29May 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

8 Design Elements to Incorporate Into Your Next Email

Customer Retention, Design, Email Marketing, Marketing, Monthly Email Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info
From snazzy subject lines to appropriate segmentation, there are so many factors that contribute to a successful email marketing campaign. One incredibly important element is the actual design of the email. A good email design can mean the difference between getting the subscriber to read your content and engage with your brand or simply close the message. With that said, let’s take a look at eight elements that help make up a successful email design. Design Element 1 — Adhere to Brand Standards If you have a company, you should have standards for your company’s brand — even if you are a company of one. Brand standards set the tone and feel of your company. They set expectations for the consumer. Consumers like to have expectations set and met for them…
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12May 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

3 Easy Ways to Boost Gift Certificate Sales

Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Product Uses, Products and Services, Promotional Marketing, Small Business Info
Does your small business harness the often overlooked power of Gift Certificates? Think of a past birthday or Christmas — how many gift cards or certificates did you receive? Actually, take a look in your purse or wallet ... how many do you have floating around right now? Like many of us consumers out there, we love both receiving and giving custom gift certificates. They're easy and almost guaranteed to let either yourself or that special someone find exactly what it is they seek. So, give the customers what they want! Read on for three easy ways to boost gift certificate sales for your business. (more…)
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28Apr 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

10 Things You Shouldn’t Do for Good Customer Service

Customer Retention, Monday Marketing Minutes, Small Business Info
Normally it’s about what you should do for customer service, however, it’s just as important to know what not to do. If you’re customer savvy, there’s a good chance you are already well-versed in everything on this list. But remember, it’s not only you who needs to remember these things — it is everyone on your staff. Are they trained in what not to do where your customers are concerned? You might be surprised, so make sure to reinforce how to boost customer loyalty and how to treat and respond to customers in various situations. 1. Don’t put them on hold for 15 minutes. We’ve all been there, right? And we’ve all hung up, saying “forget them!” and looked for the next best thing. If you don’t know the answer,…
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23Apr 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

A Powerful Strategy for Making The Most Of Your Email Marketing [Infographic]

Customer Retention, Email Marketing, Marketing, Online Marketing
As an internet marketer, you should always be on the lookout for the best possible ways to expand your success and conversions across all possible channels. One of the key methods by which you’re probably doing this involves promotional email marketing via the usual process of collecting email address via opt-in forms and relationships with existing customers. While this is an effective strategy that does drive sales, there is another often overlooked and potentially even more powerful route to extremely high email conversions that you might still be missing out on. (more…)
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07Apr 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

3 Great Ideas for Your Cinco de Mayo Promotion

Customer Retention, Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Small Business Info
Cinco de Mayo is a hot (must be all the chili peppers) holiday in the U.S. (Though, fun fact, it is actually a rather minor holiday in Mexico!) Who doesn't love some bueno Mexican food and margaritas? Ole! You can piggyback off of the festive day that celebrates Mexican culture and heritage — that is, the fifth of May — by creating a Cinco de Mayo promotion that your customers will love. Picture colorful signage — reds, greens, and yellow — and incorporate iconic symbols, like a sombrero and hot chili peppers. It’s only one month away, so it’s probably a smart idea to start planning for your Cinco de Mayo promotion now. We have a few great ideas for you below to get your wheels turning. (more…)
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27Mar 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

4 Steps to Spring Clean Your Email List

Customer Retention, Email Marketing, Marketing, Monthly Email Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info
The sun is shining, birds are singing and the first hint of green has started to appear on the trees. Many of us prepare for this new season with a thorough cleaning of our homes … scrubbing away the winter blues and ushering in the fresh spring air. As email marketers, the new season is also the perfect time to spring clean our email subscriber lists! A good list scrubbing is a great way to refresh your lists. Not only does proper list hygiene reduce sending expense and spam complaints, but it also helps to improve your email metrics such as open rate and click through rates. Plus, check out this case study about how targeted messaging to engaged subscribers improves conversion rates and increases revenue. Okay, so now you…
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13Mar 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

5 More Customer Retention Tips

Customer Retention, Small Business Info
Regardless of the specific products you sell or services you provide, competing within your industry likely requires creative and steadfast approaches to stay ahead of the game.  Gaining customers is hard enough, but keeping them loyal to your organization calls for even greater focus, prompting a variety of customer retention strategies. Despite technological advances and changes in the way people communicate with one another, building loyal customers is usually accomplished by staying true to fundamental principles pre-dating social media and the World Wide Web.  So what are some of the essential, proven approaches to retaining customers? (more…)
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25Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier 1 Comment

5 Steps to Building a Successful Welcome Series

Customer Retention, Email Marketing, Marketing, Monthly Email Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info
You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. This is true of job interviews, first dates, meeting your future in-laws and … email welcome messages. A welcome message or welcome message series is a great way to immediately engage your new email subscribers. A well-done series can reinforce your brand, encourage an initial purchase and create a higher probability of additional purchases. Here are five steps you can take to easily create and deploy a successful welcome series. Step 1: Identify Automation Capacity Determine your ESP’s (email service provider's) level of automation ability. You will first need to know if these emails can be sent automatically, either in real-time (preferred by many) or in another time frame — be it hourly or daily. Make sure the…
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25Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

7 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Company Page

Customer Retention, Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info, Social Media Marketing
Did you know LinkedIn has 277 million members? Your small business deserves a piece of this social media pie. Check out seven ways to improve and get the most out of your LinkedIn company page. Optimize. Linkedin company pages are extremely SEO-friendly. Make sure your page’s description leads off with a powerful, keyword-rich sentence. When on LinkedIn, members have the option of searching for a company by keyword, so make sure to include any words or phrases that describe your business, expertise, industry focus, etc. in your description. Showcase. Build out your products and services page to showcase what your company has to offer. This is your chance to show members what you do best and why they should follow you. Don’t limit yourself to listing only your products —…
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24Feb 2014 by Cindy Berrier No Comments

Direct Mail Isn’t Dead: Postcards and Business Flyers Work!

Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Promotional Marketing, Small Business Info
In this digital age, you may be inclined to think that direct mail pieces aren't worth your time and effort. Think again! There are many benefits of direct mail items, such as postcards, business flyers and brochures, including: You can get it in their hands. Just think about how you still like receiving mail. You’re not alone. I know that I look forward to picking up my daily mail and looking through it for my favorite magazine or if I've received correspondence from a friend or family member (not so much the bills, of course). According to Epsilon’s 2012 Channel Preference Study, 73% of U.S. consumers said they prefer direct mail for brand communications because they can read the information at their convenience. These days, we seem to receive more…
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