5 Questions you should answer before beginning any email campaign.

1. Do Have a Clear Strategy? Define your goals in writing. Do you want to:

• Reinforce your brand
• Cross-sell or up-sell your current customers
• Educate and inform your customers
• Develop customer loyalty
• Convert confirmed "opt-in" prospects to customers

Once you decide what you want to accomplish, you can then assess whether you need to develop multiple e-mail campaigns or if a single integrated campaign is your best course of action. The highest response rates are often realized when an email campaign is combined with a direct mail campaign into one overall strategic marketing effort. Repetition is an effective tool in e-mail marketing just as it is in direct mail and space advertising. A follow up email message sent to non-respondents can provide a significant boost to a campaign's performance. E-mail surveys to customers about their usage of your products or as a way to solicit opinions on a wide variety of topics produce virtually instant results in a highly cost-effective manner.

2. How Will I Track Results?

Depending on the goals of your campaigns, there are many different measurement options to consider. For example, you could measure clicks on special URLs imbedded in your message. This will tell you how your message is driving Web traffic. You could also track attachments that are opened to determine how many times this information is being viewed. As an isolated measure, open rates can be misleading due to preview panes, so it is best to use them in a comparative manner. Or you may choose to measure unsubscribe or "opt-out" rates, which can be an indicator of a problematic mailing. Typically, these should be roughly less than 1%. To aid in evaluating success, it’s helpful to know that the average cost per message for telemarketing is $1-$3; direct mail, $.75-$2; and e-mail, $.20-$.40.

3. Have I Created a Relevant Message?

Become knowledgeable about the information retained in your database and consider how you can utilize it to the fullest. The more detailed the information, the more personalized and better targeted your e-mail campaigns can be. Mining your database to understand and categorize your customers will help you send only relevant messages to both them and confirmed opt-in prospects that mirror your customers. It will help you to build one-on-one customer relationships for years to come. If you plan to collect personal data on individuals, you need to have a privacy policy posted on your Web site that explains how the collected data will be used. Review your policy periodically and follow the golden rule: "Say what you do, and do what you say."

4. Do I Have a Valuable Message?

Your marketing objectives and target audience should drive message content for an e-mail campaign. You also need to create a sense of value within the communication so that you grab the attention of your audience. Extend offers online that your customers can't receive anywhere else—whether it's information or special incentives, such as reduced pricing or free shipping. Resist the urge to make every message a hard-core sales pitch. Mix revenue-generating offers with relevant information, helpful advice, and requests for feedback. The most popular message content is a product offer with a discount (41%), closely followed by a product offer with no discount (32%). The third most popular was some type of market research survey (16%). E-mail can be a powerful relationship-building medium. Keep market characteristics in mind as well. Sending a message to educators at school during the summer months is risky at best.

5. Am I Following E-Mail Best Practices?

To answer this question, you actually need to ask yourself these questions:
a. Am I sending e-mails only to my customers or to those who have expressly agreed (i.e.,
opt-in) to receive e-mail messages.

b. Have I obtained opt-in permission from all non-customers on my in-house list prior to
sending them e-mail?

c. Do I provide a clear, opt-out option on every e-mail I send?

d. Am I processing all opt-outs, including those that hit reply, quickly

e. Is my server equipped to handle opt-outs immediately?

If you did not answer "yes" to each question above, you may be, unknowingly or not, sending spam (unwanted, unasked-for e-mails) and need to seriously rethink the implementation of your e-mail campaigns. It is estimated that spam currently accounts for about 50% of all e-mails sent. Spam is indeed a critical issue, with many states already enacting laws to punish offenders.

The Power of Free Trials

Do free trials really work? Are they cost effective? Whether you're considering a free trial or sampling of some kind, keep in mind that many products are best "experienced". For example, its difficult to know whether or not you'll like the flavor of a new toothpaste without trying it. On the service side, you don't know if you'll like a new dry cleaner until you get your shirts pressed.

As a result, many marketers are using free trials to lure new customers. This is particularly effective when the lifetime customer value of a new customer is substantial.

Picking up on our dry cleaning example, once acquired, a customer may stay with the dry cleaner for many years to come. Therefore, offering a free trial for a few shirts equates to a low acquisition cost in relation to the total revenue that can be generated from the newly acquired customer.

Another example is Salesforce.com. A business-to-business company that specializes in online management solutions has been offering free trials for a long time. These free trials have accounted for significant revenue growth and the addition of more than 40,000 new subscribers per year.

Make Your Free Trial Effective

The key to having a successful free trial program is to make it simple and risk free. For example, don't ask clients for tons of information in order to begin their free trial. Make participation clear and easy requiring only minimal information. Make sure this information allows you to track their participation and follow up with them at a later point in the process.

