spire2.com

Feeling anxious about not having the right tagline? I have two words for you: “Stop it”.

In this hilarious skit from Bob Newhart he gives his advice straight up. I sometimes feel like doing the same when I talk to small businesses and they bring up the topic of taglines. In the scheme of marketing a small business I would put taglines development pretty low on the list.

Having the “right” tagline will not affect the success or failure of a small business. In fact, putting emphasis on a tagline often contributes to a big waste of time and resources, both of which are valuable commodities for a small business.

Here are three things to remember as you consider a tagline for your small business:

1. Being cute or fun is not the goal.  A key function of a tagline for big businesses is trying to make an emotional connection between a large faceless organization and a consumer. As a small business, you have a lot going for you – your business has a real face behind it and probably a story that will engage consumers.
2. There is no such thing as a memorable tagline. Big businesses spend millions of dollars drilling their tagline into the consumer’s head. So the fact that you remember a tagline has little to do with its memorability, but a whole lot more to do with the psychology of repetition.
3. It is about what you do. Think about a tagline as explaining what you do in as few words as possible. Yea, it can be that simple!

As you can see, big businesses need taglines because the brand lacks humanness, and they have the financial means to drill them into our heads through mind-numbing repetition.

It has been a thrilling year for our client, The Transforming Center. We launched a new website in July as part of the process of helping them build a solid electronic communication platform. It really bore fruit in our Christmas appeal – with the year-end giving doubling from the previous year.  I haven’t received a final analysis of the appeal, but I am pretty confident I will be celebrating again as I expect to see some real growth in new donors. Of course this is only one aspect of their development picture, and I can assure you there are many more hurdles to get over, but I am proud of the Spire2 team and want to celebrate the victories.

We’re happy to announce that a simplified sending process has been released across all accounts. The new one-page sending process allows you to:

• Manage all delivery settings — like from name and address, delivery style, scheduled sending time and more — on one page.
• Change delivery settings at any time without hitting the back button.
• Set up mailings to groups or searches, or based on a triggered event, simply and quickly.
• Confirm delivery settings at-a-glance in the Mailing summary sidebar.

Log into your account and give the new sending process a try. If you notice any trouble, make sure to clear your browser’s cache or hard-refresh the page before continuing.

Without the right reasoning, rebranding is not the best marketing investment

I see really poorly executed logos all the time. At times I loathe using a client’s poorly designed logo, but as a marketer I recognize that offending my design sensibilities is not a good enough reason to rebrand.

A story of rebranding
When I had our first meeting to discuss the Transforming Center brand, they communicated that they were open to changing everything, including their logo. They were surprised when I recommended that we don’t pursue a new logo. What designer would pass up an opportunity to design a new logo?

Two things to consider before rebranding
A good rebranding is built on a foundation of strategic thought.  Consider these two facts:

1. Rebranding sends a powerful message to your audience — “something is fundamentally different about us.” If there isn’t anything different, you will be losing brand equity (defined as repeated exposure resulting in recognition and trust) and confuse people because they will subconsciously be thinking that something is changing.
2. Rebranding is very costly to execute because it touches every aspect of a business (from invoices to signage and about a billion little things in between). It seems obvious, but often people underestimate the amount of change required to rebrand.

When is a bad time to rebrand?

If you have no new message, if your mission is unchanged, your strategy is the same, and there is no organizational change (new leadership), then rebranding is an extremely costly way to tell your audience that nothing has changed!

So are you stuck with that bad logo?
Many things can be done to improve a poorly executed logo. The Transforming Center’s identity had some problems, though I would not put it in the “horrible” category. It did not reproduce well in small sizes, and the image was so abstract (sea grass) that it looked more like a flower. Spire2 recommended the logo be updated to fix these problems and ensure that the logo will handle the future growth of the brand (including brand extensions).

The goals of the update:

• Make sure the logo reproduced well at small sizes.
• Improve recognition of imagery.
• Bring more movement to the logo.

What we love about electronic communication (web development and email marketing) is that one gets real data on what is happening. If the strategy is working, it can be seen. If it is not working, the numbers don’t lie. The Downtown Wheaton Association is great to work with because they are open to new ideas, they trust Spire2, and have been committed for the long haul. We were more than pleased when they asked us to provide them the numbers for their annual meeting. If you hear a horn tooting in the background while reading, we apologize.

• Downtown Wheaton Association’s website traffic increased 37% over the last year (20,000 eyeballs).

The Shoppers’ Club email marketing program continues to flourish:

• The last 5 campaigns had an average open rate of 52% (national average open rate is 19%).
• Membership in the club has grown 190% in the past year.
• Merchant participation increased with more than 27 merchants making submissions.

