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If you are like the team at Electrum Marketing, you take pride in your work and you do your very best to ensure that your customers are satisfied customers.  Actually, at Electrum, SATISFIED is the low end of the scale opposite MANIACALLY CONTENT – but that’s a blog for another day.

Will you always succeed at achieving customer satisfaction?  It’s doubtful.  But when you do, are you taking advantage of your customer’s euphoria and making it work for you?   Carpe testimonium – or seize their testimonial (loosely translated) immediately!

Why testimonials?

1. They are a differentiator for your business.  If a prospect compares your print ad or website against your competitor’s and all things are practically equal (I mean, have you seen those print ads for tires or mattresses?), a testimonial could tilt the scales in your favor.  Let’s face it, if someone believed strongly enough to take the time to vouch for your service or product, it must be stellar correct?

2.  It’s good for your client’s business as well.  Offer to promote their testimonial along with their business affiliation on your promotional materials.  If possible, illustrate how your exceptional service enabled them to improve their service delivery.   Now, you’re both winners!   OMG – this just keeps getting better right?

3.  You may learn something.  You may think you know why your customer uses your services or exactly what appeals to them, but often a few open ended questions such as “Why do you continue to use our services?” and “What do you like best about our services?” may be an eye-opening moment for you.   You may think they appreciate the extra cheese you put on their sandwich only to learn it’s your quick service and convenient location.  UGH!  Think of all that cheese you wasted!  Promoting the benefits that happy customers enjoy can attract more happy customers and drive revenue.

4.  Ask them to refer business to you.  Strike while the iron’s hot.  If they’re happy, they probably know someone else that you could also please.   If they say no, then move on.  Know that they’re lying, but move on.  If they say yes, then hand them a stack of your business cards or fliers and send them on their way.

Okay, so now you’ve identified a few clients who are as pleased as punch.  Now what?  Allow Electrum Marketing to assist you with securing customer feedback, writing or editing testimonials and securing written approval to use customer testimonials in your promotional materials.  Don’t delay.  Carpe testimonium!

I read the news today oh, boy

About a lucky man who made the grade

And though the news was rather sad

Well, I just had to laugh

I saw the photograph

The 1967 Beatles’ classic might need an update in order for today’s audience to relate.  The era of “turn on, tune in and drop out” has evolved into a movement that “turns on, logs in, and signs up.”  Today, we can assume the news mentioned in the song was read online.  The grade is possibly an SEO (search engine optimization) score, which for many businesses is often very sad.  But never fear.  A quick laugh is easy to find as long as cats continue to play pianos on YouTube.

Today was a typical day for me in the digital age.  It began with me downloading the podcasts I would listen to in the car.  I have not listened to the radio or a CD in my car since I got my iPhone more than two years ago.  As a writer, I enjoy Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day, which they claim is designed for teachers and students of English as a second language.   Call me a cynic, but I find it difficult to imagine that an immigrant from Barundi is able to work words such as zoomorphic, oppugn, or hebdomadal into their daily conversations.  But hey, they can dream.

After downloading several more business and marketing podcasts, I turn my attention to Twitter.  Coffee was trending so I decided to have a cup or two.  Soon, the bathroom was trending so I went.  #ToiletHumor.   By the way, I despise the use of hashtags outside of the Twitterverse, it’s so #@$%^&*!  annoying.

Next, while checking my three email accounts and unsubscribing to scores of offers for business development lists, I was notified by social media phenomenon Pinterest that a mid-century modern image of a TV dinner that I pinned had been re-pinned no less than 37 times.  This disturbed me on several levels.  First, do I really want people to know that I have pinned an image of a 50s era TV dinner as a fix for my mid-century modern addiction.   Show me a Herman Miller bubble lamp paired with a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair and I am salivating like a pre-teen girl at a Justin Beiber concert.

Secondly, should I feel violated that 37 people have been lurking around my boards and re-pinning – no, violating my precious TV dinner?   Suddenly I realize that I did the exact same thing when I originally pinned the image.  My “aha!” moment led me to wonder what other good stuff might be housed on their boards.   Hmmmm.

