1. Prospecting emails: These are similar to outbound calls, only they’re sent out into inboxes instead of phones. A good prospecting email is targeted and personalized, rather than a message sent out en masse. But more importantly, it’s relevant to the prospect – referring to a recent success, perhaps a meeting, showing how you have common goals. Relevance plus personalization leads to trust, which then fuels a relationship, which then turns into a sale.

2. Promotional emails: You probably receive a bunch of these per day, and chances are, they’ve worked (at least sometimes.) In your promotional email tout a specific product or service, typically with a discount or trial offer. They can be particularly effective for bringing in customers who are still ‘on the fence’ about your product.

3. Newsletters: Email newsletters look more and more like brand magazines. As with any form of content, you want your newsletters to be targeted and chock-full of usable information and insights. You might find it helpful to base your newsletter strategy around a real industry trade magazine Each of these speaks directly on topics that are important to the niche or industry they represent.

4. Lead nurturing emails: Also known as trigger campaigns, lead nurturing emails are generated from a specific action on the reader’s end. We’ll talk about this more later, but a great way to build your lead nurturing email list is through gated content (landing pages). This means users have to exchange some information – names and email addresses at the bare minimum – to gain access to the content usually a white paper.

5. Drip campaigns: These are automated email campaigns that I personally think are the coolest of the bunch. That’s because the content sent out is all based on the recipient’s action or lack thereof. For example, a reader could receive an email containing a link to a white paper. Whether or not she clicks that call to action dictates what email she’ll receive next, and so on and so forth.

How to create an email database

1. Email newsletters: You need to be consistent with it. Same time every month, fortnight or week. Ideally, a newsletter supplements your blog posts, news alerts, and other content. At the same time, it makes life easier and better for the reader, either by showcasing special content or any company or industry information or getting your best thoughts together to make it easy for your readers.
2. Shareable email campaigns: Remember, your existing customers and contacts are a great source of new leads and prospects. Create email campaigns with calls to action encouraging readers to share the information with their colleagues, clients, and friends by forwarding or on social media. If these additional contacts like what they see, they’ll subscribe to future content you put out.
3. Free tools: If you provide a web-based service, creating free tools is a great way to build an interested audience. Think of CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer. I don’t have to pay to use it; all I did was give CoSchedule my email address and I can analyze the titles of any content I write. In exchange, I get added to one of their marketing lists, which means I also receive helpful tips on creating better content. Two benefits all for a simple address!
You’re not done once you’ve created your list, however. You have to be diligent about continuously update it with fresh names and new addresses. Your database will disappear by around 23 percent every year as contacts switch addresses, switch companies or opt out of your email communications. So keep your list full and up to date so your messaging reaches as many targeted people as possible
 
As a last resort though, not my favorite but sometimes you must buy or rent an email list. The latter option might make prospecting hard, however, so make your choice wisely!
4. Gated assets: I brought this up earlier, and it’s time for more detail. Gated content gives readers a reason to give you their contact information. They fill out a form, then receive a downloadable asset like a white paper. Best practice is to include a disclaimer on the form specifying that, by submitting their information and downloading the asset, the reader agrees to receive additional content via email.
   
   You’re not done once you’ve created your list, however. You have to be diligent about continuously update it with fresh names and new addresses. Your database will disappear by around 23 percent every year as contacts switch addresses, switch companies or opt out of your email communications. So keep your list full and up to date so your messaging reaches as many targeted people as possible
    
   As a last resort though, not my favorite but sometimes you must buy or rent an email list. The latter option might make prospecting hard, however, so make your choice wisely!
   
