Rethinking your CTA

What is a CTA? A CTA is your Call To Action and a very important piece to an effective email marketing campaign. There are two types of CTA’s, the call to action button and the textual CTA. Today we are going to focus on the later of the two as it requires less knowledge of html and coding. Now, Imagine receiving an email with an eye catching subject line, an irresistible offer, and no explanation of how you can own this life changing product or solution. This is the affect of a poorly crafted CTA.

Your email may have all the bells and whistles to make your potential customers open the email and have the aha moment that this is exactly what they need, but if you don’t lead them through the next steps you will never convert opens to sales. If you don’t believe that tweaking your CTA will really make a difference, you should know that Google lifted gadget installations over 50% by shifting a blue background to the CTA button. That’s a 50% conversion rate increase through a color change. Below are a few quick and easy tips to get people from your email to purchasing your products and services.

Words drive Action

If you have decided to go with a click through button or just text explaining the next steps it is important that you get the wording right. A proper CTA will tell your customers the following, what they should do, where they will go or why they should go there. The best CTA’s explain all three of these in as few words as possible. In an article written by Bryan Eisenberg in 2003, he stated that “CTA links should be constructed with an imperative, an implied benefit of what visitors can expect when they click, and a clear sense of the information on the landing page.”

Keep it short and sweet

It is easy to get carried away and write paragraphs on why your customers should click through your email to your landing page, but Research has shown that the best links are between 7 and 12 words. Although it may be difficult to say everything force yourself to shorten your CTA and create landing pages with any information you could not include.

Use Active Verbs

Starting your CTA with an action rather than a noun will increase the click through rate of your email campaign. Below are some great action words to get you thinking.

Click Here

Click to Continue

Find

Follow

Learn

Read

Location, Location, Location

Many of us think that a CTA belongs at the end of the page after you have convinced your customers to make a purchase with eloquently crafted email content, but the times are changing. Many experts recommend linking images, and headlines throughout your email since research has shown that people tend to click on both.

These are just a few quick and easy steps to get your CTA to influence your customers to act. If you are still struggling to increase CTA click throughs, Click here for a free consultation from YellowBoxLLC, home of the largest email marketing list in the US.

November Trends to look for

Happy Halloween and Welcome to November! With all of the tricking and treating you have probably lost track of the latest news in email marketing. Here is a quick overview of what you missed during your sugar high.

Holiday promotions to dominate rest of calendar year

This should come as no surprise to you as Thanksgiving and holiday decorations pop up everywhere. The holidays are near and for many companies this is a key time to reach new customers and make sales. With the economy on the rise many retailers are expecting better turnouts and an increase in consumer spending. companies such as Neiman Marcus are wasting no time implementing thier holiday campaigns and if you are a company looking to capitalize on this time of year you should get on the ball quickly.

If you are feeling a bit lost on all of the holiday buzz, ClickZ has put together a great article on How to Put Social Content to Work this Holiday Season that will help you better understand consumers and craft your holiday email campaign strategy.

The End of Banner ads

Boring and unmemorable banner ads are out this holiday season as new rich media expandable adds from Spongecell take over. Spongecell expandable ads have the capacity of combining multiple levels of brand and product content into one cohesive message. With these new capabilities companies can combine coupons, social media links, and promotional offers with the capacity to create excitement and engagement with customers.

Apples new app guidelines; A game changer

If you are thinking of creating an app for your company as a part of your overall marketing campaign you should take the time to read over these new guidelines before you spend the money for the creation process. If you don't want to read through the extensive and ambiguous app store guidelines book than take a look at this simple overview from ClickZ that will save you time and money.

The Holidays are almost here. For help developing your holiday email marketing campaign contact us at YellowBox LLC, home of the largest opt-in email list. For a free consultation and pricing contact us at www.yellowboxllc.com

ROI and what it means for email marketers

In email marketing there are many ways to measure the success of a campaign; open rates, clickthroughs, and of course conversion rates. With all the data from these metrics we often lose sight of the most important metric of them all, ROI. When it comes to marketing your Return On Investment is the most important measure to keep sight of. If your ROI is where you want it to be than the other metrics have to be on track by default.

ROI evaluates the efficiency of an investment in terms of cost coverage. ROI is calculated as the benefit or return divided by the overall cost of the investment. The result is expressed as a percentage or ratio.

