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Mobile Email Access Is Growing Fast

January 1st, 2012 :: Rieva Lesonsky

By Rieva Lesonsky

It’s a mobile world, and increasingly, even email access is going more mobile, according to a new study by email certification and reputation monitoring firm Return Path. Although webmail (accessing email via the Web) still accounts for 44 percent of all message views worldwide, and desktop (accessing email via a desktop client like Outlook) comes in second with 33 percent of all views, mobile is rapidly catching up, accounting for 23 percent of all views.

The Return Path study showed that between October 2010 and September 2011, mobile email message views increased by 34 percent, while webmail views dropped by 11 percent and desktop views dropped by 9.5 percent.

One reason for the growth of mobile email viewing is the surging popularity of tablets. Return Path data found that access of email via tablets grew by a whopping 73 percent in that April–September time frame.

What does this trend mean for your business? Make sure your emails—whether they’re brief messages or longer newsletters—are optimized for mobile viewing, and that any links in it lead to mobile-friendly pages. Customers or prospects who think your email is too clunky to view on their phones or get frustrated by being taken to your standard website may never go back to that email again.

Return Path also found some interesting data about when users are more likely to view email in a mobile format. As you might expect, most emails during weekdays are viewed on desktops, since people are typically at work. Monday is the worst day for mobile email views. However, on the weekends, mobile email viewing surges.

The survey also found that certain types of emails—in particular, entertainment, social networking and publishing-related emails—were more likely to be viewed on mobile devices, while messages from software or financial services firms were more likely to be opened via desktop or webmail.

Desktop and webmail aren’t going away anytime soon, but this study points out the necessity of making your messages accessible to your customers wherever, whenever and however they want to read them.

Image by Flickr user Sean MacEntee (Creative Commons)

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Tags: Email marketing, small business
Posted in Email marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, Small Business, small business, Technology | 3 Comments »

Small Biz Resource Tip: ToneCheck

April 13th, 2011 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich

ToneCheck

We’ve all experienced it: The misunderstood tone in an email or text message lands us in hot water and we struggle to explain and make amends. Since business communication relies so heavily on the written word, it’s more and more important to convey the right tone in an email, tweet or post. Even when we’re trying to sound positive, we may unknowingly sound negative or, worse, offensive! ToneCheck, a new program (still in beta) from Lymbix, a “sentiment intelligence technology” company, checks your emails for tone before sending it out. Only available for Microsoft Outlook at this stage (it will soon be available for Hotmail and Gmail), this application could save the speedy emailer from an embarrassing situation and put emails in a more positive light.

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Tags: Email marketing, etiquette, Resources
Posted in Email marketing, Etiquette, Resources | No Comments »

Small Biz Resource Tip: email-list.com

April 11th, 2011 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich

email-list.com

Whether you’re creating a marketing campaign for businesses or consumers or simply trying to get the word out about your company to the media, you can never have enough names and email addresses in your database. If you’re feeling a little pathetic in the contacts department, don’t fret. Many small businesses turn to list sellers like email-list.com to purchase email addresses for their target audience. Email-list.com maintains one of the largest email list databases in the industry including 8.5 million businesses and 82 million consumers. You can target emails by lifestyle, buying habits, SIC code and more. Email-list.com also has 400,000 media contacts in their database for those newsworthy announcements.

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Tags: Email marketing, Resources
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The Definitive Guide to Retaining Email Subscribers

February 18th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series email marketing

In my previous blog post in this series, I wrote about how to build an email list; the post is based on what I learned from an eBook called the Bionic List Building Guide, which was published last summer by Lyris, a provider of integrated online marketing products (email marketing, Web analytics, search marketing, mobile marketing, etc.). I forgot about it for six months and just stumbled upon it recently.

According to Lyris, legally acquiring new email addresses is the first component of building a list. The second component is to provide valuable content to retain and build trust with subscribers, which I will focus on in this blog post. (The third component is allowing each new subscriber to manage their opt-in preferences, which I am not going to cover because it’s standard practice.)

