5 easy ways to launch a local email marketing strategy

by | Apr 3, 2018 | Curated Content, Email Marketing, Local Marketing, Marketing | 0 comments

Originally published on 03 Apr, 2017 via:
https://searchenginewatch.com/2017/04/03/5-easy-ways-to-launch-a-local-email-marketing-strategy/

Vector graphic showing hands holding up smartphones in front of a globe, which is surrounded by floating icons representing digital concepts like shopping, music and email.

Email marketing is alive and well in 2017, with over 269 billion emails being sent every day.

Unfortunately, according to Email Monday, of these 269 billion only 22% of retail emails are opened. This is significantly less than the open rate of 34% garnered by other types of emails.

It’s also important to note that of the emails that are opened by consumers, 45% are done via a mobile device. In fact, email marketing is becoming synonymous with mobile marketing.

googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(“div-gpt-ad-1489681656730-0”);});

If your company’s email marketing campaign isn’t seeing success and you find yourself in the 78% of retail emails that are being sent to the junk folder without a second glance, you might want to rethink your strategy. Creating or updating your campaign to focus more on local marketing could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that the future of email marketing is hyperlocal. Below we’ve compiled some tips for how to create a successful localized email marketing strategy.

1. Make sure your offers are tailored to your customers so they can actually use them

One strategy to use when creating a local email marketing campaign is to send out coupons and offers for specific geographic areas.

Sending coupons is a great way to get consumers to open your emails, but if you consistently send offers that they can’t realistically take advantage of, they’re going to get annoyed and eventually start sending those emails straight to the trash.

Do some research and figure out how your audience best likes to redeem offers. Is it in person in a brick and mortar store, online via a voucher, etc.? If you have to differentiate your emails and offers based on various target groups, then take the extra time to do that.

Your audience will thank you by consistently opening the emails and taking advantage of the coupons you’re sending.

2. Add a personal touch to email campaigns, and reach out in person whenever possible

No one wants to receive an automatic email that seems to have been written by a robot—it’s impersonal and boring and won’t succeed in engaging your audience. Even if you include a great offer, chances are consumers will stop reading before they even notice it.

Something as simple as a border or a photo around an image can immediately tip the viewer off that it is an automated email. You can try to make emails sound as personal as possible by sending emails from the name of someone in the company, as opposed to the business name itself, and formatting the email in a more natural way.

AWeber.com suggests sharing emails on social media since it’s easy for people to like, comment, and share them with others. One of the businesses they work with, Vault Brewing, also saw success when they went out into the community to look for email subscribers. They asked people in person at their business location and at live events via surveys and subscriber apps.

They saw much greater success with their email marketing campaign after they incorporated these personal touches, and it’s also a good way to connect with the community and learn more about your target audience.

In the example above, which was sent to a family member of mine, you can see that the email is certainly automated, but that isn’t completely obvious at first glance. This gets you to open the email and engage before making any assumptions, so I thought they did a great job.

Although this may not necessarily be targeted locally, it gives itself a “local” feel by creating an inclusive environment.

3. Integrate social media to spread the word

As I stated above, social media is a great way to connect with a local audience and spread the word about your email marketing campaign. If your business has a newsletter that you email to subscribers, consider posting parts of it on social media with a link to sign up for your email campaign.

Post offers and rewards on social platforms to encourage people to sign up for emails, and get to know your audience better by investigating what groups and communities they participate in socially online. Just make sure you don’t offer the exact same incentives and materials on social media that you do via email, or consumers won’t have a reason to subscribe to your campaign.

As far as local impact goes, social media is actually very localized when shared by individuals as opposed to businesses. Be sure to share these posts directly with those in your local filters.

if(jQuery(window).width()>500){setSameHeight(‘.related-articles-middle .related-article’);setSameHeight(‘.related-articles-middle .related-articles-col’);}

4. Use a subject line that relates to the local area

When crafting an email, how much thought do you put into the subject line? Of course you want it to be engaging so people will be tempted to open it, but have you thought much past that?

Businesses who are focusing on hyperlocal email marketing have suggested using a specific state or city name in the subject line of emails being sent out in order to make national content more relevant for a local audience. According to ImaginePub.com, this simple strategy has the potential to increase open rates by as much as 7%.

Even if you don’t see an improvement at this same rate, most likely your open rates and click-through rates will increase to some degree when you deliberately target audiences in a specific geographic area.