The return on investment formula:

(Gain from Investment- Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment

In simple terms ROI reveals how effective a marketing campaign is in generating sales. In order to determine your ROI it is imperative to have the appropriate data trackers attached to your email and landing pages. Attaching Google analytics to email campaigns and landing pages will give you all the necessary data to determine your ROI. The industry average for conversion rates is between 2 and 4%, but by implementing a conversion optimization program you can increase your conversion to 10%.

Optimize your landing pages

Be sure that the links in your email lead your customers to a landing page that is clear and effective. Make the process of purchasing easy to understand and efficient. Test your landing page on your target market before you release your email marketing campaign.

Copy Counts

If you have a copywriter on your team use them. Copywriters have an in depth understanding of how to effectively communicate to consumers. If you don’t have a copywriter take the time to educate yourself of the do’s and don’ts. Once you or a copywriter has written the copy, test it until you get an effective response.

Test and Test Again

Once you release on email marketing campaign your job has just begun. Once you receive the data from your analytics it is time to dissect them and readjust your campaign to receive even better results. Tweak your campaign and rerelease it to your target market until you get the results you desire. Once you have created a supercharged campaign take notes of the changes you made and how they affected the results. With this knowledge you can replicate the pieces for future campaigns.

For help developing a conversion optimization program for your email marketing campaign contact us at YellowBox LLC, home of the largest opt-in email list. For a free consultation and pricing contact us at www.yellowboxllc.com

B2B vs B2C Email Marketing Tactics

In the world of email marketing there are hundreds and thousands of tips and tricks for making the most effective email campaigns. With this overload of information many companies forget to ask one of the most important questions; " Are we targeting businesses or consumers?"

B2B and B2C Email marketing have very distinct objectives and therefore, distinct strategies. Below is a discussion around how B2B and B2C differ and how to create an effective marketing strategy for both.

The guys over at Blue Sky Factory created a clear word picture describing the major differences between B2B and B2C. They discovered that:

• B2C marketing is product driven; B2B marketing is relationship driven.
• B2C marketing focuses more on maximizing the value of the transaction; B2B marketing is all about maximizing the value of the relationship.
• B2C marketing focuses on brand identity created through repetition and imagery; B2B marketing focuses on brand identity created through personal relationship.
• If you are in the business of B2B marketing than you better focus on your product and creating value, where as if you are marketing to consumers it is all about the relationship. Below are a few tips to help you design an effective campaign for both markets.
• B2C marketing tactics
• Since this target market is largely concerned with the relationship they have with the company it is important that all of your marketing efforts focus on that one factor. Social media and transparency are the most important elements in a B2C campaign. Include social media links in your emails and opportunities for consumers to interact directly with top management. Treat the consumers as if they were the board of directors for your company, involving them in company decisions, and direction.
• B2B marketing tactics
• When connecting with other businesses, it is not so much about the relationship but the value you add to the overall transaction. When working with B2B customers think twice before jumping on the social media and mobile bandwagons. Instead focus more time and energy on creating an effective product/ service. Broadcast information that shows how your product/service can make their business more effective. Below are some good B2B content ideas from ClickZ.com
• • Identify common problems faced by your customers, and offer some valuable solutions.
  • Outline a case study featuring your product or service that offers sufficient relevant detail.
  • Highlight analysts' views, articles, or subjective opinions on a relevant industry topic, news item, or idea.
  • Offer a best-practices guide for addressing a particular business problem or using a particular product or service.
  • Create a list of tips that help people be more productive or find more benefit from your products and services.
  • Include a reader survey or a request for specific feedback on a hot industry topic and regularly review and communicate this feedback.
  • Review your most popular content and produce a "best of newsletter" edition on occasion.

People are listening but not for long

It is true that now more than ever before people are willing to listen to what marketers have to say in their in boxes, on their facebook walls, and twitter feeds. ClickZ.com even wrote an article discussing How Social Media May Just Cure Email Marketers, proving that people are listening, but only to the right kind of messages. So what does all this mean for you and your business?

Consumers have become more accustom to receiving information via the web, but they are also receiving more and more information everyday. As the amount of information received continues to supersede the amount of information that can be processed, messages need to be clear and concise if they are going to be heard. Twitters massive success can be credited to the fact that marketers are required to get all of their thoughts out in just 140 characters. When writing content for your email marketing campaign, it is important to keep the KISS rule in mind.

