Posts Tagged ‘Target’

Email Marketing Can Keep Your Business, Brand or Book in Front of Your Target Markets

Aug 25, 2010 Music Bakery

If we’ve given our target audiences something in exchange for their providing us with their email addresses, they should be thinking of us. Right?

Wrong. All of us are so inundated each day with online information that what’s in front of our eyes at any given moment has much more relevance to us than a free report or special discount we got four weeks ago.

What is a business, brand or book author to do? Even if we all wanted to write weekly newsletters (groan!), our target audiences already receive way too many long newsletters and long emails than they can possibly read. And writing a monthly newsletter is unlikely to keep us top-of-the-mind for our target audiences.

The answer is autoresponders – an automatic series of messages set to be sent at pre-determined intervals to the people who have signed up through our double email opt-in box on our websites.

Let’s review for a moment. A double email opt-in system is used because sometimes people put in fake emails to get our free report or special discount coupon we offer in order to capture email addresses. In a double email opt-in system, to get the freebie people have to confirm the email address they gave us.

They do this by clicking on the link they get in an email message to confirm that they want to be on our email list. And then they are able to download the free report or special discount coupon.

This double email opt-in also helps get autoresponders into the email boxes of our target audiences. If someone has said yes to getting our emails, those emails have a better chance of not being trapped in spam filters.

And because we use a company set up to do double email opt-ins, capture the emails in a database and allow us to send out autoresponders and one-time messages, it’s this company’s job to know more than we do about getting our emails past spam filters.

Now that we understand this, let’s look at an example of a series of autoresponders:

Let’s say that we have a French bakery. On our website we offer a recipe for easy-to-make croissants if people fill in their email addresses. Those people who do, after confirming their email, get taken to a page where they download the recipe.

And then here’s the genius of autoresponders – you’ve set up your autoresponder system so seven days after people first enter their email addresses, they get a short (this is key) email from you talking about the importance of using a certain kind of flour when making your croissants. And they also get another easy recipe right in the body of the short email (or a link to another free download).

Hey, now your potential customers might remember they meant to stop by your bakery or arrange for your pastries to be shipped to them. And the week after this …

You get the point for a bakery. But what’s a book author to do, especially a book author of a novel?

Book authors know that people often don’t buy a book the first time they hear about it. Several “mentions” may be required before a book reader clicks “buy this book now.”

Let’s run with this example. The free gift for the email opt-in could actually be – don’t laugh – a recipe for a dish that is a specialty of the region in which your novel takes place. Thus if New Orleans is your subject, you could offer a gumbo recipe.

The next week you might offer a brief email on historical gems of New Orleans that most tourists don’t know about. The third week you might offer a link to a recording of Zydeco music. See how this works?

And, of course, each autoresponder ends with something like: “If you enjoyed this sample of Zydeco music, you’ll enjoy my novel NEW ORLEANS STREETS, whose main character plays in a Zydeco band.” Obviously you would only say this if it is true. That’s why coming up with the ideas for autoresponders requires strategic marketing planning.

Keep your business, brand or book “top of the mind” by using autoresponders that give value to your target audiences and remind them of your business, brand or book.


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Target Field: Nearby places to eat

Jun 21, 2010 Gourmet Bakery

Target Field: Nearby places to eat
MINNEAPOLIS – If you’re going to be visiting Target Field, you may also decide to take in a meal or visit some local establishments.

Read more on St. Cloud Times


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Wedding Planners: Rise Above by Promoting Your Business

May 29, 2010 Bakery Catering

Growing your wedding consulting business is all about word of mouth, image, and professionalism. To get started, you need to know which brides you will appeal to and then executing a plan for reaching out to them.

Identify Your Target Bride

There are many different types of brides, and you can carve a niche for yourself by crafting your brand to appeal to a certain demographic. Determine who your target: decide if you want to appeal to the bride who has a generous budget, or to one who understands that hiring a wedding consultant can save her money.

Rising above the competition means differentiating your business – this can be done by showcasing your own particular style, appealing to theme oriented brides, or even creating an eco-friendly image for yourself.

Let the Shows Begin!

Having a presence at local bridal shows is one of the best things you can do to promote your business. Make sure your booth is creative and professional – brides will use your booth to gauge how you might plan their wedding!

Go prepared, with lots of hand outs, brochures, and information about your rates. Put an interesting spin on your booth by offering free wedding consultation appointments – brides can return to your booth at a set time and receive a “taste” of what you could do for them.

People love to receive free things at these events – so think up something creative that they will keep, such as a booklet with wedding tips, a pen, or a monogrammed item. You might even hire a manicurist to give mini manicures in your booth – now that will make you stand out from the others!

Press Worthy

Work on developing a relationship with magazines, websites, and newspapers by letting them know you are available if they ever need a quote. A good way to start is creating press releases, which can be distributed both on and offline. It is a great way to add a professional flare to your business.

Whenever something you do is press worthy (such as landing a celebrity contract, being quoted in a national publication, or organizing a press-worthy wedding) send the information off to the media and follow up to see if its a fit. Make your press releases engaging, professional, and to the point.

You might also consider submitting articles for publication, which will of course include a byline and your contact information. Bridal magazines and websites often accept “real wedding” submissions, so don’t be shy – find out their guidelines and start sending in samples of your work! These editorial-style spreads can be pivotal in reaching new clientele, developing your brand, and adding to your portfolio.

Develop an Advertising Strategy

Advertising in local bridal publications can be expensive, but might be a good way to gain exposure in your regional market. If there are a few different publications available, you may need to focus your efforts on the one that appeals more to your target. For example, one magazine may be geared towards the luxury market while one is to the budget -conscious bride.

Be sure to have your brides leave you testimonials, which can later be worked into your marketing materials. Future brides will feel a sense of trust hearing how other brides enjoyed their experience with you.

Be Community Minded

From bakeries and caterers to photographers and videographers, it is important to build your network of wedding professionals. You may even be able to develop strategic alliances with some vendors – a bakery might agree to have your business cards available, or a photographer might be happy to recommend your services. Attend as many functions as you can to grow your name, meet new people, and develop healthy working relationships. A smart new trend is flaunting your business on a fashionable and custom logo bag – a great way for people to learn about your business without you first mentioning it. Art gallery openings, book signings, and community business meetings are all great places to grow your business within the community.


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