How to Use a Call List with your Drip Marketing Campaign

Unless you have a 100% internet shopping cart driven business, you will need to occasionally call your customers & prospects. Yes, pick up the phone, dial it, and talk to someone live. Try it, it’s fun!

Prioritize

The big question is…who to call? You want your sales efforts focused on those opportunities that will likely result in a sale. The Swiftpage Call List can rank a list of contacts by their interest level based on their interactions with your campaigns. This means you can prioritize your list with the folks that are the most interested, based on their own actions. Pretty powerful stuff.

Rank & Score

Within the Call List, you can set the scoring parameters, which determine the ranking of your contacts into categories of Hot, Warm or Mild. Points can be assigned based on the first time a contact clicks on a link in your e-mail or the first time they open the e-mail, as well as subsequent clicks and opens. You can tweak those points to reflect the scoring that best meets your organization’s qualification process.

Divvy Up the Calls

Let’s say you have a sales team, and want to assign calls to specific sales people. As long as you have the Swiftpage’s Team level subscription, you can pull up your call list, filter the list (let’s say you just want to assign the Hot and Warm contacts) and then assign your sales representatives calls.  If there are 500 contacts on your call list and you have fives sales reps, Swiftpage will automatically assign and evenly distribute those contacts across your team with each rep getting 100 calls. You can then e-mail that call list to your sales representatives right from Swiftpage, or you can sync that call list to your database if you are using ACT! or SalesLogix.

Keep it in Sync

You can manage the call list online, and/or you can manage it through ACT! or SalesLogix. In ACT! 2010, go to the Marketing  Results tab. (ACT! 2009 and earlier users would go to the Swiftpage Snapshot tab) and click on the Call List section. Now click the Online Call List button. This takes you to the web page with your Call List. Apply the Call List filters and assign the calls to one or more of your Swiftpage Users. Now back in ACT!, click the Sync to Online Call List button. Now you are viewing your Call List assignments right in ACT!. No need to leave ACT!, just scroll through the Call List, and, well, make the calls, making sure to Record History with the outcome of the calls. You can also click the Lookup button and Swiftpage will create an ACT! lookup of the contacts in your Call List, sorted by their Call List scores. This same type of functionality is available with SalesLogix, I just talk about ACT! because I am an ACT! Consultant!

Back to Basics

Drip marketing and e-mails are certainly effective ways of communicating with your customers & prospects, but the power and effectiveness of those live, personal connections cannot be underestimated. Knowing who to call is critical for you to make the most of your selling time – Swiftpage’s Call List feature, used with your drip marketing campaigns gives you that important information.

Call Lists with Drip Marketing Video

If you’d like more details and examples on how to use Swiftpage’s Call List features with Drip Marketing, you can watch the full webinar recording by clicking here>>

What You’ll Learn from the Video:

• How to close more sales by following up with your hottest leads.
• How to automatically create Call Lists based off of your email campaigns.
• How to assign all or portions of your Call Lists to specific sales reps.
• How to use your Call List directly from your database.

Post Contributed by Stacy Roach, Power of 3 Consulting

Email marketing tips for small business

“When it comes to email marketing, every second counts. You only have a short time to capture your customer’s attention and keep it. On average, it takes someone a third of a second to decide whether they are going to open an email, three seconds to see if there is something of interest, and 30 seconds to respond to the ‘call to action.’ ” says Jessica Stanic of Dynamic Business in an article about Bob Ogdon, CEO of Swiftpage, outlook on email marketing and small business marketing.

Read the rest of the article to learn about the top tips of email marketing strategy here>>

Swiftpage’s New Template Editor – BETA

We know many of you have been waiting a long time, which makes us excited to release a BETA version of our New Template Editor!

The first group of customers is already using the New Template Editor BETA, and many more that have requested it will be “turned on” over the coming weeks.

The New Template Editor contains some great new features driven directly by customer feedback.  They include:

• Full WYSIWYG HTML editing capability
• Image and Document Library – so you can easily store and re-use your images and documents in multiple templates
• Additional Document Types can now be uploaded !  Including Powerpoint, Excel and Word files (current customers are currently limited to only PDF documents!)
• Landing Pages – a real UI for landing pages now exists!  Upload an HTML file, or create one in the WYSIWYG editor, then have Swiftpage Host it as a publicly accessed Landing Page!
• And many more…!

If you have not yet requested to be entered into the BETA program, you can enter by filling out this survey.

As with any BETA product, we need your help making it a great!  If you have questions, comments, feature requests or have found a problem, please fill out this survey.

A Recap of Sage Summit 2009

Sage Summit 2009 was a successful show for Swiftpage.  We featured three products:  Swiftpage for SageCRM, Swiftpage for the new SalesLogix web version 7.5 and for the first time our new stand alone Swiftpage that includes Drip Marketing.

We were thrilled to debut our standalone version of Swiftpage to the particular Sage customers that do not use a CRM.  Swiftpage standalone has an easy to use list manager that allows the user to load their contact list and segment them into groups to ensure an efficient email marketing process.