Keep your Message Short

In an article written by EMC, Direct Marketer Gary Hennerberg, discovered that during each quarter of 2009, the average email word count fell. In the first quarter, the average word count was 429. By the fourth quarter, that average had fallen 14 percent to 370 words. When sitting down to write content, start by just writing everything and anything and then revise, revise, revise until you have the most concise version possible.

Increase use of bolding

With the overabundance of information consumers have become experts in scanning for only the most important information. As people spend less and less time reading each email, it is imperative to use bolding to highlight important information. A good rule of thumb when it comes to bolding is that you should be able to get the gist of your entire email, by just reading the bold headings.

Space is your friend

When composing an email it is easy to get carried away and cram every blank spot with some interesting information that may generate a sale, however I strongly encourage you to avoid this urge and stick the the less is more strategy. When creating your email marketing campaign, spend more time cramming your landing pages with all of the good info. With this strategy you can focus on writing a short email with a strong call to action that will get people to your site.

Send as a last resort

In the email marketing world it is easy to focus on sending information quickly, and we often become send happy. This compulsive sending leads to irrelevant information and a loss in consumer attention. After you have written your content and crafted your email, let it sit for a few days. If you go back to read it and are still impressed, than it is time to press the send button. Always remember that when in doubt, DON'T send.

YellowBox LLC is your one stop shop for your email marketing campaign. We have the largest Opt-In email list in the US which can be segmented to target local, regional, and national markets. For a free consultation and pricing contact us atwww.yellowboxllc.com

Using Social Media to Create an Email Marketing Campaign

Social Media has created new opportunities for companies to interact with their customers on a more personal basis. Social Media is like having a 24/7 focus group, providing true insights to your products, services, and overall brand. Your companies twitter account is a gold mine of insight to your consumers. Instead of using the traditional in house marketing department to create your email marketing campaign look to the insight of your social media sites. Taking a step outside of your walls will force you to confront the positive and negative views consumers hold. Use the following aspects of your social media sites to create a powerful and relevant email marketing campaign.

-How your customers and prospects voted on polls
-Frequently asked questions (other than those you've answered elsewhere)
-Recurring complaints or grievances
-Extremely positive or negative things said about your products or brand
-Experiences (good or bad) customers have had with competitors
-Content prospects shared, retweeted, Liked, clicked, listened to, watched, or commented on

Once you have gained insight into your consumers mind contact us to design and distribute your email marketing campaign at www.yellowboxllc.com , home of the largest Opt-In email list in the US.

Creating Powerful Email Marketing Strategies

If you want to make an impact in the minds of current and potential consumers your marketing campaign needs to have a strategy. Many of the techniques you have used to create strategic marketing campaigns are applicable in the email marketing realm. Below are a few tips and techniques to help you create a powerful email marketing strategy.

Segmentation
Segmentation is the process of dividing your target market into smaller more specific subgroups. Generally these subgroups are created due to different needs and therefore a different message. Once you have segmented your target market into smaller subgroups it is time to learn as much as possible about each subgroup and their specific needs. Segmentation insures that you are sending only relevant massages and therefore increasing your presence in the consumers mind.

Think like a Subscriber
Now that you have created specific market segmentations it is time to get inside the consumers mind. Put yourself in the position of your market segment and try to understand their behavior. If you are targeting teenagers it may be beneficial to research how teenagers interact with the internet and email. Go to the places where this market segment goes and watch their behavior. Then construct your email marketing campaign around those behaviors.

Knowledge of How to Entice Subscribers to Act
If you have done a thorough job of segmenting your target market you should have a good idea of how to entice them to act. Every segment of your market will respond differently to certain messages. Here are some questions to ask yourself about your market segments to gain insight into their behavior.
What colors are appropriate for this segment?
Is there a specific language or font that is better for this segment?
Is there a certain promotion this segment partakes in more regularly?
Is there a certain time of day that messages are more relevant?
Is email perceived as a burden or welcomed information? (this question will give insight into whether or not this is an effective marketing channel and how often to send emails.)

Automation
An automated email marketing system has automatic triggers that send emails when a consumer performs a specific task. For example if a consumer purchases a product from your site a complimentary confirmation number and receipt will automatically be sent to their email address. Having an automated email marketing system ensures that all consumer touch points are used to a maximum and minimizes the amount of time you have to spend sending emails to your consumers. Automation works best for pre purchase, post purchase, and follow up emails.

