EMAIL:
USING THE NEW TECHNOLOGY
“I think this is a great time for the craft industry. It’s a matter of the ‘suits’ fine-tuning their messages…
… you have to CONNECT with your followers. Folks should be hiring viral marketing craft experts to do these jobs for them; the return on the investment would be significant.”
From the 2009 June 15 edition of the Creative Leisure News and written by Margot Potter used with their permission
To say this hit a nerve will soon be obvious ( and yes, this is a day for understatement)
It might also help if “the suits” AT LEAST hired some one to make sure their emails are easily read. A.C. Moore comes to mind – all greyed out graphics and no text other than a copyright statement.
Now Michael’s does have some newsletter issues, but AT LEAST the link is there to view on line. AND they make it easy to print their coupons – besides their stores are usually cleaner even if the aisles are too close together.
Someone needs to tell the graphics department that Internet Exploder continues to steadily lose market share to FireFox, Opera, and even a growing trend towards Google Chrome browser.
Why is this important?
what’s the point of cluttering my mailbox.
The FIRST line of every e-mail promotion SHOULD be a link to the “if you are having difficulty seeing this add, click here or cut and paste this link…”
Some stores, like JoAnne’s, puts out a readable newsletter each week. However if they are interested in that part of the population willing to spend a bit more for a better quality product, well let’s just say JoAnn’s increasingly seldom has what I want to buy. Still read their ads – even if the links never work – but I can print coupons for use at either JoAnn’s or Michael’s .
Please also make sure the text does not show up in
inch high or larger letters
Just another way of saying PLEASE DO NOT USE WORD to create your news letters and convert them to HTML or other silly microsoft product (Interweave, Kalmback, and others) these get immediately deleted –
NOTHING will make me leave a website faster that “BEST VIEWED WITH….” Who are you to tell me what Browser I should use. Especially if you are telling me to use one that is so insecure as Exploder. Emails just get deleted unless I need the coupon to use at Michael’s and almost never do I visit those sites.
I sincerely hope ALL of the “CHA/Chain” stores need to “get” that Cheap may well be costing them dear…
Those suits seem to think their only customers are unwilling to buy any thing but the cheapest of cheap.
Lately it seems that when the cashier says “did you find everything you need” Our answer is almost invariably “No, but that is not your fault”
It may take a coupon or two to bring’em into the store. Once there, it is that next group, who may buy less but are willing to pay for better quality that will make them money. IF you stock in in your store.
So, Margo, it would be nice if the “suits” realized that lip service to the WWW and the Internet would certainly have a better ROI if ONLY they would THINK – perhaps even take a look at the demographics of who is buying their stuff.
Better yet would be to NOT ignore the “style” of the internet in favor of continuing to use what “worked” in print media or even junk mail. Mr Suit might not be “comfortable” but the people who shop in your store will be.
Please note I am NOT Anti-Chain – I keep WANTING to buy things but if the local stores Chain or Indie, who employ my neighbors and thus are worth supporting continue to eliminate better products
Many Indie’s could use some help as well, but few can afford the services of “professional marketing” so we will cut’em some slack.
Want My Money?
Give me a Newsletter I can read, and quality products and often as not, coupon or not, many like me will buy something and more than one item.
At least then I won’t have to keep opening wholesale accounts and offer these products through my own e-commerce site because I REFUSE to wait 10-14 days for the Chain fulfillers to be me the product.
Wheat
P.S, My thanks to Mike Harnett of Creative Leisure News and Margot Potter for their permission to quote.
P.S.Jr. I am working on taking my own advice – July will be work on a newsletter for our E-tail store
P.S.III – Note to Philadelphia Lawyers and thier friends, NO ONE PAID me to write this – in fact it will probably end up costing me money.
You’re absolutely right! A.C. Moore has asked me for my email address about 3 times and I have yet to receive any maol from them, unless they are the idiots that are sending me spam. And thanks for the answer to “Did you find everything you were looking for?” I usually mutter “ahh, yeah” but it’s not true.