For many marketers, 2009 was the most challenging year in recent memory.
But in an unsteady economy where resources are tight and sales sluggish...where inboxes are overstuffed and competitive "noise" is at an all time high...how can email marketers deliver better results in 2010?
Some tips for developing successful content network advertising campaigns:
First, create a keyword strategy that is appropriate for awareness-building content network campaigns. The role of keywords in a content network ad campaign is much different from those in a search ad campaign. The advertiser has to tell Google to show an ad on pages that contain most or all of these keywords.
Second, keep in mind that your ads need to yell and pop off the screen. The last thing you want is for your ad to blend into the background.
Third, you have to make very competitive offers to draw attention to your ads and your product, for example, free shipping or 20 percent off all purchases.
Finally, make sure to test a wide variety of ads and offers to see what works. The ads that happen to work the best may be counterintuitive. It will take a few tries to decide which approach works the best with your particular products.
Using Promotional Products
Technology related
Technology will continue to influence the types of products
produced. Links to the web will be crucial to connect
recipients with campaigns which drive business to websites.
There are many products that plug into today’s technology,
such as Value Added Promotions new Card Reader Mouse
Mini Mouse with Card Reader & USB Flash Drive
It is a revolutionary product in digital world. It is a magic for us because of it creative functions, while it is not a magic for us for it simple operation and practical use. Plug and Play
There are (5) features about this new product
- Slim mouse –only 15mm high
- It has a built-in-card reader for all your digital photos
- Full colour printing on the surface
- Touch LOGO to take customers directly to your web site
- Built-in drive which enables you to listen to broadcasts via the internet
Physical Size: 84mm x 55mm x 15mm (LxWxH)
Mini Mouse, Card Reader, USB Flash drive, It is a 3-in-1, Option: USB Flash drive
Card Reader for SD, MMC, MS
Trackback Link
http://www.vap.com.au/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=3520&PostID=52394&A=Trackback
Trackbacks
Post has no trackbacks.
Strong calls to action results in lead generation
Lead generation campaigns have the challenge of competing with this full inbox. To break through the clutter, you must: 1) be a trustworthy, respected or notable brand; 2) offer content of real and continuing value; and 3) make it easy for customers to engage in a relationship with you as a marketer. This provides advice on creating an online call to action that entices your users to click through to a subscription form that then promotes completion.
The Call to Action
A call to action on a Web site is a button or widget to be clicked. Clicking initiates an interaction: "Add to Cart" or "Send to a Friend," etc. In the case of a lead generation campaign, the call to action is typically "Subscribe," "Register" or "Sign Up." As a marketer, you should pay careful attention to the language you use on your Web site. For example, "Subscribe" may connote having to pay a subscription fee. The threat of a fee imagined or otherwise, may be enough to turn off a cautious prospect. "Sign Up" or "Learn More" are potentially more benign.
The action word itself is not enough to interest most customers. You need to hook them with a description of the benefits of starting a dialogue with you. Let users know how regularly they can expect to hear from you, and assuage their fears about what you'll do with their personal data. Make sure to use language or imagery to reinforce your brand personality. In providing this information, remember that users generally don't read on the Web; they scan. Use bullets and bolding to shape a clear, focused pitch.
Consider allowing your customers a taste of the type of information they will enjoy once they subscribe. In the interaction design field, this is called "gradual engagement," and it helps make visitors more amenable to signing up to access the rest of your content.
So where does this call to action get placed on your Web site? Ideally, you can make the ask in several places: on the purchase confirmation; within your resource library; or on the search results, contact us, or news and notices pages where users obviously have information need. Your offers will be received better if they are positioned in a relevant context than if they appear randomly as a callout; particularly in the right-hand column or footer. After years of using the Web, people have developed "banner blindness." Eye-tracking studies confirm that users don't look to the portion of the page traditionally reserved for promotional banners. If your call to action too closely resembles an ad, it likely will be ignored.
Subscription Form
Overly long forms lead to drop-offs. So streamline and simplify your form fields and page copy. At the same time, don't be afraid to require specific information of your users and then use that data in a way that is smart and personalized. If you are a technology company and you learn a lead works within the pharmaceutical industry, send him case studies and technology solutions that are related to pharmaceutical, not retail. This tailored approach may help lay the foundation for a trust-based relationship. Moreover, this initial interaction ideally is just the beginning of your customer relationship..