   Segmenting your list
   Remember: Content marketing is all about effectively collecting and using data. How does this apply to B2B email? Well, not everyone on your list will be interested in all the content you provide, and flooding a prospect with emails they don’t want is a surefire way to lose their engagement. You’re much better off using data to segment your audience into different categories and sending targeted emails to each group. And the payoff is great. When MailChimp compared users who segmented their emails versus those who did not, they found that the former saw:
    
   • 9.4 percent fewer canceled subscriptions.
   • 3.9 percent fewer abuse reports.
   • 14.3 percent higher open rate.
   • 10.6 percent higher unique open rate.
   • 101 percent higher clickthrough rate
    
    
    
    
   A lot of work, but clearly worth it. You can segment your email list by:
    
   Location: The needs of a Midwest customer might be different than those of one living in New York, so structure your emails accordingly. You can also construct your list of time zones for best open times so pay attention to time zones when sending emails.
    
   Demographics: Most people think of demographics in terms of age and gender, which are both more suited more for B2C. However, B2B businesses can demographically segment their email lists by company position, industry or other categories. A chief financial officer is probably interested in different information than the marketing manager.
    
   Content interests: If your lists span a variety of topics, segment your list in terms of who downloads what.
    
   Engagement: Who opens your emails? Who reads and comments on each of your blog posts or LinkedIn articles? People who are more engaged with your business likely want longer or more detailed emails than those who aren’t.
    
   Purchases: Customers who bought the same product should have similar needs, so it stands to reason they’ll be interested in the same kind of email content. You can also use this same list to upsell on similar services and products.
    
   These are just a few examples, and the data you have may tell you to segment your database differently.
    
   Tips for creating a strong B2B email campaign
   Alright, now that you know what you’re sending and who you’re sending it to, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. How do you write an email that is opened, read and leads to conversions?
    
   Every section of the email matters, from your subject line to your signature.
   
   

   Start with a compelling subject

   A great subject is creative, informative and interesting, but doesn’t give anything away. It intrigues readers by offering a sense of what’s to come, grabbing their interest and not letting go. Make them need to open and read.
    
   That said, it should also be brief. Most email clients can only display up to 50 characters; anything extra gets cut off. If you must write a lengthy subject line, make sure your readers get the details they need in the first 50.
    
   Subject line
   Your subject line is a call to action all on its own, and the only action is to click it open. To spur readers into doing so, focus on:
    
   Urgency: Make your audience feel like they’re missing out if they don’t read your email immediately. If they don’t read it when they get it they probably will not read it.
    
   Relevance: Your audience needs to know the content inside is worth their while.
    
   Pain points: Everyone’s looking for a better solution to solve their problems or make them feel better.
   Numbers: Including numbers in a subject is a quick, short way to provide context on whatever you’re talking about.
    
   Choose a proper sender and address
   A lot of mass emails are sent from noreply@companyname.com. It’s an efficient address, but not one that’s good for building trust or humanizing your business. Just imagine if this blog were written by No Reply. Make it real. Choose a real person from your company to be the sender. Many companies select one or more members of their marketing teams.
    
   Writing content
   Like headlines, your content should be concise. People are busy, and they want to get to the point as fast as possible.
    
   That said, just because your content is on the brief side doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Break up chunks of text with interesting visuals: CTAs, captions, images, colorful headlines, etc. Just don’t go overboard; use plenty of white space so your email isn’t overwhelming.
    
   Also, make sure the colors you use are close to your core visual color branding. Everything about your email should scream your company.
    
   Keep in mind that many people read emails on phones, tablets, and smartwatches. Make sure your emails are designed to display well on these devices.
    
   Finally, optimize any landing pages linked in your email so you don’t lose conversions at the last second. Slow loading times and poor navigation can all cost you a crucial sale.
    
   Keep in mind, your email campaign isn’t something you build once and forget about. You need to constantly revisit your email database, segments and messaging to make sure they stay optimized.
    

   So what are you going to do?

   Email when done right email is the most cost effective kind of marketing you can have. But if you don't have the people to do your own email, Larson & Associates can help you. We are able to address content development, creative, list creation and/or procurement, tracking and the key to what we I feel makes any marketing program work, a follow up phone call to everyone who opens your email up 3 or more times and your results will more than double. Give me a call today at 847-991-1294 and we can talk on how you can take advantage of this powerful marketing tool.
   
