Michael Bennitt
Editor

January 2015
Volume 5, Issue 1
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IM Social Now Newsletter

Why Bother With E-mail?

You know you're supposed to do it. You know your competitors are doing it. You know it would help you. But you just haven't made it happen... yet. If this is the year you're finally going to implement an effective email marketing campaign for your business, you couldn't have picked a better time (well, other than a few years ago when you first thought about it).

Why bother? Because according to Unbounce, nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. iContact also says that the average return on an email marketing investment is $44.25 for every dollar spent.

You're likely working hard to generate new leads for your business. Or, maybe you're not working hard, because you're working with a marketing consultant who's doing the heavy lifting for you. Either way, each and every new lead that comes your way is worth a fortune.

Today's prospects could become tomorrow's best customers - the kind that your competitors only dream of calling their own.

No matter how those leads come to you, chances are good that many are not quite ready to buy. They need more information. They need to get to know you better. They need to figure out whether they trust you to solve their problem. They need to be nurtured, patiently, as they make the journey from the top of your sales funnel to the bottom.

When you're first starting out with email marketing, and even if you've been at it for a while, the whole process might seem like a lot of work. If so, you're seeing it accurately. While it is a labor-intensive task to craft and deploy engaging, action-prompting email marketing messages, there are ways you can make it easier.

Here are a few:

Work with an editorial calendar, planning out the entire year's messages. It'll be easier to create your campaign when you've got this head start, and you'll be able to plan ahead for seasonal promotions.
Use a service like Aweber, Mail Chimp, or Constant Contact to send your messages. Do NOT try to send your email marketing campaign through your personal or company email interface.
Work on your subject line so you maximize how many recipients open the messages you send. Don't try to trick people - but do touch on their curiosity and emotions to get them to open your message.
Always include a call to action. Just one. What one reasonable next step would you most like your reader to take?

There is no better tool for nurturing leads than email - if you do it right. With each message, you can educate your prospects about how your product or service solves the problem that first sent them your way. Each message nudges prospects a bit closer to the point of sale, and then keeps you top of mind so they come back for more.

IM Social Now

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We work 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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Do You Even Use Images in Social Media?

If images play a big role in your social media marketing tactics, you've tapped into one of the most powerful tools for evoking emotion and a memorable connection with your target market. Here are 4 subtle ways to cement your branding in their minds with every image you publish.

Include a consistent watermark. Same place, same appearance, every image.
Use the same set of fonts - 2-3 only, and make it one that gels with your brand and image.
Keep your colors consistent. They can help your audience recognize you, and can even boost their buying behavior.
Include strategic product placement where it fits.

Keep Your Cash Flowing

You only have to be in business five minutes to understand how vital your free cash flow it. As you increase the cash in your business beyond what you need to cover expenses, a world of options opens for you in regard to growth.

Here's a fistful of ways you can get your hands on more cash this year:

Keep your finger on the pulse of your expenses. You simply must know your cost basis to stay in the black. This information determines your break-even point, how you should set your prices, and most importantly, makes every dollar of profit possible.
Allow your buyers to carry your products and services away in a bundle. One of the easiest ways to boost cash flow is by selling more stuff to fewer customers. Consider creating package deals that benefit your buyers by providing more - or everything - they need when they make an initial purchase.
Consider your back end. If you lead with a loss, make sure you've got a way to capture and convert those customers so you make money on the back end.
Always look for ways to entice your customers to come back, and to send new business your way. Loyalty programs can work wonderfully for stimulating repeat business.

In all, the best ways to create more cash in your business include getting people to buy more, buy more often, buy at a higher price, and to get more buyers.

Always be on the lookout for ways you can protect your business from wasteful expenses - but be equally as diligent in finding ways to maximize the cash inflow. By having cash on hand, you'll sleep better and be prepared to jump on opportunities you don't want to miss.

IM Social Now Marketing