Sunday, March 30, 2014

Don't Overlook SMS: Why Your Marketing Strategies Should Incorporate Text Messaging

Mobile text messaging, also known as SMS (for short message service), may just represent the next frontier in mobile marketing. Why? More than 4 billion people worldwide -- and 75 percent of Americans -- regularly send and receive text messages. With the recent announcement that social media giant Facebook is acquiring WhatsApp -- an SMS platform that allows users to send free text messages on smart phones of all kinds -- texting's popularity isn't likely to decrease anytime soon.

Here's why you should take advantage of this growing market and add SMS to your marketing strategies.

The Power of the Personal

In Internet years, text messaging is a virtual grandfather; after all, the technology has been around for more than 20 years. In fact, it's been around so long that a (mind-blowing) two-thirds of the Earth's population has access to it. Perhaps due to the well-established nature of SMS, many companies have bypassed it as a marketing strategy, probably in their rush to drive customers to the mobile-optimized versions of their websites.

However, as any marketing guru will tell you, customers respond best when a campaign engages them personally. That's where text message marketing comes in. Stats from Techipedia reveal that:

  • 98 percent of all sent text messages are opened

  • 83 percent of text messages are opened within three minutes

  • SMS marketing campaigns boast response rates of up to 45 percent, as compared to email campaigns, which average a 6 percent response rate

Given these high response rates, using SMS seems like a no-brainer. Just send out a few well-worded messages to leads, and watch the sales grow -- right? Of course, there's a catch.

In order to be successful, text message marketing requires thoughtful implementation.

Effective Implementation of Text Message Marketing

Consider how annoying you (probably) find telemarketing calls, spammy-sounding emails, and all of that other marketing stuff you're constantly bombarded with but didn't sign up for. Same goes for SMS; no one wants to receive random or irrelevant text messages all the time. Add in the fact that some mobile users have to pay for each text message they receive, and the importance of only sending texts to those who've opted in becomes crystal clear. It's all about relevance.

Speaking of relevance, one of the most effective uses of text message marketing is keeping in contact with your existing customers. They've already tried your product or service and decided they like you. SMS offers a cost-effective way to keep in touch. Whether you're announcing a special event, sending a coupon code, or implementing a loyalty program, the judicious use of text messages keeps your company in your customers' consciousness.

SMS can also enhance your customers' experience. Text messages containing reminders, schedules, notices of last-minute availability, and even customer satisfaction surveys provide value to your customers while saving them time and hassles.

Appropriate Uses of SMS Marketing

Here are a few ways to incorporate text messaging into your marketing plan in a way that customers will appreciate.

Promotions and Sales: Send promo codes, coupons, and special event notices. Consider geo-fencing to send offers to opted-in customers when they come near your place of business.

Receipts: Sending receipts makes it easy for customers to keep track of spending.

Surveys: Customers can fill out surveys about their experience, providing you with valuable feedback.

Loyalty Programs: Make it easy for customers to join your loyalty program via text, and get information you need to develop detailed customer profiles that help your marketing strategies.

No matter what you're using SMS for, the key lies in creating an opt-in program and focusing on content that provides value to customers. Text messaging shouldn't be used to generate leads; instead, it should provide relevant information to interested customers.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Social Media: American Idol for Small Businesses?

For thirteen years, American Idol has entertained the country by bringing would-be singers to the center stage and giving them a fair shot at becoming the superstars they believe they can be. Countless people have auditioned before a panel of very strict judges. Out of the masses, one singer rises to the top to win each season. It's from this show that popular stars such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have found their way to fame.

For most of these stars, American Idol really changed the game. Without the nationwide audience and opportunity to get in front of the camera, many would have struggled to find their "big break."

Most businesses can relate to this mentality. In the past, small businesses struggled to get their brands and names known within their community. The idea of finding a nationwide platform remained a pipe dream for the vast majority of companies. But just as American Idol has provided a new avenue for struggling singers, social media has changed the landscape for small businesses, too.

Social Media: A "Star" is Born

Social media offers small businesses the exposure they need to break out and become "stars" in their own right. With the rise of ecommerce, many companies can now do business with people thousands of miles away. Through Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Google+, and the rest of the common social media channels available to them, these businesses are getting their message out and building relationships with potential customers across the globe.

Learning the Ropes

Unfortunately, not every company that sets out on their journey is going to make it to the top. The singers who audition for American Idol cannot just walk up to the judges and tell them, "Hi, I'm a fantastic singer. All my friends say so. You need to give me a ticket to the next round." Similarly, small businesses cannot just sign up for social media and expect customers to come pouring in to use their services. In both cases, people must sell their talents. The singers must prove to the judges that they have the skills needed to compete on the nationwide scale, and businesses must prove the same to their potential customers.

