Author Archives: Mike Gingerich

About Mike Gingerich

Author: Mike Gingerich, President of web firm Digital Hill, Co-Founder of TabSite . Digital and Social Media Marketer, Speaker, and Business Consultant. Part geek, part marketer, total digital junkie! Seeking to add value, make the complex simple, and leave a positive impact. Follow me on twitter: @mike_gingerich.

Why People Open Emails

Why People Open Emails Though email is a product of the modern digital age, it’s almost old-fashioned compared to social media. And yet, email looks like it will stick around for a long time. According to the Q4 2016 Email Benchmark Report by global information services group Experian, 56% of total email opens happened on smartphones or tablets in Q4 2016. This illustrates the fact that email has made the transition from desktop to mobile use.

The same report also states that quarter-to-quarter revenue per email increased from 6 cents in Q3 2016 to 8 cents in Q4 2016. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but considering emails can be sent out to a whole subscriber list with only one click, a jump in revenue is a per subscriber stat.

For entrepreneurs, this is an opportunity you can’t miss. When you have a subscriber list, you have the ability to reach out to people quickly and easily via email. And if you do it right, your messages will be read.

But what makes people open emails? Several factors are influential here:

Timing

Emails are likely to be read within the first hour of being delivered. In the following hours, the chances are lower. After 24 hours, the odds are no longer in your favor

The day you choose to send an email has a direct impact. If you want to have a higher success rate, pick Tuesdays or Saturdays. Tuesday has an average open rate of 18%, the highest among all weekdays. But among all days of the week, Saturday has the highest open rate at 18.3%. Evenings after 8 pm fare the best, followed by afternoons from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Reputation

Who you are and what your business does plays a key role in your emails getting opened and read. So building an image as a trusted authority in your niche is critical. If your previous emails didn’t offer much, or if your website and social media pages lack substance, people will think your emails follow suit. It takes a while to establish a good reputation, but it’s well worth the effort.

After sender name, the subject line, offer, intro paragraph, and expected length (in that order) influence the chances of getting your email read.

Personalization

Let’s say your name is Alex and your email handle is alex101. You receive 2 emails, one with “Alex, here are great deals for you!” or “alex101, here are some great deals for you!” The chances are that you will regard the second email as spam and send it to trash without even a glance. An email handle used as a greeting is a dead giveaway that the email is auto-generated. Most people suspect that emails are auto-generated, but it helps if it doesn’t look like one.

Most online marketers currently want to focus on social media and other forms of digital marketing, but email isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so step up your email game.

How to Clean Your Email List

How to Clean Your Email List

You need a healthy email list to be successful at email marketing. Ongoing list maintenance keeps your deliverability high and conversion rates at an acceptable level. Use these tips to get the most out of your email list.

1. Purge Inactive Subscribers.

If too many people delete your emails or mark them as spam, all of your messages may go straight to the trash. Reach out to inactive people. Inquire if they still want the information and messages you provide. If not, take them off of the email list. If they’re interested later on, they know where to find you.

2. Be Consistent

You don’t have to email your list every day to see results. You do need to be consistent if you want to email your list once per week, try to stay with that pace. Focus on quality over quantity. You’re competing with countless other marketing messages in their inboxes.

3. Track Your Open and Click-through Rates

Do you know how many people opened your last email? Your click through rate? Pay close attention to your email stats. Track:

  • The type of emails that work best with your subscriber list
  • Open rates
  • Click-through rate
  • Device the email was viewed on

You can learn a lot about your subscriber preferences and use that information to improve with each message.

4. Provide Value in Exchange for the Email Sign-up

People have crowded inboxes, so you need a pretty good incentive to get space in there. If you run an e-commerce store, you can offer free shipping or a discount on their first order. For B2B companies, ebooks or a comprehensive guide to your industry is a good way to attract new subscribers.

Triggers to Help People Subscribe to your Newsletter

Triggers to Help People Subscribe to your Newsletter

A quality, qualified, opt-in only list of people who want to read your emails and look forward to your newsletters is the single most important thing you can do for your digital marketing ROI and your bottom line. The only trick is, getting people to opt in.

