Archive for the ‘Elements’ Category
July 15, 2010
Feature by Co-Founder, Caroline Lim. With an iPhone in one hand and a pink planner in the other, she’s always on the go. Whether she’s working, gyming it up, or shopping, you can catch her on Twitter.
Timing is everything. No, I’m not talking about when to walk up to that attractive person you’re trying to hit on, although, the same holds true. I’m talking about when to send an email campaign.
When sending an email campaign, when’s the magic day and time? This is the Holy Grail of questions for email marketers. With that said, people try desperately to find the answer. So what’s the problem? Contradictory conclusions.
Here’s the reality: Email marketing constantly changes, which means as a result, strategies should also change accordingly. To go a step further, just because a strategy works for one company doesn’t mean it works for every company.
In short, since email marketing is so dynamic across businesses and strategies are diverse within each organization (as they should be), this results in the contradictory conclusions you will find when you google “the best time to send an email campaign”. Whew! So then bottom line is, how do you know the optimal time to send an email campaign?
Welcome to part one of the three-part series on timing. Use these resources, plan your strategy and send the hell out of those emails. GoMarket!
Part 1: The Beginner. It’s the first time you try to ask someone out on a date – all you know about the timing are the basics (not while they’re eating, in the bathroom, ect) or ASAP (“Let’s just get this over with.”).
The general answer: The general rule of thumb for sending email campaigns: Mondays and weekends are bad and mid-week is good. If this doesn’t ring a bell, don’t sweat, the following resources provide some great beginner knowledge. Again, make note of the contradictory conclusions and pay more attention to the rationale and strategies.
The skinny: Don’t send same day emails. Send your email three to five days before the target event, focus on sending your email blast in the Eastern Standard time zone (only relevant for North American campaigns), and for the highest open rates, send around noon or 1:00pm EST. Lastly, remember the “Monday Blues”, “Weekend Warriors”, “Midweek is the Best Week”, and the number one rule of email marketing is “Test. Then test again.”
The skinny: Pulling conclusions from Marketing Sherpa, eROI, and MailerMailer, Mondays at 9am have the highest open rates and the best click-through rates. You can even download the free whitepaper for the full details.
The skinny: Look at the past 6 months’ worth of results to gain insight into the best send time for future campaigns. Generate a graph comparing your results with the yearly email marketing metrics report provided by MailerMailer as a benchmark. Deviations to this graph tell you everything you need to know.
Behind the contradictory conclusions, one thing does hold true: the importance of testing. As if I didn’t make it complicated enough, wait until you read part two of this three-part series: The Advanced.
Here’s a taste of what to expect: Best Day To Send Marketing Emails from Understanding Marketing dives into the difference between B2B and B2C email marketing strategies as well as other influencing factors such as trigger events and auto responders.
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May 20, 2010
Feature by Guest Writer, Jenna (Gruhala) Oltersdorf. Located in Austin, Snackbox PR and Design agency is a small boutique with lots of flavor. You can find Jenna throwing parties and cooking the entire menu, as well as following Jenna on Twitter. Be sure to also read Jenna’s blog post on The Press Release.
You might be wondering what is worthy of writing a press release. Really, you are asking: “What is News?”
To many, writing a news release is the cornerstone of services provided to them by their PR firm. When a news release is written, there is a perception that media will come flocking to us to do a story … well, that isn’t necessarily the case. A news release requires thought and strategy to develop it and it certainly requires a pro when it comes to pitching the news release and story ideas to a reporter.
Just because your company exists doesn’t mean it’s time to write a news release. And, when a news release is written, it doesn’t mean that every media outlet on the planet is going to cover our story. Here are some examples of what we mean:
Event: Alliance with another organization
Potential coverage: Trade media in your industry, local business media
Event: Awards
Potential coverage: Trade media in your industry, local business media
Event: Company birthday
Potential coverage: Unless it is a major milestone birthday (say, 150th anniversary), don’t hold your breath for too much coverage
Event: Donations, grants, etc. you are giving/receiving
Potential coverage: Trade media in your industry, local business media. Note: the larger the dollar amount, the more newsy the story becomes.
