Predictive Intelligence for Higher Revenue

Email campaign should be created to generate interest and revenue, right? No one wants to create emails that are just shouting product information and CTAs into the void. One of the most effective ways to spark a recipient’s interest is to use predictive intelligence and predictive personalization in your email marketing.

What is Predictive Intelligence and Personalization?

Have you ever noticed that many sites feature a “picked for you” or “you recently viewed” section on their website? If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, go visit Amazon and you will see it pretty quickly after doing a few searches and then visiting their home page. This is predictive technology that allows the website to capture data from your searches and clicks and then translate that into helpful links, collections, CTAs and more.

This technology can be used in your advertising and marketing as well. If you’ve ever received a cart reminder or noticed a banner on Google prompting you to look at items you just viewed a day or hour ago, then you’ve seen predictive personalization marketing campaigns.

How Can Predictive Intelligence be Used in Email Marketing?

There are both simple and complicated ways to use predictive personalization in your marketing campaigns. What you choose to use will depend on how much data you want to gather and how specific you want to market to your leads or consumers post-purchase.

Market Segmentation

Let’s start with the most basic part of predictive personalization and the part that every single company should be doing: segmenting their recipients. Don’t send out the same emails to your entire list every time. Predictive intelligence can help you divide your audience by location, demographics, website navigation (what they are interested in, or how often the browse), past purchases and more.

By breaking down your list into small clusters, you can better reach your audience and avoid spamming them with emails that are not relevant. When surveyed, 86% of marketers say they use personalization to segment, but a Forrester Consulting study also found that most marketers only go as deep as basic customer data and do not gather behavioral or preference information.

Send Abandoned Cart Reminders
Abandoned cart emails generate an average of over $36 in revenue per click, which is higher than any other predictive email campaign, but only 15% of marketers sent out abandoned cart emails in 2014 (Salesforce, 2014 Predictive Intelligence Benchmark Report).

This is a big deal. When someone leaves your site without completing their purchase, do you nudge them to return? Now, it is important you don’t take this too far. Groupon has a bad little habit of doing far more than a nudge. If you put anything into your cart there, you might notice that you will get several emails about your cart and asking if you still want the deal. One, maybe two, is plenty. But, not sending out a reminder is losing a huge opportunity to pick up additional revenue.

Post-Purchase Care

Predictive technology can also help you support your customers after purchase. Many marketers and company leaders are so concerned with new leads and conversion, that they forget to nurture the leads they already have. So much of the initial work is already done with your customer base – they have made a choice to purchase from you, moving through the entire sales funnel!

If you aren’t already doing so, you should be using predictive personalization to reach out to your customers. Send them tutorials or accessories that are relevant to their purchase. Send out a thank you email. Remember, the days and months following purchase, your customer is still evaluating your policies and products to form their view of your brand.

Predictive Intelligence for Higher Revenue

Email Marketing For Doctors

Patient care is about more than just treating the medical needs of people…it is also about understanding them as people and as individuals.

Many patients want to be reassured that not only are you good at what you do, but that you have good people skills too and take an interest in their lives.

In an ideal world you could spend as much time as you would like with any given patient, but time pressures are very real and there is often not enough hours in the day to get everything done as it is.

It may not sound obvious at first…but this is where email marketing for doctors can really come into its own.

RocketResponder can set you apart from the competition by allowing you to give everyone the personal touch but without it eating away at your precious time.

It will allow you to showcase your expertise, skills and range of services you offer by sending regular emails which are helpful, informative and highlight the qualities that make you the right choice for your patients.

Email marketing can help you bring in new patients and also encourage existing patients to come in more regularly for health check ups by reminding them of the importance of looking after their health.

It works by encouraging people to sign up to your email list – typically by an opt in form on your website or by people giving you their email address when they call into your office or contact you by phone for information.

You might offer a free report which people can download in return for their email address. Something like…”Six Simple Things You Can Do Today To Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease,” for example.

Or you might say: “Enter your name and email address to sign up for our monthly newsletter and learn more about the range of services we offer.”

You will find that people will happily give your their email address if they receive some useful information in return.

Email marketing for doctors allows you to handle your regular patient email communications in a virtually automated system so that your existing and prospective patients get the information they need while you and your staff get on with other work.

Think about the questions you, or your staff, get asked every day and the amount of time that is spent explaining the same information over and over again.

With RocketResponder’s email marketing for dectors you can write a series of emails covering all the basic information people need and then everyone who joins your mailing list gets the information they want…without any more work needed from you or your staff.

Imagine how valued someone would feel if they inquired about the services you offered and was given a series of, say half-a-dozen friendly and welcoming emails when they signed up for more information.

You could explain in these emails, how you understand not only your patients needs but that you are also very much aware of their possible fears and anxieties.