5. Segment your list by language and region for more targeted marketing

Don’t be afraid if a section of your target audience speaks a language other than English, or resides in an unfamiliar location. Instead, embrace these differences and target your marketing to meet them.

Campaignmonitor.com says that incorporating this strategy is a no brainer, seeing as how the Localization Industry Standards Association carried out a study that showed $25 was returned for every $1 invested in localization.

First you’ll want to survey your customers to make sure you have accurate data before segmenting your email list(s). Modify your subject lines based on the criteria from your different lists, and don’t forget to consider your calls-to-action. What works in one language and one region might not have the same effect somewhere else.

If all of this seems a bit overwhelming, consider working with a localization specialist to help get you started. There are also several programs that can help automate your email campaign and free up some of your time so you can focus more on your localization efforts.

The takeaway

As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into launching a local email marketing strategy. The tips above are just some of the ways you can localize your email marketing; there are many more ways you can do this depending on how much effort and time you’re willing to put in.

I suggest taking it one step at a time, incorporating one or two strategies, and monitoring their success before going further. Launch 27 recommends many more helpful strategies and case studies in this article published on their blog.

Also keep in mind that when constructing a localized email campaign, don’t forget about best practices associated with email marketing. You always want to ask a customer’s permission before signing them up for email, and you should also offer them an “opt-out” option as well. NoRiskSEO goes into more detail about these strategies and offers other ways to take your marketing campaign to the next level.

Image credit 1-3: Screenshots taken by author March, 2017

Image credit 4: 1.bp.blogspot.com

 

Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer for NoRiskSEO, a full service SEO agency, and a contributor to SEW. You can connect with Amanda on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Want to stay on top of the latest search trends?

Get top insights and news from our search experts.

Related reading

This week, Google’s new “suggested clip” feature in search results shows how far its ability to search within videos has improved, and a new menu of Partner-only Features on Google’s Developer Blog hints at some exciting things to come.

Google has just re-designed, revamped and re-launched its Earth product. What’s new, what’s improved, and how can marketers take advantage of the storytelling opportunities it presents?

Happy Easter, Search Engine Watch readers! In honour of the season, we have put together a light-hearted search trivia quiz to test your knowledge.

Michael Bertini, Online Marketing Consultant and Search Strategist at iQuanti, told Search Engine Watch why he thinks that Google has gone off half-cocked with Posts, and why marketers would be better off expending their energies elsewhere.

—————————–
This article was originally published on 03 Apr, 2017 by Amanda DiSilvestro.
The original article appeared here:
https://searchenginewatch.com/2017/04/03/5-easy-ways-to-launch-a-local-email-marketing-strategy/

How to Earn (and Close) More Commercial Roofing Leads

How to Earn (and Close) More Commercial Roofing Leads

by | May 4, 2017 | Contractor Marketing, Email Marketing, Local SEO, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Original Content, SEO, Social Media | 0 comments

Are you having trouble generating quality commercial roofing leads for your business?

Try these digital marketing tactics to get better leads today – leads that you can close!

1. Start An E-Newsletter

Yep, you heard it here first – email marketing is once again an incredibly popular way to generate commercial roofing leads – and leads in pretty much any industry.

E-newsletters are getting more and more popular because they offer a one-stop-shopping experience for information related to your company.

Think about it: while on a website, visitors have to choose to navigate through your internal pages, in an e-newsletter you can condense the most important pages of your website in one place.

You can highlight an employee and customer of the month, tell them about recent jobs you’ve done, show them a video of a new roofing strategy…all in a single email.

Especially since social media posts are so brief – a single picture with a caption, a 140-character limit – emails allow you to offer more long-form content to your clients.

E-newsletters remind your clients of your name at least once a month, and they establish you as an authority in your field. Even if the people on your mailing list don’t need roofing services now, when they do – they’ll know where to go.

2. Fine-Tune Your Keyword Search

In order to get access to quality commercial roofing leads, you need to get people onto your website.

For example, imagine there’s a person that’s just found a huge hole in his roof or has been hit by a huge storm.

He needs roof help that day.

How can you make sure he lands on your site?

By doing constant keyword searches that tell you exactly what people are typing into their search engines in your service area when they need roofing help.

Especially if you’re a smaller business, broad keywords like “roofing services” aren’t specific enough. (They’ll work if you have little competition, or if you’re the top roofer, but they won’t for anyone else.)

