Crumbs from the Scone
In a post at Copyblogger, Sonia Simone put an interesting twist on the perennial question “Ginger or Mary Ann?” by asking whether your blog is the sexy-starlet or the wholesome girl-next-door type.
Ginger, for example, wasn’t going to let something like a shipwreck interfere with her glamorous persona. “It takes some creativity and chutzpah to retain your movie star essence in the face of spending the rest of your life talking to the same six mildly retarded stereotypes,” notes Simone. In the same way, your blog might have its own alluring niche, impervious to shifting trends or anything as practical as DIY advice.
Mary Ann, by contrast, was pragmatic and approachable. “[She] looked around and saw what needed to get done,” Simone continues. “She figured out the needs of her community, pitched in, and helped create what was most relevant to that situation and that audience.” It could be that your readers appreciate your blog for its cheerful practicality.
- “Ginger is killer headlines,” notes Simone. “Ginger is linkbait. Everyone talks about her, everyone wants to know what she’s up to. Ginger can hit the front page of Digg with a long, smoky look and a shift of her hips.”
- “Mary Ann,” however, “is passionate about her content community. Mary Ann follows 15,839 users on Twitter. Everyone loves her, everyone links to her. Mary Ann has the face that launched a thousand blogrolls.”
When you think of your blog as Ginger or Mary Ann—and both play an important role—it’s easier to stay true to your mission.
Source: Copyblogger.
Crumbs from the Scone
If we were to suggest plain text for your next email campaign, you’d probably laugh in our faces. “The superiority of HTML email to plain-text email for driving response has become an accepted truth in email marketing,” says Mark Brownlow in a post at the Email Marketing Reports blog. “Alchemy Worx, for example, recently demonstrated the power of images: Adding a small, relevant icon to an email boosted total clicks by over 50%.”
But, he argues, there are reasons to consider plain text for the occasional message:
- HTML has become nearly ubiquitous, and a plain-text message—free from color and images—will stand out like “a blank canvas in a Picasso exhibition.”
- HTML is associated with one-to-many communications. “Plain text still says ‘personal’ (all my personal email is plain text) and/or ‘important’ (much transactional email is still text-based),” notes Brownlow.
Therefore, plain text might effectively create the feeling of more personal, one-to-one communication, such as for the following:
- Reactivation campaigns
- Messages from top executives
- Messages that address serious or emotional issues
“A good compromise for such emails might be a rich-text approach, with a subdued HTML masthead,” he suggests, “and then plain text in the main message.”
Plain-and-simple is fine now and then. Under the right conditions, a plain-text message might be more powerful—and effective—than one rendered in HTML.
Source: Email Marketing Reports.
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The editors of Fortune came up with a fun idea for the magazine’s “Best Companies to Work For” issue: Invite the CEOs of two employee-friendly retailers to trade places for a day. Maxine Clark (founder and CEO of publicly held Build-a-Bear) and Kip Tendell (cofounder and CEO of the privately held Container Store) agreed to give it a try.
Despite obvious differences in each business, the temporary job-swap yielded valuable insights. “When the two leaders spent a day working on the front lines of each other’s operations,” notes Bill Taylor at Harvard Business Review, “they encountered all kinds of ideas about merchandising, employee motivation, and in-store communication that worked in one place, and might just work in the other if those ideas were exported to and adapted for the new environment.”
- Clark, for instance, appreciated how the Container Store acknowledges sales associates for a job well done with Post-It notes left on lockers.
- Kendell, meanwhile, liked Build-a-Bear’s “Strive for Five” technique, which is designed to sell each customer five items.
“I’ve seen it time and again,” says Taylor. “Leaders who are hungry for new ideas don’t just aspire to learn from the ‘best in class’ in their narrowly defined field. They also aspire to learn from organizations outside their field as a way to shake things up and make real change.”
Look for innovation wherever you can find it—even if it means adapting an idea from another industry.
Source: Harvard Business Review.
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“Responsible consumer marketers have adopted an ‘opt-in’ email policy for determining who receives their marketing messages,” writes Ruth Stevens at the Harvard Business Review blog. Unless customers give … permission to contact them, the marketer leaves them alone.”
While this works well in B2C environments, argues Stevens, B2B marketers—and their customers—are actually better served by an opt-out policy. Take, for instance, the exchange of business cards at a tradeshow. “Does that exhibitor have permission to contact you by email?” she asks. “Of course. You fully expect to receive email (or phone, or postal mail) follow-up. That’s how you stay informed, build relationships, and do your job.”