Rolling With the Punches

One of the factors that made American Idol so popular was the extremely harsh criticism that Simon Cowell famously dished out to nearly every competitor. Many people noted that while his words might even be described as cruel, they were rarely untrue. He said what many people thought but were too kind to say. It was the responsibility of each competitor, especially those who received his critique but remained on the show, to take what he said and learn from it before they sang again.

Many small businesses have quickly discovered that in social media few people feel much inhibition in making their opinions known. And some of those critiques would even make Simon Cowell blush. Learning how to respond to such criticism is an important skill to master. A key part of that response is deciding what feedback to take to heart and then making the changes needed to better serve customers.

Social media has given small businesses across the country the opportunity to reach clients in an unprecedented way. No longer are they confined to their local market, with distant hopes of one day striking it big. Just as American Idol has provided singers with a new way to showcase their talents, social media has done the same for companies looking to grow their customer base. Understanding how to take advantage of this opportunity and learn from it can make all the difference.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Improve Customer Loyalty

It's far more cost-effective to retain existing customers than it is to attract new ones. Here are a few tips to increase customer retention rates by improving your customer loyalty:

  • Mail personalized thank you cards showing your appreciation for recent purchases or interest in your products and services.

  • Create a customer loyalty program that offers special promotions and incentives for return customers, such as birthday discounts, a reward punch card, free shipping, monthly discounts, or free upgrades.

  • Give customers a great experience with your brand. Offer a quality product and stand behind it.

  • Encourage open communication with customers by requesting feedback and suggestions. Offer options such as e-mail, online surveys, a toll-free number, and discussion forums.

  • Humanize your brand and create a personal connection with your customers by interacting in social media. Encourage customers to respond to your blog posts, attend trade shows, provide open houses, offer hands-on training sessions, and more.

  • Treat your customers like insiders. Include them in decisions, ask for feedback, and assure them their opinions are valued.

  • Consistently under-promise and over-deliver to ensure customer satisfaction.

  • Surprise your customers with something they don't expect, such as a coupon for "$10 off your next $10 purchase" just because.

  • Remember the golden rule. Think about the type of treatment you would like to receive as a customer.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Building a Strong Foundation

If you sit down with nearly any preschooler, they can probably tell you the story of the three little pigs. According to the story, there once were three pigs. Each set out to build themselves a home. The first built his home out of straw. He was done very quickly because of the material he chose. The second little pig chose to build his home out of sticks. Building with sticks might have taken the pig a little longer than using straw, but he was still done rather quickly. The third pig, however, built his home out of bricks and mortar. This house took the longest time to build, and the pig was forced to keep working, even when the other pigs were already relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Not long after the three pigs had finished their homes, the big bad wolf came looking for something to eat. He was able to quickly blow over the houses made of sticks and straw, but no matter how hard he tried, he was not able to blow over the house of bricks.

Building a strong foundation

The third little pig didn't take the easy way out. He saw the other two pigs finishing faster than him and having the time to laugh and play, but when the chips were down, his house was the only one to stand up. The strong foundation made all the difference.

In life, as in business, it's tempting to take the easy way out; to use the easier material that takes significantly less time. The problem comes when we discover just how quickly a weak foundation can fail us. Those who are looking to grow their businesses must keep this idea in mind.

Growing a business the smart way

There are a variety of 'tricks' companies can use to try to grow their businesses quickly. So-called 'black hat SEO,' which refers to techniques such as artificial keyword stuffing and using link farms to grow backlinks, may help companies achieve their objective rather quickly. They may rise quickly in the Google search engine ranks and see the number of visitors to their site rise as well. But Google has been cracking down on sites that use artificial SEO. Some companies have found their sites severely penalized, which has deeply hurt their businesses.

In marketing, companies may be tempted to blast every known platform all at once, without taking the time to develop a company message and brand. In these cases, the effects of the campaign typically fall short. A group that tries to go nationwide with a campaign too quickly might find that the effort exhausts their resources, placing the entire company in jeopardy. Starting local and growing as a reputation spreads is the way to achieve success.

Growing a business correctly means taking the time to grow organically. It means working to develop a quality website that is naturally optimized through a quality blog and well-written content. Marketing campaigns and customer reach goals should be built on a firm foundation that leaves room to grow. We can help customers develop marketing plans to appropriately meet new customers.

There's no easy way to be successful. It requires perseverance and hard work. Like the little pigs discovered, however, there's also no replacement for doing things right the first time. Instead of looking for shortcuts, invest time in learning about techniques to maximize investments and tools for saving time. We can help. Building a solid business foundation means your company will have something to grow on, rather than a flimsy foundation that can blow over. And that's irreplaceable.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

All Brochures are NOT Created Equal

When it comes to marketing your business, professionally printed brochures are a great way to build credibility, while also telling your story. Here are a few tips to help you create successful, sales-building brochures:

  • Focus on your audience and their needs. List benefits your customers will receive by choosing your product.

