A Case For Email Marketing

Email Marketing has been around since the 1970's and it's not going away anytime soon. It still proves to be an effective means for business to build relationships by sharing authentic branding content that serves their clientele's needs. Since there are over 3 billion email users today it is the best way to gain an audience and generate business. According to Hubspot, on average, email generates $38 for every dollar spent, which is a 3,800% return on investment. Some strategies to consider when using email are to build relationships, increase brand awareness, share useful content, promote products, generate leads and nurture prospects.

The following determinations and actions need to be made to assist in creating a successful email marketing campaign:

1. APPEAL: Determine your audience's interests and buying habits. Do research for your industry to see what email recipients typically respond to.

2. GOAL: Design your campaign that will be centered around your audience's interests. Choose a strategy above that will best facilitate this.

4. CONTENT APPROACH: Create a type of campaign such as a blog, product announcement or send a weekly newsletter

5. CTA: Have a clear call to action that instructs your audience how to take the next step. This could be as simple as creating a form for people to sign up.

6. GENERATE LEADS: Build your list of subscribers by providing useful of information that your audience will find value in. Some examples that may attract an audience to subscribe to your list is an ebook, webinar, course, newsletter, product promotion or other tool that can provide the kind of knowledge they are seeking.

7. ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE: It is important to be in front of your audience on a consistent basis so they don't lose sight of you. Decide how often you plan to contact your followers and stick to your timeline. Keep them in the know so that you eventually earn their trust. This will enable you to build and maintain a loyal list of subscribers.

6. MEASURE YOUR RESULTS:

Use your KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) to determine if you need to make changes to your campaign in order to improve results. They are Deliverability rate; percentage of emails reaching the recipient's inbox, Open rate; the percentage of people who open your email; Clickthrough rate; the percentage of people that click on your CTAs, and Unsubscribes which measures the number of people who opt out of your email list. The next guideline should help you yield positive results and avoid pitfalls.

7. BE COMPLIANT: It is important to follow email regulations in order to protect your subscribers’ right to only receive emails that they’ve requested. Follow these guidelines to avoid your emails ending up in a spam filter. Failure to heed the rules are likely to blacklist you and destroy any credibility and trust you have with your audience.

● Include your company name and address in every email.

● Use a reliable email service provider with an email associated to your business.

● Make sure subscribers have consented to be on your email list.

● Place visible unsubscribe links within your emails.

● Remove bounced or inactive members from your list.

● Provide a double opt-in to make sure your subscriber is still interested in receiving your emails.

● Securely store contact data and use only for business purposes ● Make sure your emails continue to provide value without empty promises ● CTA should be clear and actionable ● Choose attractive images that are optimized for all devices ● Subject line should be enticing but not salesy and avoid ALL CAPS ● Best time to send an email is Tuesday at 11 AM ● Personalize your email as if sending to a friend

● Segment your emails-- send specific information to specific groups depending on interests and the level of marketing. In other words, you wouldn't send the same message to a recipient who is just being introduced to your brand that you would send to someone you are looking to further engage and nurture for conversion. ● Use KPI's, as mentioned before, to measure the effectiveness of your campaign and revise your content accordingly to assure compliance and audience reach. See further details on crafting effective email campaigns and get some tips to writing compelling emails

The Client's Role In Working With A Content Writer

Updated: May 31, 2021

Let's say you decided to hire a content writer for your digital marketing needs. You may realize you don't have time to devote to writing, or perhaps, it's just not your forte. A professional content writer has the skill to translate your message, provided you know the nature of your message and can clearly communicate your intention to the writer. That is where the role of the client comes into play. Before the writer can do the word magic, the client must be prepared with a plan of action. This plan will govern the direction the writer must take to transcribe your message. In essence, this is your marketing plan that the content specialist will draw from. The marketing plan encompasses the why, who, what, when, where, and how you are going to communicate your message to attract your audience. You will need the following to complete your marketing plan: THE WHY: Start with a goal for reaching your audience. What do you want to accomplish? Do you want traffic to your website, engagement on social media, branding awareness through education or conversion through product promotion? THE WHO: What population of people are you appealing to? Can they benefit from your products and services? Narrow down the demographics of your audience such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, education, spending habits, interests and industry.

THE WHAT: What is the topic you are conveying? It could be an event announcement, product description, discount promotion, industry news or education on your brand.

THE WHEN: Have a timeline in mind to share your posts, blasts, etc. It’s important to stay in front of and on top of mind with your ideal clients.

THE WHERE: Determine the best platform for which to relay your message. It could be on your website, a social media channel, YouTube, blogging forum or an email. If you are looking to educate with facts, tips or news, then your website page, a blog or email marketing is the best venue. For video, infographics, podcasts and event announcements, social media is a better avenue.

THE HOW: Choose a format for your message such as a compelling email, an engaging blog, an appealing Facebook ad or an informative newsletter.

Once you have determined all the components that will define your marketing plan, you will have completed a large part of your role as content marketing client. However, your role as the client is not complete until you have evaluated the finished content for accuracy and appeal before publication. Always request revisions from the writer as needed to ascertain your message is translated as per your wishes. Consequently, it is only you, the client who can approve the final draft. The success of working with a content writer, besides finding the right professional who can effectively communicate your story, is to make sure you understand your role as a client. Additionally, you need to make sure you have a marketing plan. If you don't, consult with a content specialist who can help you with your campaign goals, so the writer can create and bring your desired message to the right people.

