[Marketing Strategies] Taking Action Online

Most business people would agree that it’s often easier and more cost-effective marketing to current clients to strengthen those relationships than it is to bring in new business. Evansville, Ind.-based Action Pest Control has found a way to do both. The company introduced a new permission-based e-newsletter on its Web site last winter, with 165 clients subscribing from the start (you can sign up for the e-newsletter by visiting www.actionpest.com). A year later, this successful e-newsletter has more than 1,500 opt-in subscribers, a base consisting of existing customers, potential customers and other industry-related contacts.

STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS. According to Sara McKinney, Action Pest Control’s marketing coordinator, the company originally produced a print version developed several years ago. As she created the online version, the print version encouraged existing customers to sign up for the interactive version. Customer service representatives also asked current customers for e-mail addresses to find out if they were interested in subscribing to the e-newsletter, which helped build its audience.

“In an industry where we don’t always see the clients at the time of service or as much as we’d like, we feel it’s important to find new ways to keep communication lines open. Plus, it’s usually easier to market to our existing clients versus trying to find new business,” McKinney says. “Now we have a link on our Web site where anyone can go to sign up, and as a result, our subscriber base of current as well as potential clients has grown tremendously in the past year.”

MOVING ONLINE. McKinney began investigating various e-newsletter services to find one that was cost-effective but also user friendly. The service McKinney chose was Constant Contact, which she likes because it provides templates, helps upload images and manages Action’s contact list.

When progressing from a print newsletter to an electronic version using this type of service, keep in mind that content development and project management costs most likely won’t change. Companies tend to capture savings related to printing and postage expenses.

“Without a doubt, our e-newsletter is more cost-effective because there are no printing or mailing issues,” says McKinney. “Plus, Constant Contact is helping us build our base of subscribers, and we can add several hundred with no additional charges. If we were to add 100 new subscribers to the print issue, we would have to cover additional printing, mailing and list management costs.”

The e-version provides similar content to the print version, and McKinney even lays it out the same way. Then, she develops brief paragraphs on the main e-newsletter page with links to each of the larger stories posted on the company’s Web site. McKinney also includes a coupon in each issue introducing new services to existing clients or offering free inspections to potential customers.

“We wanted to continue to position ourselves as thought leaders on pest management, so our content is very educational, reliable and useful,” McKinney says.

MEASURING SUCCESS. Using Constant Contact, McKinney can see what content garners the most attention in each issue, which helps her determine future editorial that will meet subscribers’ needs.

“We’ve found that people are most interested in the do-it-yourself articles,” says McKinney. “Articles related to the various seasons such as ‘Winterizing your home’ see a great deal of activity, as well as those that offer other money-saving tips. Stories that are about being green are also very popular.”
McKinney also has been able to track e-newsletter results demonstrating that not only is it bringing more people into Action’s Web site, it is generating sales leads with existing customers and through new inquiries.

“It’s definitely attracted new business — we’re creating an ongoing dialogue with loyal clients who are our advocates and more willing to buy new services,” McKinney says. “The e-newsletter also positions us as pest management experts with non-customers, so when they find a pest problem they can’t manage, they will contact Action Pest Control for help.”

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT magazine.

E-newsletter Resources
E-newsletter development and management sources offer varying services, online tours and sometimes even free trials. To help get you started, listed at right are a few options to check out, but you’ll also want to do your own research on e-newsletter development  and management and ask trusted sources for referrals to find a service provider that will be the best fit for your company.

• www.constantcontact.com
• www.icontact.com
• www.newmediamail.com
• www.newsletterease.com
• www.streamsend.com 
• www.subscribermail.com
• www.verticalresponse.com 
• www.yesmail.com

Ready to Get Started?
Is an e-newsletter right for you? There are many resources to help you through the process. It’s not difficult to develop an effective e-communications tool, provided you follow some simple guidelines.

You must first ask customers or other prospective subscribers for permission or have them opt-in. Ask them to visit your Web site and click on a link to subscribe. If they give you permission on the phone or in person, use a follow up e-mail to confirm that they agreed to subscribe.

In each issue, remind them that they have subscribed, offer a way to be removed and respect requests to be removed from the mailing list. Be sure to include the physical office address and a way to contact your company in every issue. You should also include a “Forward to a Friend” link. It’s similar to a referral and will help build your subscriber base.

Keep it simple, but make it interesting. Make the content educational and newsworthy. Then read it out loud to yourself to make sure it sounds personable. If you are not interested reading it to yourself, is anyone else going to read it?

Write a compelling subject line. Subject lines using “How to…” related to seasonal content or current newsworthy items help grab subscribers’ attention. Try not to use words such as “free” or using all capital letters in the subject line, as some people might think you are sending “spam.”

Double (and triple) check to make sure all of the links you’ve included work properly. And proofread, proofread, proofread!

Sent it out regularly, but not too often. Action Pest Control’s e-newsletters are distributed quarterly. Marketing Coordinator Sara McKinney uses Constant Contact to send out other notes including holiday greetings and invitations to pest management seminars, but warns of sending e-newsletters or other notices too frequently or people may begin to hit “delete.”

Keep it fresh. Add a new section or a different type of article every so often and measure its success. And consider using real customers’ stories, with their consent and approval of course, to illustrate a point.

Frequent Internet Use Is on the Rise
According to a recent Gallup Poll, Americans’ frequent use of the Internet has almost doubled over the last five years; 48 percent now report using the Internet more than one hour per day compared to 26 percent in 2002. Post-graduates, those making more than $75,000 per year, and those under age 30 are the most frequent users of the Internet, with more than six out of 10 in each group saying they use the Internet more than one hour per day.