You might explain the sort of treatments you provide, how you do more than just issue a prescription and move on to the next patient and answer any  commonly asked questions.

RocketResponder will also allow you to use email to do a whole host of other things which will help you grow your practice while looking after your patients better.

You can send out regular newsletters, schedule appointment reminders, ask for feedback and even send your patients messages on their birthdays (a great opportunity to remind them to have an annual health check up for example).

Our system has been designed with busy professionals like you in mind so that either you, or a member of your staff, can manage your email communications with ease and without taking up too much time.

 

Email is great to show your patients, or prospective clients how treatments work, and our easy-to use template system allows you to quickly embed pictures into your emails…just drag and drop the images where you would like them to go.

There are no hidden surprises with RocketResponder. We have one low flat monthly fee and this stays the same no matter how many emails you send or how many subscribers you add to your list. This makes setting budgets easy because you know ahead of time what the service will cost.

Learn more about what RocketResponder can do for your doctor’s practice – Email Marketing For Doctors.

 

Email Marketing For Doctors

Email Marketing For Dentists

When it comes to dentistry there is generally one major obstacle to overcome…patients don’t generally look forward to a trip to the dentist.

Some will wait until they are in so much pain they can put if off no longer while others will go if they have to but will always look for excuses not to.

As a dentist, overcoming the reluctance of a large percentage of your target market is often the first hurdle you will need to overcome when building up and sustaining your client base.

Email marketing can help you transform reluctant patients into those who understand the importance of frequent oral health check ups and keeping to a regular appointment schedule.

Fear of visiting the dentist – also known as  odontophobia or dentophobia – is very real indeed for a lot of people.

It has been estimated that up to 75 per cent of the US population have “some degree of dental fear, from mild to severe” and that five to ten per cent of US adults avoid dental care at all costs. (source: Wikipedia – dental fear.)

Dental Tribune reports that in Europe as a whole, an average of 10 per cent of the population suffer from significant dental phobia.

This widespread fear of dentists is why you should be making the most of email marketing for dentists.

It would be good if you could sit down with every potential new client, listen to their fears and reassure them that their worries can safely be laid to rest.

The main problem with this approach is that it is so time consuming that you would never have any time left to actually treat your patients.

Email marketing for dentists allows you to explain how you understand your patients’ fears and concerns and to explain how a visit to the dentist may not be the traumatic experience that so many people think it will be.

It also allows you to do this in a virtually automated system so that your prospective patients are getting the information they need to make an informed choice about their dental care, while you can treat your existing patients.

Think about the questions you, or your staff, get asked every day and the amount of time you that the same information has to be given out.

With RocketResponder’s email marketing for dentists you can write a series of emails covering all the basic information people need and then everyone who joins your mailing list gets the information they need…without any more work needed from you or your staff.

Imagine how valued someone would feel if they inquired about the services you offered and was given a series of, say half-a-dozen friendly and welcoming emails when they signed up for more information.

You could explain in these emails, how you understand not only your patients needs but that you are also very much aware of their possible fears and anxieties about visiting a dentist.

You might explain the sort of treatments you provide, highlight medical advances which have served to make dental treatment virtually pain free and answer commonly asked questions.

RocketResponder will also allow you to use email to do a whole host of other things which will help you grow your practice while looking after your patients better.

You can send out regular newsletters, schedule appointment reminders, ask for feedback and even send your patients greetings on their birthdays.

Our system has been designed with busy professionals like you in mind so that either you, or a member of your staff, can manage your email communications with ease and without taking up too much time.

Email is great to show your patients, or prospective clients how treatments work, and our easy-to use template system allows you to quickly embed pictures into your emails…just drag and drop the image where you would like it to go.

Using email like this would be great for showing before and after images or pictures of the latest treatments or equipment which you use.

Generally the more people know about what is going to happen to them the more relaxed and at ease they will feel.

Emails ahead of planned treatment explaining the procedure that the patient is about to undergo could go a long way towards calming nerves.

There are no hidden surprises with RocketResponder. We have one low flat monthly fee and this stays the same no matter how many emails you send or how many subscribers you add to your list. This makes setting budgets easy because you know ahead of time what the service will cost.

Learn more about what RocketResponder can do for your dental practice – Email Marketing For Dentists.

 

Email Marketing For Dentists

How to Avoid the Junk Mail Box

Email has become one of the most commonly used marketing tools. It’s virtually free to use, and nearly everyone has an email account. Unfortunately, if your agency isn’t careful, your email missives may be ending up in the junk mail box, having never been read. Don’t let this happen to you. Here are 3 ways to avoid the junk mail box.

1. Practice Opt-In

It isn’t enough for a visitor to merely sign up on your website to receive your emails, especially if you have a pop up box that practically forces them to in order to proceed. By the time your visitor finishes browsing the web, fighting commuter traffic and eating supper, their sign-up is a faded memory.