But what if you start receiving irrelevant content or too many messages? “You’ll opt out,” she reasons. “At that point, you expect the marketer to honor your request and remove you from the emailing list.” A preference center that manages opt-in subscriptions can just as easily handle their opt-out counterparts, she notes.
Stevens makes her case with the example of Cisco—a major B2B company that adopted an opt-in policy early in the game. “Today,” she notes, “Cisco only has email addresses for 45% to 50% of its customers around the world. Of these, only 29% opted in to receive communications. As a result, Cisco can only hope to reach 14% of its customers by email.” It’s a sobering thought for any email marketer.
Careful with those options. Your B2B customers might not expect—or even want—a strict opt-in email policy; consider just making it clear to them that they can opt out at any time.
Source: Harvard Business Review blog.
Crumbs from the Scone
Well… I never thought I would actually get to interact with my very own SCAM artist! All kidding aside this was just too much fun. He pinged me on Skype and I was just “in a mood”… what follows is a transcript of the Skype conversation. (just to be clear, I’m James and the scammer is Philip, whom I’m now calling “Peggy”) 🙂 Enjoy.
11:54 AM Authorization requested:
Good Day My Name is Philip from Usa i work with the bank of America and there is a fund that was approved in your name so contact me via my address philipstarr20@yahoo.com
11:54 AM Authorization granted to Philip Starr
11:54 AM James Sommer
Hello? are you there?
12:49 PM Philip Starr
hello who plz?
12:51 PM James Sommer
You had just sent me a message regarding a bank of america fund?
12:52 PM Philip Starr
okay so what is your full name reconfirm that clear so that i can check on that
12:52 PM James Sommer
James Sommer
12:54 PM Philip Starr
okay listen a fund was issued in your name to be paid so i shall direct u very well on how to claim this plz would i know how old are u and what is your job?
12:55 PM James Sommer
who issued the fund? and how much is it?
12:56 PM Philip Starr
it was given out by connecticuts government and supported by bank of America the fund is 1.5million dollars
12:56 PM James Sommer
so let me get this straight… the Connecticut government wants to give me 1.5 million dollars?
12:57 PM Philip Starr
yes are you james soomer?
12:57 PM James Sommer
James Sommer yes
12:57 PM Philip Starr
yes we are right is your age 48 to 50years?
12:58 PM James Sommer
wow that is terrific… I did not know the State of Connecticut was so generous… yes I am 48 and I suppose you want my bank account information now?
12:59 PM Philip Starr
well it is by gratual means so that the fund is not misplaced
12:59 PM James Sommer
oh yes of course… we cannot have the fund misplaced
12:59 PM Philip Starr
what is your accupation and are u married?
12:59 PM James Sommer
I design lacy undergarments for Cocker Spaniels and I’m not married (what a surprise eh?)
1:00 PM Philip Starr
Okay did u have yahoo messenger address?
1:01 PM James Sommer
no, but I do have an brand new “OH BOY!” messenger address…
1:01 PM Philip Starr
okay send me your address now
1:01 PM James Sommer
which address?
1:01 PM Philip Starr
your email address any one you are using
1:02 PM James Sommer
what are you going to use it for?
1:02 PM Philip Starr
we shall be sending mail for betterment of this fund
1:03 PM James Sommer
okay here is my email address… ready?
1:03 PM Philip Starr
ok
1:04 PM James Sommer
HowStupidDoYouThinkIAm@TrySpammingSomeoneElse.com
1:04 PM Philip Starr
what did u mean this is real and never fake okay so if u are not interested do let me know maybe we have to see each other for u to beleieve right
1:06 PM James Sommer
Sure thing… why dont you come by my office I’m sure you live close to me here in California right?
1:06 PM Philip Starr
yes i am in connecticuts right now and my duty is to direct u very well on this fund so why u doubt me?
1:07 PM James Sommer
I guess I shouldn’t.. I mean you do have that very distinctive east coast accent… it’s a dead giveaway for people who live in Connecticut.
1:08 PM Philip Starr
so what u mean that we are fake? okay maybe we have to forget this
1:10 PM James Sommer
No no.. its fine… actually I would prefer to meet you in person Where is your office? Which city are you in?
