Social media may be all the rage, but recent studies suggest only 1% of all transactions originate from social media. So if your marketing could use an extra push, it may be time to revisit good old email marketing. For many people, email is still their main means of business communication.
In addition, marketing experts tell us email newsletters are one of the best ways to stay in contact with clients and prospects and a great tool for both generating and converting leads. But to make sure your emails perform to the utmost, here are 12 keys to creating exceptional email campaigns.
1. Get permission. Always ask people to opt in. Make it easy to sign up -- and easy to opt out, with an opt out link at the end of every email. After 12 months, ask subscribers if they want to continue.
2. Keep the frequency reasonable. Once a week is probably about right. If you have a great idea for a daily email, great. Just let recipients know up front that you'll be sending them something every day, then let them opt in. And once you decide on a schedule, stick to it. Experts say you should reach out to your readers at least twice a month.
3. Respect people's privacy. Put a short, simple email privacy statement on your opt-in form and link it to a full privacy statement on your web site.
4. Design for deliverability. Put your company name in the "from" line. Make the "subject" line a real grabber -- 50 characters or less. Use attention-getting text and colors, rather than images, so the reader can get a good idea of your email even if images are disabled. Put the offer, call to action, newsletter contents -- the important information -- at the top of the email.
5. Check to see that it's all getting through. Send a sample email to an account on each of the major email providers -- AOL, Earthlink, Gmail, and Yahoo! Check out how your format looks in Outlook. Again, avoid images in the header and make sure all the response links work.
6. Test. Refine your efforts for better results by testing different subject lines, offers, deployment dates and times, and different segments of your list. Testing is also a great way to come up with new ideas.
7. Define your value proposition. Give your subscribers a good reason to open your emails. Focus on your unique value proposition. Concentrate on how your information or offer will directly benefit the recipient.
8. Segment your list. If you can come up with targeted messages for different parts of your list, you'll usually get better response and conversion rates.
9. Personalize if you can. This isn't just putting their name at the top. It's about creating content that addresses the recipient's specific interests, needs, and behaviors. You don't always have this information and it takes more work to personalize the content, but it can be very effective to deliver a very targeted message that hits all of the prospect's hot buttons.
10. Get mobile, get social. In today's wireless environment, emails are frequently viewed on mobile devices. So check to see how your emails appear on the popular smart phones. And don't forget to leverage your social media presence by using it to invite opt-ins to your email offerings.
11. Survey your readers. To make sure you continue to deliver value, survey recipients every so often to find out their needs and interests. Then make adjustments to stay in touch with what your subscribers are looking for.
12. Stand out from the crowd. People will look forward to hearing from you if you always have something valuable to say. Keep the information concise and useful. Send "alerts" with news that engages the recipient. The "secret" to exceptional email campaigns is always great content!
For a new way to jump start your business, try good old email marketing. Follow these simple rules, stick with it, and you may very well get exceptional results.... Have a great month!
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© 2010 PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company. Trade/service marks are the property of PlainsCapital Corporation, PlainsCapital Bank, or their respective affiliates and/or subsidiaries. Some products may not be available in all states. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company (NMLS no: 13649) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a state-chartered bank and is an exempt lender in the following states: AK, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY. Licensed by: AL State Banking Dept.- consumer credit lic no. MC21004; AZ Dept. of Financial Institutions- mortgage banker lic no. BK 0907334; Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act- lender lic no. 4130996; CT Dept. of Banking- lender lic no. ML-13649; D.C. Dept. of Insurance, Securities and Banking- dual authority lic no. MLO13649; IL Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation- lender lic no. MB.6760635; IN Dept. of Financial Institutions- sub lien lender lic no. 11169; ME Dept. of Professional & Financial Regulation- supervised lender lic no. SLM8285; MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing & Regulation- lender lic no. 11058; Massachusetts Division of Banking– lender & broker license nos. MC5404, MC5406, MC5414, MC5450, MC5405; MI Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth- broker/lender lic nos. FR 0010163 and SR 0012527; Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department- lender lic no. 14553-MB; NJ Dept. of Banking and Insurance-lender lic no. 0803658; NM Regulation and Licensing Dept. Financial Institutions Division- lender license no. 01890; ND Dept. of Financial Institutions- money broker lic no. MB101786; RI Division of Banking- lender lic no. 20102678LL and broker lic no. 20102677LB; TX OCCC Reg. Loan License- lic no. 7293; VT Dept. of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration- lender lic no. 6127 and broker lic no. 0964MB; WA Dept. of Financial Institutions-consumer lender lic no. 520-CL-49075. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Market Update for the week of October 25, 2010
INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE Last week saw September Housing Starts UP 0.3% to an annual rate of 610,000 units, well ahead of the expected 580,000 unit pace. Even better, starts are UP 4.1% over a year ago. Interestingly, the September gain was totally driven by a healthy 4.4% rise in single family starts, while multi-family starts dropped 9.7%. But multi-family starts are volatile month to month, and are actually up 100.0% compared to a year ago, while single family starts are off 10.8% during the same time frame.
