer segments, so that they can get a clearer picture as to how they'll respond over time to email pitches. "Think about whether you're overtargeting or whether there's overlap with messages from other parts of the company at the same time," Katz advises.

While she believes that the growing importance of individual relationships is affecting email, Katz also notes that most organizations don't have the resources to be truly one to one in their email pitches. Still, she says, careful timing and message-tweaking can make email feel extremely personalized.

Compendium Blogware's Baggott points to Miracle-Gro as one of the few brands that gets it right. "They use a Weather Channel feed that triggers emails based on when it's spring in your town. If the temperature hits 50 degrees five out of seven days, hey, it's spring -- and then the email automatically goes out," he says. "Then they'll ask you how big your yard is. If you have a big yard, the emails will be for bushel-sized bags of the product. If you have a small one or live in the city, you'll get a cereal-box-sized bag. It's amazing that more people aren't doing stuff like this."

Brilliant Relationship Marketing: Turn Your Fans into Investors

Hi all. Got an email from some musician friends the other day -- a dynamite Celtic band called Molly's Revenge. They've put out a number of CDs, all of which have been independent releases (read: self-funded). Well the boys have come up with a brilliant effort to fund the next project -- and bring fans into the process, literally.

They've set up a website where fans can help fund their upcoming CD -- yes, they're turning what could be passive music listeners into micro-venture capitalists. And you know that when the CD is done every one of those investors is going to tell all their friends about the wonderful thing they helped create. See: http://www.mollysrevenge.com/donate.shtml

From a small business perspective this is brilliant relationship marketing (not to mention creative financing). Bravo gang -- good luck to musicians and fan-investors alike on this very cool new idea!

Savvy headlines!

Hi all. We're excited to report that the good word is spreading about The Savvy Marketers program! Today we are a featured story on wholesalecentral.com, a great site for people in B2B, whether they're creating products or offering services. Click here to read the story.

Additionally, we're in the June edition of Cover magazine, a national trade magazine for wholesalers.

Finally, our pal Jan Norman from the Orange County Register's small business blog featured us May 16. Jan's site is a must-read -- can't believe how much she gets in there, including her fab Tip of the Day posts.

More to come and thanks to everyone for your support!

Panel Discussion June 12 in SF

Just confirmed that I will be part of a panel discussion on June 12th at the HQ of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) in San Francisco. The topic: diversifying your revenue stream to weather a tough economy.

The panel will explore ideas for spin-off products and packaged services that communicators can sell year round. We’ll look at e-books, podcasts, workshops and other deliverables that are now cheaper and easier than ever to produce. These products not only have an appealing price tag when budgets are tight, they can also generate passive revenue when you’re fully engaged. Speakers: Allison Bliss on packaging consulting services, Laura Lowell on bundling toolkits, Natasha Terk on publishing books and facilitator kits and yours truly on delivering Web-based seminars.

The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the IABC Headquarters Conference Room, One Hallidie Plaza, Suite 600, San Francisco. Click here to register easily online.

Beware of Greenwashing

Hi all.

A word to the wise: don't make claims that aren't true or at least strain credulity. Don't tell the world your products and services have a "green" component unless they in fact do. Case in point -- the new radio ad I just heard for the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid -- yes, that monster SUV with the $51,000 starting pricepoint (more for the 4x4) with the lovely green "H" (yes for Hybrid) logo. Get this -- despite the hybrid engine, it only gets 21 miles to the gallon. And that's right out of the factory with the tires properly inflated and the engine in perfect tune.

I shudder to think what the non-hybrid version gets -- even my rust-bucket 1971 Pontiac Firebird (how cool was I in high school?) got 10 miles to the gallon, and the same auto company has had 37 years since then to improve their performance. Chevy's ads come dangerously close to what many marketers are now wisely calling "greenwashing" -- the claiming of being better for the environment or even contributing to a solution to global warming. Many products now have green claims that frankly strain credulity -- and there are now even watchdog groups such as CorpWatch that have formed to hold people to task.


Some advice as you market your small business -- don't rush to be hoisted onto this bandwagon. Not unless you have a genuine environmental message. I'm still struggling with a bottled water company that is now touting it's "environmentally friendly" new bottle shape that allegedly cuts down on the amount of plastic per bottle. I know -- stop making the little bottles, which get tossed (NOT recycled) by the millions everyday.


Trust me, the day is soon coming when many of these marketers will be taken to serious task. As well they should be -- whther they have a big green "H" on the fender or not.

Small Business Week in SF

Hi all. Kicked off Small Business Week in San Francisco last night at a HUGE event at City Hall. Keynoted by Mayor Gavin Newsom, there were easily a couple thousand small biz owners there (could it have been all the free food from local restaurants?!). The highlight of the night was the ribbon cutting of the new Office of Small Business at city hall -- designated staff to help chaperone you through what can be a maze of disparate taxes, regulations, permits and more that can scare even the toughest of veterans. Pretty cool -- the voters last year approved Proposal I which mandated creation of the center. Today I had lunch at the Chamber of Commerce with Brajah Norris, the office's director. Great guy who seems like a genuine advocate for small business.

