To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the Question!

When faced with statistics stating that companies which create, optimize and promote their blogs get 55% more traffic and 70% more leads than those who do not, marketing professionals are quick to join the throngs of people who blog on a regular basis. Today, nearly 40% of United States companies use blogs for marketing purposes, according to Hubspot.

To blog or not to blog . . .

Also according to Hubspot:

• Companies which blog have 55% more web site visitors.
• B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those that do not.
• Sixty-five percent of daily internet users read a blog. It could be your blog if you make it easy to find.
• About 46% of daily internet users read more than one blog every day.
• Blog posts shared on Twitter and Facebook got 149% more inbound links than those not shared on social media at all.
• Don’t think sharing on Facebook matters? Did you know that Facebook is now the most preferred way of sharing content – second only to email?
• Companies that blog have 97% more inbound links than those that don’t. Creating great content is the key to getting inbound links – there’s just no substitute.
• Two-thirds of marketers say their company blog is “critical” or “important” to their business. Part of the reason is that blogs are a great way to engage your visitors.
• B2C companies that blog get 88% more leads per month than those that don’t.
• United States internet users spend three times more time on blogs and social networks than on email.

All in all, these are pretty convincing statistics in favor of blogging; however, deciding whether to blog or not must be individually considered. Blogging takes time and each company must consider whether the benefits they gain will offset the time.

Tags: blog, Hubspot, inbound links, leads

Improve Deliverability by Using Proper Addresses

It is important to address mail items correctly in order for them to be delivered as intended. Experts in the mail industry have several things they watch in order to help with deliverability. Here are some things we keep an eye on when working with addresses.

Street Names

Spell out street names rather than abbreviate them, and make sure the spelling is correct. For example, 123 MLK Dr should be 123 Martin Luther King Dr.

Insert a space, but no symbol, between a house number and street name. Eliminating the space or using a symbol will result in an “address not found” error during CASS Certification. For example, it is proper to use 143 15th St but not 143-15th St or 143Fifteenth St.

Improper Addressing Leads to Undeliverable Mail

Abbreviations

Be sure to use the correct abbreviation for street type. If you aren’t sure of the abbreviation, spell out the entire word. Correct abbreviations include ST, AVE, PKWY, TPKE, TER, CIR, and PL.

Use No., #, APT or STE when abbreviating Apartment or Suite.

Use County Rd, State Hwy, State Rd, and US Highway when appropriate and do not abbreviate by using St for State or Co or Cty for County. Used properly, the address reads 123 County Rd W, not 123W.

Street Directions

Do not use spaces in street directions. Proper use is NW and SE.

Using Fields and Spreadsheet Columns Correctly

Fields should consistently contain the same type of information. Examples of fields include Company Name, Contact, Street Address or PO Box, Street Address Line 2 (if needed), City, State, Zip.

Place PO Box address and Street Address in two different fields.

Do not include building names or other non-USPS address information on the line with the street address.

Box versus PO Box

Box 99 and P.O. Box 99 are two different things. Don’t assume it is okay to put the letters “PO” in front of a box number.

Zip Codes

Zip Codes should not contain any extra numbers, letters or symbols.

Rural Addresses

In some states, addresses include both a direction and an identifying number such as N1234 or 123N456. This type of address should be listed with no spaces between the letters and the numbers.

Military Addresses

For military addresses, use APO and FPO as the city, and AP and AE as the state abbreviation.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has a great resource for looking up addresses. If you are unsure of an address, you can look it up on the USPS website:  http://usps.com. Go to “Look Up a Zip Code” feature to see the standard format of an address.

Tags: addresses, addressing, deliverability, mail, USPS

Is Social Media Right for Your Business?

Are you wondering if social media is right for your business? The following facts and figures compiled by industry experts may convince you of the importance of developing a social media strategy.

1) According to Nielsen, over 80% of all Americans now use a social network.

2) Also according to Nielsen, social media users are more active and influential offline than peers who do not use social media. Social media users are people highly involved in networking and community events.

3) The three most important reasons small businesses leverage social media are: connecting with customers; visibility; and self-promotion, according to a Zoomerang September survey of 1180 small- to mid-sized business decision makers. If you’re not using social media, you are missing out on these opportunities.

