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June 04, 2008

Wherein We Beat You Over the Head …

… and implore you (yet again) to start a blog.
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I know you’re busy. I’m not suggesting you write a mini magnum opus every day. If you don’t have 20 seconds to set up a Wordpress or Blogger blog, then sheesh, get your 12-year-old kid to do it. (He or she will be able to do it 10 seconds.)
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Because here are the very real benefits:

With little-to-zero effort, you can create a decent looking web site. Skip worrying about hiring web developers, registering domain names and finding hosting companies. If you have the technical savvy to set up a free email account and compose messages, then you’ve got what it takes to set up a free blog. Plus, most free blogging platforms offer cool template designs.

Keep in mind that a blog doesn’t have to be perpetually updated with new content. It can serve as a static web site. Add your contact info, a brief pitch for your services, maybe even a professionally snapped photograph. (Note the professionally.) Put your blog’s web address on your business card. Voila! Look at you now!

You might even get prospects to land on your blog. Search engines like Google and Yahoo help prospects find what they’re looking for. While there’s a ton of competition for placement for search terms like “insurance quotes” and the like, you may rank well for more specific terms—phrases that are unique to you. For example, let’s say that lady you met at the wedding reception, we’ll call her Nancy, later recalls your name and that you sell insurance. Nancy might Google ‘your name/agency + insurance’ to find out if you have a web site. Assuming your name isn’t Bob Smith, there’s a decent chance she’ll find your name in the organic results.

You’ll get some R.E.S.P.E.C.T! With a web site, you’ve instantly got a modicum of credibility. To phrase that negatively (and maybe scare you a little), not having a web site these days is a severe ding to your standing in the eyes of prospects.

If you do have the time to write informative content, you’ll earn big-time cred with prospects—and search engines. You, my friend, are an expert. You know waaay more about insurance than the guy on the street. If you can synthesize some of that info and offer it for free, you’ll earn trust points with prospects. (And trust, we know, is a vital component to making the sale.) It’s also worth mentioning that Google rewards unique content with greater prominence in the search results.

May 09, 2008

Online Shopping Trends

Bankrate.com, which is InsureMe’s parent company, held its partner conference this week. Bankrate.com is based in Palm Beach, Florida, so the conference was held at the historic Breakers Resort. Turquoise ocean, pounding surf, flower blossoms in abundance, and blue skies. breakers2.jpg

The keynote speaker was Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Since 1999, this organization has examined how people’s internet use affects their families, communities, health care education, work place and political life.

Continue reading "Online Shopping Trends" »

May 05, 2008

It's Hip to Be Square

As an agent you probably use some industry jargon from time to time. The internet also has its own vocabulary. And even though this may not be your native tongue, it is worthwhile to at least be familiar with some of this terminology as it’s becoming ever more prevalent in all professions. Not only that, being a tech geek is considered cooler than ever. Adding some of these acronyms to your vocab definitely won’t hurt your cred with the younger generation.

Internet Terms to Know

SEM: Search engine marketing is a form of internet marketing that tries to promote web sites by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs). Some methods include search engine optimization, paid placement and paid inclusion.

SERPS:
Search engine results pages. These are the pages that appear when you type a search term into Google, Yahoo, or MSN.

SEO: Search engine optimization is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN) via natural, or unpaid, search results for targeted keywords. Usually, the closer to the top of the page a site is presented in the search results, or the higher its rank, the more searchers will visit that site. Some efforts may include adding unique content to a site, ensuring that content is easily indexed by search engine robots, and making the site more appealing to users.

PPC: Pay per click is another way that web site owners attempt to drive traffic to their site. PPC considers what words people use when searching for certain things. For example, when searching for life insurance, a person may type “life insurance,” find life insurance,” “looking for cheap life insurance,” and so on. Web site owners bid on those key words and key word phrases. The higher the bid, the closer to the top of the page the ad appears. These results will show up in the sponsored listings, or the ads to the top and right of the page.

Continue reading "It's Hip to Be Square" »

March 28, 2008

Free Love

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Who doesn’t like to stumble upon a sale, but the rising trend documented by several publications, which coincidentally provide their content for free online, is a tendency for companies to not discount their goods and services, but to give them away at no cost—a seemingly ridiculous business model that actually works.

Trendwatching.com discusses some of the some of the things fueling free love.
• The battle for consumer attention. In a world where consumers are bogged down with advertising hi jinx and marketing schemes, sometimes you can’t even give it away
• The internet and it’s ability to create, copy and distribute easily and cheaply
• Consumer to consumer markets, which allow consumers to swap not spend, making transactions cash-neutral
• An emerging recycling culture that takes a reuse mentality

One way the free marketplace affects insurance agents is by making it easy and free for consumers to compare the price of insurance polices online. Gone are the days when it took hours for insurance shoppers to make calls and compare quotes; it now happens in a mere moment. And if you aren’t in this free marketplace, which thrives online, you will miss out.

Check out this link that explains how you can manipulate the internet to build your online presence.

Continue reading "Free Love" »

January 16, 2008

The Dirty Words You Can't Use in Email Subject Lines

Whether you’re sending out an e-newsletter or simply emailing a rate quote to a new prospect, you’ll want to pay careful attention to one very important piece of email real estate: the subject line.

The contents of a subject line help us quickly discern SPAM from legitimate mail and differentiate between the messages that deserve our immediate attention and what can be pushed off until later.

MarketingProfs has a few pointers to encourage recipients to open your emails—which includes avoiding the following in email subject lines:

Continue reading "The Dirty Words You Can't Use in Email Subject Lines" »

January 02, 2008

What Not to Put on Your Blog

blogcrazy.gifStarting a business blog in 2008? Good. You should be!

And to get off on the right foot, here are a few quick tips to help you from making amateur mistakes and (hopefully) on your way to becoming a business blogging sensation this year.

Focus on a topic. This isn't a personal blog where anything goes. Spend some time thinking about what kinds of things you'd like to write about and develop a community around. Blogs that are more topic-focused also tend to receive more credibility—which can mean visibility. But, of course, a random funny tidbit is fun to share once in awhile, too.

Continue reading "What Not to Put on Your Blog" »

December 14, 2007

What Great Insurance Ads Look Like

We've spent a large chunk of this week brainstorming new video ideas and creating scripts. Part of what we're doing involves ad spots and YouTube, which I'm sure some of you have been thinking about too.

So, for this Friday's post, I thought I'd have you watch a few of my favorite Trigon health insurance commercials. They're good clean fun, and when you look at the frequency with which these videos are viewed, you can only imagine the positive affect they've had on the Trigon brand.

Check 'em out, mull 'em over, and have a great weekend!

November 26, 2007

Want to Learn about SEO? Start Here.

learning.jpgJames is right: One of the hardest parts of learning search engine optimization (SEO) is wading through all the information on the internet and figuring out if it's current or even correct information.

Thankfully, eVisibility Insider compiled a list specifically designed for SEO newbies to help you navigate the ever-changing landscape that is the internet. Check it out to learn which SEO-themed sites with which you should become familiar, which podcasts and videos can help you cut down your reading material (though don't think you'll get off scot-free here!), and which tools and plugins can help you on your quest for SEO greatness.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that free web traffic is better than the stuff you pay for. And while you may have to invest some time, the benefits should be two-fold: Your stretched grey matter and better web visibility.

And don't forget to stop by the InsureMe Affiliate blog for more online marketing tips, news and commentary!


November 15, 2007

Don't Fear the Internets—Use Them!

kitten.jpgConsider this an addendum to Megan’s post on the futility of Yellow Page advertising and the promise of online marketing:

Agents who incorporate new technology into their existing businesses will remain competitive. Agents who use the Internet to market their products will reach a broader client base and expand their businesses, but because most clients value their relationship with their agent, the Internet should not threaten jobs, given that many individuals still prefer discussing their policies directly with their agents, rather than through a computer.

That’s from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is published annually by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, a branch of U.S. Department of Labor.

We harp on the importance of online marketing quite a bit on the Agent Blog, but it's not out of simple fascination with the new. (We'll be the first to admit that some of the old-school methods can't be beat.) We advocate using new technologies because, well, they usually work.

And the best kind of technology is the kind that helps deliver better customer service:

Agents who offer better customer service also will remain competitive. Call centers are another important way carriers and agents are offering better service to customers, because such centers provide greater access to their policies and more prompt services.

Source

November 14, 2007

Record Online Ad Spend & The Death of Yellow Pages Advertising

phonebookssm.jpgYesterday afternoon as I filled up my coffee cup, a colleague said to me: "You won't believe what I was on my doorstep when I got home yesterday. Another phone book. For the third time this year!"

The conversation grew to include four people and I listened as each of them complained about the frequency of deliveries, the bulk of each new phone book, the complete waste of paper, etc. Soon, the conversation turned to our customers—insurance agents—and why many of them were still wasting money on Yellow Pages ads.

"We use the internet to find everything," one colleague said. "And who's going to pick a random insurance agent out of the phonebook and give them their business? Whenever I've moved, I've asked for agent referrals from friends and coworkers."

She's right. So why are insurance agents still dumping money into the Yellow Pages? As far as I can tell, it's out of habit. It's been done for years and years and, come on, it's not that expensive.

Continue reading "Record Online Ad Spend & The Death of Yellow Pages Advertising" »

October 29, 2007

The Skinny on Blogging for Business: Part Four

Ever wonder why InsureMe started blogging? Check out this recap of The Skinny on Blogging for Business as published in the September issue of the TAAR Report, and learn why.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three


Blogging: How to Get Started

Now that you know the rewards and have examined the risks, you’re probably wondering how to enter the blogosphere.
Use your blog as a marketing and sales tool by not cramming it with sales fluff. Provide something valuable and the sales will follow.
You can start with:

Read. Listen. Participate. Read other blogs. Starting with those related to your industry is a good idea. Listen to what the readers are saying. Participate in the conversation.

Once you’ve got a handle on the blogosphere:

Hone in on a topic.
Generally, blogs that are focused on one topic gain more visibility than the ones that cover everything.

Define your audience. Who do you envision writing to? Health insurance professionals? Auto insurance underwriters? Defining an audience will help keep your blog tight and focused.

Once you’ve thought these factors through, it’s time to start writing. There are a handful of free and low-cost blogging platforms available for public use, and most of them require little to no knowledge of HTML or web design. In fact, Blogger (Blogger.com), Wordpress (Wordpress.com), and Typepad (Typepad.com) all come with tech help and templates to make your transition to blogging an easy one.

Once your blog is up it’s time to:

Continue reading "The Skinny on Blogging for Business: Part Four" »

October 08, 2007

The Skinny on Blogging for Business

Ever wonder why InsureMe started blogging? Check out this recap of The Skinny on Blogging for Business as published in the September issue of the TAAR Report, and learn why.


At first blush, blogging for business might seem like a bit of an oxymoron. Often synonymous with the ranting and raving of celebrities (here’s looking at you, Rosie), grassroots political movements, and your teenager’s recount of the day, this medium seems about as likely to drum up business as Homer Simpson is to give up donuts. enter.gif

But blogging has gone corporate over the last few years, giving faceless and seemingly cold companies a warm and approachable exterior.

In essence, business blogging has changed the way companies interact with prospects, current clients and industry peers. By having open conversations and providing valuable content for readers, blogs have also become somewhat of a PR vehicle.

Larger corporations—even some Fortune 10 companies—are using blogs to deal with media criticism and engage the public about their products and services. Given the interactive format of blog sites (they allow readers to post their own questions and comments), businesses are recognizing the value of having a conversation with their clients instead of talking at them.

Continue reading "The Skinny on Blogging for Business" »

October 05, 2007

Friday Fun: Vern Fonk Insurance

We've loving Vern Fonk's insurance commercials this week. You might even say they're the hottest thing on the "InterMet."

Take a look at Vern Fonk's spots—and let it serve as a reminder that cheap advertising doesn't always equate to bad advertising.

September 17, 2007

Learning Google Analytics

logo_ga.gifGoogle Analytics is a free program that generates comprehensive stats about the people who come to your web site. It's a cool program that we use here at InsureMe on our myriad sites to see who's stopping by, what they're looking at, how they found us, etc.

The factor I haven't considered when previously recommending Google Analytics is that it can be hard to know where to start—afterall, there's so much data! And what does it all mean? How do you use it to your advantage?

Seth Godin points us to a book (and blog) that helps us quickly and easily answer these questions. So if you're new to analytics programs, this is for you.

[Related]:
Grade Your Web Site (Without Fear of Detention)

August 27, 2007

New E-Slang: Bacn

footloose200.jpgIn the spirit of keeping Agent Blog readers up to speed on the latest internet happenings, I present you with Bacn: email you want—just not right now.

From the official bacn press release:

Bacn has been said to be the “middle class of email.” It’s notifications of a new post to your Facebook wall or a new follower on Twitter. It’s the Google alert for your name and the newsletter from your favorite company.

Bacn. I like it. Looks like I'm going to have to create a new email folder to keep my e-meat products separate. :)

Keep an eye out for more bacn-related marketing posts here!

More bacn:
The t-shirt (money goes to charity) | The bacn blog

[via]
[photo source]

August 23, 2007

The ABCs of SEO: Part Four

This is the final installment of The ABCs of SEO, as published in the May issue of the TAAR Report. Read part three of this article here.


Hiring a Pro to Optimize Your Site


Just like in Highlander,
there can only be one number one.

If you’ve gotten this far, you may be thinking that, technical as it may be, this SEO thing might be worth a shot. And because of the technical challenges involved, and, undoubtedly, the constraints on your time, you might be thinking about hiring someone to optimize your site for you.

Thankfully, InsureMe’s James Omdahl has some experience in this area and recently wrote a blog post on outsourcing SEO.

The first thing you need to understand, says James, is that the SEO landscape is a dangerous one. “While there are many people out there who know what they are doing, there are many, many more that don’t.”

To avoid working with unscrupulous SEO consultants, James recommends:

Continue reading "The ABCs of SEO: Part Four" »

August 14, 2007

Viral Marketing: Turn Customers Into Your Sales Force

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If you have a Hotmail account, have watched a video on YouTube or been copied on a funny article, you’ve been touched by viral marketing.

In essence, viral marketing is word-of-mouth marketing made more diffusive by the networking properties of the internet. But unlike traditional marketing, in which the product or service must have some ‘wow’ factor to entice consumers, viral marketing relies heavily on the content of the campaign making it a perfect match for the insurance industry.

According to comScore, Inc., a global internet information provider, consumers submitted over 70 million online auto insurance quote requests between 2004 and 2006. More households are researching and shopping online every year—now over 75 percent.

And in a recent article, Marketing Sherpa asserted the new prime time is 9 to 5 while corporate America toils away in front of their PCs. Unlike after hours, this is the time that consumers invite interruption in the form of a digital games, amusing videos and desktop distractions.

Develop your message.

Much of viral marketing is “advertainment”. Sites like YouTube and Google video have made the proliferation of video free and fast. Companies give away video games, sometimes called “advergaming”, and create entertaining, interactive web sites. The idea is to engage customers so they choose to send your message to other potential consumers without solicitation. Creating compelling content—therein lies the challenge.

Giveaways have been marketing’s secret weapon since Cracker Jack began promising ‘a toy in every box.’ Whether it’s a t-shirt or downloadable program, an online coupon or a magnet, a freebie can often lead to the sale of a larger item, or at least future brand recognition.

A chance to win money or a big-ticket time always draws a crowd. The idea: when they come to your site to sign up, maybe they’ll peruse your other offerings. Using an online contest in conjunction with a conference or convention can pique attendee interest and increase the ROI of the event.

Continue reading "Viral Marketing: Turn Customers Into Your Sales Force" »

August 13, 2007

The ABCs of SEO: Part Three

You're about to embark on a recap of The ABCs of SEO, as published in the May issue of the TAAR Report. Read part two of this article here.



Components of SEO (continued)
Link Popularity and Inbound Links

5 Site Tweaks that Can Improve Your Rank:

  1. Offer visitors useful content that's not blatantly stuffed with keywords
  2. Keep your site clean and fast-loading
  3. Try to build links with other sites within your industry
  4. Check your site for technical errors (pages that don't load) and duplicate content (e.g. two identical or closely-related articles)
  5. Maintain a well-organized site map
Along with keywords, SEO specialists have found that the links pointing to a web site have a strong correlation with its site rank. Namely, search engines look at inbound links to determine a site’s link popularity.

Link popularity is classified as how many inbound links you have to your site. Inbound links are formed when someone else links to your site from theirs.

For example, if ParachuteInsurance.com found a good car insurance article on InsureMe.com, they might link to it from their site. And spiders like links. To the spider, links are like votes (hence the term “link popularity”). They signify that people have found your site valuable, and will then rank it higher when someone enters a search term relevant to your site.

The caveat: link popularity isn’t a true democracy. I talked to James Omdahl, our in-house marketing strategist and lead writer for the InsureMe Affiliate Blog, and he explained it like this:

Continue reading "The ABCs of SEO: Part Three" »

August 08, 2007

The ABCs of SEO: Part Two

You're about to embark on a recap of The ABCs of SEO, as published in the May issue of the TAAR Report. Read part one of this article here.




Components of SEO


When it comes to keywords,
more is not always better.

Creating web sites that are search engine-friendly means determining what the search engine likes. Back in the mid-90s, it was fairly easy to figure out what made the search engines happy. As a result, the web experienced widespread SEO abuse, and users couldn’t find the timely, trustworthy information they were seeking.

To curb this abuse, Google built a bigger, better algorithm. The new algorithm took into account various factors and characteristics of the web pages it indexed. Soon, other search engines like Yahoo and MSN adapted similar algorithms to keep organic search results as pure and relevant to its users as possible.

Today, site owners aim to work with these algorithms to increase their site rank. Working with the algorithms is difficult for two reasons:

Continue reading "The ABCs of SEO: Part Two" »

August 03, 2007

The ABCs of SEO: Part One

You're about to embark on a recap of The ABCs of SEO, as published in the May issue of the TAAR Report. This is part of a series of posts recapping my "TAarticles."


Full disclosure: the title of this article may be a tad misleading. The “ABCs of SEO” kind of implies that search engine optimization is an elementary task, akin to stacking blocks and finger painting. It is not. Kindergartners could not optimize a web site in one lazy afternoon and chances are good you won’t be able to either.

the 2004 iProspect survey concluded that users put more stock in organic listings for commercial searches, with more than 60% deeming organic results more relevant than paid listings.

But don’t let a little thing like that discourage you.

Like any other online business proprietor, you goal is to position yourself—and your agency—in front of the eyes of shoppers. Accordingly, the higher you rank on a search engine results page (SERP), the greater the likelihood that a shopper will click on your link—dramatically increasing the chances that said shopper will use your site and buy your product.

And with the impressive increase in internet shopping, it has been well documented that unless your site appears within the first three pages of search results, only a small percentage of shoppers will even find it.

When you consider that more than 80 percent of web traffic comes through search engines like Google, it’s no wonder that those in the competitive space of insurance are adding search engine optimization (henceforth SEO) to their marketing repertoire in order to position themselves in front of interested shoppers.

What is SEO?

Continue reading "The ABCs of SEO: Part One" »

August 02, 2007

Beyond MySpace

Social networking sites: they're not just for the kids anymore.

Part business card, part resume and part personal press center, personal pages on social networking sites are quickly becoming an integral part of self-promotion.

Note: I don’t use self-promotion as a negative term. As New York Times business columnist Marci Alboher explained recently, tasteful self-promotion is not something to be self-conscious about. In fact, it’s essential in business.

But where should you go? When you think of social networking sites, you probably think of MySpace. MySpace, however, has very little cachet among professionals. Facebook and LinkedIn are the more popular choices for businesspeople. But there are other options out there, so take some time to look around and see what appeals to you.

These sites allow you to show your human side, (humbly) flaunt your credentials and/or accomplishments, grow your web presence, meet new people in your industry, and promote your personal brand! And best of all, they're easy to set up.

Learn more:
Are You on Facebook Yet?
Should You Get into Social Media Marketing?
Are You Linked In?
Personal Branding 101

August 01, 2007

Are You Putting Roadblocks Between You and the Customer?

This morning I found myself included in my boyfriend's family email. Dan lives in D.C., and I'm planning to go out east for his birthday next month. Coincidentally, his parents were planning a vacation to New York City that same week, so plans are underway for six of us to get together in either city.

After I pitched in my two cents to the group email (hey, one must be proactive about these sorts of things), I immediately got a system generated email from the office of Dan's sister. The email said:


"An e-mail you have just sent to [email address] is
being held until you complete a simple one-time-only registration.

To verify you are a legitimate sender, just click on the link below:
[link]

You will not have to register again for other [company name] addresses."

Now, why would I want to register my email address with a company with no instruction as to what will be done with my email address? Will it be sold to mass information vendors? Will I start receiving unwanted solicitations from the company?

Obviously, my first thought was: Well, forget it. My email wasn't that important anyway. But finally (and because I consider all business interactions to be fodder for the Agent Blog), I clicked on the link. And this is the page I saw:

Continue reading "Are You Putting Roadblocks Between You and the Customer?" »

July 25, 2007

Use Copywriters to Convert Customers

If you haven't figured it out yet, content is king for those of you using the web to build your brand and generate sales leads, for two main reasons:

1. Search engines like good, relevant content
2. Consumers like good, relevant content

If you haven't yet hired an in-house or freelance copywriter to create and finesse your web copy, it's time to get on the stick.

A new Marketing Sherpa study found that the length of time it takes a web visitor to convert has increased by 80% since 2005—from 19 hours to 34 hours. Why the delay? It seems customers shop around now more than ever—passing up sites that don't provide the information/services they need, or that they deem untrustworthy based on look, feel and site offerings.

Marketing Sherpa Content Director, Anne Holland, gave some tips to help online proprietors increase their conversion times:

Continue reading "Use Copywriters to Convert Customers" »

July 17, 2007

Back from HIGH TECC! Check out our slideshow!

James and I are back from HIGH TECC; we gave our presentation—Search Engine Marketing: How Insurance Agents Can Take Advantage—yesterday afternoon.

I also had the pleasure of spending some time with the presenters and conference-goers on Sunday during the welcome parties. If you've heard rumors about how warm and wonderful Steve Anderson and his team are, consider those rumors confirmed. I had a fabulous time talking with them and look forward to meeting up with them again in the future.

I hope to compile some additional thoughts about HIGH TECC this week, but for now, enjoy our slideshow from yesterday's presentation (located in three installments after the jump). We should get a copy of the audio as well, so we'll pass that a long as we get it.

Continue reading "Back from HIGH TECC! Check out our slideshow!" »

July 09, 2007

What Do You Want to Know about Online Marketing?

After enjoying some time off, I'm back at InsureMe getting my presentation together for next week's HIGH TECC conference in Vail. (My palms are sweating just thinking of it.) Thus, I've got online marketing on the brain. So I thought I'd ask you:

What do you want to know about online marketing?

It could be something we haven't covered here, or maybe something we have that you'd just like clarified. Either way, if you've got online marketing questions, we've got plenty of answers.

Oh. And if you have any tips for public speaking, be sure to pass those along as well. :)

June 27, 2007

Grade Your Web Site (Without Fear of Detention)

Even if it's not good news, it's good news to know. That's the jist of Google's slogan for its infamous analytics application. I couldn't agree more, especially when it comes to the quality and findability of your web site.

Yesterday I stumbled upon WebSiteGrader.com and with some trepidation, entered our main site URL (InsureMe.com), a handful of keywords related to our site (insurance quotes, health insurance, car insurance, etc.) the site URL of one of our competitors, and my email address.

websitegrader.gif

Within seconds, I had a [free!] fairly meaty analysis of InsureMe.com, including:

Continue reading "Grade Your Web Site (Without Fear of Detention)" »

June 18, 2007

Happenings from Future Of Online Advertising (FOOA)

fooa.pngThe Future of Online Advertising (FOOA) took place in New York City last week, and Markus over at AU Interactive recently shared his takeaways from the conference.

My favorite notation was one that I think applies to insurance agents using the web to reign in sales leads:

Ryan Carson [founder of Carson Systems, which put on FOOA] gave a great real world presentation on how he advertised the Future of Online Advertising conference and what worked (and didn’t work) for them across many different channels. Cross-promotion with other sites and bloggers worked far better than advertising on high-traffic advertising industry sites. This sort of solidified the point that leveraging personal relationships with people you know and cross-promotion are far better strategies than throwing money at mass advertising channels.

Leveraging personal relationships is something James and I will touch on at HIGH TECC next month, so be sure to tune in. In the meantime, catch Markus' full FOOA recap here.

June 13, 2007

Get Some Leads from Your Next eMarketing Campaign

Email can be a great way to get in touch with prospects in clients, filling them in on a new product or gently reminding them that renewal time is near. But how can you make sure your next email campaign generates a few sales leads? Copywriting guru Tom Chandler has a few tips:

  1. Don't ignore the subject line (This can determine whether a recipient opens it...or deletes it)
  2. "Write tight" (Short chunks of text with pertinent info)
  3. Test before you send (Send it to your private email address to see how it looks)

Also important: Let your readers opt-out of your emails and newsletters. As Tom points out, some of it's legal...but most of it's just good marketing.

And, if you really want to have a successful email marketing campaign, hire some professionals. If you don't want to hire a full-time creative team, look for freelance writers and graphic artists that can help you put your next email together.

Read more email tips from Tom here.

[Previously]:
7 Tips for Email Marketing Campaigns
Is Your Netiquette Turning Customers Off?
The Problem with Newsletters
What Should Your Marketing Message Say?
Poor Writing Skills Cost Companies Time and Money