57 minutes later, I was jolted back to reality when my Draw Something game notified me with a loud DING on my iPad that it’s my turn to play.   This modern day version of Pictionary allows me to watch my high school girlfriend draw stick figures (I later learned were Romeo and Juliet) on my iPad from 1,000 miles away.   OMG!  Have we become so jaded that we don’t comprehend how amazing this is?  Forget skyrocketing gas prices – this is truly groundbreaking news!

After losing another 35 minutes of productivity trying to figure out how to draw the Hulk without using the color green, I turned my attention to my Google Reader account which collects marketing, branding and SEO blogs to which I subscribe.  Be warned:  Google Reader is not for the meek.   If you oversubscribe like I do, getting through your daily news feed may require a half-pint of eye drops and eyelid props reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s “Clockwork Orange.”

With my business taken care of for the moment, I rewarded myself with some Facebook time.  Within seconds of logging on, my mother messaged me that she is concerned that Mr. Campbell can see a shirtless photo of me that was recently posted to my timeline.  I try and reason with her.

“Mom, it was an outdoor event and it was 86 degrees.  It was also gay pride.  Wearing a shirt would just be insulting to our culture.  Anyway, relax, only my friends can see my facebook photos.” 

“But he could see them.  I know he could,” she replied.

“How is that possible, Mother and who is this guy anyway?”

“I showed him your photo on my iPhone.  He sold me perfume yesterday at Macy’s. Perhaps you know him.”

“Gotta run, Mom.  I have to get to work.”

Upon arriving at Electrum Marketing, I mapped out all my SEO, Online Marketing and Social Media tasks I wanted to accomplish for our clients.  Coffee was trending once again, so I headed toward the kitchen.  Along the way, I stepped into the supply closet, closed the door, and quietly repeated, “I don’t get Google+, I don’t get Google +, I don’t get Google +.” 

When Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, didn’t appear and ruthlessly rip out my voice box like a modern day Bloody Mary, I breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed my intact neck and resumed my walk to the kitchen.  I know critiquing Google is heresy, especially in my industry.  But what am I missing?  Whatever it is, apparently lots of people are missing it, too.  In order to add more people to my paltry circles, I recently uploaded my Outlook address book and of the 1,000+ emails, only two were shown to have Google+ accounts.  One was my mother.  Enough said.

So in today’s digital world, it’s easy to feel like Lucy in the chocolate factory.  Only instead of chocolate coming down the ever accelerating conveyor belt, it’s snippets of information, social interaction, and entertainment.   And, instead of trusty sidekick Ethel, you’re left to your own devices…..an iPad or iPhone and a wireless connection.

Now please don’t get me wrong, I whole-heartedly appreciate the tremendous perks of this digital age, and I could go on and on, but that’s a story for another day.  These websites aren’t going to StumbleUpon themselves you know.

Need help mananging your brand in the digital world, contact Electrum Marketing for a digital solution that will put you where your potential customers are looking.

Studies show that people are not only using their smartphones and tablets to access the web more often, it is anticipated that by 2015, mobile internet usage will surpass desktop usage.

Already, more than half of local searches are performed on mobile devices and 86% of mobile internet users use their device while watching TV.   This mobility is changing the way we conduct business, spend money, and interact with our friends and family.

Don’t wait to ask yourself these questions:

1. Is my site being found online?  Without search engine optimization, the answer is probably no.  Even a basic SEO package can increase your chances of being found online.
2. Is my site viewable on a mobile device?  Maybe.  Is it skewed and hard to navigate?  Definitely.  A scaled down mobile-friendly version of your website is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.
3. Can my customers perform a transaction on my website using their smartphone?  Without a mobile app, they might as well be wearing mittens.  The frustration they experience attempting to log in to your website designed for a 20” monitor on their smartphone screen will result in ill will.  Make it easy for them to do business with you.  Get a mobile app or at least a mobile version of your website.

Ready to get mobile?  Let Electrum Marketing guide you through this game-changing opportunity.

Yes, email marketing is inexpensive and can be generated quickly and often.  However, unless you approach it with the same thought and attention as an expensive multi-media campaign, you’ll  get exactly what you pay for…very little.  Balance the low expense of email marketing by putting a lot of effort into the project to ensure optimum results.  Here are the areas where you can roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty.

