This is the third installment in my summer book series.

Selling the Invisible, Harry Beckwith’s field guide to modern marketing, has been on my book shelf for over a decade. It’s where I go to find fresh ideas for energizing day-to-day operations. It’s a treasury of hundreds of quick, practical, easy-to-read strategies – few are more than one page long.

Here’s an example, “Don’t plan your future, plan your people. Outstanding people who fit your basic broad vision will tend to make the right decisions along the way, not by following a plan, but by using their skill.”

And another, “Rather than hide your weaknesses, admit them. That will make you look honest and trustworthy – a key to selling a service. Tell the truth. Even if it hurts, it will help.”

Yet one more, “Don’t assume that logical pricing is smart pricing. Maybe your price, which makes you look like a good value, actually makes you look second rate.”

You can’t touch, hear or see services. So how do you develop and make them grow?  Harry provides answers to these fundamental questions.

“A must read for anyone in a service business – which is everyone in business.” Rodger Dow, VP Marriott International.

“The one book on marketing I’d have if I could have just one. A CLASSIC.” Harvey Mackay , author

Neil Berman | President & CEO

For those of us that have not been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably witnessed the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, where Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Ron White (my personal favorite), and Larry the Cable Guy put on a comedy act that has entertained the masses.  One of the more infamous segments of their act is the “You might be a redneck if…” piece.

If you have, you’ll recognize my spin off: You might need an email makeover if…

• You do not have a strong call to action in the email telling your readers the next step you’d like them to take.  A strong call to action should be placed in the email subject line that also shows up in the preview pane.  In the content of the email, there should also be a hyperlink to the call of action.
• You are using too many pictures and not enough text.  Sometimes all your pictures won’t load and you want to make sure people aren’t losing the message because they can’t see all of it.  Put enough words in your content so that people can understand the message without the pictures!
• You haven’t considered how it looks on mobile devices.  Many people are checking their email on mobile devices, so shouldn’t you be considering how your emails look to them?
• You haven’t inserted social media links into your email marketing campaign. So many people are involved in the social media world, you want to make sure you give them the opportunity to share your emails or parts of your emails to their followers and friends.

So, I have to ask…are you guilty of making some of these email marketing mistakes?  If so, DON’T PANIC!  Delivra can help!

Lucky for you, Delivra has launched its first ever Extreme Email Makeover Contest and you still have time to participate because the contest doesn’t close until July 31st.  That gives you plenty of time to upload your email designs.

Don’t forget what you could win! If the winner is a current client of Delivra, they will receive a custom made, sophisticated email template placed into their established account for use in future mailings.  If the winner is not a Delivra client, they will receive one custom designed email template, one hour of email strategy consultation, access to Delivra 101 and 201, and a 90 day trial account.

So, don’t be embarrassed if you have a terrible email design, enter it in the Delivra Extreme Email Makeover Contest and save yourself!

Lavon Temple | Marketing

My very first blog post for Delivra was a reminder not to forget your “old school” ways. In the post, I mentioned that although an email marketing campaign is a great way to reach your audience, there are other ways that can still be effective. One of them in particular was to pass out business cards – simple, yes, but it can be a great way to start conversation about your business.

I recently subscribed to the Overnights.com blog. They have a great blog post for small businesses: The Small Business Business Card – Simple and Elegant is better! I wanted to refer to it because they do a much better job and have the expertise to explain what a business card should entail. Their blog post was informative and offered examples, too.
So don’t forget those “old school” ways – with something as simple as a handy dandy business card! A little effort can go a long way.

Lavon Temple | Marketing

If you are like me or anyone I know, you are likely always on the go.  Life today is not as simple as it used to be.  One of my saving graces has been my smartphone.

• It literally never leaves my side
• It serves as my alarm clock
• It provides me with entertainment
• It has my calendar
• It has my email
• It has my contacts
• I can get movie tickets with it
• I can watch videos
• And so on….and so on…and so on

Sound familiar?  I could go on all day, but simply put mobile devices have become a way of life for everyone these days.  It’s not just businessman anymore.  It’s every generation.  My kids are even using them non-stop.  I was in a restaurant earlier this week and saw an elderly woman pull out her cell phone to call her daughter since there was bad weather.

The point is this, while mobile may be exploding, email is just as important if not more than it ever was!  Why, you ask?  It’s simple…with smartphones today your email marketing campaigns become a quick way a mobile user can get to a phone number, an address, a map, or even a link.  In fact, I will often  forget to save a contact in my email.  My solution…my smartphone.  Where else can I get to a phone number, click on the link and be able to call that person quickly.  Not only that, but my phone is advanced enough to remind me to save that contact while I am at it.  I even use my smartphone to map out directions.  Don’t have an address?  I bet that email I just received has a link!  I was even recently shopping at a store that sends me email coupons.  And as usual, I forgot my coupon!  When the cashier asked me for my coupon I grumbled that I forgot it at home.  She asked if I had the email on my phone.  Can you believe I still got the discount because she was able to take the coupon info right from the email on my smartphone.  ONE DEVICE, but so many uses.  As technology evolves and cost goes down, people like me will be the bulk of your database one day.

