THANK YOU!! - Best Practices for Thank You Pages

Thank you pages serve as the first opportunity to nurture the leads that have recently been converted. At the very least, extend genuine gratitude for their interest in your organization. However, by reinforcing the value of your offer and why they can't live without you is an even better way to encourage a longterm relationship.

Best practices include:

1. Set expectations - tell the lead what will happen next and what actions they will take. Answer the question "now what?" before it is even asked.

2. Suggest they follow you - Provide links to your blog or other social media sites and ask that they follow you. They've already done so once, who is to say that they won't do it again.

3. More to Share - as a bonus, ask that they share your information with other like minded individuals. Its a simple question that provides an easy opportunity for you to double your leads with little additional work.

The 7 Habits of Highly Relevant Business Content

While considering in-bound marketing, the general rule of thumb is: content value is directly proportional to the return on investment.

However, the creation of valuable content is often easier said than done.

Paul Roetzer has developed a list of seven ingredients necessary to develop an effective business copywriting strategy:

1. Strategic: Remember to keep your content focused to your goals and brand.

2. Brand-Centric: Tell your organization's story though a words, images and actions that define your brand. Your website may be the first or only chance you get to convert a consumer into a customer, don't waste the opportunity!

3. Buyer Persona Focused: Make a personal connection. Address pain points, and then provide a solution with value higher than anyone else.

4. Optimized for Search Engines: While developing your content with the visitor in mind, don't forget to optimize for search engines so that you can be found!

5. Technically Sound: Technical writing skills are valuable! Your content should be concise, use proper grammar and be written at an appropriate reading level for your audience.

6. Creative: Be Creative!

7. Results Driven: Content should relate to the business's objectives and work towards completing them.

Philip Morris USA vs. RJ Reynolds: The Battle of the Webpage!

The Website for Philip Morris USA, the largest tobacco company in the United States surpasses 71% of all websites according to a ranking system developed by Hubspot. Their biggest competitor, RJ Reynolds’ website had the superior rating of 81. In order to improve their rating, I suggest that Philip Morris implement the following:
1. Add a Meta description to each webpage. A Meta description shows up under the page title in search results and encourages an interested consumer to click though to the webpage for additional information.
2. Simplify the current level of readability from “Advanced/Doctoral Degree” to a more a manageable level for the general population. To appeal to the target market, content should be written with them in mind. It should be concise and simple to understand without patronizing the interested consumer.
3. Reduce the number of images. Currently the Philip Morris webpage includes sixty images, each of which contributes to longer times necessary to load the page. With too many images the load time could dissuade an impatient consumer from visiting the site at all.

By applying these suggestions and those available from Hubspot (after subscribing to their paid services), Philip Morris may likely be able to improve their website’s score to surpass the rating of their arch nemesis, RY Reynolds!

4 Minutes to Save the World

This past week in Internet Marketing 101 - we learned how important an e-mail campaign can be to driving sales and increasing awareness of the organization. However, it does not mean that the e-mail used has to take long to develop. Corey Beale from HubSpot has developed the breakdown

4 Minutes: Witty Title
The subject line of an email helps the consumer decide whether they want to open the email or send it to the trash bin without a second thought. The title should be clear and succulent. It is no coincidence that this is where you spend the majority of your ten minutes on developing the title. Draw the consumer in, hook, line and sinker.

3 Minutes: Solid Offer
Make it personal (personalize to the recipient if possible) and focus on the content while eliminating any fluff that will distract from the message you wish to convey.

2 Minutes: Easy Conversion
Develop a clear path for people to follow. What is the offer, how will it benefit them and what you as the e-marketer wish them to do. Make sure that any hyperlink is synced to a clear and easy to use landing page.

1 Minute: Send & Forget
After you send the email, stop worrying about what you could have done differently - its done and irretrievable. However, keep looking forward by applying anything you learn today to tomorrow's communications.


Beale, C. (2010, May 20). How to Create a killer email offer in 10 minutes or less. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6000/How-to-Create-a-Killer-Email-Offer-in-10-Minutes-or-Less.aspx?source=Blog_Email_[How+to+Create+a+Kill]

Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Landing Page

A landing page is a Web page designed specifically for visitors who have arrived at the site via a link from another site. Peter Shea from HubSpot's inbound Internet marketing blog has developed a list of best practices Internet marketers should consider when developing their own landing pages.

1. Pass the Blink Test: Visitors make the decision whether they will fill out the site's form before the page has finished loading. Make sure that the landing page illustrates the message you wish to convey to your customer, professional and easy to use.

2. Keep it Simple: The nature of a landing page means that you already know something about your audience. They clicked a particular link to arrive at the page you sent them to. So, adjust the landing page to appeal to their interests without redundancy.

3. Keep it Short: Any time someone is presented with a form of 15 to 20 questions, they will think long and hard while evaluating if it is worth their time.

4. Graphics and Endorsements Matter: Credibility is key, especially when you are asking for sensitive information. You need to ensure that the landing page encourages customers to trust you by including your logo and/or easily visible client testimonials.

5. Go Naked: Your potential customer is right where you want them, mere keystrokes away from providing you with valuable information. Paul Shea stresses that the last thing you want is for this lead to get distracted and slip through your fingers. Keep the landing page "naked" by removing any additional links or unnecessary information. Have the form and the submit button be the their sole focus. Your goal is to help them swiftly complete the process.

6. Restate Value: Although they arrived at the landing page via a hyper link, it is prudent to remind the customer why they got there to begin with. Reinstate the value they will recieve by providing you with the info requested.