Once you get a new subscriber, you need to cement the relationship, begin building trust right away, and make them as happy as the people in the photo. Here are Lyris’ tips, intermingled with my tips:

Keep your opt-in form short. When people subscribe, ask for minimal information: email address, first name and last name. Company name and industry would be OK, too, but keep in mind that the more information you ask for, the lower your conversion rate will be.

Add trust-building statements to the opt-in page. Explicitly state that you will be providing valuable content on a regular basis. Explain what your emails will contain (industry news, tips and tricks, how-tos, guides, etc.) and how often they will be sent.

Follow up with a thank you page. As soon as someone submits a subscription, a thank-you page should load immediately. Here’s what to include in the message: a thank you for joining the list, of course; confirmation of both the information the subscriber just supplied and any steps needed to complete the subscription, such as replying to a confirmation email; and a reminder of the benefits of subscribing to your list. If you provided an incentive to entice people to subscribe, such as a coupon or eBook, add that it will be arriving via email shortly.

Send a “welcome” email. In your message, provide more details on subscription benefits, link to a “preference page” where subscribers can provide more detailed contact information, and include any special subscriber-only offers, coupons, ebooks, white papers, or special reports. This should go without saying, but be sure to label your email as a welcome message in the subject line.

Make their subscription worthwhile! To retain your subscribers, send them information and promotions they can’t get elsewhere. Your emails should include valuable content that your readers can use, such as industry insights, reports, eBooks, white papers, guides, how-tos, product tips and tricks, etc. You also want them to feel special, so give them access to new products or services before they launch, whether it’s beta-testing, sneak peeks, surveys to gauge interest on possible new features, etc.

Don’t bore them. Keep your emails interesting by adding graphics, images, screen shots, video, and audio. Humanize your company with photos of staff, events, and parties; employee profiles; short articles written by key employees; and success stories that customers either wrote or relayed to an employee.

Image by Flickr user Douglas Duffield (Creative Commons)

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Tags: content, email, Email marketing, email marketing subscriptions, Marketing, opt-in forms
Posted in Email marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, Small Business | No Comments »

The Definitive Guide to Building an Awesome Email Marketing List

February 16th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series email marketing

Last summer I downloaded an e-book called the Bionic List Building Guide. It was published by Lyris, a provider of integrated online marketing products (e-mail marketing, Web analytics, search marketing, mobile marketing, etc.). I tucked it away and promptly forgot about it. I am very glad I stumbled upon it a couple of weeks ago, because it is full of great information on building an e-mail marketing list.

Here’s what I learned:

E-mail addresses tend to churn 30 percent every year, so it is important to retain your e-mail marketing subscribers while continually adding new ones. According to Lyris, there are 3 components to effectively building a list:

Legally acquiring new e-mail addresses
Providing valuable content to retain subscribers
Allowing each new subscriber to manage their opt-in preferences—on an ongoing basis

I am going to focus on the first component in this blog post and the second component in my next blog post. The third component is an obvious one; every e-mail newsletter I subscribe to has an opt-out button. It’s just standard practice.

Now, here is something new that I learned: Just because you have an e-mail address doesn’t mean you can go ahead and add that person to your e-mail list. It’s actually illegal! You must obtain their permission by asking them to opt-in, or subscribe, to your e-mail list.

The e-mail addresses of people who are not subscribers are called raw names. If you just go ahead and add names to your e-mail list, you violate spam laws and risk damaging your relationship with those people.

Here’s how to convert raw names and website visitors into opt-ins:

Online

Make it easy to subscribe. Provide the opportunity to opt-in by posting a link to your registration page on every page of your website and in your (and your employees’) e-mail signatures. Make sure the opt-in is positioned prominently on your home page.

At checkout. If you have an e-commerce site, everyone who makes an online purchase should be asked to check a box to indicate his or her desire to receive e-mail updates or an e-newsletter.

Landing pages. Use paid search to have better visibility in search rankings and to attract new subscribers. Post a link to your opt-in on the landing page.

Use partner e-mail lists. I recently formed an informal but committed partnership with three other marketing-related companies, and we pooled our lists to launch a blog via e-newsletter. Just be sure your partner has specifically stated to subscribers that they will receive offers from affiliates.

Newsletters. This is an easy suggestion that I really like: consider reciprocal promotions in complementary newsletters. Start with the companies you partner with regularly, as you probably have similar target markets.

