VerticalResponse Email Marketing Blog for Small Business

Hey Girl, Wanna Go Viral? Learn from Memes.

Internet memes ("meems"). What are they? They're widely mispronounced (don't feel bad, I thought it was "me me" too). They also equate to every marketer's dream: viral ideas, behavior or concepts that explode all over the internet into a frenzy of shares, likes, tweets and most notably, copycats.

There are good memes (that involve Ryan Gosling) and bad ones (like planking or Rebecca Black), but we all participate in the madness that makes them go viral. So how do these concepts get so much exposure and why do we care? Digging into the depths of a meme can teach us a thing or two regarding our own campaigns, whether it be email, content or social marketing. Let's learn from memes:

You Tell 'em - Content Marketing

The phrase "content is king" may be overused, but the concept isn't overrated. Becoming a storyteller of sorts when it comes to content marketing is vital if we really want to resonate with our audience. However, is catchy content enough to retain our readers? Bob Knorpp from The BeanCast said it best in AdAge: "We need to show people a richer story. We need to show them why they should be compelled to come back again and again and why they should share it with their friends. We need to think less like a movie and more like an episodic sitcom - an unfolding story that is greater than the story of each individual episode. This is the secret sauce of going viral."

An excellent example would be the series of infomercial videos by Blendtec. In each "Will it Blend?" video, Tom Dickson, founder of Blendtec, attempts to blend unique items in a mixer including a cell phone, a video camera, and most famously, their "Cochicken." The videos, piquing inquisitive minds, kept audience members coming back for more to witness the wacky and wild blend ups. Was this successful for Blendtec? Dickson is quoted as saying, "The campaign took off almost instantly. We have definitely felt an impact in sales. Will it Blend has had an amazing impact to our commercial and our retail products."

Quote Me On That - Embracing Competition

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and by now, co-creators Graydon Sheppard and Kyle Humphrey of the meme Sh*t Girls Say must feel like the prettiest 'girls' in the world. The YouTube videos of Graydon in drag spouting stereotypical phrases have spawned an uncountable number of Sh*t (someone) Say(s) videos. The competition includes: Sh*t Fashion Girls Say, Sh*t San Franciscans Say, Sh*t Nobody Says, and even Sh*t People Say About Sh*t People Say Videos. As you can see, the list is never ending and everyone wants a 'say.'

While the Sh*t Girls Say knockoffs aren't made by the original creators, the exposure only prolongs the life of their meme, expands their audience, and keeps the concept going strong. In an interview with The A.V. Club, Sheppard was asked about the copycats cropping up. "It’s absolutely flattering!" he says. "I mean, the Sh*t Black Girls Say guys credited us in the actual video, and below. And the other ones are all referencing back to us, so it only serves to bring more views to our videos. I’m not at all threatened. It’s fun to see people’s takes on it."

 

Tap That - Understanding Your Audience

It's hard to believe that actor Ryan Gosling is human, but (sigh) he actually is! Celebrities grace our computer screens all the time, so why is the "Hey Girl," Ryan Gosling meme, (from the F*ck Yeah! Ryan Gosling Tumblr blog) so 'goo-goo for Gosling' popular? It appeals to the right audience within the right social media platform.

Pictures of Gosling donning personal messages that start with "Hey Girl," resonate (i.e. tug at the heart strings & humor chords) of its readers. More than half of Tumblr's demographic is under the age of 25, and this particular meme, with a swoon-worthy celebrity, taps into their desires and keeps them coming back. The original Tumblr blog has spawned off equally popular Tumblr blogs including, Feminist Ryan Gosling, Handmade Ryan Gosling, and Silicon Valley Ryan Gosling.

If You Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em! - Relevancy

Not all of us will whip up the next big meme, but joining in on the fun (while giving appropriate credit), not only shows that your business can sell a product, but remain socially relevant and creative too. Jiffy Cabs created a newspaper ad using the meme "Socially Awkward Penguin," a series of pictures depicting a penguin with text narrating life's awkward moments. The ad stating, "Taking cab alone… Don't know whether to sit in front or back," honed in on the humor of a meme while tying it into their services. Who doesn't appreciate some humor and relevancy amongst the sell, sell, sell?

So tell me, which memes do you find successful and which ones do you think should just go away? (My favorites: Sh*t Fashion Girls Say (2), and Xzibit Yo Dawg).

 

Posted by: Colleen Corkery

Colleen Corkery is the Lifecycle Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @youcollme.

