Mobile compatible marketing

Mobile compatible marketing -ABC guide

Mobile compatible marketing – ‘going mobile’ or being ‘mobile compatible’ is one of the most current topics in digital marketing. Customers often ask us to factor this in to our solutions and it is for all the right reasons.

This simple ABC gives you an overview of the main considerations that affect moving your communications into mobile territory

A – relevance

You should use the analytical information available to you to decide just how important mobile compatible marketing is. Often when we look at analytics for our clients, the results aren’t what our customers expect. This isn’t solely specific to the use of mobile either. It is surprising how many organisations still don’t use analytics to evaluate their online and digital marketing investments. It’s a free service and helps you make informed decisions about developing your online and email strategies.
Keep your choices in perspective.

B – design

The whole point of mobile compatible marketing is useability. Responsive websites and email work on the principle that on a smaller screen (than a desktop) they look different. This may mean bigger and fewer buttons, larger images and simplified navigation.
The general rule of thumb for us is – the rule of thumb. If a user has to use any more than their thumb to navigate your media, it has failed. If, however you can successfully navigate your media with the use of a single thumb, the design is ticking the first part of the ‘designed for mobile’ criteria. There are other considerations too, including colour choices, font sizes.
The primary focus is the rule of thumb.

C – investment

Going mobile doesn’t need to cost a fortune and you are able to adapt existing collateral relatively easy. Brand new collateral is even easier to achieve the cross over with many templates and themes being responsive out of the box. These form a strong set of foundations to edit and tweak to make them suit your needs exactly.
In terms of budgeting, you will need to allow additional resource for design and programming but its not something you need to do all at once. If you follow the advice in A and B you’ll find that your budget will stretch and accommodate a number of mobile optimised solutions without causing any major upsets.

In conclusion, moving to mobile compatible marketing is as easy as it is effective.

If you need help taking your collateral to mobile readiness, there’s plenty of help at hand.

By Ryan Mullins

Email marketing for insurance brokers

Email marketing for insurance brokers should be part of the toolkit. Marketing automation using email, SMS and Social Media offers significant benefits.

Is the insurance premium the only reason you didn’t win that business?

How many times have you heard an insurance broker say this?

We’re struggling to win business. When we quote, the rate gets fed back to the holding insurers or brokers and they just match premiums. We can’t compete with some of the rock bottom insurance premiums quoted online.

I’ve heard statements like this repeated time after time by insurance brokers. Insurance is a market where outgoing communication isn’t executed particularly well. There are ways to improve this and using email to market insurance services is one of the ways to do it.

Buying Decisions

Price will always feature, but several other factors also influence buying decisions. Remembering this is the key to success in this tough, competitive market. If you need a bit of convincing then just take a look around……

Are you only seeing the cheapest cars on the road?

Do we only ever wear the cheapest clothes?

Do we buy houses because they are cheap or book the cheapest holidays?

Are people only take their cars to a back street garage for repairs because they are cheap?

The answer to these question is simple, NO!

Help Them With Their Decision

So, with email marketing for insurance brokers why are so many of us still trying to sell on price? Let’s consider what a company owner may think. what influences their buying decision, what must they consider:

Many are not really sure what they are buying and are TRUSTING the advice of a professional to guide them. They are buying a product that they hope they will not need but TRUST that if they do need it, it will work. A buying decision is as much based on trust as it is on price. So, how can you build that all important trust in the insurance sector?

REGULAR OUTGOING CONTACT – remind people who you are and what you do well

Share RELEVANT INSURANCE RELATED NEWS & INFORMATION that will help build your professional image

MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND that you are a professional insurance brokerage they can trust

Email marketing insurance services

You should understand that a major part of your business is all about how you market yourself. Without marketing even the best products in the world would have no audience.

The key to successful marketing is building a virtual relationship with prospective clients. Give them confidence that they are buying a product from you based on more than price alone.

So your prospects have not heard from you in 12 months. What is going to make them want to talk to you over the competition?

One answer lies in making your insurance company and offerings stand out. You can achieve this using intelligent marketing automation. Makes your prospects WANT to engage with you.

Build a brand that represents trust. With trust, before you even try to sell a policy the price becomes a secondary consideration. It will have taken many years to become an insurance professional.

The learning curve for email marketing insurance services may not match your insurance experience. You’ve got three choices:

Employ a full time marketing person who will install marketing automation

Outsource

Do nothing

In Conclusion

The insurance sector and business generally changes all the time. don’t be the company that gets left behind without marketing automation!

Tell us how we can help you communicate better with marketing automation. We can build a profile for your business that your clients and prospects will find hard not to trust.