   
   
   

Tags: email · marketing · telemarketing · teleprospecting

Tags: Email · direct · mail · telemarketing · social · media

Let the Show Begin...

18 Proven Marketing Strategies

How many times have we witnessed the perfect, almost magical execution of a marketing campaign? A campaign that ties in every idea and brand concept, that not only reaches its target audience but grabs the attention of the multitudes, grows, goes viral and becomes synonymous with the very product itself. This seemingly seamless waltz of idea and ideals of performance and perfection brought together with an effortless wave of the wand?
 
Unfortunately, there is no magical spell or wizard’s incantation for a successful marketing strategy that works in the real world.

Yet, there are formulas, keys, recipes if you will that can put you on the path to successful marketing and make your success seem almost magical.

The single key concept of marketing is connecting your business’ value, (what you have) to the right customer base (those who want what you have). In itself a simple concept, black and white, right?
 
Well, not exactly, just as there are literally hundreds of shades of grey between black and white, so too are there a multitude of shades between having what you got and your customers getting what you have. We begin by setting the stage.
There are five basic questions to begin laying the groundwork;

1. What are the demographic profiles of your customer base?
2. Where do your customers work, reside and relax?
3. Where do they go and how do your customers use their internet?
4. How do they search for and find the products in your niche?
5. Who do they turn to and who do they trust when forming connections with your product or brand?

Depending on how you can answer these questions will determine which marketing strategies will work for you and those that will not.

You will find that over half of the following options may prove to provide a viable return on your investment of time and talent. Indeed, three or four may have enough initial merit to justify a trial run of a month or so. At least one may have the potential to skyrocket your growth over the next four quarters!
Yet, your unique business demands a unique marketing approach, what you will find is that no one single option alone will make the magic happen. Despite what you may have heard, not everyone uses Facebook!

While there is no easy solution or magic wand that will revolutionize your business overnight, there are steps to take. What are they? How do you implement them? I literally have no clue what will work for you and your unique ideas, because I do not know you, I do not know your business, I do not know your customers and I haven’t heard your dreams…YET!

Success is earned, it is hard work well done and while there may be no magic to achieve this success there are methods, key concepts or ‘ingredients’ that you can use and combine to reinvent and reinvigorate your marketing strategies. To grow your business. To grow your brand. To Succeed.

So Let's Begin…

1: Advertise on Facebook: Two million small to medium-sized businesses advertise on Facebook; it’s an inexpensive and effective way to market to virtually any audience that uses Facebook.
 
2: Instagram post: With over 90 million photos and videos being shared by 28% adult internet users makes this a valuable marketing venue. There are a variety of ways to make the post work for you.
 
3: Claim your Google Business listing: Ranking your Google My Business (GMB) listing is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business. In fact, if you run a local business targeting local clients, I might just say it is THE most powerful strategy available to you.
 
4: Invest In content marketing: 18% of marketers say that content marketing has the greatest commercial impact on their business of any channel in 2016.
Content marketing is not easy, however, and requires every element to be done right:
Quality content
Relevant topics
Optimized for SEO
Optimized for readers
Consistent content creation & promotion
 
5: Grow your organic social reach: Using social media for business is really a non-negotiable. 67% of consumers use social media for customer support, and 33% prefer using social media instead of the telephone. If people can’t find your business via social media, they will look for your competitors who ARE present on preferred social channels. The real question isn’t whether you should have active social media accounts, its how much time and resources you should be investing in growing your social audiences. For some businesses, it makes sense to invest heavily in organic social media growth.
 
