It is not that difficult to cut budgets.
It is not difficult at all to cut a marketing budget. You just use a pen. You rule a line through items.
Any fool can do it. And before long, it’s all over. Fifty percent of marketing initiatives are off the agenda.
The speed and ease of the cutting operation may give you the clue as to what is really happening. Cutting items out of marketing is actually the soft option.
It is much more challenging to carry out a thoughtful review of activities and to decide how best you can achieve the results you need with less marketing investment.
Instead of cutting the initiatives that the manager does not like – or maybe does not understand – what professional marketers do is re-evaluate the marketing plan and analyse what is working and what's not.
Doing the job for long term benefit means exploring new options of marketing that cost less, but can still deliver the results you are looking for. It means checking the relevance of popular no-cost or low-cost marketing tips that you can begin implementing today.
When you recognise the need to be resourceful, obviously, social media is an option. This may be the perfect time to give social media marketing a try. We can be fairly certain that it won’t be the complete answer, but depending on your target market and how much time you are prepared to put in, it may be effective for you.
Using networking tools such as Facebook, the business-oriented LinkedIn or the rapidly growing Twitter, you can connect with a huge, diverse population. Of course, you have to make an effort in building your online network. You have to reach out and build relationships with those you have something in common with.
And remember, things are moving rapidly. If you looked at Facebook, for example, six months ago and decided it was just for kids, that’s history. Today, the demographic of Facebook continues to broaden.
Not sure about that?
Just look at these figures provided by O’Reilly Media. Between September 2008 and February 2009:
> The number of Facebook users between the ages of 35 and 44 increased by 51%
> Facebook users among the ages 45-54 grew by 47%
> Facebook users aged 26-34 increased by 26%
> More than half of the 140 million Facebook users are out of college.
With, apparently, some 600 million searches and more than 30 billion page views a month, the volumes alone justify a second look.
And, maybe surprisingly, the picture is similar with Twitter. According to an eMarketer report, Twitter drew 4 million unique visitors from home, work and college/university locations in February 2009, up from 340,000 a year earlier – a 1,086 percent increase. After months of double-digit growth, traffic to Twitter accelerated 131 percent to 9.3 million visitors for the month of March 2009.
Social networking may or may not have a future, and it may or may not be an opportunity for your business. Who knows? But one thing is sure. You should be monitoring it.
04 May 2009
Email marketers not measuring up
On 15 April 2009, Target Marketing magazine in the US uncovered some amazing findings about email marketers.
Despite the vast array of statistics available, numerous email marketers in the US are not measuring the effectiveness of their promotions. Let’s hope this is not the case in Aus.
According to the Target Marketing report, some 500 email marketers were surveyed and the results showed that more than 18% of email marketers don't track their campaigns at all. Of those who do, marketers chose, in order of importance, open, click through and open-to-click rates as the most important metrics.
But it gets worse. The email marketers surveyed did not recognise the importance of sector statistics. Respondents rated sector specific metrics as the least important metric of all!
Reality check: If you don’t measure your results by sector you are forfeiting the chance to gain precious insights about your target market.
In my own experience, there have been campaigns where I have received a 5% response overall, but a 25% response from one or more segments. If you don’t know that’s happening, you move to your next campaign with very incomplete knowledge.
Let’s say you are selling a new health plan. Overall response is 5%, but response from people over 55 years is 25%. Clearly, you have a plan that is attractive to an older market – but you can only discover that with sector specific metrics. That’s essential information for your next campaign. And it is critical for your product development team as well.
Despite the vast array of statistics available, numerous email marketers in the US are not measuring the effectiveness of their promotions. Let’s hope this is not the case in Aus.
According to the Target Marketing report, some 500 email marketers were surveyed and the results showed that more than 18% of email marketers don't track their campaigns at all. Of those who do, marketers chose, in order of importance, open, click through and open-to-click rates as the most important metrics.
But it gets worse. The email marketers surveyed did not recognise the importance of sector statistics. Respondents rated sector specific metrics as the least important metric of all!
