Crumbs from the Scone
In a post at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog, Mack Collier tells the story of Alison Heath, the director of marketing for a small company that received favorable coverage from the Washington Post. “That’s good,” he says. “Unfortunately, [though], commenters were attacking the business, based on the information contained in the article, which implied that the company didn’t provide health insurance to its workers.”
Heath decided to say something. She introduced herself, clarified that the company had offered insurance since 2007 and invited commenters to offer ongoing feedback. According to Collier, her evenhanded response had a dramatic impact on the tone of the conversation. “After Allison’s comment,” he notes, “11 other people commented, and ten of them were positive.”
Here’s what Heath did correctly:
- She politely expressed appreciation for the comments. “Nothing escalates a negative comment into a full-bore flamewar faster than an ‘Oh yeah?!?’ reply from the company,” he notes.
- She gently corrected the incorrect conclusion to which readers had hastily jumped.
- She not only encouraged further input, she offered her email address so readers could send private messages.
“If you are thankful and respectful toward commenters, even those that are attacking your company,” says Collier, “the end result will almost always be a positive experience.”
Source: MarketingProfs.
Crumbs from the Scone
Under normal circumstances, Dylan Boyd believes email copy should be clear and concise. He explains his straightforward rationale in a post at the Email Wars blog: “[I]f I get 500-700 emails a day in my inbox, then I need to know WHO, WHAT, WHY and What’s in it for me. End of story.” But a recent long-form email message from beleaguered automaker Saab exemplifies an exception to Boyd’s rule. When customers become aware of corporate woes and wonder what will come next, he argues, it’s better to talk a bit longer.
The multi-paragraph note signed by Mark McNabb, GM’s premium channel vice president, puts Saab’s uncertain future in perspective by stressing its unconventional history and products—in essence, positioning change as a traditional element of the brand.
McNabb then responds to the basic questions most Saab owners will have: “So what exactly does this all mean?” he asks. “To current Saab owners and loyalists, be assured that all warranties on Saab vehicles remain valid. The warranty for both new and Certified Pre-Owned Saab vehicles are provided by GM and remain intact. GM will support continued availability of parts and service … ”
This clarity impressed Boyd. “When a situation [is] as serious and confusing as a major automotive brand facing challenging times, [with] car owners not sure what to do about it … giving them [this] … approach … works for me,” he says.
Sometimes it’s best to just talk. “[T]here are times when copy and emails in letter format are VERY important,” Boyd concludes.
Source: Email Wars
Crumbs from the Scone
In his roles as a successful blogger and an executive at Ogilvy, Rohit Bhargava works on both sides of the public-relations equation. The juxtaposition gives him a unique perspective on how the worlds of PR and media relate to one another, and he used a recent post, “What All PR People Should Know About Journalists,” to give some pointers like these:
Journalists spend their days separating newsworthy items from hyped-up non-stories. They won’t be fooled if you try to make something sound more substantive than it actually is—especially if the story is of no interest to anyone outside your company. In other words, says Bhargava, “[D]on’t bother with the press releases about hiring your new VP of Sales that no one has ever heard of.”
They want more than facts and figures. Attract reporters with an interesting angle that frames your story in a compelling way. If a pitch doesn’t grab their attention, why would their readers care?
They work with people they trust. If interviews fall through and supporting materials don’t arrive when promised, you’ll not only annoy a journalist, you’ll likely jeopardize her deadline. “Burn a reporter once and you’ll be fighting an uphill battle the next time,” he says. “Have it happen twice and you may as well give up any hope of placing a future story.”
Get into a journalist’s mindset, and then throw your next pitch.
Source: Influential Marketing Blog
Crumbs from the Scone
When a company does something extremely well, it’s only natural to analyze its leadership and culture in search of best practices. If we become too enamored of Wall Street’s latest darling, though, it might cloud our ability to identify what truly drives performance. “[I]s Google successful because of its distinctive practices,” asks Bill Taylor in a post at Harvard Business Online, “or can it afford to experiment with these practices because its core business is so damn successful?”
A good question, and one you should ask before implementing the company’s innovative hiring and management policies only to discover, perhaps, that they’re simply the window dressing on Google’s outstanding technology.
