I’m sure you’re asking, ”What changed? Did we suddenly have consumers by the scores setting up Twitter accounts and searching for product promotions?” Well, at least for one company mentioned below, the answer is “Yes”.

In actuality though, the real power behind Twitter right now is the fact that it’s a powerful multi-level networking tool, very similar to many multi-level marketing programs. For example, let’s say I receive a Tweet and decide to pass it on to ten of my friends. Let’s then assume that they pass it on to ten of their friends, etc, etc.  You can see how powerful the multiplying effect can be when trying to generate buzz around a product, promotion or idea.

I’ll cite one example of this phenomenon. It’s based on a press release earlier this year from Dell titled, @DellOutlet Surpasses $2 Million on Twitter. It’s an interesting read because it highlights the fact that much of the sales growth in their Dell Outlet has been the direct result of promotions and communication via Twitter. Since 2007, Dell has been using Twitter “as a way to message out coupons, clearance events and new arrival information to those looking for Dell technology at a discounted price.”.

It’s astounding to see that Dell’s Twitter subscribers (followers) grew six-fold from 100k in March 2009 to 600k by the end of June 2009. Try to replicate that with other online marketing efforts. So, what was the primary reason for this growth? Dell cites the fact that “Our followers responded by re-tweeting @DellOutlet messages to their followers, and our numbers rose even more.” The power behind this simple concept is really amazing when you think about it.

Now, I’m NOT suggesting that every business or association will be as successful (revenue wise) with Twitter as Dell has been this past year. Obviously Dell has found a community of potential customers that are interested in close-out and discontinued product offerings. What I AM suggesting is that the time has now come where, if you are not using Twitter, you should look more closely at your products and services to see if there might some potential to reach new customers or clients via Twitter.

Chip Jones
Founder/Principal
Interactive-Arts.com

by Tom Kulzer (AWeber CEO)

Your web business probably gets product inquiries from potential customers around the globe. Inquiries come via e-mail and your web site, and you try to send information to each hot prospect as quickly as you can. You know that you can drastically increase the likelihood of making a sale by satisfying each person’s need for information quickly!

But, after you’ve delivered that first bit of information to your prospect, do you send him any further information? If you are like most Internet marketers, you don’t.

When you don’t follow that initial message with additional information later on, you let a valuable prospect slip from your grasp! This is a potential customer who may have been very interested in your products, but who lost your contact information, or was too busy to make a purchase when your first message reached him.

Often, a prospect will purposely put off making a purchase, to see if you find him important enough to follow up with later. When he doesn’t receive a follow up message from you, he will take his business elsewhere.

Are you losing profits due to inconsistent and ineffective follow up?

Following up with leads is more than just a process – it’s an art. In order to be effective, you need to design a follow up system, and stick to it, EVERY DAY! If you don’t follow up with your prospects consistently, INDIVIDUALLY, and in a timely fashion, then you might as well forget the whole follow up process.

Consistent follow up gets results!

When I first started marketing and following up with prospects, I used a follow up method that I now call the “List Technique.” I had a large database containing the names and e-mail addresses of people who had specifically requested information about my products and services. These prospects had already received my first letter by the time they requested more information, so I used the company’s latest news as a follow up piece.
I would write follow up newsletters every now and then, and send them, in one mass mailing, to everyone who had previously requested information from me. While this probably did help me win a few additional orders, it wasn’t a very good follow up method. Why isn’t the “List Technique” very effective?

• The List Technique isn’t consistent. Proponents of the List Technique tend to only send out follow up messages when their companies have “big news”.
• List Technique messages don’t give the potential customer any additional information about the product or service in question. He can’t make a more informed buying decision after receiving a newsletter! If someone is wondering whether your company sells the best knick-knacks, what does he care that you’ve just moved your headquarters?
• List Technique messages convey a “big list” mentality to your potential customers. When I used to write follow up messages using the List Technique, I was writing news bulletins to everyone I knew! I should have been sending a personal message to each individual who wanted to know more about my products.