Practice Discipline
Although an automated email system is useful and efficient you should practice self discipline when it comes to flooding your consumers with emails. Many email marketing experts suggest 2 emails a month in addition to pre and post purchase automated emails.

YellowBox LLC is your one stop shop for your email marketing campaign. We have the largest Opt-In email list in the US which can be segmented to target local, regional, and national markets. For a free consultation and pricing contact us at www.yellowboxllc.com

How To Make Effective Landing Pages

You constructed your marketing campaign, you sent it out to a perfectly segmented market, and you have even seen an increase in the number of hits on your website. The only problem is that no one is purchasing your products or services. Many companies get caught up in the details of creating an effective email marketing campaign and forget to supercharge their landing pages. The whole point of creating an email marketing campaign is to get people on to your site and buying your products so it is imperative that your landing pages assist in achieving that goal. Here are a few tips to supercharge your landing pages and increase your sales.

Maximize the Focal Point
Most online viewers can only focus on one thing at a time. So although you may have a bunch of great stuff on your site, find the focal point and make sure it's declaring your message loud and clear. If your email message is about a specific product or service be sure that it is a major focal point on your landing page. To often we get our subscribers to our page and forget what it is we sent them there for.

Make the Message Count
If it takes 2-3 seconds to read a sentence, that sentence better matter to the reader. Does your main message apply directly to the needs/wants of your target market? Don't be clever, elusive, or try to reach everyone. Focus on your target market and speak directly to their emotions.

Give Them Something to Do
Most viewers are searching for a site they can DO something on. Provide them with forums, blogs and other ways to connect with you and like-minded consumers. And don't forget to offer something free in exchange for their contact information. This is a great way to create more touch points and continue to grow your list.

Give Them a Reason to Return
Keep your site up-to-date and full of interesting, valuable information. When your viewers realize that you are constantly updating your site, they are much more likely to return. This is great for introducing new promotions or product developments.

Once you have your landing pages up and ready contact YellowBoxLLC, home of the largest Opt-In email list in the US, and let us create and distribute an effective email marketing campaign today.http://www.yellowboxllc.com/contactUs.asp

3 Unconventional Tips on How to Write Good Email Marketing Content

When it comes to Email Marketing it is easy to get caught up in the details of when the message will be sent and who it will be sent to. The problem with this approach is that the most important part of the email is forgotten altogether. What is written in the email, often referred to as the copy, is far more important than any other logistical detail. Sending a message with poor copy is like sending a bottle without a message into the turbulent online ocean. Below are some unconventional tips to take your copy to the next level, and increase your campaign's overall effectiveness.

1. Words should play each of the 9 roles in your content
Mark Brownlow from Email Marketing Reports suggests that words are the key to the success of your Email marketing campaign. There are 9 different marketing roles that words play which can be divided into the following categories: Engage and Guide, Drive A Response, and Functional Support. Good e-mail marketing content will use these roles to convey the appropriate brand image.

2. Be a Thought Creator
If you want your copy to stand out from the rest of the messages out there you must strive to be a Thought Creator. Most companies send messages filled with facts and information about a service or product. To be a Though Creator not only informs the customer of your product but gets them thinking in a different way. You may encourage them to think about your company or service in a different light, or help them to question their previous purchasing behavior. All tactics are effective steps to becoming a successful Thought Creator.

3. Be aware of how content will appear
When writing an email that will get a response try not to worry so much about what is written and when the email is sent, but more about how the words are arranged on the page. It doesn’t matter how great your content is if the reader feels overwhelmed by the number of words on the page. Break paragraphs into smaller more tangible pieces, vary the length of paragraphs to avoid monotony, create a reading landscape with contours and diversity. To see how important this is check out this the results of this eye tracking study.

The top 5 reasons that Email Marketing is Effective

1. You can test and measure reactions to your message easily
The most important piece of a marketing campaign is in its effectiveness. Marketers spend millions of dollars analyzing the ROI (Return on Investment) of all kinds of marketing messages, however some are easier to measure than others. With email marketing there are approximately 8 different measures of effectiveness, which can help you understand how your market is responding. With these measurements you can determine how effective your message is, if your message is targeting the proper demographic and how many people are moving forward with your call to action.

