Web Helper Blog
A blog to discuss web marketing…
New Email Marketing Articles
Feb 10th
Active Web Group, Long Island’s premier online marketing solutions company, has posted a new series of email marketing articles on their website.
Three Steps to Better Email Marketing
A lot has been said about the subject of email marketing, and numerous tips, tricks and techniques have been discoursed throughout the Internet on blogs, forums, and by web marketing companies. But more often than not, the subject matter focuses on the content of the email, and fails to address a critical factor that may render your entire email marketing campaign ineffective, no matter how outstanding the content of your emails might be.
Killer Email Copy in 5 Short Steps
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Email Copy
When it comes to getting your emails noticed, you have to start off with some great email copy. Most internet marketers find that there are certain talents involved in being able to write email copy that grabs the attention of the user, reads well, and doesn’t push like a salesperson with a dangerously low quota. There are 5 simple steps to help you on your way if you want to write your own killer copy for your email marketing campaign.
Is Your Email Marketing Campaign Compliant With CAN-SPAM Act?
Whether you’re utilizing your own in-house marketing department or outsourcing to a web marketing company, it is critical that your email marketing campaign is CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) compliant. Not exactly sure what that is, or whether or not your emails meet the criteria set forth by the FTC? It’s in your best interest to find out quickly, before you hit the send button on one more campaign.
AWG Unveils New Website Design for Light Impressions
Feb 3rd
Light Impressions, which offers the world’s largest variety of fine archival storage, display and presentation materials for negatives, transparencies, CDs, photographs, artwork and documents. Light Impressions, recently acquired the services of Active Web Group to redesign their corprorate website.
Active Web Group, Long Island’s leading web marketing firm, specializes in Web Design, SEO, PPC Management, Email Marketing, and other online marketing solutions. With a focus on a strong, user-friendly e-commerce feel, an eye-pleasing design and integrated SEO, AWG’s expert creative and technical staff redesigned the Light Impressions website to attract and increase web traffic and sales, as well as appear more modern, while still maintaining the essence of a respectable, professional website.
For more information about website design services, please contact AWG today.
Marketers Embracing Social Media Marketing
Jan 21st
Integrated marketing services provider Alterian today released the results of their seventh annual survey on social media marketing adoption.
The survey covered 1068 marketing professionals worldwide (actually, it was 98% North America and Europe and only 2% Asia Pacific and other regions).
See the complete article and the survey results in the TechCrunch section of the Washington Post
Increasing Credibility with an Online Press Release
Jan 15th
Press releases have been one of the most common ways for a business to inform the public about new products or services, or important information and events related to the company. But with so many online marketing solutions and campaigns requiring your attention, the press release is often overlooked as a viable tool. This is unfortunate, as press releases, whether distributed freely or through a paid distribution site, often show up quickly in search engine results (provided they contain the proper keywords), and may catch the interest of credible media or other interested parties that can further spread your important information to even more sources.
Writing Your Press Release
One of the most important things that you can do to ensure that your potential customers can find your press release is to optimize it using SEO keywords. It does take a little research to find the appropriate keywords for your press release, as well as a talented writer to make the phrases fit into the article naturally. You may want to hire an SEO expert with experience writing press releases to write your news articles for you.
With the right keywords, interested readers will have instant access to your online press release. You will find that more and more people are now reading their news online, and are interested in purchasing goods and services after researching their options online. A good press release can put you at the top of the search engine results, and within your targeted audience’s attention easily.
Excellence First
When you publish a well written online press release, you are spreading the word about your business. Research shows that the more people are exposed to a brand name, the more they trust that name. Online news articles not only make your brand name more credible by exposure, they also provide information that your customers can use to make a decision about purchasing goods and services from your business.
Since online press releases are news, it is important to leave the sales pitch for other areas and to stick strictly to the facts. You will be given the opportunity to tell customers more about your business at the end of the press release.
Include Your Links
A well written press release will have links to your website, as well as the location, phone number, and contact information for customers. Even though you can add the information to your blog, an online press release is much more credible for customers than a simple blog entry.
Five Steps to Increase Traffic With a Company Blog
Jan 11th
Your business website can be much more than just a place to sell goods and services on the web. By creating a company blog, you are engaging your customers (and your potential customers) in a manner that increases brand awareness and may keep them returning to your website on a regular basis, provided that the content posted on your blog is interesting and informative. These tips will help you create a company blog that will provide your customers with additional information about your business and related industry topics, serving to increase traffic to your site.
Step One: Choose the Name
Although it may seem like just a small detail, a complicated web address for your company blog usually won’t bring in as many visitors as a simple, easy-to-remember name. You may want to consider setting up a new page on the company website, and giving the blog a name such as company.com/blog. This will allow customers to find your blog easily.
Step Two: Design Your Blog
To maintain a professional appearance, you will want to make sure that the design of your blog is similar to your company website. You at least want to ensure that you are using your company logo and colors on the blog. It is usually not recommended that you use a pre-made design for your blog, since these are not going to reflect the style you have already established on your company website. A look that somewhat mirrors your website will help increase brand awareness.
Step Three: Choose the Content
Your company blog can be used to announce promotions, provide information on the services provided by the company, or just to provide general information about the company or industry related topics. It is generally a good idea to think about the style of the content you’ll be adding before actually doing so. For example, do you want the blog to be presented in a more casual manner, or do you prefer content that is professionally written? A casual blog is often a good idea for communicating with the client, while a professional blog is best for conveying specific information about goods and services offered.
