| LED Digest 2692: Email Marketing on a Shoestring |
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The LED Digest Moderated Discussion List "Effective Online Advertising, Since 1997" Data > Information > Knowledge > Wisdom http://www.AudetteMedia.com : the LED's Publisher The Internet Marketing Boutique: SEO, SEM, Social Media http://www.SEOToolSet.com/training/ : the LED's Premier Sponsor Bruce Clay's Search Engine Optimization Training & Certification ================================================== List Moderator: Published by: Adam Audette LED Digest adam, led-digest.com http://www.led-digest.com .............................................. August 21, 2008 Issue no. 2692 .............................................. .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ==== CONTINUING ================= <Moderator Comment> --== Email Marketing on a Shoestring ==-- ~ Adam Boettiger "Don't get seduced by the claims that email lists can reach thousands for pennies." --== Browser Size and Resolution ==-- ~ Mark Roberts "Experienced marketers probably already know this...but it came to light in a reality check." ========= NEW ===================================== <Moderator Comment> Okay, this is new so allow some time for transition. But it's a start :) We have some good posts, so the bulk of today's issue publishes those. I'm still finalizing how the new template will look - any input welcome. Have a fantastic end of the week! Best wishes, Adam ----------------- IN THE NEWS 1] Hack the Olympics! Chinese Gymnast is 14 Years Old: http://strydehax.blogspot.com/2008/08/hack-olympics.html Nice job using Google and Baidu to find cached versions of Excel spreadsheets proving China's Olympic gymnast He Kexin is only 14 years old. 2] Google Insights: http://www.google.com/insights/search/ It's not minty fresh brand new, but this tool rocks! Use it for all kinds of fun and information. As someone in our offices said, using it is like eating peanuts: hard to stop. (Unless you hate peanuts.) 3] How to Protect your Gmail: http://valleywag.com/5039129/how-not-to-get-your-gmail-hacked This week a smart little cookie disclosed how to hack into pretty much anyone's Gmail account using session id's. This link shows you how to protect yourself. Gmail still rocks. ======== CONTINUING =============================== From: Adam Boettiger Subject: Email marketing > I would like to know your opinions on > buying targeted email lists and if using a > service like Constant Contact or one of the > others is good beginner move on my part. > Also, how does one sort through all the > companies out there and even all the > choices for pay per click marketing? - Bill Pavone, LED 2691 - http://www.led-digest.com/content/view/2106/190/ Hi Bill, Great questions! First, you should know that Constant Contact and most other ESPs (Email Service Providers) have strict Terms of Use for customers that use their solutions. With Constant Contact, you cannot simply buy a list from someone, import it and mail to it using Constant Contact. If you do import a list, you must have explicit permission to mail to the recipients, meaning that it is a true opt-in list. One of the surest ways to get into trouble quickly is to "buy" an email list and import it into an ESP solution like Constant Contact and then send to it. The list you buy is not likely to be 100% permission-based. Even if it is, the recipients won't be used to receiving mail from _your company_, so they won't recognize you and will hit the "This is Spam" button. You'll be terminated from Constant Contact for violation of their TOS and your business' domain may be added to one or more ISP blacklists, which could interfere with you sending legitimate email communication from your computer - really interrupting your business operation. I've been helping businesses market online since 1994 - some 14 years now, and here's my advice to you: 1. Don't get seduced by the claims that email lists can reach thousands for pennies. Going down that road will surely give you grief. 2. Don't focus on one vehicle (like email). Focus on clearly stating your problem and finding the best solution. Example: "We need to buy clicks." Do you _really_ need to buy clicks, or is what you really want to generate more orders and revenue? If the latter, then say so. I can buy you clicks all day long that produce no sales. really cheap, too. But if that's not what you want, you need to specifically state what your end goal is - what the problem is. Buying an email list and sending to it is probably not going to solve your stated problem. A larger strategy or other vehicles may be better suited to do it. 3. "How does one sort through all the vendors?". Don't. Ask for recommendations from experts. http://www.aweber.com/ or http://www.constantcontact.com/. Both are affordable and suitable for small business email use on a limited budget. Reasonably priced. You need go no further. 4. The true power of email is not in "blasting" an ad or offer to thousands or millions of third-party list recipients. In your particular case I'd use email and something like AWeber to grow a house email list or prospects that you touch regularly by email. Instead of paying money to buy a third party email list, spend your money and time on growing your own house list that you own and mail to regularly. This will yield far more sales and revenue with a much higher open rate and much higher conversion rate. If you need additional guidance, feel free to ping me off-list by email. My consulting site is at http://www.adamboettiger.com/ with more information. Adam Boettiger adamboettiger.com Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AdamBoettiger -------- new post - new topic -------- From: Mark Roberts Subject: Resolution > A couple of people have suggested measuring > browser size rather than screen resolution. > Does anyone know of a public source of such > figures? - Nick Gassman I don't have an answer for your question, buy I thought that I would relate an interesting story or lesson that I learned last week that has some relation to this. Experienced marketers probably already know this, and actually I did also, but it really came to light in a reality check. The scenario: I maintain web sites for a number of people/organizations. One of these is a theatre group. There production season runs sept - august of each year. Generally the first of August 2 things happen. 1) the new season starting in Sept is announced and posted on the web site. 2). The final production of the previous season is just getting ready to start in mid-August. I removed the old season information and posted the new season information on the upcoming schedule page. I then placed the information with graphics about our current August production on the home page for all to see. I then started getting barraged with emails from people wanted to know what happened to our August 2008 production. Not having one this year? canceled? I was really confused. it was plastered right there on the home page for all to see. After about 2 days, I discovered or realized the problem(s). 1. We always have 2 concurrent productions going on. First is our long running play. The longest running play in America at 54 years of continuous production, Second is our Children's theatre productions....a new one every 2 months. Our "main" production is always at the top of the page...it is our 'bread and butter' so to speak. When I posted the August Children's production...it happened to fall below the fold. At least it would for most computers set to normal resolution. I actually set with a lady on the phone for 5 minutes explaining how to scroll the screen down to see the information. 2. Many people apparently have our production schedule page bookmarked and go directly to it, bypassing our home page. All they saw was the production beginning in September. Lessons learned: 1. Never put important information below the fold...even if it is obvious that there should be more there. A large number of people never look below the fold. I have since moved the information up, but will be looking later at alternatives to this even if it means removing stuff from the home page and moving it somewhere else. I must make the assumption that if it is below the fold, users won't see it. 2. (And this is an internal issue) Never remove current productions from the schedule page, even if I have to put a dividing line saying that this is from the previous season, and these below are the new season. I really already knew this, I just became lazy. A slap of reality snapped me out of it. Mark Roberts Bird Houses by Mark http://www.birdhousesbymark.com (c) Copyright 1995-2008 Orange Wheel, LLC. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- "No Act of Kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop |
