Q. What should we be cognizant of when we start anemail marketing campaign? Joel M.

A.  Over the past few years, many have seen email marketing as ‘old school’. The younger generation is all about getting their information via text messages, instant messaging, and Facebook messaging. They seem not to have a need for emails any more.  Despite all that, however, there is still a viable reason why email marketing will stay strong. Email marketing is still a cost-effective way to build strong relationships with your target customers. Providing you power your emails with value, email marketing is a win-win strategy.

Now, to answer your question, Joel; there are definitely things you need to look out for so you can avoid making email marketing mistakes.

Let’s take a look at eight mistakes I see many email marketers make:

1. Not having a strategy: When you started your business, you created a business plan so you would have a road map to help you stay on track. Email marketing is no different. Know your goals. How often will you send your emails? Will your emails be promotion, informative, or a combination of both? What are your desired results?

2. Not asking for permission: New, and some seasoned, business owners think that just because someone handed them a business card that it gave them permission to send them marketing emails. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you want to be seen as a spammer, then go right ahead and everyone’s name to your list, but if you want to be a trusted sender – ASK PERMISSION first.

Another no-no is buying lists. Here too, people will see you as a spammer and will report you as such. Your list should be built upon trust. Plus, you want your list to be filled with interested subscribers. They are the ones who will eventually make a purchase – not someone you spammed. Build your list organically by adding an opt-in box on your website, and/or a sign-up sheet at your brick and mortar location.

3. Having a bogus subject line: If your subject line says: “5 Fun Facts About Fancy Fish”, then I’m going to expect that your content is going to tell me just that. However, when I open your email and all I see are sales promotions – and no fun facts about fancy fish, you no longer are a trusted sender. You lied to me. Make sure your subject line EXACTLY reflects your content.

4. Inconsistent ‘from’ line: This is one of my pet peeves. Tell me who you are, and be consistent about it. Your email address, and/or ‘from’ name needs to tell the recipient who the email is from. When you begin your email marketing campaign, decide how you will look in someone’s inbox, and stick to it. The ‘from’ line should read like this: john@johndoe.com and/or John Doe. I should see it the same way every time I get your email. The moment you send an email using studmuffin@hotmail.com – you’ve lost me, and I won’t open your email.

5. Sending unrelated content: When your subscribers opted in to receive your emails, they trusted that you would send them relevant content regarding your industry. A travel agent promising emails filled with travel adventures should not turn around and begin writing about skin care.

6. Closing the doors of communication: Sending value filled content is crucial, but many business owners forget to open the lines of conversation by forgetting to allow their readers to engage in further conversation. You want to allow dialogue so that you can continue the conversation. Link your email content to your blog. Give them a call to action – ask your readers to leave a comment.

7. No way to share your value: No matter how many people you have on your permission-based list, you could always use more exposure. So many email marketing service providers have the option for you to add social media share links in your emails. Daily, I receive marketing emails from business owners, and they have not left me with a way to share their email on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Constant Contact and Aweber both have this built into their system. It takes a click to activate it in each email you send. It confuses me as to why people aren’t using this amazing tool.

8. Not using the reports:  I mentioned Constant Contact and Aweber in Number 7, but there are a slew of email marketing service providers you can choose from. Each one of them has a reporting system where you can actually see who opened your email, who clicked a link, and much more. By reviewing your reports, you can get a better understanding of how effective your marketing emails are.

9. Not allowing unsubscribe: Because email marketing is permission-based, you need to provide a way for your subscribers to unsubscribe when they no longer want to receive your emails.  Give them an easy opt-out, and one that’s easy to find (preferably at the top of your emails).

Joel, I hope I gave you enough to go on before you begin your email marketing campaigns. I ask everyone to email me your questions, and I’ll do my best to get them answered.

What other mistakes do you see others make in their email marketing efforts? Leave your comments below.

Eydie

Eydie Stumpf is a Social Media Coach based in Corona, California. Send her your
social media and email marketing questions via http://facebook.com/eydies.office, http://facebook.com/AskEydie or
eydie@eydiesoffice.com

Twitter has updated their polices and has added a few more interesting items to its service. This morning I received an email from Twitter (as probably most Twitter users have) outlining the new updates. Let’s take a look:

New things are always happening here at Twitter HQ. We’re growing at a rapid pace, and our commitment to simplicity, transparency, and reaching every person on the planet continues. We thought you might be interested in knowing about some of our most recent developments:

• A new weekly email that delivers the most interesting news and items you might have missed from the people you’re connected to on Twitter.
• Now Twitter is in more languages than ever. Check for your preferred language and change your setting.
• Download the latest Twitter mobile apps at twitter.com/download.
• There’s more to Discover on Twitter.com – try out the new Discover tab.