Choices abound for Social Media

4) It only takes 20 people to create meaningful many-to-many interactions and bring an online community to a significant level of activity, according to Ning. An on-line following of twenty people is something almost any business can achieve.

5) Did you know that 93% of US adult internet users are on Facebook?

6) There are now more than 800 million active Facebook users, with over 200 million added in 2011. More than half of Facebook users log in every day.

7) The average Facebook user has 130 friends and connects to 80 pages, events and groups. Think of the far-reaching effects derived from each person who follows you on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other social media.

8) 79% of US Twitter users are more likely to recommend the brands that they follow.

9) Comscore released a study in 2011 that showed how business brands that post at least once every day will reach 22% of their fans in a given week. A critical success factor for being seen is consistency in posting.

10) According to Mediabistro, 50% of small business owners reported gaining new customers through social media — most notably through LinkedIn and Facebook.

11) Forty percent of social media users access their accounts through mobile devices. This number will continue to grow. As you plan your social media marketing, keep in mind how to best engage your mobile customers when you craft your posts.

12) At least 44% of small- to mid-sized business decision-makers use social media, says Zoomerang.

Getting started with social media can be made easy by getting in touch with a marketing solutions company who can help you set up your accounts and show you how to effectively craft and monitor your posts. The sooner you start reaching out through social media, the sooner you will begin reaping the benefits.

Tags: business decision makers, FaceBook

Are Smart Cards Safe?

Staying on top of trends means we sometimes run across technologically oriented information we like to pass on to our readers. Recently, we read some interesting information about Smart Cards that seems worth sharing.

What are Smart Cards?

Smart Cards, known as contactless credit or debit cards, carry a little chip with a radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna that allows you to make payments without swiping the card through a terminal. Introduced six years ago, an estimated 90 million of them are now in use.

Smart Cards contain an embedded microchip along with a radio antenna.

How Do They Work?

Contactless Smart Cards have two components: a microchip that stores details like your credit card number and expiration date, and a radio antenna that reflects radio waves back to a store’s smart-card reader. This technology is similar to what allows cars with pass cards to breeze through tollbooths.

What are the Benefits

Although the perceived benefit is to consumers who don’t need to remove cards from wallets or pocketbooks, the real  benefit is to credit card companies. Smart card technology puts them a step closer to mobile payments which will allow cardholders to make payments through their smart phones. This will be a huge cost savings to card companies who will no longer need to mail out bills.

Are They Safe?

The concern with swipeless cards is that anybody with a handheld RFID reader can potentially scan a card. While possible, the likelihood is slim and the damages are usually less than seen with a lost or forgotten credit or debit card. For one thing, while the magnetic strip on regular cards contains your name, account number, expiration date and three-digit security code, an RFID chip holds only your account number and expiration date. Instead of a security code, smart cards generate a unique verification number for each transaction and no number is used twice. Even if someone scanned your card while you were in the middle of a purchase, the security code would be invalid on the next purchase.

Part of the concern about the safety of Smart Cards is stemming from television reports late last year where reporters were able to scan smart-card account numbers of cards tucked inside of wallets or purses. While it is true that account numbers can be scanned, the information is not enough to allow unauthorized transactions. For people who are still concerned about the possibility of their card unknowingly being swiped, wrapping the card in aluminum foil or carrying it in an aluminum wallet will eliminate the threat.

Tags: Smart Cards, Technology

Looking Back in Order to Look Forward

As 2011 winds to a close, it is time to step back, take a deep breath (perhaps a very deep breath), and take a look at what did and did not happen this past year, along with what needs to happen next year.

Most people think they review the previous year but do you really do it?  Do you set aside time to look at the successes (and not-quite successes) you and those around you have experienced? Is there something you could have done to get more tick marks on the success side of the tally sheet?

Turning the clock to 2012

Sometimes it helps to break the year down into categories: by month, by customer, or by personal achievements. As you do this, take notes, either on paper or in a Word or Excel file. Next year at this time, you can look back and compare 2012 to 2011 and see where you made gains.

By Month

Look back at your calendar. What appointments did you have that led to more business or a better relationship? Why? What made those appointments different? What meetings or appointments did you have that didn’t go the way you wanted them to? Why? Was it lack of research or time set aside for planning? What could you have done differently?

How did your revenues and expenses compare from month to month? If you have spikes in either, is there anything you can do to even them out?

By Customer

Review your list of customers. Who moved up and who moved down the list of most profitable customers? From what areas did the shift in business come?

How did your customers do this past year? Did you take advantage of opportunities to help them grow? If their success is your success, how can you help them succeed in 2012?

Did you take time to improve your knowledge base or share your knowledge with customers or co-workers? Remember, one’s imagination is limited by one’s knowledge so keeping people informed opens the door to new possibilities.

Do you see any trends? Were some months more successful for you than others? Success for you could be measured in terms of profits, new customers, low turnover, low rework numbers. What can you do to see better results in the  months which were less successful? More marketing efforts? Better training of staff in order to fill in while you or others are on vacation?

Personal Achievements

What about you? Did you achieve your personal goals in 2011? Have you set goals for 2012? Have you set checkpoints in your calendar so that you can assess the status of your goals?

It’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day stuff and forget to take stock of where you are. However, having reminders forces you to make sure you’re heading in the right direction and, if not, reassess and redirect your path.

Happy New Year!

Tags: 2012, profit, review, success

The Magic of Christmas

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.

~Norman Vincent Peale

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through.

Merry Christmas!

Plan Ahead on Mailings to Beat Price Increases

Planning a mailing for the beginning of the year? You may want ensure it hits the mail stream before January 22, 2012 when postage rates will increase.

Overall, the rate increase for First-Class Mail will be 2.133%. As part of that, First-Class stamps will go up a penny to 45 cents. Forever stamps will also increase to 45 cents. Keep in mind that you can buy extra Forever stamps now (before January 22nd) and mail next year’s holiday cards at 2011 prices.

Forever Stamp

Commercial First-Class first-ounce price increases range from 1.6% ($ .006) to 3.6% ($ .014), depending on presort level.

The cost of a Postcard Stamp will jump 3 cents to $ .32, letters to Canada and Mexico will increase 5 cents ($ .85), and letters to other foreign countries will increase 7 cents ($1.05).

The overall increase for Standard Mail will be 2.124%.  As part of that, presorted letter prices will go up an average of 1.867% and the average presorted flat rates will increase 2.209%. Carrier Route rates for all processing categories will go up 2.425%.

There are a couple of pieces of good news, however. When the new prices go into effect on January 22nd, the second ounce for presorted letters will be free. This allows marketers to plan more elaborate mailings, plus lets companies advertise expanded services and special promotions to their customers as part of invoice and statement mailings.

Also, nonprofit letter size mail will receive an across-the-board $ .002 per piece reduction in postage.

Postage rates are complicated due to the many variables which affect them. Talk to your mailing partner about what options work best for you and see if there is an advantage to getting a mailing done before the rate increase.

Receiving Praise

In last week’s blog, Giving Praise in Business Relationships, we talked about the importance of giving praise. What do you do when you don’t feel you get enough praise? You may be surrounded by people who find it hard to offer praise. You may hold a position as a business owner or a top-level manager where praise just isn’t found as frequently, no matter how good of a job you do. Whatever the reason, many people crave the proverbial ”gold star” and don’t receive it.

Ask for Feedback

Tell those closest to you that you want feedback. Feedback can come in many forms including an employee review by your supervisor, a letter of recommendation, a peer review by those you work with, or a testimonial by a customer.

Reward Yourself and Those Around You

Personally, I’m a bit of a gold-star junkie.  The realities of business, however, is that — unlike school — gold stars are hard to come by in a professional setting. As an employee, I may not get recognition for completing a project well or on time, but I have learned to enjoy the self-satisfaction of checking off each item. And if I had help in completing the project, buying doughnuts for the team is a great way to celebrate.

Giving It Means Getting It

Ask yourself if you’re handing out praise. If you want people to act a certain way towards you, you need to act that way with them. The added benefit to this is that if you push yourself to feel grateful for others, chances are you will be reminded of how much they do for you. It makes it easier to offer heartfelt praise or thanks.

