Your Customers Are Looking For You Online...
Can They Find YOU?
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I'm Social Now
Newsletter
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Note From the Editor:
Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, author, and marketer. His blog is the most popular blog authored by a single individual on the Internet.
Seth is also a public speaker, and in this video he explains the paradigm shift in the way the world communicates (and markets products). And he tells us how we can take advantage of that shift to build a better world.
Hope you are inspired.
Respectfully,
Michael Bennitt
Editor
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Are You Making Any of the Seven Deadly Mistakes for Email Marketing?
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Email marketing is one of the best ways to keep your business at the forefront of your customers' awareness, to get the word out about promotions and specials, and to continue forging the kind of relationship needed to build brand loyalty.
But, far from being foolproof, it's easy to accidentally sabotage your efforts if you make any of these common email marketing mistakes.
Mistake #1: Using a List of Dubious Provenance
Scraping names from forums, email lists where you're a recipient, or any other source where nobody intended to end up on your list is a huge no-no. Emailing people who haven't given you permission is spamming. Anti-spam regulations levy a hefty penalty ($15,000 per complaint!) against businesses that use lists they didn't cultivate properly.
Mistake #2: Mailing from Your Own Email Account
Email marketing services are designed to comply with anti-spam regulations, and will go a long way toward ensuring you avoid trouble. Use your regular email provider (gmail, yahoo, or even one hosted through your own website) for bulk emails, and you're treading dangerous ground.
Mistake #3: Being Too Opaque
A legitimate email marketing campaign includes some pieces of information some businesses don't want to provide, for various reasons. One of the most common is a postal address; this happens sometimes when a business is trying to give the impression it is bigger than it is, or that it's got a physical presence in a certain location.
Mistake #4: Too Promotional
Many email marketers cram every message with "buy, buy, buy" and then wonder why their unsubscribe rate is so high. Readers want to read what interests them, what helps them - and sometimes, about what they can buy. A good rule of thumb is to have 75-80% informational content, and just 20-25% promotional.
Mistake #5: Subject Line Tricks
Getting recipients to open your email takes some finesse. Tricking them into opening by using misleading subject lines is counter-productive. Who wants to do business with someone who's not trustworthy?
Mistake #6: Not Testing
If you've ever gotten an email that begins: Dear [Subscriber.FirstName], you know that's not the way to build rapport. It's an easy mistake to make, and an honest one - all in the attempt to make an email more personal by merging database properties. Always be sure to send a test email before sending to your list. That way, you're likely to catch anything off-putting before it goes out.
Mistake #7: Not Doing It
You might be surprised how many businesses still aren't developing their email marketing list - unless you've got one of those businesses. It can seem like a daunting task, when you've never gotten in the habit of asking customers for email addresses, and have never had an automated subscription form on your website. There's no time like the present to get started, though, and the sooner you build your list, the sooner you'll get all the benefits your email marketing competitors have been enjoying for years.
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Stay Connected
 
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I'm Social Now works with business owners (like you) to grow and increase their profits by doing their online marketing for them.
Our specialty is making sure future customers can find you online and choose you over your competitors, even if they don't know your name - with Social Media, Search Engines and Mobile Phone devices
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October events and holidays for your marketing calendar:
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1 - World Vegetarian Day 7 - World Smile Day 16 - Dictionary Day 22 - Make a Difference Day 31 - Halloween
What specials, deals, and packages can you create with these events in mind?
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Barking Up The Wrong Tree?
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Social media marketing can be hugely profitable - or a complete waste of time and resources. It all depends on whether you're showing up where your customers hang out. Here are three ways to find out first:
- Don't assume; ask. Ask your existing customers where they hang out online.
- Watch your competitors. See what kind of presence they're building on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.
- Do some searching. Look for some of your existing customers in the search function on these sites to see whether they're there.
Need help with this? Just ask us!
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3 Signs You Need to Grow Your Team
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Small-business owners are famous for doing it all, but even in mid-sized and big companies, it's not uncommon to have team members who are stretched so far they're about to snap.
The key is recognizing that point before you get there, and adding human resources as they are needed.
But how do you recognize an upcoming need for more personnel before damage is done? Here are four telltale signs:
1. Got a pig in the python?
This is the bottleneck where everything comes to a standstill. You'll find this is where the workload, when you look at it honestly, is overbooked and could not possibly get done in a reasonable window of time.
2. Are your customers squeaking?
Your customers may be the first to recognize that you are understaffed.
They'll likely be quiet about it at first, but once you start hearing murmurs, it's past time to take action. Don't wait until the wheels fall off before you strengthen your ability to serve your customers well, or you may not get the chance to make it up to them.
3. Are your employees squawking?
One warning sign of impending problems is when you find yourself borrowing team members from one skill set to cover a gaping hole in another. While most team members are okay with some measure of cross-training, too much is too much. You'll succeed best when your team members get to do what they are best at doing.
So, what do you do if it's time?
You may not want to hire more employees to reinforce the team. Outsourcing and independent contractors may be the way to go. There are many good options for how to grow your team - but the one option you don't want to take is ignoring the need to take action.
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