Follow Up Marketing Experts Blog

Thomas Dos, The Marketing Cat-Idea #7

Ok, today you are to do the D's.  Just take a little time to get this done and you will feel so good about yourself!

I guess I should have written about this before I wrote yesterday's article.  Standing out from the crowd is what you want to do but you need to know your target market before you can stand out.  With Duck Dynasty their target market is hunters and people that like funny according to my master.  Probably not all hunters but many...many!  I thought to myself, what is my target market?  I do Follow Up marketing for small businesses but do I need to target just one group of small businesses?  Probably.  I will think about this and try to narrow my target market to a smaller niche, like just restaurants or realtors!  Hum...something for my little cat brain to think about.

Ask yourself, do you focus on too many people?  Are you trying to be all things to all people?  Perhaps you should narrow your focus to a smaller niche.  Just something for you to think about.

However, today we are going to start talking about finding your target market.  These are the people that want and need what you have to offer.  You need to find out what will make their life easier, save them time and money.  When you have done this, then you can tailor your product or service to meet those needs and the customers will start coming to you.  So today, I want you to write down who your target market is and think about trying to narrow that market down to a smaller niche.  For example, if you are a realtor, you might focus just on new home buyers or the baby boomers.  You will focus in on what those people are looking for and become an expert in that area.  It means talking with your target market and finding out just exactly what they want and need.  Share this information on my blog.  If you are getting this article on feed blitz, just click on the link at the top of this article to reach my blog and share your ideas.  Perhaps we can help you find your target market and niche.  I just love helping people with their marketing!  Well, meow and purrs until tomorrow!

 

Thomas Dos, The Marketing Cat-Idea #6

Ok, I took a long weekend so I could brainstorm some good marketing articles.  Today I read the article about Duck Dynasty that was featured in Sunday's Parade magazine.  If this is your first time reading my marketing articles, you might want to go to the categories on the right and click on Thomas Dos, The Marketing Cat, to read the previous articles and catch up on your assignments.  I did get some new ideas and will be sharing them with you this week.  However, it is time to put in the C's in your excel spread sheet.  Just think how good you will feel when you get all of this work done!  If you want to be notified when I post an article, simply put your email in the top right hand box at the top of this blog post.  If you are receiving this through feedblitz then you are already on my list.

My article today came about from reading an article about Duck Dynasty.  They are probably more popular then Lady Gaga!  Crazy but true!  These guys must have read the book "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin!  They truly stand out from the crowd and are making tons of money as a result.  Most small businesses just want to do the same thing as the other guy.  They want to blend in and blend in they do.  No one notices them and as a result business is slow and they are struggling.  In this day and age you must do something different from the crowd to get noticed.  The stories behind Lady Gaga and Duck Dynasty tell what they did to get noticed.  Just read about them and see what they did to get noticed and rich!  Not all crazy and different is good but people notice it.  Just watch the news or read the newspaper.  What did they write about???  Bad stuff, like a cat that was eaten by a coyote....ugh!  However, people read about it.  The lesson behind this article is that you must find a way to stand out from the crowd.  If you have any ideas on standing out, just comment below.  Until tomorrow, meow and purrs!

Thomas Dos, The Marketing Cat-Idea #5

Ok, today we are going to put in all the B's.  If this is getting to be a drag and you need to hire someone to do this for you, I know of two people that are fast and reasonable.  Just email my master at [email protected] and tell her I sent you.  She will give you the details.  You can also call her at 970-587-2869.

Today, I am also going to tell you why having a customer list is important.  First, most businesses do not follow up with their customers, which is why the 1% are so successful.  If you have a complete list and it is on the excel spread sheet, you will be able to put it on many different servers and automate the process of communicating with your customers.  We will talk about this in future emails.