 

Related Posts:

• Want to Resonante with Your Audience? 'Get Real.'
• Why Storytelling is Important and Other Lessons from Content Marketing World
• 10 Steps to Engaging Online Influencers

Learn from the Pros: Mobile Sites You Just Can’t Hate

When it comes to mobile websites, haters are gonna hate and boy, do they! In my quest and request of others to direct me towards their favorite mobile sites, the sound of crickets echoed in my eardrums. However, once I inquired about unfavorable mobile sites, the list was so long, I was sorry I asked! 

People are passionate about their mobile web navigation, and for a reason: They’re using their smartphones non-stop (guilty as charged). According to Morgan Stanley, by the year 2014, mobile Internet will surpass desktop Internet usage. That's a lot of on-the-go Internet browsing! With 1.08 billion smartphones in the world, maintaining a mobile site that satisfies is vital if you want to keep people coming back. Today, I’ll share the love and discuss three exceptional mobile sites you just can't hate. Let's learn from the pros:

1. Pitchfork Media
(m.pitchfork.com) 

As a music addict, wanting the latest and greatest music news at my fingertips quickly is of the utmost importance. Having the ability to actually read all of this information from an iPhone screen, in the words of David Bowie, “it ain’t easy.” Pitchfork, a music webzine, has incorporated the technology on its site to detect your pint-sized mobile device. After detecting your mobile, the site immediately directs you to the easy-to-read mobile version instead of dumping you onto a larger-than-life interface with microscopic font. The option to switch to a desktop version of the site is also available, if you so desire.
 
The site navigation is simple and clean, while still providing me with all of the music news, reviews, tracks, videos and features I’d normally find on the homepage of the desktop version. There's also a convenient menu tab at the very top that allows me to quickly navigate throughout the entire site.
 
Highlights: Mobile device detection, simple, easy and well thought out layout, yet still includes all aspects of original site.

 

2. ESPN
(m.espn.go.com)

I’ll admit, I don’t watch, follow, or play sports. However, I received such positive feedback regarding this particular mobile website, I had to check it out, and guess what? It’s pretty fun, even for someone as sports-challenged as myself. The site is not only optimized for nearly every mobile platform, it also provides fans with timely updates and immediate access to whichever team or sport your action-packed heart so desires. The most exciting aspect of the mobile site is “my ESPN” in which you can customize the site to your particular interests, speeding up your access to all things involving a ball, puck, or… see, I am bad at sports.
 
Highlights: Mobile optimization, timely updates, grouped sports pages, easy navigation, preference settings.

3. Airbnb
(m.airbnb.com)

This San Francisco start-up has seen dramatic growth since its inception in 2008. The site connects people worldwide who are looking for a temporary place to rent or rent out vs. taking your typical hotel or hostel route. Destination listings cover more than 19,000 cities, 192 countries and the site alone has made more than 100 million social connections.

This mobile site deserves major props for its aesthetically pleasing design. Rental listings are beautifully listed including pricing, map location, reviews and more including all necessary info that is easily organized and found under description, details and amenities tabs. A filter button on the homepage allows you to specify your searches depending on availability, and a fun pricing scale lets you slide your way into a preferred budget. You can also sign in via your Facebook account.

Highlights: Beautiful design, details, details, details (with little fuss), Facebook integration, slide and tap features for info-hungry hands.

 
Finding a fast mobile site that adheres to your device, is easy on the eyes, and doesn’t skimp on the details may seem like a dream (that you’d like to watch on your smartphone), but they're out there! So tell me, which mobile sites have you found that pleasantly surprise you, and which ones make you want to scream?

Posted by: Colleen Corkery

Colleen Corkery is the Lifecycle Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @youcollme.

 

Related Posts:

• Email & Social Marketing - 2011 - A Year in Review
• Designing Your Email for Mobile Devices
• Email Delivery: How Your Email Looks in Different Email Clients
• Guide: 8 Rules for Creating Mobile Emails
  

How to Put the Love in Your Valentine's Day Marketing

Valentine's Day 2012 is coming fast! According to the experts at the National Retail Federation, retail spending for the holiday will increase nearly 13 percent this year - that's huge! On top of this, the average person will spend $116.21 on traditional Valentine’s Day merchandise this year, an increase of 12.8% over 2011’s total, with expenditures on jewelry and clothing expected to rise substantially.

This makes this Valentine's Day the fourth most popular shopping holiday of the year, just behind the winter holidays of Christmas/Hanukkah, Back-to-School and Mother’s Day.