Incentives. Offer opt-in incentives such white papers, eBooks, guides, e-mail-only discounts, free shipping, and/or special reports to significantly increase opt-in rates. Remember, content is king! Do this via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other social media channels you use.

Offline

Events. When your company exhibits at trade shows or conferences, have sign up form or scanner available to add names from the show floor.

In print. Publish your opt-in link on all printed materials, especially sales brochures and direct mail pieces.

Just ask. Ask your sales team to ask potential and current customers if they’d like to opt-in.

Presentations. Add your opt-in link on the last slide of your presentation so attendees can jot it down while you’re taking questions.

Point-of-purchase. If you have a retail outlet, ask customers to subscribe as you ring up their orders. You can also provide a sign-up form or small bowl where customers can leave their business cards next to the cash register. So many businesses still do this that it must be effective!

Image by Flickr user Ninja M. (Creative Commons)

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Tags: email lists, Email marketing, email marketing subscriptions, list building, Marketing
Posted in Email marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, Small Business | No Comments »

Small Biz Resource Tip: Constant Contact

November 23rd, 2010 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich

ConstantContact.com

Contemplating creating an e-mail marketing program, an e-newsletter or a social marketing campaign? Constant Contact is one of the leading online marketing solution companies and for a very low monthly cost allows you to create e-mail newsletters and updates, online surveys and more. You can even send marketing e-mails from your smartphone. Try Constant Contact’s free 60-day trial offer and create an e-newsletter for your customers from one of the many templates. E-mail address can be stored directly at Constant Contact. Want to discuss your needs with someone in person? The company has representatives all over the country.

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How Are Your Customers Using the Web?

October 28th, 2010 :: Rieva Lesonsky

By Rieva Lesonsky

Do you know what your customers are doing online? With the Internet so crucial to marketing today, a clear picture of how your target customers use the Web is essential to success. A recent study by Nielsen, What Americans Do Online, offers some insights.

According to the survey, U.S. Internet users spend more than one-third (36 percent) of their time online communicating and networking, whether it’s by e-mail, instant messaging, social media or blogs.

Use of blogs and social media has increased 43 percent from the same time last year, and now takes up 22.7 percent of time spent online. The second most popular online activity was playing games, which accounted for 10.2 percent of users’ time—a 10 percent increase compared to last year.

E-mail was the third most popular activity, accounting for 8.3 percent of users’ online time—although this represents a 28 percent drop compared to last year. Showing a strong rise? Videos and movies, although they only make up 3.9 percent of users’ online time, grew by 12 percent compared to 2009.

How can these statistics help your online marketing efforts? Here are three tips.

1. Start socializing. If you weren’t already convinced of the value of social media, I hope that “43 percent” increase changed your mind. No small business today can afford to ignore social media—a no-cost way to get the word out about your company, interact with customers from around the country (or the world), and build relationships that lead to sales. Whether you try Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or all three, I urge you to get out there and give social media a shot.

2. E-mail still matters. In fact, while use of e-mail on desktops and laptops declined, use of e-mail on mobile devices increased. E-mail accounts for 41.6 percent of time on mobile devices, compared to 37.4 percent last year. So keep your e-mail marketing efforts going, but integrate them with your newer activities by using e-mail to drive traffic to your social media presence. Also make sure your e-mail newsletters and other marketing messages are optimized for mobile viewing.

3. Think video. It’s still somewhat under the radar, but video can make a big difference in your business. For one thing, including video on your website, blog and/or Facebook page helps you rank higher on search engines. For another, some consumers simply prefer video viewing to reading. And for a third, videos can be a great way to “go viral.” If your video is interesting, funny or useful enough, users will forward it on. Posting video to your website can be as simple as grabbing a Flip video camera and talking about your product, your services or an upcoming event at your business. Now’s the time to start experimenting, so when video really takes off, you’ll be ahead of the pack.

