The From Line

Marketing Trend:

Social media sharing has given marketers a treasure chest of insight into customer opinions and discussions. But tools that measure social media sentiment have their limits. The human element, such as the use of slang, can throw off reports.

This week's trend discusses better ways to be engaging while gaining feedback and valuable marketing data.

This week we look at a way for marketing campaigns to increase their exposure through better timing of tweets. Automated tweeting of an email message or blog post is common. But there are ways to repurpose that same tweet for better engagement, more retweets and increased subscriber/follower base. Tools to help you test are available, and various tweet methods can be used to find the right timing for your business.

TREND:

In growing efforts to combat email SPAM, ISPs continue to put more power into consumers’ hands. Consumer desire for controlling SPAM (or perceived spam) is what drove Gmail and Hotmail to introduce priority in-boxes, a way for the user’s interaction with emails to be used to determine future in-box placement.

The key word in this trend is “perceived.” Many marketers following email best practices still find themselves managing SPAM complaints through feedback loops. So why is this happening?

The key to business success in a down economy is to NOT discontinue your marketing efforts. Many businesses are fearful of spending (which is totally understandable), but cutting all marketing is not the answer. Change it up!

Analysts are already reporting that marketing dollars are shifting to email – the most cost effective channel proven to have the highest ROI. During tough economic times, it’s important to think carefully about how you’re using email and make every single email count for something.

1) Fear can be an excellent motivator.
It’s a scary time for business professionals right now. There is widespread fear of job loss and budget cuts. Instead of feeding those fears, capitalize on them. Connect with your customers in a way that quells their fears a bit. Position your products and services so that they show value in tough times. Cut out whatever is not necessary and get right to the point.

2) Motivate. Motivate. Motivate.
It’s time to be creative. Think about how you can change or improve your offers to clients. Discounts are effective but they are not the only motivator out there. When every dollar counts, think of other ways you can provide value without leaving money on the table. Is there information or helpful hints you can offer that will be of value to your clients and protect your budget at the same time?

3) Partnerships
Now is a great time to team up and offer “more for your money” services.

4) Integrate email with social marketing tools.
Email is a great way to initiate contact – continue it with a posting to a Facebook Wall, Tweets, MySpace or a blog.

5) Solidify your sender reputation.
The number of emails sent will increase in a down economy. In response to this, ISPs may vamp up their throttling, spam filtering and lower their volume caps. Sender reputation means everything so check your sender score at either senderscore.org or senderbase.org and continue to follow best practices.

6) Feedback is free!
Always, always ask for feedback. Make it a goal for all of your employees. Every email should have a means included to submit feedback. Online transactions and telephone calls should also be solicited for feedback.

7) How can you help?
Most wallets are sewn shut right now. Think of ways your organization can bring value and relevance to your clients. Consider changing your offerings or pairing up your products.

8) Consider flexible terms. Make it very clear if you offer flexible payment terms, reward points or discounts for larger orders.

9) Client appreciation holds a lot of weight. Whitepapers, user tips, small token gifts, and coupons are simple and inexpensive ways to thank your clients and entice prospects. Remember that word-of-mouth is the most powerful advertising out there.

10)  Test timing.
One of the greatest perks of email marketing is that you are not tied to anything. You can test, test, test! You have the ability to determine what works best for your subscribers. Maybe one of your lists gets a great response on a Monday morning and another on a Wednesday afternoon…go for it! Try out the new Sunday-sending theory. Industry experts have reported great success in sending Sunday evening emails. With mobile devices and flexible technology, people tend to check their mail on Sundays so they know what’s in store for them the next day.

Obviously these are just some of the ways that you can leverage email to work for you in a down economy. It’s all about smart marketing!

For all the marketing rules you follow, breaking a few can wreak havoc on the results of your campaign. Review these pitfalls you can't afford to make (or repeat).

1. Ignoring the “reply-to” address -- Most ESPs offer a Web mail program and email address to collect responses to a message. The goal is to keep your inbox clean (and not inundated with out of the office replies) after sending a message. It also serves as another layer of protection against spammers. The problem is that most people forget the “reply to” address isn’t coming to their inbox and don’t check the Web mail account.  While you instruct your recipients to contact you at a specific address, it doesn’t mean they won’t just hit the “reply” button.

2. Don’t slack on testing – We can’t say it enough. Always, always, always test the message.  Even if you tested last week or last month, test it again.

3. The trap of complacency – Whether you use the same old HTML template or ignore updating your list, complacency can leave you behind the curve with stale campaigns.   

Do you have a mistake that you want to share? Send your worst email marketing mistakes to Gold Lasso or share them on our Dot Email forum.