No News is Good News

As ironic as it is, the more reliable you are, the more likely you are to be taken for granted. Everyone appreciates the kind, consistent,  on-top-of-things-type-of-person, but they  may never think to thank or praise that person for those very things they appreciate.

Giving Praise in Business Relationships

Do you consistently thank and praise the efforts of the people around you? If you do, good for you! If you don’t, why not? Granted, some people need more praise than others, but almost everyone responds positively to words of praise. Just a few carefully chosen words will build loyalty, trust, and camaraderie, plus provide a sense of truly making a difference within an organization. Here are a few tips on how to make praising others work for you.

Say “Thank You” and Mean It!

Sometimes a heartfelt “thank you” is the best praise ever. Everyone likes to feel appreciated.

Keep It Real

Keep the praise proportional to the event. At times, a simple “Good job!” is enough; other times, a message of “You went above and beyond the call of duty and I appreciate your effort” is more appropriate.

Choose Your Words Carefully

Words mean different things to different people. Don’t be afraid to say kind words but be careful to use only words with positive meanings.

Don’t Restrict Praise to Co-Workers

Vendors and customers deserve praise, too. After all, you also want their loyalty and trust. In my experience, praise goes both ways. If I look for the good in someone with whom I have a business relationship, they are going to look for it in me, and in my company. Giving it is the key to getting it.

Put it in Writing

If praise doesn’t come naturally to you, consider writing a short note of praise or thanks. I have several treasured notes given to me over the years by business owners, managers and people with whom I’ve done business.

Spread the Word

If you have heard good things about employees, friends, or business partners, let them know. Sometimes the easiest way to praise someone is to share a positive comment. Likewise, look for ways of publicly rewarding someone for their efforts. Newsletters, bulletin boards, and company events are all great forums for sharing good news.

Praise the Everyday as Well as the Exceptional

It is easy to spot the extraordinary events which deserve kudos. Don’t forget to think about the events which happen around you every day which make your life easier, however. Who always gets you that report on time? Who never misses a day of work? Whose work do you not have to check? Let them know you appreciate what they do. Sometimes you get so busy taking care of the squeaky wheel that you forget about the other well-oiled mechanisms around you.

What Does it Mean to be Thankful?

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, David Steinquist, owner of Mediascope, Inc., offers these words . . . .

Since I do not consider myself a real wordsmith, I decided to see what my old friend, Webster, says about the word, “Thankful.” Here is what he says:

Definition of Thankful

• Conscious of benefit received
• Expressive
• Well pleased

Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Thankfulness needs to be a mindset that we create and decide to live with. That would be the conscious part. If we make the decision to be thankful in all things and for all things, we won’t be constantly looking for and hoping for more. Hoping for more always makes me wonder where my priorities are, and it usually turns out that I am focused on the wrong things.

Thankfulness should also happen in conjunction with others. That would be the expressive part. There is nothing wrong with being quietly thankful for the everyday aspects of life, but as we proceed through life, we need to tell others what they mean to us. I find that when I express my gratitude to others and tell them why I am thankful for them — in real terms, not superficially – it builds stronger, more sustainable friendships. It also brings a smile to even the grumpiest of grumps. And who doesn’t get a kick out of turning Oscar the Grouch into a dancing fool?

Well pleased to me indicates a true and deep contentment of all things. This means appreciating the good things as well as the things we experience in life that often drag us down. For under what circumstances do we really grow? For me, the best lessons are taught through life’s difficulties. And once I am past a difficulty, I often look back and think “that was no big deal.” Let’s face it, we all have our fair share of issues, and a lot of those might just be of our own doing. And, it is always good to see growth . . .  in my life as well as in the lives of those around me.

So, in closing, here is my short list of what I am thankful for.

• My Faith. Without Christ’s influence in my life, I have nothing.
• My Family. A wonderful, loving wife and 3 great boys.
• A meaningful job and a great group of people to work alongside.
• Friends too numerous to list individually that have had a positive impact on my life.
• A bright future.

Blessings, everyone.  I intend to continue to be thankful 24/7/365, not just one day a year in late November. I hope you can do the same.