Reality check: If you don’t measure your results by sector you are forfeiting the chance to gain precious insights about your target market.
In my own experience, there have been campaigns where I have received a 5% response overall, but a 25% response from one or more segments. If you don’t know that’s happening, you move to your next campaign with very incomplete knowledge.
Let’s say you are selling a new health plan. Overall response is 5%, but response from people over 55 years is 25%. Clearly, you have a plan that is attractive to an older market – but you can only discover that with sector specific metrics. That’s essential information for your next campaign. And it is critical for your product development team as well.
30 March 2009
Sampling is as powerful as ever
The walls around the Tuscan City of Prato are not actually ancient.
They were completed in 1600.
Today they enclose the old city with its narrow streets and bustling lifestyle. The walls also enclose the Monash Prato Centre and, from now until September, the Action Words office and my home.
As everyone who has travelled to Europe would know, the centre of the city is the main Piazza. That’s where people meet every day. Where every day the locals communicate in the most low tech of ways. By standing and talking or by walking together.
Last Sunday morning we arrived at the Piazza around 11am. A large crowd had gathered. We wondered what was on. There did not seem to be anything special.
Then we noticed it was nearly all men. Nearly all over 50.
And then the penny dropped.
The duomo (major church) in Prato is adjacent to the Piazza. The men were waiting outside while their wives were in church for Sunday Mass. It was a very social time for the men. Comparing notes. Exchanging stories. Arguing over the Italian football team (which is in a transition phase leading up to the 2010 World Cup).
Soon afterwards we came across a lone trestle table set up in the middle of the Piazza. An aroma of coffee attracted us to it. “Everything is free, come and try,” a young woman called to us. We were even more attracted.
The cakes and delicacies were beautifully presented. “Please try,” she said, and we needed no further coaxing.
“So what are you on about?” we asked, and we soon discovered that the trestle table was part of a promotion by the Tatawelo Group.
Tatawelo, in operation since 2003, supports impoverished people in the Chiapas region of Mexico. The Chiapas people grow the coffee and the Tatawelo Group trades with them to give them a livelihood. It works. And now the Tatawelo Group can point to a whole range of community improvements that have been achieved over the last five years.
Well, call us suckers if you want, but we tried the superb coffee, we tried the cheese and we tried the pastries. And then we started to spend. And the pack horse, yours truly, was well and truly weighed down when we walked away.
And since then we have told quite a few friends about Tatawello coffee.
Sampling not only produced sales but two new advocates as well.
How good is that?
They were completed in 1600.
Today they enclose the old city with its narrow streets and bustling lifestyle. The walls also enclose the Monash Prato Centre and, from now until September, the Action Words office and my home.
As everyone who has travelled to Europe would know, the centre of the city is the main Piazza. That’s where people meet every day. Where every day the locals communicate in the most low tech of ways. By standing and talking or by walking together.
Last Sunday morning we arrived at the Piazza around 11am. A large crowd had gathered. We wondered what was on. There did not seem to be anything special.
Then we noticed it was nearly all men. Nearly all over 50.
And then the penny dropped.
The duomo (major church) in Prato is adjacent to the Piazza. The men were waiting outside while their wives were in church for Sunday Mass. It was a very social time for the men. Comparing notes. Exchanging stories. Arguing over the Italian football team (which is in a transition phase leading up to the 2010 World Cup).
Soon afterwards we came across a lone trestle table set up in the middle of the Piazza. An aroma of coffee attracted us to it. “Everything is free, come and try,” a young woman called to us. We were even more attracted.
The cakes and delicacies were beautifully presented. “Please try,” she said, and we needed no further coaxing.
“So what are you on about?” we asked, and we soon discovered that the trestle table was part of a promotion by the Tatawelo Group.
Tatawelo, in operation since 2003, supports impoverished people in the Chiapas region of Mexico. The Chiapas people grow the coffee and the Tatawelo Group trades with them to give them a livelihood. It works. And now the Tatawelo Group can point to a whole range of community improvements that have been achieved over the last five years.
