E-Marketing Tips From the Front Lines
Test before rolling out. Include headshots and toll-free numbers. Hit B2B prospects at lunch.
from AICPA Custom Media Solutions

Test online campaigns before rolling out. Ask customers, prospects to update preferences.

A Progressive Business Publications survey of 315 online marketers found that testing campaigns is worth it, but many marketers don’t bother to, because they simply don’t have the time.

When it comes to testing e-mail and Internet marketing programs before rolling them out, nearly two-thirds (64%) of online marketers don’t do it on a regular basis. About one-third (36%) test some of the time and 28 percent don’t test at all due to lack of time and resources.

This phenomenon may be one of the factors contributing to the unpredictable results many organization have with their e-mail marketing. According to Q Interactive, even recipients who have opted in to receive e-mail from you may be hitting the spam button more than you realize.

• 41 percent said the e-mail was no longer of interest
• 25 percent said they receive too much e-mail from the sender
• 20 percent said they receive too much e-mail in general

Q Interactive recommends asking your customers and prospects to update their e-mail preferences more frequently than before. Instead of just a general update request, experts say you should offer customers and prospects a chance to receive different material, receive less e-mail from you in general or even opt out.

Add phone number to your Web site and online ads

Last month we shared tips from AICPA Media’s Beyond the Click research report recommending that you include your company’s toll-free number on your Web site and all your e-newsletter and online marketing pieces. Web service company, Magnify360.com concurs. As CEO, Olivier Chaine told Internet Marketing Report recently, they experimented with 1-800 numbers on different sites and the results were consistent: more conversions and higher completion rates. Why? Toll free numbers give prospects an extra layer of comfort — they feel they can reach a live human being at the company if they have specific questions or if something goes wrong.

Headshot of credible looking business person will increase clicks

Regular readers of “E-Marketing Tips From the Front Lines” will remember another recommendation from our Beyond the Click research report — include a headshot in your online ads and Web sites, preferably a believable looking business person, not a model. Our research found that ads containing headshot were recalled at least 15 percent more than ads without. A recent article from MarketingSherpa.com agreed, saying “ads with a headshot had a 44 percent recall rate compared to ads without. Ads with conservatively dressed men did better than models.”

Hit B2B prospects during lunch time

A recent item in The New York Times recommended updating your site before lunchtime (ET) when many B2B prospects grab their lunch and surf the Web. These prospects are 30 percent more likely than browsers to convert at other times of day. Short videos, humorous ads and online games seem to resonate with this audience, the Times said.