email newsletter Archives - Web Design Raleigh & Website Development Raleigh

Marketing Doesn’t Take Vacation

June 23, 2011 By Redwood Productions

The kids are out of school, July 4th is coming up, it’s 85 degrees – time for vacation! But what do you do about marketing your business if you’re hundreds of miles away from the office? Here are some tips to maintain your marketing while you’re gone:

Email newsletter – keep it brief! Other people are on vacation too, so don’t give them too much to read or they’ll skip over it. If you’ll be gone when your newsletter usually goes out to your contacts, write it before you leave – you can set a time & date for it to be sent out.
Social media – if you have a smartphone, make sure you have your Facebook and Twitter apps set up with your business accounts. Tweet from the beach! If you can’t monitor through your mobile, choose a trusted employee to keep posting status updates while you’re gone.
Auto reply – don’t use the generic “Jen is out of the office” message! Make it fun and creative, while letting people know that the business is still open. The auto reply is a marketing opportunity that works for you while you’re away!
Find a balance – most people can’t keep from checking their emails while on vacation, while some would rather not see technology at all! You need a happy medium – how about once in the morning and once at night? That gives you time to monitor and respond to work-related things without taking time away from family and friends.
Cultivate leads – that guy next to you at the beach bar is talking about his landscaping business, and you just happen to sell commercial lawnmowers! Be sure you have some business cards with you, and that you get contact information from potentials you meet on vacation. Don’t forget to follow up when you get back to the office!

See? You can still have a strong brand impression from a distance. Really, it’s about making a little time each day for short email/social media sessions, leaving most of the responsibility in capable hands back home, and doing a few things preemptively to save time.

Filed Under: Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: Business Card Marketing, email newsletter, marketing, Social Media Marketing, time management

Top Traffic at the Tradeshow

June 8, 2011 By Redwood Productions

I wanted to explore the topic in a litte more detail: how do you get the most traffic at your booth?

As always, you’ll really benefit from planning ahead. Use your current contact list to invite current customers, business associates, and strong prospects to the event. Create a stylish e-mail newsletter to serve as an “announcement” that lets them know where you’ll be located in the expo, and what your booth will be offering. A personal email or phone call to particular contacts you’d really like to see will also do the trick. Next, get a list of all the registered attendees for the expo (the organization that’s putting it together should have this information) and send all those people an invitation to your booth. One of the best things about trade shows and expos is that you have a huge network of other businesses – so try not to confine yourself to your own booth throughout the show. Take time to go around and visit, make new contacts, scope out competition, and get a feel for the crowd in the event space. If you’re into Twitter, find out what the hashtag is for the event and start tweeting throughout the day about things you see/hear/do at the expo.

Offering incentives at your booth is a fail-safe way to bring in traffic. But make sure it’s the kind of traffic you want! Every expo has people who are only there to collect free merch, not find out about your business. If you’re merely giving out a sales card, coupon, or lower-value promotional item, it’s up to you how you want to distribute them. If you have a limited supply, or have higher-ticket items (like T-shirts, coolers, tote bags, mugs, etc.), don’t be afraid to be selective. Those specialty gifts should only go to people who are interested in what your company does – if they’re willing to have a brief conversation with you about your product/service, and seem like they could be a useful prospect, they get a prize!

Think of your booth as your home for the day. The attendees are all people you’d like to come over to your house. So make sure your house is ready for guests! A clean, warm environment with neat, warm people is a huge draw in itself. If you have other people helping you at the expo, make sure you choose associates who have assertive, positive personalities. You need the kind of people who won’t hide behind your booth table, but won’t stand in the aisles trying to drag people in. Being knowledgeable about your company, your products/services, and special offers is a must.

You don’t have to have flashing lights, a clown, a dunk tank, or expensive prizes to get maximum booth traffic at an expo. Being too gimmicky can even drive people away! It’s about creating an environment that people want to visit, giving them a reason to stop by, and leaving them feeling glad they came over to talk to you.

Special Update! Look for Redwood at the Rolesville Business Expo on Monday, June 13th! We’re really excited about our new backdrop (and we can design & order you one if you contact us today)!

Filed Under: Public Relations Tagged With: Branding, business-to-business, email newsletter, marketing, sales, Social Media Marketing

Social Media in Real Dollars

June 7, 2011 By Redwood Productions

You’ve got a slick website and a killer office/retail space, but you’re not seeing new customers. You know about Facebook and Twitter, but are wary of investing your time into social media, because you can’t calculate virtual money. You aren’t sure what your next step should be – sure, you know the internet is important, but how do you make it work for your business?

