Developing your internet marketing campaigns can be overwhelming. With all the variables out there, it’s hard to know where to start. What are the best ways to use social media? How do I use email most effectively? There is really a lot to consider, which is why this week we are going with a Q&A format to tackle 10 crucial internet marketing questions.
1. Does an email’s sender make a difference in the open rate?
People consider email personal, so when email seems impersonal, we are less likely to open it. Several studies have shown that email messages coming from a real person within an organization typically have better open rates than whose where the sending is simply a company name. Higher open rates usually translate to more leads, which is what we’re all hoping for, right?
2. Is it worth the time and effort to optimize emails for mobile devices?
Conscore reports that 30 million Americans get their email on a mobile device, and that 43% of those people (that’s more than 30 million people) check their email at least four times daily. Chances are good that if your emails can’t be read easily on a mobile device, many people are not even going to bother opening them.
3. Does it matter what time of day I send email?
Research has shown that email sent around 6 a.m. have a higher click through rate than any other time of the day. There’s another peak between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Not surprisingly, emails sent out after 4 p.m. typically don’t get opened until the next morning.
4. Are there words to avoid in calls to action?
You might be surprised that the words “download”, “register”, and “submit” all ranked under a 20% response rate among command words in internet marketing campaigns. Think about those words for a moment. “Download” implies some technical skill, “register” asks someone to make a commitment, and “submit” has a connotation to surrender. Words absolutely matter. Calls to action using “go” or “click here” get much more frequent positive responses.
5. What are the simplest and most affordable ways to track mentions of my company in social media?
There are actually quite a few monitoring tools for social media available. We suggest using Google Alerts or Social Mention to help you keep your pulse on public opinion, and your industry in general. Remember, tracking industry trends and knowing what is being said about your competitors is useful information, too.
6. How do we draw more fans to our new Facebook page?
Make sure to frequently share content your fans will find valuable. Publicize your Facebook page on your website and make it easy for your fans to get to your Facebook page by adding sharing buttons and social plug-ins. Make your Facebook presence a way for your business to interact with, and build stronger relationships with, current fans while making connections with new fans as well.
7. What are some tips for getting fans to spend more time on our Facebook page?
Getting users to stay longer is all about building engagement, and the best way to do that is by sharing and creating content that interests them. A recent Facebook study showed that content related directly to your brand, rather than a specific product, is more effective. And of course, consider the data that you get from your own insights as a Facebook user when planning your content strategy.
8. How do we make our industry more interesting in social media?
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that because you know your industry inside and out, that people who don’t won’t find some aspect of it fascinating. Find a way to help your audience relate to what you have to offer. Social media is less formal than traditional media. It’s important to remember you can be more casual and humorous to get people’s attention.
9. What can I do to engage my followers more on social media?
The most engaging content should be a mix of lead generation, news, and third party content. With the rise of Pinterest, it should also be visual. People are most interested in sharing content that they consider novel, relevant and newsworthy. If you can find ways to make your content fit into those categories, your audience is sure to share what you have to say, which will help your network continue to grow.
10. What’s the best way to use Facebook and Twitter to increase traffic from search engines?
Think of social media a your pool of people capable of linking to what you post. When you post links to content rich in keywords, you increase the odds of your followers linking it, too. That will make search engines take notice of your website, and improve your rating.
