It's a busy time of year, with a number of events and holidays approaching -- Memorial Day, Father's Day, graduations, Fourth of July, and summer itself. But you don't need a significant event like a holiday to plan a smaller campaign that will spur donations, get consumers to visit your store or web site, or will just say, "Thank you."
To ensure we're on the same page, we're defining a "campaign" as a specific mix of communications that will help you reach a marketing goal. A campaign is not necessarily a single email that's going out on a specific day. It could be a series of emails going out, along with social media posts that are designed to drive customers, members, or supporters to take action. It could even include a physical event such as an open house, fundraising dinner, auction, or customer appreciation day.In an effort to spur your campaign planning, here are six ideas to get you started:
Invite customers to a special event at your location: If you want customers to come to your store, give them a reason to drop in by hosting an event. Every spring, a stove shop in my town hosts a customer appreciation event featuring free food. Customers get a chance to ask the staff questions about cleaning out stoves for the summer and getting them ready for next season. While the event does not feature a big sales push, the shop does tie its early-buy program deadline for next season's wood to the date of the open house. Customers will be spending money that day, so the shop gives them free food and plenty of advice as a thank you.
Introduce a new product or service: Apple is well known for keeping secret exactly what it's announcing until the second it's unveiled. You're not Apple; tell people about your latest product or newest service. Maybe those on your email list get the news first, before those connected with you on social media hear about it.
Know your current events: Is there something happening in town or your industry that impacts your customers and/or your business? Chime in by sharing links to related articles along with your take on the issue. Ask your customers to share their opinion, to start a dialogue and get a discussion going. Just remember to keep it civil!
Information is always appreciated: You're the expert, so share some of that expertise with your customers and clients without always asking for a sale. For instance, a painter could share tips for how to paint around a window or along a ceiling without making a mess. This is helpful advice for customers doing small projects. And when they need help with a bigger project, who are they most likely going to call? The business that helped them in the past.
Say thanks: When was the last time you told your customers how much you appreciate their business? Send an email that says simply, "Thank you for being a customer." You could even add in a special, unusual offer. Or, if you've recently made some changes to your business or organization as a result of customer or member feedback, share those changes and say the reason you're making them is a direct result of their input.
Share videos: Video is a great way to engage with your customers and members. Why not create a campaign around a new set of videos you've created? They could be casual messages from you or your employees; customer testimonials about your products or services, or quick demonstrations about how to use your products. People love to watch video, so give them something to view.
The goal of this type of campaign planning is to remove the fear of planning for an entire year or around specific events or holidays. By breaking your marketing efforts into smaller tasks, you can be more nimble and can engage your customers and members on a more frequent basis.
Article Source: Constant Contact
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