Image by Flickr user Rob Pearce (Creative Commons)

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Tags: Branding, Marketing, social media
Posted in Branding, Email marketing, Marketing, social media | 5 Comments »

Small Biz Resource Tip: Groupon.com

October 12th, 2010 :: Rieva Lesonsky

Groupon.com

Want to drum up local business and get your community talking about your company? Then you’ll want to get your business highlighted on the daily deal site Groupon. Consumers who join Groupon get daily e-mails promoting one business in their area and offering them a deal such as two-for-one specials or 50 percent off your products or services. It costs you nothing to participate, but Groupon does take 50 percent of the amount the consumer pays. The plusses outweigh the minuses, though, as this site is wildly popular and gets new customers in your front door. Then it’s up to you to get them to come back.

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Using Social Media and e-Mail Campaigns for a one-two marketing punch

July 23rd, 2010 :: Steven Fisher

For the last few years people have been working with social media tools trying to increase customer acquisition and web site click through rates (CTR). Social media is at its very basic a conversation and anyone with an opinion or content can join in that conversation. This is different from e-mail which offers a more personalized and intimate level of contact with your customer.

GetResponse‘s “Email Marketing and Social Media Integration Report” found that the inclusion of social media sharing buttons in email generated click-through rates around 30% higher than email sent with no sharing options. The BizReport.com also says that “a Twitter button proved to be the most effective, increasing click-through rates by 40% but in order to garner the highest rates, around 55%, more than one social media button needed to be incorporated”.

Aweber has some great tips on how to leverage social media and e-mail campaigns together:

Occasionally, you may want to broadcast a brilliant newsletter beyond your list. Follow these steps to tweet your newsletter and show the Twitterverse the value of your emails. Put a sign-up form in the newsletter for new converts.
Post a sign-up form on your Facebook fan page. Your fans’ contacts will see any posts they make about you, and potential fans can also find your fan page via search. If they click over to your page, a sign-up form instantly invites them to join your list.
People who start following you via social media need a reason to subscribe by email, too. Make your web form is clearly visible, and try offering an extra incentive for signing up.
You aren’t the only one who can hype your campaign: your readers can, too.Buttons to share your emails on social networks offer opportunities to promote your message – and give you a chance to go viral.

Entrepreneur.com also has some great tips on making the most of your social media and e-mail marketing mix:

Make the most of the social media and e-mail marketing mix.
E-mail and social media marketing can work together to build on what each does best. Here are five things you need to know so you can make the most of the social media and e-mail marketing mix:

Be where your customers are. You won’t know whether your customers are on social media sites, and which ones in particular, unless you test the waters and look for them. Different people prefer different means of getting their daily info and opinion fix. Millions like the streaming feed of Twitter. Others prefer the posts on Facebook. More professionally oriented people may use LinkedIn. You want to swim in the channels that are frequented by your customers and prospects.

Use your e-mail list to build a social media presence. The big question we get from e-mail marketers is how to get that snowball rolling down the social media mountain. Here’s the good news: The secret is your e-mail list. Use it to jump-start your social media presence by inviting your subscribers to follow you on Twitter and become your fan on Facebook. They will get the ball rolling for you. How do you engage prospects on social media websites? The same way as with e-mail marketing: valuable, relevant, interesting content.

Repurpose content from your newsletter. Content is still king. That applies to social media, too. You don’t need to create brand-new content to engage people on social networking sites. Instead, repurpose snippets of articles you’ve already created (or aggregated) for your e-mail newsletter. Think of these as “microcontent”–one tip, one idea, one article you found interesting. A teaser and a link back to your archived newsletter or blog is all the content you need to get started posting on social media sites.

Invite people back to your website or blog. If your website is your online hub or headquarters, then think of social media sites as your satellites. They allow you to extend your business presence. When you post on social media, be sure to include frequent links back to your website, newsletter archive or blog, where interested people can learn more about your business. Then you can engage potential customerson a deeper level, away from the distractions of the social media world. Just be sure you’re not always selling; social media is better-suited for sharing information and expertise.

Ask for mailing list sign-ups on multiple channels. Use your e-mail list to build a presence on social media sites, then use your presence on the sites to invite even more people to sign up for your mailing list. Put a link to your sign-up form on multiple channels, including your website and Facebook fan page. Tweet about your newsletter articles on Twitter, linking readers back to your newsletter archive, where they can sign up for your mailing list.

