One little tip from me and Steve added $25,000 to his business.
Let me help you too.
Cheers and Great Selling
Kurt
Email Marketing: New Devices But The Three Principles Will Stay The Same.
February 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Hi Everyone
I am one of these weird guys who receive copious amounts of reports from various companies espousing the virtues and the flaws of email marketing.
Some of these reports insist we should be using technically advanced methods of creating emails.
Most of them agree though; Email is not going anywhere.
Let me put at rest some of the myths I have been reading.
Email, or delivering a message direct by electronic means, WILL NOT disappear.
Regardless of the popularity of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, email in-box numbers world-wide will still be open for legitimate marketers to send messages to.
In fact, the number of email accounts outstretch any social media customers by a massive number.
What will change though is the way people may read their emails.
For instance, Smart Phones numbers are growing so are PC Tablets.
So rather than people reading emails via a traditional PC they will adjust to read their emails via these new electronic devices.
What does this mean to the email marketer?
Firstly, the three principles of email marketing will never change.
1. Gather a list of people, customers, clients.
This so essential in email marketing.
If you have an existing business grab customer names today. Place them in a list so you can have the ability to send them a targeted message.
I recommend to all my clients have a ‘MAIN LIST’ and then segment or categorise this list. In simple terms,
“Can you break the main list up into smaller segments or categories?”
Let me explain further.
If you own a restaurant, maintain a “Main List” but also have separate lists of people who like certain meals. i.e. Steak Lovers, Pasta Lovers etc.
You could even go as far as creating lists for Red Wine Lovers, White Wine Lovers, Boutique Beer Lovers.
If you have an online store always maintain a “Main List” but can you segment this list into what someone may have bought.
Recently I sent out a select email offering one-on-one free coaching to people who had downloaded my Email Report: ‘There Are Only 8 Types of Emails”.
I could do this because I maintain separate lists.
So get to it. Be creative and segment your Main List now.
The second principle of email marketing which will never change is:
2. Build a Relationship With Your List.
Don’t try to sell your products and services to everyone all the time. I am not an advocate of selling in every email but it is OK to let people know what you have new etc.
It is our responsibility to let every person know what products and services we have which could help them. If we don’t we are guilty of negligence in our business.
The way we let people know though is so important.
Limit the hard sell.
In fact all successful marketers will tell you, you shouldn’t be selling but informing.
If you have targeted the right list, your customers will know if the product or service best suits them and will seek you out.
Provide people with useful information. This is crucial to building a relationship.
For instance I provide a free book “7 Killer Tips To Get Your Emails Read” free from my site. If you follow the steps you will more successful in your email marketing then you are today.
Once you have Built A Relationship you can work on specific offers to your clients.
3. Make An Attractive Offer
This offer can be made after a meaningful relationship has been established.
Don’t get caught up with a new product or service you are offering. Look to see how it helps your “Lists”.
If you have established a credibility in the market place people will be happy to follow you and buy from you.
But only after…
You have demonstrated ‘care’ and only after you have demonstrated ‘competency’.
Did you see I used the word competency?
Most people believe they have to get to ‘Expert’ status.
Whilst this may be desirable, research over the past 50 years reveals Leaders only need to be Honest, Have Vision, Be Inspiring and have Competency.
So, demonstrate how your products and services have helped others and this may be enough if you have the other Leadership traits in place.
Again Email Marketing is going nowhere. It is still the most cost effective and affordable method for a business to market.
As long as you follow proven formulas and steps then
1. Maintain a list;
2. Build a relationship; and
3. Offer a meaningful products or services;
then you will find it doesn’t matter if people read emails via mobile phones, PC Tablets or the traditional PC then they will happily allow you to email them.
Cheers and Great Selling
Kurt
Email Marketing: The Future Of Email: 2011
January 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Hi Everyone
Media Post Publications, columnist David Baker, wrote this article about The Future Of Email in 2011.
And my response was:
David, I believe you are correct on personalisation and privacy.
I see email marketing becoming more permission based and a welcoming media to receive offers from invited businesses.
The use of Smart Phones to receive emails will increase too.
The ability of the email marketer to send meaningful, segmented messages to their lists will grow and determine which marketers/businesses stay in the game.
Kurt Johansen – Australia’s Leading Email Marketing Strategist.
What do you think?
Cheers and Great Selling
Kurt
Email Marketing – “Send Some Valentine’s Love”
January 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us.
and…
It’s now time to plan what you are going to send to your customers.
Whether you personally view it as the most romantic day of the year,
surrounded with love and affection,
or…
a tacky, hyped-up-retail propaganda;
there’s no denying, Valentine’s Day can have a dramatic effect on
many small businesses.
And one of the best ways to take advantage of this
potential windfall is through email marketing.
Here are 1o email marketing tips you should implement immediately
to make sure your Valentine’s Day doesn’t end up a lonely affair.
