Valentine’s Day presents a great opportunity for marketers to reach out and engage with customers, followers, and fans.  Those five words- “Will you be my Valentine?”- are often the catalyst to stir up many more words associated with Valentine’s Day.  We selected ten of our favorite Valentine’s Day words to see how often marketers used them in conjunction with their Valentine’s-themed blogs, tweets, and Facebook posts from February 2011.

Our list of words included:

Here are three takeaways from our analysis of the use of these words that marketers should consider when sending their Valentine’s Day communications this year:

 1.    Make your Valentine stand out from the crowd.

The most common of the 10 words used in Valentine’s Day communications was “love.” In fact, it was used more than twice as often as the next closest words — “date, ” “card, ” “heart, ” and “romantic. ” While “love” seemed to be the preferred word to use in Valentine’s Day communications, marketers who want to stand out from the crowd should consider using words like “cupid” and “flower” in their communications. These words were used the least out of the 10 words and could present an opportunity to make your Valentine’s Day communications unique. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of your customers.

 2.    It’s never too late to send your Valentine.

Timing was a recurring theme across Valentine’s Day communications for 2011. It was no surprise that the highest-volume day for sending communications was February 14, with the second-highest day being February 7, one week out from Valentine’s Day. However, it’s also interesting to note that there was a spike in sending Valentine-themed messages the weekend following Valentine’s Day. February 14 fell on a Monday in 2011, and perhaps many people were waiting for the weekend to celebrate with their sweethearts.  This presented an opportunity for marketers to prolong the holiday and extend it past February 14. If Valentine’s Day snuck up on your business this year, it’s not too late to reach out to your customers and send a message this weekend to catch those who are celebrating Valentine’s Day later in the week.

 3.    Send your Valentine through multiple channels

The two most commonly used channels for Valentine’s Day communications in 2011 were blogs and Facebook. Social media is a powerful way to reach new and existing followers that businesses should look to integrate into their holiday marketing plans. In addition to Facebook, don’t forget about Twitter, YouTube, and other social media channels when sending your Valentine’s Day communications. If you’re a restaurant owner, tweet about Valentine’s Day dinner specials. If your business is in the hospitality/travel industry, post videos of great vacation destinations for a romantic post–Valentine’s Day trip. The possibilities to market with social media are numerous no matter what industry your business spans.

There are countless ways to connect your brand to Valentine’s Day and send out relevant, well-timed messages to improve your engagement for the holiday. To learn more, check out iContact’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @iContact. How are you engaging with your customers and fans this Valentine’s day?

iStrategy 2012 at SFO featured illustrious speakers in the field of digital marketing and social media.  There was something for everybody to learn with the two days packed with keynotes, panel discussions, and workshops. iContact’s Geoff Alexander conducted a workshop called “Integrated Email Marketing,” which offered critical tips and case studies from the real world. Check out his slide deck here.

Using some of the proceeds from the workshop, iContact donated $100 to each of the following charities: Hospital for Kids (@hospital4kids), American Cancer Society (@americancancer), Animal Rescuers (@animalrescuers), Dress for Success, Save SF Bay (@saveSFbay), and Able Closet (@AbleCloset).

Below are some of the tactics for social media I learned from iStrategy. For a quick explanation of the topic, we have also provided a tweet scroll on each topic:

• External evangelists – Identify the people who are already talking positively about your brand. Build a relationship with them. Keep them aware of new products, new features, and case studies. Take their opinions seriously. Ask for feedback. Thank them for their support.

Here is what folks on Twitter wrote:

@MissDestructo  “Develop your relationships with your influencers… not to pay them off.” – @sandy_carter #istrategy”

@jlbeamer thanks @craignewmark for wisdom: Listen to customers, feedback loops, foster culture of trust, use tech to further common good #iStrategy

@misskacieh Elevate your brand’s key influencers to ambassador status- top advocates can become guest bloggers @kristinkovner #istrategy

@JennyMack Two times as many brand conversations per week come from influencers. (McKinsey & Company, 2010) #istrategy

• Scientists (for Dow chemical) / Product specialists as the main touch points for social media – Their knowledge of what has gone into the product and details of its features make them an excellent touch point for customers. Their “non-marketing” stance makes them approachable. For hi-tech products, their ability to talk tech with the techies makes them easier to relate to.

On Twitter

@MichaelDeLongSF At @DowChemical, the scientists are better storytellers than the marketers. Who are your org’s ‘scientists’? #iStrategy@abby_klanecky

• Gamification – Many companies think that creating a game or an app is “Gamification.” Surprise! They are not the same! Gamification uses the theories of game play and reward to improve (not increase) engagement with a customer or visitor. It can be used on any marketing technique from website to social apps. You don’t change the end point or even the course of progress for the customer. You just create reason(s) for visitors to follow the course and reward them for milestones.