Step Four: Add Features
Your company blog should offer RSS (a means by which readers will receive a regular feed of your blog posts automatically) and newsletter options. These features are particularly helpful if you are using your blog to announce promotions, sales, or new goods and services for sale. Potential customers will be notified of the updates instantly, and a newsletter can expand upon your blog.
Step Five: Stay Current
It is very easy to begin a company blog, but many companies make the mistake of forgetting about their blog after a time, leaving it void of new entries. Updating your blog content at least once a week is key to maintaining a consistent and growing customer base. If you are unable to find the time to create content yourself, then you can find freelancers or a full service web marketing company to write content on a regular basis.
Social Marketing is Good for Business, But How Good, Really?
Jan 6th
A lot has been said about social marketing via social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Linked:In and others, and many businesses are realizing the online marketing potential of such sites. But simply creating a profile is hardly a means to increase brand recognition and/or a larger customer base.
As detailed in an article written by B.L. Ochman in Advertising Age, extra steps must be taken to ensure that a social marketing campaign results in some measure of success.
B.L. writes:
Social media can’t:
1. Substitute for marketing strategy.
A Twitter campaign or a Facebook page that announces your company’s weekly specials is not a marketing strategy.
2. Succeed without management buying in.
Social media requires a way of thinking by company executives that includes the willingness to listen to customers, make changes based on feedback and trust employees to talk to customers.
The culture of fear—of job loss, of losing message control, of change—is ingrained in corporate cultures. Top management has to want to change.
3. Be viewed as a short-term project.
Using social media is not a one-shot deal. It’s a long-term commitment to openness, experimentation and change that requires time to bear fruit.
She continues further to list a total of 10 specific points regarding social marketing and what it CAN’T do for you.
Read the full article “10 Things Social Media Can’t Do For You”
Email Marketing Apps
Dec 27th
A growing number of email marketing vendors are rolling out iPhone Apps of their products, despite the relatively small role email marketing messaging currently plays with mobile, at least among retailers.
According to the Retail Email Guide to Multichannel Engagement by Responsys, less than 10% of major retailers are promoting SMS subscriptions, iPhone apps and mobile sites.
Read more about email marketing apps such as Quickview, Emailvision, and GetResponse at Marketing VOX News
Internet Coupons: A Strong Email Marketing Trend is Emerging
Dec 17th
Internet coupons have been utilized nearly as long as email marketing became commonplace, but statistics have shown a steady rise in their use, especially during the 2009 holiday season. Mailboxes have become inundated with Internet coupons sent from dozens of online retailers both large and small, or maybe even hundreds, depending upon a consumer’s online shopping habits.
There is also no denying the effectiveness of Internet coupons, as the e-commerce tally so far this year has reached $20 billion and is still rising. Consumers seeking holiday deals are in fact eager to receive what is normally relegated as spam or junk email, in order to seize upon the savings being offering by online retailers.
Some retailers that possess both online ecommerce sites and traditional brick and mortar stores are allowing the Internet coupons to be used in both locations, increasing their value and effectiveness. A new research study by Borrell Associates states that Internet coupons this year account for 20% of the value of all redeemed coupons, a slight increase from years previous. Additionally, many consumers appear to be favoring stores that better coupons, shifting their brand loyalty by the temptation of greater savings.
Internet coupon distribution and use is expected to rise further in 2010, partly in response to the weak economy, but also because new marketing techniques are being understood and employed by online marketers and e-commerce sites, enabling Internet coupons to have a stronger appeal than ever before.
Five Ways to Make Your Company’s Email Stand Out
Dec 13th
Break free from the standard weekly email you’ve been sending, and offer something unique. Here are five suggestions that might help start the brainstorming process:
- Promote Online Shopping Security – If your email is product heavy, create an email promoting your “secure shopping carts” or “a safe online customer purchasing experience” and how customer security is taken care of throughout the entire process.
- Create Buzz – If you only offer 10% or free shipping with every email, offer a special time-restricted sale off large margin or clearance products to create “buzz” throughout your contact list.
- Increase Repeat Customers – If your goal is to increase repeat customers, offer an additional 10% off a customers 2nd order.
- Obtain New Customers – If you provide a service, such as an SEO or web hosting service, offer potential clients an incentive such as 3 months’ free hosting and optimization if they refer another company.
- Promote Corporate Responsibility – Some companies tend to overdue their email marketing campaigns, cluttering your inbox with 5-10 emails per week. Companies could offset their intrusiveness by adding some social value to their email, such as offering a special 2-week promotion where 10% of every order is donated to a particular charity.
These offers may help your company’s email stand out from the many others that consumers receive daily, and can also help to increase brand awareness. They’re elementary in their premise, but they give your customer a reason to click.
Twitter a valuable tool for retailers this holiday season
Dec 13th
We’ve already seen major increases in email marketing utilized by online retailers this holiday season, and, to some extent, targeted advertising on social networking sites. But some companies have aggressively seized upon the social networking trend and fully embraced the online marketing capabilities of Twitter.
In a blog post entitled “The 12 Tweets of Christmas – When Holiday Marketing Goes Viral”, Amy Husser, a writer for Canwest News Service, describes how consumers are being targeted more directly and more frequently than ever before, thanks to social networking.
The article focuses mainly on Canadian retailers and their marketing efforts, but I think it’s safe to say that the online marketing trend is taking place just as intensely here in the US and internationally.
