I am really honored to have been nominated as one of the Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management in 2009 and would sincerely appreciate your vote.
Proving that personalized product recommendations work, Motorcycle Superstore saw a 21.7% revenue increase in the first week after launching an email campaign on September 21st that incorporated personalized product recommendations. 
Mike’s Express Carwash is a chain of 37 carwashes located across Indiana and Ohio. They recently announced that their email marketing program had enabled the company to boost online sales in June by more than 60 percent over June 2008 totals.
Email gives us a way to reward our loyal customers,” said Sally Grant, marketing director of Mike’s Express Carwash. “We’ve also been able to build a great list of highly-engaged customers and send them special offers and discounts to thank them for their loyalty and drive increased sales.”
What I really like about Mike’s is how they invite the customer to become an email subscriber.
Customers are invited to participate in the email campaign when they purchase a car wash. Every receipt includes a unique offer code and provides a link to the survey site (www.talktomikes.com). Customers log on to the Website, enter the unique receipt code and their email address and then complete a two-question survey. Once the survey is submitted, the data is immediately sent to ExactTarget’s Application Program Interface (API) which automatically triggers an email to the customer that includes a bar-coded coupon for a free car wash. To prevent multiple uses of the same coupon, the company uses ExactTarget’s Live Content feature to automatically generate a new bar-code for every coupon. Data from each coupon barcode is automatically uploaded to Mike’s Express’ point of sale system to ensure the code is only recognized once.
Does this email opt-in strategy work? You bet it does!
In August, Mike’s Car Wash ran a “Back To School” campaign that offered customers a free carwash in exchange for completing an online customer satisfaction survey and subscribing to its email marketing program. The 10-day campaign added more than 40,000 new customers to the company’s email subscriber list!
You Can Be Like Mike
Whether it’s implementing Triggered Email Promotions based on POS Customer Data Capture, or using SMS text messaging to capture new email subscribers, marketers like Mike’s Car Wash are proving that email marketing is smart. And successful email marketing begins with a well-planned subscriber acquisition strategy.
If you want to be like Mike, gives us a call. We'll be happy to help.
Online advertising has shifted from a “blast” and “broadcast” approach to an engagement focused strategy. And the emphasis has switched from CPM to Cost Per Lead to generate higher ROI.At the recent ANA/BtoB Magazine conference in Chicago, Paul Dunay, Global Managing Director for services marketing at Avaya, and Jason Ferrara, VP Corporate Marketing at CareerBuilder.com presented a terrific session titled "How B-to-B Marketers Are Using New Media," in which they discussed how they have increased spending on new media, especially in the past year.
"We do search, email marketing and social media. That's the holy trinity of online marketing," said Dunay. He also noted that – with no new money in the marketing budget – he has paid for his new media efforts by decreasing spending on print, TV, radio and other traditional media. Ferrara has done the same at CareerBuilder.com
Avaya and CareerBuilder.com are not alone in embracing new media. According to a recent survey conducted by the Association of National Advertisers and BtoB Magazine, 20% of b-to-b marketers used social media in 2007. This year, 66% of b-to-b marketers are using social media.
My Take
I think it’s becoming more and more clear that email + social media is an effective strategy for business development. And there are three reasons:
1. Attracting Email Subscribers. One of the biggest benefits to social media is the ability to attract new email subscribers. Brands that provide a compelling reason for members of social networking sites to subscribe to their email communications are finding that these sites are an ideal venue for list growth. And as these people become new email subscribers and use Social Forward to share email content with those in their online social networks, they become powerful influencers.
2. Professional Networking. With more than 45 million users representing 150 industries around the world, LinkedIn is the biggest networking watering hole for business professionals. It’s just as effective for attracting talent as it is for generating referrals and product recommendations. But be on the lookout for WSJ Connect from The Wall Street Journal, a new networking site that’s in the works. It will also be aimed at professionals and its being billed as the “LinkedIn killer.”
3. Lead Generation. Social networking sites provide a natural gathering location for people who are passionate about a particular brand or interest. Engaging these individuals with offers that are relevant is proving to be smart business. An excellent study from OneUpWeb shows that ads on social networking sites work. As the report states in its summary, “Repeated exposure through the synergy of sponsored ads and search results increases familiarity with the brand. This is vital for generating sales both online and offline.” And once these leads are generated, email provides the most effective tactic for lead nurturing and aiding the buyer’s decision-making process.
