Constant Contact will provide lunch, you bring your business cards, and get ready for a dynamic workshop guaranteed to jump start your 2012.

The Power of Engagement Marketing:

How can you keep your customers coming back for more - telling their friends - and keep your business thriving? Learn how to inform, inspire, and create long-term meaningful connections with engagement marketing, building the relationships that build your success. This is a FREE event with an opportunity to network with over 100 small businesses and includes a Q&A Panel with Marketing Experts.
Date: Tuesday, November 29th

Time: 11:00 AM Registration/Meet & Greet Marketing Experts (including Creative Marketing Services, CMS)

Where: Writers Boot Camp, Santa Monica (map it)

Cost: FREE
We hope to see you there!

Register now

There's still time to register....Join me this Wednesday for a "Hands On" Getting Started Email Marketing Bootcamp with SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business", Constant Contact and a great team of other email marketing experts.

Lace 'em up! And get ready for five hours of intensive, roll-up-your-sleeves Constant Contact product training. This dynamic, hands-on workshop gives you the practical know-how you need to create and send professional-looking email newsletters and promotions that drive bottom-line results.

Register Today!

5 Techniques for More Effective Email Campaigns

When done correctly, email marketing can be a very powerful way to grow your business with both existing customers as well as new customers.

One of the most important aspects of effective email campaigns is segmentation. Are you targeting your email communications to specified customers based on their preferences or purchase habits or are you blasting a generic email to all of your contacts?

Here are 5 techniques for more effective email campaigns...

1. Use Segmentation to Send Relevant Messages

One size does not fit all when it comes to email marketing. Sure, you can send a generic email campaign to all of your readers however; ask yourself how many customers are you truly reaching with this basic message strategy? Avoid blasting emails to your entire contact list. No single email will be relevant to everyone!

In a recent study by DoubleClick, email users were 72% more likely to respond to a business email if its content was based on the interests they had specified.

When you personalize and craft your messages to a specific target audience you will have the best chance for success. For example, your communication to existing customers should be different from what you are communicating to your prospects. With your prospects you need to be communicating the value-added benefits of conducting business with you and why they should chose you over the competition, etc. This also may include providing incentives for giving your business a try. Whereas, with your existing customer base, it is important to reach them at the point at where they are at in the selling cycle. For example, send a welcome email campaign to a new customer after their very first visit. Thank them for their business, provide a value-added benefit (i.e. link to one of your most important articles/tips) and let them know that you look forward to seeing them again in the near future. This type of “welcome campaign” has been very effective with our day spa clients. Furthermore, if the first-time client doesn’t book a future appointment during their visit, they receive a “welcome email campaign” with an added incentive/ savings to book a future appointment.  As a result, bookings for new clients has increased significantly.

Segment your email list and separate out existing customers and prospects. You can further segment your list by specific preferences for each customer. For example, if you are a motorcycle dealership you may want to separate your customer list into two separate groups such as street bike owners and dirt bike owners because these are two different target audiences with varying demographics, interests and riding seasons.

2. Consistency is Key…Don’t Lose Touch
Keep your email marketing consistent and predictable. Email marketing is one of the least expensive ways to get in front of your target audience and as a result, keep top of mind with your customers.

Develop a rolling twelve month email marketing calendar where you strategically plan out your email campaigns. For many businesses seasonality plays a big role in their sales so plan in advance and give yourself plenty of time to develop the appropriate email campaigns. Decide what the best frequency is for your target audience. Is it weekly or monthly? Be careful not to over communicate as that can be one of the key factors why readers unsubscribe from emails. Find the right balance for your readers.

3. Optimize Your From Line
The “From Line” can be one of the key factors in determining if you email campaigns will be opened. First of all, it is critical for your target audience to recognize who the email is coming from. If they don’t know who the sender is, there is a small likelihood that your email will even get opened therefore; your message will not reach them and it will be a wasted effort. Instead, use the company name or personality/ person associated with the brand that your customer base is familiar with. Avoid a “From Line” with a generic email address such as This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for two reasons. First, it will likely be blocked by the SPAM filters and dumped into junk email if delivered at all. Second, including “sales” in the email address indicates that you are trying to make a sale rather than providing value-added benefits to your readers.

