What’s in Your Marketing Budget?
2011. A new start. New hope. New strategies for success. Most marketing professionals are optimistic about 2011. Reportedly, there are a more conversations, and companies are now addressing their need for market share (rather than the service and product survival focus of the past 24 months). So far — it’s all good.
But the success your organization will experience this year in new leads and sales is closely aligned with the marketing choices you make. For example, does it make sense to continue advertising on tv, radio or print at the pre-recession rate? How many carefully planned impressions will be wasted on people who are not interested in your offering? Or, perhaps, skip right over them with all the technology available to avoid your carefully crafted ads? What about direct mail? Is your return typical — between .5 and 2%? What does that make your return on investment (ROI)?
The Center for Media Research shared some interesting information that can help guide your organization to a successful 2011 marketing budget. Overall, 50% of budgets are expected to increase over last year with 43% maintaining current levels. The top allocation increases are: 65% to email marketing, 57% to social media, 41% to Search, and 35% to mobile marketing. This year’s losers are direct mail, down 36%, followed by tradeshow and events at 33%. Trailing in third for the budget bruise is advertising.
Marketing is common sense at its very core. Who is interested in what you offer? Where can you find qualified prospects to “talk” to them? What is better about your company’s services and products that would cause prospects to buy? You really don’t need to look any further than your screen to answer these questions — it’s all on the Internet. That’s where most people search topics, ask questions, seek other people’s opinions and find news and entertainment.
Companies are recognizing that their website is the centerpiece to all their lead generating efforts from information to testimonials to education. The better your organization tends to its website with reliable, relevant content that interests prospects and customers, the more trusted and valuable your organization becomes to them.
The next step is to drive traffic to your website. Search engine optimization (SEO) is important, of course, but only ten companies are listed on page one of a given search. That means organizations must find ways to drive traffic to their websites where they can woe their market with outstanding information, visuals, videos and news. The more Internet channels you use, the better your results. For example, clearly, social media enjoyed back to back break-out years in 2009 and 2010. We expect more to come in 2011. But this year, it’s hard to beat the economies of scale in e-mail marketing to the prospects and customers whose email address you have been accumulating. Pay-per-click advertising and mobile marketing should surge a bit their year as well.
Your budgets are probably approved. But to make the most of your marketing dollars, use your common sense to determine the best allocation of your hard-fought funds.
Dear Mail Server,
Please Deliver me
As a receiver of too many emails, mostly unsolicited, you or your organization may employ any number of filters, spam blockers, opt-out boxes and quick delete methods to avoid them. So how do you get to potentially interested people with your message via email? After all, email marketing can be a terrific return on investment, if only we can get through to our prospects. Here’s a few ways to get delivered to the inbox.
There are few important keys to successful email marketing and unless you have a robust and highly talented IT department, you may want to use one of the available platforms designed just for email marketing. MailChimp, iContact, and our favorite, Constant Contact are the three largest providers for email marketing services. There are also software programs designed for email marketing among them is one from a most reputable company, Hubspot. Each are cost effective and may be customized to varying degrees. Fees go up as you add more photos and options to your newsletters. However, they help to eliminate many problems with email marketing, including:
1) Sending to multiple recipients from your mail server often flags your emails as SPAM and we know where that goes! If you use the “To” line for addresses, everyone know who you sent to, as well.
2) Don’t load up your emails with photos. They should just compliment the content you are delivering, not overpower it. Photos also signal a possible SPAM message and may not get through a filter or firewall.
3) Not only is it the law, but be certain to have an unsubscribe option. It doesn’t have to be big, just there. Be cautious about how you build your list — organically is best.
4) Have a “text only” option for delivery.
5) Do not include attachments. People often view them as potential viruses.
These problems are solved with a reputable email marketing service (EMS). Additionally, your emails are constantly monitored and the EMS is diligent about protecting their own reputations so nothing they send out is blacklisted by Internet Service Providers. If they spot a delivery problem, it is addressed quickly so their service is then on a “white list,” or approved sender. You can test your emails for spam blocking at: sales-spamcheck@sitesell.net. Once it is sent, study the reports that are available. Deal with complaints. Most of these services provide outstanding reporting for tracking. If your organization has signed up with ISP’s Feedback Loops (FPLs), you’ll know when your prospects and clients complain about your emails. There are of course, services for that, too.
Research in this article is courtesy of Kyle James who posted his research on Hubspot and Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, Editor of Web Marketing Today.
