CaliberPulse

“Email is the original social media” according to social media scientist, Dan Zarella. Zarella, on behalf of Hubspot, presented findings from an analysis of 9.5 billion Mail Chimp emails, survey responses, and focus group information in a webinar that we participated in last week. We’d like to share the top six takeaways with you. Try using some of this advice on your next email campaign and give us feedback on the results.

In this age of web-enabled Smart phones and other “Smart” devices that are flooding the market, we here at Adworkshop have noticed that the number of “apps” (applications) and mobile sites being downloaded is skyrocketing. As a matter of fact, our advertising agency in upstate New York came across an eMarketer report on a recent survey conducted by Adobe which found that most mobile users prefer to get their content from mobile websites rather than mobile applications. The only categories that showed a higher mobile application download preference were games, music and social media.

Are you visible to your customers online? Here is a simple test to determine how well you stack up with a “universal search.” Type your company name into a search engine. Are you the master of your own domain? If not, it’s possible that it is difficult for your customers to find you, especially when they aren’t looking for your company directly, but maybe searching for a resource for a particular product or service. Let’s break down the various parts of a search results page to see where you can improve the visibility of your company and own your universal search.

It’s time to start thinking about your marketing plan for the next year, assuming your fiscal year starts January 1. Around this time of year, assessment and planning starts. What advertising has worked? Should we put more money into interactive advertising? Do we need to revamp our website? While these are all things you should be thinking about, we recommend that you dig deeper.

Building good relationships with your potential competitors could lead to your phone ringing. Sevans Strategy, a public relations company based in Chicago, has decided to create a page on the owner’s blog, PRSarahEvans.com, recommending other public relations companies.

Signs that conspicuous consumption is passé abound, even as business sees an upturn in consumer spending. Savvy businesses will seize the opportunity of an economic rally dovetailing with price-sensitivity to build brand loyalty. The Wall Street Journal reported April 26 that first-quarter sales show a second consecutive period of gains with consumer-oriented companies, retailers and restaurants enjoying increased sales. By some measures, these trends indicate the economy is pulling out of recession. However, amid upward economic trend reports, value remains a top priority and thriftiness is a virtue. The frugality is chic and evident in everyday conversations when pricey vacations are discussed in apologetic tones and a compliment on a designer bag is quickly dismissed with “got it at the outlet store with a coupon.”

As Twitter becomes more of a business tool every day, there is an emerging trend of smaller businesses using the social media platform as a way to engage customers. Korean BBQ trucks in L.A., snowball shops in New Orleans and sushi restaurants in San Francisco have all found ways to market with a limited advertising budget, achieving outstanding results. Avenue Coffee, Tucson's newest place to get your java fix, was extremely successful in using Twitter to drive first-day sales to their store on a day that had many clamoring for their free pastries from a much larger competitor.

“Buy low, sell high” applies just as well to market and mind share as it does to stocks. Astute marketers recognize that the current weakness in economic activity can be turned into an opportunity for growth. In fact, a recent global survey of chief executives conducted by McKinsey & Company found that 20% of organizations plan to increase their marketing budgets over the next year. Now, what do these firms know that the 45% planning to reduce budgets don’t? Simply that advertising investments during a recession can pay off handsomely.

Part of the “Low-Cost, High-Impact” Smart Marketing Workshop You probably get them in your inbox frequently: newsletters, announcements, surveys and invitations. In a marketing study conducted by the National Retail Federation, 90 percent of all business respondents identified e-mail marketing as a top priority in their marketing plan. If you haven’t tried this technique of reaching customers, you should. Not only does it allow you to communicate directly to new and existing customers, there are no printing or postage costs. All you need to get started is a database of customers and their e-mail addresses. If you aren’t already asking your customers for their e-mail addresses, you can ask them to voluntarily sign up for any sales or business news. It’s an easy way to build your own database of customers who want your information and are therefore less likely to treat your e-mail marketing as spam and hit the delete button.

Every business out there can probably say they offer a product or service relevant to today’s consumers. But do you tell your consumers that? Is your message strategy telling would-be customers what they want to hear given today’s economic climate?

When did you last take the time to experience your business as a customer? First impressions, and second and third, often count. How customers perceive you in person, online or over the telephone can impact your bottom line. When you walk in the front door is this the impression you want to give to your customers? Are you greeted? Does the furniture and décor in the lobby fit the image you are trying to portray? If you are kid-friendly, do you have small size seating, a play area or both?

Part of the “Low-Cost, High-Impact” Smart Marketing Workshop One way to reduce your marketing cost and a simple one, is to share your advertising. Take a 60-second radio spot and share it with two other businesses. That gives you 20 seconds each. Develop a direct-mail piece that advertises two businesses and share mailing lists and the costs of the development and postage. Find the right partner. The best business partnerships are ones that have similar customers and credibility. Clothing store and shoe store Drywaller and Painter Restaurant and Nightclub Green products and Recycling plant A great example is Tucson Originals, www.tucsonoriginals.com. A number of Tucson restaurants formed this organization to market their businesses as a group. Their Web site features all of the businesses in the partnership as well as upcoming events and specials. By working together they not only get to share advertising costs but also harvest the power of a larger customer base.