How can you share in the love-fest and reap the rewards this Valentine's Day? The good news is, no matter what industry you're in, or kind of business you have, you can capitalize on the theme. And, the time to get started is now!

Here are a few quick tips and tactics to get you and your readers feeling the love:

Work with the theme, but be a bit unexpected - Since everyone and their brother will be sending out emails with hearts, cupids and roses on them and subject lines with references to love, you'll want to ensure your emails and direct mail pieces stand out from the crowded mailboxes both online and off.

One way to catch your subscribers' attention is to put a creative spin on the theme and use the basics of content marketing 101 - tell a story to connect with your audience. For example, if you sell jewelry, tell a story behind symbolism of a particular precious stone that's used, or share a story of how a piece is created. You can even share the meanings behind Valentine's traditions or fun facts, like how many roses or how many pounds of chocolate will be sold this year. (The answer? 110 million roses and 1.1 billion boxes of chocolates will be sold throughout the U.S.) This way, you'll draw your recipient in and will hopefully get them to react.

Gift guides make shopping easy - Send an email marketing campaign or direct mail postcard with gift ideas by price point for him and her. If you're sending an email, try including a call-to-action button that encourages your readers to Buy Now. You can also use this free tool to make your own free custom button.

Use social to share the love - It's easier than ever to extend the reach of your messages to potential and new customers by sharing your email content on your social networks. Check out Roost by VerticalResponse, a free tool that lets you easily and quickly create a campaign of posts across all your social networks. The best part is you can do it all from one place and not have to log into Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn separately. You'll have your Valentine's Day campaign ready in a flash! You can also extend the life of your email campaign by sharing the hosted version to your social networks. You've spent the time to create it, now make sure as many people as possible can see it.

Be careful with your subject line - This is a great tip from our pals at the Retail Email Blog about not shortening Valentine's Day to V-Day in your subject line or tweets to save characters. V-Day has a number of meanings and associations, generally violent. Email marketers are always looking to trim characters from their subject lines, but this may not be the best way to shorten "Valentine’s Day."

How will you message your audience this Valentine's Day?

Posted by Kim Stiglitz.

Kim Stiglitz is the Director of Lifecycle Marketing at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @Stiggy1.

A Happy Lesson on Branding from Apple & Grouplove

Grouplove is an American indie rock band I encountered after attending a concert last September. They opened for Two Door Cinema Club, another indie rock band that has seen rising popularity in the indie music scene. Grouplove’s cheery disposition and uplifting beats in their debut album ironically titled, "Never Trust a Happy Song," is exactly what you would imagine listening to on a summer road trip. I was immediately enthralled and have since been following them around the Bay Area.

When I was home visiting family in sunny central California for the holidays, I overheard "Tongue Tied," a single from Grouplove's album, on TV. I skipped over to the screen to find their song was being used as the soundtrack for an Apple iPod Touch TV commercial, "Share the Fun" (say hello to the charts, Grouplove)! Apparently I wasn't the only one who found their beats contagious and their lyrics catchy.

Apple is known for putting bands on the map (Feist - 1234, Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl, and The Ting Tings – Shut Up and Let Me Go, to name a few) after featuring them in their ads. They're also known for having lighthearted and uplifting branding, particularly in their TV spots. Their ads usually include attractive individuals dancing and smiling while energetically using their Apple products to the sounds of catchy tunes.

Okay, hold the phone, what does this have to do with email marketing and businesses like yours? There are two important (but happy) takeaways from this encounter with Apple and Grouplove:  

1. Consistent branding is key - Grouplove's sound is consistent and the songs on their album are complementary. They can easily be described as happy, uplifting and upbeat. People can't talk about you if they aren't able to concisely describe your business. And, they won't recognize or recall you if your branding is all over the place. Someone at Apple heard Grouplove somewhere and it clearly stuck with them and it's definitely paying off for the band (Tongue Tied has been listed for 3 weeks on the US Singles Top 100). Establish yourself with a consistent logo, coloration, slogan and yes, we have to say it ... company name. And, keep your branding consistent on your website, emails, publications and across all of your social marketing platforms.

Email Tip - You can input your company name and upload your company logo in your VerticalResponse account (under the “Account” tab) to be included as the default in your email messages.