To make his point, Taylor offers this quote from Phil Rosenzweig’s book The Halo Effect: “When a company is growing and profitable, we tend to infer that it has a brilliant strategy, a visionary CEO, motivated people, and a vibrant culture. When performance falters, we’re quick to say the strategy was misguided, the CEO became arrogant, the people were complacent, and the culture stodgy.” The problem, according to Rosenweig, is that laudatory journalism often describes high performers without pinpointing what actually led to business success.
Your Marketing Inspiration comes from Bill Taylor: “When someone tries to put a halo around any company, you’ve got to remain aware of the Halo Effect. We all need something to believe in—but blind faith isn’t always the best way to see the future.
Crumbs from the Scone
Dylan Boyd, who blogs at The Email Wars, tells the story of an email with the subject line: “Limited time only: save up to 25%! Plus get free shipping.” Within, he discovered more action verbs than you could shake a stick at.
At the top of the email there’s a “Shop now” link; below this, a “Spend More, Save More” campaign touts savings of 15% on orders of $125; 20% off a $200 purchase; and a 25% discount if customers rack up a $250 tab. To redeem the offer at checkout, the copy instructs, enter the promo code SAVEMORE.
But wait, there’s more! Just below this, an offer for free shipping on orders of $125 or more has the promo code SHIPFREE. “Was I supposed to shop?” asks Boyd. “Was I going to save? Would it be free? Or did they just want to test all sorts of ideas in one email?”
Worse, he wasn’t sure what to expect if he clicked through to the retailer’s website. “Would I forget to use the coupon code? Would the coupon code give me all of these things at once? Or would I need to go back and forth … ?”
Boyd offered some quick advice, based on this experience: “[F]ocus on the value and the driver to action. If you give too many messages from subject line to email, you will confuse and possibly lose the sale.”
Calm down. Don’t confuse your subscriber with a flurry of offers in a single email.
Source: The Email Wars.
Crumbs from the Scone
Despite the obvious benefits of Web 2.0, the largely unregulated world of social media also poses some unique challenges for companies concerned about a host of issues ranging from legal liability to corporate branding.
What to do? In The e-Policy Handbook, Nancy Flynn recommends a formal blogging policy with clearly defined rules like these:
Institute safeguards for trade secrets and corporate relationships. Don’t assume an employee knows which content is—and is not—fair game for a blog post.
Prohibit anonymous blogging. “Anonymity creates an atmosphere in which some people might be tempted to write in an irresponsible, offensive harassing, defamatory, or otherwise inappropriate manner,” she says. “It also runs counter to the blogosphere’s honest and transparent nature.”
Provide guidance on media inquiries. Many journalists will contact bloggers in the course of writing a story. According to Flynn, a common corporate policy asks bloggers to direct all media inquiries to the organization’s public-relations department.
“Put best practices to work by focusing on the 3-Es of blog risk management,” says Flynn. “Establish policy, educate employees and enforce policy with discipline and monitoring technology.”
Source: The e-Policy Handbook.
Crumbs from the Scone
As a busy blogger, Mark Brownlow of Email Marketing Reports often receives questions from his readers. And in a recent post at his blog, he lists a number of typical queries, to give us a sense of what marketers are pondering these days.
How do we get more people to open our email?
- How do we get more email subscribers?
- How do we get more website visitors?
- How do we get more blog subscribers?
They’re all pressing issues, says Brownlow, and you likely ponder their answers on a regular basis. But central to each is the simple fact that content is king.
Cutting-edge tactics and techniques can enhance your marketing campaigns, but best practices are useless if you fail to deliver quality content—relevant information and offers—in a compelling way.
Because of this, you should keep one question in mind as you write and finalize each piece of copy, Brownlow says: “When people finish reading this, will they be glad they took the time to do so?”
“The answer needs to be yes,” he says, “for as many people in the target audience as possible. It’s not easy. But if you constantly strive for that ‘yes,’ a lot of the above takes care of itself.”
All Hail! In a dynamic world of shifting paradigms and technological revolutions, one truth will never change: content is king.
Source: Email Marketing Reports.