Solicit feedback from those who participate in the free trial. Ask them, "How's it going?" This can improve your chances of conversion and also give you the information you need to enhance your program moving forward.

Most Popular Free Trials

The most popular free trial is "30-day Free Trial". This is effective for a number of reasons. The first and foremost is that a new habit is formed within three weeks. By getting someone to participate in a program for a minimum of 3 weeks (like subscribing to a cable channel) makes it habit forming and creates some switching costs. Remember the old saying, "I want my MTV". Yeah, of course... because once you've watched it for a while you can't do without it.

Other types of free trials are available as well. The key is to look at what competitors in your industry are offering and finding the offers that have been out there for a long time. This means that the offers are effective. No company can survive by giving their products and services away for free indefinitely.

Is a Free Trial Right for You?

If your product or service is a high price, and a free trial may not be idea. As a result, you many want to consider sampling. Perhaps sampling involves a small portion of the complete service you're going to deliver.

Just the other day, I received a free trial of something for my website. The free trial only included a partial scan of my website. After some items were identified, I had to upgrade to receive the additional benefit. This works extremely well for service businesses or those where products are too expensive for a free trial.

In conclusion, think about the free trial as another marketing tool in your tool chest. Free trials are ideal when selling products and services that can generate an ongoing revenue stream. Don't hesitate to try a free trial offer. If it works, you can have a consistent stream of users and conversions.


*For more free marketing articles, visit MarketingScoop.com.

How to Market to New Customers

Okay, so your marketing has paid off - you have new customers. The key to growing your business is to effectively communicate and leverage these new customers into advocates for your products and services and purchasers of additional services.

This can be done in a variety of ways. However, some basics steps must be followed to ensure retention. Here are a few tips you can use to develop long-term relationships with newly acquired customers.

1. Proactively shape impressions about your business. Whether you're sending a welcome message, making the first contact via phone, or sending a letter, be sure to position you company for the long-term. Often times, individuals buy products without knowing a whole lot about the company their buying from.

A popular tactic is sending a welcome kit or an overview letter that introduces your company, your values, and the additional resources you have available for your customers including a support email address, 1-800 number and so on. This lets you control your company's image among newly acquired customers. Otherwise, your customers are free to form their own opinion without any guidance whatsoever.

2. Categorize your customer. Is your customer a high potential? Are they a transactional buyer that will likely never buy from you again unless you offer the lowest price? By segmenting your buyers based on your existing database or known behaviors, you can develop customized communication plans to retain them for years to come. Some communication plan may be focused on up-sell while others may only be focused on retention. The communication plan you implement should be based on the proper categorization of your customer.

3. Show your thanks. Once you've acquired a customer, don't forget to thank them. This may seem trite, but done properly, this goes a long way. Often a hand-written note or personalized email from a company president can do the trick. The real key is to make the customer feel good about the purchase they've made and the company they've chose.

4. Provide consistency among all touch points. Once you've acquired a new customer, you must make sure that you provide a consistent user experience. For example, if the prospect contacts your technical support rep the first day after they've purchased a product and receive an answer to their question, then call the following day only to receive a different answer, they're going to lose faith in your company's ability to provide consistent and reliable support.

You can benefit greatly by developing procedures that can be documented and delivered consistently - meeting customer expectations. This builds trust in your business and can minimize defections. If the consumer knows they can count on you to give them what they need/want, they'll be willing to forgo a better price or promise of a better deal elsewhere.

5. Share customer testimonials on future marketing pieces. Many marketers believe that testimonials are only for prospects. The truth is that testimonials can help retain customers, especially new ones, when they are exposed to positive experiences of individuals just like them. In addition to sharing testimonials, it is always a best practice to ask newly acquired customers (within 30 days of purchase) for their feedback/testimonials.

The benefit of reaching out to your customers is that if a problem exists, you can react to it and if they have something positive to say about your product or business, it can be used to reinforce your brand. (Note: be sure to get permission to publish a customer’s testimonial).

These techniques are very effective for maximizing lifetime customer value. By shaping the image of your company, providing a consistent experience, and sharing testimonials for similar customers, you can develop a positive, lasting impression with your marketplace.

Most importantly, keep it simple. Don't overwhelm your new customers with tons of email, or direct mail. Develop a well thought-out communication plan that has a definite purpose. And most importantly, remember to thank your customers for choosing your company, product or service.

*Michael Fleischner is a marketing expert and President of marketingscoop.com which provides free marketing articles, internet marketing secrets, and more. Visit the marketing blog directory for a complete listing of marketing blogs.