2. Get clever with your slogan - Make it easy for customers, potential customers and even employees to remember you and be able to recall and explain exactly what you do. Apple features catchy upbeat songs in their ads and these songs undoubtedly become stuck in our heads. As we happily hum the songs of Apple commercials past, we then think of Apple and all of the products showcased in their commercials. Great, now we all just need to run out and find an indie band to feature in our multi-million dollar TV spot, right? Not quite, but what you can do is make sure to include a contagious tagline or slogan in all of your communications (email, social media, print, online etc.) and branding which indicates exactly what you do.

Email Tip – Need a place to include your slogan or tagline? Incorporate it into your logo, place it in the pre-header of your email or use it as the alt text for your images.

Happy Branding!

Related Posts:

• Your Brand is Everything You Do
• An Email Marketing Lesson Not to Take from XFINITY

Posted by Savannah Stewart.

 

Savannah Stewart is the Partner Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @savannahstewart.

Blogosphere Facts – Can You Handle the Truth?

Did you know that the earth isn’t just comprised of four hemispheres, but there’s actually a fifth we’re living in? It’s called (cue dramatic music) …the Blogosphere! Did you also know that “blogosphere” is a real term? I’m not even making it up! The term was coined in 1999, as a joke initially, but is now used, in all seriousness, to describe blogs as a connected community or collection of communities.

The blogosphere is an ever-changing and evolving hub and Technorati, a blog search engine directory, has been examining the growth and trends within the blogosphere since 2004. Since then, they’ve been reporting and releasing their findings, which they collect through a series of surveys. The findings may surprise, interest, please or appall you. They reveal who bloggers actually are; what, where, when, why & how successfully they blog, and for the second year, the findings also discuss consumers. To get to the heart of the good stuff, here's a breakdown of interesting facts to note from 2011’s State of the Blogosphere findings:

BLOGGER DEMOGRAPHICS

• 65% of bloggers are ages 18-44; 1/3rd are over 44.

• 59% of bloggers are men (down from 64% in 2010).

• The annual household income of a blogger: $50,000+.
  

• Majority of bloggers are married and half of all bloggers have children.

• 1/4 of bloggers are self-employed, and just less than half are employed full time.

• 1/3 of bloggers have worked for traditional media, with a monthly magazine being the most common form (41%).

• Of the 14% of bloggers who earn a salary for blogging, the average annual amount is $24,086.

• States with highest concentrations of bloggers: California 15%, New York 7% and Texas 6%.

BLOGGER TYPES
 
1. Hobbyists – 61% of bloggers within the blogosphere are blogging “for fun,” and don’t report any income from blogging.
2-3. Professional Part and Full-timers – This group makes up 18% of the blogosphere and are independent bloggers. Most of these bloggers don’t consider blogging their primary source of income and tend to blog about personal musings and technology.
4. Corporate – 8% of the blogosphere. They blog as part of their full-time job, or blog full-time for a company they work for. They primarily talk about technology or business.
5. Entrepreneurs – 13% are entrepreneurs or individuals blogging for a company they own. 



BLOGGER HABITS - WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY & HOW?

• 70% of bloggers write to share expertise, 61% blog to gain professional recognition/personal satisfaction and 52% blog to attract new clients.

• 60% of bloggers blog up to 3 hours a week and 40% blog more than 3 hours a week. Professional full-time bloggers (26%) update their blog at least 3 times per day. Majority of bloggers update their blog 2-3 a week.

• 80% of bloggers have been blogging for at least 2 years.

• 79% describe their blogging style as "sincere," 67% describe their style as "conversational." Professional, Corporates, and Entrepreneurs also describe their style as "expert."

• Wordpress is the most popular blog hosting service among all respondents, used by 51% of them, followed by Blogger (21%) and Blogspot (14%).

BLOGGER MOTIVATON & SUCCESS

• What's the leading metric of success? Among Professionals, Corporates, and Entrepreneurs, they gauge success according to the number of unique visitors they receive. 69% of Hobbyists say that personal satisfaction is a way they measure the success of their blog.

• 54% of bloggers say they’ve made friends through their blog, and have become more involved with their passion areas as a result of blogging.

• More than 60% of Corporate and Entrepreneur bloggers have gained greater visibility in their industry through blogging.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• 82% of bloggers use Twitter, 89% use Facebook.

TRAFFIC & REVENUE

• Across bloggers, Google Analytics is by far the most popular service used to follow blog traffic.
  

• 50% of Professional bloggers receive more than 10,000 views per month.

• Display ads, affiliate marketing links, and search ads are the most common ways bloggers generate revenue from their blogs.