– Lorraine Mullins

5 essential tips for responsive email.

5 Essential Tips For Responsive Email

Most marketers accept fully that their websites need to be responsive. responsive email is another essential tool. It’s pretty obvious that if more people are viewing sites on their phones then there needs to be consideration made when designing and building to accommodate this.

So the latest trend is making email responsive, and that’s not quite so easy. Admittedly you can purchase some beautiful ready made templates but as with anything cheap, expect issues!

1. Do you need responsive email?

In the interests of keeping costs minimal, and with today’s customer preference automation, you may find it simpler to bias your email template to mobile, or to desk top, perhaps even have two versions. Responsive emails are tricky to code and less robust in execution than those optimised specifically for particular devices.

2. How to decide how much you need responsive email?

Although many people carry multiple devices, you’ll find they may use different ones for different actions. Eg a short email from a customer may be read, replied to and resolved via mobile yet information heavy messages may be read and responded to more often on tablet or desktop/laptop.

3. The law of diminishing returns plays a huge role.

Having established which devices your subscribers are using and whether responsive is entirely necessary, there’s another issue to consider. Mobile and tablet, unlike desk and laptop, have huge variety in screen size and resolution. You could spend weeks perfecting your design to look on point on every single device BUT if 90+% of your subscribers are iPhone and Samsung mobile users, you must not expect the extra effort of optimising for another screen resolution to pay you huge returns. It simply won’t happen.

4. Content over design.

The most effective emails have 2 simple principles.
A. Brilliant subject lines
B. Relevant content
The truth is that design is a tertiary consideration because without A, subscribers won’t even open it and without B, it’s heading for the trash can. Also, you should really consider the amount of ugly sites and landing pages you’ve viewed, read and gleaned information from. Design without function is in our opinion criminal.

5. Know your place.

Although it’s brilliant to aspire to better things and to want the best, it’s easy to forget sometimes that the best normally has a budget to suit. If you’re looking at someone else’s template(s) and wanting the same, you should first consider how much budget the company in question has applied to their campaigns and also how many people they are sending them out to. You’re never going to get a rolex on a casio budget unless there’s something seriously wrong with it.
Concentrate on the 4 tips above and keep this one in mind.

Your top take aways are these:

1. Good is good enough
2. Budget needs to be reflective of return

By Ryan Mullins

2 email marketing techniques that deliver better results

What are the best email marketing techniques to deliver results? The debate goes on as to how to gain maximum effectiveness from email marketing. There is evidence to show that email marketing works best in both pre-sales and after sales strategies. The key to the most effective email marketing is the timing and the content.

Today’s world is very much about service and content on demand. Personalisation is also high on the agenda for many marketing managers (although this may be misunderstood). I did read recently that subscribers and consumers have become very accustomed to personalisation and are starting to question the safety of their data.

So how do personalised email marketing strategies work most effectively?
How can you maximise engagement and return on investment without spooking your subscribers?

It’s no secret that most email systems will enable you to embed subscriber information into the body of the emails you wish to send out. The trick here is not to overuse client information. Use it once but then only use it when it’s relevant to the content of the message. So what are the real secrets?

What is the best timing for email marketing?

Most organisations use email marketing. The level of sophistication is where the most difference is found.

Ok, in order to get timing and content perfect, you need your subscribers to tell you what they want and when. The problem is with thousands of subscribers, this may seem like an impossible issue to resolve. Not so!

Once you appreciate the triggers that you can use to automate communication processes and database updates, the value of automation becomes more obvious. Let’s explain this in two parts; firstly, triggers and secondly, actions.

Email marketing techniques #1 – Automation

Triggers

Not only are there obvious triggers within your business such as a customer placing an order but there are a multitude of other triggers which you may not even be aware you can track and utilise. Sophisticated email systems (forget the free ones) have the capability to covertly track subtle interactions, and for that matter lack of interactions with your emails. You may be familiar with the standard information such as open rates and bounces but this takes that email marketing technique a step further. The smarter systems can monitor click throughs. As a report, this information may be useful BUT there’s a better way to use it.

Actions

The question now comes as to what SHOULD happen when a subscriber interacts with your information? Dependent on the trigger you may want a number of different actions. Whether you simply want the database to capture the subscriber’s preference information, you wish to send a follow up email, you’d like your sales team to be notified or even a whole new set of emails is triggered, all of this is possible.
How you set your actions need not be overly sophisticated , although it can be.

The client’s automation was set up to deliver instant notifications to the sales team. The notifications were pre-populated with the subscriber’s information, also detailing their specific interaction.