To get people to subscribe, you’ll need to give them a compelling reason to do just that. Here are a few you may not have thought of:

1. Social Proof: a Numbers Game

Here’s a secret: no one will ever want to be the first to sign up for your list. They probably won’t want to be 10th either. But if you’ve got hundreds of people subscribed, they’ll want to know what’s great about your newsletter. If you have a big list already, use that social proof to boost your numbers!  Share the number such as, “Join over 5,000 others…”

2. Keep Them Guessing

The best newsletters, emails, and headlines tell just enough to get you interested but leave some mystery. To get more subscriptions, you need to learn the art of keeping your target audience guessing, just enough.

3. Use the Power of Exclusivity

There’s a reason people will spend months on the waiting list for a Gucci purse, and then spend enough to buy a small car to get one: exclusivity. The more exclusive the club, the more people want to be in it, so make your list an invitation-only affair, or put a time or number limit on it.

4. Promise Something Great… and Deliver

Successful newsletters have people waiting for them. If they can’t wait for your newsletter to arrive because it’s so full of deals, information, and other valuable stuff, you’ll have a captive audience. Because it’s not just about getting the subscriptions: it’s about keeping them too!

There is so much information and so many options that people are fatigued. They’re inundated with choices, and drowning in variety, so if you want to make email marketing work for you, you really have to stand out.

Make it easy to sign up. Give people compelling reasons to try your newsletter, and then consistently over deliver your content. In a world full of bored and jaded people, it’s the companies that delight and surprise that really stand out.

Never Buy an Email List

Never Buy an Email List

Everywhere you turn, you hear email marketing gives you the best returns of any digital marketing method. However, attracting subscribers to your email list takes time and effort.

You may think that buying a list would save you time and effort. It’s tempting to shortcut the process of building your own list. But buying an email list brings a lot of trouble your way.

Poor Data Quality

10,000 records might sound like a great foundation for your email marketing efforts. The reality is that you end up with a list filled with data quality issues. Inaccurate emails, missing names, and other problems make the information practically useless for your company.

Failure to Comply with CAN-SPAM

Do you know how the list provider got the emails that they’re selling? If they put together the list without getting an opt-in from all parties, then they’re not following the CAN-SPAM act. If you use this list for your emails, guess what? You’re on the hook for any violations as well. It only takes a few fines from CAN-SPAM to ruin your day and your marketing budget.

Email Deliverability Problems

One element that spam filters look at when determining whether your mail is spam is the deliverability. If you have a lot of people marking your message as spam, the email filter is going adjust its behavior accordingly. You don’t have a preexisting relationship with the paid lists; it’s unlikely you’re going to offer something relevant to their needs. All the people marking your emails as spam adds up. It will be hard to get your message out there.

Violating Email Service Provider TOS

How closely did you read your email service provider’s terms of service? Many of the top companies specifically state that you can’t use a list that was paid for. After all, it’s their email servers on the line if you start taking actions similar to a spammer.

Poor Conversion Rates

Even if you get a paid list with a specific niche, you can’t truly know if you have a targeted audience at the other end. When you have a mismatch, you see poor conversion rates. Your organization also takes a reputation hit, which can further impact your conversion ratio.

List Saturation

Nothing stops an email list provider from selling an “exclusive list” as many times as they want. After all, how likely is it that you’ll find out someone else is using the same list? This list oversaturation results in a lot of people who are tired of their inboxes getting filled up with junk.

Need help building your list? Contact Digital Hill, we can help you develop a strategy using Waftio to do it right.

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Using Social Proof to Get More Leads

Using Social Proof to Get More Leads There are many strategies for lead generation with digital marketing: blog content extras, social media advertising, lead magnets, etc. One particular strategy that is extremely powerful to get more leads is social proof.

What is social proof?

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation.