Remember, when you are creating email campaigns to include some of those simple things you may think your recipients might already know.  Your website, phone number, address, or even links to email or maps.  Chances are that your recipients might have that info or have seen it in the past.  But if they are like me, they will refer back to emails from key senders for those very links they might need on a smartphone.

You don’t necessarily have to have an advanced or costly mobile marketing strategy.  But, what you should always keep in mind is where your emails might be read, how they render, and what information you include (even if you feel you are repeating often) that might link on a smartphone.

Need help making sure your email incorporates some of these strategies? Contact us today at info@delivra.com or at 877-915-9465 and we’d be happy to help.

Carissa Newton | Marketing

A lot of companies are using email marketing to send out a newsletter in order to update their readers and keep them connected and informed.  In previous blog posts, such as Keep ‘em Moving and Making the Switch from Print Newsletters to Email Newsletters, Delivra has focused on offering tips and guidance to sending out e-newsletters.  Recently, I have been researching best practices for sending out e-newsletters in order to optimize our own quarterly newsletter (shameless plug!).  We’d like to share those new findings with you as suggestions for possibly pumping up your own newsletters!

1. For some companies, it’s a good idea to put an “In this Issue” section at the beginning of their newsletter.  That way the reader has an idea of what to expect in this edition.  You can make the article titles clickable so that the reader can click on the information they are interested in and it will move right to the appropriate article.

2. It’s okay to repurpose previous information that you’ve created.  Creating a newsletter on a regular basis can be overwhelming because you want to be able to provide your audience with up-to-date information in the most compelling way.  However, the reality is that most of your audience will appreciate the opportunity to see previous information or may not have had the chance to view it the first time.  A great way to do this is to put sections, such as an “In the News” section, in your e-newsletter that highlights and repurposes some of the places your company has been represented recently.

3. Don’t forget to tell people about your e-newsletter!  Spread the word.  Give people the option to share parts of you email on their social networking sites because they want to!  Delivra gives you the option to  SWYN (share with your network) by inserting social network links. Not only can you share the entire newsletter, but you can also have them just share bits and pieces that inspired them!

4.  If you can, add clickable images!  Most people don’t read everything in an e-newsletter, so make them want to stay awhile by offering them a couple of creative images to capture their attention.  If possible, you can use the image as a portal for the reader to click on in order to send them to a landing page with more information.

Remember, all of these linking & content strategies also have a tremendous side benefit-TRACKING!  Try some in your next newsletter and then watch to see what types of click-through’s you see.  Then you can tailor future mailings to the information recipients are most interested in reading.  To close, if you are reading through these tips and find yourself wanting more information on how to pump up your e-newsletter, contact Delivra! We’re here and happy to help you!

Lavon Temple | Marketing

Business is good. We are hiring more staff and Delivra will be needing to expand office space. Planning ahead, I met with a commercial real estate representative from one of the largest brokerages in the world.

He had done his homework by going to our web site to research our business.

It was obvious that this was his first exposure to an email marketing software company. He commented, ” I get what you do. It’s like when I was sending direct mail credit card solicitations while working for a bank in the 1980’s. This is the modern day direct mail.”

“I’m 52 years old you know. I just don’t get all of this Facebook and Twitter stuff,” he exclaimed.

I was tempted to ask if he owned a mobile phone, but was distracted by my own agenda.

For all of you in the generation that was weaned on fax machines, which in their day were the cutting edge for fast communication of information, it’s time to catch up or give up.

Your younger competitors have all the latest technology gadgets and expertise to maintain a winning edge.

Neil Berman | President & CEO

Recently, our very own Director of Marketing, Carissa Newton, was cited in a great new blog – TPEntrepreneur.   This particular blog article highlights how to get reliable customer feedback.  Several people contributed their thoughts and ideas to the article, so click here to read what they had to offer!

For more information on how to receive reliable customer feedback, contact Delivra today!  We look forward to helping you!

I know, just when you thought you had heard enough hype on the new iPhone~here it comes again!  Here’s the thing, Apple is genius when it comes to marketing and brand (no pun intended).  It’s not just them though, simple is something that works in this cluttered time we live in.  So earlier this week I received this email:

Now granted, for me (the early adopter on EVERYTHING) this long awaited email is just the cue I need.  You see I have a birthday coming up and really want my old (oh so old iPhone older generation) to be retired, so I can have this one!  So, I very discreetly forwarded this email to my husband.  No subject line, no additional pleas for the birthday girl.  Just a simple forward of a simple and clean message.  Well, I’m pleased to say I think he got the point.  He turned to his friend who is visiting with his laptop and showed him saying, “I take it she wants a new iPhone.”  Thanks dear, you got the hint.

