E-publications, refreshed website can build business
Jeez, October already. Time to get working on next year’s marketing plan — because, no matter how confused the future looks today, you and your business must sell product and services tomorrow.
There may even be time to salvage some sales, and profits, from this year.
Two planning points are essential:
Ÿ Effective use of the web — e-publications and a refreshed website — will help you reach your marketing-sales goals. The cost should be manageable, too.
Ÿ The overall goal likely should be to have a better bottom line. Therefore, your first step should be to set strategic goals that cover at least the first six months of 2012.
Talk to an outsider about your business and its objectives; feedback from experienced marketers outside your company can be extremely valuable. A lunch conversation could be enough.
Here are two ways the web can help your business make money:
Ÿ E-newsletters can be very effective sales tools, as long as your newsletters aren’t simply poorly designed sales messages. The intent should be for the newsletter to remind recipients — clients and prospects — of who you are and what you do, and, at the same time, present information and issues that resonate with readers.
In other words, your e-newsletter should be informational and educational — with a closing paragraph that says, for example, “We can help with problems like this. Call us at (your business’ phone number will go here) or return email us and we’ll respond quickly.”
Spend some money on graphics, so the e-newsletter creates a positive impression. Keep the content to 400 or so words, and send your e-newsletter every two months. Six issues a year are enough to keep your company visible but not so much that you become a pest.
Pay attention to opt-in requirements and develop your own email lists to minimize SPAM issues. You can email your newsletter to those lists yourself, but it may be better to use one of the email services: They tend to be low cost; will manage the lists after your initial organizing; and, best of all, typically will supply data about who opened your newsletter and what they read.
The services automatically will include the required safe unsubscribe message, too.
Ÿ Look at your website, in part because e-newsletter readers will look. Does the site show your business as well as it should? Can visitors easily find what they come to find? More importantly, what is it you want website visitors to do? Buy? Learn? Email you for more information?
If you haven’t upgraded your site in two or more years, get cracking. Your website is the face your business presents to the world. At least upgrade graphics and make certain content differentiates your company from its competition.
Ÿ Questions, comments, contact Jim Kendall at JKendall@121MarketingResources.com.