I got a very clever email the other day from a local retail store. I have purchased from them before so I am now on their email list (remember: It is very important to keep your customer data files clean and up to date). Anyway, they started a 12 days of Christmas email campaign and each day they send out an email highlighting an item in their shop. There is a coupon attached to the email for a 10% discount on any item. I like this concept and I find myself checking the email everyday just to see what they have highlighted in the email. They tie the copy for the email into the song so it is very clever. If I were managing the campaign, I would take it a step further and provide a discount for each item highlighted and then on the last day of the campaign highlight a very expensive and high end product with a HUGE discount. Perhaps build up the suspense and make each and every item bigger and better everyday building up to the “grand finale”.
Finding Topics to Blog About
You started your blog and you have the best intentions of blogging everday about something. The first couple days go well, maybe even weeks, but then the inevitable happens. You run out of things to blog about that are relevant to your business and fresh. Well, problem solved. Sign up for Google Alerts. This great new service from Google will send you an email everyday on topics you request. Here is how it works:
Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic. Enter the topic you wish to monitor, then click preview to see the type of results you’ll receive. Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:
- monitoring a developing news story
- keeping current on a competitor or industry
- getting the latest on a celebrity or event
- keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams
Very cool and very handy when you run out of things to blog about. Good luck with that new blog.
Naming Your Small Business
I meet small business owners who always second guess their business name. The choice of a name for your business in today’s technologically advance internet world is more important than ever. Business owners need to consider the impact of their name on future marketing/advertising on the internet. They need to consider if the domain name is available, if it is easy to spell, easy to remember, numbers in the name, etc… For those business that have been around before the internet their name is something they can’t change and they just have to make it work in this new world of marketing and advertising but for those of you that are just starting out do some research and understand the impact your business name will have on future marketing campaigns. Here is a good article to help guide you through the process.
Inexpensive Campaign
Today I received an interesting flyer in my mailbox. I usually ignore flyers and just toss them because I get so many about landscaping, house cleaning, babysitting, etc… but this one caught my eye. It was from a landscaping business that had recently completed a large landscaping job for one of my neighbors. The flyer had nice up close photos of the job they completed down the street and stated on the flyer “We Just Finished This Job for Your Neighbor”. They also gave an offer of 15% discount offer on any landscaping project booked between Oct-Dec. The reason I liked this so much is because it was a twist on a common flyer campaign and it caught my attention because it actually showed pictures of the landscaping they had done down the street (neighbors are always nosey and want to see what neighbors are spending $$ on). Plus, there is a trusted feeling that comes with this type of campaign (i.e. If your neighbor trusts them to do a good job, so can you).
Use Social Media to Expand Your Business
Small business has gained a competitive edge in reaching customers by using social media. Effective management of social media offers an inexpensive way to engage with potential customers. Businesses are able to increase visibility of their services and products through low-cost or no-cost channels.
The massive growth of social media has aided businesses in tapping into unknown markets. They are able to conduct online research and solicit customer opinions. Marketing through social media is time consuming, but it’s beneficial to business success. Read More….
Another Opportunity
If you send out invoices to your clients/customers include a special message/offer to them on the invoice. Maybe a 10% discount on their next order or free shipping. You have to send the invoice either way and it is just another opportunity to remind them of your services or new services/products you are now offering.
Inexpensive and Successful Direct Marketing Campaign
We recently did a great campaign for a client that cost less than $500 with a very high ROI. Sales are still coming in from it so we don’t have the final ROI stat on it yet. It goes back to the old marketing saying “80% or your business comes from 20% of your customers”. If you are in a business where you can sell more of your current product to your customer base or upsell them on another product, this is a great campaign for you.
Write a letter to all your current customers right before you high season and tell them since they are your current and best customers you are giving them an opportunity to pre-order for the season. Mention in the letter you are trying to prepare for the high demand and want to make sure you have enough inventory or service staff on board to accomodate their needs. In exchange for their pre-orders they get a heavy discount. Now comes the most important part of the campaign. Make sure you include a blank fax sheet already outlined with the information they need to fill our and fax/email back to you. Make it easy for them to do. You want to make sure they don’t have to pick up the phone and call you if they don’t want the hassle. Put payment options on the fax sheet and a ship date so they can specify when they want the product.
If you are in the service industry you can probably make a version of this letter and still test it. What do you have to lose? The cost of letterhead, envelopes, and postage. Remember these tips on direct mail letters:
- Hand sign if at all possible from the President or CEO
- Make the offer (discount), and bold it/highlight in the letter (maybe % discounts for multi-unit orders)
- Put an expiration date on the offer
- Address the letter to the DECISION MAKER in the company that has buying power. This is why collecting the most accurate data on all your customers is so IMPORTANT.
- TRACK TRACK TRACK. Track all your responses so you can calculate ROI at the end of the day.
GOOD LUCK!
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