Farewell 2020!
As we finally reach the finish line of 2020, all of us at BOS Media wanted to say one more huge THANK YOU to everyone we get to work with. In a challenging year, we feel extra grateful for the relationships that add so much meaning to the work we get to do everyday.
Hope we all go into 2021 not taking anything for granted.
We appreciate you!!!
If Your Judging This, You Just Made Our Point
First things first: the typo in the subject line was INTENTIONAL.
If you’re one of those people who saw that and instantly felt embarrassed on our behalf, that’s EXACTLY the lesson we hope everyone learns today.
Bad copy is like having a piece of spinach on your front tooth. You don’t know it’s there, but everyone else sees it.
The last thing you want is for that disgusting green speck to shape how people form their opinion of your business.
COPYWRITING MATTERS.
It could literally be the difference between someone wanting to work with you, or dismissing you as unprofessional.
And one last note, to the people who didn’t even notice the typo above and think we might be making too big a deal out of this: I hope you’re listening most of all. It may not be an issue to YOU, but what if it’s a big deal to the client you’re trying to impress? You don’t want to be like that stinky kid in PE class who doesn’t even know he smells.
Sorry for all the gross metaphors, but hopefully it shows how words can definitely capture your attention! If you need any help with your copywriting, just know: we’re hear here for you.
How To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse
You might be surprised at how much “the zombie apocalypse” has come up around BOS Media lately. #mustbe2020
It started on the podcast we recently shared, “Our Last Podcast” – which, to be clear, is not actually our last podcast. We were just reflecting on ways this year has felt like the end of the world, and that got us thinking – if this was the very last thing we got to record, what would we say?
Inevitably, that led to some zombie-fighting protocols. And not to scare you, but we believe they’re already among us: 
Seriously though, this has huge implications for your business. How do we navigate a world of people mindlessly staring at their phones, scrolling through an infinite abyss?
In this context, YOUR WORDS MATTER more than ever before.
Because there’s one thing that’s proven to stop a zombie in their tracks.
No, not a 12 gauge shotgun.
A great story.
That’s why we put so much of our focus at BOS Media on YOUR STORY. With the right words, your story has the power to draw people in and drive your business.
We know finding the right words can be challenging, but it’s essential. The right words will generate interest; the wrong ones will be ignored.
If you ever need support with your copywriting, BOS Media is here for you. We love helping give new language to your message, with words that even a zombie will pay attention to.
Here’s to surviving this apocalypse, together!
BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL – 100% Off All Items In Store!!!
That subject line may have been a bit misleading… since we actually don’t sell products in stores.
BUT we do have ideas for some sweet BOS Media merchandise in the future – how about BOS Media flamethrowers?!? Perfect for the kids.
Seriously though, we know this week is usually all about food and family, and we recognize that this year may present a challenge to some of your normal traditions. You might not be around the same table as last year, or able to connect in person with loved ones.
Wherever you are, we want you to know: WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU. At BOS Media, we really believe that relationships are the most important thing in the world. We genuinely hope that everyone we work with feels like family.
Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to support you this holiday season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
What’s Stopping You?
All this month, we’ve been talking about how creating a lead generator with an email campaign can be a game-changer for your business. The only question is,
What’s stopping you??
We’ve already answered every question you might have:
- Why should I do this? (creating value drives business!)
- What if I don’t know what to write in an email? (you have so much to give!)
- Do email campaigns actually work? (umm, are puppies cute?)
- What if people don’t like what I send? (an unsubscribe is not the end of the world!)
- Digital marketing is not my specialty – how do all this alone? (you don’t have to)
That last question is where BOS Media Group comes in.
We really believe that a strategy to capture emails will revolutionize your business, and we would love to help make it happen.
This is WHAT WE DO – it might feel like extra work to you, but it’s literally our favorite part of the job. We’ll come alongside you, customize the perfect plan to fit your needs, and then present you to the world.
Don’t stop now – give me a call!
You are one click away from taking your business to the next level – let’s get to work!
You Miss 100% Of The Shots You Don’t Take
“You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take!”
I always thought this quote was from Michael Jordan. But no, turns out it was MICHAEL SCOTT (quoting Wayne Gretzky).