On the form itself, make sure entry fields are formatted consistently and aligned on a strong vertical axis. This orientation decreases completion times by not requiring users to hunt for the next data entry point. Similarly, make sure your developers set a logical tab order when they program your form and allowing users to complete all fields using only their keyboards.
Strip away any extraneous links or information not required for form completion. This is particularly the case with any navigation options or exit points, as you don't want to highlight opportunities for users to abandon the process. Bring those navigation options back once the user hits "submit" and effectively exits your lead generation channel.
Double opt-in: A confirmation e-mail is sent to notify users that subsequent action is necessary before their e-mail addresses will be added to your list. Users must click a link to be considered confirmed. This is the highest-level permission standard, but marketers can expect to lose about 20 percent to 30 percent of subscribers during the process.
Single opt-in: At the point of entering their e-mail addresses, users affirmatively request to be included in your commercial mailings by actively selecting a checkbox to be subscribed. Because two clicks are required, one to check the box and one to choose the submit button, these two interactions should be placed in close proximity on your form.
Opt-out: In this case, the permission checkbox is pre-checked and users must actively request NOT to be included on an e-mail list. This method generally is not recommended. Users must physically uncheck the checkbox putting them into a "no" mind-set. In contrast, making users do the work of checking a box to be included signifies a real commitment.
Design for Performance
it’s not enough just to grow your contact lists. It's the value of the leads on the lists that will truly impact your business. You can use Web analytics to begin measuring the value of the contacts brought in through your new lead generation campaigns.
First set a baseline; then begin tracking drop-off points, conversion rates and the lifetime value of your leads. As you tweak the language or appearance of your call to action, or the length and complexity of your subscription form, watch these measurements and optimize your pitch.
Trackback Link
http://www.vap.com.au/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=3520&PostID=52395&A=Trackback
Trackbacks
Post has no trackbacks.
With so many competitors out there, it's hard to know whether or not your customers will remember your company and the services they offer. Value Added Promotions of today are much more an intricate part of outsourcing Creativity and helping customers to be much more efficient.The next generation of consumers are very engaged by promotional products. They are youthful marketers and excited about the creativity and variety of applications promotional products in our industry.
Driven by technology
Technology will continue to influence the types of business promotional items
Produced. Links to the web will be crucial to connect recipients with campaigns which drive business to websites with use of promotional product such as USB’s with customer’s own data stored on it.There are many promotional items that plug into today’s technology,such as digital voice activated products, UV activated,products, mobile and web-link related products. Technology is playing a big part in consumer engagement.Rewarding the consumer Historically in recession, promotional merchandise consistently outperform other forms of advertising in cost, reach and recall.Uniformly, research agrees that in times of economic hardship, it is imperative to reward and engage your target markets.
Extending the message
The current downturn in the market will affect our industry in both good and bad ways. From a positive perspective, as marketing budgets get tighter, clients
have to find more creative ways to make their budget stretch further. Because the value of branded promotional products retains the ‘message’ for longer than traditional forms of advertising and, in comparison to above the line advertising expenditures, are less expensive, more creative marketers are using them as an integral part of their marketing strategies.
The trend to green products
The move to green or environmentally-friendly products is a huge trend. We still want to soften our carbon footprints. There are environmentally friendly products
that are responsible and yet inexpensive through Value Added Promotions such as special fabrics on printed shirts, promotional bags made from PET material and even recycled paper promotional pens. BUT there is a lot of misinformation out there! Calling something ‘Eco’ doesn’t mean it has any particular environmental value.
Some ‘recycled’ products actually cause more pollutants to recycle than they would if they were just disposed of. This is complex area and Australia has very little legislation on what constitutes a ‘green product’
Using intelligence
The products themselves are as varied as the brands they are promoting. It is how they are used in the campaign, which takes real talent. This is where experience in these cases, generates the creativity. We all like cool corporate gifts and there are some great new things in the market. portable GPS systems, solar powered desk wind turbines, mini USB’ dust buster’ like vacuums that clean keyboards, but what impresses clients more is the very clever use of a very basic product that can still work magnificently. Never underestimate the intelligence of your audience. Customers like to be amused and made to think. A real promotional product professional organisation like Value Added Promotions who knows how to use the most basic of products in a campaign that creatively generates attention.
Trackback Link
http://www.vap.com.au/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=3520&PostID=47165&A=Trackback
Trackbacks
Post has no trackbacks.
Comments
Post has no comments.