Another cool development -- I met the folks from the San Francisco district of the Small Business Administration. Turns out some of their classes -- a great lineup and a real bargain if you've never attended any-- will soon be videotaped and featured on Comcast's On Demand. Now that's what I like -- the ability to learn more about running my business when I don't have to worry about rushing downtown, parking, etc. And that Rewind feature means I can go over the parts that I need to take good notes on....

Happy Small Business Week!

Email-Marketing Dos and Don'ts

Hi all. Helpful tips on email marketing in the current edition of PCWorld magazine. Among them:

Do: Create a snappy subject line that doesn't sound like an ad. People are more likely to open e-mail that has a simple, newsy, and direct header.

Do: Use HTML rather than plain text. A well-designed newsletter or pitch containing product photos will help you get your message across.

Don't: Fail to include an unsubscribe link and a physical mailing address with your message, as required by federal antispam law. Consider including a link to your company's privacy policy, too.

Don't: Send at the wrong time. The best days for business-to-business mailings are Tuesday through Thursday before 3 p.m. For residential customers, evenings and weekends work best.

Read the full article.

Bad economy a good time for startups?

Hi all. A decent article in Friday's Orange County Register on startups, including a teaser for a small biz/startup conference May 3 in Costa Mesa.

Writes Jan Norman ... "Roughly 8 percent of the population owns at least one business. The truth is that starting and sustaining a small business is tough. Yet business ownership rises when the economy and employment fall."

Good tips and an affordable day of workshops if you're in the area. Check it out...

A divine local campaign

Hi all. I was riding the BART train the other day and saw a poster for a religion-related campaign. It said, "Are science and religion compatible? Join the discussion," and offered a web address, http://www.godridesbart.com/. Once it sunk in what was happening I realized what a brilliant thing they'd done. Subject matter aside (this could easily have been promo for a dry cleaner), the technique was the thing. Here's why:

1) The organization bought transit ads on a specific train line -- affordable and a great way to target very specific geographic zones. In this case I was on the train that ran from Fremont (eastern suburb of San Francisco) to downtown SF.

2) They created a Web address that spoke directly to people on the train: godridesbart.com. When you key it in it redirects you to http://www.godrides.com/.

3) There was a specific call to action: go to their web site and discuss your religious beliefs with others. You know exactly what to do with the information. Their tagline with their logo supports this: "think. discuss. connect."

4) They can track results. Based on how many people use the BART address they can compare how their message is penetrating, compared to a specific address they might use for similar ads on the buses or the ferries. By slightly customizing a URL they have a campaign-specific tracking method ready to go. And that information can lead to new, tailored outreach later.

For small businesses this is a wonderful idea to think about. Transit ads can be much more affordable than you think and as this campaign shows, you can call people to action in a way that speaks to them directly rather than just being generic.

You can book transit ads to run in specific, local neighborhoods for a short or long duration. Transit can include busboards (inside or out), bus shelters, train stations, benches, you name it. If you've got some more budget you can take over an entire station. A key to success here is being clear on who you're likely to reach -- and keeping it simple. In the case of busboards, for example, less is more. Remember someone may only see your ad for a couple of seconds, so keep the copy to a minimum. Your local transit agency can tell you what their rates and technical requirements are, as well as offer tips on what's most successful.

Have fun and see you on the road...

Q & A with the SBA Chief

Hi all. Here's a link to the Q/A transcript from this morning's online chat with Steve Preston, head of the Small Business Administration, moderated by Sharon McLoone of the Washington Post. Interesting range of questions addressed, from free trade to lending, economic stimulus and patents.

Enjoy.

Monday: Ask the SBA Chief

Hi all. Have a burning question for the head of the SBA? Join Sharon McLoone of the Washington Post on Monday (10 a.m. EDT) for a Web chat with Steven Preston. He'll be online to answer your questions about the current climate for small businesses and to preview National Small Business Week, Apr. 21-25. You can submit questions in advance here .

A global truth -- smart thinking can prevent expensive mistakes

Hi all. Some wisdom from Tony Gattari and Shaun Mooney , a pair of savvy marketers down under in the current edition of The Australian. They give great advice on avoiding getting sucked into the dazzle of expensive campaigns, Websites etc. before you determine what marketing options are actually appropriate for your small biz. Amen.

Click here to read the story.

Slow economy? Keep marketing.

Hi all. Great post in today's USA Today by small-biz author Rhonda Abrams (The Six Week Startup is one of my favorite small-biz books). Entitled "Grow your business in spite of the slowing economy," she offers smart tips on surviving this rough patch. Her No. 1 tip? Keep marketing.

Click here to read Rhonda's column.

Away we go!

Welcome to the blog of The Savvy Marketers!

Yes, you have many, many choices in the blogosphere and limited time to take them all in. We plan to use this space for quick posts on cool examples of good small business marketing as well as any trend info we think is important to pass along.

We're also proud to launch our first course -- Basic to Brilliant in 90 Days! Please visit the site and let us know what you think. We're excited to work with you on creating brilliant marketing for your small business -- in a budget and timeframe that makes the most sense for you.

We look forward to taking this journey together with you!

Cheers,

Tim & Kathleen
The Savvy Marketers
http://www.thesavvymarketers.com/