(386) Area Community Blog

The Callan Group Hiring

The Callan Group (www.thecallangrp.com), continues to grow! We are almost at our 5 year anniversary. We identified the need for small to mid-size businesses – to create custom, ghost-written email newsletters to keep them in touch with their biggest marketing tool – their current clients! Most business owners don’t have the time, technology and marketing skills to do this on a regular basis and to be effective. To take our company to the next level we are looking for experienced, highly-motivated and well connected sales people! The attached chart represents potential earnings. The sales person would: • Identify the ideal client • Excite them on the opportunity to keep in touch with their clients without lifting a finger • Retain them for future bonus and compensation • Our team handles the rest! If you know anyone interested let me know. This has been a very lucrative business. It is a growing field. Very cool stuff!

My Two Cents

The second article of "My Two Cents" is out. This month we feature tips for coupon-ing for consumers and businesses alike. Keeping local in mind - shout outs to LuLu's Oceanside Grill and @Ariel Beckner - love for you to share! 

Also check out "Embrace the Race" which got rave reviews!

http://www.ormondbeachobserver.com/my-two-cents-the-couponing-conflict-or-to-cut-or-not-to-cut/

http://www.ormondbeachobserver.com/my-two-cents-embrace-the-race/

TruthAboutEmailNewsletterOpenRate

 

Open Rate Truth Be Told

Oh, where do we begin when it comes
to open rates? Well, you can Google it yourself to see the numbers are not
accurate and a nice gauge to see how your email newsletters are getting to your
readers.

The average open rate is below by industry. Listen to our vLog to learn thetruth about
open rates…including that when you view your email newsletters on your phone
those numbers will not report…you be the judge!

Business Type   Open Rate
Accountant         15%
Art Gallery          23%
Associations       21%
Consultants        15%
Education           19%
Entertainment   16%
Event Planning  17%
Government      23%
Hotels                19%
Legal                   19%
Manufacturing  19%
Marketing/PR    15%
Medical               18%
Non-profit          22%
Office Supplies  13%
Personal Services  18%
Professional Services 17%
Real Estate          16%
Religious Organization   23%
Restaurants        19%
Retail                   18%
Salon/Spa            17%
Technology         15%
Travel & Tourism  17%
Web                        18%

Holiday-Email-Newsletter-Tips

Listen for tips on how to make your email newsletters and marketing work for you this holiday season! The Callan Group offers several examples on how to capture your audience and set your business a part from the rest!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfxqEjBa42E&feature=youtu.be

Helping Hurricane Sandy Victims One Click at a Time

The
Callan Group

PO Box 4292

Ormond
Beach, FL 32175

 

Office:     386-538-1083

Fax:        651-436-0284

www.TheCallanGrp.com 

FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Diane Michael, Creative Director

Phone:
386-538-1083

Email: Diane@TheCallanGrp.com  

Helping Hurricane Sandy Victims One Click at a Time
Local business encouraging a viral campaign to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy

ORMOND BEACH, FL (Saturday, November 3, 2012) - With relief efforts happening from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, The Callan Group wants to help by donating $1 for every LIKE on their business
Facebook page or Twitter page. "The idea is to drive traffic on social media sites so more people see the post and possibly do the same thing," said Diane Michael, owner of the custom email newsletter company. "We were trying to find a way to raise funds for this immediate need and felt a viral
campaign would be the best way to gain the most exposure."

About The Callan Group
The mission of this Veteran/Woman owned firm is to assist the business community by
bringing experience, innovation and training to help further economic growth
through custom, personalized electronic marketing. The Callan Group was awarded
a Bronze Addy Award by the American Advertising Federation for exceptional work
in electronic marketing and all their employees are active in several
non-profit organizations in Volusia and Flagler counties.

Diane Michael named one of the Volusia/Flagler 2012 Most Influential Women in Business

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2012 --  The 2012 Influential Women in Business published by The Volusia/Flagler Business Report came out on Monday, September 24, 2012. Diane Michael with The Callan Group, LLC was one of the chosen women. Being nominated by one of her MomPreneur representatives, Deb Wind, Michael was flattered to be honored with this title. “Being recognized with so many influential women in our community makes me want to step it up a notch,” proclaimed Michael.

In 2008 Diane Michael created The Callan Group, LLC, an electronic email newsletter company where company representatives create all the content and graphics needed for their clients who do not have the time or technology to stay in touch with their customers on their own. “We provide a tool for retention that creates referrals and positions businesses as experts in their industry for a very affordable fee,” Michael stated. The Callan Group LLC’s proprietary software mimics national companies with its sophistication and proven results. The difference between the firm and national email newsletter providers is that the company representatives do all the work for their clients.

  Michael has expanded her business by seeking out MomPreneurs offering a Business in a Box program. It’s a turn-key opportunity for women who are interested in working for themselves. “With the right attitude, contacts and ambition success for anyone interested is in the stars” said Michael.

Three Awesome Emails to Increase Customer

Customer retention is one of the
hardest and most important things to get right in business. Tools and metrics
abound for wooing and impressing new customers. Marketing analytics tend to
focus on the point of conversion, and marketing budgets are often geared toward
driving acquisition. New customers are exciting. They cause sales bells to ring.
But your existing customers, the ones who have made the decision to stick by
you, need some careful attention too. Here are a few email ideas to keep your
existing customers engaged and happy with their experience throughout the
customer lifecycle.

Read more from HubSpot

Recent survey on how Volusia and Flagler businnes owners use their electronic mediums.

1.How many times a day do you look at
Facebook? If hourly, how often?

• 
  Couple of times a week   ***** (5)
• 
  Once a day ** (2)
• 
  Hourly ******* (7)
• 
  Every 15 minutes * (1)
• 
  No **** (4)

 

2.Do you have an active Twitter account
that you post on weekly/monthly?

• 
  No********** (10)
• 
  Yes, weekly****** (6)
• 
  Yes, daily ** (2)
• 
  Have account, do not post * (1)

 

3. How many email newsletters do you
receive a week?

• 
  25 (estimate, varies) (1)
• 
  5-10** (2)
• 
  1-5 ******* (7)
• 
  10-15 ****** (6)
• 
  Don’t know *** (3)

 

4.Do you receive any emails from businesses
you didn't sign up for that you

continue to receive and don't mind getting?

• 
  No ******* (7)
• 
  Yes *********** (12)

 

5. Do you have more than one e! mail
account that you check daily?

• 
  Yes, one personal, one business*
  (1)
• 
  Yes************* (12)
• 
  No ****** (6)

 

6.How many times an hour do you check your
email?

• 
  Approx. once per hour *******
  (7)
• 
  3 times a day * (1)
• 
  No * (1)
• 
  Once a day * (1)
• 
  Continuously ***** (5)
• 
  Every  5-15 mins **** (4)

 

7. How many times an hour do you look a t
your text messages?

• 
  When received **************
  (13)
• 
  Once **** (4)
• 
  Don’t ** (2)

8. Do you have a Smartphone?

• 
  No**** (4)
• 
  Yes *************** (15)

 

9. Do you subscribe to any magazines?

• 
  Yes ************** (14)
• 
  No ***** (5)

 

10. How often do you read the local
newspaper whether in print or online?

• 
  Daily************* (13)
• 
  3 times a week  * (1)
• 
  Once a week * (1)
• 
  Rare ** (2)
• 
  When receiving a link * (1)

11. Do you subscribe to any blogs or rss
feeds? If so, how many?

• 
  No******** (8)
• 
  Yes, a couple (1-6) *********
  (10)
• 
  Yes, 10 * (1)

 

12. Do you know how to display images in an
email newsletter where you're

viewing x's where pictures should be?

• 
  Yes (15)
• 
  No (4)

 

13. Do you know how to add an email sender
to your safe sender list?

• 
  Yes (14)
• 
  n/a (1)
• 
  No (4)

 

14. Do you know how to export email addresses out of your electronic address

book?

• 
  No (5)
• 
  Yes (13)
• 
  n/a (1)

 

15. What do you do with print direct mail?

• 
  Read it (4)
• 
  Throw it away (15)

 

16. Do you keep/save the yellow pages or
phone boom?

• 
  No (12)
• 
  Yes (7)

 

17. If you receive! d an ema il with a
video in it, would you press play and

watch if the message was less than 5
minutes?

• 
  If time allowed and it appeared
  to be of interest  or known source(16)
• 
  No ( 3)

18. Do you know what rss feed means?

• 
  Yes (15)
• 
  No (4)

19. Do you know what www means?

• 
  Yes (19)

 

 

20. Do you know what https means?

• 
  No (2)
• 
  Yes (17)

21. Do you LIKE most businesses that ask
you to LIKE them on Facebook?

• 
  Yes,  (6)
• 
  No (5)
• 
  Occasionally (If known or if
  interested) (8)

The Callan Group's Business In A Box Program

Are you a parent who wants to help your recent college grad by buying them a business?

College Grads, Marketing Executives, Advertising Specialists, Previous Business Owners,
Social Butterflies, Networking Gurus...the list goes on and on...does this sound
like you?

Our recent campaigns have focused on MOMs however our Business in a Box program can
fit anyone who is motivated to be their own boss.

Our training program has been beta tested, tweaked and revised to now offer an
affordable way for individuals to work for themselves, create their own wealth, work remotely and build their own business by being contracted agents of The Callan Group.

All of our reps own their own business and are paid agents of The Callan
Group.

The Callan Group's lucrative, proven business model - "Business in a Box" recruits ideal reps
WHO...

-know 5-10 business owners or decision makers

-want more balance in their lives

-are over the 9-5 rat race

-want to have the best boss in the world - themselves

-desire and dream of unlimited earning potential but don't know how to get there!!If
this sounds like you or someone you know...watch this 10 minute video to learn more about our training program.

Why Email Marketing is Important

E-mail marketing is one of the best ways to nurture relationships with customers and potential customers. Although social media is hot, e-mail marketing has an important role to play in online marketing and content distribution.

Why e-mail marketing is important

 

• Speed: It’s instantaneous.
• Efficiency: Send one e-mail or 1,000 e-mails with one mouse click.
• Management tools: Track who receives your mail, who reads it and what they do next.
• Coverage: Most everyone reads their e-mail.
• History: E-mail is in your inbox, while social media is dynamic. If you miss a Tweet, it's gone.

 

These factors explain why e-mail marketing is a popular way to reach out to new and existing customers electronically. It’s a way to send word of deals, reward loyalty or simply get your brand message in front of new eyes.

The Direct Marketing Association reports that 23.8 percent of marketing e-mails were opened in the most recent quarter, up 7.1 percent from the previous quarter. E-mail is bringing in $40.56 for every dollar spent on it in 2011, compared to catalogs' ROI of $7.30, according to DMA.

“As we come to the end of 2011, e-mail is not just alive, it's thriving,” said Martin Lieberman, a managing editor with e-mail marketing vendor Constant Contact. “More messages are being sent, [and] people say they prefer e-mail over other communications methods.”

Avoid spam and send quality messages

Even with the best tools in hand, a savvy business owner approaches e-mail marketing with a degree of caution. There’s a fine line between marketing e-mail and spam. No one wants your spam.

While all of these services have special tweaks to help keep your message out of the spam filter, that doesn’t mean it isn’t spam. The heart of the distinction is content. If your mail fulfills a need and desire, if it serves a purpose and adds value for the recipient, it’s legitimate marketing.

Like many other national companies, the Callan Group is committed to personalized service handling all aspects of e-correspondence for the client. Business owners save time and money by outsourcing different aspects of their business...e-newsletters need to be handled in the same way. Other national e-newsletter companies offer small fees, however you have to do everything yourself from uploading email addresses to providing high resolution graphics to guessing the sizes of tables to maintaining opt out options. Do you or your company have the time for that? Contact us!

These few tips help ensure that all of your e-mails are quality messages.

• Know your audience.
• Write to your audience.
• Use great subject lines.
• Don't write too frequently and don't write too infrequently.
• Review your e-mail analytics to learn which topics are most clicked on, and what times of the day are most popular for sending e-mail.
• Keep your content interesting and relevant.

 

Happy e-mailing!

Source

 

Pro's and Cons of Doing Your Own E-mail Newsletters

The Callan Group provides: 

• Creation of a customized electronic template to mimic the look of your website
• Monthly design and creation of the e-newsletter content with guidance from you
• Upload of new constituent email addresses (manually or electronically)
• Storage of unlimited email addresses and ability to send up to 10,000
• Come from the reader’s perspective
• Create actual marketing concepts monthly (interview clients, talk about community involvement, capture pictures, etc.)
• Vehicle to drive traffic to every other form of marketing (social, website, billboards, buses, benches, etc.)

 

This saves their employees time in creating and managing the entire process of the e-Newsletter for just $250/month.

There is a $200 set up fee associated and we ask for a 12 month agreement. At anytime that they want to get out of contract we can short-rate the service since we have a tiered approach for monthly requests.

 

Here are cons in managing your own e-Newsletter:

• Too often the content is written from an internal viewpoint instead of reader perspective, we come from a reader’s perspective that will decrease the number of opt outs and be more friendly to read.
• Not consistent – without having a consistent message you loose the total effect of an e-Marketing campaign
• Gets overlooked – many times this process is overlooked due to time sensitivity of other projects
• Doesn’t look professional – in house and national companies offer templates that sometimes do not look professional because of too many words in a text box or borders not lining up properly. You want a professional message going out to your clients.
• No time – staff is being asked more and more to do more and more – The Callan Group’s program takes this off their plates.