Your Email and Social Media Tactics

Have you tried any of these methods with your campaigns? Are you seeing a change in the relationships you have with customers and email newsletter subscribers?

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Tags: e-mail marketing, Marketing, social media
Posted in Email marketing, Marketing, small business, social media | 4 Comments »

Social Media in Action Part Two: How a Farm Has Achieved Inbound Marketing Success

May 5th, 2010 :: Monika Jansen

My last blog post, Social Media in Action Part One: How a Farm Cultivates Fans on Facebook, looked at one significant aspect of Great Country Farms’ (GCF) successful inbound marketing program. With the help of public relations, social media, and event planning expert Christine Geno of Geno Communications, GCF grew their Facebook fan page 580% in 8 ½ months—and for 4 ½ of those months, they were closed (not much going on at a farm in northern Virginia during the winter months).

Just to recap quickly: GCF is a 200 acre working farm owned by the Zurschmeide family nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in small, historic, rural, and beautiful Bluemont, VA. They are part of the thriving tourism industry in Loudoun County, VA that is heavily promoted in and around the metro Washington, DC area and the Mid-Atlantic region. Though they have gotten promotional help from Loudoun County’s very active tourism board, the Zurschmeides have done a great deal of work themselves to promote their farm.

So what is GCF and why do they attract so many fans? Their tagline “Buy Local. Play Local. Eat Local.” pretty much describes what they are. GCF offers organic farm shares from May through October (list is full for 2010, but you can get on a wait list for 2011); rents their facilities for special events, and provides a fun farm experience for us city-folk, including picking produce, climbing and playing on old tractor and farming equipment, going on hayrides, shopping at their farm market/store, and petting and feeding farm animals.

In addition to cultivating a robust, active, and enthusiastic fan base on Facebook, GCF and Chris Geno (her company’s website is under construction) are successfully using several platforms to drive their inbound marketing strategy.

Twitter. Kate Zurschmeide tweets what GCF is currently planting and picking, and, as mentioned in the first post, their Twitter account is linked to their Facebook account, so all GCF Facebook posts are also tweeted. Chris Geno then retweets via her own Twitter account, and her tweets are also often retweeted by others, including the local tourism board. Chris has a large media following on Twitter and has strategically positioned her Twitter account to follow media, event planners, moms groups, etc.
Newsletter. Members of their CSA and Fans of the Farm (aka, season pass holders—yes, there is a daily admission to the farm) receive a monthly newsletter that includes special events and promotions, recipes, farm news, produce information, and more.
Theme weeks. To boost attendance during the week, GCF decided to get creative and
“theme” each week they are open. “Future Farmers”, “Dirt Dirt Dirt!”, “Flower Power”, Berrylicious”, and “Cowabunga” are a handful of examples.
Auction items. GCF sometimes donates gift certificates for birthday parties to local auctions/benefits for worthy causes.
Military perks. Entrance fees are waived for anyone with a military ID, which Chris advertises on the USO’s and various moms group Facebook pages.
Bumper stickers. Lots of cars sport black and white oval “GCF” bumper stickers in northern Virginia. Cheap, mobile advertising! Can’t beat it.
Cross promotions. Directly across from the entrance driveway to GCF is a driveway leading to Bluemont Vineyard, which is co-owned by the Zurschmeides. Both the winery and farm cross promote each other. This is a unique situation, of course, but one they fully take advantage of. As a result, the winery is kid- and dog-friendly and full of picnicking families during weekend afternoons.
Festivals. Who doesn’t love a festival? Starting with the Marshmallow Harvest and Egg Hunt in March and ending with the Pumpkin Chunkin Weekend in November, they are holding a total of 14 festivals this season.
Other online channels: Chris uses LinkedIn to promote events at GCF and videos of the farm are listed on YouTube
Advertising. GCF has moved away from traditional advertising (in local newspapers), and instead utilizes their own website, listings on tourism websites, and word-of-mouth advertising to promote the farm.

Because of their extensive marketing efforts, GCF is a known entity in northern Virginia. They have gotten a lot of coverage in the news media, on local blogs and television stations, their parking lot is packed on nice weekends from spring through fall, and rental demand for weddings, birthday parties, corporate retreats, and group events has taken off. Not bad for a family farm, huh?