Sage Summit had over 2,000 Sage product customers in one location. One of the most appealing aspects to the show is its laid back atmosphere. This gave my team and I the opportunity to have long, purposeful conversations with our customers and channel partners.  We learned that we have a dedicated existing audience in SageCRM and SalesLogix that continues to grow and prosper.  We were excited to see new customers bring others within their organization by to participate in our demos.

Our very own Director of CRM Sales, Chris Taylor gave a presentation to the CRM group on how to market effectively in a down economy. He touched on how email marketing is the most cost effective method for driving new business. He also discussed marketing best practices with the audience.

We are excited for SalesLogix hot new item coming up; a move to the Web interface of 7.5. In conjunction to that, we are shooting for a release of Swiftpage for SalesLogix Web shortly after the first of the year.

Mari Smith: Relationships first, business second

Mari Smith graced over 450 attendees with her Facebook and Twitter expertise as she headed up the Thought Leader Series with Bob Ogdon, CEO of Swiftpage yesterday afternoon.

Why social media?
Social media, to Mari Smith, meets the fundamental need of wanting to belong that everyone craves and allows that need to enter into the business world. Tools for building a loyal tribe if you will. Now commerce is being produced through more efficient avenues and the ability to reach key decision makers has dramatically increased due to this surge.

Mari mentions the term “brandividual” and urges small businesses to appoint someone in their company to adopt this title. She sites Frank Eliason of Comcast saying that the number one common denominator in successful social media users is PASSION, not just about the brand they are representing but the people they interact with.  A brandividual is someone who knows their products and services inside out and can naturally and passionately relay that information to the public. Another title to add to the position is the Chief Listening Officer. The CLO has the ability to watch and listen to the conversation and trends of the industry and then engage and react to them.

Another important point brought up during the webinar was the balancing act between being a member of the social media community and a marketer of it. Mari strongly sticks to the motto, “Relationships first, business second” She urged the attendees to concentrate on becoming members of the Twitter and Facebook communities rather than solely marketers trying to sell their company’s services. When you approach social media in an organic fashion, more relationships are built and you will ultimately end up with more dedicated followers. Mari used the example of meeting someone at a bar. You wouldn’t walk right up and ask if they will marry you. You have a conversation first and if everything feels right then you move forward from there, starting a friendship/relationship. The same social graces apply to social media and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Why Twitter?
Twitter is a place where content is continually flowing in and out of people’s minds. One tweet that goes through is picked up by followers and then quickly transitions to the next. It is a constant flow of information. This is why it is far more important to concentrate on writing strong, quality content that will more likely get remembered rather than an abundance of mediocre tweets.

Mari describes two creative ways to engage followers in Twitter. Curiosity marketing is writing engaging content that will simultaneously lead people to want to click on the link provided. Provide your followers with content based material and use colorful language to catch their eye. Anticipation marketing is when you create a build up to a product launch, event, giveaway, you name it. By letting out little tidbits about your launch you create an anticipation that leaves followers wanting more and automatically following your tweets.

Why Facebook?
Facebook provides a perfect layout for you to continually provide a call to action to
your fan base. There are many different applications that allow you to do this that
include, staticfbml and networked blogs are just two examples. Such applications allow you to add an email opt-in to your page or the ability to automatically post your blogs to your wall as soon as they are posted from your blog site. Facebook  provides you with an avenue to blend many initiatives like the ones above as well as posting events and discussion boards.

What else?
Mari reminds us of the emerging trend of the business world turning content based. Every company and business professional can now create their own content and share it with the world. Case studies, white papers, webinars, articles, forums, press releases, blog are just a few. This gives us the ability to share new ideas and connect with people in all different ways.

The key to all social media ventures is to continually drive people back to your content hub, whether that is your blog or your web site. Driving people to your central hub allows you to be in control of the content and message that is relayed to the public. Commerce is being done at an unbelievable rate today because of social media and the ability to reach key decisions makers. Take some time to listen and develop strategic relationships and as the relationships evolve your services will come into play naturally and effectively. Creating a lead generation funnel boils down to creating relationships and trust that naturally bring new contacts your way. If you force it you’ve lost the battle.

Here are other social media resources Mari mentioned:
-    Tweetbeep
-    Techrigy
-    Scoutlabs
*The full list will be included in the follow up email to the webinar and will also be available on the Thought Leader webpage as well.

FAQ Friday: How can I access my own Suppression (Opt-out) file?

Swiftpage Support has put together a list of the top Frequently Asked Questions that our staff receives. We plan on posting one FAQ on our blog from time to time to provide our customers with another resource for their questions. Kassi Johnson, our Customer Service Manager, has put this list together. Her Email address is posted on Kassi Johnson’s about page if you would like to contact her with any further questions.

How can I access my own Suppression (Opt-out) file?

You can access your suppression file by logging into My Swiftpage at http://www.swiftpage.com/logineditor.htm.  Then click on the Reports button.  Once you have clicked on the Reports button, click on the “Suppression Data” button at the top of the screen.  Enter your account password and click Email List to have the list send to the email address associated with your account, or click View List to view the list online. 

