5 Ways Social Media Is Just Like a Refrigerator Magnet

 

Social Media and Promo Products - Twins?

Email Blasts Are Door Hangers.  Good Blogging Is a Stuffed Mailer

Never fear, social media will never replace Promotion Products, but as a distributor or salesperson in the advertising specialty arena, your use or failure to use social media can easily be compared to your clients missed opportunities in the employment of imprinted merchandise to increase leads, actions, sales, and profits.

1.  Social media isn't the only way or even the best way to market.  Many businesses, and even some in the promo business seem to think that the great "free" method of social media is the panacea to increasing exposure, leads, etc.  In fact, leading experts continue to point to word of mouth as representing 70% of the way almost all businesses get new clients.  Customer service is still the leading way to accomplish customer retention.  Promotional goods and social media represent outstanding marketing tools with higher than average ROI, but they are just part of the tool chest.

2.  You don't need to and should not try to use every type of social media.  Far too many businesses today think they need to chase every single type of web based marketing.  This would be like using promotionals for every marketing need.  It just doesn't make sense.  Carefully posture your online effort to meet the client where they shop and to most effectively create the actions you seek to generate.  In general, email blasts and YouTube video are the most effective online tools today.  However, your client might really respond to Linkedin or Pinterest. 

3.  Just because social media is so inexpensive, doesn't mean that the ROI is better than much more expensive marketing approaches.  Even for small businesses, a trade show or well crafted print ad might create a much higher ROI than giving away water bottles at the school fair.  The same is true for "free" media.  First of all, it isn't free.  I figure my time at $70 an hour.  Creating this blog post was anything but free.  Second of all, there might not be any tangible order that comes from this single posting, just like there might not be a tangible order from sending out an annual calendar. 

4.  Social media is very much like the tschotchke biz in that most of both are reminders.  The goal in both is more often to keep the advertiser front of mind as opposed to creating the immediate sale.  This is not always true for either, but is generally the primary motivation and result.

5.  Quality counts.  I know full well how often you have tried to convince your clients to go to multiple colors or a product that will actually work for its intended purpose for more than an hour.  But they only have a 50¢ budget.  It is no different with social media.  If you only blog once a month, or only send out two emails a year, or if the posts or the videos or the emails are just not attractive, thoughtful and spelled right, they aren't going to get you much in the way of results. 

Can you think of other ways that social media marketing is similar to promotional products marketing?

10 Great Email Secrets

Two hundred emails a day?  More?  I get more than that in my filter, never mind the ones that make it through to my inbox.  And yet, when sending out emails to our client lists, we are commonly seeing 30% opening rates.  What does it take to get folks to open, read, and respond to emails?

Something Delightful - First and foremost you need a "reputation" for providing delightful emails.  The rule for emails is this:  If your client opens three emails in a row that aren't delightful, they will trash your future emails.  A delightful email takes into consideration that the recipients are all different, enjoy different things, and like their information delivered in different ways. 

Something Personal - Instead of starting with a sales pitch, engage with something interesting about yourself, a staffer, or a client (with permission.)  Did someone get married, have a baby, go to Paris?  Most of your clients are women.  Think about what kind of personal story will be delightful to them.

Something Fun - You won't hit this 100%, but don't worry about that.  What cute "thing of the month" or saying or picture or video could you include.  It can be a very, very clever ad specialty item.  Maybe not one that will actually sell, but that is just really crazy. 

Something On Sale - Use coupons or other methods to create specials, discounts, promotions, and referral incentives.  One or two per email is fine.  But do more if you please.

Something Useful - What have you heard or seen from a client or an industry publication that might be useful to most who read the email.  Folks all want tools to help them be more successful.

Something to Anticipate - "When we get back from this commercial break, we'll tell you all about the explosion that shook Hollywood."  The TV and radio all do this.  What can you tease with for next time?  An ongoing game with prizes?  An upcoming interview or article of value?

Something Expected - Your email is a "periodical."  The definition includes that it is regularly published at an expected time.  Monthly?  Twice a month?  Create an expectation.  Who knows, some of your readers may actually look forward to it coming. 

Something Cross Channel - Use a side column to link to everything.  Link to all social media channels, give specific headlines to link to videos or blog posts or articles you want them to see.

Something Pleasing to the Eye - Use Constant Contact or another similar provider to help you create attractive emails with lots of pictures and a great header.  When you use a service like Constant Contact, you also get analytics on how many open, click through, bounce etc. 

Something To Make Them Open It - I left this until last and could probably write a book on the subject, which is after all, the "subject line."  What will intrigue people to open your email.  A series is one good way.  Sales Tip 17.  Great Promo item of the month 12.  Another is intrique.  Who is getting married this weekend?  What star did we see at the Red Onion Yesterday?  It can be December News from Promoland, but a little creativity will get more opens.

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