You Are the Expert

Elizabeth — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:05:28 +0000

Give away your knowledge and market yourself as the expert! Your knowledge and experience within your industry is invaluable and by offering it to others you will increase your credibility in the eye of the consumer and your peers which in turn yields sales. There’s no doubt this will require some invested time and thoughtfulness, and you may even give away secrets to your competition, but if you’re offering valuable information and it has your name attached to it, people will know where to go when they’re ready to spend their money.

Get creative! This is a fun way to market and connect with your customers and it doesn’t have to be complicated. There are a variety of ways to disseminate your information; think Facebook, email, Twitter, website, blog, Youtube, radio, newspaper, podcasts, or letters. Then think about what you’d like to offer up –this of course should relate back to your business. Could you share articles or books, DIY project ideas, money saver ideas, tip and tricks, offer guidance to others in your industry, share interesting facts, or the latest trends? The truth is, whether your business is just starting out or you’re an old pro, if you can offer people relevant information; increased trust and sales will be close behind!

Need more ideas or help executing your own ideas? See what Twelve Oaks Group can offer your small business!

Elizabeth

Elizabeth McPhail grew up learning about the trials, tribulations, and perks of small family-owned business. She creates and maintains websites and blogs, and in her spare time can be found on the water boating!

Building an Email Marketing List – This is Easy!

Nathan — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:57:57 +0000

We’ve long said that e-mail marketing (mailing lists) are one of the best ways to reach your customers. We’ll be sharing our thoughts and tips in the near future, but an article on Entrepreneur.com today caught my eye.

The article offers “5 Ways to Build a Solid Email Marketing List”. To forewarn you, 4 of the 5 are really the same thing, but it’s worth repeating… If you’re serious about e-mail marketing, always include an opt-in form on your website (in several places!).

Here’s what Entrepreneur.com says to keep in mind when creating an opt-in form:

• Generally, the less information you require to opt in, the more sign-ups you’ll receive. Most webmasters find that requiring only an email address and first name — or even just an email address — results in the highest opt-in rates.

• You’ll also get better results if you offer a bonus for providing your email address. Many merchants find that delivering a coupon code or free e-book encourages more sign-ups.

• Depending on the email marketing services provider you’ve chosen, you may be able to split test your opt-in form. If so, try designing two different versions of your form that will be displayed randomly to visitors and will help you determine the most effective approach.

”5 Ways to Build a Solid Email Marketing List” – Entreprenuer.com

One thing you need to remember:

You need to strike while the iron is hot. If you’re collecting e-mail addresses in an opt-in list, you’d better start sending e-mails to your subscribers quickly. If people don’t remember signing up, they may immediately unsubscribe or worse, mark your message as “Spam” (which may prevent your message from being delivered to others!).

Are you interested in e-mail marketing for your business? If all of this seems overwhelming, or you just don’t have enough time to manage it yourself, the Twelve Oaks Group has experts who will take the lead in everything from developing your opt-in form, to actually writing content for your newsletter or promotional e-mail. Contact us today at sales@twelveoaksgroup.net or call (731) 337-4330.

Nathan

Nathan Reed is a spastic online entrepreneur. Since 1997, Nathan has developed online solutions for non-profits, small business, and local governments. Nathan is the owner and founder of the Twelve Oaks Group.

twelveoaksgroup.net » E-Mail Marketing

You Are the Expert

Elizabeth

Building an Email Marketing List – This is Easy!

Nathan