The Marketing Mix | official blog of the Marketing Mentor community

Do "open rates" matter?

Last month, I was on the panel at the October Taste of Technology session that focused on email marketing (read about that here), moderated by Jennifer Sheehan of Technology Therapy.

During the discussion, we were asked about average "open rates" for email newsletters (that is, now many people "open" the message, according to the tracking through your email marketing provider). As the flood of email increases, open rates seem to be decreasing.

That's when the question came up as to whether, for an email marketing campaign, open rates and click thru rates are even relevant.

I suggested they might not be, based on an email exchange with my client, Bob Bly, who runs a very successful Internet business. (I had asked Bob to share open and click thru rates for his email marketing messages. His response to me: "We don't track that because we don't think it's relevant.")

What do you think? Do you watch yours? What do they really mean? How accurate are they? Does it mean someone actually read your message? Or just that their cursor happened to land on it? And if they do matter, what can you learn from them? How can you use them?

Please answer any or all of these burning questions.

Are you a specialist and no one knows it?

I was recently in Toronto where I had the privilege of speaking at the 9th Annual Design Thinkers conference put on by the Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario. During my talk, called "Design Your Niche," I evangelized about the importance of developing one or two or even three areas of expertise so you can position yourself or your company as the "go-to" experts and charge a premium for that expertise.

I sometimes feel like I'm on a mission to persuade my prospects and clients how much wider the world opens up to you as soon as you start to focus. It's a bit of a paradox.

But creatives are notorious for avoiding focus, especially when it comes to focusing on a market. Why? Here's what I see: 1) You don't want to alienate any potential clients; and 2) you don't want to get bored doing the same work forever.

One excellent point about specializing came out of a conversation I had over dinner with Marketing Mentor clients, Jennifer Neal and Norm Lourenco of K9 Design before the event started (which was good because that way I could integrate it into my presentation). Norm said he thought many people probably already specialize in one or two areas but don't know it or, if they know it, don't position themselves that way, don't demonstrate it in their marketing or on their web site.

That's so true. In fact, sometimes all it takes is a reordering or the categorizing of your client list to show your areas of expertise.

Guest Post: HARO Creates Buzz for Your Business

I've been a fan of PR genius Peter Shankman's Help a Reporter Out mailing list since I first discovered it this spring, talking it up here, in my own newsletter and in countless emails, conversations and presentations. (In fact, one of the highlights of my recent trip to Seattle was getting to meet the man in person—he's everywhere, is Peter, and just as funny, sharp and generous as his thrice-daily messages would lead you to believe.)

I've used it to raise the profile of Crohn's disease a bit, in an article for MSNBC online. Ilise was recently interviewed for a piece on shyness to run in the NY Post in November. And here, Marketing Mentor client Dara Turransky shares her experience, as well as some tips on how to get the most out of a terrific service.

HARO is an excellent resource for creating some buzz for your business. I used HARO recently to find radio interviews for two of my clients. The pitches worked out great. My clients received much needed exposure, and I looked like a hero to them.

The best part about the service is that it's FREE. All you need to do is sign up for the daily inquiries and HARO is sent to you three times a day. HARO reporters are always looking for experts to interview for articles ranging from the latest Halloween trends to best marketing practices.

Keep in mind these simple tips to get the most out of HARO:

• Only answer inquiries that match your business objectives.
• Craft your pitch to match what the reporter is looking for as closely as is humanly possible.
• Don't SPAM any of the reporters with off-topics.
• You can forward inquiries to friends, but don't post them on the Web or on any blog.
• You aren't allowed to harvest the reporters' email addresses in any way. There are severe virtual consequences for anyone who does.
• You don't need to know a great deal of PR to use the list, just be yourself and professional. If you're so inclined to learn a bit more about PR, then I would read Michael Levine's Guerilla PR 2.0. He writes in an easy-to-read format with great tips and lots of examples on how to write a pitch that delivers results. You will also find most of the actionable items in the chapters can be scaled down for a one or two-person shop.

You can sign up for HARO here and join the other 36,000 subscribers on the list. Information on Michael Levine, his book as well as his PR firm is available here.

