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Thursday, October 22, 2009

What's the best way to grow my email database?

"I need to add more names to my in-house mailing list, the more the better right?" I hear this a lot!

Buying Email Addresses Can Buy Trouble
A purchased list is not composed of people who want to receive your emails. Many addresses belong to people who didn't read the fine print in the privacy policy when they registered for an account, participated in a survey or entered a contest.

Nurture Your In-House List
These are the people who want to hear from you and are interested in what you're sharing or selling. Building up your email marketing in-house list takes time but will generate the greatest benefits with the fewest risks (bounces and black listing).

Here are two simple steps you can take today to attract more email subscribers:
1. Add an invitation to subscribe on every page of your Web site, not just the home page, and in all your email, including messages such as order confirmations, shipping notices, payment reminders and even invoices.
2. Create a FaceBook Fan Page with a standing subscription invitation. Promote it in your email messages and on your Web site. Update it frequently with fresh content such as FaceBook only news and offers.

I will be speaking on this and other topics at my next FREE Guerrilla Marketing “Tea” October 23, 1 – 4 PM. It will be hosted at the Sixth Avenue House B&B in Asbury Park. Call 732-988-4044 to reserve a seat.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Missed Opportunities

This past weekend Ocean Grove had its Fall Festival. It was a great day! Lots of food and interesting “Autumn” things on display and for sale. My wife and I walked over to Main Street (Got to get my steps in. That’s over 2000 steps one way. Thank you Dr. Wells!). We also decided to check out the special Pumpkin flavored treats at one of our clients (Barbaric Bean).

Walking around checking out the vendors I ran into a member of one of my Networking Groups and another former member. I was surprised to see both as they never mentioned that they would be attending, never mind have a booth each. I believe this was a mistake as that Networking Group has over 40 members. Since both of them have family orientated businesses it would make sense to have over 40 additional people (families) stop over at their booths.

An announcement at the weekly meeting, an email or a blurb in the Jersey Shore Community Information Bulletin would have resulted in more people knowing of their involvement. All of these methods cost nothing except a little forethought and effort. Getting the Booths most likely cost some money so a little extra effort would have increased their rate of return. This is right out of Guerrilla Marketing “Maximizing your Effort.”

I will be speaking on this and other topics at my next FREE Guerrilla Marketing “Tea” October 23, 1 – 4 PM. It will be hosted at the Sixth Avenue House B&B in Asbury Park. Call 732-988-4044 to reserve a seat.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Low Expectations the curse of Businesses & Organizations

The other day I was speaking with a client of mine who belongs to a business networking group with me. He has mentioned at the last several meeting that he was desperately looking for work. Since we have a new leadership team taking over I asked him what he thought of the past administration. He admitted that they had done a “great job.”

When I questioned him on his meaning of a “great job” the answered I got was very vague. I pointed out that the past leadership team did not meet a single goal of theirs and that the membership fell from 50 to 41 during their tenure. The number of guests fell. The only guest in August was mine and of the two in September, one was mine.

The only Special event that was planned was a Visitor’s Day and that never happened. This was to introduce our group to a large number of potential members. Oh, did I mention that every meeting the President actually attended she was late. So after pointing out these facts I asked my client again if he thought they, to use his words, did a “great job?” He responded well if you’re going to bring that up they did an “OK job.” Shaking my head I ended the telephone call pleasantly and went for a stroll with my wife, Karen, along the beach.

On this stroll I recounted this conversation to her. She summed it all up by stating “Don’t you get it! Of course they did a great job; they did not rock the boat!!!”

Lightning struck, bell starting ringing… well not actually, but it dawned on me that was the answer. For most people, my fellow networking members included, that was the most important goal of the group. “Don’t rock the Boat! Even if we are losing members and not making any money (business) that’s OK as long as no one expects anything of me.”

How low have our expectations come? Long around, we see it everywhere; Politics, friends, family, business partners and even ourselves. Low expectations are driving this economy. We need to raise the bar a little, just a little to start. Have our members and ourselves do just what was promised to when they/we joined the organization. Goals are a large part of this.

I will be speaking on goals at my next FREE Guerrilla Marketing “Tea” October 23, 1 – 4 PM. It will be hosted at the Sixth Avenue House B&B in Asbury Park. Call 732-988-4044 to reserve a seat.