A better way to gain—and keep—email subscribers is to practice opt-in strategies. Your first email to them should remind them that they subscribed. Ask them to confirm their subscription by clicking on the link in the email. This not only helps you prune out the subscribers who didn’t really mean to sign up; it also subtly helps to solidify their relationship with your website in their mind. By the way, let them know they will need to confirm their subscription when they first sign up. That way, they can look for your first email.

2. Identify Yourself

Many people send email to junk automatically because they don’t know who it’s from. You’ve got to have an email responder that will allow you to customize the ‘from” field. If your website business is called Joe’s Audio and your emails go out from something called, for example, Mail Direct, or Car Sites, your subscribers aren’t going to recognize you and they likely won’t put two and two together. It’s not even the best idea to have your email from labeled “Support blank.” The word support is one of the most common email monikers, and nothing about it identifies your company.

A better option is to make your emails come from the name of your site. If Joe’s Audio sends an email, your customers will remember that they visited them this morning. Incidentally, in your emails, always remind people to add Joe’s Audio to their safe sender list. Even if their spam filter is set to astronomical, your email will get safely through.

3. Be a Good Subject.

So now your subscribers are opted-in, you’ve identified yourself properly, and you’ve made it onto the Dean’s List safe sender’s list. But for some reason, you’re still not getting a good response rate. Could it be because your subject line is boring? Yes. Subject lines are the equivalent of book covers. It’s what gets people to open you up. Boring subject lines, even if your subscribers recognize your emails, will get you sent to the junk bucket.

Your subject line should be enticing, provocative and urgent. It should make the recipient so curious as to what you have to say, that they can’t wait to click to open. Here are some juicy examples:

• “Never Wash Your Car With This”


• “Get Better Audio With This Neat Trick”


• “The Hidden Danger in Your Woofer”

See? Don’t you just want to know what those emails say? Your subscribers will, too. Use these tips and your marketing emails will never see the bottom of a junk mail box again.

How to Avoid the Junk Mail Box

Make Your Business LEAN

The business benefits of a lean policy are apparent in the all-encompassing net effects of increased operating efficiency throughout the organization and expanding profit margins and market share. Ideally, lean practices are implemented in all departments, including administrative, and even throughout the supply chain. Several outstanding models of lean programs include ISO guidelines, 5S systems (taught in college courses), and SCOR programs, among others. Most flexibly suit any size or kind of business.

Are you lean?

Systemic deficiencies such as these identify needs for leaner practices.

• customer service lacking


• sluggish information flow


• information deficiencies


• work-in-progress (WIPs) bottlenecks


• excess inventory


• unbalanced production schedules


• frequently unmet production goals


• deficient sales forecast data


• errors on product specs


• significant issues with suppliers


• aging inventory of less used materials


• inappropriate overhead costs (resulting from disorder)


• short supplies of most frequently used materials


• unnecessarily complicated operating procedures


• excessive numbers of steps in processes


• excessive lead times


• unnecessarily long cycle times


• continuous backorder problem


• superfluous moving of product


• incorrect inventory and shipping records


• shipping containers too big or allowing product damage


• areas designated for inventory overflows


• employees doing non-value activities

Get lean

First, confirm that general management firmly supports the lean initiative and is fully aware that numerous processes will be altered. Then, test run on a single product line for proof of concept.

1. Recruit an executive champion.


2. Educate all employees.


3. Set measurable goals for improvements.


4. Set timelines


5. Implement in phases.

Invest in Advance Planning and Scheduling (APS) or other systems software for simplicity in managing scheduling, inventory, workflows, customer services, and other functions. This links departments, and suppliers, which frees up information flow to smoothly coordinate tasks and eliminate innumerable manual deliveries of information.

Use a simple inventory control system by which stock of an item is replaced only as the supply level of it reduces to a set level.

Stay lean

Metrics should capture not only labor and material usages, but all relevant performance data. Have individuals track their personal participation, and have management regularly assess their reports.

Lean workplace

Employees appreciate working in a lean environment due to:

• improved safety


• smoother workflows


• balanced scheduling

Supply chain

Some may require their own systems or process improvements to fit your upgrades. Provide transparency of your customers’ ordering. This allows supply chain members to help your company:

• become less dependent on forecasting


• keep pace with customers’ continuously changing needs


• solve supply problems pro-actively

Costs of lean

Most improvements are made with existing equipment. Managed properly, lean is a strategy for reducing costs and increasing revenues, not a business cost.

ROI

Lean policies increase productivity of all employees, including management, by highlighting priorities and eliminating excess actions. This frees up capital by reducing:

• inventory costs


• floor space


• labor costs


• reworks


• quality costs

Lean reputation

Lean operating practices are universally valued for reducing waste, prioritizing customers’ needs, fostering a culture of employee participation in improvements, mutual problem solving, and performance pride. These practices earn customer and staff confidence in the organization.

