Most marketers using email for communications with customers and prospects are aware of the importance of complying with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. But to be successful, to represent your brand positively through every touchpoint, and to make sure that all of your subscribers are truly interested, you’ve got to be more than legal—you’ve got to be polite.
Polite? What does that mean in the context of email marketing? Because of the abuse of email by spammers, legitimate marketers need to be sensitive to how protective people are of their email inboxes. This most often means either making it really easy for someone to unsubscribe from email communications, or asking explicit permission before sending emails in the first place. I recently saw an excellent example of this: a small software company from which I purchased a product asked my permission before adding me to their e-newsletter. Here’s essentially the message they sent me:
This company would have been perfectly CAN-SPAM compliant to simply add me to their email list. But, instead, they did a few key things that demonstrated great courtesy and good use of the one-to-one communication that email should be. This message:
- explains why I’m receiving it.
- requires that I take a simple action to join the list, assuring that I truly want to be on this mailing list.
- explains what information the messages I’m signing up for will contain, and how often I’ll receive them.
- doesn’t require me to do anything if I don’t want to be added to the list.
- acknowledges that this message was sent automatically, but also manages to express a little humor and personality.
Follow these guidelines, and think of your subscribers as friends (yes, actual people), and you’ll find that your list is made up of not just subscribers, but people you’ve actually made a connection with as well.
Posted in Email, Marketing, User Experience | No Comments »
Let’s face it. Niche is the new norm. That’s great news for organizations that want to deliver highly targeted messages, but it can pose a challenge for PR and marketing professionals looking to build their blog lists.
There are more than 130 million blogs on the Internet. And although there are many useful online tools for practitioners to use to track online conversations, there is not a single source to create the ultimate blog list. What it takes is people willing to dig in and go through a process to identify and vet potential blogs.
It will take time. And it will require regular monitoring and attention. But the rewards of creating peer-to-peer and WOM influence are worth it and necessary.
So roll up your sleeves, because your journey to building better blog lists starts here:
Step 1: Search
Develop a list of key words you can search for based on your audience, industry, products, services, or expertise. Make sure those list of terms includes a generic search for “Best blogs for ABC” or “Top blogs for XYZ.” Many times, fellow industry bloggers or the media have already tracked down some of the top, most authoritative blogs, and that can be a great spring board to building a better list.
Further, take these terms to blog search engines, such as Google Blogs or Technorati (always a good spot to start because it has a growing index of more than 133 million blogs and ranks overall influence). Blog platforms, such as WordPress, TypePad, and tumblr can also be searched especially if you’re looking for local or niche markets, while tools like Alltop can be used to uncover popular topics being discussed and Regator and BlogPulse can also help you identify blogs with the most authority.
Step 2: Listen
Chances are you’re already monitoring reactive opportunities for your organization through Google Alerts (if you’re not, start now!), but there are also a number of services that are either free or charge a monthly fee that can help you keep a pulse on current online conversations about or related to your brand and competitors. Try paid services such as Alterian SM2 to help you identify who is talking about things that are important to you, as well as to measure tonality of posts and generate reports to show general ROI of blogger relations.
Monitoring Twitter directories through WeFollow and Twellow will also help you connect with the right bloggers (because a majority are on Twitter, too) and following them on Facebook or LinkedIn will provide additional insight into what they write and care about. There are also ways you can track specific hashtags on Twitter in real-time (e.g., hashtags.org or Twemes), which can lead you to good bloggers to add to your list.
Step 3: Trail Blaze
Just because something is popular, doesn’t mean it will be the best fit for you or your brand. Think of some of your best vacation memories and I bet they were from an undiscovered gem. Blogs can surprise in that same way. Make sure to explore blogrolls and see where they take you. Maybe the diamond in the rough is a blog your industry influencer is reading. This is a time- consuming process, but well worth the return, as you’ll likely discover blogs that, although they may not be the most popular, are still very relevant to you.
Also take note if certain blogs are consistently listed on blog rolls because that’s another indicator into their authority and influence.
Step 4: Evaluate & Plan
When it comes to blogger relations, make sure to be realistic and tier your targets just as you would your media list. Often, how big a list you start with depends on the budget you have to allocate to support blogger relations efforts.
After you’ve collected the laundry list of potential candidates, evaluate each to make sure you’re including the most relevant ones on your list. Also, include a mix of tier 1, 2, and 3 blogs based on authority, readership, and relevancy.
Bloggers are inundated with pitches, and PR and marketing professionals have to work smartly and genuinely to attract their attention. It will increase your chances of success and add to the overall variety of coverage if you make sure to have a mix of “musts” with “nice to haves.” This will also allow you flexibility to be more strategic when offering exclusives to bloggers or pitching different perspectives.
Step 5: Keep Exploring
A blog list is not static and should be a dynamic document that reflects the current online conversations. Daily monitoring will help you grow your list of relevant bloggers. But you should also make sure to build in checkpoints at least every six months to review your contacts and make sure you have a clean, up-to-date list.
There are many possibilities of what blogger relations can do for you. If you’re weary of getting lost in the millions of blogs available, start small. Work to make genuine connections with a handful of bloggers, and then you can grow from there.
An agency partner can also help you with your social media strategy and be your arms and legs to get things done.
Posted in Blogging, Business Blogs, Media Relations, Public Relations, Social Media | No Comments »
“Omit needless words.” “Make every word tell.”
I can still hear those words echoing in my ears, years after my journalism professors at St. Bonaventure University delivered them in lecture. Pulled from the “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, these are the rules to which we all learned to write.