So how did we get these results? There are no shortcuts. It takes, time, effort and creativity. Growing a good list is hard work, but if one takes the time, it will deliver the results. Are we totally satisfied? Nope. I want better results. We are working on some ideas to bring more attention to all the good things that are going on in Downtown Wheaton. Stay tuned.

So are you getting the inside scoop on what is going on in Downtown Wheaton? Are you getting exclusive deals and offers from local businesses? Join the Downtown Wheaton Shoppers’ Club right now!

I have been asked a couple of times recently on tips for writing blogs for nonprofits. Thirteen doesn’t seem like the best number, but I am not superstitious, so here they are:

1. Make it personal. Pretend that you are writing an email to a friend. Your tone and manner should be friendly and not “corporate sounding.”
2. Stories are great. Sharing the impact of what you are doing is powerful and builds trust with your audience. Who doesn’t want to support an organization that is making a difference?
3. Have a focus. You don’t want the blog to be too general or broad. Be really sporadic about updating us on the office manager’s cute new dog
4. Write about one thing per post. If you have multiple topics, write multiple posts and schedule the other posts for different days — just change the publish date to the date you want the post to become visible. It is like getting a buy-one-get-one-free deal when you discover you are writing two posts instead of one!
5. Engage your audience. It is great to ask opinions and feedback and get others to share. Until you build an audience, encourage your supporters and friends to leave comments.
6. You don’t have to write a lot.  A paragraph or two is just fine.
7. Make it scannable if it is long.  In email marketing, I am always telling people to keep it short. A blog can be longer if you have good content, but make sure you use subheads. The goal is for someone to be able to scan your subheads and get a gist of what you are writing about.
8. It is great to have a summary in the first paragraph or a subhead that has some punch.
9. Have a great title. Your title is important. “July Update” is not going to get me to continue reading.
10. Pictures are great. Even a couple of shots with captions can be effective for making a point.
11. Videos are great, but keep them short. A 10-minute pan of the sun rising is not too exciting. A one-minute testimonial is better.
12. Encourage people to take action. What would you like them to do after reading your post? Don’t assume they will know: tell them.
13. Link to other things. Of course, linking to other places on your website is great, but don’t limit yourself.  Just make sure links open into a new window so they don’t leave your blog.

What would you add to the list?

Spire2 was nominated for the Wheaton Chamber of Commerces 2011 Gammon Awards for the work we did for the Downtown Wheaton Association.

As part of our Spire2’s redevelopment of www.downtownwheaton.com Spire2 recommended that the association start an email marketing program. Spire2 created the Downtown Wheaton Shoppers’ Club program. This free club with a monthly newsletter creates a channel for the association to communicate on behalf of membership while enhancing the image of Downtown Wheaton. The club is also critical in driving traffic to the website to learn more about upcoming events and news from stores.

The results have been incredible. The first five campaigns averaged an open rate of 61.9%. The club grew almost 400% in the first 12 months and continues to grow with new members joining on a daily basis. “As other forms of advertising continue to be less effective, developing a house list has become a strategic move in helping us stay connected with Wheaton residents and those who are passionate about the value of shopping locally,” says Noel Wiedman, manager of the Downtown Wheaton Association.”

Along with creating and managing the program for the Downtown Wheaton, we helped the Downtown Wheaton Association develop some strategies to promote the club. The most visible and unique was the creation of the sidewalk decals (shown above). These proved just as effective in building awareness for the Shoppers’ Club to merchants as it did for residents. Thanks goes to The Sign Authority for their help in finding a material that lasted well beyond the manufacturer’s guarantee – making these a very cost-effective promotion.

The awards are chosen by the public, so I will post the link for voting as soon as it goes live. If you shop in Downtown Wheaton and you are not part of the Downtown Wheaton Shoppers’ Club, sign up and you will be automatically entered to win a $100 gift certificate.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE : I am the third option under the “Nathan Lewis Best Marketing of the Year Award” You don’t have to live in Wheaton to vote!

Website development that ignores design is doomed to fail. There – I have said it, and it is off my chest. I was thinking it the whole time when I was listening to the presentation on how a new site will solve all the problems and make everything easier and better.

The site was purchased from a hosted web solution that promises all the functionality you could dream of. The fees to get the site up and running were negotiated down to an amazingly low price. The site was not designed, but assembled. The home page is cobbled together with bad photos and a variety of clip art images, but who cares because we have all this functionality.