There’s a reason I bring this up. In the past few blogs, we’ve been encouraging you to create your own email campaign, knowing it’s an inexpensive yet effective way to grow your business. But what happens when it has the opposite effect?
What if they… UNSUBSCRIBE!
It’s funny, the older I get, the more I realize how insecure we all are, even as adults. We look down at teenagers constantly checking their Likes, but if I’m honest, I maybe do that too (Side note: why do pictures of my puppy get more Likes than pictures of me?!?)
Seriously though: Don’t feel sad. Every time I send out an email, a few minutes later, I get a few “unsubscribed” notifications. Does it make me sad?? Sometimes. (like the time my mom unsubscribed – definitely had to talk to a therapist about that…)
Yes, it can be a subtle form of rejection in a way… like someone saying, “I don’t need you anymore. Don’t bother me. You’re dead to me.” (ok, that last one might be a little dramatic).
BUT on the other hand, what if it’s also a good thing?
One of the most important words you need to know about marketing is: ENGAGEMENT. People love having a big subscriber list and brag about having a bunch of followers, but those numbers can be very empty. What really matters is, how are people engaging with what you share?
When someone unsubscribes, treat it as an opportunity to get some important feedback. What might their decision to unsubscribe at this time suggest?
- Were you sending emails too frequently?
- Was your information no longer relevant?
- Was your content boring?
- Is there a problem with your design?
- Are your emails mobile-friendly?
- Or did you do everything right and the unsubscriber just has tons of their own unresolved personal issues? (✔️ most likely)
The key is to keep moving forward! Do everything you can to create value for the email community you’ve built, and let the unsubscribes show you how to improve your game.
Michael Jordan may not have said that thing about not missing 100% of the shots, but there’s another inspirational poster where he says this:
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
Write that email! Try that new campaign! And if you’re still afraid of rejection, give me a call – I promise, BOS Media will never unsubscribe from you.
Email Marketing And Puppies
The big update in our house this month is a new addition named Bailey.
She immediately brought so much love into our lives. It’s amazing how her simple desire to play, get attention, and be affectionate helps brighten up the day.
What does that have to do with email marketing? A lot, actually.
First, they’re both completely IRRESISTIBLE. I mean, just look at that picture! With that emoji heart, it almost feels surreal, but trust me, she really is that cute.
Email marketing can have that same power! Studies show that email marketing is the number one most effective vehicle for customer acquisition.
It makes sense – you’re able to connect directly at the epicenter of most people’s lives: their phone. Like a puppy, you nestle right into their inbox, next to messages from family, friends and work. Hopefully you also bring VALUE to the audience (as we talked about last time), making your emails even more fruitful.
And the great thing is, those effects are measurable. Here’s where email marketing might even be BETTER than puppies! It’s kind of hard to quantify “adorable”, but if you want to know if an email campaign is successful, the numbers are readily available.
Open-rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, even the unsubscribe rate. All of this gives you valuable insight into the audience response, and how that’s translating into new business.
But what about the cost? That’s where many of us get stuck. With puppies, it’s the vet, the training, the supplies, the food, and of course, picking up poop.
For an email campaign, the good news is, it’s actually one of the cheapest forms of marketing, with the highest ROI of any campaign. (No wonder we get so many emails everyday!)
But to do it right, it will take a valuable resource: TIME.
At BOS Media, our hope is that you are able to make it PERSONAL, customizing an approach that connects with your specific audience. If you ever need help figuring out your own email strategy, we would love to come alongside you to make it happen.
Like the puppy waiting at the door for you, we’ll be here whenever you need us. Give us a call!
Giving Tree
“Once there was a tree… and she loved a little boy.”
So, now you have some people subscribed to your email – what will be your main purpose? To sell to them? NO!! To help them.
I know what you’re thinking: “I’m the one who needs help! I don’t even know what to write about in my emails.”
Don’t worry. Today we’ve brought in an industry expert to show us how it’s done:
A tree.
Specifically, the Giving Tree. If you haven’t read it, warning: this simple children’s book might make you cry. But it really is one of the best examples in history of what it means to PROVIDE VALUE for the people you serve.
In the book, we follow all the different ways the tree gives to the little boy throughout his life:
- providing shade and a place to play;
- providing apples to eat and sell;
- providing wood for a boat;
- and finally, providing a quiet spot to sit and rest.
