THE DIGITAL FACTOR SIMPLE TIPS FOR EMAIL SUCCESS IMPROVING THE VISIBILITY OF YOUR WEBSITE
www.thesalemaker.co.uk
February 2011
oosting sales B in an economic downturn
Going back to basics can often help boost performance
Peter Hargreaves; the multi-millionaire founder of Hargreaves Lansdown
Business protection presents advisers with a substantial opportunity
Digital client magazines increase in popularity I s your business missing out on this highly cost-effective route to market?
missing the are s IFA out ondemand K U the onlinefinancial for in advice
Is your business ready for the RDR?
Maintaining regular contact and loyalty with your clients is essential
welcome
Welcome Welcome to the latest issue of Engage magazine from SaleMaker, full of information about how we can help you enhance client communication, raise brand awareness, develop your marketing efficiency, improve client retention and increase sales. The Internet search engine giant Google, in their White Paper titled ’IFAs in the Digital Space’ highlighted the extent to which IFAs are missing out on the online demand for financial advice in the UK. Google says that IFAs are failing to tap into the online market. It says the majority of IFAs are either failing to maintain a website effectively or not promoting their firms with online advertising and marketing. On page 10, we look at how consumers have embraced the ability of the Internet to level the playing field in these markets as they become disillusioned with their relationships with traditional financial institutions. If you want your business to benefit from the considerable marketing opportunities the Internet has to offer, it is essential that you develop a coordinated strategy that enables you to spread the word about your products and services. If it is sales that you want to achieve, then you must do everything to market your products and services; and one of the most costeffective and measurable ways of achieving this is through Internet marketing. On page 16 read how SaleMaker can help your business improve its search engine listings. Making available to your business audiences your digital corporate brochure has a vital e-commerce role to play in promoting your business and attracting new clients. It’s essential to ensure that the first client impression is a lasting one. The way consumers and clients interact with services and brands have changed forever, so it is essential that your brand identity and values are effectively reflected through your digital corporate brochure, which should be at the heart of your corporate literature. Read the full article on page 12. A full list of the articles featured in this edition appears on page 03. Paul G Armour Digital Newsletter Pioneer SaleMaker Professional Services Marketing
2
l engage
4 Boosting sales in an economic downturn >>
12 The digital factor >>
Going back to basics can often help boost performance
Digital corporate brochures have a vital e-commerce role to play in promoting your business and attracting new clients
6 Peter Hargreaves; the multi-millionaire founder of Hargreaves Lansdown >>
13 Business protection presents advisers with a substantial opportunity >>
7 Digital client magazines increase in popularity >>
14 Order your End of Tax Year Planning edition >>
The one thing that we did keep going through all those lean years was our newsletter
Is your business missing out on this highly cost-effective route to market?
8 Is your business ready for the RDR? >>
Maintaining regular contact and loyalty with your clients is essential
10 IFAs are missing out on the online demand for financial advice in the UK >>
Many accountants and solicitors do not have the time or inclination to establish their own advisory businesses
March/April 2011 Smart Money magazine
16 10 simple tips for email success >>
How to improve your email marketing
18 Improving the visibility of your website >> Spread the word about your products and services
Consumer behaviour in financial services evolved considerably during the recession Content of the articles featured in this publication is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements. They should not be relied upon in their entirety and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute, advice. Although endeavours have been made to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or company should act upon such information without receiving appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of their particular situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of any articles.
Click to hereour join list
g mailin
engage l 3
Business Focus
Business Focus
Going back to basics can often help boost performance
Boosting sales in an economic downturn 4
l engage
Even in the current economic climate, growing your business is likely to be your number one objective. Here are some key areas to consider.
Attract business
Don’t wait for business to come to you. Be proactive, focus your marketing efforts on growing your client base and avoid the effects of an economic stranglehold. The key to effective marketing is pulling business towards you.
Allocate resources
Don’t make financial cuts within your sales and marketing budgets. While your competitors may be looking to cut back, you are in charge of your business, not the economy. Be confident in the strength of your business offering and make sure through your marketing you communicate this message to your business audiences.
New business
Difficult periods of economic trading can bring uncertainty to any business. So never underestimate the importance of winning new clients. New business is the lifeblood of a healthy bottom line and a proactive and coherent marketing strategy will ensure that you give your business the opportunity to attract and win new business.