The Marketing Smoothie Recipe for Older Adult Services
Take your direct mail, your advertising, your website, Facebook page, special events and put them all in a blender. Combine, mix on high and serve immediately. The rich flavors will create a marketing masterpiece worthy of your finest efforts. Yields: New customers. Will keep for at least one year.
It’s true, every ingredient you add to your marketing mix is going to enhance the effectiveness of your campaign especially when you combine them and let them work together to support each other. This is especially true when appealing to older adults. Seniors usually read direct mail and watch or listen to commercials, hence the expiration date for these mediums is further out than say, print advertising. That .5% response rate you get with direct mail may bring people to your community, your store or your website. Use it wisely because it is quite expensive; however, it can boost interest and awareness about your organization when you promote your website, blog, Facebook, etc., in the mailed piece (email or snail mail).
Special events are a great place to have people sign up with their email addresses. Offer something for free, or an opportunity to win cash or a give-away and you’ll get more email addresses. Take your online magazine or website on the road — to senior fairs, to trade events, anywhere you can. Then let people see what they can learn, enjoy and gain value from by participating in your online activities.
Of course there’s a menu of options for those folks who like to consume the latest communications trends of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs, too. First, connect your Facebook page, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn accounts via any one of a number of new social media management services that are often free. Then link all of that to your website. Connect the paths among all these accounts to your blog or online magazine, to reputable referral sites and of course, your RSS Feed. Promote your events on your site, within these accounts, offer special discounts, etc. via these mediums. You can even try pay-per-click advertising on search engines and referral sites.
In your monthly statements or newsletters, provide links and special advantages to using your organization’s online tools. Use signage throughout your venue to promote your online and make it worth a prospect’s while to seek out your business on the Internet.
Online strategies are far less expensive overall and are proving to be about 60% less per lead than traditional tactics. However, a slow but steady shift of funds and efforts away from the traditional methods into the online is a far more successful way to reach the older adult market. Use the next year or two to change your lead-generating diet to mostly online.
Inbound or Outbound Marketing?
Do you want your prospects to look forward to seeing your offers, information and counsel? You can accomplish that
with an Inbound or ”pull” marketing strategy which means your prospects and customers seek information you have to offer based on their needs and interests. This is contrary to the Outbound or “push” marketing strategy that focuses on your features and repetitive intrusions.
In fact, approximately 40% of marketing budgets will be spent on content marketing in 2011 which exemplifies the Inbound strategy. Content marketing is characterized by its ability to inform customers and prospects about key industry issues. This may or may not involve the products or services of the company or organization publishing the content. This soft sell approach has a far greater market appeal than blasting the features of a company to its customers and prospects without regard for the benefit it brings to the recipient. Instead of finding ways to block an advertiser’s message, the customers or prospects actually “pull” in the information being delivered.
Content marketing is most commonly provided in print and online newsletters, online magazines, blogs, articles white papers, webcasts, webinars, videos and podcasts. This style of content is often available via email marketing, events and other forums.
There is one rule with content marketing: it must be relevant and valuable to create your customer’s and prospects’ desire to learn about you and your products or services. Think: what’s in it for them?
Here’s why it’s important to transition to Inbound/content marketing… According to the Customer Publishing Council and Roper Public Affairs:
- 80% of business decision makers prefer to get company information is a series of articles versus an advertisement
- 70% say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company
- 60% say that company content helps them make better product decisions
Inbound content marketing is not a campaign: it’s a commitment. It takes 12 to 18 months to see the results of your efforts. An article published in Communication Strategy by John Buscall, entitled: “How Long Does It Take to Work?” stated that “After three months you might see a glimmer of results, after 9 months, your approach will start to be discovered by more people and at 12 months you’ll know that it’s working [and what adjustments need to be made to improve results]. And that’s if you commit to a plan, regularly create excellent online content for your marketing initiatives and track your metrics to know how you are doing.”
Since Mad Men
A personal account of advertising agency life by Debra Sheridan, President of IVY Marketing Group on its 20th Anniversary
For those of you who watch Mad Men on AMC, you are probably stunned by the antics of the early 1960′s advertising agency creatives and partners. Well, when I entered the large advertising agency scene in the early 1970′s, things weren’t much better. I had to lie about being able to type over 90 words per minute so that I could get into the creative department rather than the secretarial pool. Oh, and yes, I was asked to be my boss’ “friend” with the assurance that doing so would bring me great career advancements, on more than one occasion. After a particularly trying large agency experience, I found that better-behaved creative and business people could be found in smaller agencies (perhaps there were just fewer place to hide, people to blame). But as anyone who works in this business knows, once it gets into your blood — you’re hooked.
