Email Marketing

[Silas Barker]

Hi guys,
Quick question,

Have any of you ever done any email marketing?

I am thinking about creating a list of businesses locally here and email blasting a message mentioning about our company and how we can help their video needs, and seeing if that helps generate any business. Let me know your thoughts. (It would be specific emails to specific types of busineses so that its relevant to them).

Maybe 1% response??

[Allan Black]

Emails are too impersonal and many wind up in the spam bin.

I'd try to let them see me in person, it's you they have to deal with. Invite small groups to a video presentation, say 5.30-6.00pm.

Maybe have one or two other speakers there, a local Radio or TV personality, a marketing exec with a positive spin.

Tie it up with the London Olympics, get the local bakery to make some 'gold medal' cookies with your biz name on them,
tie some suitable ribbon on 'em and do a letter/cookie drop.

Get on it now before someone else in Sacramento reads this and you come in last.

Cheers.

[Dave Blackhurst]

And perhaps a good way to get your server blacklisted...

Be VERY careful about "spamming", as there are laws out there, and they don't favor "email blasting".

You'd be better to use "opt in" newsletter or updates, or some other method to locate interested parties in your service, and probably work the "word of mouth" with existing clients.

[Brian Brown]

I'm in agreement with the others. An opt-in box on your site and management by Constant Contact or Mail Chimp would be a must. And then you'll find yourself slaving away to create or aggregate meaningful/relevant content, all for a 10% read rate while hoping for a single conversion or two. A coupon is usually in order to get any kind of response, and I've read that the worst thing a creative can do is set up the expectation for reduced-rate service in the minds of your clients.

I would probably choose direct mail to a targeted list over an email blast. The price of printing/postage is obviously higher, but I would expect a much better conversion rate... and those will be shockingly low, yet.

More advice: To expand upon what Allan said, consider joining a Meetup group or offer to give a talk about video marketing to your local Chamber. Don't spin it directly as selling YOUR service to your audience, but maybe "what to look for in selecting a video professional" or "why video marketing makes sense in this 'New Media' age". These groups are often desperate for experts in their field to give talks, and you sure want to represent yourself as THAT to them. I did a similar talk a few years back for a morning downtown merchant breakfast meeting and got two little projects almost immediately from members of the audience. And it's never a bad thing to brush-up on one's public-speaking skills. Just a thought...

[Allan Black]

Good idea, Rotary run networking meets here.

mmmm the more I think about it, the more I like the Gold Medal cookie idea. Yum! try these bakeries ..

Chocolate Chip Cookies from Tarts and Truffles Bakery, Sacramento CA - Order Online - Local Delivery

Contact Us - Cake Castle Bakery

Cheers.

[Christian Brown]

If you have the time, send personal emails.