According to an exclusive survey of B-to-B and B-to-C marketing professionals conducted by BtoB Magazine and the Association of National Advertisers, more B-to-B marketers are getting on the social media bus. Here are some highlights:
How B-to-B Marketers are Leveraging Social Media
Tactically speaking, Social Media Marketing (SMM) is primarily a public relations tool, but it is fast becoming very effective for generating new business leads, either directly or through referral. While Facebook is the dominant social networking site for B-to-C marketers, LinkedIn – as the study revealed – is the preferred watering hole among B-to-B marketers.
Another big way in which marketers are leveraging social media is for email list growth. According to the recent ExactTarget 2009 Email List Growth Study, Social Forwarding is projected to be the most frequently adopted new list growth tactic in 2009. Social Forwarding uses ShareThis to make it easy for email subscribers to share email content directly with friends and colleagues on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and many other online communities.
Are you LinkedIn?
If you want to learn how to best leverage the networking and lead generating potential of LinkedIn, my friend and social media expert extraordinaire, Jason Baer, of Convince and Convert, has a great presentation on using LinkedIn to build your reputation and generate leads.
According to an article on Mashable.com by Adam Ostrow, a new report from Forrester Research shows the number of U.S. adults who use email on a monthly basis is pegged at 165.4 million.
By comparison, social networking users have doubled since 2007. There are 55.6 million adults (about 1/3rd of the U.S. population) that visit a social networking site at least once a month (up 15% from 2007 to 18% in 2009). 54.3 million adults use SMS for instant messaging (unchanged from 2008) and 37.1 million read blogs (unchanged from 2008).
What this Means for Marketers
While email has solidified its reputation as the backbone of one-to-one marketing, I see more and more brands like Dreamfields Pasta, Papa John’s, Carharrt, and Powell’s Books using Email + Social Media to build communities of vocal and influential “brand fans.” This integrated approach is enabling brands to leverage the combined power of social networking and direct marketing to develop and retain customers.
Using email marketing software to deliver relevant and useful information to customers is smart. But, using tools like Social Forward to make it easy for email subscribers to share email content directly with friends and colleagues on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and many other online communities is one of the best things you can do to accelerate the performance of your email marketing program.
Volvo Construction Equipment N.A. Inc. sells a wide array of new and used construction machinery through its network of 70 North American dealers. These dealers sell everything from Skid Steer Loaders, to Pipelayers, to Highway Pavers. And these machines are used in a variety of industries including construction, forestry and waste management. The dealers also take trade-in equipment that is refurbished and re-marketed to other customers.
Like other construction equipment companies, Volvo started to see sales slowing over the past year due to the recession. That’s when John Johnston, Manager of eBusiness Marketing, decided to take a look at how the company could begin using email marketing to help its dealers move used equipment off their lots. Selling used machines not only improves dealer cash flow, it also provides an opportunity to attract new customers to the dealership.
Using focus groups and surveys, Johnston got input from Volvo dealers and customers. He also studied the latest research on email marketing best practices for the construction equipment industry. Then, Johnston worked with ExactTarget’s Design Services team to redesign the company’s B-to-B e-newsletter for dealers to make it more engaging and improve response.
In addition, Johnston began using ExactTarget's content syndication feature to automate production of Volvo’s email program for used equipment remarketing. Using ExactTarget’s content syndication, Johnston captures the HTML from its online inventory Website and automatically populates its email marketing messages without having to manually enter inventory data or other information.
The results?
Karen Bannan of BtoB Magazine recently interviewed John Johnston about Volvo Construction Equipment’s email marketing strategy. You can read her article at BtoB Online.
Aptera Software is a great example of how a small B-to-B marketer can produce big results by using email for lead generation and brand building. After overhauling its email strategy, Aptera is consistently generating open rates of 30% and click through rates of 10%.
As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Aptera specializes in custom software development and website design. The company serves clients in Healthcare, Manufacturing, Financial Services, and Retail segments and is fast gaining a reputation for its innovative solutions.
Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Aptera’s co-founder, TK Herman and Brooke Francesi, who heads up email marketing for company. One of the things that impresses me about Aptera’s email strategy is their “less is more” philosophy regarding the size of their email subscriber database. As Francesi points out, “We’ve learned that it is far better to have a smaller list of highly engaged subscribers who want to hear from us than it is to have a big list of people who are passive.” As evidence of this commitment to list quality, Aptera’s list of subscribers for its quarterly newsletter is a lean 2,600. And the list of subscribers for Aptera’s monthly newsletter for users of Aptera Scorecard, a web-based firm management tool designed to meet the needs of a variety of Professional Services firms, is 15,000.