• 60% of Corporate bloggers said they do not have any advertising on their blog.

• Overall traffic drivers to blogs: Twitter, Facebook, and blog tags.

BLOGGER INFLUENCES 

• Number one influence for bloggers regarding the topics they blog about: Other blogs (68%). Second and third most influential for blog topics: Conversations with friends and social media.

CONSUMERS
 
Blogs continue to outpace other social and traditional media in terms of gaining consumers' trust and generating their recommendations/purchases. Almost 40% of consumers now believe blogs are being taken more seriously as a source of information. "Facebook remains somewhat influential, but less so than blogs, and Twitter has seen a drop in influence over the past year."

TAKEAWAY

Now that we know the depths and demographics that make up the blogosphere (if you’d like to dive in further, you can find the full report here), does anything surprise you? One of the most important aspects to note is that 60% of Corporate & Entrepreneur bloggers have gained greater visibility purely from blogging. This means, if you don’t currently have a blog, it’s probably an excellent time to jump on that blog bandwagon (plus, it's pretty fun too!). And, while most of us won’t be living purely off a blogger’s salary alone, the blogosphere as a whole is still strong and striving. Blogs also continuously climb the ranks as a trustworthy reference for consumers.

If blogging charters unfamiliar territory for you, have no fear, there’s a webinar for that! Join us on Wed, January 25^th at 1pm (PST) for Getting Started with Blogging, and soon, you'll be a blogging fool, too (in a good way, promise!).

Related articles:

BlogWorld Expo: Optimize Your Way to Business Blogging Success,

Top 11 Blog Posts of 2011

Posted by: Colleen Corkery

Colleen Corkery is the Lifecycle Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. She writes and reaps about all email-related things. Connect with her on Twitter at @youcollme.

Exhibiting at CES 2012? What Every Small Biz Needs to Know

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Thankfully, that saying doesn't apply to CES, where everything that goes down gets instantly broadcast across the Internet. The Super Bowl of tech is set to open its doors on Monday, and along with heavy hitters such as Sony, Microsoft, et al, a bevy of small businesses will be on deck to unleash their new products and attempt to get an early leg up on the competition. To help you make the most of the annual geek extravaganza, here's a little primer on what you need to know, expect and prepare for. 

What is CES?

The International Consumer Electronics Show is the world's largest tech event and takes place January 9-13, with the 9th being exclusively devoted to press events and conferences, and the actual exhibits starting on the 10th.

CES is the launching point for the biggest tech products of the year, including smartphones, tablets, computers, big-screen TVs, gaming hardware and more. Companies looking to make a big splash, or just learn about the new industry trends, are sure to make an appearance. The show is closed to the public, but for those lucky enough to attend, it's a rare chance to get some hands-on time with new products as early as weeks, or even months, before their official release. For the unlucky who are unable to attend though (like yours truly), live streaming and social media updates of the event provide an opportunity to learn more about the gadgets and high-end electronics you'll be spending your hard-earned dollars on in the near future.

What to Expect in 2012

Last year, everyone and their mother seemingly had a tablet or 3DTV on display. For 2012, the early buzz seems to be on ultrabooks, with the major PC companies like Dell, Toshiba or HP looking to follow the trail blazed by Apple's MacBook Air (who, incidentally, won't be making an appearance), bringing in their own light, razor-thin laptops for the world to see. 

Smartphones should maintain a strong presence, with a slew of powerful and LTE-capable devices being presented. Tablets and e-readers should also be ubiquitous, with a rash of Android 4.0 (or Ice Cream Sandwich)-equipped slates looking to steal the spotlight. OLED displays from LG and Samsung will try to position themselves as the new technology to provide the TV industry with a shot in the arm.

Finally, this year's show should signal the advent of wireless and dematerialization. There are some rumblings that the focus won't be on the shiny and fancy new hardware, but rather their interoperability. Imagine a world where wires are no longer necessary, with information and applications being seamlessly shared between your phone, tablet, laptop, TV, and integrated into your car and home. Feel free to ooh and ahh, I know I did. 