Builders remain cautious, as new Building Permits for September dropped 5.6%, to a 539,000 annual rate. This number of course reflects plans for builder activity a few months out. Nonetheless, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported builder confidence rose in October for the first time in five months. This brings it to a level not seen since June. The NAHB's chief economist feels the new home market is now past the quiet period that followed the expiration of the home buyer tax credits and the summer slowdown in the economy.
>>> Review of Last Week
UP WITH VOLATILITY... It was not a quiet week on Wall Street, with a big move down in stock prices, which then came back up. But the markets did close up four out of the five days, so the week ended with all three major indexes ahead once again. Investors focused on a pile of pretty good corporate earnings results, but there were some less than stellar economic reports to get through too.
Industrial Production was off 0.2% in September, below estimates, though production is up at a 4.9% annual rate for the last six months. Capacity Utilization also dipped down to 74.7% for September, although it's still 6.5 percentage points above the low it hit back in June 2009. Countering these figures, the Philadelphia Fed Index for manufacturing in that region was back into positive territory. Leading Economic Indicators were up 0.3% for the month and weekly jobless claims fell a bit, though they're still well above 400,000.
The good news came in corporate earnings, with more than 100 S&P 500 companies reporting including 12 of the Dow components. The financials did well, with 21 out of 27 reporting better than expected earnings per share. In the tech sector, Apple and IBM also did nicely in the earnings department. Coca-Cola, Caterpillar, and airlines also showed gains. Even though the recovery has slowed, the vast majority of public companies continue to make good profit numbers.
For the week, the Dow ended UP 0.6%, to 11132.56; the S&P 500 was also UP 0.6%, to 1183.08; and the Nasdaq was UP 0.4%, to 2479.39.
Trading ranges in the bond market didn't go too wide, as investors stayed interested enough to keep prices up. The FNMA 30-year 4.0% bond we watch ended UP 12 basis points for the week, closing at $103.12. Freddie Mac's weekly survey showed national average mortgage rates for most mortgages remaining at historically low levels.
>>> This Week’s Forecast
NOTHING SCARY... As we head into Halloween this week, it looks like nothing too frightening will be reported on the economic front. Monday's Existing Home Sales are projected up for September, just like September New Home Sales are expected to report come Wednesday. Friday, we get the Advanced Q3 GDP numbers, which economists are forecasting to be modestly positive.
Consumer Confidence on Tuesday and Michigan Consumer Sentiment on Friday are both projected to be up a tiny bit. Friday's Employment Cost Index should continue with modest growth, while the Chicago PMI is predicted to show a small decline in manufacturing in that region of the country.
>>> The Week’s Economic Indicator Calendar
Weaker than expected economic data tends to send bond prices up and interest rates down, while positive data points to lower bond prices and rising loan rates.
Economic Calendar for the Week of October 25 – October 29
Forecasting Federal Reserve policy changes in coming months As economists debate how big the second round of quantitative easing (QE-2) will be, they're all in agreement that the Fed Funds Rate will stay at its rock bottom level for quite a bit more time. Note: In the lower chart, a 1% probability of change is a 99% certainty the rate will stay the same.