I’m sure my birthday wish list is of no concern to you, but what should be important to note is that Apple achieves success over success because of ONE thing….they keep things SIMPLE.

This is a perfect lesson that every marketer can learn, re-learn, and re-visit!  I even have to do this myself.  As marketers we want to spit out every single thing that we have to say in one communication.  The result?  Well, I spare the detractors of simple from the embarrassment, but I will say that you can’t view their email in one, two or even three screens.  I know, I know, you have brand and messaging to convey.  Along with those slick graphics you designed.  That’s okay…you can still keep it simple in three easy steps:

1. Engage with Visuals, Video, and Rich Media: All are a great way to reinforce your brand and message without saying a whole lot in words.
2. Link Out: Don’t feel like everything HAS to be shown in the email content.  Link out to landing pages, other sites, your website, or even a signup form or shopping cart.  (Note:  There is also an added benefit with linking-TRACKING!  Now you will know what interests your recipients.)
3. Stick to Above-the-Fold: If you can’t see it in one screen on a test, then trim it down.  Link out or parse out what you want to say in more than one email.

Simple concepts I’m sure we all know by now, but worth repeating and certainly worth revisiting.  Are you keeping it SIMPLE for your audience? Just think to yourself…what would Apple do?  Need help with your email marketing?  Want to chat about other best practice strategies?  Contact me today at marketing@delivra.com or at 877-915-9465 and let’s chat!

Carissa Newton | Marketing

P.S.  I can tell you that while I am an early adopter, I won’t be in line for this!  I mean it will be my birthday  right after its release after all….someone is bound to go stand in that line for me, right?

You’ve learned a lot about your recipients through their response to your emails… but let’s say you need more info. How can you obtain that information? Utilizing surveys in your email marketing can help you be sure you’re sending your recipients the information they want, when they want it. Below are some quick tips on creating a successful email survey:

Get Organized
Plan ahead and figure out exactly what information you need and how you’re going to use it. The way you word and format your questions will affect how you can use that information. Will you need to create segments based on this information? Will you need to track personal info in order to follow up with your recipients? How large will your sample group need to be? Knowing this information ahead of time will streamline the survey creation process.

Be Transparent
Let your recipients know why you need this information. Set the right expectations; if your survey is 50 questions long (let’s hope it isn’t), it wouldn’t be a good idea to say it will only take 1 minute of their time. More people may click your survey link, but most would abandon it halfway through. If your recipients know what they’re getting into, they’re much more likely to complete your survey.

Be Brief and Concise
Make it as easy as possible for your recipients to give you what you need. Include just a sentence or two and a strong call to action on your email content to entice your subscribers to click through to the survey. Word your questions to be as concise and clear as possible, and avoid making too many questions open-ended; try to make responding as simple as a multiple-choice answer.

Create an Incentive
Let your recipients know how they will benefit from filling out your survey.  This can be something as simple as sharing the end results, stating how you will use the information to improve your service or product, or entering them into a prize drawing. If you have a longer, detailed survey, try sending it to your most engaged members; coupled with a prize incentive, this could also be a good way to reward your most loyal subscribers.

Need some advice on setting up a survey of your own? Your Delivra account manager would be happy to help!

Celeste Odell | Design Services

I receive the daily Seth Godin blog posting via email. Most days it’s just entertainment but today’s topic got me thinking.

He commented, “Every 18 months for the last decade, the world has doubled the data it pushes to you. Twice as much email, twice as many friend requests, twice as many sites to check, twice as many devices. When does your mind lose the ability to keep up? Then what happens? Is it already happening?”

YES. IT’S ALREADY HAPPENING! At least for me it is…

Here’s an example. I signed up for a local restaurant’s email newsletter. The first issue arrived yesterday. It contained 60 lines of text and a logo. Do they really think I’m going to read it? Wouldn’t a mouth-watering image of their famous beef sandwich be more enticing? How about a bar-coded coupon that automatically tracks redemptions?

I also noted that they were using an email service provider with prices starting a $10/month.

Take away: With the plethora of data we all unavoidably are required to process, your organization needs to treat customer communications with the utmost care. If you’re a restaurant, don’t budget $10/month and ask the cashier to come up with something to say.

If you don’t have the internal resources to get the job done right, hire it out. Many Delivra clients do just that and the results are truly amazing.

Looking to find out how you can concentrate on your core business and leave email marketing to the experts? Contact us at 866-915-9465.

Neil Berman | President & CEO