In addition, we’ve made a number of updates to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Here are some of the main changes to our Privacy Policy, with links for more information:

• We’ve provided more details about the information we collect and how we use it to deliver our services and to improve Twitter. One example: our new tailored suggestions feature, which is based on your recent visits to websites that integrate Twitter buttons or widgets, is an experiment that we’re beginning to roll out to some users in a number of countries. Learn more here.
• We’ve noted the many ways you can set your preferences to limit, modify or remove the information we collect. For example, we now support the Do Not Track (DNT) browser setting, which stops the collection of information used for tailored suggestions.
• We’ve clarified the limited circumstances in which your information may be shared with others (for example, when you’ve given us permission to do so, or when the data itself is not private or personal). Importantly, our privacy policy is not intended to limit your rights to object to a third party’s request for your information.

In our Terms of Service, we’ve clarified how your relationship with Twitter works and made a number of small changes and formatting improvements, such as new headings for easy reference and updated descriptions of our services.
Take a moment to read our new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, and thanks for using Twitter.

The Twitter Team

Anything look interesting to you? Leave your comments below.

Have you ever had those moments when you saw a new product or heard of a new method of doing something, and you think to yourself, “Geeze, that’s so simple, when didn’t I think of that?” We all have them, right? Then you kick
yourself in the pants for not thinking of it yourself. Well, I kicked myself in the pants last week when I watched a video about intergrating LinkedIn with in-person networking events.

Allow me to begin by saying that live in-person networking events are still the
number one way to make connections with potential clients, strategic business
partners, vendors, and even your competition. Connecting in-person builds and
nurtures stronger working relationships. However, we can’t spend all of our
time at live networking events, so by bringing you new connections into
LinkedIn, you can keep your relationship building endeavors moving forward.

Whether you are attending a mixer, expo, conference, networking meeting or a business meeting, you have the opportunity to meet with people you don’t know.  First conversations, with someone you don’t know, can be awkward. I’ve been there – you’ve been there. But, you muddle through the “Hi, I’m Eydie, what do you do?” chatter.

Let’s take a look at what we could add into our face-to-face networking strategy.

After the usual first time meeting small talk, ask, “Joe, are you on
LinkedIn?” If the answer is yes, then here’s your chance to make your
move. Say to them, “I’d like to send you an invite to connect on LinkedIn,
is that okay?”. Pull out your smartphone, open up your LinkedIn
application, find that person, and send the invite. Now you’ve turned someone
you don’t know well, into someone you will be able to get to know better. Your
new connection will accept your invitation because you’ve made that dazzling, in-person, first impression.

Once you’ve moved on from that new connection, do some further research on your new invitee. Go to his, or her, profile. Read their summary, interests, groups to which they belong. Learn more about them so that you can ask them more questions during your next conversation at the event. Do it while you’re at the event, because it doesn’t mean as much the next day.

Invitation etiquette

To make sure that you understand a little bit about LinkedIn etiquette, and sending invitations to connect, I want to make note that normally it is not appropriate to send out a network connection invite using just the default text that Linkedin provides. In the scenario I described above, however, it is okay because you have already made that connection in-person.

No smartphone?

If by chance you don’t have a smartphone and a LinkedIn application, or you weren’t able to get that far into your conversation, make sure that you follow up the next day.  Search for him, or her,  on LinkedIn, do some more research via their profile, and send them a network connection invite. In this invite, you will
remind them of how you met, boost their memory by telling them what you talked about, and encourage them to visit your LinkedIn profile. At the end, give them a call to action: “Please accept my invitation to connect on Linkedin”.

Simple, right? What strategies do you use to bring your in-person connections into LinkedIn?

Eydie
Source: IntergratedAlliances.com

You DO know that the money is in the list – correct? But how do you build a list of interested readers? Well, there are a number of ways, but today I’m going to tell you the #1 secret to list building. Oh, and it’s so simple too. Many business owners simply overlook this step BECAUSE it’s so simple!

THE SIGN-UP SHEET! There – that’s the secret! I told you it was simple! Who knew that a plain sheet of white paper could help you build your list?

Here’s what you need to do:

•Provide an incentive: On your sign-up sheet, ask your customers, “Would you like to receive emails every week (bi-weekly, monthly, etc) about new products or services? Tips and tricks? Specials just for subscribers”? Get them excited when they are actually IN your store or office!! They are more likely to sign up when they are in your location because they are already excited about what you have.

•Provide a space for first name, last name, and email address. Simple! And it doesn’t even have to look pretty.

•Find the best location for your sign-up sheet. Most likely at the point of sale, registration / appointment desk.

•Keep your list excited and enthused about your products or services. Send them valuable information. How to information and tips about your products, etc.

•Ask your list to share your emails. Give them a reward when they do.

