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e-Marketing Services - What Works Best |
I recently did some research on various e-Marketing services for a client, and thought I'd share the results of what I learned. My e-letter (the one you're reading right now) is created in Constant Contact*, a service I've been using for over a year now, and I like it.
But, in the process of investigating some other options out there, I actually made the decision to change to a different service - Ratepoint. I cancelled my Constant Contact account, set up a new account with Ratepoint, built a new template and transferred my mailing list - but then changed my mind and decided to stay with Constant Contact.
Why? Basically it relates to the old saying: "you get what you pay for." Constant Contact is more expensive than Ratepoint and the other options I checked out, but it's easy to use and offers some functionality that I didn't find with the other packages I investigated (although Ratepoint was a worthy contender). In addition, I didn't want to lose the access to all of my former e-letters or to have to recreate them. In short, the "switching costs" (both out-of-pocket and "psychic") did not seem to justify the change.
If you're considering a vendor to help with your e-Marketing, or thinking about changing vendors, I think there are two primary considerations:
- Quality of design. The design of the e-letter will reflect on the image of your organization. While every service I looked at offered template, not all templates were well-designed.
- Flexibility/ease of use. Much time can be spent working with programs that are not user-friendly/intuitive. Time = money. Don't opt for a less-expensive monthly option only to find yourself eating up valuable staff time (or your own time!). The difference can rapidly drive up the monthly cost of production, far exceeding the value of the cost differential for the monthly service fee.
If you're interested in my vendor review comparing various options offered by each of the services I looked into, email me at linda@stratcommunications.com.
*Note: other than being a customer of Constant Contact, I have no financial ties/affiliate arrangements with them. I just like the service. They were also very accommodating about my request to cancel and didn't try to push me into staying with them (although they did ask why I was making the change). I had the feeling at the time that they were pretty sure I'd be back. |
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Have You Ever Thought About Expanding Your Business Through Franchising?
I've become interested in franchising lately as I've pondered the potential to expand one of my service offerings more broadly (not in the near term, but as a long-range vision). So, as I tend to do when I'm interested in something, I've written a few articles about the topic which allows me to connect with, and learn from, industry experts and assuages the guilt I might otherwise feel about "squandering my time in useless pursuits."
One of the experts I heard from was Timothy Howes, the principal of Spyglass Strategies in Dartmouth, Mass., a firm that helps companies franchise their businesses. The threshold question is "do you have something of value to sell?" That may seem obvious, but Howes breaks it down further, suggesting that those interested in expanding through franchising, consider the following factors: - Differentiation. What makes your business unique?
- Trademarks. Can your business name be trademarked?
- Valuable, ongoing systems. Service-based franchises in particular, he says, need some valuable ongoing system - software, connections with clients, marketing efforts - that franchisees will find valuable.
- Concept development. Branding is critical, says Howes, because franchising is essentially a license of a trademark and its methods.
- ROI. Will franchisees see a good return from their investment?
Another critical consideration - leadership skills. "Without a doubt, lack of leadership skills is the number one reason for challenges in franchise systems," says Howes. Do you have a product, service or business model that could be expanded through franchising? Certainly something to ponder. |
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How NOT to Respond to Media Inquiries
Services like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and ProfNet are excellent means for journalists and writers to connect with sources. I use the service myself both when writing stories and looking for sources, and when exploring media opportunities for clients. And, hopefully, I've learned a lot from receiving some very ineffective pitches. Here are some real examples of what NOT to do when responding to a reporter/writer request. These are all actual responses that I've received:
- "I have several comments I could make, what specific questions are you wanting answered?" (Why should I bother to respond to you when you haven't given me any indication of your background/credentials or why your comments would be pertinent to my story - more pertinent than the dozens of others who have also responded, most with significantly more background info!)
- "I would be happy to submit an article to you on that topic or to provide a sidebar." (Uh, I'm writing this article, not looking for collaborators.)
- In response to my request for sources to interview for stories about how to ensure sustainability for a one-person consultancy: "I would love to interview the Walt Disney Company to see what they did to insure (sic) continuity after he died. The (sic) continue to offer amazing services and products to children and families. As a management consultant, I would say that planning for this transition can help insure (sic) continuity." (Huh?)
- "I would be interested in what your situation is currently and why this topic is of interest at this time. Also we should discuss your current understanding of (topic)...I suspect this will take more than 15 minutes..." (HUH?)
- "I know you're looking for input from nurses, but..." and "I'm from California, but..." (I had asked for sources from nurses in the midwest - not only will these emails go into the trash file, but I'll be a little skeptical of any future pitches I might receive from these sources as well.)
- "I've got the perfect source for you!" (Well, that may be, but you haven't taken the time to provide me with any specific details and I don't have the time to circle back with you to see what is so perfect about your source.)
The most important thing to understand when responding to reporters looking for sources is that they receive dozens - DOZENS - of responses. You're competing with a lot of others who are eager for exposure, many who have a very solid understanding of what it takes to stand out from the masses. What does it take? Read more here. | |
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A Step-by-Step Process for Developing Effective Marketing Plans
Development of a marketing plan can be approached in a variety of ways and is, of course, impacted by the size of the organization, the product/service being offered and the target market segment(s). Generally, though, all marketing plans will share certain common elements.
Follow the steps in this free report to provide focus and direction to your next marketing planning process.
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