by tradesmeninsights | Sep 11, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
Email is still a preferred marketing tool, especially in the B-to-B space. The key to success is having a plan to build relationships with your audience whether they are existing customers or potentials.
To be successful, you need to pay attention to your audience, the messages you’re sending out and not be so self-promoting. Marketo has published Top 10 Tips for Better Email Performance. It’s a quick read and gives you the basics you need to be successful. Highlights include:
- Don’t talk at people, but rather create a dialog.
- Segment your audiences and the messages for each.
- Automate where you can. It makes life easier for you.
- Mix it up – days you send them out, use of surveys or a fulfillment piece.
- Make sure it can be delivered. Check to ensure that there’s nothing that might prevent your message from being delivered.
If you’re going to make the effort, let’s make sure you’re getting the most out of it!
If you like this post, you may want to read:
Why Email Marketing is so Important in Lead Nurturing to the Professional Tradesman.
Benchmark Report on Email Marketing Sheds Light on Priorities and Challenges to the B-to-B Markets.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 10, 2013 | Marketing Trends, Traditional Marketing
Sonnhalter is deeply involved with the professional tradesmen. We recently updated our overview of the Plumbing market. The purpose of the document is to give the reader a quick snapshot of the industry and its players for the balance of 2013 and what to look for in 2014.
Included are association and buying group contacts, training firms, best practices, codes and standards, online resources, trade shows/meetings and media publications. A free copy for download is available. Click here to sign up.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 5, 2013 | Uncategorized
Today’s post comes from Scott Bessell, Sonnhalter’s Idea Builder.
I was catching up with a friend who works in the printing industry and our conversation turned to the changes that we had seen in the industry. We discussed that the concept of craftsmanship in our industries, and others, seems to have vanished. Processes today still aim for the same end result, albeit with fanfare and accolades given for spending less time and using fewer resources.
That conversation got me thinking more about the state of the industry and its future. As the concepts of craftsmanship have diminished, how have we survived? How do some of us still produce excellent products and services that make happy customers?
The more I thought, the more I realized, that it’s not the processes or the craft itself that drives industry successes. It’s the talent of the people involved.
No matter how fast-paced our society becomes or how many hats people in industry need to wear, as long as you’ve put your talented people in the right roles, you’ll excel.
People still do great work and companies still produce excellent products with reduced staff sizes because of that talent. They obviously use different tools and techniques, but as human nature goes, they adapt, master and excel, driven by talent as the backbone for any endeavor.
In order to build the best team, take stock of who you have and what their talents are, then give them what they need to succeed. With the right people in place, finding ways to adapt to changing industries is possible.
The best toolmakers, architects, engineers, chemists, accountants, designers… are those who are very good at what they do–naturally. No matter how many times the tools and processes change along the way. There’s an overabundance of mediocrity in today’s workforce, but there are still craftsmen. I acknowledge–the talented ones.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 4, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
The professional trades are no different from normal consumers when it comes to using mobile. There have been a few articles in eMarketing.com about both time spent on mobile devices and what’s being used to open and read emails. Both are significant when it comes to reaching contractors with your messages.
Email remains one of the most critical marketing channels—if not the most exciting. And as more consumers access on mobile, there is a growing imperative to make sure emails are smartphone- and tablet-optimized. However, that doesn’t mean marketers can forget about the desktop just yet according to a recent article in emarketer.com. That coupled with the fact that the US now spends more time on mobile devices than desktop should send up a red flag for those of us who haven’t addressed the mobile market.
The shift includes watching video, checking social media and reading emails. So what does this mean to the B-to-B market? It means if we want to effectively communicate with our audiences, we need to be doing it in a format that is easily read.
Matt Sonnhalter, in another post on mobile, indicated that by 2015, mobile will be the first screen that people will use. That’s not that far away!
A recent survey by Equipment World Magazine on those contractors that had smartphones:
- 85% view emails
- 81% use it to text
- 71% connect to the internet
- 52% use apps
- 24% visit social sites
- 20% watch videos
- 4% don’t use it for any of the above
Bottom line is, if you don’t have your website optimized for mobile, you’re going to miss lots of opportunities.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 3, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
When planning events, you must not lose sight that your brand needs to shine brightly. This is especially true when you’re doing an annual event. We all have our checklists of what was done last year and you repeat it again this year. While details and checklists are important, the how, when and where can make a difference on how the event is perceived. The unexpected can work too in your favor. You don’t have to reinvent the event, just add an unexpected sizzle to it.
Events give us a unique opportunity to be face-to-face with the targeted audience, and in today’s world, it’s becoming a rare thing. Whether you’re doing a major press event, hosting a distributor round table or doing a key customer appreciation event, you have the opportunity to really shine and make an impression. Don’t miss the opportunity.
Here are some things to consider:
- Don’t be predictable – Do something different to make the event memorable. It doesn’t have to be something crazy. It could be something as simple as a nice gift for them to remember the event by.
- Treat people like you were hosting them at your home – Great hosts make sure that their guests are well taken care of. One-on-one time from your key executives are crucial to the experience. Leave your smartphone someplace else and focus on building relationships face-to-face. Think about when the last time was you were able to spend quality time with these key individuals. More importantly, when will you have the opportunity to do it again?
- Personal follow-up – When was the last time you went to an event and after got a personal note from your host thanking them for participating?
Events are not to be wasted and should be considered a rare opportunity for a face-to-face with key people. Make your brand shine!
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 29, 2013 | Uncategorized
As your week winds down, pencil in the time on Monday to relax because it’s Labor Day.
Have a happy Labor Day! We need to take time to say thanks to all the tradesmen that we come into contact with on a regular basis. What would we do without the electricians, plumbers, HVAC professionals? How would our factories run smoothly without all the MRO professionals out there?
Sonnhalter salutes America’s professional tradesmen and laborers on this very special holiday. Our working force built this country. And it’s because of each and every American’s labors that we enjoy the freedoms we have today.
At Sonnhalter, we earn our own living by marketing to professional tradesmen in industries like yours…from construction to industrial to MRO. To show our appreciation for such hard-working individuals, we offer a tip of the hardhat and our sincere thanks.
However you celebrate your Labor Day, enjoy it. You’ve certainly earned it
Email is still a preferred marketing tool, especially in the B-to-B space. The key to success is having a plan to build relationships with your audience whether they are existing customers or potentials.
