PRE-SHOW E-MAIL
 I write my company’s exhibit-related e-mail campaigns, but I know very little about this type of composition. What are some of the most common mistakes I should avoid?
 Fifteen years ago, there was no such thing as “effective e-marketing practices.” In fact, we barely knew the difference between our hard drives and our mouse pads. So it’s no wonder that savvy exhibit-marketing professionals are still ratcheting up their knowledge of effective e-mail techniques. But especially in today’s spam-saturated world, effective e-mail communication is critical if you want to ensure successful delivery, avoid complaints, and improve your response rates.
Here, then, are some of the biggest language-based mistakes a marketer can make. Avoid them, and you’ll be well on your way to creating effective e-mail campaigns — and a step ahead of most of your competitors.
1. All Caps — You don’t want to scream at your customers, do you? Then don’t write in all capital letters, which is the equivalent of shouting. Sentences containing all capital letters are also difficult to read, and rather than emphasizing the words, as is often the writer’s intent, caps actually de-emphasize their importance — and readers often skip over it anyway. If you must, capitalize a single powerful word within your subject line or message and leave it at that. Or better yet, use other creative means such as color, font, or buttons/banners/backgrounds for emphasis if there is an explanation, offer, or condition not to be missed. But always use these options sparingly and focus on effective messages and concise writing to deliver the desired effect.
2. Exclamation Points — An exclamation point should be used for extreme degrees of surprise, incredulity, or other strong emotions. For example, “Oh my gosh!” is probably fine. But “Check out our new product!” is overkill. Similar to writing in all caps, overusing exclamation points de-emphasizes the importance of what you’re saying, and the reader feels as if you’re shouting.
3. Typos — There really is no excuse. Find a handful of grammar gurus in your office — or hire a professional proofreader or editor — and make sure every message goes past at least three sets of eyes before you hit “send.” It’s better to send a slightly tardy message than one riddled with errors.
4. Vague Calls to Action — Every promotional e-mail you send should have a call to action. But “Click here” and “Visit our Web site” are too general. They don’t reinforce the subject of your message or your offer, nor do they give readers a clue as to what they’ll find at the other end of that mouse click. Rather, indicate where the click will lead them. Try something like, “Download your free white paper,” “Click here to register for the in-booth seminar,” or “View our product-demonstration video.”
5. Exaggerated Modifiers — Especially when used in the subject line, inflated modifiers such as “revolutionary,” “ground breaking,” and “remarkable,” can land your e-mail in the recipient’s junk-mail folder. Spammers love the hype, and recipients hate it — and delete it. Assuming that your product really is exceptional, an honest, targeted, and relevant e-mail will relay its importance without exaggerated modifiers such as “special” or “great.”
6. Passive Voice — Readers want to get to the point of your message — and fast. Passive language is typically less direct, less bold, and less concise than active voice. Front load sentences with action verbs and eye-catching benefits. For example, change “Qualified booth visitors will be provided with a nifty pen at the booth,” to “Pick up your nifty pen at the booth.”
7. False Sense of Urgency — E-mail already implies a sense of urgency, so pushing recipients into action with phrases such as “Act now!” or “You have only five days to register!” typically doesn’t increase response. (Plus, these examples also contain unnecessary exclamation points.) Rather, mention deadlines or expiration dates when necessary or legally required. Nudge, don’t shove.
As an e-marketing newbie, you’re bound to make a blunder now and then. But if you avoid these seven common errors, you’ll soon hone your writing skills and no doubt increase your response rates.
— Karen Talavera, president and founder, Synchronicity Marketing, West Palm Beach, FL
GIVEAWAYS
My boss thinks giveaways are a waste of money, and while I wholeheartedly disagree with him, I don’t have any stats to support my argument. Are there any statistics you can provide to help prove that giveaways are effective, or better yet, to point me to a few tried-and-true tchotchkes?
A recent study from the Advertising Specialty Institute offers statistical tidbits regarding the value of promotional products, not to mention some interesting stats regarding which categories of products are most successful. Here are some of the most relevant findings from ASI’s Advertising Specialties Impressions Study, which is based on interviews of 465 businesspeople from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.
To begin, promotional products leave a good impression, as 42 percent of respondents indicated they had a “more favorable” impression of the advertiser (i.e. the company distributing the swag) after receiving the item. And 24 percent indicated they were “more likely” to do business with the firm based on the items they received. Along these same lines, 84 percent could successfully identify the company providing the promotional items.
The survey also provided valuable info about the type of promotional products that seem most effective. A whopping 81 percent of respondents indicated that they kept their promotional items because they were somehow useful. Topping this list of useful products, then, were wearable items, which respondents kept for an average of nine months after receiving them. Also, 56 percent of survey respondents said they kept their items at home, while 28 percent kept them in the office.
The survey also identified one product with significant staying power: bags. Not only do respondents keep bags for an average of nine months, but they said they used their bags an average of nine times per month. When asked “About how many people would you say you come in contact with when you are wearing the item?” respondents indicated that 111 people saw their bag every time they used it, out-ranking shirts (84 people), and caps (79 people). So if you do the math, bags offer the highest number of impressions (approximately 1,038 per month) of all promotional products surveyed, followed by caps (approximately 475 per month).
Obviously, giving out irrelevant swag is like throwing money to the wind, as every item you distribute should somehow tie in to your product or company. And of course, even the best giveaway is worthless without at least your company’s contact information. But the aforementioned stats should help you sell an effective giveaway strategy to your promotionally prejudiced boss.
To read more about the Advertising Specialties Impressions Study, including methodology and cost per impression, visit the ASI Web site at
www.asicentral.com.
— EXHIBITOR Staff
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