As a writer and account executive, there was a great deal of freedom to work from home. A perfect solution for my husband and three children. As always, all things come to an end and the agency where I was working, decided to close in early 1990. To keep my flexibility and serve my five clients as promised, I started IVY Integrated Marketing, our original name until one of our receptionists changed it to IVY Marketing because she thought it was entirely too difficult to say. We made that official in 1997 with IVY Marketing Group. IVY is named for my parents, Ruth and Paul Ivy. Since the name ends with them, I wanted to give them a legacy that would be a tribute to their intelligence, integrity and creativity.
Business in 1990 was very different then, than it is now. For starters, I only needed a computer for word processing and a laser printer. The big question was “should I buy an Apple or an IBM computer?” Apple offered the Apple II or the Mac but there was also the PC, a far more affordable option. A printer, calculator, our brand new logo foil stamped and embossed on business cards, stationery and envelopes resided on newly-purchased used furniture. A postage meter was not in the budget; neither was a fax machine which was now popular in the business world but priced in the thousands of dollars range. The only vestige from the first days is an HP laser printer which remains faithful by my side, kicking out every page I ask of it. We’ve been through scads of printers and computers since our opening day. I will take it as a sign that I should retire if my little printer ever gives up.
I was fortunate to pioneer the cellular phone for AT&T. It was installed in my car requiring several hours of technical know-how but had a feature that allowed it to be disconnected so it was portable. While I don’t remember its weight, it was about the size of two reams of paper when in its case.
On August 17, 1990, IVY Integrated Marketing was incorporated. With me was my wonderful graphic designer and now dear friend, Noreen Mancini. She comfortably worked at her drafting table, with a razor blade usually resting between her teeth, hot wax gun in hand and Letraset, sheets of dry transferrable lettering, at the ready. I had my PC computer, my little printer and collection of supplies. Getting Noreen off the drafting board and onto a computer was very challenging. I bought her the nicest Mac we could afford and sent her to class. It took years before I heard her whisper that she loved the computer.
We grew the company to serve many clients and 18 employees in 3 short years. Our business expanded to include senior housing, residential developments, retail and office asset management companies along with state and local governments. We were surrounded by electronic gadgets like scanners, copiers, printers, cameras along with our computers and printers.
Agency life got sweeter when we started using email and the internet. After years of rifling through books and periodicals at the library, I could find information at my desk via my state-of-the-art one-gigabyte computer. We loaded up on fancy software, even an expensive accounting system so we could bill not just by the hour but by the copy, the fax or the postage amount. We could even cut down the time to complete projects and better communicate with clients with e-mail — wow!
But, I was about to get my own professional jolt in 2005, when the world of marketing, advertising and public relations was reinventing itself. With a foundation in public relations, our concern grew when paper and magazine pages dwindled and public service announcements were only at 2 a.m. That meant IVY Marketing Group needed to change with the technology. Today, we have sharpened our skills to include anything online — social media, blogs, public relations and advertising.
It’s still a mad, mad world, but we love it. And, so today, 20 years later, we are excited about the amazing people we’ve worked with and for… the plethora of communications opportunities available to our clients… and what we will learn and implement tomorrow.
Borrowing from Real Estate Cousins
Location, location, location is, and always has been, the mantra for real estate which applies to every sector of the industry. It speaks to convenience, present and future value, proximity to people and places and preferences. That’s why residential real estate can borrow from retail and resort sectors, senior housing can borrow from residential and industrial can borrow from office. And, we can all borrow from each other.
So how are residential real estate agents marketing their products to weather the financial storm?
We all recognize that the real estate housing market was a critical factor in the recent demise of our economy. If affects all real estate sectors but when it comes to where we live, it really hits home. The classic: a sign in the yard, a pictures on the church bulletin, an MLS listing and broker specialties, such as “specialist in senior housing” still anchor the real estate market. However, successful agents showcase their product to the internet via interactive websites, video tours with lifestyle components to them, online classified ads and social media.
New technology allows agents to really give a personality to their listing, just like this video from Planomatic (http://photoplan.planomatic.com/viewer.php?propertyTourID=3275). There is also a considerable amount of detail about the property that is right at your finger tips. In fact, you can make your Planomatic video and property information an app on your iPhone.