Instead, get specific by including longer, local keywords with your service area (things like “roofing company Seattle WA”) in your web content, your HTML tags, and your titles and headings.

Use tools like Keyword Tool to get a free list of popular keywords in your area and in the roofing industry.

3. Get Active On Facebook

Facebook gives you great access to top leads because of its awesome re-marketing tools.

This means that people who have already been to your website and looked at your roofing services will see ads for your roofing company in their news feeds, reminding them to get back in touch with you to schedule an appointment.

Great leads are all about finding the people who need your services – not randomly pitching to a wide market, most of whom have no interest in re-doing their roof.

Getting a Facebook page for your roofing business means you’ll be able to connect with the people that have already searched for roofing help.

Get Better Commercial Roofing Leads With These Tips

Thanks to these tips, your leads are going to be higher in quality and in number.

For more awesome digital marketing strategies for your roofing business, as well as access to top services, check out our website and blog.

We are all about sharing!

Feel free to share this content by clicking on the icons below:

How to Send Perfect Roofing Contractor Marketing Emails

How to Send Perfect Roofing Contractor Marketing Emails

by | Apr 25, 2017 | Email Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Original Content | 0 comments

With so many different methods of marketing emerging in the digital world, how is email still the best option for roofing contractor marketing?

Email lets you get close to your customers in a way that’s not practical elsewhere. In some ways, it’s almost like you’re having a personal conversation with them.

Curious how to maximize your email efforts for your roofing business? We’ve got five expert tips waiting for you below.

Target your emails

First and foremost, your emails aren’t going to get anywhere if they aren’t targeted.

They need to be focused to your intended demographic, or else your open and click-through rates are going to be incredibly poor.

Don’t send out your emails in one blast. Segment them out according to your customers’ activity.

Additionally, make sure they’re personalized. Nobody likes feeling as though they’re part of a giant marketing campaign, and that includes your customers.

Newsletters!

A great way to keep your audience updated and current about what’s going on with your business is to use newsletters!

They may seem outdated, but newsletters can help provide information to your customers and help them feel close to you. Contrary to popular belief, some customers do enjoy following what a business has to say.

Use this platform to spread educational information about your field, along with creative content. This has the double benefit of giving your client base regular content, which is key when it comes to marketing in today’s climate.

Make a twist!

Of course, the point of your email marketing is to make a sale. When it comes to roofing contractors marketing, that’s your bottom line. However, you need to present your offers a little differently than you normally would.

Think of your offer, and then add some options and twists that go along with that offer. Rather than offering a percentage off of a service, offer a percentage off of a service done with certain materials.

Give the customer choices to give them the feeling that they have the power. They’re the ones making the decision; it’s important to actually give them a decision to make.

Images

You can’t overstate the importance of images in emails nowadays. The same rule applies to email as it does across the Internet: Visual content is having its heyday.

With attention spans dwindling, you can’t afford to let your message get lost as it drowns in text. The fact of the matter is that nobody’s going to read it if it doesn’t catch their eye.

Figure out a way to convey the same thing in fewer words with an attractive, educational image to go along with it, and you’ll see the profits before you know it.

Roofing contractor marketing: the bottom line

When it comes to marketing your roofing business, you’re making a big mistake if you don’t follow these easy tips. There’s a reason email has remained a big part of digital marketing.

Make sure your emails are personalized and make sure you’re offering your clients things that they can’t get anywhere else. At the same time, put the power into their hands and make sure your emails are attractive.

With these tips under your belt, you’ll be crafting attractive, business-boosting emails in no time!

We are all about sharing!

Feel free to share this content by clicking on the icons below:

5 Must Know Small Business Marketing Trends for 2017

5 Must Know Small Business Marketing Trends for 2017

by | Apr 4, 2017 | Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Original Content, Social Media | 0 comments

Many times, marketing can feel like a moving target.

But being familiar with marketing trends can help you be better prepared to keep your business on track.

In 2017, trends are more focused on technology than ever before.

Here are some surefire ways you can boost your marketing efforts with current marketing trends.

Mobile-Friendly turns Mobile-Centric

We’ve crested the summit of desktop vs. mobile, with mobile use representing 60% of all online activity.

This means several things as far as marketing trends are concerned.