1:11 PM Philip Starr
all i need is to give u all information of this fund and it actually you are coming that would be nice
1:11 PM James Sommer
Yes that would be perfect, I would prefer to do this in person
1:12 PM Philip Starr
my address is Goshen conneticut 06756 USA u dont need to worry on this okay
1:12 PM James Sommer
oh that’s perfect… you are very close to me
1:13 PM Philip Starr
the fund will be deliver to u or transfer to your bank account yes
1:13 PM James Sommer
I live in California which is right next to Connecticut.. I can get on my bike and be there in just a couple of hours… which day would you like to meet? What works best for you? I’ll have all of my bank account information with me.
1:14 PM Philip Starr
after i find out all it will takes u to claim this fund i shall like u come in personal
1:15 PM James Sommer
yes I will like to come in personal too.
1:15 PM Philip Starr
good
1:15 PM James Sommer
what is your address in Goshen?
1:16 PM Philip Starr
silver plain 234 now u know i am serous
1:17 PM James Sommer
Oh I never doubted it, I have relatives that live there too! We go watch the Connecticut Robins play baseball! What a small world eh?
1:18 PM Philip Starr
u see that would be all nice now send me ur email address so that i can send u mail on what u need to do i will send you the document you need to get this delivery okay
1:18 PM James Sommer
sure thing… here it is… ready?
1:19 PM Philip Starr
send it
1:19 PM James Sommer
YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe@gmail.com there you go… Gosh I’m so excited to get $1.5 million dollars!
1:19 PM Philip Starr
this is not kiddind
1:20 PM James Sommer
Oh I’m not kiddind either
1:20 PM Philip Starr
well lets call it a day bye for now
1:20 PM James Sommer
Okay then… hey, great talking with you! good luck with your next victim…
Take care!
Bye Bye now
🙂
Crumbs from the Scone
As a longtime reader of GQ magazine, Dylan Boyd subscribed to The Hound—the magazine’s recently launched email newsletter—with high expectations. “So as I opened the email and took a gander,” he writes at The Email Wars, “I was more than greatly disappointed to get what I would associate with a Sunday newspaper ad circular.”
The short publication included five components:
- A promotion of “suiting events” at several Bloomingdale’s stores.
- A Gillette-sponsored contest for basketball tickets.
- A plug for Phaidon Design Classics, a three-volume set of books sold for $110 by Amazon.com.
- A brief Q&A in which Brett—GQ’s style correspondent—advises a reader to use a hair-sculpting paste made (surprise!) by Gillette.
- An invitation to interact with GQ at Twitter and Facebook.
“What were they thinking?” he asks. “A newsletter is something that shares articles, stories, content, ideas and information that keeps a subscriber in connection with the company that they opted in to.”
To help you ensure your newsletter is a valuable resource for readers, Boyd offers these suggestions:
Don’t treat it like a press release or an offer. “This is a relationship-development channel folks, not a pitch machine,” he says. “Save your targeted offers for another day.”
Create relevant, original content that clearly benefits the customer. “Recycling articles, blog posts and stories,” he notes, “does not deliver on the promise of news.”
Don’t let them down when they open your email up. When developing a cool customer perk like an e-newsletter, make sure it’s packed with relevant info—and not just promos.
Source: The Email Wars
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The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema of Austin, Texas, encourages its patrons to enjoy dinner and a movie—at the same time. “The theater is laid out like a traditional movie theater,” explains the company’s website, “except every other row of seats has been replaced with a long narrow table for your food and drinks.”
A discreet ordering system keeps distractions to a minimum, as does a policy of warning—and, eventually, ejecting—noisy customers who disrupt the film. In a post at the Church of the Customer Blog, Jackie Huba highlights an Alamo Drafthouse PSA, for which the theater recruited a former Texas governor: Confronted with a rowdy customer, she throws him onto the sidewalk. The PSA reads: “Don’t talk during the movie… or Ann Richards will take your ass out.”
Importantly, the venue stands behind its stern words. After a recent screening of Where the Wild Things Are, Tim League, the theater’s founder, was confronted by a man who became irate when a waiter shushed him. The outraged moviegoer followed League to the parking lot, punched the windshield of League’s car, and promised never to return.
“Fabulous,” responds League at his blog. “You, sir, are exactly the type of patron that I never want to see at an Alamo Drafthouse ever again. People who continue to talk when the movie has started are impolite, self-absorbed losers who were never taught common decency by their parents.”