Event: New product, services, employees, clients
Potential coverage: Trade media in your industry, local media. Depending on the availability of your new product or service, national media coverage is definitely an option. Also, if an employee or client has a well-known name, it is very possible to go outside of trade media and into national consumer media for coverage.
Event: Special events
Potential coverage: Local media, potentially national media depending on the type of event. Again, the larger the dollar amount, attendance, impact, etc., the more newsy the story becomes.
Obviously there are many, many more story opportunities than this, but the list is meant to give you a perspective on the thought and strategy that goes behind not only writing the news release but also who is pitched. Every news release creates different media opportunities and it’s our job as your PR agency to guide you in that process.
May 18, 2010
50 characters. That’s all it takes to make or break your email campaign. I guess that’s why they say the subject line of an email is the most important element of the entire campaign. Think of it as a pickup line. The first few words out of your mouth can make or break your chances for a date. Too much pressure? Here are 5 great resources, your wingmen, to help you land that first date (that leads to a great relationship, of course):
1. Email Marketing Subject Line Comparison by MailChimp: MailChimp is an email marketing service that also has an awesome resource tab complete with free email marketing guides and articles. This particular article includes interesting findings from a study where they analyzed 40 million emails and found the ones with the highest and lowest open rates.
Main takeaway? To achieve the highest open rates, the subject lines should be straightforward, describe the subject of your email, and not scream advertisement. As “stupid simple” as it may seem, I think they hit the nail on the head.
2. Email Subject Line: 15 rules to Write Them Right by Lyris: Lyris is another email marketing service that has a superb list of email marketing resources. My personal favorites include their white papers and webinars. This white paper lays out 15 rules that every marketer should know about writing subject lines, aka the “tricky little devils”.
My favorite rule? Rule #3: Test, test, test.
3. E-Mail Subject Lines: Beyond the Basics by Gail Goodman from Entrepreneur.com: Being a guru in email marketing with a ridiculous track record, Gail Goodman also finds time to be Entrepreneur.com’s “Email Marketing coach”. As you may know, Entrepreneur.com is a useful marketing resource in itself, but in particular, Gail has written some awesome material. Although it’s an older article, it’s a short and sweet way to teach marketing interns or entry-level marketers how to make subject lines more “powerful and compelling”.
Of the 5 points, I would have to say #4: Remember “WIIFM”, really drives it home.
4. Email Subject Lines: Words, Order as Critical as Length by Sean Donahue from Sherpa Blog: If you don’t know MarketingSherpa, you should. Although MarketingSherpa does require a membership (try the free trial) in order to read some of their full articles, their blog is a free, helpful resource! This Sherpa blog post summarizes the findings of a white paper by Epsilon who analyzed subject lines to “determine the influence of length, word order and content on open rates and clicks”.
In a nutshell, keeping your subject line short isn’t everything, you also need to pay attention to word choice and word placement.
5. Optimizing Headlines and Subject Lines by Dr. Flint McGlaughlin from Marketing Experiments: If you are someone who loves presentations and PowerPoints, this is the resource for you. Marketing Experiments is a free resource that specializes in marketing communications research and experiments, hence the name. Although optimizing headlines is an important know-how as well, since we’re focusing on optimizing subject lines, I would skip to slide #13 of the PowerPoint.
This presentation is super neat because it explains the step by step process in which different subject lines can be tested to produce the highest open rate.
Fool-proof pickup lines don’t exist. Similarly, there is no “right” way to write a “successful” subject line. Even your flawless marketing mentor (yeah, right) doesn’t have the golden touch. Writing a subject line that proves optimal results is an art, and with every art form, it takes practice and learning from mistakes. If there is one thing I wanted you to takeaway from this post, it would have to be the importance of testing. Ideally try A/B split testing, which will be a future blog post.
March 13, 2010
Getting the Word Out
Intro:
The Press Release if the foundation of any Public Relations Campaign. Additionally, as Marketers increase their savvy ways, Press Releases are considered in many Marketing Programs. By using keywords and links in their content, and distributed online, these offer an added bonus to your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. As a Marketing student or a Marketing Intern, it is critical to understand the basic elements of the Press Release.
