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Open with A Life Hack

One of the most useful things you can do with your email marketing newsletter is to provide useful life hacks to your readers. These are short simple memorable tips for making life easier. Well written useful relevant life hacks can boost your open rates as readers come to expect something usable in each issue. Even if your particular content isn't directly relevant at that time it may be the expectation of a useful life hack that gets you e-newsletter opened. Once opened of course it's up to your creative and headlines to further engage the reader.

Life hacks can be found all over the internet. Here's one I just found over at 43 Folders:

So, you’re going to a ticketed event, like a concert or a ball game. It’s out of town. You’re carpooling with four other people. How do you ensure that everyone in the car has their ticket with them?

The car doesn't move until each person takes out their ticket and holds it to their forehead.

Been doing it for 20 years, and you’d be amazed how often it saves the day.

[read]

November 30, 2004 in award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, blog publish, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, bulk email marketing, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, CMO, Web/Tech, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

On November 30, 1960

Chrysler discontinued production of the DeSoto automobile brand. The DeSoto once rivaled Oldsmobile and Pontiac in the mid-price range. Sharing too many design elements and body parts with chrysler caused DeSoto to loose it's way in the late 1950s.

November 30, 2004 in Building Customer Community | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

On November 29, 1877

Thomas A Edison demonstrated the first phonograph. Wax cylinders to MP3 files in 127 years.

November 29, 2004 in Building Customer Community | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

OTD in 1907

On this day in 1907 Louis B. Mayer opens his first movie theater in Haverhill, MA. Later in 1917 he founded the precursor of MGM Studios. As head of production for the new MGM, Louis B. Mayer made it the most successful motion picture studio in the world, and was the only one to pay dividends throughout the Great Depression of the 1930s.

November 28, 2004 in Building Customer Community | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

OTD in 1924

On this day in 1924 the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held.

November 27, 2004 in Building Customer Community | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

OTD in 1778

On this day in 1778 Captain James Cook was the first european tourist to visit the Hawaiian island of Maui.

November 26, 2004 in Building Customer Community | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

OTD in 1835

On this day in 1835 businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was born.

November 25, 2004 in Building Customer Community | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Target Intuits the Opportunity for A Wake Up Call

SilhouetteHave you seen what Target is doing with their Wake-up Call Promotion? They have intuited that there are significant numbers of people who love to jump start their holiday shopping by getting an early start to the stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Often stores open early to attract these customers. Target has found a great way to create an interactive marketing opportunity that drives traffic to it's website, creates a fun brand experience, and drives traffic to it's stores. The wake up call works like this. A customer registers on the Target website to receive a themed wake-up call on Friday or Saturday from one of five celebrity/character callers. Personally, I'd go with Darth Vader. At the designated time Target calls the number and delivers a recorded and branded message to the customer. The customer is reminded in a fun way of the Target brand right before they set out to go shopping. I bet Target is the first stop of the day.

The only downside I can see here is that Target isn't being very upfront about how they will use the names, email addresses and phone numbers they collect. Sure they say they will only use the numbers for wake up calls, they have their legalese and their privacy policy but two months from now will parents discover that the reason they're getting all of those telemarketing calls from Target is because their teenager signed up for a wake up call? Time will tell.

The point is that Target has found a way to further insert themselves into the lives of their customers in a fun and engaging way that does provide value(literally waking them up) for them.

How can your business find new ways to engage your customers and prospects right before their buying cycle?

November 24, 2004 in Award winning publications, Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Building B2B Relationships, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, CMO, Current Affairs, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Six Questions to Ask Customers

Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the US. I am reminded that the coming holidays are an excellent time to grow your customer intuition. More than an opportunity to send another tin of popcorn, the holiday season is an opportunity to connect personally with your customers. While not everyone has a lot of time to talk with you, many will appreciate the personal touch. Launch your contact manager or CRM system, pick up the phone and ask a customer these six questions:

-What have we done for you this year that has gone well and why?
-What could we have done better?
-What could we be doing better to help you and your business prevail?
-Are you aware that we (also carry xyz products, can do xyz, etc.)? This is a great opportunity to make customers aware of new products or initiatives your company has to offer. This requires some skill and tact to gauge the openness and receptivity to hearing about these new things. Over time you will be able to determine your customers openness to your verbal communication.
-Is there anything we can do for you between now and the end of the year? The last month of the year is a good time to ask for some additional business as many business leaders are spending the last of their budgets. Those who operate on a spend it or loose it budget may be especially interested in doing some year end business.
-Would you like to hear more from us about (the topic of your email newsletter)? Ask them if you can add them to your subscriber list to receive your e-newsletter.
Don't forget to thank your customers for their support and their business. Your customers may like the holiday gift you send but they will really appreciate the personal attention and interest from you even more. Who knows you may gain some new business directly from these calls. You may not even see the results until the next buying cycle. Connecting one on one improves your customer intuition.

November 23, 2004 in award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, bulk email marketing, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, CMO, Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Have I Caught You at A Good Time?

That's a question that a lot of sales and marketing people have been taught to ask as part of their sales training. Using the telephone for sales and marketing is an art form. Some people are naturals and have a strong intuitive sense about the party on the other end of the line. Conversely some are simply clueless to all but the most blatant direct statements. In this era of increasing B2B telemarketing(spam if you will) legitimate sales calls are meeting with less tolerances and shorter attention spans.

So what's a marketer to do? Hire well, of course, get the best telephone intuitives that you can. Beyond that you can train your people to always have a WIFM(What's in it for me) Benefit for person they are calling. Always do their homework so they have value to add to the person, the business, the sale or the relationship BEFORE making the call. This is a lot like developing the content for your e-marketing newsletter. The content and headlines need to be of value to the recipient or they won't bother reading it and interacting with the offers you are making. And forget about future e-mail newsletters.

Yes, people are busy and not always available to talk to a marketer but over time they will equate your call with the WIFM and realize that it's in their best interest to take your call.

November 22, 2004 in award winning newsletter, Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, bulk email marketing, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, CMO | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack