Top 5 Reasons to Attend Market Charlotte 2016

One of the experts on Agile marketing that will be speaking at this year’s Market Charlotte on May 26th is Roland Smart from Oracle. According to Smart, “marketers will benefit from Agile in their own department because they are managing more technology than ever before, and Agile is the proven best practice...”

Additionally, in a recent Wrike survey of more than 800 marketers, over 70% confirmed they have already implemented Agile marketing to some degree. Can you see why Market Charlotte is an event you do not want to miss?

However, in case you are still on the fence, here are the top 5 reasons why you need to attend:

1. Put you and your company ahead of the curve on Agile Marketing.
Why is this important? Roland Smart can sum it up in under 3 minutes in this short video: What is Agile Marketing?

2. You receive a FREE copy of speaker Roland Smart’s book, The Agile Marketer: Turning Customer Experience Into Your Competitive Advantage, with your ticket.
Smart’s book was just released in March. One digital marketing agency described it as, “a must-read for the modern marketer looking to align their approach to the challenges of today’s business landscape.”

3. Your company will probably pay for your ticket.
It’s easy with our pre-written sponsorship request letter. Just edit your info and email to your manager. See the template, below.

4. Opportunity to network with Charlotte’s ‘best and brightest’ in marketing
Market Charlotte 2016 is a big event. A cutting edge marketing approach will be presented by some of top opinion leaders in the industry. Therefore, you can expect your fellow key players in the local marketing scene will be in attendance.

5. How often do you get to check out the Mint Museum?
Did you know The Mint Museum offers one of the largest art collections in the Southeast? It is also a former “Attraction Of The Year” award winner by Visit Charlotte. Come to Market Charlotte to see for yourself!

And did you hear the latest news?? CAMA was able to lower the event ticket prices thanks to their incredible sponsors, Boingo Graphics, The Creative Group, and Helio One. But as you can imagine tickets are limited, so be sure to get yours now!

REGISTER HERE

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Market Charlotte Attendance Request

I am writing to request [company name] sponsors my attendance to Market Charlotte on May 26, 2016. This event, hosted by the Charlotte chapter of the American Marketing Association, will be providing education on Agile marketing.

Agile is a rapidly emerging marketing approach. It emphasizes greater productivity, adaptability to change, and ability to measure results in days, rather than weeks or months.

Additionally, it allows for better management of marketing technologies. Therefore, I feel it is important for [company name] to have a representative in attendance to absorb the presentation materials.

Two of the most sought after experts on Agile from Oracle and CMG will be the presenting the latest in best practices, strategies, and case studies. The speaker from Oracle, Roland Smart, recently published a book on Agile marketing, which we will receive a free copy at the event.

I will provide you a summary of the key takeaways, which will include:

• How Agile is used in marketing
• How Agile integrates with traditional marketing practices
• What it means for the future of marketing

Also, please note, this is an evening event so I will not be missing any work. I am willing to go on my own time because I feel the learning experience will benefit both company and personal development.

I only ask [company name] pays the $69.57 [$51.63 for AMA members] ticket price.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to your reply.

Regards,

5 Easy Tips to Boost Your Email Marketing Strategy

By Tara Lilly, Social Media + Content Manager at the South Agency and Owner of Tara Lilly Design

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With 205 billion emails sent daily, it’s no surprise many marketers utilize email as a channel to build into their content and promotion strategies. Customers are inundated with new emails popping up in their inbox hour after hour, but that doesn’t mean you have to wave the white flag. It means making sure you’re getting the right message, in front of the right audience and at the right time. It means giving them a reason to open your emails and click on your links.

Below are five tips you can easily implement in your email marketing strategy to re-engage subscribers and improve open + click rates:

Make Them Feel Special

Raise the bar for subscribers by making them feel like they are in an exclusive club. By sending them a special offer or a piece or content first or even solely to them, being a subscriber to your email list will have value.

Banana Republic has been known to send special sale “perks” to their subscribers by offering a discount valid for a short period of time. When subscribers receive emails from the brand, they know there’s a reward in doing so and often times, a reward just for them.

A Simple Thank You Goes Along Way

While each email is screaming for attention in subscribers’ inboxes, not many emails are there to just say: thank you. Sending an email to show you care, takes little work but carries a lot of weight in lasting impressions with your brand. Take a moment to show a warm side of your brand by showing appreciation (and giving subscribers one more reason to love your brand).

Make it Personal

Every subscriber is not the same, so don’t treat them the same! Sending mass emails across your entire email database will result in low open rates and unsubscribes. Treat each email address as there’s an individual behind it:

• Add the subscriber’s name in the subject line or body of the email
• Send them warm wishes on a special day in their life: birthday, holidays, their anniversary as your customer or even their pet’s birthday!
• Write your messages in a conversational tone to humanize your brand.

Make It Easy

With more than 66% of emails being read on a mobile device, making sure your email template scales to fit smaller screens is crucial to the readability and user experience. Many email marketing companies offer this service in their software, but testing your emails before launching (images, copy, template) will make sure your subscribers don’t have to work hard to consume your content.

If subscribers want to find out more information beyond your email, provide links directly to the pages of your product or service. Seems like common sense, but this step is often missed by companies. Providing a link to your homepage then expecting visitors to search for content is too much work and attention spans are too short. Provide links to landing pages and don’t forget to include a way they can easily fill out a form, make a purchase or contact.

Include Visuals to Strengthen Your Message

Adding images to your email campaigns helps grab subscribers’ attention and make your message even more powerful.

Choose 1 – 3 images that fit your brand, resonate with your message and more importantly, are the recommended file size by your email marketing provider (remember 66% of email are read on mobile devices). 

Add your call to action inside an image with a hyperlink as well as within the text. Your recipient will already have their eyes land on the image so make it actionable! Incase they have images blocked or it does not load, by having the CTA in the text as well will make sure they’ll still receive the request for the action you’d like them to take.

What tips do you have to fire up your subscriber list?