Email Marketing
 

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??

Re: Email Marketing
 

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.

Re: Email Marketing
 

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.

Re: Email Marketing
 

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...

Re: Email Marketing
 

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.

Re: Email Marketing
 

If you have the time, send personal emails.

Re: Email Marketing
 

Bumping a thread here, I've been looking to do a promo campaign and have been in touch with a bit of a related niche publishing company. Initially I was asking about placing an ad, but the rep told me (sounded honest), based on my budget (lackof) an email campaign to their list of clients would likely be more effective than 1 small ad. (To be fair, he wouldn't have any reason to lie as I'm paying them the same amount either way).

Has anyone ever used or looked into these types of services. While I could use Mailchimp myself, and I've tried it, the problem is I don't have an email list to send to, hence I'd need to pay for it, as it would take days/weeks for me to look them up thru google or the phone book). Anyway, if I supply the writing, they handle the emails & sending and quoted me 5,000 email addresses for $1500.

Seems a bit high, however I found this article that said "Count on paying $100-$400 per thousand emails" so $300 per thousand falls in line with it. https://askdirectmarketers.wordpress...ampaign-costs/ . Has anyone ever looked into Salesgenie or something along those lines? I was thinking about inquiring with them, however I also read about their reviews that alot of the emails they sell are defunct & the employees no longer work for the company etc (ie. Dave @ tvcompany.com etc)*not my real work email.

Re: Email Marketing
 

I hate email marketing and am immediately turned off of any company that sends me unsolicited marketing emails. Weddings are very personal and I would expect to get more bookings by speaking to 10 couples than blind emailing 500.

Roger

Re: Email Marketing
 

I don't think David is targeting wedding couples? I can't imagine how anyone can get hold of 5000 email addresses of couples that have weddingplans? :)

Re: Email Marketing
 

I am annoyed by spam e-mail and flyers stuck under my front door. In the 2 seconds it takes me to send it to the trashcan (virtual) or the trashcan (physical), I look at your logo and make a mental note to never do business with you.

I am in desperate need of a gardener, and I'm in a tough spot because everyone in my 'hood advertises with a flyer on the doorstep and I refuse to do business with any of them.

All my marketing is by word of mouth. I know that's lame advice, but I cultivate those relationships. Somebody sends me word-of-mouth business, I send them a $100 gift card for dinner, send them a couple tickets to a sporting game, etc. I probably spend the same $1500 a year in "marketing", but in coffee, dinner, tickets, gifts, etc. And I bet I have better results.

I have heard great things about adwords. Not a huge sum up front, and a decent return. I'd do that a thousand times before I resorted to spam e-mail.

Re: Email Marketing
 

With adwords you are targeting people that are actually looking for someoneone to shoot a video while with email you are sending it to a lot of people that have not asked for a video so they consider it as spam and they might get annoyed just because they have to delete several mails like this in their spamfolder every day. Eventhough you might mean well you will get thrown in that group of spammers that everyone hates.

Re: Email Marketing
 

You are probably right Noa, I was reading other posts in the wedding forum and wrongly thought this was posted in the same one :-(

Still hate email marketing though and always feel that face to face is the best selling opportunity bar none.

Roger

Re: Email Marketing
 

Noa you're right this isn't a weddings inquiry, however Roger you do bring up a good point about spam & people hating it & deleting it. I did a small Mailchimp campaign based on emails I obtained thru the web (google searches, phone book etc), of about 15 I think 3 opened the email. So that's part of the game. My guess is of the 5000 sent, maybe 100 open it, however of those 100 if I get 5 inquiries and 3 commit, maybe it will go somewhere. Its the sortof work that would be a decent some of money, similar to weddings I suppose (think of it like deposition video & the emails are going to a list of court reporting firms in the area, it would be pretty effective those that inquire. Granted alot will delete or never read the email).

Adwords is a good thought too. I've heard tho that the money goes fast and gets pricey. Although I could run a test for $100 or $200 maybe.

Re: Email Marketing
 

I had a poor experience with adwords when I tried it. . .tried it for a month, set a small daily budget (max you're willing to spend per day, and it got maxxed out EVERY DAY, yet not a single inquiry.

Re: Email Marketing
 

although i have to say ive heard adwords work beet when targeted toward a specific client base (corporate, wedding, etc) and since i dont have one (i do all kinds of things) i made it more generic...perhaps that was the problem.

Re: Email Marketing
 

I've tried adwords a few times and really haven't received any inquires. Just wasting money. I might give it another go since I haven't used it this year.

Re: Email Marketing
 

Funny, I just thought about this thread earlier today (I posted in it back in Feb). A quick rundown, it was for more along the lines of web design work. Which I do. I did run the campaign, responses were low, even assuming alot goto junk/spam.

It was thru a small business magazine publisher in town, which sells various industry mags nationally (law, printing, healthcare etc). I originally called them about placing ads in some mags, but they informed me about their email marketing, as they have all their subscribers (small businesses) emails on file.

Anyway, the biggest drawback to me was it was one & done. Whereas buying a list of emails from a place like Salesgenie or something, I would still have those emails & be able to resend periodically, every 4-6 months or so. However, I've read their lists tend to be outdated, emails ppl may not use anymore, work emails of people who've left their company etc. Whereas the publishers were more assuredly up to date. It was a give & take, but no I won't be doing that again.