  • Design an appealing cover that motivates readers to look inside. Include product benefits, a thought-provoking statement, industry tips, and other items your customers will find valuable.

  • Keep it brief. Since brochures have limited space, provide a brief summary of your information, along with links for interested readers to go online and learn more.

  • Provide clear headlines that make it easy to find information, along with high-quality imagery that supplements your messaging.

  • Consider a creatively shaped or unusually sized brochure to grab attention.

  • Include information that encourages the ready to keep your brochure. This may include how-to information, tips and tricks, sales calendars, and more.

  • Consider providing a Q&A section to answer questions you think your readers may have when learning about your products or services.

  • If your brochure is lengthy (8 pages or more), consider creating a table of contents to pique reader interest and make information easier to find.

  • Include a call to action, so readers know how to respond. An 800 number, reply card, website landing page, or email address are all good examples to try.

If you need help creating an effective brochure, give us a call today. We have many samples and creative design ideas your customers will be sure to love.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Increase Awareness About Your Products

One of the biggest reasons many people don't buy quality products from businesses is because they simply aren't aware of what products are offered. Here are a few ways to increase awareness about your products and services:

  • Consider creative marketing avenues you haven't tried before. These may include table tents, lumpy direct mailers, door hangers, event flyers, bag inserts, statement stuffers, social media posts, chat forums, industry publications, tradeshows, and more. Test your marketing results via coupon codes and targeted promotions.

  • Create a regular product spotlight postcard campaign that highlights various products or services you offer.

  • Create a customer referral program that encourages loyal customers to spread the word about your business and do the selling for you.

  • Showcase happy customers who are using your product. Consider testimonial stories or brief customer quotes.

  • Team your marketing efforts with an established business that complements your offerings. Offer discounted promotions when purchasing both.

  • Create a goodwill marketing plan to increase name recognition and drive business while also giving back to your community. For example, you might sponsor a local charity event or donate a portion of your profits to a charity (e.g., "10 percent of all sales in June will be donated to XYZ charity").

  • Provide a risk-free trial offer and satisfaction guarantee to take the worry out of trying a new product.

  • Utilize social media by creating a company LinkedIn and Facebook page, and build your audience through employee connections.

  • Differentiate yourself from the competition by offering value add-ons, educating customers about industry trends, providing helpful tips, or simply having a live person answer your phones instead of a confusing, automated system.

  • Build your customer base by offering exclusive first-time customer promotions.

  • Learn from others. Collect examples of marketing materials or creative ideas that caught your attention, and combine some of your favorite features into customized ideas for your business.

If you need help creating the perfect marketing materials that are sure to get noticed and remembered, give us a call today!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Top Tips for Generating Customer Reviews

If you own a business, you probably know how important great online customer reviews can be to your bottom line. In fact, one 2013 study revealed that eight out of every 10 customers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.

So how do you go about generating online feedback? Here are some simple things to get you started:
  • Get social: If you don't have a Facebook page and Twitter account, now is the time to get one. If you already do have Facebook and Twitter accounts, make sure you're checking them regularly for comments. You need to keep a close eye on your social pages and respond to customer comments -- good and bad -- as they arise. And of course, you need to make it easy for people to find your social sites, so include links on your website and in your emails.


  • Make it easy to be nice: Sure, you may like to go on and on about how great your product or service is, but your customers may not be that chatty. For the verbally shy, make reviews easy by adding non-verbal options like multiple choice options or a star-rating system.


  • Get your game on: Ever heard of gamification? Basically, that term refers to websites that incorporate some sort of game play into their design to make it more fun for customers to engage. You can get as complex as you want, but even a simple thing like adding virtual badges or trophies for customers who leave reviews can increase feedback.


  • Be generous: Everyone likes to score something for free, and offering a free sample or free trial period can be really effective at getting customers to leave reviews.


  • Follow up: A customer just made a purchase. Is that the end of the transaction? Not if you want to generate some (generally positive) reviews. Once a purchase is complete, touch base with the customer to discuss both the item they purchased and the purchase experience in general. When you get positive responses, ask if you can share them as testimonials on your site.
OK, so those are just a few ways to generate reviews and feedback, but what should you do if some of that feedback is negative? First, set aside your anger and indignation, and don't stress: Every business is going to catch a little flak once in a while. Don't ignore negative reviews; instead, reply politely to deescalate and help soothe the customer. Try not to get into a debate on your social page; instead, invite the customer to contact you by phone or email, or offer to contact them. Be sure to thank them for their feedback and apologize for any inconvenience they've felt. And of course, if the feedback is on target, use it to make needed improvements.

Engaging customers and generating positive reviews takes work, but it's work that can yield big returns. Take a few minutes today to think about how your business can improve feedback and start building its own base of dedicated fans.