Twitter and mobile media are good tools for urgency. If a property is just up for sale, just reduced, just received a bid or has been sold, the real time status is just a click, ring or buzz away. Could this be used by sales people everywhere to create urgency for your sought after product, service or property? What’s happening in the community right now? Let the prospect ponder, “What would my life be like if I were there?”
Senior housing specialists have never considered their products to be real estate but rather lifestyle. Clearly, it is a complicated sale with that nagging sense of finality to it. However, generally speaking, consumers still fund their housing with real estate. An online classified ad might bring that all important lead, especially if you have a great story to tell to go along with the real estate. Twitter or Facebook are options to bring news to people where they get their news, especially as we talk to the adult children of older adults.
Residential real estate agents are quick to let people know what is conveniently located to their listings. Savvy agents also add local calendars, real estate values, links to different events and locations that give someone a sense of place. This is added to their interactive websites, Facebook with links to Twitter, LinkedIn and other relevant groups that can either assist with the sale of the product or the potential end buyer.
According to the Inman News Company (http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/), which is a wonderful resource for residential real estate brokers, social media rules apply for real estate, just as they do for other industries.
Rule 1) don’t just talk about yourself.
Rule 2) Post great content along with your listing.
Rule 3) Never claim someone else’s content as your own.
Rule 4) Don’t give out too much information.
Rule 5) Learn the language of the network, group, constituents you are taking with and use it.
We couldn’t agree more.
Using Social Media in Your Public Relations Efforts
Presentation at the National Conference for AAHSA
This presentation defines what senior housing service providers should consider to reach their prospects and their families. It was presented at the national conference of the American Association of Housing and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) in November 2009 by Debra Sheridan.
Providence Life Services Realizes Social Media Success
When you have a 90% score on your website that Hubspot grades against all websites in every industry… over 7,000 people visit your site monthly… and, you use technology resources to distribute your messages to over 100,000 active emails accounts, you are leading the pack in online communications best practices. Such is the case with Providence Life Services (PLS), a not-for-profit Christian ministry serving seniors and headquartered in south suburban Chicago.
A four person staff designs, writes and manages the marketing for seven communities, four home and community based service groups, four rehabilitation centers as well as the parent organization, PLS. Along with PLS’ website functionality that is content rich and frequently updated, the marketing team manages the Facebook pages for the corporation along with their independent and assisted living communities.
“Originally our participation on Facebook was driven by a desire to provide a ministry for the families of residents. The snippets of daily life caught in photos, stories, videos, etc., are a wonderful way for the families to see what the lives of their loved ones are like,” commented Director of Communications, Melanie Jongsma. Mary James, Vice President of Communications and Marketing added that it has become a great marketing tool, too!
“Introducing social media into the Providence Life Services marketing and communications strategy is a result of three years spent rebranding our organization which included a name change from Rest Haven to Providence Life Services,” according to James. “Credit must be given to our CEO, Rick Scott, for his vision to embrace social media and technology as a significant component of our communications strategy.”
Peggy Hiemer designs and manages the website, Facebook accounts for PLS and its communities along with e-newsletters to various constituent groups. Ms. Jongsma and Ms. Hiemer led a training class for community marketing directors to teach them how Facebook works. Their community Facebook pages launched three months ago. “The success of the Facebook pages are directly related to the interest and dedication of the onsite point person. The more buy-in there is at the local level the more successful Facebook is as a communication tool for the residents.”
Mary James added, “We consider it critically important for the staff to participate in the online discussion since each community is a ‘family’ of staff and residents.” PLS never screens the comments that are made on the site or Facebook, however, they are monitored closely. “When a not-so- complimentary comment comes into the conversations, we are quick to find something to offset it,” says James.
Traditional marketing methods are still used by PLS since the target market responds to direct mail and events. However, whenever we feel we can transfer a message via the internet, we will,” exclaimed James.
How To Create Your Online Newsroom
Sample online newsroom courtesy of Press-Feed.
Nearly 80% of people access an organization’s website before engaging further with a company. The numbers are even higher for media journalists and producers.
In a Norman/Nielson Study, over 99% of journalists and producers search your website first, before calling you, asking for quotes to include in their aritcles or publishing your press releases. Not only are journalists seriously time crunched, they have been very direct and specific about the way they want to be able to gain initial access and information about your organizaiton — through your website, according to Sally Falkow, president of Press-Feed.
From your home or landing page,media and other people wanting to know about your organization, its leadership, mission, position, etc. should be able to access your online newsroom. Press-Feed has designed a news room that looks and feels like your website but allows the media,customers and prospects to access the background, facts, news and philosophical informaiton about our organization from a single page.