6: Build an email marketing funnel: Email marketing is the cornerstone of digital marketing. Most of the people who visit your site will not buy from you immediately. Capturing contact info for additional marketing and “lead nurturing” is the best way to sell in 2016, and email remains the highest converting channel for interacting with leads.
Benefits of email marketing include:
Low cost
Global Reach
Easy to automate
Easy to segment
Immediate communication
Easy to set up and run
Easy to track and optimize

7: Post On YouTube: YouTube marketing comes down to picking a few key areas where you feel you can deliver true thought leadership, entertainment, or some kind of value, and then mass producing content that falls within those areas. As soon as you start thinking this way, you’ll find it much easier to come up with good content that falls in line with your larger strategy.
 
7: Host a webinar: A webinar is essentially a seminar that takes place online. It can be in the form of a presentation, demonstration or discussion. Webinars are often used as lead magnets for email marketing and the right topic can drive a large batch of new subscribers to your list. It can also be used to build credibility with your current subscribers.
 
8: Offer a free consultation: When it comes to professional services, people want access to expertise. If you have done a good job of positioning yourself as an expert or authority in your niche, promoting a free consultation is a great way to generate new leads. If you have a good interpersonal sales process in place, it also sets you up to close a large percentage of leads.
 
9:  Incentivize employees to refer new clients: Referrals are one of the best ways to find new customers, and who better suited to obtain referrals than your current staff? Your employees know your product or service. They know your customer base. Some of them will take initiative without financial motivation, but most won’t, and those you bring in new business should be encouraged to repeat the process with financial or otherwise meaningful reward. Offer incentives to your staff members who refer new clients. It doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary.
A sleep-in day: staff gets to sleep in late for a certain period of time.
Membership to publications (of their choice).
Vouchers for massages, movie nights, restaurants.
 
10: Advertise in trade magazines or niche print media: While much of the world has moved online, print media still exists, and in some niches, it still thrives. As recently as 2014, retail consumers cited printed materials as the chief sources of information behind their purchasing decisions. Print media is rarely effective as a solo marketing strategy. It is best used in conjunction with online marketing strategies, with the two channels arranged to complement each other and create an engaging experience for potential buyers.
 
11: Write a column: If you are a decent writer, sharing your expertise in the form of weekly or monthly write-ups can do wonders for your brand. This isn’t usually a situation where you get paid, but it’s also not a situation where you have to pay. These columns give you the opportunity to make consistent contact with an audience, building an actual relationship with the publication’s readers. That audience then begins to think of you when they think of experts in your field.
 
 
12: Join a local business Chamber or group: Joining local business groups will give you the opportunity to meet up with other like-minded people who already share some common ground with you: owning a business. While a lot of more general entrepreneur groups exist, there might also be some niche-specific groups and meetups in your area. These groups are a great opportunity to bounce ideas off other smart people, share referrals, find talent, and identify new opportunities. They are also a major catalyst in expanding your network around the city in which you live. Connections tend to multiply, and if your group takes networking seriously, you can leverage your seemingly minor connections into many significant ones.
 
My personal ones are GOA Regional Business Association, Gone 3, Freedom I, One More Customer and MasterMind Business Networking. Want more information give me a call.
 
13: Partner with other businesses: Teamwork is always more effective than singular effort, and combining resources with another business can help you do things you could never accomplish on your own. It’s typically best to target companies in your local area, even if your clientele isn’t local. Your goal is to work out a complementary arrangement that provides mutual benefit for both businesses.
 
14: Launch a direct mail campaign: Like print media, direct mail marketing is not dead. As online channels become more and more saturated with content, fewer companies look to direct mail, and that means opportunity for you. Like with any marketing strategy, success comes down to targeted creativity. You can’t just spam people and expect a return on your investment. Just like you need to compel people to click your blog post headline, you need to compel mail recipients to open your letter or read your postcard.
 
15: Speak at events: In terms of branding and establishing yourself as an authority, few things are more impactful than being a speaker at popular events in your niche. While invitations to speak at larger events are often extended as a result of accomplishments or visible influence, you can also work your way into these opportunities by becoming a talented speaker and delivering great talks at smaller events. Or you can simply use it as another marketing channel, by speaking at some of these types of events:
Local clubs – think Rotary, Lion’s, Kiwanis’s
Chamber of Commerce.
Business networking groups.
Specific interest clubs (photography, hiking, sewing, etc.)
Browse local events on Eventbrite.com and Meetup.com.
Schools.
Churches.
Check events in your local newspaper and magazines.
Big companies and their employees.
Be prepared, and treat every event like a big deal.
 
