by Fronetics | May 3, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
These tips will help you optimize your marketing emails to improve open rates.
Are you spending time creating marketing emails that nobody opens?
Today, everyone’s inbox is inundated with social media notifications, contests and giveaways, and marketing emails from every company they have even considered buying from in the last five years. How do you make your message stand out enough to not get deleted — let alone, read?
First and foremost, you must look at first-impression factors like subject lines, overall design, organization and formatting, and even when you are sending your emails.
For example, you may imagine potential customers sitting at their desks first thing each morning and going through emails, but that is not necessarily the case. Email marketing company Constant Contact finds that optimal open times vary widely by industry. But, truth be told, the best time for your business to send emails will be unique to your business — and the best way to know when is to test.
Another important factor to consider is how your potential customers are reading email. A recent Experian study found that 56% of email opens occur on a mobile device. If you send a marketing email that is not optimized for mobile, more than half of your recipients are straining and struggling to read your content. You’ve given them a good reason to delete it instead of reading it.
With these things in mind, how do you create marketing emails that potential customers will actually open and read? Here are a few basics:
Optimize what the recipient first sees.
Your sender name should be easily identifiable as coming from you, as this will influence if your reader opens your message.
Convey your point in the subject line.
Your subject line is the first thing your readers see and a major determinant in whether the recipient will open your email or hit delete. It should be short (under 70 characters so it does not get cut off), catchy, and attention-grabbing, but also to-the-point. Recipients should understand what the email is about without even opening it, but the subject line should hook them into wanting to know more.
Create a sense of urgency.
Give customers a reason to act quickly, rather than let the email sit in their inbox. Craft this sense of urgency within your subject line with some form of time limit or “what-you-must-know-now” phrasing.
Avoid words that label your email as spam.
Always avoid using words like “Cash,” “Quote,” and “Save.” Filters are designed to move emails with these words into spam.
Make it personal.
If the recipient is someone with whom you have done business or a potential customer that has signed up for newsletters or promotions, make it personal. Including their name makes the email feel conversational and almost rude if they don’t open it and at least see what you have to say to them. Studies show that personalized email subject lines increase open rates across industries by as much as 40%.
Certainly, open rates are not the only measure of success when it comes to marketing emails. But, to achieve your goals, it is vital to optimize the number of people who actually read your marketing message. Simply put, you cannot reach your audience unless you garner their interest quickly and get them to open up your message.
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by Fronetics | May 2, 2016 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
Image credit: startbloggingonline.com
Here are three of the top benefits of social media for businesses in the supply chain and logistics industries.
We know that the majority of businesses participate in social media — in fact, a dominant 88% of B2B marketers report using these platforms as part of their marketing programs. Large corporations, small businesses, and those in between are promoting their brand and engaging with customers online. Even companies within the logistics and supply chain industries are joining the bandwagon and reaping the benefits of social media marketing.
The truth is, if your company is not participating in social media, you are at a disadvantage. Your customers, your employees, and your competitors are taking advantage of these technologies to conduct business in new, more efficient ways.
Why are so many companies using these tools?
Here are just three of the top benefits of social media for business:
1) Communicate and engage
By participating in social media, your business has at its fingertips a highly efficient, sophisticated platform for engaging customers, employees, potential hires, industry peers, and the general public. You can announce a new product launch; share small or sweeping changes in service, supplies, practices, locations, etc.; respond to questions or complaints; weigh in on industry discussions happening on online forums; and celebrate employee milestones and accomplishments.
2) Generate and nurture leads
Social prospecting is the process of using social technologies to identify and pursue potential customers that may be interested in your company but that don’t yet know about it. Your business can prospect from the 2.3 billion worldwide social media users, engage them with relevant content, and form and build relationships that you otherwise would have never encountered were it not for the World Wide Web.
3) Reduce marketing expenses
It’s free to set up social media accounts for your business. The real cost comes with dedicating resources to maintain and monitor the content on each channel, and those needs will vary from business to business. Even if you do chose to upgrade and pay for premium benefits and services, like ads, the cost is significantly lower than using many traditional mediums. One recent study suggests that the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) could be as low as $2.50, while traditional tactics, like direct mail ($57 CPM) and TV ads ($28 CPM), remain significantly higher.
Learn more about social media for business in Fronetics’ new white paper, Social Media and the Logistics and Supply Chain Industries. The paper defines social media and social technologies, identifies users and usage patterns, and describes more benefits companies within the logistics and supply chain industries can realize through participation.
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by Fronetics | Apr 21, 2016 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
Fronetics’ new report explores the adoption of social media within the logistics and supply chain industries. Learn why your company is at a disadvantage if you are not participating.
It is estimated that over $1 trillion annually could be realized across the value chain through the use of social technologies. Yet companies in the logistics and supply chain industries have lagged behind when it comes to social media participation. The question is: why?
In short, many companies within these industries did not realize that their customers, employees, and competitors were leveraging social media to conduct business. In today’s world, the exponential growth of social media platforms is largely fueled by commercial activity. Consumers and corporations alike are increasingly turning online to do research and make purchases. This holds true for both the B2C and B2B sectors. In fact, a dominant 88% of B2B marketers are using social media in their marketing programs.
Companies within the supply chain and logistics industries, however, have begun to recognize the value of social media — and are starting to reap the benefits. Both large and small businesses alike can profit from the use of social technologies as part of their marketing strategy, and they can reduce their marketing costs by doing so.
