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Weekly Marketing Tip 18 September 2013
Pinterest for your business - is it for you?
I recently read that people process images 60,000 times faster than text and 90 % of information transmitted to the brain is visually based.
Most businesses rely on images to sell their products. Whether you operate a tourism business, a
landscaping business or a retail store, you will probably have great images!
Pinterest (pronounced like “interest” but with a “p”) is a virtual bulletin board that lets users share inspiring images and links. When shared the images are called “pins” that can be placed on thematic “boards” that users customize for any topic. Pinterest is all about curating images.
Who is using Pinterest?
Pinterest is the fastest growing social media network ever, currently with over 70 million users. Pinterest users are predominantly female. In fact, women account for 70 % of Pinterest users
and are about five times as likely to use the virtual scrapbooking tool as men, the largest gender difference of any social network.
This is a good thing! As women are the main decision makers in deciding where to go on holiday and what to buy for their family (even cars!), they are the ones you want to reach. They also tend to do a lot more online research on any purchases than men.
Pinterest users are also a little bit older, although the core demographic is 18-34 year olds, representing 56 per cent of users.
Pinterest is also a great tool for businesses. I found this site on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/visitmysmokies/
What a great way to group images! Would this look good for your business? On the
Pinterest website, this is where you can get started: http://business.pinterest.com/
Give it a go!
Below a short poll on your interest in a Pinterest workshop to learn all the tricks to drive more traffic to your website.
Till next week! Marijke
Most businesses rely on images to sell their products. Whether you operate a tourism business, a
landscaping business or a retail store, you will probably have great images!
Pinterest (pronounced like “interest” but with a “p”) is a virtual bulletin board that lets users share inspiring images and links. When shared the images are called “pins” that can be placed on thematic “boards” that users customize for any topic. Pinterest is all about curating images.
Who is using Pinterest?
Pinterest is the fastest growing social media network ever, currently with over 70 million users. Pinterest users are predominantly female. In fact, women account for 70 % of Pinterest users
and are about five times as likely to use the virtual scrapbooking tool as men, the largest gender difference of any social network.
This is a good thing! As women are the main decision makers in deciding where to go on holiday and what to buy for their family (even cars!), they are the ones you want to reach. They also tend to do a lot more online research on any purchases than men.
Pinterest users are also a little bit older, although the core demographic is 18-34 year olds, representing 56 per cent of users.
Pinterest is also a great tool for businesses. I found this site on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/visitmysmokies/
What a great way to group images! Would this look good for your business? On the
Pinterest website, this is where you can get started: http://business.pinterest.com/
Give it a go!
Below a short poll on your interest in a Pinterest workshop to learn all the tricks to drive more traffic to your website.
Till next week! Marijke
Weekly Marketing Tip 12 September 1003
Stay in touch, but not too much! (how to avoid people unsubscribing)
I recently attended a business and marketing conference in the US. There were some amazing speakers and I got a lot out of it.
The speakers were obviously given the database of conference attendees and a number of them have started to send me their e-newsletters.
One of them sends me a lot of emails, almost daily in fact. It is interesting (about social media) but it’s just too much. I can’t handle that much information every day. I just don’t have the time!
So I’ve unsubscribed...
Do you have a database of (potential) customers you keep in this with? If so, good for you! Great even! I do encourage you keep in touch with them. But make sure you don’t overload them with information.
There is no rule of how often you should send your customers an e-newsletter. That depends on the amount of information you provide, how often your clients may buy from you and the type of business you have.
You may get daily emails from ‘deals websites’ that provide daily specials. And you may be fine with that. Or a quarterly update with specials from a resort you’ve visited in the past. That’s ok too.
But if this resort started emailing you daily or even weekly, you may find this annoying and you decide to unsubscribe.
So, to ensure the people on the database don’t unsubscribe and get more people to
subscribe, ensure that you:
Below is a short survey re the tip frequency. Do fill it in if you like! Please let me know if
once a week is too much or too little. Thanks!