Benchmark of Email Open Rates

What should your email open rates be? Depends on who you're marketing to.

Ever wondered what a good number is for your email open rates? A recent study by Silverpop indicates different email open rates based on the target markets of business-to-business and business-to-consumer. These different email types require different creative tactics too.

Silverpop found that B-to-B email recipients were much more likely to answer an all-text email than their B-to-C counterparts. Silverpop's study of 612 emails sent by 430 companies noted that image-rich messages to consumers generated a 7.1% click rate. All-text emails to the same audience only generated a click-through rate of 4.7%.

Business-to-Business emails generated a 5.4% click rate compared to 3.5% for emails containing an equal amount of text and images.

According to Bill Nussey, Silverpop's CEO, "Surprisingly, the location of the offer in B-to-C emails really didn't matter. In the B-to-B world, if that offer wasn't in the top half of the email above the fold, the numbers showed a significant drop in response rates."

Another surprise finding was that in B-to-C emails, with newsletter style layouts, generated a click-through rate of 7.1%, the highest of the seven styles Silverpop monitored. Postcard layouts, a consumer-marketer favorite, generated a 6.2% click-through.

Post-card style business-to-business emails got the highest clickthrough rates (7.9%) compared with other newsletter type emails which pulled 5.4%. Based on these findings, its clear that b-to-b and b-to-c email marketing campaigns must be treated differently.

To get the highest click-through rates, marketers should use newsletter style layouts when reaching out to consumers. When marketing to businesses, a post-card layout is most productive with the offer above the fold. Be sure to follow these guidelines for maximizing the return of your email marketing campaigns.

Create Direct Marketing Copy that Sells

If you want to create direct marketing copy that sells, then tap into emotions. Done correctly, you can make significant strides towards creating a sense of urgency (and action) among your prospects. Add segmentation and a compelling offer and you're sure to win over your prospects.

1. Fear of Loss: Nothing is more powerful than the fear of loss. Would you work harder to keep something important to you or get more of it? Chances are, if something you hold dear is threatened, you'd fight to keep it. The same is true when promoting your products or services.
   
   A common example is insurance. When marketing insurance, marketers don't sell with probability tables, they tap into the fear of loss. "Who will pay your bills?", "What would happen to your house?" and so it goes. Stirring the potential of loss among your target market is the quickest way to get your prospect to take notice.
   
2. Scarcity: Similar to the fear of loss is the fear of not having enough. This is why people have more than one credit card. Often one will do, but marketers are smart and play on the emotion of not having enough. You might often hear, "What happens if you reach your limit and you can't pay the bill?". This fear would motivate you to have more than one card in order to avoid the situation of running out of available credit.
   
   Also many offers are for a "limited time". The promise of scarcity drives action among prospects and creates a sense of urgency. No one wants to miss out on a 'free' or special price offered for a short period of time.
   
3. Comfort: People like to make sound decisions. There's a certain comfort in knowing that the purchase you're about to make has already been made by others - who have been satisfied with their purchase. This minimizes an individual's overall risk by knowing that someone else has successfully made this purchase and had a positive result.
   
   To make individuals comfortable, before they buy, testimonials are often used. The most powerful direct marketing pieces include believable and complimentary testimonials from actual clients.
   
4. Reciprocity: Give and you shall receive. Do you feel indebted once someone gives you something? Free books, clothing, etc. can create a sense of reciprocity. This form of marketing is often used by associations seeking to raise money. Chance are you've at one time or another received address labels, magnets, or other small token with an envelope asking for a donation. Tapping into emotions and creating a sense of obligation can drive action among your target audience.
   
5. Validation: Listen to the experts. When you're faced with a situation or find yourself in an area that's slightly uncomfortable, you tend to seek out validation from a third party. This may come from someone who's more experienced, more senior, or from someone who you respect. Copywriters and Direct Marketers know that human being tend to seek external validation as well as internal validation. This is why you see famous actors, sports figures, and so on pushing products. Through association, marketers build trust and confidence in their products.
   
   One way to leverage the idea of validation is to use an expert to communicate the benefits of a particular product or service. This is especially effective when the expert has used the product him/herself and can speak about their experience first-hand. Experts don't have to be high paid athletes, they can simply be real people who have accomplished the outcome that your product or service promises.
   

Evoking an individual emotion or set of emotions can be accomplished through various means- effective headlines, select media, and/or compelling copy. Before putting pen to paper, think about the emotion that can generate the greatest sense of urgency among your prospects for your given product.