Some people read this and think, “The tree gets the short end of the stick – why would I want to do that?” It’s a fair question, especially in the early years of building a business. But remember: the goal is to play the long game. Think about it this way: the tree is “in business” with the boy when he’s a kid, all the way until he’s an old man.
If you do this right, you’ll have a customer for life.
The important thing to remember is: YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE. Probably more than you realize. Here are our TOP 5 ideas for email content that will create value for your subscribers:
- Help them solve a problem. We say this all the time, but one of the most important questions to ask in business is, “What problem am I solving for people?” If you can answer that question, your content is sure to provide a distinct benefit to customers.
- Link them to relevant case studies. “Case study” is just a fancy way of saying, “How are other people solving this?” Do your research and pass the findings on to your subscribers.
- Teach them something new. Learning is power. E-books, e-courses and webinars can help position you as the expert in your industry and create invaluable bonds with your customers.
- Give stuff away. Never underestimate the power of free resources. It could be a discount, or a small promotional gift. Honestly, I’m shocked at how often I go to Del Taco just because they offer me a BOGO burrito.
- Share success stories. Tell about the practical ways your product or service has worked for others. It may sound self-serving, but it helps people see the tangible difference you’ll be able to make in their lives too. AND if you’re don’t want to sound braggy, let someone else say it for you through a customer testimonial!
Hope you’re inspired to start coming up with your own ideas! Remember: it’s about them, not about you. Trust me (and the tree) – helping them really will help you in the end.
Free Gmail
What was your first email address? Mine was [email protected]. I was so happy that my first and last name was available. It helps since I was the only Hanju that I knew existed. Until…I started getting these odd emails from people that claim to know me that I didn’t know. I found out later that there’s another Hanju Lee that lives in Baltimore who had the email [email protected]. People were getting yahoo and hotmail mixed up which were two of three that existed at the time. The third one was aol.com. I ended up contacting Hanju in Baltimore to say hi. I wonder how he’s doing nowadays.
For those of us who got a start to our online presence via email, we can probably remember when gmail changed the email game. But looking back, it’s actually a pretty surprising origin story for what has become one of the biggest, most relevant and powerful companies in the world.
It didn’t start with the intuitive internet search engine to dominate all search engines (literally becoming a verb!) Their first major move was to offer something for free that people wanted and needed at the time: Free email.
Think about it…the revolution that led Google to who they are today all started with FREE.
So what’s the lesson here? Obviously, we’re not recommending you just give away your products. The key is to look deeper and have a greater appreciation for the extreme importance of what can be gained from this “free” exchange.
There’s a reason Google started with email.
Most small companies don’t think enough about building their contact list. One of the most important things a business can do for their future growth is to have a core base of subscribers and fans that they want to hear from.
That’s the brilliance of Google’s original strategy. Their “free” platform had us all lining up to GIVE THEM this valuable contact information!
Next thing you know, they had millions of users, which means millions of eyeballs on all the things that drive business in the Google ecosystem.
So the question is: what are some creative ways that you can be more intentional about capturing emails? What could you give away in exchange for that info?
No matter the size of your business, I hope this inspires you to start thinking of a strategy.
If you do it right, that free exchange could be extremely valuable.
Have a great week everyone. Talk to you next Thursday for some more insight on the power of FREE and how it can revolutionize your business.
Just Do It
Over the past few emails, we’ve talked about the importance of a brand strategy, and some practical ways this can make a significant difference for your business.
Now, all you gotta do is IMPLEMENT!
Honestly, that’s where so many companies get stuck. We KNOW the right thing to do, but most of us are just too busy to make it happen.
The problem is, you cannot NOT brand. One way or the other, your target audience ALREADY has a perception of your brand – but is it the perception you want??
As we’ve said so many times:
Your brand is not what YOU say it is,
it’s what THEY say it is.
That’s why BOS MEDIA GROUP exists. We don’t want you to miss out on the benefits that come with a clear brand strategy – we want your business to shine!
Let us help. This is WHAT WE DO – it might feel like extra work to you, but it’s literally our favorite part of the job. We would love to come alongside you, customize the perfect plan to fit your needs, and then present you to the world.
Schedule a FREE Consultation with me by clicking on the button below – we’ll help you put your best foot forward.