From Twitterland

@soumyapr  #gamification is a game dynamics into a non game experience. Think website, existing content. Wow. #istrategy

@scott_jaworski For gamification, a game = fantasy + choice + growth #istrategy

@soumyapr Games don’t increase engagement. They r a new reason (content) 4 visitors 2 visit. Big difference between games and #gamification#istrategy

• Advanced analytics to bring in the “ideal” customers – Have you heard the statement, “Social media is hard to justify in terms of ROI” or “What’s the true value of fans”? Well, Jeff French of LoudDoor has one answer for those questions. He used their analytics tool to identify the “ideal customer” and then used Facebook marketing to scale those to 500,000 fans, who are 500,000 ideal customers. The tool to check out from iStrategy. Other tools that were revealed at #iStrategy include Converto. See tweets below.

@JennyMack Anyone else chomping at the bit to try out LoudDoor after@jeffcolumbia‘s talk? That’s how you do it, btw. #istrategy

@WebTraction If you make your audience fit your message, engagement becomes organic. #iStrategy #SocMed

@soumyapr Converto allows you to track view through attribution /click assisted. Competitor clearsaleing. #shouldlookintothis

@sagewiz RT @istratbuzz: Clever targeting gives 645% more engagement per post < that’s an #istrategy! #SocMed

• Listening to customers – One of the best uses of social media is the ability to listen to customers in real time. More and more companies, including McDonald’s, use it just for that. These companies create touch points with their customers based on what they learn. It is also important to keep perspective while taking customer feedback. If 2% of your comments are negative, know that it is “normal” and don’t blow it out of proportion. 

On Twitter

@jlbeamer thanks @craignewmark for wisdom: Listen to customers, feedback loops, foster culture of trust, use tech to further common good#iStrategy

• Last but not the least – Randi Zuckerberg’s trends for 2012 (By the way, she spoke the same day Facebook filed its IPO!)

@andi_fisher Top SM trends 2012 from @randizuckerberg #10 Social Moments#istrategy

1. Sharing Economy

2. People as platforms and media brands

3. Applying game mechanics to your lifestyle

4. Crowd-sourcing

5. Mobile First

6. Return to Intimacy

7. People as Curators

8. Incentive Advertising within Games

9.  Subscription & appointment shopping

10. Social Moments

Back in October, iContact released our new Social Media Marketing integration, which allows you to post messages and photos to Facebook and Twitter, save draft posts, schedule messages ahead of time, and track the performance of your social media efforts.

As with any new feature, we received lots of feedback and questions from our customers on how to best take advantage of these new tools. Here are a few questions you may have about making iContact your one-stop shop for both email and social media marketing:

Common questions about using iContact’s Social Media Marketing Tools:

1. Wait, I thought you already had tools to post to Facebook and Twitter? What was new in October?

In October, we released the ability to post directly to Facebook and Twitter without the need to send an email. Previously, our Email-to-Social-Media functionality allowed you to post your message to social networks when sending an email, as well as add social functionality to your message with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ buttons. Now you can use social media along with your email, as well as extend your campaign and track the results with additional social posts. You can learn more on our Social Media Marketing page.

2. Why should I post to Facebook and Twitter via iContact?

Two words: scheduling and tracking. With iContact, you can schedule posts to go out in the future. Write your social media posts at your convenience and schedule them to go out when you want them to. Plan a whole series of posts in one sitting. iContact’s social tracking allows you to see the results of your efforts. Learn how well your posts are liked and how often they are retweeted, clicked, and commented on.

3. Why do I keep getting this error message when trying to enable Facebook with iContact?

“We are unable to connect to your Facebook account. If you have recently changed your password, please retry connecting to Facebook.”

iContact requires your Facebook page to be associated with a Facebook profile (such as your personal Facebook account). To associate your page with a profile, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your page on Facebook.
2. Click the “Edit Page” Button (top right).
3. Click the “Manage Admins” link (left column).
4. Add an admin to your account (this can be your personal Facebook profile).
5. Return to the “Social Media Settings” page on iContact and enable using the credentials for the account you set as an admin for your page.
6. When you are ready to post to Facebook, choose your page from the list of available pages.

4. How do I add a sign-up form to my Facebook page?

Adding a sign-up form to Facebook takes just a few steps. A sign-up form on Facebook allows you to capture social visitors and turn them into subscribers. Follow the steps in “Adding a sign-up form to your Facebook page”  or watch a video  of this process to get started.

5. Can I post to more than one Facebook profile or page?

You can easily switch to another Facebook profile or page by clicking on the Facebook icon on the left side of the Social Tab. Your profile and pages will appear in a list. Choose the profile or page you wish to use and post your message. If you would like to post the message to another profile or page, switch to that profile and post again.

4. Why doesn’t the “Like” button work on test email messages?

When you embed a Like button in your email message, it allows the recipient to “like” your message on their Facebook profile. We enable the Like button in your message after it is actually sent, so your message only becomes available on social media when you intend for it to be seen.

5. I have more than one Facebook and/or Twitter account, how do I switch between them?

If you have more than one Facebook and/or Twitter account, you will need to follow these steps when switching between accounts.

1. Log out of Facebook or Twitter.
2. Go to “Social Media Settings” in iContact (Click your user name in the top right).
3. Click “Disable” next to Facebook.
4. Click “Enable” and enter the Facebook or Twitter credentials of the account you wish to use.

When you need to switch back to the other account, just follow these steps again.