In layman’s terms, people are more likely to buy something when they see others doing the same. Here are a few examples where you’ve probably seen social proof in action:

  • When you go out to eat on a Friday or Saturday night, it’s likely that you’ll have to wait. Most restaurants tend to have a smaller lobby so that patrons have to wait outside, making it appear that this is a popular restaurant, and therefore a good place to eat.
  • Similarly, if you go out to a nightclub, the most popular clubs always have a line out the door, regardless of whether the club is full. This makes others want to get in line to check the club out as well.
  • Several years ago, Dropbox put out the Mailbox App and required new users to sign up to be put on a waiting list. This made people want to get in on the action because an app with a waiting list must be pretty awesome.

How can you use social proof to generate leads and increase the buzz about your business?

1. Customer testimonials

The most common forms of social proof are your business reviews and customer testimonials. Use these to your advantage by adding a testimonials section to your website or create branded graphics with testimonials to share on your social media profiles.

2. Influencer marketing

Using celebrity endorsements or getting well-known bloggers and social influencers to use and endorse your product is a great form of social proof. This can be an ad or offering of a free product to share with their followers.

3. Follower/social share count

Include your social media follower count or the number of social shares on your blog posts to increase the likelihood that others will share your posts. You can use plugins on your website that show these numbers automatically. Social Warfare is a great plugin for WordPress, and it adds a count to the social share buttons.

4. Mentions in the media

Has your business been written about on influential websites, magazines, or blogs? Create a separate page for all of your media mentions. Share links to the articles about your business so potential customers can read them and decide if they want to work with you.

5. Industry certifications, accreditations, or badges

If your business has certifications or accreditations from your industry, you should share these on your website. Some industries have required certifications, while others have badges that help your business stand out. Regardless if the certification is required or not, it’s a great idea to share your additional education, licensing and credentials with potential customers.

6. Number of customers

McDonald’s has the slogan “Billions and billions served” because it shows that they have a huge customer base. Share how many orders you’ve received, customers you’ve had, or clients you’ve worked with.

Social proof is a highly powerful method for getting new leads and new customers. Start implementing a few of these strategies to start bringing in more business.

Segment your Email List for More Conversions

Segment your Email List for More Conversions Have you heard, the money is in the list? The email list, in this case.

Did you know you may be leaving money on the table if you mail the same message to your entire list? Send the most relevant messages to their inboxes, not just any message. This in an efficient and scalable solution with segmentation.

What is Email Segmentation?

Email segmentation divides your email list based on custom factors. You can split up your list with some of the most common methods being by geographic location, age, income and job title.

The specific factors you choose depends on your type of business. Add a behavioral tag to categorize a user. Have they ordered from your store recently, did they buy something last year, or are they a new purchaser? Nurture each list segment with the offers and content that they need to increase your conversion rate and lifetime value of the customer.

If you provide services, look at where the subscriber is in your marketing funnel, any actions they’ve taken on your website and whether they’ve been in contact with your team.

The sky’s the limit on the segmentation you choose for your subscriber. So there’s no reason to take one-size fits all approach to your list.

How to Segment Your List

Most email marketing and marketing automation services allow you to sort readers into different groups based on the information they provide. You can automatically do this by sorting users on the subscription form.

For example, if you offer several products segment your list by the product purchased. Progressive profiling allows you to capture more information every time a person goes through one of your forms. You might ask for an email and name on the first interaction. Then expand to their company size, income and questions about their pain points in the next.

The second way to segment is by links clicked.  Start with a general list. Send out an email with 3 key, unique links to different areas of service your company offers. You can segment your audiences by those who clicked service link 1, the second list for service link 2 that was clicked, and the same for the service link 3.  Furthermore, you ow have three lists with people who were interested enough to click a specific area.  You can then send each follow-up emails specifically related to the area of service they clicked on in the first email! That’s segmentation.

Get the most out of your email list by providing a custom experience that’s valuable to your readers. You’ll see more leads, conversions, and revenue for your efforts.

A Guide to Free Offers that Grow Your Email List

A Guide to Free Offers that Grow Your Email List

Your email list isn’t going to grow without help, that’s the bottom line!