Existing clients
Treat each client that is valuable to your business as if they are your only one and you only work for them. Expand your offering and expand the relationship. Give your clients more for their money
and they will find it difficult to stop using your products or services. Regular communication is the key to maintaining their loyalty and creating further new business opportunities. Salemaker provides a number of proven marketing solutions that will enable your business to engage with existing clients or customers and generate new prospect enquiries. Talk to us about how we could help your business improve your overall marketing success and effectiveness.
Don’t wait for business to come to you. Be proactive, focus your marketing efforts on growing your client base and avoid the effects of an economic stranglehold.
engage l 25
Marketing Focus
Digital Magazines
As the full effects of the stock market crash of 1987 took effect one thing we learned quickly was that in bear markets investors never shun the market completely.
Digital client magazines increase in popularity Is your business missing out on this highly cost-effective route to market? 10 reasons why you should engage with clients digitally:
Peter Hargreaves; the multi-millionaire founder of Hargreaves Lansdown The one thing that we did keep going through all those lean years was our newsletter Peter Hargreaves; the multi-millionaire co-founder of investment company Hargreaves Lansdown says in an extract taken from his book, ‘In for a penny…a business adventure,’ - ”As the full effects of the stock market crash of 1987 took effect one thing we learned quickly was that in bear markets investors never shun the market completely”. “The one thing that we did keep going through all those lean years was our newsletter. We found out that clients appreciated it enormously if we stayed in contact with them even when they weren’t willing to invest”. 6
l engage
“By keeping in contact during the lean times, we have invariably found that we increase our market share. Doing so has only a minimal effect on our bottom line, as the cost of staying in contact is small in relative terms.” “We always put a cover price on the newsletter even when it was free, as we thought it made clients value it more. The two most useful things we learned by staying in contact with clients were (a) what type of investments they wanted and (b) when they were ready to start reinvesting.”
n Digital client magazines enable the reader to interact with your business and brand at their highest point of interest via imbedded ‘call to action’ and ‘email address’ links which direct their enquiry instantly back to you. n Using established magazine design techniques, adapted for the Internet environment, digital client magazines are as readable and attractive as their print counterparts. n Rich media such as audio and video can be included within a digital client magazine, enabling you to communicate your service proposition in a more dynamic and interactive way. n Digital client magazines when emailed to your business audiences can direct the reader instantly back to a specific page on your website to create more awareness about a particular service you offer. n Digital client magazines not only reach a wider business audience, they also get to your business audience faster. n Emailing every issue of your digital magazine to clients, policyholders and prospects will ensure you do not lose contact with them, especially as
some of them may eventually become a considerable source of future revenue to your business. n When emailing every issue of your digital client magazine, the inclusion of page links directly back to your website, will improve the sites SEO rankings over time. n Digital client magazines provide your business with an alternative targeted solution that can be used as part of your marketing strategy to increase your website’s relevance, ensuring the content is easily indexed by search engines and making the site more appealing to visitors. n Circulation and distribution costs are lower to deliver to your clients and prospects anywhere in the UK. n Uploading your digital client magazine to your website will add a new level of relevant and changing content which will encourage higher levels of repeat visitors to your site. If your business isn’t actively using the Internet, you are missing out on one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing available. Digital client magazines are here to stay and a growing number of businesses and readers alike are enjoying the advantages of these online publications.
Rich media such as audio and video can be included within a digital client magazine, enabling you to communicate your service proposition in a more dynamic and interactive way.
Talk to Salemaker about how we could help your business improve your overall marketing success and effectiveness. To find out more, please call us on 07872 386388 or email paul@thesalemaker.co.uk.
engage l 7
Retail Distribution Review
Retail Distribution Review
Is your business ready for the RDR? Maintaining regular contact and loyalty with your clients is essential If you are in the process of implementing a new business model in preparation for the proposed changes announced in the Retail Distribution Review (RDR), or if you’re looking for cost-effective marketing channels that will enable you to reach a wider consumer audience, the ‘Financial Adviser Content Marketing Solution’ is the perfect solution.