Focus on evoking the key emotion(s) you've identified and be sure to reinforce that throughout your communication. Additionally, focus on solutions that support a positive outcome. For example, if you're relying on fear to generate a need, deliver a solution that removes that fear or keeps it at bay (example: low-cost insurance).

Be creative with your approach but start with a fundamental understanding of what drives human behavior – emotion. This will definitely get you in the right mood to deliver an effective marketing message and get your prospects to respond to your marketing.

Top 10 Email Mistakes to Avoid.

Creating effective emails takes more than a good idea. Be sure to avoid these top 10 email marketing mistakes.

1. Ignoring CAN-SPAM legislation. According to government regulations, there are email rules to be followed. The first and most important is only sending emails to individuals who have "opted-in" to receive your emails. By doing so, you're not only compliant, but can mitigate any wrong-doing. Additionally, be sure to include a way to opt-out of receiving email messages from you or your business in the future and be sure to include your company's physical address.
   
   
2. Not testing your email before sending. No matter how well designed your email might be, it often will display differently in different email clients. Be sure to test your email - even if it's text. Don't wait to discover after-the-fact that your email doesn't display properly to prospects or existing customers.
   
   
3. Not running your email through a SPAM checker. The most difficult thing to do in today's technology savvy environment is to get your email to reach the intended recipient. Because the SPAM filters are constantly being updated, I recommend using a SPAM checker before sending your email. I personally use eFiltrate, but almost any SPAM checker will do.
   
   
4. Not designing your email for the preview pane. The majority of people using AOL, Yahoo!, and MSN accounts utilize the preview pain. As a result, your email may get opened or deleted based on just a cursory view. When designing your email, make sure that the most provocative information is at the top, in text or layout.
   
   
5. Making your text message too text heavy. Do you like receiving pages of text? Probably not. There aren't too many people who do. Because few enjoy reading pages of promotional copy, keep your emails short and to the point. If you want people to respond, be sure your message is sent at the right time and includes a compelling offer.
   
   
6. Not ensuring that offer links work properly. After spending a considerable amount of time developing your list and creating your email, you must be sure that your offer link works. If not, your investment - both time and money will be wasted. Test your offer link before you send your final email.
   
   
7. Giving prospects only one way to respond to you. Just because you are sending an email, don't assume that email is the preferred communication method of your prospect or customer. Include multiple options for responding. Some methods included 800#, fax, or online form.
   
   
8. Not monitoring the bounced-email file after each delivery. Do what you can to keep your email contact list up-to-date. This includes removing an email that's no longer valid. Too often businesses just ignore the bounce backs and continue sending emails that never get delivered.
   
   
9. Removing all of the emails assets (photos, links, etc.) from your server prematurely. Most emails are opened within the first 72 hours. However, many linger for periods of time much longer than a few days. Keep all of the assets needed to display your email for at least 3 months. This ensures that prospects will see everything as they were intended.
   
   
10. Not proofreading your email for typose or grammatical errors. Nothing tells prospective clients or customer more about your company than a careless mistake. After you construct your email, have someone else proof it.

Be sure to use the above as a final checklist when creating your email marketing. This ensures a quality email that will get results. For more information about sending effective emails, visit the marketing experts at MarketingScoop.com.

Blog Directories... Should you Submit?

Okay, so we all know about blog directories. The question is, "What are the advantages to having your site listed?". I asked myself this question when I started my own blog - not to mention MarketingScoop.com.

There are a number of reasons why submitting your blog to blog directories is a good idea. Here are just a few.

1. Blog Directories are often crawled by Search Engines. Blog directories are easily crawled by major search engines such as Yahoo!, MSN, and Google. The structure of these directories is perfect for search engines and search engine optimiation. As with many popular blog sites, search engines may not be able to crawl the entire site and therefore your blog may take some time to appear in search results.

2. Most blog directories see a lot of traffic. In addition to ranking high on search engine results, individuals like to see who else is listed in their category. This can create clicks and exposure that you otherwise wouldn't get. Don't underestimate the power of curiosity.

3. Blog Directories have a large number of incoming links. Many directories give you the option of providing a reciprocal link or small subscription fee. As a result, a number of links are generated regularly - helping popularity and placement on search engine results lists.

4. Many directories offer RSS feed upates. In addition to posting your blog on a Blog Directory, you may also have the opportunity to post your feed. This makes it easy for individuals to subscribe to your blog feed. Additionally, the blog directory receives your blog updates on a regular basis.

If you want to increase exposure for your blog, begin submitting to blog directories. I personally recommend the Marketing Blog Directory. You can submit your blog for free or get a premium listing for only $1 per month. Search out other blog directories as well - this is time well spent and your blog readers will appreciate the added popularity of your blog!