Both Herman and Francesi are quick to point out that, in addition to keeping their email subscriber list clean, the other big keys to their success in B-to-B email marketing are engaging content and engaging design. As TK Herman says, “If you provide information that is of value to the subscriber, and deliver that content in a newsletter that is attractive, you’ll generate response.”
Karen Bannan of BtoB Magazine recently interviewed Brooke Francesi about how Aptera re-tooled its email strategy after switching to ExactTarget for its email campaign application in early 2008. You can read the full article at BtoB Online.
Think selling homes in today’s challenging economy is tough?
In today’s special ExactTarget webinar, you’ll learn how Richmond American Homes uses email marketing as the backbone of a direct marketing strategy that is delivering a 5000% ROI!
If you want to sell effectively in today’s market, you need to attract the right customers to your website, understand their needs and preferences, and use email to deliver relevant messages that aid the buyer’s decision-making process. Working with ClickMail Marketing, Richmond American Homes is using this approach to develop strong relationships with homebuyers and realtors.
In this webinar, you will learn the strategy, tools, and tactics that are enabling Richmond American Homes to achieve amazing results with its email marketing campaigns. Among the things we will discuss are:
• How to grow your email subscriber list
• Creating relevant email content that aids the buying process
• Using Email to support local agents
• Reporting tools that enable fast, easy assessment of email campaign performance
Joining me to share this incredible success story are:
• Tracy Ritterbusch of Richmond American Homes
• Michael Kelly and Cameron Kane of ClickMail Marketing
Register here to attend today’s webinar!!
No matter where I speak, one of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “What tactics work best for building my email subscriber database?” In fact, in ExactTarget’s 2009 Email List Growth Study, email list growth is ranked #3 by marketers in their list of top priorities for improving email marketing performance in 2009.
Considering the fact that email list attrition averages 25% per year, BtoB marketers need to stay focused on constantly replenishing their email subscriber database. And to attract quality email subscribers, the one tactic you cannot afford to overlook is Paid Search.
Earlier this week, Chris Dawkins, founder and CEO of search engine optimization company Trace Media Marketing, had an excellent article in BtoB Online in which he discussed best practices for using PPC (Pay Per Click) or paid search in combination with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or natural search to attract visitors to your website or landing page.
One of the reasons I’m a big proponent of using paid search is because it allows you to fine-tune your SEO strategy. As Dawkins points out in his article, “testing various keywords and phrases with paid search can be beneficial to your SEO efforts. For example, you can figure out quickly which keywords convert to leads or sales. As your SEO campaign starts delivering traffic, you can back off a little from your paid campaign and focus more on SEO.”
Paid search also allows marketers to lead prospective email subscribers to the desired landing page where they can be invited to subscribe and identify their needs and interests – data that can be used to deliver email content that is relevant and timely.
Still think search is an option? Think again. Forrester Research, in their recently released “U.S. Interactive Marketing Forecast, 2009–2014,” says search marketing spending will total $31.5 billion by 2014 as more marketing budget shifts to interactive media.
Sallie Anthony is one of the smartest email marketers I know. As Field Communication Manager for the Retirement & Protection division of Genworth Financial, Sallie’s job is to use email to keep Genworth connected to – and top of mind with – Insurance Brokers, General Agents, and Independent Financial Advisors.
In her recent presentation at the Annual Conference of the Business Marketing Association in Chicago, Sallie discussed the value of personalizing email content to the needs of individual subscribers. Two statistics stand out:
You can view and listen to the entire presentation at the BMA website.
3 Guidelines for Effective Email Personalization
Having observed how email has become the backbone of successful one-to-one marketing solutions, I have 3 guidelines that will help you use personalization for more effective B-to-B email.
1. Remember that People buy from People.
With all due respect to brand marketers, creative directors, and copywriters, it’s important to remember that nothing is more important in selling than the customer’s relationship with the person with whom she is doing business. That person may be a dealer, an agent, or a field sales representative.
When you send email, send it on behalf of the “relationship owner” and include that person’s photo and contact information so it’s easy for the customer to contact him. This type of personalization dramatically improves email marketing campaign performance.
2. Serve. Don’t Sell.
Customers don’t want to be sold. But they do want to be helped in making their buying decision. That’s why using email to deliver information and offers that aid the customer’s decision-making process is the best way to support – and accelerate – the buying process.