Elements: The Press Release
A news release is written in third person and works to educate an editor or reporter on a topic while selling them on a story angle. News releases are typically written about people, events, services or products.
News releases have evolved over time, but the format has remained fairly unchanged. They typically include contact information for the PR contact, a headline and sub-headline, a dateline, the body of the news release and a boilerplate. Three number symbols (###) centered at the bottom signal the end of the document.
Contact information
Typically included in the upper right or left corner of the document, this section outlines who should be reached if media contacts have questions. Include a name, phone number and email address at a minimum. For my news releases I always include my instant messenger screen name and sometimes include my Twitter username, too.
Headline and Sub-Headline
You only have a few seconds to grab the reader’s attention, so it’s important to spend time on your news release headline. The headline should sum up the news that is included in the release and engage the reader.
Dateline
Typically comprised of the city and state from which the news originated as well as the date, the dateline launches the news release and is the first piece of the intro paragraph.For more information on datelines and their proper format, go to www.apstylebook.com.
NOTE: AP Stylebook is what governs all of our writing in public relations, so be sure to grab a copy. Your first order of business is to learn how states are abbreviated in AP Style as opposed to typical post office style.
Intro Paragraph
Like the headline of a news release, the intro paragraph can make or break a story. The client name should always be mentioned in that very first sentence and the paragraph as a whole should sum up the entire news story.
Supporting paragraphs further elaborate on the news story and support the first paragraph.
Boilerplate
The boilerplate is included at the bottom of a news release and is noted as such by using a title such as “About the Chinet brand”. Note in the sample release below we have included two boilerplates. Why? There is a brand and a company in this example.
Sample News Release
For more information, contact:
Jenna Gruhala | Snackbox | 773.715.0879
jenna@snackbox.us | AIM: N20Jenna
TIPS FOR HOSTING A GREEN GATHERING
DeSoto, Kan. (February 2, 2009) – America’s premium disposable tableware brand, Chinet , practices sustainable processes in production and the brand encourages consumers to take that same level of commitment to protecting the planet when planning gatherings of any size.
Quick Tips for a Green Gathering Include:
- Send invitations via email rather than traditional printed invites
- Check out flea markets and secondhand stores for party décor
- Serve food on disposable tableware, like Chinet, made of 100% pre consumer recycled material and biodegradable in home compost
- Create a menu using local, organic produce; for great recipes, go to www.mychinet.com/recipes
- Use reusable towels for clean up and biodegradable trash bags
- Compost leftover party food and Chinet tableware
“Chinet brand gives you the strength and style you depend on, with the added piece of mind knowing you’re using environmentally-friendly products,” said Julie Stoetzer, Chinet Brand Marketing Manager. “Chinet® Classic White™ and Chinet Casuals™ lines are made of 100 percent pre-consumer recycled material. Both lines are also chlorine-free, microwave safe and fully biodegradable in home composting.”
Huhtamaki Americas, Inc., makers of Chinet products, practices sustainable processes in the production of both consumer and specialty packaging. By using recycled materials in the production of molded fiber products, Huhtamaki annually saves:
- Nearly three million trees each year
- One billion gallons of water which is equal to the supply of water for a city of 10,000
- 65 million gallons of oil or the equivalent of 31 million gallons of gas
These efforts, along with programs designed to reduce the company’s pollution and power use, have earned Huhtamaki a number of awards including the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Achievement Award. For more information, visit www.mychinet.com/environment.
About the Chinet Brand
Made in America since the 1930s, Chinet disposable tableware has a long history of making strong plates and even stronger memories as friends and family gather. Chinet products give you the strength and style you depend on with the added piece of mind knowing you’re using environmentally-friendly products. For more information about the Chinet family of products, visit www.mychinet.com.
About Huhtamaki
Established in 1920 as a specialty packaging organization, Huhtamaki provides many of the world’s most recognizable consumer goods packaging and foodservice containers, including the retail line of Chinet premium disposable tableware. For more information about Huhtamaki, visit www.us.huhtamaki.com.