According to Huba, we need more Tim Leagues—those who choose to protect their best customers from obnoxious behavior, rather than catering to those who ruin the experience for everyone. “The customer is always right,” she notes, “if it’s the right customer.”
Source: Church of the Customer Blog
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In two short years, Lady GaGa has become an international phenomenon—selling millions of albums, breaking Billboard records and earning Grammys. According to Jackie Huba, she has also demonstrated a natural ability to cultivate evangelistic fans: “While her performance art-style stage shows and bizarre outfits have garnered much buzz, it’s her loyalty marketing that may sustain her for years.”
Here are a few things small businesses could learn from Lady GaGa:
Bring your fans into the fold by giving them a special name. “Gaga doesn’t like the word ‘fan’ so she calls them her ‘Little Monsters,’ named after her album ‘The Fame Monster,'” notes Huba. “She even tattooed ‘Little Monsters’ on her arm and tweeted the pic to fans[,] professing love for them.” The name doesn’t have to be whimsical or bizarre—Maker’s Mark, for instance, uses the straightforward term “Ambassador.”
Make them feel like they’re rock stars, too. During her stage shows, Lady GaGa always places a call to someone in the audience. “She dials the number onstage, the fan screams out, is located and they are put up on a big screen,” says Huba. “While the rest of audience goes bananas, she invites the fan to have a drink with her after the show.” By giving your fans special—and very public—attention, you make them part of the show.
Lady GaGa knows how to build long-term loyalty for her brand—and you, too, can use her tricks to do the same for your own.
Source: Church of the Customer Blog.
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“I receive email for very different reasons than others in my life,” writes Kara Trivunovic at the Email Experience Council blog. “I subscribe to just about any email I can, because I like to see what people are doing. More specifically, how marketers are targeting their customers, leveraging data, addressing rendering challenges and motivating recipients to open, among many other things.”
The typical subscriber, however, doesn’t share the professional curiosity of an email marketer. To gain a recipient’s in-the-trenches perspective, Trivunovic decided to quiz her husband on his email likes and dislikes. She offers these guidelines for marketers based on what she learned:
Ongoing campaigns must deliver on subscriber expectations. “My hubby tells me that [he often] subscribes for something specific, but if the subsequent emails don’t grab him right away, he unsubscribes.”
Overly restrictive terms and conditions kill interest. That tantalizing offer becomes much less appealing when reams of fine print make it virtually unattainable. “[N]othing drives him more crazy than [receiving] a great subject line and headline about getting free nights at a great hotel,” she notes, “only to open the message to find that there isn’t a snowball’s chance he can go.”
If images don’t render, recipients might blame the sender, not the ISP. When AOL blocks images from Mandalay Bay, Trivunovic’s husband assumes the hotel—and not the ISP—is at fault.
Ask away. Don’t forget to ask real people what they think about your emails. Although the information you gain will be anecdotal, you might still catch something your testing has missed.
Source: Email Experience Council
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Just because something is currently labeled a best-practice doesn’t mean it’s written in stone, says DJ Waldow in an article at MarketingProfs. “[W]e can find and spit back best-practices for most email-marketing-related questions; however, I nearly always find marketers who ‘break the rules’ with tremendous success,” he explains.
Here are a couple of commonly held best-practices, and the reason they might not be the best thing for your campaigns, according to Waldow:
“Don’t use ALL CAPS in your subject line.” Overstock.com breaks this rule on a consistent basis, and for a good reason: It works for the company’s audience. “I had the chance to meet a member of the Overstock email-marketing team,” reports Waldow, “and he informed me that they have done (and continue to do) extensive subject-line testing.” Contrary to conventional wisdom, those emails that use all capital letters significantly outperform those that do not, he says.
“Don’t use one large image, especially if there isn’t alt text.” Despite the omnipresence of image blocking, Apple’s email messages unapologetically defy these edicts. “So, what gives?” asks Waldow. “How does Apple get away with that?” In a conversation with the men responsible for the company’s email marketing campaign, he discovered some tweaks were planned, but that the campaigns worked because customers’ high level of trust of Apple emails meant subscribers were more likely to auto-enable images.
There are exceptions to every rule. Best-practices exist to guide your campaigns—not to dictate what they must or must not do. The best solution for finding what works for your subscribers is still to test, test and test again.
Source: MarketingProfs.
In a post at Copyblogger, Sonia Simone put an interesting twist on the perennial question “Ginger or Mary Ann?” by asking whether your blog is the sexy-starlet or the wholesome girl-next-door type.
