So, what's new?
ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom lives on at http://www.scotthoward.me/ .
It's not being updated multiple times a day like I used to on this site.
Collective Wisdom is one of the categories on my website.
In April 2012, I returned to the radio business and am focusing my energies on that part of my life.
I plan on keeping this site alive as an archive and will occasionally repost some articles on the new website.
Over 12,000 articles from 2004 thru 2011 appeared on this site and my other blogs. That's an average of 33 per week. All while working full time.
Starting June 18th, I am doing 3 to 5 updates a week. That is 150 to 250 per year. Still a lot. Join me over there and on Twitter too at @ScLoHo.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Monday, October 03, 2011
The New ScLoHo Website
On Sunday October 2, 2011, I launched a new website, Scott Howard aka ScLoHo at http://www.scotthoward.me/ .
While I set up domain redirects for the 4 separate blog sites, like this one, you will most likely need to resubscribe to the RSS and newsletter feeds on the new site.
Why the move? Here's the answer = http://www.scotthoward.me/2011/10/03/welcome-to-the-new-scloho/
:)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday Night Marketing News from Mediapost
Click & Read:
Apparel
by Aaron Baar With the NBA season already delayed (and unlikely to start anytime soon) thanks to a labor dispute, Adidas is prepping a new marketing campaign featuring last year's league MVP Derrick Rose as it launches his signature shoe, the adiZero Rose 2. Plans for the shoe's debut were made well in advance of the current lockout. ...Read the whole story >>
Retail
by Tanya Irwin
Neiman Marcus will hide 15 Nancy Gonzalez clutches (which retail for about $1,400) in secret locations throughout its stores nationwide between noon and 4 p.m. Participants will engage in a hunt for the clutches by unlocking a message when they check into Neiman Marcus stores on Foursquare. ...Read the whole story >>
Beverages
by Karlene Lukovitz A seasonal "Got Milk?" campaign from the national Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP) is bringing Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy and Schroeder together in a print ad for the first time in 15 years. The campaign continues recent years' efforts to make chocolate milk "the official drink of Halloween." ...Read the whole story >>
by Karl Greenberg
Someone's making Googles of money in the ad business this year. Online ad revenues in the first half of 2011 more than doubled versus the period in 2010, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The firm, whose report on first-half ad revenue was prepared with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, said revenue from online marketing efforts rose 23.2% to a record $14.9 billion in the first half. ...Read the whole story >>
Automotive
by Karl Greenberg Chrysler's Fiat brand is heading to Las Vegas. The division is promoting the 500 at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) annual convention as an after-market accessorizing machine for Chrysler's Mopar. ...Read the whole story >>
Sphere: Related Content
The Danger of Generic
With technology evolving it should be easy for you to create different campaigns for different clients....
Here's an example why from MarketingProfs.com:
Don't Introduce Yourself to a Customer You've Already Met
 |
How is an existing customer supposed to feel when you send a form letter inviting her to sample your product or service and become a new customer? According to Allison DeFord, mistakes like this unnecessarily alienate otherwise happy customers—and might even send them into the arms of competitor who can remember their name.
Your best defense is a two-pronged offense that combines meticulous database management with a solid content strategy. Writing at the FELT blog, DeFord recommends components like these:
- Random letters of appreciation. Send a note of thanks—perhaps once each year—to let customers know you value their loyalty.
- Acknowledgement of milestones. When you celebrate a customer's birthday, or the anniversary of his first purchase, it reminds him that he matters to you.
- Handwritten notes of congratulation. Supply everyone in your company with high-quality note cards, advises DeFord, and encourage them to send handwritten notes that laud customers' accomplishments and promotions.
- Exclusive customer-only offers and news. Giving customers a special discount or a pre-launch sneak-peak is a great way to make them feel special.
- User forums and online communities. A private space for discussion and interaction is beneficial to customers—and enables you to take notes on their concerns and interests.
The Po!nt: Treating an existing customer like a potential customer might turn her into a former customer. So make sure she knows you know exactly who she is.
Source: FELT.
Sphere: Related Content
Email Tips
Excellent Advice from Jill:
How to Write a Highly Effective Subject Line
By Jill Konrath
If you're like most sellers, you don't pay a lot of attention to the subject lines. They're an afterthought. No big deal, right?
Totally wrong. Your subject line is the most important part of your message. If it's not a good one, your email gets trashed in a nanosecond. In fact, research by ExactTarget (my email newsletter service) show that the average person spends only 2.7 seconds on a message before deciding if they'll delete it, forward it or read it.
Just 2.7 seconds. That's all the time you have to capture a readers attention. That's why your subject line is so darn critical.
First, let's talk about what you don't put in a subject line. In order to avoid auto-deletes, it's imperative for you to:
- Avoid salesy verbiage. Get rid of words like excited, hot new product, free offer or special pricing.
- Avoid info on your company. No one is interested in your new product announcements or company updates except you.
- Avoid capital letters. Just the first word should be capped. Otherwise it seems like a headline, not a personal message.
- Use a referral. If someone has referred you to this person, put that in your subject line. They'll want to know why. For example, you might write: Terry Jones said to get in touch.
- Ask a quick question. If your prospect feels it's simple and relevant, they'll take a look. Your subject line might read: Quick question re: new client acquisition challenges.
- Tempt with ideas or information. My prospects are always interested in subject lines like this: Idea to reduce your sales cycle time or How XYZ company increased sales to Fortune 500 companies by 127%.
- Mention a trigger event. If something is happening within the company or in their greater business environment that's relevant to your offering, bring that up. For example, if you read about a recent merger, you might write: Impact of XYZ merger on (insert relevant business issue you address.)
Here's a major caveat though. When they start reading your message, it needs to deliver exactly what you promised in your subject line.
If you move into salesy mode or talk about your company, you'll trigger your prospect's auto-delete reaction. They can't control it. And you've lost the opportunity to open the conversation.
Hopefully by now you understand just how critical those simple little subject lines are to your sales success. I'd suggest you sit down right now and create 10 new ones you can use in the upcoming weeks.
Finally, start your experiment. See if you can tell which subject lines are most effective with your prospects. Then create variations off the same theme. You'll immediately see the difference in your sale success.
Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling and Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers get more prospects in their pipeline, speed up sales cycles and land bigger contracts. She's a frequent speaker at sales conferences. For more fresh sales strategies that work with crazy-busy prospects, visit www.jillkonrath.com.
Sphere: Related Content
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