232 red hot leads were generated within the space of 2 hours for a total investment of less than £1000.

With an average sales value of £3000, a conversion rate of 1% would generate revenue of over £11,000.
These figures become even more attractive as you increase the broadcast volumes. If, for example, the subscriber database was increased to a number of 400,000, the set up and distribution costs would be less than £20,000 but the returns would be in the region of £104M.

In a recent email broadcast.
4000 contacts delivered an open rate of 29% (1160)
and a click through rate of 20% (232).

The real beauty of email is its low distribution cost and instantaneous nature. Scalable email communications need automation and with all the triggers available, delivering comprehensive automated email communication has never been more straight forward. The real key is knowing where email marketing will deliver you best value.
Conditional marketing is the use of preference information to determine the content presented to the subscriber.

Email marketing techniques #2 – Conditional content

This email marketing technique needs a little explanation. If, for example, a travel company’s database showed a subscriber to have a preference for city breaks, the system could use that information to populate the content of that particular subscribers message to be specific to city breaks.

Conversely, a subscriber showing preference toward long haul breaks could have their message content determined to suit them. To use this to best effect, you need to rely on automation and let your subscribers determine the information they want.
Conclusion

Email marketing techniques are used by many organisations but by using the above 2 secrets, the more advanced organisations are gaining business critical edge over their competitors. The examples used are very basic are purely illustrative of the types of functions an organisation may wish to emulate.
To really capitalise on these secrets, an organisation should embrace the technology and apply it in all relevant places.

Find out more about how you can take advantage of these email marketing techniques.

By Ryan Mullins

5 Dealership event ideas

Running events at car dealerships is old news but coming up with new dealership event ideas can be tricky. The idea of dealership events is to get a select audience into your dealership who have a mutual interest in what you’re doing. You’re likely to sell off the back of it.

The trick is to cover all the bases with your events. It’s all very well presenting the flagship model launch. However the likelihood is that the majority of your business comes from a far wider spread of customers with varying vehicle needs.

Dealership event ideas – Launch Event

The new model has just launched. There’s been tons of coverage by the manufacturer on TV and in the press. The vehicle’s been placed well in media, TV and film. You’ve already achieved the ‘awareness’ stage of the sales cycle. So all you need to do is let people know it’s arrived. Make sure there’s something that’s going to make this event memorable.

Launching any new product is an exciting time. Getting it right so that you’re remembered for the correct reasons is the real challenge. First you must decide whether you’re going to have an ‘unveil’. Is the event going to be invite only or a public event. Consider what you’re going to do to make people want to take part. It’s all very well creating a brilliant event but if no one shows, it can be an incredibly expensive exercise.

Think very carefully about your target audience. Who does this vehicle fit? How many people in your database fit the right criteria? How easily can you extract that information and put it to use? What’s their preferred method of communication? How much time have you got to play with?

There’s a raft of questions that need to be asked and worked through in order to get your launch event right. Do you use a personalised approach and select the right audience for whom the vehicle is relevant. With this in mind it’s more than likely that when you run a launch day, you’re going to sell vehicles.

Case Study: Motorcycle launch arranged and fully booked in 48 hours without a single phone call being made.

Dealership event ideas – Demo day

One of the best ways to sell vehicles is to get your potential customer to drive the car in question. The problem is that many customers are also aware of this. Many will only normally arrange a test drive if they’re in the market for a new car. The same applies for walking into a showroom. Consumers are aware of the message they’re giving out and that they’re likely to get pounced on when the enter the showroom.

A demo day is a fantastic way to give customers a sense of security. By being among others, they may get away with test driving a car without getting the sales pitch. There’s also a high likelihood that you’ll attract other potential customers to a demo day who aren’t consciously in the market for a new car.

The administration of setting up a demo day can be quite daunting if you set about it in the traditional method. You know how you want it to work but organising that may seem like an intense uphill challenge. With the technology of today it’s actually quite straightforward to communicate with all your potential invitees. Get their demos booked in and simply make sure you and your team are there to sell on the day, without lifting a finger or a telephone hand set in advance.

Case Study: Motorcycle launch arranged and fully booked in 48 hours without a single phone call being made.

Dealership event ideas – Owners club events

Most makes and marques have a strong club and historic following. So what? Why does this make any difference to you? The thing is that owner clubs demonstrate heritage and enthusiasm. Owner clubs are brimming with people who already love your brand and want to help protect the heritage and values it stands for.