Well, call us suckers if you want, but we tried the superb coffee, we tried the cheese and we tried the pastries. And then we started to spend. And the pack horse, yours truly, was well and truly weighed down when we walked away.
And since then we have told quite a few friends about Tatawello coffee.
Sampling not only produced sales but two new advocates as well.
How good is that?
If you have to go, US toilet paper supplier helps
Just when you thought that the possible new applications for your mobile phone might soon run out, now a leading toilet paper brand has come up with a very helpful innovation.
Everyone who has travelled overseas knows about the challenges relating to public bathrooms.
Well, thanks to major US toilet paper supplier, Charmin, now you can search for clean public rest rooms on your phone.
As of February 2009, some 52,000 toilets in 10 countries had been logged. There had been more than half a million unique visitors and more than 1,600 downloads of this mobile app. And apparently, those numbers are growing rapidly,
Charmin has teamed up with a free mobile social-networking utility, SitOrSquat.com, to help you locate clean public rest rooms on your phone.
The wiki — housed on the web at SitOrSquat.com and available as a mobile application for BlackBerry and iPhone — launched in December with the goal of turning the digital masses into a mobile army of restroom reviewers. It both helps locate public restrooms and provides star ratings based on their cleanliness and other amenities (especially useful in some countries!).
Charmin can't be accused of just trying to sell toilet paper. This new app is a novel effort at non traditional branding. It’s a good example for all of us that there is always room for more innovation.
It seems to me that this initiative brings together the brand, social media, user-generated content and a savvy app in a way that responds to a very human need.
Everyone who has travelled overseas knows about the challenges relating to public bathrooms.
Well, thanks to major US toilet paper supplier, Charmin, now you can search for clean public rest rooms on your phone.
As of February 2009, some 52,000 toilets in 10 countries had been logged. There had been more than half a million unique visitors and more than 1,600 downloads of this mobile app. And apparently, those numbers are growing rapidly,
Charmin has teamed up with a free mobile social-networking utility, SitOrSquat.com, to help you locate clean public rest rooms on your phone.
The wiki — housed on the web at SitOrSquat.com and available as a mobile application for BlackBerry and iPhone — launched in December with the goal of turning the digital masses into a mobile army of restroom reviewers. It both helps locate public restrooms and provides star ratings based on their cleanliness and other amenities (especially useful in some countries!).
Charmin can't be accused of just trying to sell toilet paper. This new app is a novel effort at non traditional branding. It’s a good example for all of us that there is always room for more innovation.
It seems to me that this initiative brings together the brand, social media, user-generated content and a savvy app in a way that responds to a very human need.
For direct mail in a downturn, a lift letter may make the difference
Traditionally, most direct mail packages included a lift letter. Lift letters became common because they worked, and direct marketers proved repeatedly that they worked.
But over the years, most people doing direct mail in Australia have dropped the lift letter.
My feeling is that we should be testing lift letters again, because there is nothing to say they won’t work today.
First used in the publishing world, the "publisher's note" or "publisher's letter" as it was called, was added to a direct mail package that already included a sales letter. Usually on the small side, both in length and paper size, and signed by the publisher, it came to be known as the "lift letter" because it lifted or increased response.Look at these strong arguments for testing a lift letter.
1. The right prospects do read. Despite what some experts might tell you, consumers do read, if they are interested in buying. Think of yourself as a consumer. If you are really interested in buying something, you are happy to read about it.
2. The lift letter has to be different. The lift letter is an opportunity to approach the prospect from a different angle. To change voice. To shift perspective. To be most effective, the lift letter must be different from the rest of the package. It should come from a different person, perhaps someone outside the organisation.
3. The lift letter doesn't need to be a "letter." The lift letter can take different forms and operate on a different level from the mailer. For example, it can be used as a testimonial. It can address buying objections. Or it can feature relevant facts and figures.
4. Include it for impact. Lift letters are usually smaller — bite-size — in the amount of copy they provide. And frequently, they focus on one major reason (offer-driven) about why you should respond. They are easy to read in less than a minute. And they normally stand out, because they are printed on paper that is a different colour from the rest of the pack.