A few people might sign up here or there because they like what you have to say, but most need a bit of a push. You must incentivize to get sign-ups.  It’s a way of adding value and motivating the sign-up. Here are some types of free offers you can use to create a high-quality list of people who are happy to see your emails in their inboxes.

Ebook

An ebook is seen as a high-value offer that also conveys authority for your brand. This content piece comes in around 2,000 words and is formatted in a visually appealing way. The typical delivery format is PDF, although you could also explore other ebook formats such as epub or a Kindle-compatible title.

Content Upgrade

Every blog post or article you create has the potential to grow your email list. Look through each post. See how you can offer a gated upgrade, such as a handy spreadsheet tool or a checklist based on the information already available. Not only is this an excellent way to provide a highly relevant offer, most of the work is already done for you.

Checklist

Is your audience busy? They may not have the time to read through an entire article or guide, but they can follow a checklist of easy-to-understand and actionable steps.

Microtool

Does a feature of your product or service lend itself well to a sample-size tool? For example, many companies use calculators to figure out costs for loans. If you can provide a useful free tool that relates to your primary line of business, it’s a great way to generate sign-ups and engagement.

Template

You probably have a lot of specialized knowledge that helps you do things quicker and more efficiently than everyone else. Would this knowledge work well as a free template for your audience? People are always appreciative of time-savers that give a lot of value.

Swipe File

Are you a creative company that draws a lot of inspiration from many sources? A swipe file refers to a collection of the most inspiring pieces you’ve come across during your research. If you write a blog offer a swipe file filled with post headlines. Are you a graphic designer? Offer a swipe file filled with your favorite fonts.

Printable

Give your readers something tangible in exchange for their email. A printable is a file that the new subscriber can download and print at home. This offer can include anything from a daily planner page to a custom calendar.

Don’t have time to create your free opt-in offer? Contact our team at www.digitalhill.com to get some support and have it done for you!

How to Capture the Elusive Lead – Part 3 Capture

How to Capture the Elusive Lead - Part 3 Capture
You’ve attracted new prospects and engaged with them several different ways. Now it’s time to seal the deal and capture the elusive lead. You can accomplish this with lead magnets that give your leads something of value in exchange for their email addresses and other information. Here are a few options for lead magnets to implement for your lead generation campaigns.

Ebooks

An ebook is a long-form piece of content that positions you as the authority on a particular topic or market segment. The information given to your visitors should solve one of their pain points immediately. That way they’re likely to give you their email address in exchange for the offer. One way to create an ebook is to rework a series of 4-5 blog posts into one cohesive “mini-digital book”.  This can work well for business-to-business, and business-to-consumer.

Coupons

People love discounts and couponing, so this is an easy way for to get immediate value in exchange for their email address. Offer free shipping, a set percentage off their purchase or a buy one, get one type of promotion.   This is, of course, a great option for business to consumer-focused sites.

Email Courses

Need to get a lot of information across in a structured manner? An email course delivers lessons over a set time period, “dripping” the information into the visitor’s inbox. You have the advantage of increasing your touchpoints with your lead while giving them valuable information.

In-depth Tutorials

Answer the pressing questions that your audience has or simply make their lives easier with an informative tutorial. Tackle anything related to your product or industry, but be strategic. Create a foundation and educating future buyers with the info they need to make a purchase decision at the end of the funnel.

Buyer’s Guide

A buyer’s guide is another lead magnet that revolves around educating potential customers on their options. Create the most exhaustive guide possible that covers all important considerations when making a purchase.

Don’t just cover the features and considerations that make your product come out on top. Not every lead is an ideal buyer for you, and people will remember if you help them out with the process, even if they don’t buy directly from you at the time.

Free Webinar

A short beginner webinar is a great way to gather email addresses. Start with short live trainings on the basics of your product or industry. Record the training and send the training to your whole list. Or record several short trainings on several topics and bundle them together for a pay to view training series.

Simple Sign-Up

Some companies try to ask for as much information as possible when they’re capturing a lead. They have long forms or even a multiple part process. Prospects don’t have a long attention span before they go to another website so keep it simple. All you need to start your relationship building process is a name and an email.

