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by guest blogger, Kathleen Watson I’ve always been amused and impressed by Kathleen Watson‘s writing on her own blog, Stepping Into Big, so I asked her if she’d be willing to write a special article for the Firecracker blog. When she accepted, I was thrilled! Then, when I read her final [...]
My reason for telling you this story (and for continuing to do so now) was to show you how Internet marketing and social media are no more complicated to owning a local hardware store. A really cool hardware store. Like Neal’s Hardware. So, as I said, we left Neal in a pretty good place! His basic marketing was off to a strong start, but… Neal stills needs more business! See, he has big plans to expand, add a garden center and specialize in non-toxic paints. Plus, he’s had his eye on the new pickup truck. So even though his free offer and regular mailings are keeping the cash moving in, he needs to increase that flow! Neal realizes that in order to fund his future dreams, he can’t stay stuck in his hardware store and wait for people to come to him. He has to get out and go where the action is, where his potential customers are. He has to rub elbows with a variety of folks who either need his goods or can refer others to his store. So he joins the local Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary. He shows up at meetings and mixers, joins in the conversations, and plays it smart by spending most of his time asking questions and listening to others talk about their businesses and their lives. When people ask him what he does, he tells them about the store and his services, and, if it feels right, he hands them a card for the free digital tape measure. “Come on by the store and I’ll give you one of these great digital tape measures,” he says. But Neal doesn’t stop there. He knows that if he’s going to compete with the superstores, he has to position himself as the friendly expert who can help people solve their home repair problems. That’s when he gets a great idea! Continue reading Internet Marketing & Neal’s Hardware: A Story To Make It Simple, Part II I just got done listening to a very fine (and free) 5-part series on Building Your Business With Content Marketing” with Brian Clark from Copyblogger and Michael Port. These guys are super-pros when it comes to building a tribe, marketing online and using social media to meet new friends and keep the old. [...] Oh, let’s stop all this talk about list building! Internet marketing gurus keep harping away about how to “build your list.” “It’s all in your list.” “You gotta keep building your list.””You want a huge list.” But what good is a huge list if only a teeny-tiny percentage of the people on that [...] Sometimes, all the rules, guidance, brilliant ideas, expertise and even creativity just get in the way. They suffocate the most essential, basic thing that matters. This month, we’ve been focusing on email marketing and how to write emails that captivate and connect with your reader. And Be a real human being reaching out to connect with another human being. Have something to share, and share it from your heart. And do so with the intention of speaking right to the heart of the person receiving your email. There. That’s it. That’s all you need to know. But I’m happy to say more. See, when we think of email marketing as “mass marketing,” or even direct marketing, rather than “one-to-one connecting,” we fall off the beam. The beauty of email is that it can be so much more personal and intimate than any other form of communication online. Social media may be in the spotlight right now, but social media is, well, social. It’s like one enormous cocktail party where everyone is talking over everyone else. It’s loud and crowded. But when you send someone an email, it’s just you and that other person… even if you’ve sent that email to 4,000 other people. You get to speak directly to one person at a time. It’s you and them, alone at last. So, speak to the heart of that other person. Virtually sit down with them, have a cup of tea and share whatever is on your mind, and do so from your own heart to theirs. Today, we continue our month-long focus on email marketing, including how to write emails that are irresistible and use email to build rapport, trust and connection with those you are meant to serve. It always feels bad when someone unsubscribes from your email list. Especially right after you’ve sent something into which you [...] March is Email Marketing Month! During the entire month of March, I’ll be giving you tips, ideas and off-the-wall insights about how to get your bulk emails opened, read and responded to. Because, hey, if you’re going to take all that time to write a great email or email newsletter, you want people to read it, right? Right!
H Well, some emails are like that. They might have an intriguing subject line and a captivating lead, but once you dig into the guts of that email, it wimps out. There’s nothing there to hold your interest. And you feel slightly deceived, cheated and manipulated. While the subject line and lead (which consists of the greeting and first few sentences) are key to getting your emails opened and read, the body of your email has to be able to keep your reader engaged in what you have to say AND what you have to offer. Last week we talked about email marketing and the basic anatomy of an irresistible email, and today, we’re getting into the blood and guts – the meat of your message – so you can create email content that captivates and connects with your reader… without silly manipulative tricks. NOTE: It is essential that whatever you write in any email feels true and genuine to who you are and your message. No phony-baloney copywriting tricks. No false promises. No B.S. Don’t copy someone else or try to act on email marketing advice unless it feels in alignment with you and your message. That includes what you read here in this blog post! Here is a place to start… a few ideas to hopefully spark your own authentic way of writing emails that resonate with your ideal clients and prospective customers. Let’s get started! Continue reading Email Marketing: The Blood & Guts of An Irresistible Email It is March 20 and we continue our month long spotlight on email… how to write emails that get opened, read and responded to! Today, we are talking about stupid email writing rules you need to avoid. Oy, I heard a doozey the other day! AND… how to make sure your email makes [...] March is Email Marketing Month! During the entire month of March, I’ll be giving you tips, ideas and off-the-wall insights about how to get your bulk emails opened, read and responded to. Because, hey, if you’re going to take all that time to write a great email or email newsletter, you want people to [...] During the month of March, we are focusing on how to write emails that get opened, read and responded to. Last week, we talked about subject lines, and today, we are focusing on being consistent with what you send to the people on your email list so they know what to expect from [...] |
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Copyright © 2012 Firecracker Communications | Nancy Tierney | Get More Clients and Fans | Build Your Business | Make More Money | Online Marketing | Social Media Strategy | Copywriting - All Rights Reserved |
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