Marketing

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An Inside Guide to E-Mail Marketing

June 9, 2009 in eMail Marketing, Marketing | 1 comment

I’d like to share with you a few tips and techniques that make e-mail marketing a successful part my promotional mix.

1. Have a Strategy
It’s wise to have a goal for the overall campaign and for each individual e-mail blast. For example, my overall goal is to position myself as a Thought Leader among creative professionals. I do this by consistently sharing actionable knowledge and success stories. My intent with a particular e-mail blast might be to share tips on how to create an effective e-mail marketing blast.

2. Building Your Mailing List
Dedicate time to building a mailing list of readers within your target market. It’s best to ask people to opt-in before you show up unannounced in their in-box. I do this by having a link in my e-mail signature to my website that has a sign-up form. Also, when I meet potential clients, I’ll ask either in person, or via e-mail, “may I send you free creative business advice on a monthly basis as an e-mail?”

3. Getting People to Open Up
In an in-box full of messages, a compelling Subject Line entices the reader to open your e-mail. Six to ten words and 35-55 characters is best. For continuity I always include “LecoursDesign:” as the first part of our Subject lines and the topic of the e-mail as the second part. Using “David Lecours” for the From field lets readers know this e-mail is coming from an actual person. A good e-mail service provider will provide you with metrics to measure how many people open your e-mail. According to MarketingSherpa, good open rates are 20% and higher. I’ve found that sending e-mails on Tues. or Wed at mid-day improves our open rates. I always send a test to myself and my Office Manager to check spelling, formatting and links before sending to our entire mailing list.

4. Juicy Content Creates a Connection
The first 4 vertical inches of an e-mail often gets shown in a Preview Pane which can determine the fate of your message. You might include a branded masthead for credibility and a headshot to let the reader know this is written by a real person. If readers only view a sea of lengthy text, then it feels like work and thus decreases open rates. Have your e-mail content offer something of value. The more actionable the content, the more value you are providing. Be continually making deposits in relationships with past, present and future clients. Make the content personal and don’t be afraid to let people know what you believe. Keep our messages brief. If more than 400 words, include a bridge link like “read more on our blog.”

Consider e-mail marketing as another tool to connect with your audience. Let me know if you need assistance in creating a custom, branded e-mail campaign for your firm.

Recommended E-mail Marketing Providers: Emma, Constant Contact. We use: Vertical Response

Social Networking

April 2, 2009 in Networking, Social Media, Social Networking | No comments

Here is a simple guide to Social Networking.

SOCIAL WHAT?
Social Networks like Linked-In and Facebook are part of Social Media, the hottest sector in marketing today. Social Media is different than traditional media (like advertising) in that the conversation is two-way. This includes blogs, microblogs (like Twitter), viral video (like YouTube), podcasts and photo sharing (like Flickr). For this issue, we’ll focus on Linked-In but the advice is relevant on any social network. My goal is that you will learn a little about this channel and decide if it supports your overall marketing strategy.

WHY?
If you’ve ever attended a Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) event, you know that A/E/C Marketers are social animals. The foundation of our industry is built on personal relationships. People (and firms) hire people (and firms) they know and trust. People will also hire, or team with, people (and firms) that have been recommended by trusted peers. So your personal network of contacts is an incredibly valuable asset. The bigger your network of quality connections, the more influence you wield. Linked-In is a great way to build and maintain your network.

People want to connect. The 36 million people on Linked-in enjoy being part of micro-communities around shared interests. Specialization will separate firms that thrive versus those that merely survive in the new economy. Narrowcasting is the future. Broadcasting your message as a wide net and hoping to catch a client is futile in our industry. When’s the last time you’ve seen a TV ad for an architecture firm? People listen to and trust their friends, not TV ads.

WAYS TO UTILIZE LINKED-IN
• Post presentations (.ppt, pdf., etc.) about what you are working on
• Do research on job candidates by querying their connections
• Post examples of your work: project photography or case studies
• Explore teaming opportunities with likeminded firms
• Incorporate your blog into your Linked-In profile
• Research competitors or new market sectors
• Use the Answers function to request help from your contacts
• Create a link in your e-mail signature to your Linked-In profile
• Dedicate 1 hour/week to building relationships and connections
• Practice random acts of kindness: write recommendations for others
• Treat your followers and connections as VIPs with special offers or advice
• Survey contacts about your company’s performance or image

WHAT NOT TO DO
• Lifecasting – we don’t care what you had for breakfast
• Appearing like you have no life outside of updating your profile
• Too much self promotion or sales pitching (Balance giving with getting)
• Not having a strategy (know what are you trying to accomplish)
• Not synchronizing your social media strategy with traditional media
• Letting IT establish your social media presence. This is a marketing function.
• Thinking you are broadcasting when it’s really all about narrowcasting
• Being too stiff and using corporatespeak
• Behaving like an ass and thinking you have some sort of on-line immunity

If you, like many, are wondering what to do with a Linked-In account, register for my upcoming webinar: Linked-In for Marketers: a tour and tips

CONNECT WITH ME ON:
Linked-In
Facebook

Networking

January 13, 2009 in Networking, Positioning, Pro-Bono Work | No comments

Inspired by last month’s advice on Marketing Plans, you have now defined your target markets and even specific clients you’d like to work with. So, how to convert these prospects to clients? The following four business development tips have been successful for me. Let me know if these, or others, are effective for you.