You can use progressive profiling throughout your future relationship to find out more information. In the beginning, it’s better to treat lead capture as a slow and deliberate “getting to know you” phase.

How to Capture the Elusive Lead – Part 2: Engagement

How to Capture the Elusive Lead - Part 2: Engagement

You’ve made enough of an impression on potential leads that they’re aware you exist and have a basic level of trust in your company. Now it’s time to take the next step and engage them. This stage continues building the relationship and moving one step closer to converting a curious person into a lead.

Answer Questions

Social media offers a convenient way a prospective lead can ask you questions. This offers a prime opportunity for you to position yourself as a trusted and valuable resource. Social media management tools make this process easier, as you can get a single tool to handle all of the people contacting you through your profiles.

Invite Feedback

Market research used to be incredibly difficult and costly to get. Now you can invite feedback directly from your target audience. Polls, surveys, and live chats allow you to connect with potential leads and find out exactly what they think about your plans. You can use this information to tailor your solutions to your ideal customer.

Stay Responsive

Don’t ignore engagement, whether it’s on social media, email or another channel. Focus on the timeliness of your responses with the potential lead. Therefore, if you’re quick, they’ll know that you’ll be on the ball if they do business with you.

Acknowledge Engagement

Sometimes engagement doesn’t come in the form of a question. Your audience may share your content or reach out with an observation. Take the time to acknowledge the conversation, so they know you’re paying attention to them.

Be Social

One of the best ways to improve your engagement strategy is to put yourself out there on social networks. Potential leads will find it easier to reach out if you’re already active on social media. Furthermore, share useful content from your audience, and your own resources for trust building and connect with a wide range of people and companies.

Adapt to the unspoken rules and requirements expected for the social media site. For example, on Twitter, you need to master the art of talking in 140 characters or less and provide topical information. Your Instagram strategy will thrive when you have a strong visual strategy, while Facebook works better for more in-depth resources.

Engagement is a crucial step in getting more leads for your company. You go where your audience does and put yourself out there as a valuable and helpful company.

How to Capture the Elusive Lead – Part 1: Awareness

How to Capture the Elusive Lead - Part 1: Awareness

Are you on the hunt for the elusive lead? The prospect’s journey from your first interaction to the conversion can take place through many channels and goes through 3 stages: awareness, engagement, and capture.

What is the Awareness Stage?

Your potential lead has a problem that they want to solve. However, they don’t know much, if anything, about the solutions available, the relevant brands or how to choose the option that works best for their needs.

During this stage, the prospect is seeking out educational resources. They want to gain a better understanding so they can make an informed decision. You can start the lead capture process with a resource designed to give each visitor the information they need to move forward in the lead conversion process.

Channels to Use for Building Awareness

A mix of channels gives you the greatest opportunity to reach your intended audience with this informative content. When you put together your lead capture strategy, incorporate these channels into your plan.

  • Website
    Your website can act as a content and resource hub for your educational assets. You can put together a resource library featuring guides, ebooks, videos, and tutorials.
  • Blog
    A blog is an easy to set up channel that you can fill with helpful resources, topical information and curated content that’s relevant to a prospect’s needs. While the information may be similar to the resources available in your library, blogs tend to have a more informal approach. Blog posts also frequently have more visual content, so incorporate infographics, charts and other visuals into the content.
  • Social Posting
    Social media sites give you access to a wide audience and help you build awareness. You can target relevant hashtags, participate in Twitter chats and promote your educational content.
  • Email
    Email newsletters and e-courses help you reach prospects on mobile, as many people check their inboxes on their phones. You can deliver the right content to people in the awareness stage so they learn more about the way they can solve their pressing problems.
  • Forums and groups
    Niche specific forums and groups give you a lot of access to your potential audience. By sharing relevant, valuable content in this channel, you improve your visibility, so prospects find you during the awareness stage.

Once you position yourself in the right places to attract potential leads at the beginning of their journey, you move on to the next step: Engagement.  Stay tuned for this in a next post!