How to Prep for CES

• Have a cool animation or promo on hand: The best way to build buzz around your product or company is to make your booth stand out from the other 2,700-odd exhibitors. Some sell or offer food and drinks, others a Zen lounge with masseuses to help relax in-between sessions and demos. The Postal Service even ships back people's schwag for free. So try to think of original and fun ways to connect with attendees, while promoting your brand in a positive manner. 
• Communicate - a lot: Promos are cool, but you know what's cooler? Having people know about them beforehand and making it a point to show up at your booth. In addition to sending out targeted emails in the weeks leading up to the event, having an ad in the show guide and whatnot, you can leverage your social networks to make your presence known ahead of and during the show. 
• Work on that agoraphobia problem: The organizers are expecting over 140,000 attendees, including journalists, retail buyers, investors and industry analysts, split between the Las Vegas Convention Center and the adjacent Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (the old Hilton). So if you followed our previous tips to a tee, expect a lot of traffic!
• Have a cool and efficient way to collect leads: In addition to collecting business cards the old-fashioned way, you can request a badge scanner from the show organizers, if possible with a printer so you can jot down notes about the person you just talked to. You can also have a laptop or tablet handy (it is CES after all) for attendees to sign up for more info on the spot. If you plan on following up by email (and we know you do - wink, wink), make sure to ask for permission first. 

Ready for the craziness that is CES? Share your tips on how you plan to attend the show and, if you live to tell the tale, feel free to do so in the comments!

Posted by My Truong.

My Truong is the Marketing Programs Manager at VerticalResponse. Connect with him on Twitter @PtitMy.

Introducing Webinar Wednesdays!

Happy New Year, everybody! In the same calendar-turning tradition of "starting fresh," we're starting 2012 with our new "Webinar Wednesdays" series, offering plenty of informative and free webinars to help quench your mid-week thirst for knowledge (marketing knowledge, at least).

Plus, as an added bonus, if you attend any of these webinars, you'll receive a follow-up email with a super-exclusive special offer from VR!

So check out our full list of webinars for January and register for one or more today!

Email Delivery Changes in the New Year

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - 10 AM PST
Join delivery and marketing team members to learn more about email delivery, including changes that the top 4 ISPs have implemented and how that will impact your emails in 2012. 

Go Local! - Location-Based Marketing for Your Business

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - 1 PM PST
Location-based marketing couldn't be hotter right now. Whether you're a brick-and-mortar retail business or a national brand, geo-location tools can help you build buzz and drum up new business. Join Marketing team members as we cover:

• Which geo-location apps you need to know
• How to leverage them to build social buzz and drive foot traffic
• Innovative geo-location campaigns to inspire your planning

Maintaining Your Mailing List

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 10 AM PST
It's a new year and time to do a little housekeeping to start things off right. This webinar will go over:

• Good list practices
• How to clean up your list
• Using segmentation, opt-in forms, plus more

Creating a Successful Email

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 - 1 PM PST
Your email is a tool that helps you stay engaged with your customers and prospects and helps you grow your business. Join us as we discuss how you can strengthen your relationships and customer loyalty with an effective email.



Using Surveys For Your Business

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 10 AM PST
Learn how surveys can help build relationships with your customers and grow your business. We'll also go over how to use the VR Survey tool to choose a template, create and edit questions, and analyze the statistics collected.

Related Posts:

• Holidays You Don't Want to Forget to Remember
• How to Win Back Old Customers via Email
  

Posted by Brendan Hill.

Brendan Hill is a Lifecycle Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. Connect with him on Twitter at @BrendanHill

Keep 'em Coming Back for More with Loyalty Programs

I received something in my mailbox recently that absolutely thrilled me. I reached gold card status at Starbucks and my new card arrived! If you didn't know, Starbucks lets you register any gift card, and then tracks your purchases made on that card. Once you reach a certain number, Starbucks will send you a gold card. In addition to the cool card with my name on it, I also get periodic free drinks and discounts on products.

Starbucks reminded me in the card info to update my email address so I know when my special deals arrive. Great for email marketing! By updating my address I'm also signing up for their marketing emails, an easy way to grow their list. Any business can do this, and you don't have to set up a special page on your site; this can also be accomplished in person at a register or in your store.

With the exception of the fancy card, this is a pretty simple loyalty program. You probably are part of one or more like this already: "Buy X sandwiches, get 1 free" or "Spend X amount of money in our store and save 25% off your next purchase." A simple punch card is an easy way to start a loyalty program for your regular customers. Knowing that buying from your company or using your service will earn them something in the future will help keep your company top of mind and keep customers coming back for more. There's even a new app called Stampt built specifically with this use in mind, making it easier and faster than ever to create your own loyalty program.

Really, my fancy new card just shows my dependence on caffeine. But now that I have reached this special level I will be more likely to think of Starbucks when I need a pick-me-up. And, that continued business is the true value of a loyalty program.