Before you say I am a bitter designer, I will give you three reasons why hosted solutions that don’t include a signficant investment in design customization fail:

1. First impressions matter. We live in a branded culture, and if your home page looks bad then you are sending out a very strong message, and I can assure you it is not a good one. Would one go to and meet a prospect in grubby old clothes and tell them, “Yeah, I look bad, but I do my best work in these clothes.”
2. Functionality-driven development always lacks usability. It is just as important to consider how a website works as it is to consider what the website does. If it is difficult, confusing, or annoying for site visitors, they will not stay, and they will not return. Websites are brand experiences: if it is not a good experience, do you expect people to come again?
3. Functionality does not build traffic. When people focus on functionality, they often get most excited because they believe they can please everyone with all the functionality they will have. This one-size-fits-all approach leads to one thing – mediocrity. Do something well, really well, and then people will notice.

I am sorry to break the news, but if you are looking at web-based service, and you think it is “too good to be true,” then it most likely is. Some of the off-the-shelf functionality is really great, and I do think it can work, but make the investment in design and usability.

Good web development is going to focus on doing something really well. You can build on success. The only thing you can build on with mediocrity is, well… nothing.

It is an exciting time. How people communicate and connect, not to mention any ever-changing landscape of communication tools, forces a marketer to constantly challenge assumptions about communication.

To stay current I listen to podcasts, read books (yep, started reading on an iPad this year), and monitor blogs and feeds. My clients depend on me to weed through the ocean of marketing options to decipher how best to use print and electronic communication to reach prospects, donors, and customers.

I share insights, ideas, and inspiration here and through my quarterly email Inspire. If you have never received Spire2’s Inspire, it’s because I only send it to those who give me permission (I practice what I preach about permission marketing).

To start 2011, I am entering all Inspire subscribers into a drawing for a $100 gift card to Amazon. My way to encourage you to grow and learn. That will almost buy you a Kindle or make a dent in your book wish list. The way to win is to add yourself to sign up to receive Inspire.

My big advice for 2011 is the same as 2010 — Build your house list. Mass marketing is dying quicker than you think. If you aren’t actively building and communicating with your own house list, you are effectively shrinking your market.

Happy New Year!

I just finished another article about an entrepreneur who has built a flourishing business on Twitter. This individual started tweeting before her website was even working, and she has been been amazingly successful. She gushes about how great social media has been.

Sounds too good to be true? I can verify her success. I have watched her business explode on Twitter. What surprises me about the article is that the author reinforces the idea that social marketing is the answer to all marketing problems.  There is no explanation of her success, and one is left to think that showing up on Twitter will lead to the same results.

The reality for many has been different

For every article about social media success, I have met a half dozen people who moan about their lack of success using Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel. So who is right, and who is wrong? Why are some so successful while others get no response? The good news is that I figured out the secret.

The secret to social media success

It really is as easy as the successful folks claim. If you are charming, witty, and get energized by connecting with others, you are almost set. If you can write in a way that allows all that positive energy to shine through, you now have the winning formula. The secret ingredient in social media is in being social. The flourishing entrepreneur showcased in the article has an online presence that is adorable, and her creative writing makes you smile. Her business (selling cupcakes) is all about fun and happiness – a perfect fit. She doesn’t have a clue about what has made her social media presence successful – she herself is precisely the reason she is successful. She is extremely social and is just doing what is natural for her.

So where does that leave the rest of us?

Not everyone has a bubbly personality. I can tell you that if I write something that sounds witty it is because I have spent time thinking and editing. Even though I tweet, I don’t market my business through Twitter. I don’t have the energy or the wit to make it work. Yet all is not lost if you feel the same. You just have to approach social media a bit more thoughtfully and remember that social media has value even if you don’t actively participate.

Three things to keep in mind in developing social media strategy

When consulting with clients I recommend three things: Be realistic, experiment, and allow your personality to shine through.

1. Be realistic: Don’t attempt to do more than you can. It is simply unrealistic and will be your quickest road to failure and discouragement. You’ll end up doing more harm by advertising your Twitter handle when you tweeted three times and you’ve said nothing of value. Remember, social media means being social.
2. Experiment: Experimenting with what you are doing is critical. There is no one right way. If you don’t try different things and approaches, you will never know what works. Also, don’t neglect what is working because you “think” you should be in the hot social media platforms. Email marketing is social media and has far greater value as it is a private channel (no one can see your email database or connect with them).
3. Lastly, write with personality. Make a conscious effort to sound conversational. When I counsel people on email marketing, I tell them to write as if they are sending an email to a friend. Make sure you write in a way that allows your personality to come through. If it doesn’t sound natural, keep editing it until it does.

So if I’ve helped you figure out the social media puzzle, be sure to share it with others when you and your business are featured in a business article. I am tired of reading the same story over and over again.

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What do you think? What has worked for you on social media?