1. Get Involved Where Your Clients Gather
Focus your time where your clients congregate. Since our niche is the A/E/C industry, I’ve found SMPS, AIA, and USGBC to be fertile ground for connecting with potential clients. It’s not enough to simply join an organization or show up for meetings. The place where meaningful relationships are built is working side-by-side on a committee or serving on the board of directors. People hire people they know. So embed yourself where clients can get to know you on a personal level.

2. Volunteer Where You Are Passionate
Give your time to causes that you are passionate about. Even better if you can donate your services where they may be noticed by a potential client. Let me give you an example. I’m passionate about sustainability. So serving as Marketing Chair of the USGBC-SD Chapter allows me to demonstrate my craft (see nametags in lower right) and exposes LecoursDesign to potential clients. Volunteering also allows you to practice new skills that a paying client might find too risky (you rarely get fired volunteering). Lessons learned in managing e-news blasts for USGBC directly inform this e-advice blast you are now reading.

3. Obey the Law (of Reciprocity)
Give and you will get. The universe supports this in Newton’s third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. According to Michael Port in Book Yourself Solid, share what you know, whom you know, and how you feel. You’ll be amazed with what comes back to you.

4. Position Yourself as an Expert
I’ve found the best way get in front of my target audience as a Guru is through public speaking. When I speak on Creativity, Branding, or Marketing at conferences or workshops, it always amazes me how many people come up afterward to give me their business card. If public speaking isn’t your thing, make it your thing by joining a local Toastmasters chapter because public speaking is a learned skill. I’ll be speaking next on Jan. 20 at The San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Pecha Kucha Night. You can also complement speaking with writing. The trade publications your target reads are always hungry for fresh content. Propose an article where you can share useful knowledge (see tip #3 above) while demonstrating your expertise. Then be sure to send copies of your recent article to your target audience.

FREE .pdf of this advice

Marketing Planning 101

December 4, 2008 in Marketing Planning | No comments

I’m in the process of finalizing the LecoursDesign Marketing Plan for 2009 so I’d like to share my thoughts on the subject.

1. Why Have a Marketing Plan?
A Marketing Plan helps your firm shape its destiny by proactively defining what you want. Marketing plans are necessary for the same reason builders have plans: to know why, how, what, where, and when to build. This document is a declaration to the outside world and to internal staff. There is something powerful about sharing a written plan that makes it real and makes you accountable. In short, failing to plan is planning to fail.

2. Start with a Strategic Plan
Your Marketing Plan is a 1 year segment of your strategic plan which should include:
Mission – Why are you taking this journey?
Vision – Where are you headed?
Target Markets & Clients – Who will join you?
Positioning – Compelling reason for clients to join you
Goals – Specific, Measurable, Time-based Milestones

3. What to Include in Your Marketing Plan
Budget – Healthy firms typically invest 10- 15% of total operating revenues in marketing.
Staffing – Who will do what and by when. I’ve found that marketing plans often fail when the people tasked with implementing the plan are not involved in creating the plan.
Timeline – Prioritized sequencing of implementation because you can’t do it all at once.
Marketing Mix – Allocation of marketing budget to these possible marketing tools: branding, brochure, project sheets, direct mail, advertising, event sponsorship, PR, public speaking, expert writing, holiday promo, web site, professional organization networking, community involvement, trade shows, newsletters, e-mail blasts, video. I know a great consultant that can help with this!

It’s best to start creating your marketing plan about three months before implementation begins. To help you get started, click here for a FREE .pdf map that we’ve created to guide you through the process.

A Great Marketing Day

September 8, 2008 in Networking, Presenting, Public Speaking | No comments

Recently, I had a really great marketing day. I’d like to share with you a few habits that led to my success. I didn’t invent these, and, you may have heard them before. The following tactics have been effective for me in marketing my firm, LecoursDesign, and should also work for you.

1. Present Proposals in Person
The morning of my really great marketing day started with a meeting I requested to present a proposal to re-design the KTU+A website. I could have faxed or e-mailed the proposal and checked it off my to-do list. But, I’ve found a much higher success rate by presenting proposals in person. It shows a deeper commitment to the project, allows the client to get to know you better, and allows for the opportunity to answer questions about process or pricing in real-time.

2. Volunteer and Network Where Your Clients Are
Later the same morning, I ran into the Marketing Director and VP of KTU+A at a networking event where they handed me the signed proposal that I had just presented. Hooray! I previously served on the Board of Directors of Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) with the Marketing Director from KTU+A. She and I were also in the same Toastmasters group where she’d heard my speeches about the capabilities of LecoursDesign. So, when the RFP for their website came out, we were already well positioned in the mind of our new client.

3. Get In Front of Your Clients as an Expert
By noon of my great marketing day, I was on-stage at the recent USGBC / SMPS Luncheon. Being introduced to the audience as a Board Member and Marketing Co-Chair for the U.S. Green Building Council, San Diego Chapter elevated my awareness with 150 potential clients. One of which, the owner of Green Office Projects, introduced himself to me and inquired about the services of LecoursDesign. This was a lead that fits perfectly with our niche: building brands at the intersection of Architecture and CleanTech. Did it lead to a new project? You’ll have to wait until next issue to find out…

I’ve found recent success by dedicating 4 hours each Wednesday to marketing. I know it’s easy to neglect marketing when you are busy. But with long sales cycles, you can’t afford to wait until things get slow to nurture the marketing tree and expect consistent, high quality fruit.

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