5. Make it strong, then test it. If you're going to test a lift letter, it should not be an afterthought. It should be a strategic test that is briefed in properly, with the copywriter giving it all the attention it needs as a critical element of the sales effort.
But over the years, most people doing direct mail in Australia have dropped the lift letter.
My feeling is that we should be testing lift letters again, because there is nothing to say they won’t work today.
First used in the publishing world, the "publisher's note" or "publisher's letter" as it was called, was added to a direct mail package that already included a sales letter. Usually on the small side, both in length and paper size, and signed by the publisher, it came to be known as the "lift letter" because it lifted or increased response.Look at these strong arguments for testing a lift letter.
1. The right prospects do read. Despite what some experts might tell you, consumers do read, if they are interested in buying. Think of yourself as a consumer. If you are really interested in buying something, you are happy to read about it.
2. The lift letter has to be different. The lift letter is an opportunity to approach the prospect from a different angle. To change voice. To shift perspective. To be most effective, the lift letter must be different from the rest of the package. It should come from a different person, perhaps someone outside the organisation.
3. The lift letter doesn't need to be a "letter." The lift letter can take different forms and operate on a different level from the mailer. For example, it can be used as a testimonial. It can address buying objections. Or it can feature relevant facts and figures.
4. Include it for impact. Lift letters are usually smaller — bite-size — in the amount of copy they provide. And frequently, they focus on one major reason (offer-driven) about why you should respond. They are easy to read in less than a minute. And they normally stand out, because they are printed on paper that is a different colour from the rest of the pack.
5. Make it strong, then test it. If you're going to test a lift letter, it should not be an afterthought. It should be a strategic test that is briefed in properly, with the copywriter giving it all the attention it needs as a critical element of the sales effort.
10 March 2009
Shorter sentences - the way to go
It might seem incredibly obvious, but the key to writing well is writing clear sentences.
And the key to writing clear sentences is to keep them short.
Now here’s a promise. If you want to improve your writing, starting right now, all you have to do is this. Write shorter sentences. It's that simple.
Much of the trouble that writers get into comes from trying to make sentences do too much work.
Readers can process only one idea at a time. If you keep your sentences short, or at least shortish, readers will find your writing easy to follow. If they find your writing easy, you'll get your message across.
And isn't that what you always want to do?
Look at this example:
Verbose sentence: “If there are any points on which you require explanation or further particulars we shall be glad to furnish such additional details as may be required by telephone.”(28 words)
How it could be: “If you have any further queries, please call us.”(9 words)
This shorter sentence is not only easier to understand, it also gets the point across more clearly.
Do yourself a favour. Write shorter sentences. They really work.
And the key to writing clear sentences is to keep them short.
Now here’s a promise. If you want to improve your writing, starting right now, all you have to do is this. Write shorter sentences. It's that simple.
Much of the trouble that writers get into comes from trying to make sentences do too much work.
Readers can process only one idea at a time. If you keep your sentences short, or at least shortish, readers will find your writing easy to follow. If they find your writing easy, you'll get your message across.
And isn't that what you always want to do?
Look at this example:
Verbose sentence: “If there are any points on which you require explanation or further particulars we shall be glad to furnish such additional details as may be required by telephone.”(28 words)
How it could be: “If you have any further queries, please call us.”(9 words)
This shorter sentence is not only easier to understand, it also gets the point across more clearly.
Do yourself a favour. Write shorter sentences. They really work.
Corporate help for fire victims
After the bushfires it has been heartening to see the fantastic community efforts taking place.
People everywhere have wanted to help. And not just individuals. The corporate sector has been in there as well.
At Australian Unity, teams of employees have given up free time or used their “community leave day” to help on the ground. This is one young woman’s account of her day sorting and helping distribute much-needed donated goods in Alexandria.
Nervous anticipation was building amongst the first group of Australian Unity volunteers boarding the bus en route to Alexandra. Whilst each person wanted to “make a difference” and assist the bushfire victims, we didn’t know what to expect or how we would deal with it – after the week’s build up of confronting images, stories of terror, tears and courage.