If this sounds like you, it’s time to really look at your marketing plan, and how social media fits in. It can be tricky to calculate a return-on-investment (ROI) for web-based applications, but there are ways to calculate how your time and money is spent, and what impact a Facebook profile can really have on your sales.

First thing first: before you launch any social media campaign, get a baseline. Look at your business’s numbers right now: the amount of foot traffic, web traffic, average customer spending, and how many repeat customers you have. What’s the average length of time between repeat visits from a regular customer? How many new customers do you see each week?

Then launch your campaign. Try to use at least two forms of social media (from Twitter to Facebook, blogging, e-mail marketing, online coupons, etc.- look at what your customer base uses the most) and update them about once a day. Create an exclusive deal that your customers can only access via the web. Keep track of your time. How many hours did you spend setting all this up and updating it? Multiply that by a fair hourly wage, and that’s your initial social media investment.

Monitor your impact. Keep an eye on what’s working. Did one of your Groupon offers rise above the rest? Did your special event, listed on Facebook, bring a lot of traffic to your store on a particular day? Ultimately, you want to know which tactics are working in real dollars – what makes your customers want to show up and spend money? Many services offer trackable results – so know how many people have opened your email, redeemed your online coupon, or used Facebook Places to chick in at your location.

Time to quantify. After 1 month of your no-hold-barred social media campaign, look at your numbers again. Be sure to factor in your initial investment, and how much (hours x hourly wage) it will take to maintain your internet blitz. If you’re not seeing an ROI, you might want to change your tactics. Just start this cycle over again – use a different form of social media, or change the nature of your online offers (bigger discounts or BOGO deals might be better motivation for online users to follow up in the real world).

The biggest use of social media is to generate buzz and good word-of-mouth for your business. These days, it’s easy to network with dozens, or hundreds, or thousands of potential customers – you just have to make sure you’re willing to put in the time, follow the methodology, and calculate your benefits.

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: client relationships, coupons, Customer Loyalty, email newsletter, marketing, promotion, Social Media Marketing, website design

Updating Your Image: the Extras

June 6, 2011 By Redwood Productions

Now that you’ve updated your basic identity, it’s time to expand the image overhaul to other business-building pieces.

Think about your company’s needs. Do you have a sales team that needs materials to leave behind with potential clients? Are you all about customer appreciation, and often give thank-you gifts? How do you reach the majority of your customer base – email inbox or physical mailbox?

All your “extra” identity pieces should follow the same guidelines as your “basic” pieces – everything should fit together into a unified set of materials that give a good visual representation of your brand.

Business Branding Raleigh Take your sales materials – if all you’re leaving behind is a flyer you designed in MS Word and printed out at the office, you have to wonder if you’re making the best impression. Consider overhauling your “leave-behind” – say, a folder with tiered flyers and a business card slot, all designed with your logo and brand colors in mind, presenting the information about your product/service in a stylish and professional way. Or if you want to keep it simple, stick with a single flyer – but make it full-color, eye-catching, and well-written.

What about your in-store or in-office pieces? Do you need a “quick facts” sheet to refer to during meetings? Or perhaps a rack card by the register that encourages customers to return in the future (“present this card with your next purchase to receive 15% off!”)? Look at the signs around your place of business – do they reflect your brand? Again – and I can’t stress this enough – everything needs to match your whole brand identity.

When you contact potential customers, what do you use for marketing? A professionally designed direct mail piece (like a postcard) is a great way to reach customers – it’s like a quick sales pitch in their hands. Doorhangers are another great option if you’re trying to reach customers right on their doorstep. Email marketing and newsletters are another great opportunity to expand your brand’s new image. Make sure your logo and contact information are on everything you send out!

We know that not every business is able to make all these changes right away – so go one at a time! Start with your basics (business card, stationery, website) and pay attention to people’s reactions to your company’s new look. Then pick an extra piece (maybe a redesign of your sales sheet?) and track the results – did you see increased customer interest and a return on investment? An image overhaul doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. Take it one step at a time – you can get design services a la carte or order your own printed materials to fit your budget and schedule.

Filed Under: Branding Tagged With: advertising, Branding, brochure, business cards, coupons, email newsletter, marketing, marketing materials, stationery

Ask the Masses: How to use Crowdsourcing

May 23, 2011 By Redwood Productions

If two heads are better than one, thousands of heads would be the best case scenario, right?

