Drip ... Drip ... Drip : Does It Work?

Does email drip marketing work? Or is it just another web annoyance, ie. pop-ups.

Drip Marketing: Works Great For Some Companies

Auto-scheduled, pre-written emails sent to customers or prospects over some period of time (aka drips) have been touted as generating 18x more revenue vs. running other types of database marketing campaigns. Let's explore.

The real benefit of drips is that they (should) build trust. Rather than blast you can run personalized and relevant campaigns that are welcoming, educational, product or content specific. Drips must be succinct yet sincere. Touting your value without sounding pretentious.

Lead Nurturing Drips are the most successful. These are personalized campaigns that 'hand-hold' prospects or current customers - focusing on listening to needs and desires and then sharing information and solutions until they are ready to buy.

Here are some tips to running a positive results campaign:

- Determine the goal.  Are you trying to nurture new leads? Push a new product/service to existing customers? Enhancing brand awareness?  What CTA are you targeting?

- How many drips will be included in the campaign. Determine how many drips or 'touches' your campaign will have - most  consist of  between 4 and 12 emails spaced between 5, 7, or 14 days apart.

Ad: 4M Performance Look For It Soon

- Create and personalize the content. Your drips cannot be construed as irrelevant or non-specific to your audience. Your content should be personalized and friendly. What's in it for the recipient should be your mantra.

- Know who to omit from the drip and who to include. Are the right people getting the right message at the right time? What are their pain points? Their        goals? Why do business with you? What will get their attention? On the flip-side, know when to take someone out of the drip. There must be a trigger              mechanism that will un-enroll a recipient the moment they've completed the desired action the drip intended.

Composing a drip campaign.

The intro drip in the campaign should be short and honest. A few sentences explaining what you do and the reason for the email. Conclude with a simple CTA , a yes/no response will do.

The second drip should refer to the first drip. Use new messaging that addresses your reader's pain. Conclude with a request for information regarding some aspect of the recipient's company.

The third drip should be the shortest. Zero-in on the key reason for your email and conclude with an outright ask for a purchase.

Each drip can be sent anywhere from two days to a week apart. Drip marketing isn't for everyone. But it can be of great benefit for many companies, especially start-ups. KEY: It must be used properly and be customer-centric.


Jim Lavorato
Founder 4M Performance

Blogging: Why It's So Very Important

Blogging, done right, equates to increased inbound marketing, improved SEO, influence building, and connection to your demographic target - it's a must for small businesses and start-ups.

Use Google or WordPress for blogging 

Best blogging has the following elements:

1. Terse and to-the-point. The quick punch not the long dissertation
2. Use visuals - and make sure they are relevant to the blog post
3. Always be writing to your target demographic - feel their pain and address it
4. Answer all questions and queries quickly - problem solve
5. Compose in easy to read and understandable verbage and try to incorporate key SEO words
6. Post 'in' stories. We communicate in stories - so post in storylines.
7. How often? Post at least twice a week (more if possible). Key: Relevance (no BS).

Don't neglect other forms of content marketing. Where and when appropriate use videos, podcasts, webinars, infographics, and, very important, shared content from other experts and clients.

Which content is best for your company? Should you go-it-alone or hire a writer? If you are not a good writer than opt for more visual content in your blog posts. Compose podcasts. Use videos.

Be aware, that search is based on written text and not visuals. So, always use keywords in the file names and links to posted graphics/pictures. Fill in "alt text" box areas.

To recap. The goal of blogging is to provide useful, pertinent information to your target market - while increasing traffic to your website, building your cred, gaining greater SEO, and entertaining your customers and potential customers with amusing, informative, well-composed narratives.

Sign your posts with your name, company name, and contact info.

Jim Lavorato
Founder: 4M Performance
jlavorato@fundhouse.us

The Future of Packaging: It's Exicting

I've posted about edible packaging (boxes, bags, food containers) particularly as it relates to take-away restaurant food. But it can be expanded to include frozen and other non-parishable products.

I believe that edible packaging will become commonplace in the future. In addition, there will be 'smart' and reusable packaging of a wide array of products - replacing paper and plastics.

Points to consider:
- There exists tremendous waste associated with present packaging from over-packaged products to the extensive use of plastics.
- 30% of all harvested food is lost through waste, low shelf-lifes, and transit.

In testing at KFC

Virtually everything is packaged. Therefore packaging is the focal point of many new technologies. For example, what and how will the package communicate. What's in the box? When was it filled? How much does it weigh? Was it stolen? Are the contents spoiled? Where is the package in the supply chain? And so on.

The evolution in packaging will be consumer driven and not governmental, as consumers support purchasing products that minimize waste. Packaging impacts everyone! It effects our survival: food, healthcare, personal care, everything. Today, there are concerns regarding spoilage, authenticity, origin, tracking, etc.

Edible containers for humans or pets

In the future, packaging that is sustainable, personalized, and reusable will be the norm.Veggie and protein based packaging that can be consumed (by humans or pets) or reused in a different application will be common.

Originally, packaging served as a container. It evolved to include advertising and now will play an even greater role spurred-on by the growth of e-commerce, emerging markets, shifting consumer preferences, interest in sustainable materials, and the use of advanced packaging technologies, like sensor embedding.

Look for it soon and it's all good!

Jim Lavorato
Founder/President, 4M Performance & FundHouse Ventures