Till next week, Marijke
The speakers were obviously given the database of conference attendees and a number of them have started to send me their e-newsletters.
One of them sends me a lot of emails, almost daily in fact. It is interesting (about social media) but it’s just too much. I can’t handle that much information every day. I just don’t have the time!
So I’ve unsubscribed...
Do you have a database of (potential) customers you keep in this with? If so, good for you! Great even! I do encourage you keep in touch with them. But make sure you don’t overload them with information.
There is no rule of how often you should send your customers an e-newsletter. That depends on the amount of information you provide, how often your clients may buy from you and the type of business you have.
You may get daily emails from ‘deals websites’ that provide daily specials. And you may be fine with that. Or a quarterly update with specials from a resort you’ve visited in the past. That’s ok too.
But if this resort started emailing you daily or even weekly, you may find this annoying and you decide to unsubscribe.
So, to ensure the people on the database don’t unsubscribe and get more people to
subscribe, ensure that you:
- Provide relevant information to your subscribers
- Don’t overload them with information (less is usually more – you can always provide a snippet with a link to more information)
- Ask them how often they’d like to receive your e-news (if you’re not sure)
- Test! Try sending e-newsletters more or less frequently and see what happens.
- Check the statistics of your newsletter: the open and click rates. This will give you an indication of how many people actually read your newsletter
- Plan your e-newsletter schedule and make it a regular event. If people subscribe to your e-newsletter, they are interested in what you have to say and expect to be sent something!
Below is a short survey re the tip frequency. Do fill it in if you like! Please let me know if
once a week is too much or too little. Thanks!
Till next week, Marijke
Weekly Marketing Tip 3 September 2013
"You HAVE to see this Youtube video!"
Last weekend, my neighbour told me about the video clip below and that I just HAD to see it. (you'll like this if you're a dog lover!) Check out the video, then read on!
You have to admit: this is very cute! Well, over 28 MILLION other people thought so too!
Yes, you're reading this correctly... this video has received over 28 million views!!
That's what's called viral marketing. One person sees it and passes it on to their friends, and these friends pass it on to theirs and so on.
OK, this is nothing new, we know how Youtube works and we get these types of video links sent by our friends all the time too!
My question is: how can you make this work for your business? Imagine 28 million people seeing a video you posted on Youtube with something that's worth watching! If these people are also your target market and a percentage buys your product or service, what would this do to your business?
Here are a few tips (when uploading a funny or 'entertaining video):
Note: it doesn't need to have tick all the above boxes, but it does need to appealing enough for people to want to see it AND pass it on to others!
So, get your video camera out (or even a cell phone will do!) and keep an eye out for something worth filming, especially if it relates to your business.
I'd also like to hear your success stories! Email them to: [email protected]
Till next week, Marijke
Yes, you're reading this correctly... this video has received over 28 million views!!
That's what's called viral marketing. One person sees it and passes it on to their friends, and these friends pass it on to theirs and so on.
OK, this is nothing new, we know how Youtube works and we get these types of video links sent by our friends all the time too!
My question is: how can you make this work for your business? Imagine 28 million people seeing a video you posted on Youtube with something that's worth watching! If these people are also your target market and a percentage buys your product or service, what would this do to your business?
Here are a few tips (when uploading a funny or 'entertaining video):
- Put an advert relating to your business at the start of the video. This is perfectly ok! (we're used to it...)
- Or put a link to your website at the end of the video.
- Use keywords for the title that relate to what your audience will be using to search for your video
- Keep it short, around 2 minutes for an entertaining video is perfect!
- is your video entertaining (is it funny, cute?)
- are your providing something exciting or surprising?
- is it something new?
- is it genuine or spontaneous?
- are you targeting a niche audience?
Note: it doesn't need to have tick all the above boxes, but it does need to appealing enough for people to want to see it AND pass it on to others!
So, get your video camera out (or even a cell phone will do!) and keep an eye out for something worth filming, especially if it relates to your business.
I'd also like to hear your success stories! Email them to: [email protected]
Till next week, Marijke
Weekly Marketing Tip 27 August 2013
Are your customers not buying right now? Don’t give up!