Not exactly. But using a resource that connects you with thousands of people can sometimes be what gets your company out of the doldrums. From reviewing your product to providing information on your target market, crowdsourcing (that is, using the vast stores of public information and open forums available on the web) has a place in your marketing plans.

Collect feedback. Want some customer reviews of a new product you’ve just launched? Why not add a page to your website where users can comment on it (establish a privacy setting that allows you to screen comments before posting), or use your Facebook page as a platform to invite people to try out the product and let your company know what they think!
Name a specialty product. Having trouble settling on a name for your new whatchamacallit? Invite your existing customers – via an email newsletter – to participate in a competition to name your new offering! Users can submit ideas and maybe vote on their favorites. This encourages interaction with your brand.
Generate leads. There are services online that email you daily/weekly/monthly leads, but these can often be too general, not targeted to your specific company. Instead, invite your existing clients to invite their friends, and establish some kind of incentive. Subscribe to an RSS feed that tracks searches on your website’s keywords.
Gather information. Free market research is available all over the web. Look for web-based publications that keep their thumb on the pulse of your industry. Read the comments sections. See what people are saying, what sites they’re linking to, and what they’re looking for from your type of business.

It’s always important to remember not to get caught up in the mob mentality. A big part of being a small business owner or solopreneur is knowing when to “go with your gut.” So if you’re seeing comments, name entries, or market trends that don’t fit your business or make you feel weird, don’t do them! The web is a public network – just as you’re asking people to share their opinions with you, you’re under no obligation to do what they say! This is merely a resource. Stay true to your brand, no matter what.

Filed Under: Marketing, Social Media, Website Tagged With: Branding, Customer Loyalty, customer service, email newsletter, Social Media Marketing, website design

How to Build an Email Marketing Campaign

May 19, 2011 By Redwood Productions

If you’re lucky enough to be on the Redwood mailing list, you’ve probably received a few of our newsletters via email. It’s one of the ways we keep our current contacts current, give our loyal customers special offers, and keep people up-to-date on what’s going on with our company and our industry.

Email newsletters are an easy, useful marketing tool. If you need a boost in your brand recognition, I highly recommend that you try some email marketing.

Step 1: Choose your service. There are a lot of web-based platforms to help launch your email campaign. We use Constant Contact, but MailChimp is also good options. Find the one that fits your company best!
Step 2: Start a list of contacts. Maybe you’re the type of person who has trouble keeping all your contact information organized – that’s OK! Take whatever email addresses you know (limited to professional contacts), enter those into your mailing list, and make sure that from now on you enter in every single business card you receive.
Step 3: Have a sign-up form. Ask your web designer to add a page on your site that allows you to collect email data to add to your mailing list.
Step 4: Know your mission. Are you out to ask questions, gather data, and spark an interaction? Or is your aim to educate your contacts about your business/industry? Maybe you’d like to announce a new product/service? Build your message around this.
Step 5: Keep it simple. Your newsletter should have an attention-grabbing headline, with the main article being no more than 3 short paragraphs. Or you can feature multiple articles (say, from your blog) by including each headline/title, the first 2 sentences, and a link to the rest of the article (the blog post). Don’t include 27 links in a side column, either – think about your mission and tailor your links to that. No one wants to get “homework” in their email – they won’t read it. Simplicity gets your message heard.
Step 6: Track everything. Email newsletter services offer ways to monitor your results by logging in to check your “opens” and “click-throughs” – how many people have actually read your email, and how many have actually clicked a link. See what works for your contact list. Got a low click-through on the last email? Change tactics – jazz up the title of the email, or include more pictures, etc. – then track those results and find a working strategy.

Filed Under: Email Marketing, Marketing Tagged With: business cards, email newsletter, marketing

Market Research: a How-To

May 2, 2011 By Redwood Productions

Are you curious about your web presence? Do you know how you measure up to your competitors? Is you company on the front lines of what’s happening in your industry, or falling by the wayside? There’s something you can do to answer all of these questions: market research!

Conducting research on your target market (and their reaction/feelings about your company/product/service) doesn’t have to be boring or tedious. There are many tools on the web to help you get started!

Keyword searching: If someone was looking for a hair salon in their area, they’d probably type “hair salon wake forest nc” into the Google search bar (or another search engine, but for this I recommend Google). If you’re a hair salon in that area, conduct the same search! You’ll see how many other hair salons pop up when you look for those keywords – it’s a good way to size up your competition and see what keywords they’re jumping on! Here’s an example using Redwood (notice we’re the first to pop up).