Database – a database is only as good as the person managing it.  It must be updated often.  Add clients and prospects.  Update bad or “bounced” emails.  Update classifications (hopefully changing a prospect to a client).  Every business card you collect should end up with the database guardian with the proper classification (prospect, client, vendor, referral source, strategic partner).  Do NOT purchase a list unless you want your first contact with someone to be considered SPAM.

Message - Don’t be a salesperson.  Be a resource.  Use email marketing to establish yourself as trusted leader in your industry by providing insight and tips that add value for your clients or prospects.   Present each message clearly and succinctly.  Remember, you’re competing against scores of other emails that desperately need your reader’s attention.

Relevance - If you have properly classified your database, you can ensure that you’re sending relevant messages to your audience.   An existing customer doesn’t want to see an email offering new customer discount incentives.  A prospect doesn’t need to see an email announcing new convenient payment options.

Subject Line – Your subject line should promise short, digestible information that is likely to be of interest.

Identify Yourself – Few people are likely to open an email if they don’t recognize the sender.  Be sure to use an email address that uses your company’s domain — a Gmail or Yahoo address hints that the company is small-time.

Look at the Numbers – Be sure to check your email reports to see how many were opened.  Conduct A/B Testing on subject lines and send times to determine effectiveness.  Correct or delete bad addresses.

So before you jump into the inexpensive world of email marketing, ask yourself if you’re willing to work up a sweat to make it work for you.

Contact Electrum Marketing, a 2011 Constant Contact All Star Award Winner, to implement your effective email marketing campaign.

Imagine you are unexpectedly face to face with your #1 prospect and have mere seconds to state what you do and how your services can positively impact their business.  What would you say?

Would you rattle off a laundry list of services without passion?  Would you be overzealous and give too much detail?  Would you ramble and talk in nonsensical circles?  Or would you pique their interest with enticing descriptions of benefits that appeal to them?  Leave nothing to chance.  Be prepared!

With 30 second commercial training from Electrum Marketing, everyone in your organization can master this communication tool for networking and presentations and effectively communicate your brand. Consistency of your brand message is critical. In just a few seconds, you have one opportunity to communicate what you do and how you do it. When you do it well, people notice.  Unfortunately, they’ll notice when you do it poorly as well.   Determine the impression you want to make.

BancTrac’s mcif EDGE™ for customer Intelligence

Do you want to expand customer relationships?

BancTrac’s mcif EDGE™ enables you to know more about your customers’ relationships and banking practices than you would ever have thought possible. Now you can reach out to customers when they are ready to buy with marketing offers based on transaction analysis and unlock hidden profit drivers through profitability analysis of your accounts, customers, locations and products.

Do you have a customer retention strategy?

mcif EDGE™ provides custom alerts that identify at risk relationships so you can take action to improve customer retention before it’s too late – all with just a few clicks. Then all you have to do is implement your strategy.

Do you have limited resources for marketing?

With mcif EDGE™ there is little investment in time, commitment of human resources or hardware. There is no time-consuming training program and no need for systems maintenance. Developed by bank marketers and designed with community banks in mind, mcif EDGE™ gives you the industry’s most convenient, power-packed arsenal of marketing intelligence tools.

Contact us to learn more.

Facts tell.  Stories sell.  Keep this in mind when you’re marketing your brand.  Create an experience for your customers by telling a compelling story of how your product will impact their life.

Paint a portrait of your customer using the product
Put your customer in the middle of experiencing your product with your storytelling. Describe for them the feelings they’ll experience, the time they’ll save, how they’ll be more beautiful, whatever benefit your product has.

Provide testimonials
Third-party emotional validation is powerful.  Your customers will think “If it worked for them it could work for me, too.”

Tell where your brand came from
Sometimes the story of how a product came into existence can speak volumes to a consumer.  When you meet a couple you admire, at some point you’ll probably ask them how they met. That’s their origin story.  Use your origin story to inspire fondness and identification.

Need help telling your brand’s story.  Contact Electrum Marketing to create a message that will resonate with your audience.