Still have questions about using our Social Media Marketing tools? We are always ready to help!

Check out our Social Media Marketing Guide with tips and tricks on using social media to grow your business.

Still have a question? Our award-winning Customer Support is ready to assist you.

RELATED LINKS:

10 Email & Social Media Marketing Strategies for 2012 

Social Media ROI: A Deeper Look

Social Media Marketing Guide 

Everyone likes a reward – especially customers. And savvy businesses know they need more than the best prices or best service to compete in today’s competitive market.  Creating loyalty to your brand is crucial, and one of the best ways to create that loyalty is with rewards.

We are all familiar with how large retailers like Banana Republic or REI reward systems work. Each time you use your Banana Republic card or give your membership number to the cashier at REI, your purchase is tracked and you get points. Customers return to use these points later, and they feel like they are building value each time they return to the stores. These rewards systems are extremely effective and have shown to increase repeat customers who become very loyal to the brand.

But how can small businesses create rewards systems that don’t need credit cards, membership numbers or a database the size of the Library of Congress? We’ve created a list of ways you can begin to reward your customers on a smaller scale and still generate loyalty like the big guys.

Instant Gratification

What is the behavior you want from a customer right after he or she makes a purchase? If you answered, “buy again!” give yourself a high five. The next time a customer checks out of your store or website, give him or her a reason to return in the form of a gift certificate. There is no better way to win back a customer than with a coupon or “free money,” and the best part is, you can get them to spend more the first time to reach that reward. Let’s look at an example:

Katie’s Kettle Korn sells and ships handmade bags of kettle corn anywhere in the country. Katie decides she wants to run a promotion that entices people to shop now AND later. Katie crafts an email and tells her customers they can earn Korn Kash by spending $50 on their next order. If they spend $100, they can earn even more.

“Spend $50 on Katie’s Kettle Korn and we’ll send you an e-certificate worth $10 off your next purchase! Spend $100 and earn $25!”

The customer sees $10 or $20, but you see $60 or $125 in sales with a 20%-25% discount (your numbers can vary). But wait, it gets better! The customers will spend MORE than $50 to get that $10, and then they’ll spend more than $10 when they return, so your discount is actually well under 20%. And the best part is, the customer feels rewarded!

Now, how do you get that $10 or $20 e-certificate to the customer? First, you need to decide how to give the discount. Depending on how robust your e-commerce back-end system is, you can make this easy or add a little manual work to generate the coupon code. You could create coupon codes in sequential order (10rebate01, 10rebate02, …) and send out the code with the order, or you could email one general code “KornKash” to the customer. (For more customized ideas, make an appointment with your iContact Strategic Advisor.)

Throw In a Little Extra

If you sell products, reward your best customers with a little extra in their next shipment. For example, Peter’s Pet Store sells high-end dog collars, beds and other accessories. When Peter goes to market to buy all the latest and greatest pet accessories, he also orders some inexpensive dog biscuits and cat toys. When customers spend a certain amount or when they become repeat customers, he puts one of those items (wrapped in a fancy bow to add perceived value) in the box along with a note.

“Thank your for being a loyal customer. Please accept this gourmet dog biscuit as a token of our appreciation.”

Picking up a supplier’s overstock or discontinued items at market gives you the opportunity to reward customers with something they don’t see on your site, and it gives the appearance of exclusivity and value. So, the next time you’re shipping your best customers their order, add a gift that rewards them for their loyalty.

Good Service Isn’t Good Enough

Think about the last time you received extra service from a company. Did you immediately feel loyal to this business? For this example, let’s look at travel agencies. When a customer books a trip with an online travel agent, a confirmation is sent and that’s about it. But, if the customer gets a phone call the next day and an actual person thanks him or her for the business, this can be a valuable reward. Throw in tips for local restaurants or the name of the best concierge at the hotel and that agency could have a customer for life.

Free Shipping 365 Days a Year

Decide on a threshold for your best customers. Using data you already have, take the top 10% of spenders, for example, and create a segment. Send these individuals an email telling them they have earned free shipping for life or free upgraded shipping.  Again, this doesn’t need to be complicated. The code can simply be the first four letters of the customer’s last name and the last two numbers of their zip code. Most shopping carts can handle many shopping codes, but if yours is limited, you can use one code for all members  – just be sure to watch for this code showing up on third-party websites.

Make Your Rewards Social

If you own a brick and mortar store, use FourSquare to give your visitors a discount or free item for checking in. Incorporate email, Facebook and Twitter into this program, and let them know you offer rewards for FourSquare members.

Once you have decided how you want to begin rewarding your customers, make sure all of your customers and potential customers know about. First, send an email explaining your new system. Second, post your program on Facebook and Twitter. Third, post signs in your store, and lastly, call your best customers and invite them to participate. Getting a phone call from an online business will make a big impression.

Talk to your iContact Strategic Advisor  for more ideas, and learn how email and social media can help launch your new rewards program.

RELATED LINKS:

Beacon Hotel Welcomes More Guests with iContact’s Social Tools

Increase Sales with Location-based Services  

Announcing the New iContact Refer-A-Friend Program