Keeping track of your list:

This is easy! Use a service like Constant Contact or Aweber to keep track of your list and marketing emails. Find out who is opening your emails and who is forwarding them to others. WOW – your list is now your sales force!

If you do not have a brick and mortar location, having a sign-up sheet isn’t as easy or convienent. We just have to get more creative. Will you have a vendor table at a mixer or expo? Do you belong to a networking group where you are able to do a presentation?

Think of other venues and opportunities where you can build your list using a sign-up sheet. Share your ideas in the comment box below.

Do you know when to use “then” rather than “than”? How about “affect” and “effect”? Or something simplier like “your” and “you’re”.  We all make these kinds of mistakes – and I’m as guilty as everyone else.

When we are writing for our blogs, Web site content, marketing articles, or even our Facebook posts…we should be taking a long hard look at how we are presenting ourselves.  Like it or not, improper use of words counts as a first impression.

Check out this smart Infographic written by Brian Clark on the Copyblogger.com blog. “15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly”.

Can you think of any other English words that we use incorrectly? Share them with us below.

Eydie

Q. My Website designer is driving me crazy with all the things he wants to put n my site. Can you tell me what the important elements are? I just want a simple and clean look.  Nickie D.

A. I would be happy to, Nickie.  Simple and clean – that’s what I like to hear. Websites all gummed up with lots of extras will distract your visitors. So, stick to your guns.

Keep the following items in mind when building your Website. Remember, your website needs to inform your readers, be easy for your readers to navigate, and be interactive.

Quality Content:
Content is king, but, we can’t overlook the quality of your images. Images can
make any Website more effective, but overuse of images can destroy the load
time. We respond to images and sometimes decide if we are going to read the
content based on the image. Make sure you are using high quality images with a
Web resolution of 72dpi.

Depending on the type of business you have, I would add a headshot on your
About Us page. People like to know whom they are dealing with. It’s your first
impression, and it helps to build relationships.

Confusing Navigation:
This will stop your Website visitor in their tracks every time. Make it easy
for your visitors to navigate your Website so they find what they need.

Above the Fold:
Your compelling information should be seen at a glance. Your “above the
fold” content (content seen first when the Website loads) will give your
visitors a quick snapshot of what you are about and what they will find on your
site.

Bite-sized Chunks:
Did you know that reading is 25% slower online than reading print items? Your attention getting paragraphs should be short and to the point. Also, bullet points allow your visitors to easily scan your content more quickly. We’re all strapped for time. Don’t turn your Website into the next great American novel.

The Sweet Spot:
Our eyes gravitate to the upper left-hand side of a page. This is where you would
place your most important information. You need a way to capture email
addresses, so I would place a “Join Our Mailing List” Opt-in box as
close as you can to the upper left corner. Remember, the money is in the list.
Also, give them something free in exchange for their email address. A free report
or ebook works wonders.

Social Share Buttons:
If you want to get more traffic to your Website then you are going to have to
add social share buttons. When someone likes what they see and read, they will
share it with their online community. It’s important for your business that you
add a way for people to share your site on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and
Pinterest. Oh, I almost forgot, add links for your visitors to reach out to you
on Facebook and the others. You want to build relationships, right?

Blogging:
Your Website should be a place where you can show off your expertise. By writing blog posts on a consistent basis, you are doing exactly that. Blog posts give your visitors something to do other than read – they respond to your post. You want them to leave a comment, and become part of your Website.

E-Commerce:
Are you selling products? Then I would highly suggest that you install a shopping cart. Always have a way that people can pay for products and services.

Animation:
Leave animation for cartoons and movies. Search engines don’t really like them, and it distracts your visitors.

RSS Feed:
That’s the small orange squarish icon you see on some Websites. If you have a blog, then add an RSS Feed so people can subscribe to your posts.

There you have it. Great content, quality images, easy navigation, important content above the fold, capture email addresses, quick scanning, join, and the ability to share, sell, and comment.

What did I miss? Share your ideas below.

Eydie

By March 30th all Facebook Business Pages will be converted to the new Timeline. Mari Smith, the Queen of Facebook, created an informative screenshot of her Timeline. Take a look at how she breaks down the various features:

One of the features we’ll be losing will be the ability to define a custom landing pages as the default page your fans land on.  The custom tabs, however, will still be there, as well as the “like-gating”.  According to Mari, each of your apps still has its own unique URL which means that you can still drive traffic to any landing page you wish.

There are some new rules pertaining to the new Timeline Cover. The cover image (851 X 315 pixels) may not contain:

• Contact information
• Call to action
• Arrows pointing to the Like or Share buttons
• Advertising

Eydie

Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Facebook Business Page and a Business Account is?  Often, I have business owners tell me that they don’t want their Business Page associated with their Personal Profile account. Lucky for them Facebook actually gives business owners choices.  Facebook allows businesses to create a presence in two ways.