What follow up method really works?

Following up with each lead individually, multiple times, but at set intervals, and with pre-written messages, will dramatically increase sales! Others who use this same technique confirm that they have all at least doubled the sales of various products! In order to set this system up, though, you need to do some planning.

First, you’ll need to develop your follow up messages. If you’ve been marketing on the Internet for any length of time, then you should already have a first informative letter. Your second letter marks the beginning of the follow up process, and should go into more detail than the first letter. Fill this letter with details that you didn’t have the space to add to the first letter. Stress the BENEFITS of your products or services!

Your next 2-3 follow up messages should be rather short. Include lists of the benefits and potential uses of your products and services. Write each letter so that your prospects can skim the contents, and still see the full force of your message.

The next couple of follow up messages should create a sense of urgency in your prospect’s mind. Make a special offer, giving him a reason to order NOW instead of waiting any longer. After reading these follow up messages, your prospect should want to order immediately!

Phrase each of your final 1 or 2 follow up messages in the form of a question. Ask your prospect why he hasn’t yet placed an order? Try to get him to actually respond. Ask if the price is to high, the product isn’t the right color or doesn’t have the right features, or if he is looking for something else entirely. (By this time, it’s unlikely that this person will order from you. However, his feedback can help you modify your follow up letters or products, so that other prospects will order from you.)

The timing of your follow up letters is just as important as their content. You don’t want one prospect to receive a follow up the day after he gets your initial informative letter, while another prospect waits weeks for a follow up!

Always send an initial, informative letter as soon as it is requested, and send the first follow up 24 hours afterwards. You want your hot prospects to have information quickly, so that they can make informed buying decisions!

Send the next 2-3 follow up messages between 1 and 3 days apart. Your prospect is still hot, and is probably still shopping around! Tell him about the benefits of your products and services, as opposed to your competitors’. You will make the sale!

Send the final follow up messages later on. You certainly don’t want to annoy your prospect! Make sure that these last letters are at least 4 days apart.

Following up effectively seems complicated, but it doesn’t have to be! So many potential customers are lost because of poor follow up – don’t you want to be one of the few to get it right?

Today I came across a rather interesting article/survey from The Nielson Company (”Social Media: The Next Great Gateway for Content Discovery?“) which discusses the approaches that consumers are currently using to find information online. Basically it highlights much of what we’ve talked about in our blog about Online Consumer Behavior and how consumers find information based on their habits and behaviors when it comes to doing online research.

This survey shows that over 71% of online users look for information by using either a search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.), or by browsing via a portal like Yahoo, AOL, MSN, etc. Currently only 4% use a Social Network like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc., to get more information.

The interesting aspect of this survey is that it highlights the fact that many people feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they see online, so much so that they many turn to their online friends for suggestions and information. This survey asked three groups of people for feedback on the following statement, “There is too much information Online”. 26% of people who identified themselves as “Socializers” found this statement to be true. Only 5% of people identified as “Searchers” found this to be true.

This begs the question that – as an online business/organization – do you know which approach your customers / clients use in order to find information about your products or services online? Are they using a Social Network to ask friends, or are they finding you and your products via Search or a Portal? The answer to this question should have a direct impact on where you focus your online marketing energies.

When you create an online marketing strategy, one of the first steps you should take is research in order to understand the online behavior and habits of your clients/customers. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be in a much better position to reach out to your future customers and clients via the most appropriate online marketing channel or channels.

The funny thing about this is that Twitter was barely a speck in the online world even up to the end of 2008. It really didn’t show any signs of life until early 2009. Take a peak at Google Trends and you’ll be able to see the interest level over time, based on Google search inquiries.

So… this begs the question of “why”? Why is it that Twitter has grabbed so much of our attention this year? In all honesty, the answer is much more complex than I have room for here, but basically Twitter provides us with a great alternative way to reach out to others whenever voice or email communication isn’t possible.