What greeted us in Alexandra was an overwhelming display of the strength of the human spirit and constant reminders that when it counts most, there are no differences between us. City types rallied with country types, interstate visitors mixed in with teenagers who had lost friends and with weathered elderly locals whose determination and grit stood as leading examples to all of us.
Whilst we were shielded from the direct impact of the fires, and our journey bypassed the central fire zones, our placement at the distribution centre reminded us we were at the hub of where the relief effort had crucial importance to the community.
Warm and heartfelt greetings were followed by serious briefings and we got down to the job of receiving and sorting essential goods. An atmosphere of common purpose and congeniality stayed throughout the day. Our brief was simple – to serve and support. So, the AU team blended in with weary locals and there was a curious mix of raucous laughter, serious quiet conversations and exchanging hugs with strangers – all at the right time, just when it was needed most.
Always present was the spirit of generosity from businesses and the public, with every imaginable food item, clothing and accessories constantly being trucked in, sorted, allocated, boxed and re-distributed. Despite the volume of goods being shifted, care was taken to ensure families and individuals could access fully stocked toiletry bags, food hampers and clothing packs.
A lunch time walk through the eerie quiet of the town, still a smoke filled environment, reinforced the scale of the relief effort taking place. The local football oval and grounds housed a sea of army tents, rows of buses transporting units to fire fronts and an immense array of army tanks, fire engines and equipment. This view was quite at odds with the otherwise peaceful tree lined streets and sleepy village.
Hearing the speeches of gratitude at the day’s end was humbling and touching for our team, who felt, as I do, that we now share a unique bond with this resilient community. We are reassured they will emerge from this disaster with a roadmap for their future, lined with support from both their oldest and newest friends.
Marita Smith
Communications Manager and volunteer
Australian Unity
People everywhere have wanted to help. And not just individuals. The corporate sector has been in there as well.
At Australian Unity, teams of employees have given up free time or used their “community leave day” to help on the ground. This is one young woman’s account of her day sorting and helping distribute much-needed donated goods in Alexandria.
Nervous anticipation was building amongst the first group of Australian Unity volunteers boarding the bus en route to Alexandra. Whilst each person wanted to “make a difference” and assist the bushfire victims, we didn’t know what to expect or how we would deal with it – after the week’s build up of confronting images, stories of terror, tears and courage.
What greeted us in Alexandra was an overwhelming display of the strength of the human spirit and constant reminders that when it counts most, there are no differences between us. City types rallied with country types, interstate visitors mixed in with teenagers who had lost friends and with weathered elderly locals whose determination and grit stood as leading examples to all of us.
Whilst we were shielded from the direct impact of the fires, and our journey bypassed the central fire zones, our placement at the distribution centre reminded us we were at the hub of where the relief effort had crucial importance to the community.
Warm and heartfelt greetings were followed by serious briefings and we got down to the job of receiving and sorting essential goods. An atmosphere of common purpose and congeniality stayed throughout the day. Our brief was simple – to serve and support. So, the AU team blended in with weary locals and there was a curious mix of raucous laughter, serious quiet conversations and exchanging hugs with strangers – all at the right time, just when it was needed most.
Always present was the spirit of generosity from businesses and the public, with every imaginable food item, clothing and accessories constantly being trucked in, sorted, allocated, boxed and re-distributed. Despite the volume of goods being shifted, care was taken to ensure families and individuals could access fully stocked toiletry bags, food hampers and clothing packs.
A lunch time walk through the eerie quiet of the town, still a smoke filled environment, reinforced the scale of the relief effort taking place. The local football oval and grounds housed a sea of army tents, rows of buses transporting units to fire fronts and an immense array of army tanks, fire engines and equipment. This view was quite at odds with the otherwise peaceful tree lined streets and sleepy village.
Hearing the speeches of gratitude at the day’s end was humbling and touching for our team, who felt, as I do, that we now share a unique bond with this resilient community. We are reassured they will emerge from this disaster with a roadmap for their future, lined with support from both their oldest and newest friends.
Marita Smith
Communications Manager and volunteer
Australian Unity
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