In this edition:
- Taking a subjective look at email marketing
- Improve your business communication
- Marketing your website
- En Pointe hits the headlines
- Copywriting tips for your business
- Small business missing online opportunities
- Welcome new clients
- Communication thought of the day
90% off business cards today only!
First off, to set the record straight, En Pointe is not virtually giving away business cards but the heading does demonstrate one of the keys to email marketing – engaging subjects.
These days most of us receive lots of emails so if the subject you use to send your email marketing is boring chances are your emails aren’t even being opened. For example, would you open an email with the subject of “April Newsletter”? If it was from your boss or your favourite sporting club, probably, but it was from a supplier it may well get deleted straight away.
Compare this with a subject of “50% off marketing material this week only”, “Top 10 tax tips” or “3 reasons your jeans don’t fit”.
Experts say when people first receive email they take an average of three seconds to decide whether to open it. The first second is spent on the ‘from’ line, recognizing who sent the message. From there, you have just two more seconds to compel them to open your message with your subject line, so don’t waste it.
Just as importantly, unlike our audacious headline to encourage you to read this article, make sure your subject line is truthful. Don’t promote a 90% discount unless you know you can deliver.
Let’s get subjective
With more than 20 years experience in journalism, copywriting, editing and business communication, En Pointe has the experience to create engaging copy (and email marketing subject lines!) for your business.
If budget is a concern and you’d prefer to develop your own copy, En Pointe can help improve your writing skills. In addition, we can provide you with the technical knowledge you need to develop and distribute your own email marketing and electronic newsletters.
Contact En Pointe today for a competitive quote on all your copywriting and business communication needs.
Marketing your website
Having a quality business website is one thing, but if no one knows about your website it’s next to useless.
There are a lot of ways to increase visits to your website. Here are just a few:
- Ensure your website has at least basic search engine optimisation (contact En Pointe for more details).
- Include your website address on all your marketing and advertising material, including business cards, letterheads, with compliments slips and flyers.
- Place your website address on your invoices and receipts.
- Consider a pay per click campaign (contact En Pointe for more details).
- List your website address in your signature at the bottom of all emails.
- Use your website in business communication whenever possible. For example, when replying to an email from a client refer them to a specific website address (make sure you include a link) for further information.
En Pointe hits the headlines
En Pointe has hit the headlines, being featured in the City of Kingston’s monthly newspaper called Kingston Your City.
The focus on En Pointe and senior business communications specialist Paul Hurkmans came about because of our involvement in the Mentor Partners Program, run by the Cities of Kingston and Glen Eira. To find out more about the program visit the City of Kingston’s website.
Shout it out loud!
A simple tip to improve your writing skills is to read out loud what you have written. Reading out loud will often highlight any errors you may normally miss.
Along the same lines, another simple tip when writing is to imagine you’re having a conversation with someone. Again, saying the words out loud can help. This technique is particularly good for those who feel more comfortable with verbal communication than written and those times when you’re struggling to find the correct words to write.
Small business missing online opportunities
If results from a recent survey by MYOB are anything to go by, small business owners are missing out on online opportunities to enhance their business. The survey results, released on 31 March 2009, show more than half (60%) of small business owners surveyed don’t have a business website.
“Use of the internet is high among Australians and, importantly, among consumers. Small business owners are missing valuable opportunities to use the web to promote their business and build their customer base,” explains Tim Reed, CEO of MYOB.
“The web is a critical information and communication platform, an important tool for small businesses, particularly now with the current economic turbulence,” continues Mr Reed.
“The web presents countless sales, marketing and promotional opportunities for small businesses.”
Communication thought for the day
An internal memo distributed by a leading US business in 1876 read: “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” I wonder what they would have written about the Internet?