In addition, this service will enable you to fulfil part of your Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) requirements, central to the delivery of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) retail regulatory agenda. The combined marketing solutions that make up the Financial Adviser Content Marketing Solution, when used as part of a coordinated marketing approach, will enable your business to enhance client communication, raise brand awareness, increase marketing efficiency, improve client retention and generate more sales; by utilising both traditional offline and online marketing channels. Maintaining regular contact with your clients in between review meetings will not only reinforce your brand and create further new business opportunities, it will also remind them of the benefits of doing business with your organisation. The Financial Adviser Content Marketing Solution includes: n A fully personalised 12-page printed client magazine – created for mailing to your top clients, fee paying clients and professional introducers n A fully personalised digital version of your printed 12-page client magazine – created for inclusion on your website and for emailing to clients and prospects
8
l engage
n 30-page, digital wealth management client magazine (PDF format) – created for inclusion on your website, enabling clients and prospects to download or print every issue or read online n 30-page, digital wealth management client magazine (HTML format) – created for emailing to clients or prospects and for uploading on your website to provide an eNews alert service and to increase your websites search engine optimisation (SEO) ranking n 28-page digital PDF and HTML client marketing guide which includes throughout a 12 month period the following titles – A Guide to the Budget, A Guide to the Spending Report, A Guide to Inheritance Tax Planning, A Guide to Retirement Planning, A Guide to Wealth Management, A Guide to Investment Planning, A Guide to Protection Planning – created for emailing to clients and prospects and for inclusion on your website, enabling clients and prospects to download or print every issue or read online n 4-page PDF and HTML product specific client marketing guide which includes throughout a 12 month period the following titles – A Guide to ISAs, A Guide to SIPPs, A Guide to Pension Transfers, A Guide to Ethical Investing, A Guide to Business Protection, A
Guide to Annuities, A Guide to Income Drawdown and other different titles every 2 months – created for emailing to clients and prospects and for inclusion on your website, enabling clients and prospects to download or print every issue or read online n Professionally written Client Marketing Letter to accompany your printed magazines
Financial Adviser Content Marketing Solution User Guide When you order your ‘Financial Adviser Content Marketing Solution’, you’ll also receive a 26-page User Guide so that you know exactly how to integrate every element as part of a coordinated marketing plan to achieve the best results from your investment outlay.
Talk to us about how the ‘Financial Adviser Content Marketing Solution’ could help your business improve your overall marketing success and effectiveness. To find out more, please call SaleMaker on 07872 386388 or email paul@thesalemaker.co.uk.
engage l 9
Online Demand
Online Demand
The Internet search engine giant Google, in their White Paper titled ’IFAs in the Digital Space’ highlighted the extent to which IFAs are missing out on the online demand for financial advice in the UK. Google says that IFAs are failing to tap into the online market. It says the majority of IFAs are either failing to maintain a website effectively or not promoting their firms with online advertising and marketing.
IFAs are missing out on the online demand for financial advice in the UK
Consumer behaviour in financial services evolved considerably during the recession 10
l engage
According to Google search queries relating to the finance sector have maintained strong growth and the volume of queries was up 19% year on year as users embraced search as a medium for their financial research and purchases. Consumers have embraced the ability of the Internet to level the playing field in these markets as they become disillusioned with their relationships with traditional financial institutions. Attrition rates have risen and aggregators have been one of the principal beneficiaries as consumers have become more savvy and sophisticated in their search behaviour and now search and compare across a number of a different providers before purchasing a product. While this has hurt many direct providers, one area aggregators haven’t managed to get much traction on is on financial advice. Financial advice queries continue to grow strongly as consumers lose confidence in traditional financial institutions and are seeking out practical advice through different sources during these challenging economic times. The Internet has become the first point of call for many consumers and those companies who have managed to position themselves as providers of independent advisory services have benefited hugely.
According to Google search queries relating to the finance sector have maintained strong growth and the volume of queries was up 19% year on year as users embraced search as a medium for their financial research and purchases.
Conclusions
The Internet is becoming increasingly central to consumers’ lives as all demographics and social groups move rapidly towards mass digital adoption Financial consumers are no exception to this and the onset of the recession accelerated this phenomenon as people took control of their finances and now shop around to compare the best products online
What action should your business take?
n Make sure you have a clear, user friendly website n Ensure good basic search engine optimisation (SEO) so you are not missing out on a growing number of potential leads as consumers search for your services online n Help your target market to find you online. Use appropriate tools and resources and target them with effective online advertising
To find out more about how Salemaker can help your business maximise from the online demand for financial advice, please call us on 07872 386388 or email paul@thesalemaker.co.uk.
engage l 11
The Digital Factor
Business Protection
The digital factor Digital corporate brochures have a vital e-commerce role to play in promoting your business and attracting new clients
Making available to your business audiences your digital corporate brochure has a vital e-commerce role to play in promoting your business and attracting new clients. It’s essential to ensure that the first client impression is a lasting one. The way consumers and clients interact with services and brands have changed forever, so it is essential that your brand identity and values are effectively reflected through your digital corporate brochure, which should be at the heart of your corporate literature. Whatever your service proposition, Salemaker can help your business deliver faultless design pieces that inform, engage and appeal to whoever you wish. We do this by considering every aspect of the design in detail. The colour, the balance, the choice of words and images. These are all key elements in creating a digital corporate brochure that presents your brand, your e-commerce message and your services clearly and effectively. 12
l engage
Business protection presents advisers with a substantial opportunity Many accountants and solicitors do not have the time or inclination to establish their own advisory businesses
Whatever your service proposition, Salemaker can help your business deliver faultless design pieces that inform, engage and appeal to whoever you wish.
