by tradesmeninsights | May 5, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
All of us are getting inundated with e-mail, but studies show it’s still one of the best ways to reach out to people.
It does have its challenges with spam filters and internal firewalls. But I’ve found that by using some of the techniques for writing blog posts have come in handy in writing e-mails.
So here are some tips on how to more effectively use this tool:
- Subject line – This is probably the most important part of the message. Make sure you grab their attention.
- Preview pane – Preview panes shows a few lines of content. It’s important that you deliver on the subject line quickly. Let them know what’s in it for them if they continue reading.
- Make it scannable – I learned this from doing posts here on the blog. Use short paragraphs, highlight important parts of the message. The average time spent on an e-mail is somewhere between 2-5 seconds, so you don’t have much time to stop them.
- Go for quality not quantity – Put out fewer e-mails, but make them more impactful. If I know when I get an e-mail from you I usually get some good info, I’ll open it.
- Timing – It’s all about the timing. I’ve found that Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the best for me. You need to test out what might be the best time to hit your audience. For contractors, the best time I’ve found is between 6:30 – 7 in the morning or later in the evening about that same time.
Those are some tips on how I try to make e-mails more effective.
What are some things you do?
If you like this post, please pass it on.
Other posts you might find interesting:
Will e-mail be replaced by social media?
E-mail and Social media are tools B to B marketers plan on using more of in 2010
E-mail marketing for Industrial Markets: Common mistakes to avoid
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 22, 2010 | Marketing Trends, Traditional Marketing
This is the second part of a two-part article on the plant engineer. Here’s a link to the first part (Part 1). For those of you who are targeting the plant engineering function, you should read a new study that was just released in April from Plant Engineering magazine, called, “The Changing World of the Plant Engineer.” From the study, you’ll gain insight on the changing role of the plant engineer, what they’re thinking about for 2010 and beyond. So next time you’re talking to a plant engineer, think about what’s on his mind.
The second part has to deal with 7 changes they would make about the manufacturing operation:
- Decrease Outsourcing/Keep Manufacturing in this Country – They want to not only keep what’s left of manufacturing in this country, but want to bring back what’s offshore. They don’t believe this country can survive as a consumer society.
- Increase/Improve Automation – Replace aging equipment with automated machines with vision inspection to reduce costs and improve productivity.
- Educate/Train Employees – More operator training and involvement in predictive/preventative maintenance. Training of future techicans and engineers. Keep up-to-date on new technology.
- Aging Equipment/Facilities – Invest in systems that would help reduce costs and improve quality.
- Decrease Regulations – Reduce tight environmental and OSHA Regulations. This will help level the playing field with China.
- More Efficient/Lean – Increase improvement and LEAN culture for all employees.
- Tax Incentive/Tariffs – Make the playing field level so we can compete. There should be tax breaks for companies that keep their manufacturing here in the States.
These are interesting insights as to what’s on their minds.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 21, 2010 | Marketing Trends, Traditional Marketing
For those of you who are targeting the plant engineering function, you should read a new study that was just released in April from Plant Engineering magazine called, “The Changing World of the Plant Engineer.” From the study, you’ll gain insight on the changing role of the plant engineer, what they’re thinking about for 2010 and beyond. So next time you’re talking to a plant engineer, think about what’s on his mind.
Part 1 – We’re going to review the highlights of their top 10 biggest job related concerns:
- The Economy – No big surprise on this one, but beyond what’s happening in Washington, they are worried about economic factors they have no control over like global competition, currency fluctuation and environmental issues.
- Job Security – Will my plant close, will I be asked to retire early, will I get fired. A lot to think about when they’re trying to do their job on a daily basis.
- Knowledgeable Employees/Aging Workforce – They’re concerned that most of the experienced workforce will retire in the next 5 years leaving them with less skilled replacements.
- Aging Equipment/Facilities – How do they keep the facility running at or above production targets with a reduced workforce and aging equipment that will need more mainteinance.
- Safety – Not a priority with upper management. They are more concerned with increased productivity.
- Plant Closings – Will their plant survive 3-5 years? Will they lose production to India or China?
- Budget – Meeting cost targets in a downturned economy. Where to best spend their limited budgets so they don’t have a major failure.
- Doing more with Less – Increased workload, reduced budgets and limited resources on all fronts.
- Government/Environmental Regulations – A growing government with more burdensome regulations.
- Outsourcing – of jobs overseas and the shrinking importance of manufacturing to our economy.
These are interesting insights as to what’s on their minds. Next up, changes they would make about their manufacturing operation.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 15, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
If you’re putting social in its own silo, you’re not going to have the impact you had hoped for. We need to realize that social media by itself really isn’t very useful if it’s not used in conjunction with other marketing tools. Integrated programs are the key to maximizing social media.
According to research by Unica, the proportion of marketers integrating their social campaigns with other channels varies widely depending on the tactic. Unica said in its report that the main ways marketers are integrating their social campaigns are in regard to timing, creative themes and branding.
What are you doing to integrate social into your marketing programs?
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 13, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Although everyone is focusing on social media, let’s not forget an old friend, e-mail marketing. Using social media as a partner, it will provide new avenues for engaging and sharing both current customers as well as prospects. Professional tradesmen are used to being contacted via e-mail, and more and more are getting into the social media arena. Let’s not let an opportunity go by to make your marketing message more impactful.
According to Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer senior analyst and author of a new report, Maximizing the E-mail/Social Media Connection, “Even though people are spending more time using social media, they are not abandoning e-mail.” According to Williamson, marketers must integrate efforts to maximize both social media and e-mail marketing. Here are 4 items for consideration:
- Multiply the sharing opportunities by linking e-mail messaging with social media messaging.
- Provide a broader platform for brand advocates; encourage the best customers to share with friends via social media.
- Shift the control to the consumer by providing multiple avenues to interact with a company.
- Use e-mail metrics such as response rate and conversions to enhance social ROI.
This trend seems to be already catching on according to a recent survey by StrongMail that stated 40% of business executives are already integrating these two and consider it one of their most important initiatives for 2010.
How are you planning on using these two marketing tools in your business?
If you like what you’ve read, pass it on to a friend.
by tradesmeninsights | Apr 7, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
When you have lemons, make lemonade! I know most of the manufacturers that read me regularly pulled in their horns last year to ride out the uncertainty. There are a few, though, that have continued on and have made an impact on both the economy and their bottom line.
I’ve been trying to showcase some of these leaders over the past several months, and here is another one. Molex (Disclaimer: they are a client of ours), through its Woodhead brand, offers the broadest range of code-compliant electrical products designed to perform in harsh environments.
When the Government last year introduced the (ARRA) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to focus on rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructures of the country, Molex came out with their own program, Rebuilding America Together. The target audiences were distributors and contractors in the commercial construction and utilities industries.
Their integrated plan included :
The good news is that they had the insight to do something when everything was tanking. The better news is it’s working. It created buzz at the distributor level and gave them something to talk about with the contractors. It gave the contractors incentives as well as fostering a theme of patriotism. It gave Molex increased sales.
That’s one more example of someone doing it right. I’d love to hear from you if you have other examples.
All of us are getting inundated with e-mail, but studies show it’s still one of the best ways to reach out to people.