1. Create a Business Page
2. Create a Business Account

Let’s take a look at both options…

Creating a Business Page:

Using your personal profile account, you are able to create a Facebook Page for your business.  Business Pages ARE searchable and indexed by search engines.

[NOTE: Personal Profiles ARE NOT searchable!  Often, I see business owners using their Personal Profile AS their business instead of creating a Business Page. This is not effective at all if they want to be found on Google, Bing, or other search engines.]

Your Business Page allows you the opportunity to promote your business, while also offering valuable information, tips, updates and even customer service.  On your Business Page you can upload a profile banner instead of simply your logo.

In addition, you can create a custom landing page. Consider this a mini-website inside of your Business Page. Here you can add more content, images, links back to your website, a map to your location, Buy Now buttons, and even capture email addresses for your email marketing efforts.

Having a Business Page is essential to every business owner who wants to grow their business.  Use Facebook as your Page to “Like” other Pages, and commenting on them will give you more visibility.

Now, there are some people who don’t want to create a Business Page which is associated to their Personal Profile account. That’s where a Business Account comes in.

Creating a Business Account:

So, what’s the difference between a Business Page and a Business Account? Lots!

Using Facebook’s explanation, “Business accounts are designed for individuals who only want to use the site to administer Pages and their ad campaigns. For this reason, business accounts do not have the same functionality as personal accounts. Business accounts have limited access to information on the site. An individual with a business account can view all the Pages and Social Ads that they have created, however they will not be able to view the profiles (Timelines) of users on the site or other content on the site that does not live on the Pages they administer. In addition, business accounts cannot be found in search, send or receive friend requests, or create/develop apps.” 

Other limitations may include:

• Inability to link to your Twitter account
• Basic information will be limited to year founded (no address, phone number, or hours of operation)
• Lack of detailed information about your business. Limited to website, overview, mission, and products
• Inability to tag friends in photos
• Unable to get a vanity URL.

While I appreciate the rationale behind not wanting to create a Business Page through a Personal Profile account, I also don’t see a clear benefit of creating a Business Account either.

What are your thoughts about a Business Page vs. a Business Account? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Eydie

Q. I get daily requests from my Facebook friends to Like their pages. My feeling is that I would rather Like someone’s Page because it interests me and I see value in it. I don’t feel as if I should Like a Page because they want more fans. What’s your take on this? Am I being too picky? Lynn B.

A. Here’s my answer, Lynn…It’s all up to you.

According to a study done by ExactTarget.com, “A click of the ‘Like’ button means different things to different people. It creates an opportunity for further engagement, but it is merely one step toward the types of meaningful, cross-channel relationships marketers need to succeed.”

Also mentioned in the study, close to 40% of consumers Like company Pages on Facebook to publicly display to their friends that they like a particular company. In addition, people will Like certain pages to receive discounts and promotions.  Another 34% of Facebook users will Like a Page so they can stay informed about company activities. Nowhere in the study did I see that people will Like a Page for the educational value they receive. Odd, because that’s one of my main reasons for liking someone’s Page.

My feelings are that many Facebook users will Like a Page to merely show support to their friends. I, too, get requests from my Facebook friends to Like their Page. But, if I Liked everyone’s Page, then my wall would be overrun with even more status updates I really don’t care about. Let’s face it, I’m not always interested in what you post – nor are you always interested in what I post.

Personally, I prefer to Like business Pages which offer me valuable content. Am I learning something from them? Are they offering me information I can use in my business or personal life? If I Like their Page and interact regularly, will I be able to gain credibility in their eyes? Is the company using their Page for customer service? And yes, I’m always on the lookout for a free offer, coupons and promotions.

On the side of the Page owner, such as myself, many strive to build up their numbers. The larger the audience, the higher the chances are that someone will take the bait. But, are they building a quality fan base?

Myself, well I prefer quality. I would prefer that people like my Page(s) because they WANT to, and that they are gaining value from my status updates and not just because I’m building my numbers. Of course I want a large following, but not at the expense of quality.

What I often see are Page owners posting a status update saying, “I only need 20 more people to Like my Page to reach my goal of 500″.  When I see that, I see a business only interested in the numbers, and not the quality of fans. Truly interested fans will eventually buy from you. Uninterested fans won’t. Why are they wasting their time on getting uninterested people to Like their Pages? Just so they can say, “I have 2,000 fans…Look how great I am”.  I suppose that those 20 fans could be interested, but why not entice them, instead, to become fans by posting the benefits of liking the Page. How will they gain by liking your Page?

So, Lynn, if you feel strongly about NOT liking someone’s Page – then don’t. Like what you like – not what you don’t like. Would you buy something you don’t like? Nope – you wouldn’t.

Anyone want to offer a debate on this subject? I’m willing to listen and learn! Leave your opinions below.

Eydie