Once a person has been attracted to your web site, use email to engage with and move the prospect through the consideration and evaluation stages . . . all the way to purchase. Serve your subscribers well, and the will reward you with their business. In fact, Forrester Research reports that “those who buy products marketed through email spend 138% more than non-readers of email.”
3. Put the Customer in Control.
One of the smartest things you can do to maximize email marketing performance is to personalize email content to the subscriber’s needs. When a new subscriber opts in to receive email from you, invite her to go to your preference center where she can check off her needs and topics of interest relevant to the products or services you offer. Then, use the Dynamic Content feature in your email campaign application to deliver content that’s relevant and timely. This is the essence of the Subscribers Rule mantra.
I’ve often said that the total business impact of email marketing is much greater than what is actually measured. The reason is the “halo effect” that email marketing has in driving action at multiple points of contact.
Chad White’s article in today’s Email Insider provides compelling evidence that email marketing ROI is actually much higher than the $43.52 predicted by the DMA for 2009.
White, who is Research Director for email marketing agency Smith-Harmon, and editor of The Retail Email Blog, cites three reasons why email marketing ROI is understated:
Email Usage Continues to Grow
In my June 18th post, Email Solidifies its Reputation as the Backbone of Direct Marketing, I reported that spending on e-mail marketing in the U.S. will grow steadily to $2 billion by 2014, according to a new forecast by Forrester Research. It’s easy to see why.
When you stop and consider how email influences and improves the performance of other media -- both online and offline – why would you not use it to anchor your marketing campaign strategy?
There are two fundamental laws I live buy when it comes to selling:
1. Nothing happens until somebody sells something. I’ve never been a fan of the “build it and they will come” philosophy of selling. With all due respect to the brilliant people who design and build products, few products sell themselves.
2. People buy from people. One thing I have observed about successful salespeople is that they don’t rely on the brand or company to do their selling. They rely on themselves, and build their own brand by serving their customers and helping them make smart choices.
Why Email Marketing is Vital for Selling
There’s a great article by Jim Meyer, in today’s desinationCRM.com titled, 7 Ways to Accelerate Sales in a Down Economy. Jim is Vice President at eTrigue Corporation, and has a ton of experience in selling. If you’re serious about getting more juice for squeeze from your selling efforts, I suggest you read it.
Meyer is a strong proponent of email marketing, and one of his recommendations for effective email marketing is to send email on-behalf of the sales rep in charge of the account. “Generic messages,” says Meyer, “come across as junk mail, preventing viable prospects from taking the next step. Automated demand-generation systems will personalize emails and ensure proper addresses and accurate delivery.”
ExactTarget’s Enterprise Edition is used by leading marketers like Genworth Financial and Thomson Reuters to send email on behalf of the sales executive or account manager. This personalized approach provides a response lift of 12 – 15 percentage points. And when you integrate email technology with CRM systems like Salesforce.com or Microsift Dynamics CRM, you can set up automated email campaigns for lead nurturing, customer service, and re-purchase.
On January 20-22, 2010 hundreds of top email marketers will gather in Miami for MarketingSherpa's 5th Annual Email Summit & Expo. It's the world's largest email conference and will feature Best Email Marketing examples of how email is being used for Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer 1 to 1 Marketing.
If you'd like to be a featured speaker at this conference, now is your chance. MarketingSherpa is looking for B-to-B and B-to-C email marketers to share Case Studies and best practices from their own recent real-life tests and tactics.
But don’t delay. Speaking proposals are due by Friday, July 24th. Click here to submit your speaking proposal.
What Kind of Presentations are Selected by MarketingSherpa?
MarketingSherpa is looking for actual email marketers (i.e., not email marketing software vendors or agencies) to present Email Marketing Campaign case studies that show what they did, how they did it, and what results they achieved. So if you’re an agency or service provider, encourage your client to speak at this important event.
If you’re an agency or service provider, consider moderating a panel of multiple email marketers that are focused on “proven” advanced tactics -- see MarketingSherpa’s list of suggested panels below (or make up your own).
If you want to see an example of the kind of email marketing case study that gets rave reviews at MarketingSherpa Email Summit, check out the following ExactTarget Recorded Webinars that feature Johnston & Murphy and Dreamfields Pasta. Both of these case studies were presented at last year’s Email Summit.
And one more thing to remember -- All speakers get their own free ticket to the Summit!
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