Crumbs from the Scone
Not long ago, Ardath Albee of the Marketing Interactions blog registered with a company’s Web site so she could download a whitepaper that looked interesting. The next day she received an email from a “Sales Development Specialist” asking Albee to place herself in one of three “buckets” so he could accurately gauge her interest level:
- 1) Thank you for the follow-up and material; however, at this point I am only educating myself on [topic] best practices.
- 2) While I am educating myself on [topic], I am also interested in learning more about [company’s] [topic] solutions.
- 3) Please call me as soon as possible. I am looking to evaluate [topic] programs and take a look at what [company] has to offer.
Albee’s reaction to this email was decidedly mixed. “On the one hand,” she says, “I like being able to hit reply and say, hey, I’m a #1. On the other hand, I resent the implication that I’m just like everyone else and can be so easily categorized.”
The senders of this message undoubtedly believe it sets a tone of respectful helpfulness. But it also has the potential to create an uneasy sense that they’re marketing on their own terms. “I downloaded a document—ONE document—and now I’m in their sales process,” notes Albee. “And I’m either going to be known as a 1, 2 or 3 or a nobody.”
Asking people to “bucket” themselves might have less-than-desirable consequences. “We have … learned to pose open ended questions to … potential customers,” says a commenter at Albee’s post. “Nothing is more closed than a bucket.”
Source: Marketing Interactions.
Crumbs from the Scone
If you’ve ever been to Fort Collins, Colorado, you’ve likely ventured to the outskirts of its historic district to sample popular beers like Fat Tire and 1554 at New Belgium’s tasting room. The brewer has long touted its green-production policies—a stance popular with its customers—but recently found itself at the center of a media brouhaha when an ex-employee accused New Belgium of being less environmentally friendly than it claimed.
While marketing materials asserted products were produced entirely with wind-powered energy, argued the naysayer, New Belgium had in fact purchased carbon credits to offset very real emissions. Though a perfectly legal statement, its semantic nature presented a serious PR risk in this age of increased scrutiny.
You might expect the company to put up a fight. “Instead,” notes Ciara O’Rourke in a post at the New York Times’ Green Inc. blog, “New Belgium embraced the rebuke and used it as a catalyst for increased transparency in its first-ever sustainability report, which it published last month.”
In addition to modifying its representation of wind-powered energy sources, the company has launched a series of initiatives such as finding locally produced raw materials and working with the city to reduce peak-load electricity demand.
The Marketing Inspiration is clear: If you receive fair criticism, don’t get defensive. Instead, work toward a resolution and use the experience as an opportunity to seek out other ways to improve your product, service or impact on the community. Your reputation might actually improve in the process.
source: marketingprofs enewsletter
Crumbs from the Scone
Is it better to send an email on Monday or Wednesday? What about Tuesday or Friday? If you wonder about each day’s pros and cons, a post at the 60 Second Marketer has some practical advice. Here’s a sample of their wisdom:
Sending a message on Monday has the advantage of arriving before a recipient’s inbox fills up with business-related email; however, it’s also when people are most focused on the task at hand, and they might not have the time for non-essential browsing. The 60 Second solution: “Send emails late Monday morning, after consumers have cleaned the weekend spam from their inboxes.”
If subscribers are scrambling to catch up with work as the weekend draws near, you might get lost in the shuffle on Wednesday and Thursday; this is prime time, however, for catching their interest as they make weekend plans.
Believe it or not, a case can be made for Saturday and Sunday delivery. Beware, though, of subscribers who might consider this too intrusive. According to 60 Second Marketer, Saturday has better response rates than Sunday, which you should avoid.
“The most important point to keep in mind for an email campaign is a proper and thorough evaluation of a test group,” 60 Second concludes. “By making a practice of consistently testing your email campaigns, you’ll be sure to get the most bang for your marketing buck.”
It’s your party, and you’ll mail when you want to. Just make sure you test, test, test.
Source: The 60 Second Marketer Blog.
In a post at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog, Mack Collier tells the story of Alison Heath, the director of marketing for a small company that received favorable coverage from the Washington Post. “That’s good,” he says. “Unfortunately, [though], commenters were attacking the business, based on the information contained in the article, which implied that the company didn’t provide health insurance to its workers.”
