VerticalResponse for AppExchange Blog

RELEVANT Content is King

We've all heard the phrase "Content is King." There is no question the content of your emails, blogs, websites, and even social media outlets has never been more important for driving engagement and meeting the needs of customers. In 2011 more than ever, it is essential to provide not just more new content but more content that is relevant and useful to readers. The experts over at MarketingProfs have come up with Key B2B Trends in Content, Social Media in 2011 to help you stay ahead of the curve. We've outlined three key points below.

1. Social media = Lots of room for growth

It's clear many businesses have at least tested the waters when it comes to social media and B2B marketers understand the value of social media as a tool to connect with customers and grow their businesses. However, few companies have yet to use the social tool set to its complete potential. According to a recent study by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services only 12% of business executives answered their companies were using social media efficiently. Why is that? Many are unsure of how to approach social media while others still doubt of the real value of using social outlets. 

Tip: Use social media as a platform to promote existing blog posts or an email offer. Don't forget you can easily use Social Sharing from within your VerticalResponse account (under VR Statistics > Account Information) to share sent emails using social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

2. Say Yes to Content Marketing

Most B2B marketers have come to accept that they are also "publishers." In addition to simply selling their products they must also produce useful content to gain the interest of potential customers and to educate readers. Producing just any content will not suffice. It's important to create engaging and empathetic content for full marketing effectiveness. Producing the right kind of content can be a marketer's largest hurdle. To create useful and relevant content put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer and consider what you can to do to best suit their needs. By learning to create interesting and compelling content your website or blog will undoubtedly become a valuable resource.

Tip: Content is more than words. B2B companies should differentiate content to include other forms of material such as audio files, videos, charts and even live demonstrations. You can repurpose existing text content you already have into other content forms. Check out the weekly VerticalResponse for SalesForce live demonstration or browse our How To Do Everything SalesForce page for inspiration!

 3. Look at the Big Picture

It's easy to get caught up on the day to day fluctuations in social media stats: number of fans or followers on Facebook, number of email retweets, number of YouTube views, and on and on. Although, the details and daily numbers are interesting to look at, what really counts is sales.

Just as you would with any marketing investment, it's important to measure the affects of social media and the overall ROI. Stay focused on the big picture to maximize the benefits of social media. For B2B and social media this means connecting with your customers in a meaningful way that actually makes them want to do business with you.

Tip: Remember, you can always view the return on investment and click-to-conversion of your email campaigns in your VerticalResponse account. For more on ROI, click-to-conversion and Google Analytics integration in your VR for SalesForce account, view our how to video tutorials: Turn on Google Analytics Integration, Click-to-Conversion Tracking and Revenue & ROI Calculator.

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Top 5 VerticalResponse for AppEx Guides

The team at VR regularly publishes new guides focused on email marketing, social media and other topics to help you learn new skills and maximize your marketing potential. Last year VR's guides were downloaded over 30,000 times by our fans and followers, and they're still hungry for more!

Here are our Top 5 most downloaded VR for AppExchange guides for your enjoyment - click the title to download your free guide:

1. 5 Steps to a Successful Email Newsletter
2. Savvy Subject Lines 
3. 5 Truths About Email Marketing
4. 5 Step Marketing Plan
5. 15 Postcard Tips & Tricks

Of course, there's always our original VR for AppExchange Guide to get you started: A Step-by-Step Guide to Email Marketing Success.

What other guides or information would you like to see from the team? Add your requests to the comments below, and we'll put it on our list of future guides. Stay tuned for new guides coming soon!

Hungry for more? Check our our weekly VR for SalesForce demo or visit the How To Do Everything Salesforce site.

5 Ways to Get More Action from Your Call-to-Action

The email marketing campaigns you create and send weekly, monthly, or  quarterly are your way of letting your recipients know what's going on with your company, what's new, or what deals you've got going on. So it's really important that you're very clear about what you'd like them to do and when you'd like them to do it. Simply put, this is your "call-to-action." With a few simple tips you can get more action from your call-to-action (CTA) resulting in more conversions from your email.

1. Make It a Button: We tested it and the results were clear: A call-to-action in the form of a button instead of a text link can increase your click through rates. The best part is you don't need to be a graphic designer to create one! Visit our friends at Performable.com and you can create one in just a minute or two! After you create your button, simply take a screen shot of it and save it as a GIF or JPEG. Then, just like any other image, insert it into your email and link it where you want it to go. Check out the Adding Images tutorial on our How To Do Everything SalesForce page.


2. Include a Sense of Urgency: Guess what? The more time that goes by before your recipients click on your call-to-action, the more likely they never will. By including a sense of urgency you're encouraging your recipients to click sooner, rather than later. Check out the CTAs below. Think about it...which one compels you more?
   
   Or
   
   
3. Use Contrasting Colors: You want to make sure your call-to-action stands out in the crowd, right? So make it pop! Use bold and contrasting colors so your recipients can't miss it.


4. Size Matters: Just like the color of your call-to-action, the size is going to effect how well it stands out in your email. You want your CTA button to be big, but not too big. So how do you know? Meghan Keaney at Performable.com says, "The biggest point is that when your recipients open the email, it should be the first thing their eyes jump to."
   


5. Keep it Short and Sweet: Your call-to-action should only be between 2-4 words. So, quickly tell your recipients what you want them to do, such as Buy Now, Save Today, Get 25% Off Now, Learn More Today, Check it Out Now, Sign-Up Today and more.

Your call-to-action plays an important role in your email, so it shouldn't be an afterthought in the email creation process. Put some thought into it as well as monitor its performance. Let us know how your next call-to-action performs!