About the report
This report offers an overview of social media and social technologies. It identifies users and usage patterns, and describes some of the benefits which companies within the logistics and supply chain industries can realize through participation. Further It offers insight into how businesses are using social media and some strategies for measuring ROI.
Learn more about how your company can benefit by participating in social media by downloading the report below.
by Fronetics | May 1, 2014 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Manufacturing & Distribution, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
By launching a new digital, social media, and content marketing strategy, Cerasis saw a big, positive impact on its bottom line.
Companies within the manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, transportation, distribution and freight industries have been slow to create and execute digital, social media, and content marketing strategies. The primary reason: a lack of understanding of the business case or value.
These strategies utilize platforms that many within these industries perceive to be for socializing, sharing photos, and connecting with friends (e.g., Twitter and Facebook), and they turn the sales process on its head. Content marketing strategies are fundamentally different from traditional strategies employed by businesses to attract new customers, foster relationships with current customers, and grow their bottom line. Because of this, companies do not recognize how these strategies can positively impact their bottom line and therefore decide to steer clear — they feel engaging is too risky.
The reality is that not participating is risky. Like it or not, things have changed. The internet and social networks are where customers are. Content is how you can establish your company as a thought leader within the industry, and how you can attract and retain customers. If you want to grow your business you need to participate.
Looking at the manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, transportation, distribution and freight industries, there are a few companies that have emerged as leaders — companies that exemplify the business value of creating and executing digital, social media, and content marketing strategies. Cerasis, a freight logistics company, is one of them.
How Cerasis acquired 98 customers through content marketing
Cerasis was founded in 1997. For 15 years the company utilized traditional sales and marketing strategies: placing ads in industry print publications, and relying heavily on referrals. This strategy worked. The company acquired new customers, retained current customers, and realized positive growth.
There is a saying: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Cerasis ignored these words of wisdom.
In the fall of 2012, Cerasis launched a digital, social media, and content marketing strategy. The results have been impressive. For example, visits to the company website have increased by close to 670 percent, and search visits have increased by close to 2,190 percent. The company boasts an impressive number of Twitter followers, Facebook fans, and LinkedIn followers.
The business value of the strategy? Cerasis has acquired 98 customers. For the freight logistics industry, one customer can generate significant revenue; 98 new customers has a positive impact on the company’s bottom line.
Cerasis will be guest blogging for Fronetics for the next three weeks. The three-part series will begin with an overview of the company’s strategy and will discuss the results the company has realized through the execution of the strategy. The next two articles focus on how to create and execute a strategy.
When looking for best practices, Cerasis is a clear example. For companies within the manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, transportation, distribution and freight industries these articles are a great opportunity to learn why (and how) your company should create and execute a digital, social media, and content marketing strategy.
Download the case study to learn more about how Cerasis’ content marketing strategy helped the company acquire new business and increase sales.
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by Fronetics | Apr 21, 2014 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Strategy, Supply Chain
When it comes to content your company doesn’t need to go it alone. Not only is it possible to outsource content, for many companies it may be the best solution. Here is how to determine if outsourcing content is right for your company, and what your company needs to consider when looking for an outsource partner.
Is outsourcing right for you?
Outsourcing is not the panacea. It may be the right solution for your company – or maybe not. Here is what to consider when determining if outsourcing content is the right solution for your company:
- What are your company’s core competencies?
- How can your company deliver the best value to your customers?
- A successful content strategy needs to be deliberate and needs to have someone in charge. Do you have in-house talent who can put together a content strategy for your company and manage the execution of the strategy?
- Does your company have in-house talent that can consistently create good content?
- Does your company have in-house talent that has the time to consistently create good talent?
- Does your company have in-house talent that can distribute your company’s content?
- Does your company have in-house talent that can track and analyze your company’s content strategy?
Be honest. Cobbling together staff or passing content like a hot potato from one person to another is not going to be effective. If content is not an area where your company excels, or if content could be carried out more efficiently and effectively if the service was outsourced – start looking for an outsource partner.
If you do decide that outsourcing is right for your company, know that you are not alone. Forty-four percent of B2B marketers report that they outsource content creation. Diving down further, 72 percent of large B2B companies (1,000 employees or more) outsource content creation and 34 percent of small B2B companies (10 to 99 employees) outsource content creation. Looking specifically at the manufacturing industry – 55 percent of manufacturing marketers report that they outsource content creation.
As shown in Figure 1 the content functions that B2B marketers outsource vary from writing to design to distribution to creating a buyer persona. When it comes to outsourcing content functions it doesn’t need to be the kitchen sink.
Figure 1
What to look for in an outsource partner
When it comes to finding an outsource partner you want to find a partner that will bring value to your company and to your customers. Whether you outsource all content functions or just one, here is what to look for in an outsource partner:
- Experience and knowledge of your industry;
- Willing to work with your company to help you achieve your goals;
- Open to exploring and furthering your company’s creative ideas;
- Able to follow instructions and execute with minimal oversight;
- Able to create the type of content your company needs;
- Interested in entering into a long-term relationship.
More generally, Frank Cavallaro wrote that when choosing your perfect outsource mate it is important to start by looking at the mission or value statement of your potential partner. Are these aligned to your company’s? If they are, move on and explore the partnership further. If not, walk away. “Mission and value statements speak to the core culture of the company, so if you can’t find common ground here, it is unlikely you will be able to build a positive working relationship.”
This post was originally published on DC Velocity.