Let's say you decided to hire a Content Writer for your digital marketing needs. It is a good decision if you realize you don't have the time to devote to writing yourself or perhaps, it's not your forte. A professional Content Writer has the skill to translate your message, as long as you, the client, know the nature of your message and can clearly communicate your intention to the writer. That is where the role of the client comes into play. Before the writer can do their word magic, the client must be prepared with a plan of action. This plan will govern the direction that the writer must take to transcribe your message. In essence, this is your marketing plan that the Content specialist will draw from. The marketing plan encompasses the why, who, what, when, where, and how you are going to communicate your message to attract your audience. The following data that you will need to complete your marketing plan are:

THE WHY: You must start with a goal for reaching your audience. What do you want to accomplish? Do you want traffic to your website, engagement on social media, branding awareness through education or conversion through product promotion?

THE WHO: What kind of people are you appealing to and can benefit from your products and services? Demographics of your audience: age, sex, socioeconomic status, education, spending habits, interests, industry, etc.

THE WHAT: What is the topic you are conveying? It could be an event announcement, product description, discount promotion, industry news or education on your brand.

THE WHEN: Do you have a timeline in mind to share your posts, blasts, etc. so

that you stay in front of and top of mind with your ideal clients? THE WHERE: Determine the best platform for which to relay your message. It could be on your website, a social media channel, U-tube, blogging forum, or an email. If you are looking to educate with facts, tips or news, then your website page, a blog or email marketing is the best venue. For video, infographics, podcasts and event announcements, social media is a better avenue. THE HOW: Choose a format for your message such as a compelling email, an engaging blog, an appealing Facebook ad or informative newsletter.

THE HOW: Choose a format for your message such as a compelling email, an engaging blog, an appealing Facebook ad or informative newsletter.

Once you have determined all these components that will define your marketing plan, you will have completed a large part of your role as Content Marketing client. However, your role as the client is not complete until you have evaluated the finished content for accuracy and appeal before publication. Always request revisions from the writer as needed to ascertain your message is translated as per your wishes. Consequently, it is only you, the client who can approve the final draft. The success of working with a content writer, besides finding the right professional who can effectively communicate your story, is to make sure you understand your role as a client and that is to make sure you have a marketing plan. If you don't, consult with a content specialist who can help you with your campaign goals, so that they can create and bring your desired message to the right people.

Covid-19—Today's Game Changer For Content Marketing And How To Navigate The New Norm

There's no doubt that COVID-19 has compelled most business owners to reevaluate their costs and in so doing, shift attention to fulfilling only their most immediate needs.

Although you may be forced to cut back on certain services, marketing should always be an integral part of your business because it keeps an important door open to the future success of your company.

Whether it's retaining existing customers or laying the groundwork for procuring new clientele, marketing remains one of the key components that will determine your business's life expectancy. Although you cannot go all in like you had before the pandemic, there are economical ways you can get your message out and remain visible to current and potential customers. To begin, review your goals and strategies for the year and ask yourself the following questions:

1. What were you doing to market your products and/or services? Is it email, social media, blogging, video, traditional ads, networking, telemarketing, or something else? Maybe it is some of those or all of the above? If you were using multiple platforms, you may have to trim some of the fat. Decide on which approach(s) saved you most on cost and got you the most bang for your buck. Stick with those activities that brought you much attention, more followers and the most meaningful connections and discontinue those that are a liability, at least for now.

2. How were you engaging with your audience to keep your offerings in their mindset and how often?

If you've been spending money on Facebook, Google or traditional ads, depending on what your ROI has been, consider reducing your campaign budget or its frequency. Find other means by which you can attract an audience. Although it takes a while to see results, organic methods of reach are free. For instance, you can update your SEO with more relevant key words, gather more testimonials, and offer regular webinars or post relevant videos and podcasts to keep your followers up to date on various topics and offers attached to your brand.

3. What value that you have provided before do your followers come to expect?

Whether it is a regular blog, video, newsletter or other offer that has helped you steadily increase traffic and engagement to your channels, stay with what you've been doing. Anything else that hasn't shown a pulse in some time, get some advice on how to revive it or let it go.

4. How can you retain the same level of visibility after having to make significant cuts to your marketing budget?

It's not easy, but it is very doable, and this hardship will not last forever. Consider how you are coping in your personal life. No doubt that you've had to adjust your standard of living by becoming more frugal, practical, and simplistic. For instance, you are only shopping for essentials, cooking at home has become a constant, and entertainment is mostly confined to your home or backyard. It's not what you had envisioned but you are surviving because of your fortitude and creativity. The same can be done with your marketing approach. These are indeed unprecedented times that will call for a unique response to doing business.

In navigating these unchartered waters you may need assistance with reevaluating and renewing your marketing goals, thus generating the kind of content that will resonate with your audiences’ changing needs. Prolific Profiles 4 U can help! It begins by scheduling a no-cost consultation to start a discussion as to how we can work with you in creating an affordable campaign that is tailored to your brand to best attract and retain business during this difficult time. For an appointment, call Andrea at 848-213-5520