Refer Madness
Word-of-mouth has always been one of the best forms of
marketing--and that's true in the e-business world as well.
Forty-five percent of online shoppers choose e-commerce sites based
on word-of-mouth recommendations, yet only 7 percent of companies
implement tools to measure the impact of word-of-mouth on
customers. That figure is likely to grow, thanks to new technology
designed to track referral rates of e-mail marketing campaigns.
An e-marketing strategy on its own may keep customers
interested. But by measuring referrals, you get extra benefits,
like up to two-thirds more e-mail addresses in your database. And
just watch loyalty surge when you offer incentives for customers to
pass on your e-marketing messages to family and friends.
Content Continues Below
Fishbowl Inc., an Alexandria, Virginia, e-mail marketing
services provider, recently saw an 18.5 percent response rate from
an e-mail referral campaign. Compare that with the 1 to 2 percent
typical of purchased lists.
Most e-mail referral programs cost between 10 to 15 cents per
e-mail. To get an idea of what's available, check out these
providers: www.apexinteractive.com, www.emailmarketingnews.com, www.fishbowl.com and
www.messagereach.com.
Chart-Toppers
You're vying for the attention of those finicky journalists,
to no avail. What to do? Pitch 'em a chart. They're
visually appealing, full of interesting info, and there's a
good chance they'll catch editors' eyes--if done properly.
We went to PR expert Maureen A. O'Connell, a senior account
executive at Jacobs & Prosek Public Relations in Stratford,
Connecticut, to get the scoop on making your charts irresistible to
the media.
First, she says, think about your target market--who do you want
to reach, and what do they read? Then, take the stats that work
with your business idea, get a good graphic artist to put it
together, and pitch it all--chart and story--to those publications.
Though they probably won't use the chart exactly as you
designed it (most publications do their own graphics), you'll
still get some serious attention.
That's what O'Connell did when she was promoting a
national volunteering program. She charted how many calories
different volunteer activities burn and pitched it to women's
magazines. "They immediately liked it, I think, because it was
something they wanted [to cover] in their publications," she
says. "It [was] a service to their readers."
Contact Source