My example for today is a restaurant.  The restaurant has a VIP club and they collect the information about their customers, such as name, address, email, cell phone number, birthday etc.  This all goes into a excel data base.  With this list they can use several different companies and several different methods of communicating with their customers.  They can send out emails weekly or daily about what is going on and what specials they are offering.  Customers want to know what you are doing.  They like your business and feel they are important when you communicate with them.  The information should be informational and not just selling your services.  Meow and Purrs till tomorrow.

Thomas Dos, The Marketing Cat-Idea #4

I bet most of you have not got your customer list done yet, right??  I am going to ask you each day to just do one letter and that letter today is A.  Put all of your customers that have a last name of A on that excel spread sheet along with all of their information.

There are so many courses out there that give you tons of information all at once.  What generally happens is that all of that information is collecting dust on a shelf or on your computer.  That is why I am only giving you little things to do each day.  Don't go on to the next idea until you have finished the last idea. So, again get all of those A's on a list.

If you have extra time and want to read some great articles, just click on one of the categories over at the side.  My master only puts on top quality articles that relate to marketing so take a peek.

Also....be sure to sign up for email notifications from me by going to the box on the top right hand side and putting in your email address.  All I will be sending is stuff you need to know to make your business #1!  Till tomorrow, meows and purrs!

Thomas Dos, The Marketing Cat-Idea #2

Ok, many of you are looking at me and saying....I have lots of customers and information but it isn't on an excel spread sheet.  I hear this all the time.  So, the only way to begin is to begin.  Take that list and start putting the information on an excel spread sheet.  It might take you awhile to do this but it is necessary in order to use the other methods of communication with your customers.  You might want to outsouce this to someone else like my friend, Whitey above.  Once this is done, it is important to add any additional contacts to the list.  This excel spread sheet can be imported into many different services that we will talk about in later ideas.

I would also like you to sign up for email updates by signing up at the top right hand corner of this newsletter.  That way you will receive my tips as I think of them...inbetween naps.  Have a wonderful day and meow and purrs!

Thomas Dos, The Marketing Cat-Idea #3

I found this really great article on Email Marketing and I want to share it with you!

Also, see that box at the top of the page on the right???  If you sign up you will receive all of my great marketing information right in your inbox!

 

 

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing an Email Marketing Service | Entrepreneur.com

When it comes to finding new customers and marketing to existing ones, email can be more effective than social media. Acquiring new customers via email marketing has quadrupled since 2009 and now comprises some 7.5 percent of all gained customers, according to a recent report from Custora, a New York City-based marketing analytics firm.

If your business isn't tapping into email marketing yet, you could be missing out on attracting new customers. There are many relatively affordable and user-friendly email marketing services available to help you create, send and track email campaigns. But which one is right for your company?

Here are 10 key questions to ask when searching for an email marketing solution:

1. What does my company want to achieve with email marketing?
Clearly defining your goals can help you determine which email marketing solution is best for your business, says Simms Jenkins, author of The New Inbox: Why Email Marketing is the Digital Marketing Hub in a Social & Mobile World (Incisive Media, 2013) and chief executive of BrightWave Marketing‎, an Atlanta-based digital marketing agency.

If you're an online or brick-and-mortar retailer looking to drive the majority of sales via email, consider an all-in-one email marketing solution like iContact‎ or Benchmark Email‎. Both go beyond enabling you to create, send and track basic promotional emails and customer surveys. They also let you email coupons that can drive up sales.

Or, if your company is an events-based business that hosts conferences, parties and meetings, you might opt for a provider like MailChimp. The popular service integrates Eventbrite digital invitation features to help you get the word out about upcoming events.

2. What are the costs?
Pricing is generally billed monthly and is proportionate to the total number of email subscribers you have, Simms says. Prices typically range between $8 and $14 per month for 500 contacts, $16 to $32 per month for 2,500 contacts and $89 and $300 per month for 25,000 contacts. Most providers let you send an unlimited number of emails per month, but a few don't, so you'll want to double-check.