From a technology perspective it’s like a huge party line, with one large exception. It’s provides the ability to only tune into the messages (or people) that we want to hear. It’s a very effective communication tool because messages are short and sweet (limited to 140 characters or less), and can be sent via mobile texting, instant messaging, or via the web.

Personally I like Twitter, but in all honesty I rarely “tweet”. I primarily use it to stay up to date on the activities of others in the online marketing world. For companies though, Twitter can be an excellent way to get the pulse on your brand. For example, if someone is talking negatively about your brand via Twitter, you can find out about it instantly via a Twitter search.

But for the product and service oriented clients that I’ve been working with this year, I’ve yet to see a truly practical use of Twitter that could result in a positive return to the bottom line. It’s great for prospecting, but I’ve found that most of the consumers and markets that we are trying to reach are still getting most of their questions and inquiries answered via email, phone, or by searching the web.

Much of the hands-on excitement I hear about Twitter has come from those individuals in the marketing technology areas. Again, I’m not seeing much indication that it is consumer based platform yet. I do find it to be one of the more intriguing communication tools that I’ve seen in a while and am keeping a very close eye on it’s adoption by consumers. I’ll be posting more about this in the future. (NOTE: See my follow-up post titled Are You Tweeting – A Follow-Up).

Chip Jones
Founder/Principal
Interactive-Arts.com

Typically we all know what we want to achieve when we set out to do something. For example, if we are going to the grocery store, we already know what we need to buy, in fact many of us will prepare a shopping list so we don’t forget. If we are going on a long business trip or vacation, we pack accordingly for the occasion and climate. But, when it comes to online marketing, for some reason most companies decide to take on a herd mentality when it comes to their marketing efforts. They basically follow along with whatever the latest trend is, without giving much thought as to how it will help them achieve their ultimate goals and objectives.

Are You Part of the Herd Mentality?
Today, most companies make use of a variety of online marketing approaches - whether it be a web site, a blog, a Facebook page, email marketing, etc. But have they ever really mapped out a clearly defined strategy with a list of goals and objectives related to their overall marketing efforts? Have they really given much thought as to how their web site or Facebook page relates to their overall marketing objectives, both online and offline? Our experience tells us that the answer to this is “No”. We find most companies are overly occupied with the notion that they need to drive as much traffic to their website as possible, in hopes that this will increase their chances for a sale or lead.

How to Catch Lobsters, Not Cod
This approach (driving as much traffic to a web site as possible) is a lot like casting a huge net out into the online world and then pulling in anyone that comes along irregardless of whether they are a potential customer or not. It’s analogous to a lobster fisherman casting a wide net out into the ocean in order to catch lobsters. The downside with this fishing approach is that he will bring in mostly cod, not lobsters.

Why is this? Well, the reason he ends up with more cod is because lobsters live on the bottom of the ocean, not at the top where the net was thrown. If a lobster fisherman really wants to catch lobsters he needs to use a different strategy. He’s going to need to use a lobster trap and then place that trap where the lobsters are living, on the floor of the ocean. This ultimately becomes his strategy for success, with the result being more lobsters caught. It’s more efficient to fish this way.

The Recommended Approach
When you look at your online marketing efforts, are you catching cod or lobsters? Are you spending 100% of your time trying to catch lobsters at the surface of the ocean, but instead ending up with cod? If so, then basically you need reevaluate your online strategy. You really need to first determine who your potential customers are, and then develop a strategy which will reach out to them in the online world. If you’re trying to promote a product via Facebook, and your target market does not use Facebook, then all you’re doing is wasting time and money.

Our recommended approach is to first fully understand your consumers from head to toe. Find out if they are looking for your type of product or service online, and if so how likely are they to convert via an online promotion. You really need to first fully understand your targeted consumer before you can create a strategy that will reach out to them.