Links to Competitors: Google is also an easy resource for basic link information. Type (or copy & paste) your competitor’s web address (the whole thing: www.competitor.com) into the search bar, and the results will show which other sites contain a link to your competitor’s website. That way you’ll know how big their network is.

Blog mentions: Blogs are updated far more often than websites are, so you want to see what’s going on in the “blogosphere.” What is the hot-button issue for your industry? Have you launched a new product? Start a new marketing campaign via social media? Search for it! See if people are talking about your company (or your competition). Technorati and BlogPulse are blog-specific search engines. Here’s an example using BlogPulse to see what people are blogging about graphic design.

Online surveys: There are so many ways to implement this, and your audience does the work for you! The most effective surveys fall into two categories: assessing what your potential customers are like (what kind of person they are, what work they do, where they live, what their needs are, etc.) and measuring the response of existing customers (customer satisfaction survey). Facebook Questions lets you ask a simple survey question via your Facebook page, and calculates the data for you. For something a little more polished, look at survey creation site like Vovici - you can create a targeted survey and send out a link in your next newsletter! Not everyone on your contact list will respond, but you’ll still get a good impression of what you’re doing right and what you could improve on. Remember:

Keep the survey short and sweet (no more than 10 questions)
DON’T ask open-ended questions – we need Yes/No kind of questions, or categories for more nuanced responses (Always/Often/Sometimes/Not Usually/Never)
It’s OK to be persistent – if customers aren’t participating, you can send them the link again
ALWAYS be patient – results take time, so give your survey a few weeks to marinate out there

Once you’ve conducted some research in your market, you’ll have a better idea of what your weak areas are. Do you need to expand your social media presence? Are your customers clamoring for more of a particular product/service? Is your waiting room decor turning off potential new clients? You never know what kind of feedback you might get, but you always know it’ll be useful and truthful. (Check out our Facebook wall to answer a question on our customer survey!)

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: email newsletter, knowing customers, marketing, niche marketing, research, target market

The 5 Questions I Ask Myself

April 27, 2011 By Redwood Productions

Small Business Strategy Raleigh Good morning, fellow solopreneurs! I have a question for you: are you asking the right questions?

To keep a small business growing, you sometimes have to make some tough decisions. But often I’m not sure which problem to address first! I’ve narrowed it down to 5 questions to ask myself when I’m trying to get my company out of a rut – or when I need to make a plan for the future. See if these help you:

Am I focused on tomorrow?

Everything I do today, whether it’s a designing a website or choosing a promotional products vendor, affects my business tomorrow (and beyond!).
My customer relationships are an investment in the future of my business, so I need to engage with them and support them.
Focusing on today’s issues only narrows my vision. I have to keep in mind that my goals extend beyond whatever current crisis!

Is there an outside threat to my business?

Any factor can change at the drop of a hat: customer preference, supply issues, distribution problems, new employees, competitor prices.
I need to stay on the ball and be conscious of changes throughout my industry – and especially in the area of my target markets.
Using the web (this blog, Facebook, email newsletter, etc.) I can reach my customers directly to stay current on their needs/wants.

Am I attracting the best staff?

I’m always conscious that quality people = quality business. I have a few contractors, and I’ve recently hired a part-time designer to work with me.
The way my staff interacts with my customers reflects on my company and on me, from how the phone is answered to how an email is composed.
I try to hire the right people, with the right attitude, and show them my appreciation for the great work they do. The key to having a great employee is keeping them!

Are any of my regulars becoming irregular?

I work with a lot of other small businesses, so I understand that sometimes you have to forego any new projects because of financial issues.
But there might be other factors that influence my customers, so I need to stay in touch to keep track of true impediments.
Could my marketing be more effective? Is the promotional products vendor sending out quality items? Is my price point in the right place?

What “dead weight” can I eliminate?

When your business depends on communicating with people, it can be hard to be the “bad guy.” But if you have a small company, you can’t afford low performance!
What am I keeping that I could get rid of? Out-of-date product listings? Pricey vendors? Is my business philosophy current and realistic, or should I rewrite my plan?
If I ever find something that needs to go, I don’t ever make it a personal issue. These are business decisions, handled professionally.

I’ve been in business for 12 years, and Redwood has grown and expanded in that time. We do everything now! So I sympathize with other small business owners (and solopreneurs!) who occasionally struggle with their plans.