Many email marketing providers offer free trial periods, often lasting between 30 and 60 days. These include GetResponse, iContact, Constant Contact, Emma and a dozen or so others. If you want a no-cost solution, Mailchimp enables you to send up to 12,000 emails per month for free if you have fewer than 2,000 subscribers. For businesses with 100 or fewer subscribers, Emma lets you send 600 emails per month for free.

3. How can I encourage people to sign up for my company's emails?
Simply ask them to sign up whenever you interact with them in-person or on the phone. Or, better yet, ask when they're making a purchase, says Dave Walters, product evangelist at Silverpop, an Atlanta-based digital marketing solutions provider.

Most email marketing providers "worth their salt" will allow you to upload your email address lists directly from your own databases, Walters says. To capture more email subscribers over time, choose a provider that offers customizable email signup forms that you can incorporate into your company website and Facebook page.

#insert related here#

4. Should I design my emails using a template or pay for a custom design?
Most of the better-known services, like MailChimp and Constant Contact, offer wide selections of free, professionally-designed templates to choose from that often don't require HTML to customize with your company's logos and colors.

Several providers, including one like ExactTarget, can help you blend graphics and design themes from your existing marketing materials into their products when you use them. ExactTarget also offers email design consulting services for a premium

5. Will I need help planning my email campaign strategy?
If you need a leg up getting your first email campaign off the ground, or you're looking to build a focused, long-term email campaign strategy, select a provider that offers professional campaign consulting services. These include: iContact, ExactTarget, Constant Contact and others. Custom campaign strategy services come at added cost, which is often only shared by contacting the provider.

6. How can I be sure my emails will appear properly no matter what device or platform people view them on?
Your subscribers will be reading your emails from a variety of devices -- laptops, smartphones, tablets -- and from several different email services. To increase the likelihood that the images and text appear properly, choose an email marketing provider that allows you to preview what each of your email campaigns will look like in the email clients and on the devices your subscribers most commonly use.

For mobile optimization, opt for a provider like Emma, iContact, MailChimp or GetResponse. These offer mobile-optimized templates that help your emails appear properly on tablets and smartphones.

7. Will I want social-media elements built into my email marketing campaigns?
If the content in your email message resonates with your subscribers, Walters says, you want them to tell their social-media networks about it, furthering your brand reach.

Embedding linked buttons to your company's Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social-media accounts can boost your exposure to new audiences who could have similar purchasing patterns as your email subscribers. Most providers offer social features, including Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign and MailChimp.

8. How do I choose the images I use?
When it comes to what types of images to use, choose crisp, visually-compelling images that tell your brand story. You'll also want to showcase the products or services you're promoting. ModCloth, an online clothing retailer, emails its subscribers eye-catching emails that feature playful photos of their latest fashions with links to where to buy each item on their main website.

You should be able to upload and host your images and files for all of your email campaigns on your provider's servers at no extra cost, Jenkins says.

9. What level of customer support should my company expect?
Several of the top-tier email marketing services that cater to small businesses offer free phone support along with online chat, email interaction, comprehensive FAQs and free video product tutorials.

Jenkins advises choosing a provider that offers phone and web chat with live and knowledgeable customer service people -- not just an automated system. Around-the-clock phone support is paramount, he says, when you can't log in to your account, for example, or an email campaign won't deliver.

10. What types of analytics will measure the effectiveness of my campaigns?
Most email marketing providers provide free, self-service analytics and reporting tools. These tell you how many people are opening your emails, which links they're clicking on and how many emails they forward to others.

They should also let you view how many people unsubscribed and how many email addresses weren't valid, plus how many emails weren't delivered and why. Tracking which emails are most engaging and most often shared can help you learn which types of content best resonate with your subscribers.