Dara Turransky is the Founder and Creative Director of 7 Lucky Dogs, a marketing agency for the pet industry. Learn more about her agency by visiting her website or email her at dara AT 7luckydogs DOT com.

Are you feeling it?

Last week, when I gave a talk for the Freelancers Union called "Marketing in an Economic Downturn," I started the session by having each of the 30 people in the room stand up and tell not only what they do but also how they are experiencing this "economic downturn."

You know what? Most people admitted they weren't actually feeling it yet. Moreover, those who were feeling it acknowledged that it was probably because they hadn't really ever done any marketing. And, they agreed that what they're "feeling" might be mostly the media "infecting their brains" with panic.

My advice, of course, in all circumstances is, "Don't panic." Do something instead. And what I advised everyone one to do is get out there. Networking is the number one recession marketing tool. Why? Because when people need help, they go out looking for it. So you are most likely to meet people with "needs" if you go out looking for them .

So double up your networking efforts. If you usually attend one meeting a month, attend 2 in October. If you usually do 1 event per week, find 2 this week. It can only help. And it's better than staying home.

Anyone else not feeling it but worried anyway?

P.S. I did a radio interview with Barbara Weltman recently on this topic during which I outlined the 5-Step Marketing Machine. She's posted a summary of it here.

The news isn’t all gloomy

Don’t let depressing economic news get you down. Help is here, in the form of a hands-on workshop (with a special discount) I’m giving this Thursday for the Freelancers Union (sign up here) and in the form of tips from the trenches, where things aren’t all bad! I got this message from Jonathan Cleveland of Cleveland Design last week:

We are being bombarded with work. Why? Because the economy is tanking and large companies are laying off in-house design teams (they are always the first to go). A couple of our clients have greatly reduced the size of their internal design groups in the past month. They are also cutting budgets and getting rid of large external agencies. I think the work is ripe for the picking at this point for the small business or freelancer. Spread the word.

Jonathan’s experience just proves what I’ve always noticed about the economy: when one aspect is up, another is down. The savvy business owner is observant and nimble, watching closely to see how to adapt.

So I had a little chat with Jonathan to see if he had specific tips. Here’s an excerpt of our conversation:

Q: Why are internal creative departments the first to go?
A: Because they can outsource it in a second. There are plenty of freelancers out there ready to do the work.

Q: Who specifically can benefit from this?
A: If you have already established relationships with your prospects, you’re in a much better position. But even if you haven’t already done the up front relationship-building, focus on the large companies (the ones you’re most intimidated to call). They’re the ones who had people on staff but may not anymore, so they need the most help.

Q: Do you really think they are spending money on communications?
A: The thing to remember is a majority of the work still needs to be done, especially in financial services. They still need to have active business communications to develop new business. But they’re definitely looking for easier and lower-cost ways to do it. The fact that you’re not on their payroll makes you more attractive to start.

Q: So what exactly should we say?
A: There are two things you want to convey. The first is a question: If you know they have indeed laid people off, ask, “Are you hiring freelancers to help out on marcom (or marketing communications)?”
Secondly, you want to let them know you offer a better value compared to a larger firm. You can say, “I understand your team has been reduced; I can help you out. I can offer you great work at a great value.” Then, emphasize that your creative skills are at the same level as those in a large firm but you have less overhead and can therefore offer a better value.

Anyone else experiencing this too?

Maximizing LinkedIn

One of our Marketing Mentor clients (and an enthusiastic and frequent contributor to this blog), Dani Nordin of Zen Kitchen (here's her web site and her blog), has posted a great article over on Biznik about how to make the most of LinkedIn -- and any online networking site.

Here is my favorite of her 10 tips:

Have a great summary. The summary is the first thing that appears below your basic profile information on your LinkedIn  profile, and it's often going to be the first (and perhaps only) thing that your potential contact will look at. Make sure it's complete, and focuses on the types of people you work with (your ideal client) and the great things you can do for them (what you do). This is also a good place to list awards, publications, and other "Go Me!" type of stuff.

Here's Dani's LinkedIn profile here. You can read the rest of her tips here and be sure to post your own comment.

What Makes a Good Workshop?

From the presenter's point of view, some workshops are better than others, and I often wonder what makes the difference.

