eMarketing Insights - Our eNewsletter

Interview: eMarketing Tips, Mistakes and Best Bets

I was recently interviewed by Décor Magazine, the oldest and most prestigious national print publication for the art gallery and framing industry. Décor asked me about internet marketing and how it can help its core readers, which are mostly high-end art gallery owners.

Below you will find my answers to Décor's interview and an audio podcast of the interview.


	Q. Tell me about Loop Consulting Group and the extent of your duties as President. What exactly is the company and what does it do? Loop Consulting Group helps organizations use the Internet to achieve their online marketing, communications, and revenue goals. We specialize in the use and integration of online communications tools like websites and search engine optimization, eNewsletters, business blogs, and online video production and distribution.

Q. What unique challenges face small, independently owned businesses in trying to get their marketing messages out? Obviously, smaller budgets, but what else? How can they overcome these challenges?

I think one of the biggest challenges is choosing the right marketing vehicle, or marketing tools options. There are dozens of ways for a business to get their message out. Businesses can use tools to increase website visibility, they can set up a "pay-per-click" program, add an eNewsletter, a blog, or an online video. More...

Q. What are the biggest misperceptions that businesses have about online marketing? Why do they have these misperceptions? How do you cure them of said misperceptions?

It's a mix between traditional marketing, the way things have always been done, and a new online channel. There are approximately 6 billion humans on earth, and from that number, 1.3 billion connect to the web in some way or another. More...

Q. What are the most crucial tips you can give people who'd like to achieve successful online marketing programs?

The beauty of the web is in its ability to launch products, services, and information in real-time, and then test it for results. No other medium lets you actually test the message with the actual audience in its fully functional environment. More...

Q. Tell me more about the 80/20 rule. Are there any instances where a company can get away with including more than 20% advertising in a newsletter/article? Why are 80 and 20 the magic numbers?

The 80/20 rule is just a rule of thumb or an easy to remember tip. It comes from the old marketing saying that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers, so you should focus most of your marketing efforts on that 20%, since they generate the most revenue. More...

Q. What has been your greatest success in online marketing?

Marketing is a work in progress, part art and part science. A campaign that is successful today may not be successful tomorrow. By using different online tools, we've created very successful campaigns for the following clients:


	Pet Supermarket- a large chain of stores that carries pet food and related products. More...

Results: By using the survey tool at the bottom of each issue, we've found that 60% of the readers find the advice "useful", so they keep opening the eNewsletter issue after issue. More... "PetScoop" current issue...

	The Latin Builders Association is South Florida's most influential professional association for the advocacy of real estate development. We create and produce an online video channel called LBATV. Results: The response from the members has been overwhelming, and the response from the organization's sponsors has been even better. More... LBATV video archive...

Q. How much do e-mail monitoring and spam filter-penetrating services cost? Are they worth it for small businesses? Why or why not?

Prices range depending on the sophistication of the software and your network needs. Most small businesses already receive some kind of anti-spam protection at their PC level or ISP level. More...