Copyright © 2013 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Marketing ideas by Thomas Dos-Idea #1

Ok, today I am going to talk about your customer list.  Do you have one?  Do you just let people come into your business and leave without getting their information??  My friend, Sam, above, is very surprised that you don't have a list.  According to my masters, collecting information about your customers is really important and something you should start doing.  If you have the information and it isn't on an excel spread sheet, this is what you need to do.  Be sure you get lots of information about them, like when they had their last rabies shot and exam...oh that is me not your customers.  With your customers you need to get their name, address, city, state, zipcode, phone numbers, email addresses and even more personal information like their birthday etc.

I hope this has made you think about doing a customer list.  #1 businesses all have a complete customer list and use it in many ways.  We will talk about the ways to use this list in the next ideas.  It is now time for my nap.  Meow and purrs till tomorrow!

My Name is Thomas Dos-The Marketing Cat

Let me tell you a little about me.  I was adopted by Jim and Pam Lutey about three years ago.  My owner had a stoke and couldn't take care of me  so Jim and Pam took me in.  I was 17 pounds at that time and  a bully.  I chased the other two cats Buddy and Fancy and wasn't very popular with them.  After three years I have lost 2 pounds and now the other cats put up with me sorta.

However, in three years I have learned alot about marketing.  In fact, that is all I hear at this house!  I feel it is time for me to share what I have learned with other businesses.  I will do this a little at a time since my attention span is limited and I have to take naps.  I would love to hear comments about my ideas and would love for you to share yours too!  Meow and purrs till tomorrow when I begin my journey!

The 4 Phrases of Amazing Customer Service

Want your customers to spread the word about your company? Start by surprising them with the best customer service they've ever gotten.

I’ve grown my companies by focusing on great customer service. We didn’t always have the biggest names working at the firm, and we couldn’t always afford the flashiest equipment. However, what we did better than all our competitors was ensure that our customers were thrilled.

In fact, superlative customer service can be your very best (and cheapest!) form of marketing. Customers talk about their experiences, especially if those experiences are unexpectedly good. Sometimes even the most difficult situations can yield satisfied customers, depending on how you and your team handle the problems that arise. Even a failure to meet expectations can offer an opportunity for a great recovery and a happy customer.

Here are four phrases that will help you impress your customers with the service you offer:

1. “I don’t know, but this is what I’m going to do.” You’re not always going to have the answer to every question at your fingertips, and your customers will understand that. What they expect in exchange, though, is honesty and follow-up. The key here is to make a clear commitment like, "I’ll call you by 5 p.m. with the answer,” and then keep that commitment. Even if it’s taking longer to get a problem resolved or to get the answer to your question, follow up with customers to let them know you’re still working on it. Customers want you to be honest and to keep your word. If you promise to call by 5 p.m., then you must call by 5 p.m., or you’ve betrayed your customer’s trust.

2. “I am very sorry.”  When you or your company make a mistake, the customer wants to hear you accept responsibility and apologize. Too many customer service reps have been trained not to accept responsibility, in some cases because they fear the legal record of having admitted failure. Realistically, though, the probability of a lawsuit is minimal, while the chance of losing a customer is virtually guaranteed.

It’s important to manage the unhappy customer’s expectations while you apologize, though. Be genuine, and save your apologies for the instances when your company has truly made a mistake, rather than apologizing to every customer displeased by circumstances that are beyond your control. The apology is only a step, albeit an important one, and the goal is to turn the failure into a success by determining what your company can do to make it right.

3. “Yes.” “Yes” is what your customer wants to hear, and your goal should be to say that word whenever possible, especially if you’re working through a problem. Customers want progress.

Imagine two scenarios: Customer 1 calls with a complaint and asks for a 10 percent discount. The customer service rep says no, finally hands the customer off to a manager, and 20 minutes later you have an angry, frustrated customer with a 10 percent discount from the manager. Customer 2 calls with a complaint, and the customer service rep apologizes and offers a 10 percent discount. The cost to the company is 10 percent—that's the same amount of money but call #1 took longer, involved two staff members, and left a customer feeling frustrated, while call #2 resulted in a customer who truly believes that your company cares about his business. Say yes to reasonable requests as soon, and as often, as possible; you'll leave your customers pleasantly surprised at how easily the problem was resolved.

4. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Here’s your perfect wrap-up. Not only does this question give your customers the opportunity to bring up additional concerns, but it also lets them feel as if they're in control. They can ask for additional information or can thank you for your spectacular service. Giving your customers the opportunity to raise additional concerns lets them know you value them enough to spend time ensuring they’re satisfied. Even if the customer called with a problem, if your customer service team can work through a resolution and end on a positive note, you can earn and keep those customers for life.

Great customer service relies first and foremost on authenticity. You and your team must be committed to satisfying your customers, and being trustworthy is the foundation. If your customers trust you to keep your word, you’re more than halfway there. If your customers know they can rely on you, even if there’s a problem, that’s the rest of the journey.

10 Festival Marketing Tips for Small Business - Business 2 Community

 

Festivals can prove outstanding opportunities to reach new customers, especially if you develop a strategic festival marketing strategy for earning permission-based marketing rights. The following 10 festival marketing tips for small business will help you maximize lead generation and sales.

1. Target your festival

Targeting your festival audience is essential: should you set up a booth at movie festival, a music festival or a local community festival? The answer ultimately depends on who your customers are. Meet your customers on their terms to establish common ground, and you can demonstrate a shared culture that fosters long-term customer loyalty.

2. Give takeaways

Make sure everyone who visits your booth leaves with a business card, brochure and/or coolie cup – something physical they can hold on to. You want them to remember you and to follow-up for more information. Another great option: T-shirts, since your booth visitors will wear them and thus expose others to your brand.

3. Lead people to your booth

If you’re attending a crowded festival or have poor booth placement, don’t let potentially enthusiastic customers unwittingly pass you by. Use vinyl banners, posters or flyers strategically placed to draw traffic toward your booth.

4. Product demonstrations

If you really want to draw a crowd around your booth, offer product demonstrations that are both effective and entertaining. A skateboard retailer, for example, might have a skateboarder doing tricks in front of their booth.

5. Give people a reason to buy

It’s one thing to pass information at your festival booth, it’s quite another to effectively market your business. Give people a reason to buy with a time-limited coupon or some other incentive that motivates them to make an immediate purchase. And, of course, make the benefits of choosing your company well-known.

6. Make it fun and interactive

Product demonstrations can be fun, but dunk tanks, trivia, contests, and other games can make your booth fun and interactive. Give your audience a hands-on experience that, if possible, puts your product in their hands.

7. Collect contact information

You want to collect contact information so you can follow-up with potential customers, but don’t make the mistake of placing a sign-up sheet on the table. It won’t be filled out. Instead, have customers give their information in order to be entered into a contest to win a desirable prize. If the prize is good, you’ll have plenty of calls to make next week.

8. Sponsor other activities

Your booth isn’t the only marketing outlet you have at festivals. Sponsor music pavilions, tournaments, rides, or other festival-related events to get your banners and other marketing materials out and about on festival grounds. You can also consider guerrilla marketing by employing a team to canvas the crowd with brochures, flyers, coolie cups and other marketing materials.

9. Pre-market

Let potential customers know you’ll be at the festival before it begins, so they’ll know to look for you. Publication ads (especially the festival’s own flyers and brochures) are perfect for this. You can also place signage in your location; and advertise on your website, Facebook, Twitter and newsletters.

10. Post-market

Take plenty of photos and videos at the festival and post them on your social media networks to generate shares and increase exposure for your company.  Through sharing, you can pick up customers who weren’t even at the festival.

What festival marketing tips for small business can you share?

Author: Brian Morris     Brian Morris on the Web Brian Morris on Facebook Brian Morris on Twitter Brian Morris RSS Feed

Brian Morris writes for the PsPrint Design & Printing Blog. PsPrint is an online commercial printing company. Follow PsPrint on Twitter @PsPrint. ... View full profile