First, you need to make sure that your website and blog are optimized for mobile browsing. Consider using an interactive design for an extra attention-grabbing edge.

Second, it might be time to consider creating an app for your business.

Third, mobile payment services are on the rise and seem to be increasing in popularity with consumers. But it’s not enough to simply offer payment options through Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or PayPal — you need to advertise that you do.

This is a huge attention grabber, especially for small businesses, and it can be the difference between making or missing a sale.

Social Media Marketing Trends

By now you should know that social media is at the heart of marketing trends.

If you don’t have social media platforms for your business, you’re falling behind.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are easy to keep up and make interactions with potential customers personal and easy to manage.

Blogging

If you don’t have a blog for your small business, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

By providing information on your business, services, and industry, you are making yourself into resource and people are more likely to trust you.

Be sure that your blog is providing accurate and relevant information and is making use of proper SEO techniques.

Customer Loyalty Programs

Customer loyalty programs are one of the best ways to turn one-time customers into return customers.

While 97% of loyalty programs are transaction based, these programs are also extremely versatile and can be adapted to any business. Offer free or discounted services for return customers or for referring friends and family.

Incorporate your loyalty program into that snazzy new app you’re about to release. Or use it in conjunction with your email campaign.

Email Marketing

Potentially the most well-worn of the marketing trends that are still relevant today, the typical email marketing campaign needs a facelift.

Gone are the days when a personalized email would stop a potential customer in their tracks. People have become immune to seeing their name plugged into endless sales emails.

Use this to your advantage.

By not including personalization, you will actually entice more people to continue reading because you have managed to stand out amidst the plethora of other marketing emails.

Now you really need to wow them.

Make use of eye-catching email formats, quality writing, and statistics.

Also be sure that you aren’t throwing a wall of text at your consumers or your email will hit the trash folder before anyone reads a single fabulous word.

If you’re ready to bring your marketing to the 21st century, get in touch and we’ll help you get everything nailed down!

Top 3 Internet Marketing Objectives for Your Business

Top 3 Internet Marketing Objectives for Your Business

by | Mar 28, 2017 | Email Marketing, Marketing, Original Content, SEO | 0 comments

Having trouble figuring out what the best marketing strategy is? Are you ready to make a change to your marketing techniques?

In today’s world, internet marketing has become very important in helping businesses thrive. Everything and everyone is online, so you should strive to get your business online too.

If you really want to boost your sales and gain more clients, you should consider implementing internet marketing objectives for your business.

Set goals for your business’s internet marketing techniques. Your objective can be anything from acquiring more followers on your Facebook page to increasing the number of subscribers to your email list.

Here’s a list of the top 3 internet marketing objectives to help your business:

1. Social Media Marketing Objectives

One of the most necessary internet marketing objectives includes using social media.

If you don’t already have social media pages set up for your business, you should get started on that right away. People spend so much time every day on social media, so companies have been using it as a platform to advertise their services.

For instance, your company can create Facebook or Instagram ads besides your own Facebook and Instagram pages and company website that you already have.

Social media is the quickest and most effortless way for young people to hear about your business. Make it easier for them by creating these ads that will directly link to your website.

With the help of social media, you’ll be able to instantly increase your clientele and improve your internet marketing objectives.

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing is definitely one of the best ways to get the word out about your products or services. If you haven’t done so already, create a long list of email subscribers.

Email marketing enables you to actually connect with your clients. You will be sending them a direct message into their inbox with information about your business.

You can also use email marketing to send a mass advertisement to hundreds of people. Email marketing is very quick and simple to use.

According to statistics, approximately 82% of B2B and B2C companies are using email marketing as a part of their internet marketing objectives. It has worked for so many other companies and increased their sales, so why not try it with yours?

3. Search Engine Optimization

Another internet marketing objective that is very important for boosting sales is making sure that you have strong search engine optimization. What this means is that when people search your keywords on the internet, they should be able to find your company easily.

One way that you can improve your search engine optimization is by editing your keywords. You want your keywords to be relevant to your business and to your clients.

You can use blog posts and product reviews with your keywords to make them come up easier on searches. Make sure to link back to your site and include a call to action with every post.

Your internet marketing objectives will give you all of the right tools that you will need to bring your business all of the success you’re reaching for. Review this list to help you get started with your internet marketing objectives!

We are all about sharing!

Feel free to share this content by clicking on the icons below:

Pin It on Pinterest