1. Start writing your copy, collect images you will use, take photos of stock or merchandise, draft your offers, etc.
then…
Plan a schedule of when to send your emails:
Email 1: Thursday Feb. 3 : “Introduction and Initial Offer Email”
Email 2: Tuesday Feb. 8: “Offer Reminder Email” (let them know only 6 days to go)
Email 3: Thursday Feb. 10: “Reminder Two Valentine’s Day is on Monday -
Are you prepared ?”
Email 4: Monday Feb. 14: “Make Sure You Get Your Loved One A….” – (From You Of Course !)
You could extend another offer for one more day/night/purchase etc.
2. Add a Valentine’s Day image in your email or use a Valentine’s Day template, if you have one available. A Valentine’s Day template works gangbusters to get people in the mood and thinking about the Day.
3. Offer Valentine’s ideas in your email. People often do not know what to get their partner on Valentine’s Day.
Give them suggestions.
How many times have you wondered what you’re going to do for your special loved-one?
Males often have a hard time thinking of ideas.
Do the work for them by providing a list of the top 2-3 Valentine’s Day gifts or services you can provide. Don’t give too many choices, you will confuse people and then they won’t buy.
4. Can you break-up your list by gender?
Send the males and the females different messages. They will want different things.
But a common email will work as well.
5. Have compelling offers. Most people would have spent their holiday pay and would not be too flushed with disposable income. Make the offer so compelling they need to take advantage of it.
6. Partner with another business. Can you offer complementing products and services. Can a dinner include a photograph?
Talk to the business beside you – can you share lists? i.e You offer their services to your list (must be introduced and sent by you).
Will they send out your Valentine’s Day offer to their list?
7. Do you remember who bought from you last Valentine’s Day?
Contact them. Remind them.
Offer them an even better deal this year.
If the offer is right, they’ll most likely buy from you again.
If you don’t know them, make sure you keep a record this year.
8. Add “forward-to-a-friend” in your email.
Encourage people to forward your email offer to their friends.
It’s a way to make more sales and gain another client.
9. Add testimonials to your email.
Many consumers will buy if they know another person has had
a positive buying experience with your product or service.
Let your prospects know you are honest and reliable.
and finally…
10. If you don’t have a list then now is the time to start building one.
Use an in-store promotion to WIN a valuable gift basket.
Start collecting Names (first name crucial),
Email Addresses and even birthdays (you don’t have to collect the year of birth – the day and month will do).
Collect their postal address too.
(There’s many ways to market to them then – but that’s another message from me).
There you go….
1o email marketing tips you should implement immediately
to make sure your Valentine’s Day doesn’t end up a lonely affair.
“Send Some Valentine’s Love”
Cheers and Great Selling
Kurt
Email Marketing: Words Or Pictures?
January 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Hi Everyone
As we leave the New Year behind it’s time to decide what type of emails you will send this year.
Over the past few years I have seen numerous emails win awards.
These emails to me are merely ‘email brochures’. That is; they look like glossy magazine ads
but…
with the distinct advantage of being delivered direct into a customer’s in-box.
Now it may seem a logical process for large companies to deliver their messages this way yet I question:
“Is this really email marketing.”
You see…
To me, email marketing is about sending a personalised message to your customers, written in the first person so they think the message IS for them.
When a customer/client receives your email, they feel the connection, they can see the relevancy and they understand why you sent the message to them.
If you send a colourful brochure you are not sending connection, you are sending the question – “Do you wish to buy?”.
And to me…
This IS NOT email marketing.
Email Marketing has a true set formula.
1. You need to have a list of people to send to;
2. You need to build a relationship with that list; and
3. You then gain permission to send an offer.
Never under estimate the power of the written word.
Never under estimate the power of giving something of value to your list.
Never under estimate the power of personalisation.
Over time your list will give you the POWER to send them meaningful offers.
Cheers and Great Selling
Kurt
Email Marketing: Boost Up Your Emailing in 2011
January 3, 2011 By 2 Comments
Hi Everyone
Yes, 2011 is here and I thought we should boost up your email marketing this year.
The best way to do this is to set a schedule and calendar for events you know
are going to occur in your industry this year.
It could be an anniversary of the founding of the company, it could be
an one of your birthdays, it could be a specific date aligned to the industry.
There may be trade events which you have a presence and so forth.
All marketing works best when it can be segued with a another event.
And…
The best way to ensure you don’t miss out on the opportunity is to plan a
calendar of these events and work backwards to plan the sending of emails.
It’s time to BOOST your email marketing up to another level in 2011.
Cheers and Great Selling
Kurt
PS: I’d love to work with you this year. I have a yearly fee which is very reasonable if you would like to work with me for 12 months.
PPS: Even if you don’t feel free to throw things my way from time to time to let me keep you on track.