I'm thinking about this because this weekend may have been my best yet. I did our half-day "Pricing and Marketing Secrets" presentation in Portland, Oregon for the Self Employed Creative Professionals, an 8-year old group that brings together what is clearly a growing population of creatives in this part of the country.

Thirty people got out of bed early on a Saturday morning, and they didn't even know in advance about the delicious Continental breakfast that was provided by our gracious and generous host, Linda Meyer, COO and Editor in Chief of a young publishing company, Ink & Paper Group.

The environment is important. This event was held in an old Victorian house where Ink and Paper does business, with a Zen garden in the back, sun streaming through the windows, in the "butler's kitchen" (I'd never heard it called that before) there were plates of strawberries, watermelon, tiny muffins and delicious coffee. I have never given a talk in a more intimate and beautiful setting. I think that contributed a lot.

But more than anything it's the group that makes the event. And this group was interested and open and generous. It was like having a conversation with 30 people with everyone engaged -- in this case, the conversation was about the basics of running a business, with questions being asked and everyone contributing to the answers. A lot like what happens online, but better because it's live! (Call me old fashioned.) One woman even told me afterward that she had anticipated her mind wandering as it often does at "this type of seminar," but that I "had her all the way through." That's a compliment, in this day and age.

Hopefully, some of Saturday's participants will chime in online with their thoughts. But what do you think makes a good workshop? And what makes a bad one?

Working with a mentor

Since mentoring is all the rage these days, I have been asked more than once lately for tips on how to choose and work most effectively with a mentor. Here are my 4 top tips:

1. No matter what sort of mentoring relationship you choose, the characteristics you should look for are the same: Your mentor should know how to be a teacher; he or she should be patient and willing to spend the time with you while you learn, whatever your pace may be. Gurus aren't always good mentors. Someone you admire may not know how to teach what they’ve learned. And you don't learn by osmosis.

2. When engaging a mentor, it’s important to create a structure for the process, if one doesn't already exist. Arrange for a monthly breakfast or a weekly phone call — something that you and your mentor can commit to doing.

3. Take an active role. Often people tend to wait for their mentor to take charge, to tell them what to do. But it’s really important for you to take responsibility for the process and be as proactive as possible. You must to be motivated to change and trust that your mentor has your best interests in mind.

4. Think long-term: Give the relationship with your mentor time to develop. Don’t make a snap judgment in what is potentially a long-term relationship.

What else?

Good moves in a not-so-good economy

In case you missed this week's Quick Tip from Marketing Mentor, I offered a copy of an article I wrote recently called, "Marketing in an Economic Downturn."

Here's the beginning...

Things don’t look good on the economic front, that’s true. But our business is thriving. And the clients we work with – designers, copywriters, consultants and other solopreneurs – are all continuing to get new work, new clients, new opportunities.

How? It’s not that we are not affected by the economy. It’s just that we aren’t letting it get in our way.  And, to be specific, we are ramping up the marketing. That is my best advice for an economic downturn: reach out to more people than ever, go to more networking events than ever, be flexible and find the places in the economy -- and in your market especially -- where there is growth.
What are you strategies for marketing in an "economic downturn?"

(P.S. If you'd like a copy of the entire (2 page) text, send an email message to ilise AT marketing-mentor DOT com with "downturn article" in the subject line and I'll send you a copy.)

August is for marketing

As soon as it hit August last Friday, things quieted down. Vacation is in the air (maybe it's just the quiet I notice).

This is my favorite time of year for marketing. This is me-marketing time. I get to do all those things I never have time for.

You want to know what I'm doing?

Here's what's on my big To Do list:

• Writing articles for MarketingProfs, Rain Today and a few other places my prospects visit when they're looking for marketing help.
  (Where can you submit articles that will be seen by your prospects?)

• Developing new ideas for topics I can speak on, which I'm doing in collaboration with a couple other experts, which makes it much more interesting and enjoyable.
  (Who can you collaborate with and where can you give a workshop or presentation?)

• Planning my post-Labor Day marketing push: identifying my best prospects, thinking about how to approach them, what to offer
  (How will you take advantage of the shot-in-the-arm productivity that follows a lazy summer?)

What are you going to commit to for the remainder of August?