5 tips on how to write effective email subject lines

By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer, Sonnhalter

I receivThe number 5e many marketing tip email newsletters, and recently received The Industrial Marketer, a newsletter from ThomasNet rpm. In this newsletter, Derek Yi Yang of ThomasNet rpm discusses how having an effective subject line increases the chances of your email getting opened, and read.

Here are the 5 tips:

  1. Don’t use capital letters – may increase the chance of your email getting caught in spam filters
  2. Make lists – people seem to prefer emails in list format – probably because they know it’ll be a quick read
  3. Personalize the message – use the recipient’s name, location or current event in the subject line
  4. Time-sensitive offer – creating a sense of urgency can increase open and click rates
  5. Short and to the point – make it a quick read and enticing enough for your readers to open and read

Keep these tips in mind next time you’re composing your next marketing email. And be sure to click on the link above to read Derek’s post for examples of the 5 tips.

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Custom E-blasts…Direct Messages…touch the people you want to reach

By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer, Sonnhalter

Many of our clients use the custom e-blast, or direct message tactic, to deliver their message to prospective customers. The definition of an e-blast (email blast) is a single sending of an electronic message to many people. The best type is the custom, targeted or direct e-blast sent to an opt-in list that you specify.

mortar net eblast

Here are some benefits of utilizing this type of marketing:

  1. The message is yours, and yours only; you’re not fighting for attention with other advertisers.
  2. You choose who will receive your message – selecting by job title, business or industry, geographic area, etc.
  3. The message can be varied; it can introduce a new product, or talk about several products, or announce a special offer.
  4. The message can direct the reader to a specific place like your website or specifically to a dedicated landing page on your website, where they can sign up for valuable content you could offer them, such as a white paper or an e-book.
  5. The contact information gathered from those interested parties could then be added to your database for follow-up action, building up your database.
  6. Using the opt-in email lists of specific trade publications is beneficial as opt-ins have agreed to receive marketing messages and promotions through email, and they will be more likely to read your message.
  7. Metrics – After your message is sent, the reporting will show you how many people opened and viewed the e-blast and how many people clicked on a particular link in your message.
  8. The cost is usually less expensive than sending out a printed direct mail piece, as you don’t have the cost of printing and postage to factor in.

So if you have a special offer or new product you want to tout, utilizing targeted, custom e-blasts with an opt-in email list is one way to accomplish your mission.

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Want to Drive Traffic to Your Booth at a Trade Show?

By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer, Sonnhalter

Photo courtesy of Viega LLC

Photo courtesy of Viega LLC

Digital display advertising is one way to drive traffic to your booth at a trade show. Depending on the size and location of the trade show you’re exhibiting at, the venue may offer this option. A client of ours recently took advantage of this opportunity at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The digital display ads appear on various screens located throughout the venue, usually near the high traffic areas such as main lobbies and secondary lobbies, entrances to meeting rooms, near the info desk or near escalators.

Here are some tips when creating your digital display ads to get the best effect:

  • Make the Text Big – designs should be simple, clear and easy to read
  • Use Bold, Non-Serif Fonts – avoid decorative or serif fonts
  • One Message – don’t present a complicated message or numerous images
  • Use Bright, Bold Colors – and design with high contrast
  • Lose the White Space – increase your logo, font sizes and images
  • Be Short and Sweet – your ad will appear for a few seconds each time, so you want it to be a quick read
  • Booth Number – be sure to add it to the ad so people know where to go

Enforce your brand, showcase a new product, offer a giveaway – digital display ads can get your message into the minds of the trade show attendees to get them into your booth where you want them.

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Are Your Print Ads Effective? Here’s How You Can Find Out.

By Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer at Sonnhalter

ChemicalProcessingJan2015-Ad StudyIf your company currently has a print advertising program in the trade publications, did you know that many of these publications offer ad readership studies at no additional cost to the advertiser? These studies are usually completed once or twice a year, on ads half-page or larger in size. A sample of the publication’s readers are invited to respond to the questions, and are encouraged to give feedback on the various ads in the issue being studied.

The average ad readership study will tell you:

  • If your ad is attention-getting
  • If your ad is believable
  • If your ad is informative

You’ll also get verbatim comments on your ad – actual quotes from the readers that let you know what message they received from your ad.

Comparing your ad’s results with other ads in the issue, both higher and lower scoring, will give you an idea of the creative approach that can best reach that particular audience, and you can adjust your creative accordingly.

Another type of ad study offered by some publications, also done at no additional cost for advertisers, gives scores based on whether the reader recalls seeing the ad or recalls reading the ad. While the results represent a small sampling of the magazine’s total circulation, they do reflect the opinion and commentary of readers who are the most active, providing insight into how the general audience may react to the advertising.

So if you’re interested in learning how your ads are performing in the markets you’re active in, consider placing a print ad in those issues offering the readership studies. If you’re not sure if the publications you advertise in offer these studies, be sure to ask your agency or magazine sales rep to find out for you.

Following are links to the advertising pages for just a few trade publications that offer these types of studies:

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Tradesmen: Trade forums can help answer your questions

Sandy Bucher, Media Engineer, Sonnhalter

Have you ever had a question that you didn’t have the answer to, and wanted to ask a person in the same occupational trade as you? If you normally read magazines specific to your trade, there is a chance that magazine may offer a forum where you can post a question and have like-minded participants help answer it for you. Or, if you search for a trade-specific forum, you’re very likely to find one out there.

I’ve listed some forums below to give you a head start. Don’t be afraid to ask anything. There are always people out there willing to help you out.

HVAC market

HVAC-Talk.com – online forum of Contracting Business

HVACSite.com – forum for the HVAC market

Plumbing market

Plumbing Talk – online forum of Contractor Magazine

PlumbingZone.com – for professional plumbers only

RIDGIDForum.com – a forum of RIDGID users

Electrical market

ElectricianTalk.com – forum for the Electrical market

Different trade forums for contractors

ContractorTalk.com – forums for all kinds of trades

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