Is your marketing message busy?

I heard something today that struck a chord, or perhaps discord with me. It went something like this, "people who are always too busy to do things are just people who lack focus." 

I have to admit...I consider myself a pretty busy person and I didn't like the sound of that!  Unfocused? No! I simply have too many important things to do.

Then I thought some more...I know what I really have to do today and what I really have to do each week. And the rest is what I'd like to do, or what others have asked me to help them do....because they are "busy." So when I focus, yes...I could be far less busy if I only did the things I need to do most.

Businesses encounter the same issue in their marketing messages. So often a manager tells me the 5 things they want in a flier, or the 3 offers they want to include in a promotion, or 2 calls to action in an email or 10 things to convey on a home page.

When I ask..."If we got it down to ONE item in your message, what would it be?"...That question often strikes discord.  Everything is important! It ALL needs to be conveyed equally to make sure I'm reaching every interest.

So...how does your customer or prospect receive that message?  If you're thinking...unfocused...you're probably right.

Customers don't want to have to sort through your message to find the one idea that resonates with their needs. They want one clear message, one value statement, one call to action. They want to know that what you offer is a match to what they want.  When our mailboxes are flooded with catalogs, our inboxes overflowing with email and our eyes and ears inundated with messages all around...the focused message wins our attention over the unfocused.

What does this mean to the business owner who wants to share 3 messages, because not every message fits every customer?  That's where personalized marketing comes in.  Intelligent marketing understands who your client is.  Deliver messaging about petite women's clothing to petite women and about tall men's suits to tall men. If you can further segment your clients to target men who often wear suits, even better.

The more you can understand who you are talking to, the more you will be able to target your message with clarity.  When your message is focused...it won't come across busy and will stand out from other "cluttered" communications.

What does your signature say?

Your signature on paper is unique. We all develop our own style after years of writing our name. So unique, that we can be identified in the handwriting of our signatures.  But, when is the last time you gave thought to how you sign emails?

Email signatures can be customized in just about any program.  Many people never take the time to set up a standard signature.   Here's a few things you should think about:

• Do you have a standard way anyone in your business formats their email signature? If not, how do you know someone on staff hasn't forgotten to put your company website in their signature? Or worse, do you know if they put a giant, cutesy, animated graphic of a smiling unicorn that dominates their email messages? I've seen maybe not a smiling unicorn, but pretty close to it for professional signatures.
• Did you establish your email signature on both emails sent from your computer/laptop/tablet AND your smartphone? Often your smartphone will need the signature set up separately.
• You can use images for your signature.  A scan of your handwritten signature, a company logo, a professional photo of yourself...these are all acceptable.   Beware though, if your entire signature area is an image.  Many people read or view emails with images turned off. So, if you put everything  into one big graphic...your name may be lost. Try a blend instead. Type your name and your business, then add a graphic for the company logo.
• Do you add anything to your signature to promote your business? How about a line that tells about an upcoming special event? Use the real estate around your signature to share a brief message or the landing page to an online promotion. Just be sure you change it before it becomes dated.

How you sign your name may seem like a simple thing and it's often overlooked. But it only takes a few minutes to set a standard signature. Taking those few minutes can say a lot about you.

Christmas in July - Tips to Plan your Holiday Marketing Now

Marketing for the holiday shopping season happens earlier and earlier each year. But let's face it...the true rush for most shoppers is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since Thanksgiving can fall anywhere between November 22nd and 28th, the number of days and weekends to sell in that holiday crunch varies by year. This year the season is a short as it gets...but on the bright side is only one day shorter than last year.

Do you have these dates accounted for in your calendar?

* Black Friday(s) The big holiday shopping spree is traditionally THE Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. But other Fridays are proving to be mini sales rushes when marketed as additional Black Friday sales.

* Cyber Monday(s) This is the online counterpart to Black Friday. The Monday after the holiday weekend is the largest online shopping day, but other Mondays are also proving to be strong spikes in online retail.

* Small Business Saturday, November 29. This retail holiday is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. After Americans indulge in Turkey, and Football on Thursday and Big Box Retail on Black Friday, they are encouraged to shop locally and support small businesses this day.

* Free Shipping Day. This online phenomena is growing in popularity. At the date of this blog post, the exact date for 2014 was not released yet.  It will be in December and if you want to participate, you should plan to apply in early October.

* Plan your shipping calendar. Figure out how late you will ship items and guarantee delivery. Your shipping carrier will give you their calendar. You may need to tack on a day or two pick, wrap and pack those items on your end.

Smart planning is key to a successful holiday season.  You can get a jump on the season with this handy calendar.

Download my 2014 Holiday Marketing Calendar Here.

What are you giving (your customers) for Christmas?

Do you have your strategy planned for what to give your customers this holiday season?

Will you offer free shipping?  Free returns?  Buy one get one? Percentages? Are there some special products you are going to bundle or offer at a discount? Perhaps you have an item you want to promote on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

The time to think about your best offers is not mid-October. Start now.

Think about what policies or offers (if any) you are going to provide for the entire holiday season. If free shipping is your thing and you know you’re going to run with it for 60 days, plan for it now. Be prepared to feature it in every promotion and every email template and show it prominently on your site. If a gift registry is on your radar - then start setting up the program now, so that your customers can build their wish lists in September and let their family and friends know where to shop for them before the holiday rush begins.

Next, decide your best short-term offers and think about where they fit in the calendar. Don't put a great product on sale October 1 and deplete your inventory levels if that is the product which will bring shoppers to your website or store on one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Plan your calendar so that you're in a position to offer the best values when customers are ready to shop til they drop.  Yes, you will face more competition for offers those days. But shoppers are in prime buying mode and they are looking at your competition. You don’t want them to pass you by.

Preparing your holiday offering early also allows you to forecast for inventory and staffing. It’s also going to reduce the urge to jump and come up with an incentive on the fly when you see what you’re competition is pitching. Plan now. Know your value and your margins, so that you don't over-discount on impulse. Be confident and get your holiday gift to your customers prepared early, so you can sit back and enjoy their visits to your business in November and December.

What do Canada's new email laws mean to you?

American commerce emails have long been regulated by the CANSPAM act from Congress.  Canadians have not had as much in place to dictate when you can and can not send someone a commercial email.  That is all about to change.

Canada's Anti-Spam Law, or CASL, will govern commercial email in Canada and could lead to some pretty steep fines for non-compliance. CASL has several key dates for parts of this legislation going into effect. The first is coming up next week on Canada Day, July 1.  

While the first date for CASL is looming near, don't panic if you weren't aware and aren't ready. There are several dates of impact for this new program, spread across three years.

Take this as a time to educate yourself and get your ducks in a row.

The first thing you need to know?  Are you even impacted by CASL? The answer to that is pretty simple. Do you send emails from Canada? Do you send commercial emails to someone who is opening them on an electronic device in Canada?

If you answered these both no, then you have nothing to worry about until you add Canadian email addresses to your list.

If you answered yes, then you need to learn about the new rules get your email practices in alignment with the new guidelines. You'll need to make sure you are obtaining the proper form of consent from your contacts to receive commercial emails.  I'm sharing two of helpful resources I've found on this topic.

Here's a high- level infographic.

Click here if you want to sign up for and listen to an in-depth webinar.