There are many reasons potential customers may not be buying your product or service right now.
That doesn't mean they don't like it, they may just be looking around and may not be ready to buy. They may not have the money right now or the time.
Even if they don’t buy from you now… you'd like them to buy from you eventually, right? Assuming you're targeting the right audience for what you're selling, a percentage of them
will buy or book eventually, IF they don't forget abou you!
So, what can you do to keep in touch with them?
Some businesses do it well. For example Dell computers. Every month, I find a leaflet in my PO Box with their latest computer deals. I usually throw it away, but every couple of years I do need a new laptop. So, when the leaflet arrives in my PO Box that month, I look at it! When (or if) you eventually buy a PC from them, you get regular emails newsletters and specials from them, making it very easy for you to buy the products!
Dell has done this consistently for many years, resulting in becoming one of the largest personal computer companies in the world (listed number 51 on the Fortune 500 list). They only
market directly to their customers, through their websites, email marketing, direct mail and social media.
So, don’t give up on people who enquire but don’t buy or book right now.
Encourage them to sign up for your mailing list or encourage them to like you on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media you use. Then, keep in touch with them by providing them
information that is relevant to THEM! (specials, news, funny stories, videos, photos, anything that might be of interest to them!)
They say it takes 5 or 6 'contacts' before a potential customer takes action and buys something from you.
So, what do you do to keep in touch with your potential & existing customers? Make a plan and
stick to it!
The result may surprise you!
Till next week, Marijke
PS Check out the poll results of last week's poll! (see below)
That doesn't mean they don't like it, they may just be looking around and may not be ready to buy. They may not have the money right now or the time.
Even if they don’t buy from you now… you'd like them to buy from you eventually, right? Assuming you're targeting the right audience for what you're selling, a percentage of them
will buy or book eventually, IF they don't forget abou you!
So, what can you do to keep in touch with them?
Some businesses do it well. For example Dell computers. Every month, I find a leaflet in my PO Box with their latest computer deals. I usually throw it away, but every couple of years I do need a new laptop. So, when the leaflet arrives in my PO Box that month, I look at it! When (or if) you eventually buy a PC from them, you get regular emails newsletters and specials from them, making it very easy for you to buy the products!
Dell has done this consistently for many years, resulting in becoming one of the largest personal computer companies in the world (listed number 51 on the Fortune 500 list). They only
market directly to their customers, through their websites, email marketing, direct mail and social media.
So, don’t give up on people who enquire but don’t buy or book right now.
Encourage them to sign up for your mailing list or encourage them to like you on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media you use. Then, keep in touch with them by providing them
information that is relevant to THEM! (specials, news, funny stories, videos, photos, anything that might be of interest to them!)
They say it takes 5 or 6 'contacts' before a potential customer takes action and buys something from you.
So, what do you do to keep in touch with your potential & existing customers? Make a plan and
stick to it!
The result may surprise you!
Till next week, Marijke
PS Check out the poll results of last week's poll! (see below)
Weekly Marketing Tip 21 August 2013 - the social media revolution
I've just returned from an amazing 5-day marketing and business conference in the USA.
It's given me a renewed focus and energy for my business!
This week, let's have a look at social media. Check out the video below:
It's given me a renewed focus and energy for my business!
This week, let's have a look at social media. Check out the video below:
Most businesses do engage in some sort of social media, whether it be on a Facebook page, Twitter, Linkedin or videos on Youtube. It can however be a bit overwhelming and can take a lot of time.
So before you decide what type of social media to use for your business, survey your customers to see what type of social media they would use to engage with businesses like yours.
Below is a short poll so you can see how you compare with other businesses. I'd like to invite you to take the poll below. Results can be viewed instantly!
So before you decide what type of social media to use for your business, survey your customers to see what type of social media they would use to engage with businesses like yours.
Below is a short poll so you can see how you compare with other businesses. I'd like to invite you to take the poll below. Results can be viewed instantly!
Till next week, Marijke