Your news room should have these individual sections accessible from the news page in an easily readable format:
Media Contact Information with the name, all phone numbers and email addresss with the best times to readh the contact, if needed.
Current Articles prominently displayed with complete facts in bullet points:
- Quotes from outside the organization pertaining to the article subject (including contact information so comments can be verified)
- Photos pertaining to the aritcle subject
- Video (if possible and appropriate) pertai8ning to the aritcle subject
A full background of your organization in bullet points:
- Date established
- Address of the main headquarters and business extensions
- Comapny affiliations
- Governing structure
- Organizational management (at least names, photos and contact information for the Executive Committee)
- Board of Directors (names, company names, email addresses)
Photos that define your services and graphics that can be downloaded, such as your logo
Who You Serve
- By industry
- By geography
- By demographics
- Any other relevant identifier
A list of your articles and White Papers
- Possible video of the CEO talking about the industry and hos his-her organization is making a difference
Did Social Media Remove a Dictator?
Social and peer pressure has long been known to cause change. But if you still believe there is no real power in social media, one post at a time, one hashtag per thought, you have not been paying attention to the debate about the Egyptian Revolution. And, although Hasni Mubarak could oppress and dictate the lives of Egyptians as well as, try to block the chatter among Internet users, he could not stop the Revolution that brought down his dictatorship of 30 years.
Certainly no social media revolution can succeed without a pervasive desire for change. Egyptians wanted to stop the oppression. Their cries struck emotional cords and allowed people their individual voices. This Revolution, much like President Obama’s campaign and the peaceful transition of power in Tanisia, became a collaborative outcry of brave, committed people whose physical presence created change in a country.
On January 27, two days following the beginning of the peaceful protest in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, Mubarak shut down the Internet in an attempt to squelch the swelling crowds. A young Google employee from Cairo named Wael Ghonim was arrested on January 28 and secretly detained until February 7 — he was the then-anonymous founder of the “We Are All Khaled Said” Facebook page and initially called for and organized the January 25 protest.
The “We Are All Khaled Said” Facebook Page mission states: “Khaled Said, 28 years old, was tortured to death by 2 Egyptian Policemen in the street. The incident has woken up Egyptians to work against the systematic torture in Egypt and the 30 years running emergency law. We need international supporters to help us stand against Police brutality in Egypt. We invite you to support our cause.”
The Egyptian nation is a country of 82 million people. Techcrunch http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/11/feb11/
reports that there are around 17 million Internet users, 60 million cell phone subscribers, 7 million home phones, and 5 million Facebook users that essentially created the largest flashmob ever, with around 8 million protesters in the streets across Egypt, according to reports. Dozens of other countries, hearing the online pleas from Egyptians, gathered in their own country’s streets to rally support for the protestors in Tahrir Square. From posting videos on YouTube, to using PhotoShop to create symbolic logos for the opposition, to using Facebook to organize protests, the events of the 18-day siege undoubtedly played out online.
According to NPR, organizers promised one another that they would each bring at least ten non-connected people they knew to the protests. They even agreed on messaging tactics in advance. In order to better succeed at recruiting poorer, less-educated Egyptians to join them, they focused on economic issues as a rallying cry, not torture.
NPR further reported that the fact that everything was very organized from the beginning made people feel safe and more willing to participate. It was not a random or spontaneous upheaval; it was well planned and organized. This web-based planning was critical, given that the vast majority of people on the “We Are All Khaled Said” page — and those who entered the streets on the 25th — were not veteran human rights activists and bloggers.
Jeff Jarvis, who blogs about media and news at Buzzmachine.com, authored What Would Google Do? (HarperCollins 2009), is associate professor and director of the interactive journalism program at the City University of New York’s new Graduate School of Journalism, has this to say about the Internet and how we can and should use it:
http://thefastertimes.com/mediaandtech/2011/02/13/facebook-twitter-and-the-egyptian-revolution/
1. We have a right to connect.
2. We have the right to speak.
3. We have the right to assemble & act.
4. Privacy is a responsibility of knowing.
5. Publicness is a responsibility of sharing.
6. Information should be public by default, secret by necessity.
7. What is public is a public good.
8. All bits are created equal.
9. The Internet shall be operated openly.
10. The Internet shall be distributed.
Of course, the Internet did not create this or any other revolution. In fact, it creates nothing but a way to share, to listen and to be heard. Whether we want to revolutionize ourselves, our business or our passions, the Internet is a powerful tool for each of us to use.