4. Create Compelling Subject Lines
Believe it or not; the “From Line” is even more important than the “Subject Line” when it comes to factors determining whether or not emails get opened. With that being said, the subject line is still a critical factor. The most successful email campaigns simply include subject lines that actually tell the reader what content is included in the email. A novel concept, I know. These days with so many “spammers” out there, many of them include subject lines designed to trick the reader into opening the email. Some examples include, “Hey Tracy” or “Let’s Connect” which are used to trick readers into thinking the email is from someone they know when in fact it is just SPAM. Avoid using terms in your subject line that will flag the SPAM filters such as “Free” or “Guarantee”. Instead, be creative and use terms like “Complimentary” or “Be Our Guest”. Overall, it is always a good practice to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Think about what type of information would compel your customers to want to learn more and open your email. Many companies make the mistake of simply pushing their products or services and not taking into account their customer’s needs, in other words WIFM (what’s in it for me).

5. Test, Test, Test

As with ANY marketing method, the key to success with email marketing is to test, test and test some more! Take a close look at your email statistics to help determine the effectiveness of your campaigns. For example, what is your open rate? It is above industry average of 12%? The more you can personalize and include relevant content for your readers, the more likely you are to build a strong following where your customers look forward to receiving your email, thus resulting in a significantly higher open rate.

Test the following:

· Subject Lines

· Content

· Promotions

· Calls to Action

· Targeted Messages

· Day and Time of Day emails are sent

The more testing you conduct, the more educated you’ll be in regards to what’s working and what’s not.

Email marketing can be the most cost-effective method to reach your target audience and therefore a top priority should be increasing the size of your database.  There are a number of great ways to easily grow your email database and I’ve included the proven TOP 10 Methods here:

1. Website
   Add an email sign up form to every page of your website.  Provide compelling benefits for subscribers, such as exclusive offers, expert tips, news, etc.
2. Social Networking
   Add email sign up form (or link to sign up form) to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.  In addition, on a semi-regular basis create posts encouraging people to sign up and include link to the online form.
3. Forward to a Friend Button
   Include a “Forward to a Friend” button in your email newsletter or campaign.  This will help reminder your subscribers to forward your email to friends or family that may benefit from your products, services or valuable tips that you’ve included in that issue.
4. Join My Mailing List Button
   Include a “Join My Mailing List” button so when your subscribers forward your email their friends or family they can easily sign up to receive your future emails with one click of the button.
5. Events 
   Make the most out of your events by including an email sign up form and include a sample of a past newsletter/ email campaign.  Also include a sign that includes bullet point with compelling benefits for subscribers and indicate how frequently they will receive emails from you.
6. Showroom/ Office
   At your reception desk, add an email sign up form along with a sign that includes bullet point with compelling benefits for subscribers and indicate how frequently they will receive emails from you.
7. Existing Customers
   Reach out to your current customers that you don’t have an email address for.  Give them the list of benefits for signing up and let them know that you will never share their information with anyone.
8. New Customers
   Ask each new customer if they’d like to sign up to receive your email newsletters/ campaigns.  Give them the list of benefits for signing up and let them know that you will never share their information with anyone.
9. Strategic Partners
   This is a great way to significantly expand your visibility.  Feature your strategic partner that may offer complementary products or services to your business in your email newsletter and include a link to their website or email sign up.  In turn, have your strategic partner feature your business in their email newsletter with a link to sign up for your emails. 
   Note: don’t just add your strategic partner’s email list into your database. These people have not given you their permission to email them and as a result you may get a high SPAM report which can have a negative effect on your email marketing.
10. Contest or Sweepstakes
    Feature a contest or sweepstake which includes an exciting grand prize suited for your target audience when they agree to sign up for your emails.