I am not very fond of 15 & 16 but they are ways to market yourself that work for some companies. I would use them at your own risk and discretion.
 
16: Use Google Ad words: There are more than 40,000 search queries on Google every second. No other advertising method has the potential to get your business before that many pairs of eyes. Costly but an idea.
 
17: Run a coupon deal: Whether you sell a product or offer a service, you can use coupon deal sites like Group on to quickly promote your business. But be careful you might only pick up bargain hunting customers and not repeat business.
 
18: Teleprospecting: You need to follow up or have someone (like Larson & Associates) make a follow-up phone call. If you don't do a follow up don't do the marketing. It more times than not will be a waste of time and a waste of money.

Tags: Target · Marketing

Tags: Direct · Mail · Email · Marketing · Landing · Page · Telema

What if your marketing could be 70% More Effective?

Call it whatever you want: Multi-channel, Cross-Platform  Omni-Marketing: your marketing strategy needs to rely on both digital and traditional platforms online and offline to reach customers across multiple channels in various ways for the way they want to be contacted. Traditional forms of marketing such as print, trade magazines, direct mail, PR, radio, television commercials, and billboards if used together with digital marketing like email, social media, websites, blogs, YouTube, Pinterest starts to create a major spike in name recognition. Not surprisingly, cross-channel integration where online and some traditional forms like direct mail are linked together with the use of tracking software or bar code technology a telephone campaign and follow-up becomes 70% more effective.

I have 6 Tips for a Better Strategy

First you need to know your target audience. Who are they? What niche is it? Where are they? What channels work best for your business model? What are the channels your target nitch uses more than others? For example, an ad campaign for bath bombs might do well with a television advertisement or direct mail coupon. Events and musical concerts will get more ROI with social, emails and YouTube.

Second focus on the customer experience. Your marketing strategy should present information clearly and directly. Multi-channel digital campaigns should cater to not just convenience but also for after-sale 2^nd sale service, dependability, and responsibility—all qualities customers place value on. Consistency across all platforms is the key to talking about this success.

Third measure your results. After or even during any multi-channel campaign, review data to see which channels are working and how they are performing and which could use more improvement. And ask yourself why and are there other channels we should have or could have used? This will help allocate resources, time, and money more efficiently for the next wave or next attack.

Forth timing is everything. Constantly update your touch points. A successful strategy is well-timed and relevant. You might want to update your web page and send out emails the day before a big event. A drip campaign strategy allows you to space out information to generate interest and thus customers. Cross-channel integration brings your marketing strategies both online and off line together in a seamless flow. Incorporate a Twitter feed, use hash tags, incorporate bar codes in your direct mail, link your Facebook business page with your emails, generate printable coupons from your website or social business pages for in-store use. The more ways you can connect your customers to your brand, the better.

Fifth learn to change your strategies and platforms as needed. Don’t get too comfortable. What works one week may not work next week, so keep up to date on the latest marketing trends. And remember to track everything you can to know what works, where it is working and how it is working.

Sixth follow-up follow-up follow-up. Everything needs to be followed up on. You need to reach out and call someone. Yes the telephone. If you don’t make the reach out and make “that call” just save your money. The prospect is not going to call you 99.9% of the time. You have got to have a follow-up. Make that call or have me make it for you and your odds of a sale go up at least 10 to 20%

So now you only have to ask yourself:

Do I have the time?
Do I have the knowledge?
Do I have the connections?
Do I have the recourses?

If not we are here for you.

Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-1294
howard@larsonassociates.ws
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Tags: Lead · Gen · Generation · Cold · Calling · Teleprosp