2. It’s active: it let’s you push the message to an eager audience
Passive marketing is when your brand is put in the minds of customers without asking them for anything in return. A good example of passive marketing is letterhead or business cards that have your company’s name, but nothing else. Active marketing is anything that asks customers to get involved with your brand by making a purchase or attending an upcoming sale event. A good marketing campaign should contain both types of marketing to accurately position your brand in the customers mind. Email marketing allows you to create a tailored active message that reaches eager customers that are ready to act.

3. It is much less expensive than traditional forms of advertising such as direct mail, magazine, TV, or radio.
With the increasing costs of fuel, stamps, and airtime, advertising campaigns can become extremely costly without providing a large ROI. Creating an email and sending it to a targeted list of customers costs pennies on the dollar and has drastic results in terms of ROI. Email advertising has an ROI of $42.08 for every dollar spent, compared to direct mail which only has an ROI of $7.34 for every dollar spent. The Internet is the wave of the future and many consumers are looking to be contacted through these channels and have learned to tune out many of the messages from more traditional marketing methods.

4. You can reach a much larger audience
With a majority of other marketing campaigns, the price directly increases with the number of people you are trying to reach. With e-mail marketing the price to resend an email is so minimal that you can afford to reach a larger audience on a much smaller budget.

5. E-mail advertising has the highest return on investment over all other advertising media
Your return on investment (ROI) is measured as the benefit (return) of an investment divided by the cost of the investment. The higher the ROI the more efficient you were in spending your advertising dollars. With the minimal costs of email marketing and the extremely high response rates you can’t afford not to advertise through this channel. Remember for every dollar you spend in email marketing you will get $42.08 back in customer purchases.

Attention: To get the most out of your Email marketing campaign contact us at Yellowboxllc.com. The home of the largest opt-in email list.

What you Should Know Before Using an Email Marketing Company

When considering working with an email marketing company the list is a very important aspect to consider. Before you choose your company it is important to know the answers to the following questions.

How were the email addresses obtained?
Lists can be obtained in many different ways, some which are more covert than others. Opt-In lists are often the most effective for sending messages because the recipient has chosen to receive this type of information. An Opt- In list will insure that you are targeting a willing audience with your message.

Is the list patrolled to insure e-mail viability?
It is important that a list is patrolled frequently in order to insure that all recipients have ended up on the list by their own choice. It is also important to insure that the emails on the list are in fact linked to physical email addresses. Choosing a company that patrols the list often will insure that you are paying for active email accounts and that your message is being heard.

How do you prevent list fatigue?
If a company uses one list for all of its clients, there may be a good response in the beginning, but after the same people are sent emails over and over again they stop listening to the messages you are sending. A list should constantly be repopulated with new e-mail address in order to avoid this type of fatigue.

How large is the list?
In the email marketing industry, size matters. You want a list that will communicate to a large, willing, and appropriate audience. When considering an email marketing company look for one with a relatively large list that can be divided into subgroups based on specific locations or target markets.

YellowBox has the largest Opt-In email list with the ability to effectively target audiences locally, regionally, and nationally. We patrol and update our list frequently to ensure viability. Contact us for a free consultation and pricing. http://www.yellowboxllc.com/contactUs.asp

How to Make your Email Marketing Stand Out

Identify and understand your target market
Just like with all marketing campaigns it is important to understand who you are talking to. Your message should connect directly with the market you have identified. It is always better to target less people with a strong message than more people with a weak message.

Create an entire marketing campaign
Email marketing may just be a small piece of your overall marketing strategy. Make sure that your email marketing has a cohesive theme and message in comparison to your other materials.

Be conscious of how it will appear to readers
Email does not have the same layout guidelines as print or other media outlets. It is important that your camping fits nicely into an e-mail format. Subject lines should be kept under 50 characters so they don’t get cut off. Place the most important info at the top of the e-mail, and keep information brief so that it can quickly be scanned for important information.

Don’t try to include too much
Less is always more in an email. Too many photos, fonts, or content can make the message overwhelming and will take longer for the reader to load. Keep images small and the overall message simple. Use bolding and differing fonts sparingly, only when highlighting the most important information.

Have a powerful call to action
A call to action is a brief statement that asks your readers to take a specific action. Whether you want your readers to call a phone number, visit a website, or buy a product it is important to have a powerful and clear call to action. If your call to action brings readers to a specific landing page, that page should be complete and powerful as well.

If you don't want to worry about any of these details, contact us at http://www.yellowboxllc.com/contactUs.asp