Make Your Business LEAN

Does Your Business Have a Natural Disaster Plan?

With the summer season comes the threat of hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and other potential natural disasters. For many small businesses, being out of commission for a week or more also could spell economic disaster. How can small businesses prepare for the worst while hoping for the best?

Create a preparedness plan

With so many demands on small business owners, it’s easy to put off creation of a solid emergency preparedness plan. But taking the time to create this vital document could pay off big if disaster does strike. Consider including the following:

• Evacuation plans and routes.


• Emergency phone numbers and contact information.


• An emergency chain of command, including responsibilities of all staff members.


• Survival kits including plastic sheeting, bottled water, flashlights, disposable cameras for taking insurance photos, and other needed items.


• Copies of insurance policies, with contact information.


• Contingency plans for temporarily moving operations if needed.

Protect your critical data

In the event of flooding or other disaster, you’ll need critical files like financial records and client databases to reestablish operations. Set up a system for redundant backups of important data — including the last few years of tax returns — by maintaining at least two copies, American Express advises. Store one copy in a waterproof container in your office and other offsite.

In addition, consider using one of the various cloud-based disaster recovery solutions now available. These modern systems are extending business continuity tools — like Voice over Internet Protocol business phone systems, automated data backup and more — to smaller operations without the significant capital expenditures required a few years ago, Forbes notes.

Communicate well

Don’t wait until business operations are interrupted to determine how to communicate with your staff, customers and the public. Consider using an all-in-one solution like RocketResponder to quickly get the word out to staff and clients.

Make sure key staff members understand their responsibilities for communicating in an emergency. Determine who is authorized to speak to the press and who can serve as backup, and designate several employees with good writing skills to be available to work on press releases and written statements. Ensure that several staff members who know how to update your website — and have appropriate access — are designated as part of your communications team.

Set up testing and drills

Once your continuity plan and team are in place, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready.gov advises scheduling drills to evaluate the effectiveness of your plan and recovery strategies. Use your drills to train staff members, ensure that you’re complying with any local laws and regulations, and uncover any weaknesses that need to be addressed.

Make use of resources

To continue to hone your preparedness plan, consult the vast array of information available through the following resources:

• Ready.gov: “Preparedness Planning for Your Business.”


• National Fire Protection Organization.


• The Disaster Recovery Institute.


• Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Be prepared when disaster strikes

Emergency preparedness takes time and effort, but it can mean survival for a small business. Fires, floods, storms and other natural disasters can strike at any time. Planning ahead gives you peace of mind that if the worst does happen, your business is ready.

Does Your Business Have a Natural Disaster Plan?

3 Ways to Boost Email Subscribers

You have the perfect layout for your marketing emails, a thoughtful strategy that includes engaging content, and exciting calls-to-action that should get great results. You have everything in place except for one small detail: the list. An amazing email marketing campaign is only as good as the people you can send to. If your list is lacking, here are three ways to get more signups.

Here are 3 ways to boost email subscribers:

1. Increase Sign-up Visibility

Nobody will sign up for your email list if you do not make it available everywhere that customers may be. You should have links to your sign-up page on various pages on your website and blog and post links to your sign-up on social media.

Don’t forget about offline places, too. If you have a storefront, keep a sign-up sheet at the register. Plus, offer simple ways to sign-up whenever you attend trade shows, conferences, and other industry events.

2. Make Sign-up Really Simple

Resist the urge to make your sign-up form more than a few fields long. It can seem like a great opportunity to collect valuable information about your customers, but the truth is that the easier you make it for people to fill out the form, the more people who will do it.

Consider asking for nothing more than a name and email address and make a note of where the sign-up occurred to start sorting your list. If you must ask for more information, make it as simple as possible and do not mark the fields as required. That way, if someone does not feel like answering all the questions, you will still capture the information they did include.

3. Make the Offer Compelling

You have to give to receive. Nobody wants to provide you their email address just so you can market to them; you have to offer more than a sales pitch. Offer a free downloadable ebook or whitepaper, a free trial subscription, or a coupon in exchange for contact information.

When you create an offer rather than a request for information, you reassure customers that they have something to gain. Be sure you make it clear to subscribers what they will receive from you in the future. For example, let them know if you plan to send a monthly newsletter, weekly sales and specials, or useful tips and tricks every Friday. Do not ever try to “trick” someone into signing up; that is just an easy way to boost your unsubscribes.

Know Your Customers

To really boost your subscribers, you have to know who it is that you are trying to reach. When you have a good understanding of your target, you can then create an offer that is meaningful for them and place your sign-ups in places where they are likely to be. When you focus on the needs of your current and potential customers, you will be rewarded with more subscribers and happier recipients.

3 Ways to Boost Email Subscribers