Are you using a loyalty program at your business? How do you make it work?

Posted by: Jill Bastian

Jill Bastian is the Training and Education Manager at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter @Jillieb3.

Big News! VerticalResponse Acquires Roost™ Social Media Marketing Platform

I’m super excited to let you in on some great news; VerticalResponse is adding a leading social media marketing platform to our list of powerful tools enabling you to engage with customers instantly; Roost by VerticalResponse.

What’s a Roost?
Roost is a compelling platform that enables small businesses to publish their own content, as well as suggested content to Facebook and Twitter instead of logging in and out of separate social networks. Reporting on clicks for posts is also provided.

What's in it for You?
Right now you may be publishing hosted versions of your email marketing campaigns to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. But what about when you want to post things that aren’t in your email marketing campaigns? You have to log into each of your networks and do your posts (lame). Then you don’t really know how engaging those posts have been (double lame). Roost to the rescue. Now you’ll be able to log into Roost, connect with your Facebook and Twitter networks (more networks to come) and publish. And for now, it’s free to use, so get on in there and check it out!

What & When Should You Publish To Your Social Networks?
What’s really cool is that you can publish one single post, or you can create a full-on time-saving campaign for the entire week or even the month. And Roost provides feeds of content, so if you’re a travel agent and need some content ideas, just enable the Travel feed and you’ll get content from publishers like Travel and Leisure, New York Times Travel Section, the Lonely Planet Blog and much more. Simply check the content you want to publish and when you want to publish it and voila! it will be automatically published! Cool eh? Roost also makes easy-to-implement suggestions on what to post and when. And since Facebook is displaying content in your feeds that has a higher engagement rate, it’s becoming more important for you to get your followers engaged with you and what you have to say.

What’s Next Janine?
Our work has just begun. We want to make it even easier for you to get new customers and engage with your current ones. So, in the future look for us to integrate all of our features under one roof, or in one interface or one single log-in as the geeks say. In the meantime we’ll add features to Roost that allow you to respond to Facebook and Twitter followers from the interface and we’ll add more social networks like LinkedIn and Google+.

Roost has a great team that I’m excited to work with and as we grow together, we’ll be thinking about even more ways to offer tools you can use to effectively grow your business.

I'd love to hear your feedback, so feel free to share your thoughts here.

Posted by Janine Popick.

Janine Popick is the CEO and founder of VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter.

Promos So Fine, They Blow Our Minds

"Oh promos, you’re so fine, you’re so fine, you blow our minds! Hey promos!" - Like a catchy tune, a good promotion has the opportunity to successfully stick in the eyes, ears and mind of an eager or potential customer. In an effort to stand out amongst promotions-gone-wild this season, the holidays pose an excellent opportunity to hone in on our ‘let’s get viral’ skills. Below is a compilation of holiday promotions (and take aways), so catchy and fine, they blew my mind:

1. GapKids: I Want Candy

Do you like shopping? I know you do. Do you have a sweet tooth? Me too! What better way to feed both of these needs than with clothes and candy. This year, GapKids has a sensationally sweet holiday promotion and clothing line appropriately titled “I Want Candy.” Better yet, they’ve brought on Maria Aragon (You know, the little girl who became a YouTube star for covering Lady Gaga’s ‘Born this Way’) to sing and promote the line. Not only am I a sucker for sweets, but Aragon’s cover and all-girl rocker video for the song, “I Want Candy” is too cute to boot. Granted, I don’t even have children, but the promo hit a sweet spot, so I walked into Gap and headed to the kids section to check out the goods. And guess what? Not only were they selling cute clothes, but actual candy! You can bet your candy canes I bought a bag and it was delicious – Impressive! Way to go GapKids, I’m buying your products and I don’t even have a kid!

GapKids "I Want Candy" Video feat. Maria Aragon:

Take-away: Shine the spotlight on someone else. Featuring or repurposing content from others, whether it be a local star, someone unknown, or even a competitor, not only develops and displays professional camaraderie, but also gives you the opportunity to be exposed to new audiences brought in from your guest stars. Always make sure, however, to give credit where it’s due.