Current Fed Funds Rate: 0%–0.25%:
Probability of change from current policy:
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© 2010 PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company. Trade/service marks are the property of PlainsCapital Corporation, PlainsCapital Bank, or their respective affiliates and/or subsidiaries. Some products may not be available in all states. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company (NMLS no: 13649) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a state-chartered bank and is an exempt lender in the following states: AK, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY. Licensed by: AL State Banking Dept.- consumer credit lic no. MC21004; AZ Dept. of Financial Institutions- mortgage banker lic no. BK 0907334; Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act- lender lic no. 4130996; CT Dept. of Banking- lender lic no. ML-13649; D.C. Dept. of Insurance, Securities and Banking- dual authority lic no. MLO13649; IL Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation- lender lic no. MB.6760635; IN Dept. of Financial Institutions- sub lien lender lic no. 11169; ME Dept. of Professional & Financial Regulation- supervised lender lic no. SLM8285; MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing & Regulation- lender lic no. 11058; Massachusetts Division of Banking– lender & broker license nos. MC5404, MC5406, MC5414, MC5450, MC5405; MI Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth- broker/lender lic nos. FR 0010163 and SR 0012527; Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department- lender lic no. 14553-MB; NJ Dept. of Banking and Insurance-lender lic no. 0803658; NM Regulation and Licensing Dept. Financial Institutions Division- lender license no. 01890; ND Dept. of Financial Institutions- money broker lic no. MB101786; RI Division of Banking- lender lic no. 20102678LL and broker lic no. 20102677LB; TX OCCC Reg. Loan License- lic no. 7293; VT Dept. of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration- lender lic no. 6127 and broker lic no. 0964MB; WA Dept. of Financial Institutions-consumer lender lic no. 520-CL-49075. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Take time to create a home inventory before disaster strikes!
We all hope we'll never have a theft, fire, flood or other weather-related disaster happen to our homes. But if one of these things should occur, you don't want to rack your brain trying to figure out what you've lost in order to file your insurance claim. The answer is to create an inventory of everything that's in your home. But the time to do it is now – before the loss occurs.
Creating a complete home inventory does take a few hours of your time. You'll want to look at your insurance policies, find receipts, take pictures, write up a list, and then put all these records away in a safe place. But experts advise you to make an inventory of your home's contents no matter what their value. This documents your ownership and the value of your items, which you'll need when filing an insurance claim.
Incidentally, once you've created a detailed list of everything in your home, be sure to compare your values to the coverage provided by your insurance policy. You'll want to have enough money to replace these belongings if they're damaged or stolen. You may be able to buy additional coverage if your possessions are worth more than what's covered in the policy.
A Simple Process
The easiest way to approach making an inventory of what you own is to walk around your home with a digital camera and a notepad to jot down what you're photographing. Even better, use a digital video camera, which you can get these days for about $150. With a video, you can just walk from one room to the next and describe the items out loud for the camera to record on the soundtrack. You can point out if something is an antique and you can mention important features, like the kinds of stones that are in a necklace or the size of a flat-screen TV.
Open up closets, cabinets and drawers to make sure you're not missing any contents. Take close-ups of serial numbers on electronic equipment, appliances, and power tools. Don't forget to photograph and list everyone's clothing and estimate its value. List brands, quantities, and condition along with these values – all this is important information when you're filing an insurance claim.
Get It out of the House
When you're finished, just make sure all your home inventory documentation is kept in a place away from your home. Digital information can be stored online using backup services like iBackup.com or Carbonite.com, which cost a few dollars a month. If you want to save that money, transfer the files to an inexpensive USB "thumb drive" that you can put in your safe-deposit box, someone else's home, or in an emergency bag containing the essentials your family will need if they have to evacuate your home on very short notice. A file containing your receipts and any appraisals of valuable items should also be stored off-site.
All this may sound like a bit of work, but it could mean thousands of dollars to you if anything happens. So good luck putting your home inventory together!
As always, please feel free to contact us at any time about any matters relating to home financing or refinancing.
... Have a great day!
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© 2010 PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company. Trade/service marks are the property of PlainsCapital Corporation, PlainsCapital Bank, or their respective affiliates and/or subsidiaries. Some products may not be available in all states. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company (NMLS no: 13649) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a state-chartered bank and is an exempt lender in the following states: AK, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY. Licensed by: AL State Banking Dept.- consumer credit lic no. MC21004; AZ Dept. of Financial Institutions- mortgage banker lic no. BK 0907334; Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act- lender lic no. 4130996; CT Dept. of Banking- lender lic no. ML-13649; D.C. Dept. of Insurance, Securities and Banking- dual authority lic no. MLO13649; IL Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation- lender lic no. MB.6760635; IN Dept. of Financial Institutions- sub lien lender lic no. 11169; ME Dept. of Professional & Financial Regulation- supervised lender lic no. SLM8285; MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing & Regulation- lender lic no. 11058; Massachusetts Division of Banking– lender & broker license nos. MC5404, MC5406, MC5414, MC5450, MC5405; MI Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth- broker/lender lic nos. FR 0010163 and SR 0012527; Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department- lender lic no. 14553-MB; NJ Dept. of Banking and Insurance-lender lic no. 0803658; NM Regulation and Licensing Dept. Financial Institutions Division- lender license no. 01890; ND Dept. of Financial Institutions- money broker lic no. MB101786; RI Division of Banking- lender lic no. 20102678LL and broker lic no. 20102677LB; TX OCCC Reg. Loan License- lic no. 7293; VT Dept. of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration- lender lic no. 6127 and broker lic no. 0964MB; WA Dept. of Financial Institutions-consumer lender lic no. 520-CL-49075. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.