You cannot add or remove people to your opt-out file manually – you will have to contact Swiftpage in order to do so.  You can call  877-228-8377  or email us at support@swiftpage.com with your account name and the email address of the person you want opted-out or removed from the opt-out list.

Employee Showcase – Lindsey Bakel

Without the hard work and dedication that our team has shown Swiftpage, we would not be where we are today. We value each one of our team members and would like to take the opportunity to showcase one of our most deserving team members: Lindsey Bakel.

Qualities that make Lindsey stand out:
The Swiftpage marketing team is comprised of a group of self starters that need no encouragement to provide an outstanding end to end customer experience. Lindsey shines in this role and has reshaped the way we think about telling the Swiftpage story. She brings a unique skill set of a strong business acumen, great personal drive and a design element that could stand on its own.

Latest Swiftpage Accomplishment:
In an impossibly tight product launch schedule, Lindsey managed a group of designers and content creators to develop interactive feature tours to boost conversion and improve customer success. She turned very technical processes into easy to learn, actionable training material that will help our user base develop effective marketing campaigns to grow their businesses.

What do we like most about working with Lindsey:
Attitude. From the first day on the job, Lindsey impressed with how well she fit in with our group. We ask a lot from each one of our team members and Lindsey consistently delivers work that exceeds our expectations. She continues to challenge the way we communicate with our customers in the marketplace and pushes new ideas through to fruition. Not to mention she is a great Swiftpage culture fit.

Why did we hire Lindsey:
Lindsey knows what it takes to play a marketing role in an organization that relies very little on top-down management. Singlehandedly she built a strong brand for her previous employer to present itself in the proper light in its particular market segment. It was clear to us from the first time we spoke that we’d be lucky to have her on our team.

What do other team members think about working with Lindsey?

“Lindsey is always willing to lend a hand.” – Missy Bergen
“She has won us over with cheese curds.” – Adam Preeo
“Lindsey – easygoing….she’s willing to jump in and figure things out and find a solution to things that are completely new to her.” – David Leach
“Being the newest addition to Swiftpage, Lindsey has helped me out tons. She has always been there to answer my questions and to provide guidance.” Sara Jantsch

Learn more about Lindsey >>

Email Marketing Blueprint

I’ve been talking with a friend of mine that is remodeling his house in the hip Highlands neighborhood of Denver.  We’ve been talking about his vision, how he has changed it due to this scenario and that scenario and finally what he has had his builder draw up as the plans.  They’ve thoughtfully taken everything into consideration and the contractors are now executing against those plans to realize his vision.

Is this not unlike the approach you should take with your Email blasts and even more so for your Drip Marketing Campaigns?  For a home remodel, it doesn’t make sense to start knocking out walls and cutting pipes before having thought out that you didn’t really want a bowling lane where the kitchen was.

Treat each one of your marketing campaigns with the same respect:

• What’s your overall vision?  Event attendance, lead qualification…what are your overall goals?
• Layout out your plan,  your blueprint, for what you need to achieve your vision – what creative elements, tone of  copy, what’s the call to action, do you need a landing page…
• Now Build – gather your materials and resources needed and begin creating against your well-thought-out plan

Create your blueprint and when it is time to launch your campaign, you can feel more confident of your vision being realized.

Swiftpage Announces Bright Peak

Ever hit a creative road block or plain didn’t know where to start?  We hear you, we’re here for you.  Swiftpage is happy to announce our new creative services division – Bright Peak!  From email templates and postcards to landing pages, microsites and identity work, Bright Peak makes your small business not look like one.  See what Bright Peak can do for your business >>

Create an Email that Gets Results

There is more to creating an E-mail template than throwing text and images into a defined space and calling it quits. Does your recipient know exactly what to do with the email? You have 1/3 of a second to engage, 3 seconds for them to know what to do, 30 seconds to get your point across. Here are a few things you need to think about.

Copy

Your headlines should read like a newspaper front page – Demand attention, gain notoriety, engage.

Your main copy should be short and concise – drive recipients to landing pages to read further, they should not have to scroll through your email.

If you are addressing more than 2 topics in your Email, don’t, create another E-mail that addresses different points.

Creative

Many studies show human imagery draws your recipients eyes to it – as the eye is drawn to the image, what can you put on its natural path – how about your offering!

Use stock photography – clip art was cool in middle school – you’ve grown up and your recipients will appreciate your professional approach

Make sure they know it is undeniably your brand. While your messaging is no doubt different between emails, make sure you maintain brand consistency with your email templates – You didn’t build every page of your website with a different layout – do the same with email templates.

Action

Make sure your call to Action is above and below the fold. If scrolling is required, don’t let your offering go away.

Use a combination of banners/buttons and text based links for your call to action – the results of the E-mail blast will tell you what worked.

Your main call to action should be the first thing a recipient sees when they open your E-mail, make sure it is so.