These people can actually be used to extend your sales team at your dealership. How you may ask?
No matter what the brand or marque, there are people who advocate it. If you can get a group of them to your dealership site, they not only feel a link between them and the official brand but it also generates public interest. Some of the most successful luxury car brands use this kind of technique in their marketing. People like heritage and nostalgia, it gives them a sense of security. (This is actually the same reason you see re-runs of old ads in tough times and why fashion goes full circle)

Organise an owner’s club event at your dealership. Not only will you have 2 organisations promoting it, you’ll also have potential customers within the owner club members. As such you’ll also have fantastic leverage to bring potential customers on site without them feeling like it is a sales event.

Dealership event ideas – Discount days

Discounting is a technique used in sales and marketing every minute of every day. Sales and special offers are a standard part of every shopping experience. The reason it works is that it is human nature to want to ‘get a deal’. Therefore using time limited offers can create a sense of urgency that may have otherwise been absent.

How this can work for automotive dealerships is multi-faceted. Not only do manufacturers regularly run offers but dealerships can also introduce value for customers by creating deals. Examples of the types of deals that are used include fixed price servicing, bundled servicing and value upsells.

The real trick to making discounts and offers work is how and when they’re communicated. In any leading dealership you tend to find a collection of these types of deals and offers that can be rolled out at any time. The reason they do this is to keep the cost of promotion down and to enable tactical response to business performance. How often do you think a fixed price servicing offer is rolled out at a time when the workshop doesn’t look too busy in the forthcoming weeks?

Dealership event ideas – Open / Motorsport day

Open days can take all forms but some of the best are those that highlight the brand’s sporting heritage or links to charities. A charity car wash for example can do a huge amount for footfall. Technology and sustainability improve constantly. As a result it’s worth considering links with local colleges and enterprises to make your event more attractive to your potential customers.

There are a number of key dates throughout the year that can be used to greater advantage than others. The better your organisation and advance planning, the more likely it is that you can capitalise on these pre-determined events to make them more rewarding for your dealership. If, for example, your brand is sponsoring a major sporting event such as a golf tournament, why not invite the local pro in, arrange some ‘free lessons’ and broadcast footage around the dealership? You can use the opportunity to open conversations with your potential customers around subjects they’re comfortable with. This makes the sales process easier to begin.

Need help making your dealership events more lucrative?
Your first port of call should be speaking with a marketing company that has direct experience of what you’re trying to achieve. Direct experience of organising successful events at motor dealerships will help you to avoid costly mistakes and improve the performance of the whole event.

As specialists in marketing and automation, we not only put all the creative together for our customers. This includes writing text messages and producing event materials such as banners and email templates. We also handle the whole promotion process and attendee administration with our rmcom system. rmcom is a marketing automation software system already used by many motor groups in the UK and further afield..

By Ryan Mullins

5 ways to use SMS in a car dealership

One of the good things about the motor trade is the amount of mobile numbers they’ve got on their databases. There are still many though who miss out on the advantages of having this information. SMS is an extremely powerful way to generate business. It’s easy, quick and very good value for money.

161 cars sold from 6000 text messages sent

Here are 5 ways to use SMS in a car dealership to generate extra revenue.

1. Use SMS in a car dealership for events

What better way to invite people to your event than send them a personal text? With automatic response you can use the reply to book their attendance and even send them additional information – All whilst your team get on with what they’re meant to be doing.

2. Use SMS in a car dealership for sales

Let your customers know that a new vehicle has arrived or that you’re offering a special deal. Use sms replies to interact with your customer before you’ve even spoken to them.

3. Use SMS in a car dealership for aftersales

MoT reminders and service reminders are 2 places that sms can be great for getting customers booked in. Using automated responses the customer could even book in by text. The ultimate in convenience.

4. Use SMS in a car dealership for servicing

A vehicle in the workshop needs some extra work and authority from the customer. Simply send them a text with the details and let them reply ‘yes’ to authorise the work. Could it be simpler? Easy, convenient and quick.

5. Use SMS in a car dealership for settlement requests

When a customer requests a settlement figure on their vehicle, the chances are that they’re in a showroom looking at a new vehicle. There’s the obvious customer service angle of sending the settlement figure to the customer by sms but there’s also an opportunity to send a text alert to the original sales person to give the customer a call.

Hopefully you’re already using sms to help your customer experience and deliver more sales.

Need more help?

As specialists in marketing and automation, we not only put all the creative together for our customers including writing text messages and producing supporting materials such as banners and email templates, we also handle the whole communication process and database administration with our rmcom system. rmcom is a software system already used by many motor groups in the UK and further afield, simply rebadged to us.

By Ryan Mullins