Creating a complete home inventory does take a few hours of your time. You'll want to look at your insurance policies, find receipts, take pictures, write up a list, and then put all these records away in a safe place. But experts advise you to make an inventory of your home's contents no matter what their value. This documents your ownership and the value of your items, which you'll need when filing an insurance claim.
Incidentally, once you've created a detailed list of everything in your home, be sure to compare your values to the coverage provided by your insurance policy. You'll want to have enough money to replace these belongings if they're damaged or stolen. You may be able to buy additional coverage if your possessions are worth more than what's covered in the policy.
A Simple Process
The easiest way to approach making an inventory of what you own is to walk around your home with a digital camera and a notepad to jot down what you're photographing. Even better, use a digital video camera, which you can get these days for about $150. With a video, you can just walk from one room to the next and describe the items out loud for the camera to record on the soundtrack. You can point out if something is an antique and you can mention important features, like the kinds of stones that are in a necklace or the size of a flat-screen TV.
Open up closets, cabinets and drawers to make sure you're not missing any contents. Take close-ups of serial numbers on electronic equipment, appliances, and power tools. Don't forget to photograph and list everyone's clothing and estimate its value. List brands, quantities, and condition along with these values – all this is important information when you're filing an insurance claim.
Get It out of the House
When you're finished, just make sure all your home inventory documentation is kept in a place away from your home. Digital information can be stored online using backup services like iBackup.com or Carbonite.com, which cost a few dollars a month. If you want to save that money, transfer the files to an inexpensive USB "thumb drive" that you can put in your safe-deposit box, someone else's home, or in an emergency bag containing the essentials your family will need if they have to evacuate your home on very short notice. A file containing your receipts and any appraisals of valuable items should also be stored off-site.
All this may sound like a bit of work, but it could mean thousands of dollars to you if anything happens. So good luck putting your home inventory together!
As always, please feel free to contact us at any time about any matters relating to home financing or refinancing.
... Have a great day!
---------------------
© 2010 PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company. Trade/service marks are the property of PlainsCapital Corporation, PlainsCapital Bank, or their respective affiliates and/or subsidiaries. Some products may not be available in all states. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company (NMLS no: 13649) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a state-chartered bank and is an exempt lender in the following states: AK, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY. Licensed by: AL State Banking Dept.- consumer credit lic no. MC21004; AZ Dept. of Financial Institutions- mortgage banker lic no. BK 0907334; Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act- lender lic no. 4130996; CT Dept. of Banking- lender lic no. ML-13649; D.C. Dept. of Insurance, Securities and Banking- dual authority lic no. MLO13649; IL Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation- lender lic no. MB.6760635; IN Dept. of Financial Institutions- sub lien lender lic no. 11169; ME Dept. of Professional & Financial Regulation- supervised lender lic no. SLM8285; MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing & Regulation- lender lic no. 11058; Massachusetts Division of Banking– lender & broker license nos. MC5404, MC5406, MC5414, MC5450, MC5405; MI Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth- broker/lender lic nos. FR 0010163 and SR 0012527; Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department- lender lic no. 14553-MB; NJ Dept. of Banking and Insurance-lender lic no. 0803658; NM Regulation and Licensing Dept. Financial Institutions Division- lender license no. 01890; ND Dept. of Financial Institutions- money broker lic no. MB101786; RI Division of Banking- lender lic no. 20102678LL and broker lic no. 20102677LB; TX OCCC Reg. Loan License- lic no. 7293; VT Dept. of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration- lender lic no. 6127 and broker lic no. 0964MB; WA Dept. of Financial Institutions-consumer lender lic no. 520-CL-49075. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.
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