 

2. ModCloth: Name it & Win it 

Speaking of sugar and spice and promos that're oh-so nice, ModCloth, a retro online clothing retailer, has a cult fan following, and for a reason. Not only do they provide a constant stream of desirable products, they do an excellent job of engaging their customers in just about every promo they put on. One of my favorite’s featured on ModCloth’s blog is a contest called “Name it & Win it.” Every product sold on MothCloth’s website has a cheeky, ‘punny’ or cheesy name to it. In this ‘Cyber Monday’ edition of "Name it & Win it," Modcloth leaves it up to their customers to come up with a name for a featured product...in this case, a dress. The winner gets bragging rights for naming a permanent product on the site AND they get the dress! That’s not only interactive, but also engaging, and it promotes multiple site viewership. That's winning x2. Yahoo!

Take-away: Find ways to engage and interact with your audience. This may be through contests, giveaways, surveys, or even simple questions posed to your customers via blog/Facebook/Twitter, etc. Interaction with your customers encourages repeat visits and will most likely attract new customers to join in on the fun. Check out this recorded webinar, Social Media Listening and Engaging for more ideas.

   

3. Amazon.com: 25 Days of Free

“Free” and “music” are two of my all-time favorite words. When both of these words/worlds collide, I swear I hear angels singing, for free, of course. With the rise of music streaming services like Spotify, that encourage “borrowing” music vs. downloading it illegally (you know who you are), we’re all getting into the honest & sharing spirit. Amazon.com takes it one step further with their promotion, "25 Days of Free" where they're just giving music to you, for free! Going on now, and every day through Christmas, Amazon will unveil a holiday song to download for free for a limited time. It’s like a zero calorie advent calendar that goes straight to your ears!

Take away: Giving gifts to your customers for free, without any hidden catches, is not only appreciated, but will be remembered. And, when a customer does want to purchase a product, they’ll most certainly come back to you.

 

4. Starbucks.com: 12 Daily Offers

Starbucks fans are hardcore, and I can see why. Not only does Starbucks brew up some of the strongest coffee in the industry, but they put a lot of thought and effort into their promotions, even if they only last 12 days. From December 1-12th, Starbucks puts a new gift idea on sale for one day, in their "12 Daily Offers" promotion. It’s a gift guide & sale in one! There’s an animated site made specifically for the promotion displaying a lit up tree, falling snowflakes and carolers that transport me into a winter wonderland of coffee and hot deals. Starbucks run anyone?

Take-away: Offer a gift guide, a sale, and a sense of urgency. Some people need all the help they can get when it comes to buying gifts. Providing your customers with friendly ideas via gift guide along with a deal will ease their sense of gift-giving panic. Providing a limited time on your sale also urges customers to purchase sooner than later. The amount of effort you put into something, such as a sale, will also resonate with your audience, no matter how big or small the deal.

 

5. Kate Spade New York: Give Colorfully

Kate Spade is living in color. The 2011 Holiday campaign and collection “Give Colorfully” displays handbags, jewelry, clothing and more in splashes of color galore. To promote the campaign, their blog explodes with color and colorful topics, short, sweet and visually appealing videos, and more. There’s even an interactive gift guide on the site that allows you to virtually ‘unwrap’ goodies by scrolling your mouse over colorfully wrapped packages. The campaign, colors, design, videos, creativity and interactivity on the site are not only aesthetically pleasing, but fun to get lost in, more so than I should probably admit, but it was for research right?!

Take-away: Never underestimate the power of a clean, simple, colorful design. This concept doesn’t just apply to websites, but to your email campaigns as well. Eliminate clutter, keep it simple, and consider white space.

6. UrbanOutfitters.com: Take it Off

When you hear the phrase “take it off” are you thinking of savings? Sure, me too. Well, whatever your mind may be making up, UrbanOutfitters.com sure did a great job of grabbing my attention. In a ‘quickie’ of an email, I received the promo code: TAKEITOFF for an additional 20% off a $100 purchase. They placed the promo code in the preheader, and sure enough, I opened it up in a split second to check out the…er, savings.

Take-away: Attention-grabbing copy (when done tastefully and truthfully) is key, so take some risks! If you’re worried about performance, conduct a split test and send the catchy attention-grabber to half your audience. Make sure to track and measure your results – you might be pleasantly surprised! Here are some slides on holiday copywriting and content to get you in the catchy copywriting mood.  

That 'wraps' it up! Hopefully this compilation of promos got your own creative brain geared up and ready to take on some catchy promo action, so fine, it’ll blow your customers’ minds!

Posted by: Colleen Corkery

Colleen Corkery is the Lifecycle Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. She writes and reaps about all email-related things. Connect with her on Twitter at @youcollme