On Wednesday I shared an example of really, really bad social network engagement. For the most part, I posted it mainly for laughs, but Denisse Lemos gave me the following challenge:
“how would you have rewrote this to make it “a good example”
Since it is written so poorly that I can barely read it (and would literally have to re-write it completely to prove a point), I thought I’d instead give a little insight into the questions that marketer’s should ke
ep in mind when developing a method of internal social network engagement:
1. Who are you? Marketer’s must realize that even in social networks, “inbox’s” are still viewed as a more personal level of communication. And, just like in personal email, if an email does not establish identity and credibility upfront - it will likely get flagged immediately as spam. To prevent this (and to develop some level of trust and transparency) marketer’s should clearly state who they are and who they are representing.
2. Why are you contacting me? This is the part where marketer’s frequently mess up. Why? Because the reason of contact is either 1) related to driving the recipient to a certain end goal or 2) because the recipient is in the target audience. Instead of this cookie cutter approach, the email should show some understanding of the recipient. For instance, this letter could have said, “I am contacting you because you clearly have an entrepreneural spirit through your work with Ignite….”. This would have perked my attention, and made me feel particularly important.
3. What do you want? Immediately, the recipient of the email will wonder the reason for the letter. While it isn’t always bad to ask recipients to take an action, marketer’s should be clear and upfront, rather than throwing a multitude of action points into the email. Before asking a recipient to do anything, marketer’s must primarily determine the end benefit the recipient will receive for taking the action, and then determine how this action could help the company’s end goals.
Unfortunately, many companies view spamming as a mass communication tool, rather than a valuable way to connect to their customers. Companies like this truly miss an opportunity.
Any thoughts to add?
Comments
Don't Let Social Media Marketing Work Against You Building Your Brand Through Social MediaMaking Social Media Work for Your BusinessVery Few Small Business Owners Say Social Media "A Must"Small Businesses' Favorite Social Media ToolsYouTube Makes Social Media Marketing EasierSocial Media Marketing Takes TimeIs the Social Media Profile Replacing the Website? SBMU: Thin Line Between Playing Social Media and Utilizing Social Media How Are Small Businesses Marketing For the Holidays?
 | |||
| Do you have a business site? Submit your business related site FREE! | |||
| |||
Submit Your Article
Advertise
Newsletter
Comments
Email Marketing
If you contact someone through email without their permission, it's spam no matter what you say, who you are, or why you did it. That's the internet code. That said, by stating who you are the recipient should know what it is about and who you are representing, after all they gave you permission, and they know why they gave it to you.. There is an exception to this rule when a person has agreed to receive solicitations for some reason. In this case the person would only do so because they indicated (opted in) to want emails regarding certain topics, so it would make sense to state the topic in the subject line of the email. Your email address should identify you and the company you represent. I agree with Lisa on this. It's wise to make your point quick before you get deleted. If you're selling something, say so. I sell Internet Marketing services. State what you can do. The prospect wants to know "what's in it for me". I can put you on Google first page results in natural search results. This tells them what is in it for them and that it may cost less than pay-per -click. So it creates curiosity. What do you mean natural resutls? I mean you do not have to pay per click. So how much does it cost? It's a huge savings compared to pay per click, because once i put you there, you stay there for an average of 6 months before you begin to move off. What would that do for you? Contact me for pricing when you need more sales. Now the prospect has to contact you for more information. What does the prospect want to know? How much does it cost compared to pay-per-click, and how long will it take to get there. Sometimes I can do it in one day, but usually it takes a few months. How do you do it? Well I'd have to charge you about $1,000,000 to teach you how, Do you have it? You could potentially start to see a good ROI in about 5 years. After that it's all profit. If you don't have it in your budget, for now I can help you sell your product or service by putting you in front of your prospects when they are searching for your solution. What would that do for your company at this point? It would help me grow my business and make more money. Great, I'll send you an invoice and we will get started. Thanks for your business. You will be glad you made this good decision. kgc@kgc1.com
Post new comment