I wonder what they’d think of writing today? On one hand, maybe they’d be excited about how the digital age has opened up so many new doors and platforms for people to express them selves through writing. On the other hand, maybe they’d think we’ve all gotten a little too carried away?
Tweet, tweeple, dweet. Is this jargon-packed silliness or just the next evolution in language for which style laws should apply? Would they consider these terms the “fancy” words the little book states we’re all supposed to avoid? The New York Times seems to think so, and is asking its writers to avoid the term tweet, yet the Associated Press now includes it in its own style guide.
Strunk and White warn us all to “Not affect a breezy manner” in our writing. But, should that rule still hold water when it comes to the conversational style of blogs, Twitter, and Facebook? After all, the personalization these communications afford can in many ways be considered a positive. Nowadays many companies and organizations are talking with people instead of at them. Can we embrace these tools and “write in a way that comes naturally” while still honoring the classic elements of style? In this evolution, is there room for compromise?
Recently, my brother visited us from Minneapolis. On his way out the door, my dad stopped him and said, “tweet” me when you get in. At that moment so many things crossed my mind:
- “My brother is so cool; he’s on Twitter;”
- “If my brother Pete tweets, then is that called a ‘Pweet;’” and
- “Oh man, even my dad has been affected!”
As it turns out my brother is not on Twitter (yet…) and my dad actually meant to say “ping”, but “tweet” was the most natural thing to say given Twitter seems to be everywhere. And while many are working hard to keep up, for others 10, 20 years down the road, it will be something they just know.
So, what would Strunk and White do?
They’d remind us all that good writing is good writing. Whether you’re writing a blog post, annual report, or letter to your aunt, clear, concise communication is the key. Maybe now more than ever as attention spans get shorter, news cycles get faster, and millions of people share their views, experiences, and opinions for public consumption, we all need reminding that there is no substitute for cleanliness, accuracy, and brevity.
P.S. I’m re-reading my copy of “The Elements of Style” starting now and encourage all of you to do the same.
Posted in MF | 3 Comments »
June 25th, 2010 by Tim Downs
Recently, I was reading an article on ScienceBlogs.com regarding giraffes and whether they can swim. Apparently, the buoyancy of giraffes has been a source of debate within the scientific community for years.
Using a state-of-the-art 3D computer simulation and deductive reasoning, the research study came to the conclusion that despite their seemingly odd and deceptively awkward outward appearance giraffes can, in fact, swim.
So, what does the aquatic prowess of a giraffe have to do with marketing? On occasion a product’s brand has an outward appearance that does not always reflect its true nature or function. Our job is to make sure we expose those hidden attributes in a way that is relevant for the consumer. Sometimes that means changing predetermined perceptions about a brand or product.
For example, what comes to mind when you hear the brand name, ACE®? Elastic bandages, right? ACE® is synonymous with the beige colored bandage gym teachers and athletic trainers wrap around sprained ankles, knees, and wrists. However, when ACE® wanted to launch a new disposable heat therapy patch, that perception potentially works against them. This new product needed to be positioned with both the retailer and the consumer outside of the elastic aisle and with the pain relievers. In other words, it was a giraffe you thought you were familiar with, but it had a capability that was unknown to you.
Some of the trade and consumer tactics used to launch the ACE® Heat Therapy Patch can be seen on our web site. But the point is, it is never easy—and not always wise—to go against the preconceived perception of what your brand stands for. But sometimes it is necessary. Done carefully and done well, it can reveal an aspect of the brand that broadens its appeal.
So, the next time a giraffe invites you to a pool party, keep an open mind.
Posted in Advertising, Brand Strategy, Creative, Marketing | 1 Comment »
June 24th, 2010 by Tim Downs
More and more retailers are putting tighter restrictions on the use of point-of-sale merchandisers in an effort to institute “clean store” policies. Combine that with a recent Nielsen study where half of the consumers participating said they became aware of new products in the store—71% of them by seeing products on the shelf—and it is not surprising that the importance of product packaging is getting more attention than ever.
So how do you make sure your package has the shelf presence to motivate a purchase decision? It comes down to two things: eye-catching design and innovative use of promotion.
Ideally, packaging design solutions should be part of an integrated strategic plan or product launch. Too often, new product package designs are created prior to the development of a marketing strategy—without any thought or connection to how the brand will be positioned in the market. And in the case of existing products, packaging design is frequently at odds with a potential repositioning of the brand.
While every brand has its own unique challenges and opportunities, here are just a few trends worth noting.
- Stand out by being simple. Sometimes when everyone else is shouting, the person who stands out is the one who whispers. Think about tapping into the new “cool minimal”. Check out this example: Currenna shampoo.
- Unique on-pack promotions. Typically, when you think of an on-pack or in-pack promotion, there is some sort of price action coupon or rebate. Well don’t be afraid to expand your thinking—like this free USB memory stick promotion for Sunshine Enema. Free giveaways work if they are unique and functional.
- Personalize. Okay, variable information printing isn’t practical for everyone, and, technically, this contact lens package for indivisual (great name) is not an OTC on-shelf product, but the idea of using digital printing technology to personalize a package was just too cool to pass up.
- Show me the product! The use of transparent substrates allows consumers to have a clear look at what they are buying. Incorporate a design that integrates the product with the graphics, and you have visual stopping power in the aisle. earBudeez is a great example of this technique.
These are just a few examples of packages that work hard to attract more sales. The point is, the next time you have the opportunity, think about your packaging as an extremely effective way to market to consumers when they are making a purchase decision: in the store.
Posted in Ad business, Advertising, Creative, Design, Packaging, Print | No Comments »
Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed