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Editors Note: Photos to accompany story available by contacting jenna@snackbox.us.
Once a news release is written, you’ll need to distribute it to appropriate contacts.
February 27, 2010
Feature by Founder, Amanda McGuckin Hager. When not dreaming of interactive Marketing programs, she’s dreaming of the pool, the fireplace or fashion. Follow her now on Twitter.
There are basic elements that consist in all Marketing Programs, at the heart of all Marketing efforts. Know that there are whole sciences dedicated to each these elements alone, and that these are simple high-level overviews.
1. Audience: Who is to Hear the Message?
a. The audience can be broad or narrow, but a targeted audience is best. Sometimes it’s an in-house email list, sometimes it’s the audience of a website, or a highway, or a neighborhood. And it can be everything in between. The best Marketing Programs have an audience that has been targeted – that is, selected based on certain criteria. The criteria can be demographic (age, weight, hair color, etc.), geolocated (residence, work location, on-demand location), or behavioral (based on actions an audience member has taken.) etc. There are many ways to target an audience. And remember, there are many paths to the same destination.
2. The Message: What to say and How to Say it.
a. This is where Marketing Communications comes in. There is an art form at best, and conversation at least. It is the who, what, when, where and why.
3. The Deliverables.
a. This is the creative package. It is the email, the text message, the banner ad, the print ad – whatever the campaign is, this is the visual/audio piece intended to carry the message through the channel.
b. This is also known as “the creative.”
c. This is a true art form. I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing creative teams. To me, they are essential, balancing the art and the science of the deliverable.
4. The Channel: How to Share the Message with the Audience.
a. Channels are what you may hear of most often. I once spent a 1.5 years focused soley on one channel: email. Other channels include, but are not limited to: search engine marketing, email marketing, advertising (online/banner, video/tv, print/direct mail/mobile), text messages, social media, events, product review, shopping portals, the shoe bins at the airport. . . and the list goes on and on.
5. The Call to Action.
a. The end goal. This is what you are asking the audience to do. This action is also known as “conversion.” When you hear: “Did the campaign convert?” you are being asked “Did the audience take the action you wanted them to?”
b. Common call-to-actions are: “Buy Now,” “Click Here” “Sign Up Now” “Come to Our Event” “Learn More” “Visit Us” “Read On” etc.
6. The Measurement: Was it Successful?
a. Metrics, metrics, metrics, a.k.a. Tracking, a.k.a Numbers. The numbers tell a story. Was the combination of the Message and the Channel motivating enough to take action? Was the Call to Action clear, concise and up front? Was the design of the message and the channel putting enough emphasis on the call to action? Every Marketing Program is measured differently. Every channel has a different industry average metrics.
Notice there is no mention of product. For all intensive purposes, the “product” is rolled into the message and into the call to action. The “product” in a campaign can be anything. Truly. It can be events, papers, hard products, soft products, services.
February 20, 2010
Blog 1 – Elements: The Importance of Programs
Define Marketing
The broad term “Marketing” encompasses so many varying facets – research, programs, branding, content development, website development, etc. If you haven’t yet, read Wikipedia’s article on Marketing.
GoMarket focuses on Marketing Programs, defined as the tactical outreach activity. (Personally, I would rename the 4P in Promotion to be Programs.)
Programs are the foundation of all Marketing promotion. They are the message and the channel through which the message goes. They are the audience and the measuring.
Jargon: Program vs. Campaign
What’s the difference between a Marketing Program and a Marketing Campaign? Good question. Not much. Both are defined as steps taken to achieve a goal. “Campaign” comes from the Advertising industry, where Ad agencies act as service providers to companies. “Program” hails from the company side. They can be used interchangeably, though some may argue that a Campaign consists of many integrated Programs under one umbrella.
One Thing is True
Marketing today could not exist without Marketing Programs. They are essential to all products, all companies, all services. It is proven that Marketing programs lift sales and increase revenue. I define, plan, execute and measure Marketing Programs on a daily basis. And lucky for me! Because my heart lies with Marketing Programs.
The 4 P's of Marketing