Establishing an online marketing strategy containing a list of goals and objectives will allow you to become more efficient at attracting potential customers online. The immediate advantage with this is that your customer acquisition costs will go down, and you’ll become more efficient because now you are focusing in on attracting specific visitors that will convert into customers. Bottom line, first establish a strategy THEN develop a solution that will reach out to your market and allow you to reach your goals more quickly. Go after your market with an appropriate online strategy and solution!

The importance of matching web site visitor expectations to their online goals and objectives is likely the single most important consideration when it comes to designing a successful online experience or marketing campaign. Even in today’s Web 2.0 world, most web sites continue to present prospective customers with a confusing menu of links that site owners think will lead their visitors to their utlimate goal or objective.

The net outcome of this type of design and activity shows up as abandoned activity or low conversion rates.  As a web site owner or manager, are you willing to risk losing a prospective customer or client?

The Basic Sales Process
If you’ve ever attended a sales training program or class, you’ll discover that there are basic steps that all successful sales people follow in order to get additional business. These steps are:

1. Prospect for Customers
2. Build Rapport with Customer
3. Qualify the Customer
4. Present the Product or Solution
5. Close the Sale

These are basic steps in the sales process that have been successfully utilized over and over. These steps can also be applied to the online sales process. 

The Lost Sales Opportunity
Many online marketers probably feel that they have built these steps into their online experience. The reality is that few web site designers are familiar with the standard sales process listed above and they fail to incorporate these into their designs. This results in a site that fails to engage site visitors who may turn into potential clients or customers.

The Solution
We will help you prepare an online marketing plan which will address your site visitors at each stage of the sales process. We will also work with you to design a plan that will bring in more targeted prospective customers and clients to your web site. We’re not just interested in generating more traffic to your web site, we’re interested in helping you successfully convert those visitors into customers or clients.

Contact Us today for a free, no obligation web site sales process analysis.

Even today many web marketers take a single approach in terms of establishing and defining what a personalized online experience should look like. Using a single approach, these web marketers then go on to create elaborate AND very costly initiatives which only serve a select group of online visitors.

Understanding the fact that each and every visitor to your web site has a different objective in mind will be the key to achieving long term success. For example, let’s say a visitor just needs information about a single product but they can’t even find this product on your home page? Are you really providing them with the best personalized online experience?

Consumer behavior really hasn’t changed all that much, even with the introduction of the internet. Yet it seems that many web marketers are easily distracted by emerging online solutions and networking options without first ensuring that they are providing their web site visitors with a personalized experience that provides the answers and solutions that they are seeking.

The Basic Consumer Buying Process
When you look at consumer behavior in general, the typical buying processes involve:

1. Recognition of a Need (product or information)
2. Search for Options (who has that product or information)
3. Evaluate Options (what sounds like the best choice)
4. Make Final Purchase Decision
5. Determine Value of Purchase (are you happy with your purchase or information)

Are Your Web Site Visitors Achieving Their Goals?
Considering the above, can you honestly say that you know at what stage your web site visitors are at when they first reach your web site? Are you really providing them with a personalized solution that will help them achieve their goals at that specific moment in time?

Interactive Arts can help you define and create online campaigns that will cater to the needs of your web site visitors at various stages in the buying process. We achieve this through the time tested formula of Discovery, Marketing Campaign Design, Measurement and Continual Testing. This will help ensure that your online visitors are achieving their goals. Contact Us today for a free, no obligation web campaign survey.

Unfortunately this is also true for Interactive Arts, LLC. We’ve just been a bit too busy and focused on client projects and, as a reult, have also neglected our own “home” at interactive-arts.com. 

Well. the good news is that this is about to change. In the days and week to come, we’ll be putting a bit more effort into our “home” at interactive-arts.com. We really want to show off the work we’ve done for others as well as provide some insight and thoughts into the worlds of Search Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Networking and Web Metrics. Check back soon to see our progress…

UPDATE: We are now ranked in the top 5 on Google for a broad based search of interactive arts. Not too bad considering that, as of this writing, there are about 68 million web pages that also contain these words…