Business protection presents a substantial opportunity for financial advisers and professional connections to work together, according to Aegon. Research from Aegon shows there is a high level of demand for advice in this area from accountants and solicitors’ clients.
Did you know?
A rule change in 2000 now prevents solicitors from offering business protection, pre-2000 they were allowed to do so Of the 200 respondents surveyed, 59% of accountants and 74% of solicitors said they were not regulated to give advice on business continuity cover
and 62% of accountants and 72% of solicitors said they were not regulated to give advice on business succession However, 63% of solicitors interviewed said business continuity was essential for their business clients, with 65% saying their clients were interested and aware of the benefits the type of cover could provide to them Of the accountants, 55% said business continuity protection came up regularly in conversation with their customers and 40% felt that clients were interested in taking out business continuity cover or wanted to find out more The research found 63% of accountants believed business
protection could be relevant to more than half of their customers, while around half of all respondents said there was an opportunity to address more business protection needs According to Aegon there are over 30,000 firms of solicitors and accountants in the UK, with the potential for financial advisers to tap into this market being substantial. Many accountants and solicitors do not have the time or inclination to establish their own advisory businesses. This provides a great opportunity to tap into this market by offering business protection solutions, to the professionals themselves and also to their clients.
engage l 13
eMarketing
eMarketing
1. Always use a permission-based mailing list
6. Keep it clear and get to the point quickly
2. Do a test send to yourself
7. Send recipients to your website for more information
It’s important to have a recipient’s permission before sending them a marketing email. Having a database of people who you’ve confirmed are happy to receive your emails will always give you the best response rate.
TEN simple tips for email success How to improve your email marketing 14
l engage
It’s always a good idea to complete a test send. Have a good read through your email and make sure you’re 100% happy before you send out your finished campaign to your subscriber list.
3. Test your email in different email programs
Everyone’s in a hurry these days, so you need to help your recipients find the articles that are of most interest to them quickly. Always write clear article titles and succinct article summaries.
Make sure every article in your e-newsletter has a special ‘landing page’ on your website, where your recipients can read the whole story (don’t just direct people to your homepage and expect them to find the relevant information).
Different people read emails using different email programs (such as GoogleMail or Outlook) and on a variety of devices (such as smart phones and desktop computers). If you’re sending out an email marketing campaign it’s important to test the email in a wide variety of email programs to ensure it always displays correctly.
8. Include a call to action with your offers
4. Make your ‘from’ address more personal
Measure and review the results of each email campaign. If you’re new to email statistics start by looking at the open rates and see which articles in your e-newsletters are the most popular. You can then plan your future articles based on what your recipients have found most interesting – boosting your response rates on your next campaign.
People often decide if they’ll open an email simply because of who it’s from. Make sure you include your company name in your ‘from’ address and if possible use the name of a specific person.
5. Write for your recipients, not for yourself
Take a little time to develop articles and offers that your recipients will be truly interested in. Remember, your recipients want to know what’s in it for them. If you’re not sure what to write, talk to a selection of your recipients and ask them what they find most interesting or appealing.
Make sure your articles include a clear ‘call to action’. Does the reader need to phone you, send an email, or use a special discount code? Whatever the next step is, make sure you include clear instructions so your recipients know what action to take.
9. Read your stats
10. Be consistent
Try to send your emails on a regular basis and keep to your planned schedule. Whether it’s once a week, once a fortnight or once a month, the more consistent your emails are, the more your recipients will become used to receiving communication from you.
To find out more about Salemaker’s eMarketing services, which are perfect for integrating into your marketing campaign as part of an ongoing eMarketing strategy, please call us on 07872 386388 or email paul@thesalemaker.co.uk
engage l 15
Online Visibility
Online Visibility
Improving the visibility of your website Spread the word about your products and services If you want your business to benefit from the considerable marketing opportunities the Internet has to offer, it is essential that you develop a coordinated strategy that enables you to spread the word about your products and services. If it is sales that you want to achieve, then you must do everything to market your products and services; and one of the most cost-effective and measurable ways of achieving this is through Internet marketing. The first place to start is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), which is the 16
l engage
process of improving the visibility of your website or a specific web page in search engines utilising ‘natural’ or un-paid (‘organic’) search results. Other forms of search engine marketing target paid listings. In general, the earlier (or higher on the search page listing), and more frequently your site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from search engines. From a marketing perspective SEO enables your business to attract different kinds of search; including image search, local search, video search and industryspecific vertical search engines.