It really all comes down to making the best decisions for your company. So use these 5 queries, and try to be as realistic and professional as possible with your answers: sometimes a muddy situation becomes clearer when you ask the right question.

Filed Under: Business Growth Tagged With: customer service, email newsletter, knowing customers, promotion, stress, target market

Attention Solo-preneurs!

April 25, 2011 By Redwood Productions

Building a Better Business Raleigh Yes, folks, there’s a new buzzword in town: “solopreneur.” If you’re a home-based business with a sole owner (hmm, sound familiar?), that snazzy title belongs to you! And if you’re a true solopreneur, one of your main concerns is probably the growth of your small business. Check out these seven ways to reach your goals – without growing pains.

1) Invest. “You’ve got to spend money to make money” can be a true statement. Whether it’s hiring a part-time employee, spicing up your marketing materials, or saving up to spruce up your website, putting capital back into your business is of vital importance. You don’t have to break the bank, but don’t be so frugal that you miss opportunities to grow.

2) Plan. Know the goals you have for your company and focus on them. It helps to write out a thorough business plan – then you’ll have it handy to refer back to when needed. And don’t forget to update your plan if circumstances change!

3) Be Flexible. Solopreneurs know that it’s necessary to stay on your toes and think fast! You should be able to switch gears if new opportunities present themselves (i.e. manufacturing your product in a different way, or changing your company’s overall mission).

4) Outsource. You don’t have to rush into hiring full-time help when you’re just beginning your growth. Plenty of contractors are out there, from accountants to administrative assistants! Check local staffing agencies also – that’s how I found my new designer!

5) Stay Professional. It’s simple logic to keep your personal life and business affairs separate, but that can be difficult if you’re a sole owner and/or are working out of your home office. Just treat your business like any other business – keep regular hours, answer the phone in a professional manner, give yourself breaks throughout the day, etc. Also consider using an invoice system that’s online- or software-based (this tracks your payments and expenses, and looks great when customers get real invoices from you).

6) Get Out More. Meet with your clients in person and attend community networking events. If you don’t belong to your local Chamber of Commerce already, join! There are great opportunities there for business-to-business contact.

7) Use Technology. This might be the most important factor, one that encompasses all six of the above points. To maximize investment, reach clients, and look professional, you must have a solid web presence. Schedule email newsletters as part of your marketing campaign, use social media to broadcast a new product, turn your blog into a forum about your industry, hire a designer to build you a sleek new website… there are so many ways to utilize the tech resources available to every solopreneur today.

Don’t sell yourself short just because you’re a small, home-based business. You can run with the big guys!

Filed Under: Business Growth Tagged With: business-to-business, email newsletter, small business, website design

EXPO-sure: Post-show Follow-up

April 20, 2011 By Redwood Productions

Trade Show Design Raleigh Alright: the expo is over and you’ve got a fishbowl full of business cards (or a bucket of contact info slips from your prize drawing). What’s next?

If you read yesterday about rating your prospects during the expo, chances are you’ve worked out a system and indicated some of those contacts that are high-priority. Tackle them first! Your “A’s” should get your prompt attention the next business day after any tradeshow or expo. Try to customize your follow-up call or email by highlighting information this prospect might have shared with you when you saw them at your booth (“Hi Tom, it’s Jen from Redwood Productions. Yesterday at the Chamber Expo we spoke about your website – I’d love to talk more with you about a redesign. When would be a good time to get together?”)

During your appointment with this new potential client, don’t assume that you’ve got an instant “in” because they stopped by your booth at the expo. It’s still your job to address their problems and alleviate their concerns. Ask questions and take note of your prospect’s answers. Aim to educate, not sell. Share your insights and knowledge about your product/service. This follow-up is an opportunity to expand on your initial contact, so make sure the potential client feels like you’re there to help them have a more in-depth discussion about their needs.

As a rule, only wait 1-3 days to follow up with your “A” contacts (3-10 for “B’s” and 10 or more for “C’s”).

If you use an email newsletter (or email blast) as your follow-up tool, the sooner the better! Use it as a “placeholder” for all your contacts and get it out the day after the expo. Then make sure you still send a personalized email (or phone call) to your “A” prospects.

You can also categorize your responses based on the prospect categories: “A’s” get a phone call and a personal email, “B’s” get a personal email, “C’s” get a general email newsletter or blast message.

Remember, you’ve already spoken to this person AND they’ve seen your marketing materials. A prompt follow-up is the perfect opportunity to close a sale while you’ve still got some momentum and a solid connection with your potential new client.