7. Eat Your Own Dogfood: Before you hit "publish" ask yourself a few questions. Would you fill the form out? Are you comfortable providing the information requested? Is it easy to use? Void of distractions? This is your opportunity to finalize any last minute details to ensure perfection, and lastly - don't forget to test test test!

Shea, P. (2010, March 28). 7 habits of a highly effective landing page. Retrieved from
http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6014/7-Habits-of-a-Highly-Effective-
Landing-Page.aspx?source=Blog_Email_[7+Habits+of+a+Highly]

Blue Ribbon B2B Blogging

There are blogs, and then there are B2B blogs. They should not be treated the same because frankly, they're not.

If your organization is creating a B2B blog, the first thing you need to do is stop thinking of yourself as a blogger. Instead, you're a "vertically integrated publisher". As a VIP, your job is to create content that is relevant to your customers, without repeating all of the information readily available on your company website. Your blog should focus on non-branded keyword content. Discuss organizational best practices, address questions often asked by your customers. By sharing this type of information you are developing a valuable way to increase search engine exposure and generate leads.

After a few months, solicit the help of your readers when deciding what to blog about. Develop a short survey asking customers what they want to read. Remember to include a section for recommendations.

Lastly, although it may seem obvious. Make sure that you blog is clearly connected to the company website with simple navigation so that your customers can seek out additional information if desired.

The Password is: Cupcake

Seth Godin and I have a secret.

In a world where information is easily attainable sometimes being sneaky is a nice option.

Here's how, by using a site like this, you can transform a URL into a super cool password protected portal. The information is already out and available for the world to find, but you could provide a link to your flickr account or to a particular tweet. If the user can provide the code word, they earn access.

Lets test 'er out. http://trick.ly/35b

Pretty slick eh? (Unless you couldn't figure out my subtle password clue)

Just think of the implications. If you are after the tech savvy Millennial crowd, this may be a great way to create intrigue.

David vs. Google

Although Google happily owns 72% of the American search engine market share, it still have competitors.

The biggest? You!

Nielsen research shows that consumers prefer to receive information from friends and virtual strangers than from a search engine. Gone are the days of simple "googling", now individuals consult their peers for opinions.

So, what should Google (or you) do?

1. Put your ear to the ground: Track yourself, find out what others are saying to make sure its what you want to hear.

2. Invite dialong and customer feedback: Interact, interact, interact!

3. Think of social media as a cocktail party: offer insights without boring everyone with unnecessary info

4. Be worth paying attention to: Keep people's interest by saying something worth listening to.

5. Be a human: encourage personal connections by letting your personality shine!

6. Be dedicated to social media: Give access to your social media (read: facebook) to someone in your organization who is able to give it the attention it deserves. Don't question the Return on Investment of social media, it is something that you have to do.

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5964/Google-s-Biggest-Competitor-is-You.aspx?source=Blog_Email_[Google's+Biggest+Com]

Plan, Launch, Cowabunga (!), Repeat

A wave that is just a little too big.

+ A surf board going just a little bit too fast.

+ A ride that could end just a little too soon

--------------------------------------------------------

Bliss

People by nature seek out the risk and freedom that they lack in their careers.

Skiing, white water rafting, kiteboarding, skydiving or even an afternoon in an amusement park all compensate for the lack of excitement that isn't present in the daily grind of life.

However, some people have been able to translate the same trill of adventure that surfing provides into their careers.

Freelance.

Joint Venutres.

Entrepreneurial Startups.

A Surfers' first attempt may be small, but they quickly move on to bigger and more challenging waves to keep the adrenaline pumping. The business surfer does the same, with each success the challenge grows. If you plan for it, the risk of a wipe out is low (gnarly!), before long you will be well on your way to hanging ten!

To equip yourself with the proper lingo - refer to http://rippinh2o.com/dropzone/surflingo.shtml

Seth's original article can be found here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/05/surfing-is-the-new-career.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29

BREAKING NEWS!!

The author of several popular marketing books, Seth Godin notes in his blog that there has been a recent phenonoma of breaking news. Gone are the days of regular old news, now the news is either breaking news or not news at all.

In the old days, news was considered to be what kept individuals informed about what was happening around us. The term "breaking news" was reserved for only the most newsworthy information, the President had been shot, a war started or ended, etc. Now, the requirements have been relaxed and nearly any news can be considered breaking.

The same phenomena has also affected businesses and organizational communications. Any new development is now considered to be newsworthy. SALE ON PAPER TOWELS! BUY TWO WIDGETS GET ONE FREE!! CEO JOHN SMITH IS TAKING A VACATION DAY!! I ATE A BURRITO FOR LUNCH!!

The point is, don't be the marketer who cried wolf. Don't treat everything with the same importance, otherwise your excitement loses creditability.

High Tide

Whenever grass attacks, Tide will be there.
If the red wine dibbles, Tide will be there.
In the face of a natural disaster, Tide will be there.

Tide has identified that when a natural disaster strikes, meeting basic human needs is what becomes most important. People need food to eat, water to drink and clean clothes to wear. When a disaster occurs, Tide sends out their laundry convoy of one truck and a fleet of vans that contribute can clean over 300 loads of laundry every day. They wash, dry and fold the clothing of affected families free of charge. Since its creation, Loads of Hope has washed over 30,000 loads of laundry across the United States.

From a marketing prospective, Loads of Hope is genius. There are few consumer packaged goods with less consumer loyalty than laundry detergent. People buy what is on sale. I've been doing laundry for years and would be hard pressed to name more than two or three different brands!

Now, provide someone with something that no one else can, normalcy in a time of great upheaval. That is when an unbreakable emotional attachment to a brand can be created. Tide now has created over 30,000 loyal customers, plus the loyalty of their families and friends.