Did you Know? Did you know? Google is rated by many as the number one search engine in the world. The majority of websites get about 80% to 90% of their search engine traffic direct from Google searches.
SEO as an Internet marketing strategy considers how search engines work and what people are searching for. The process of optimising your website may involve editing the content and HTML (HyperText Markup Language is a computer language devised to allow website creation) and associated coding to both increase its relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines. Promoting a site by increasing the number of back links, or inbound links, is another SEO strategy you could adopt to increase your websites relevance. Keywords and phrases are the terms that are entered into the browser when making a search query. Choosing the right keywords to base your site optimisation around is an important first step. General or generic keywords are usually not the best approach, and sometimes it’s better to be a little more
specific and focus on niche keywords relating to your product or service. The more specific the keyword is, the more accurate the search results will become. Targeting a suitable market will depend on your website, as well as the products and services you offer. Try to be more specific with your keywords and remember that the average keyword search phrases typically contain between 3 to 5 related words. To help the search engine narrow down its criteria for performing the search, the most specific keywords possible will also put a link in the top of the results list if the keyword itself occurs frequently within the content of that particular link. There are two kinds of website links that are useful in SEO. One directs web traffic from other websites to the article and is called a back link. The general principal is the more back links you have, the higher your pages will be ranked,
as your website must be good if so many other sites are linking back to it. The other is an internal link that leads the users already reading one article to the other articles found on the same website. These two links work synergistically to promote the articles in the search engines.
visitors away, that page will soon find itself bottom of the result lists. Good SEO being spoiled by this problem can be avoided or rectified with some basic HTML knowledge. Using this tool will enable the article writer or you as the website owner to fine-tune files so that they load faster.
When constructing your website it is essential that you have an eye-catching introduction and you need to engage visitors by providing relevant editorial content. Since an online browser or user is a potential source of revenue to your business you need to have a sense of understanding the customer relationship management process and write your website editorial according to what people like reading or searching for.
These are the simplest starting areas you need to consider when planning to improve your websites SEO listing. There are other more technical approaches that can be used as well, but these form the groundwork on which more advanced SEO methods are formulated.
If you have a well-optimised web page that ranks high in search results but it takes too long to load this can also turn away visitors. If you turn enough potential
To find out more about how Salemaker can help your business improve its search engine listings, please call us on 07872 386388 or email paul@thesalemaker.co.uk
engage l 17
End of Tax Year
Order your End of Tax Year Planning edition March/April 2011 Smart Money magazine Improve client communication, raise brand awareness, improve marketing efficiency, enhance client retention and increase sales. When you order the March/April 2011 issue of your printed fully personalised client magazine you will also receive all of these digital client marketing solutions completely FREE; perfect for e-mailing to clients and prospects and for including on your website to attract more traffic and encourage visitors to download or read online. n A Guide to Investment Planning n ISA Guide 2010/11 n Fully personalised PDF magazine, based on your printed format n A 2010/11 Guide to End of Tax Year Planning
Articles featured inside the March/April 2011 issue What are your options at retirement?
Helping you understand the options available to you
Exercising greater control over how you draw your pension income
What the new retirement rules could mean for you from 2011
Putting you in control of your financial future
SIPPing a retirement cocktail can pay dividends 18
l engage
ISA surgery
Don’t miss the fast approaching deadline
How much life insurance do you need? Protecting your family’s financial security
Financial wealth check
Getting your money into shape before the end of tax year
Keeping your wealth in the family
Protecting your key business assets A guide to business protection
Require more info or would like to place an order? To order your fully personalised client magazines call Salemaker on 07872 386388 or or email paul@thesalemaker.co.uk
Inheritance Tax planning matters
An alternative to buying an annuity
Income drawdown keeping control of your investments
Socially responsible investing Maintaining your ethical and environmental beliefs
Making the most of your investments in a time of low interest rates Safeguarding your money
Will you meet the cost of care without having to sell up? Parting with your biggest asset
Pension transfers
Looking for better fund performance and lower charges?
*Terms and conditions apply. We reserve the right to change the editorial content featured at any time.