Poll Results Will Be Revealed on Friday
Why I Hate These Web-based Forms of Communication
Okay, there's a reason (several actually) why I dislike this impersonal, unwelcoming, electronic type of communication. And our Super Bowl Poll proved to be an excellent illustration.
First of all, our IT department didn't inform me that people would have to "join" and "sign in" to this blog before they could vote. Strike one. No one likes to "join" these things. Secondly, several people who said they had joined previously informed me that they still weren't able to vote. (In two cases, alcohol may have played a role in their impaired capabilities.) In any event ... strike two. And lastly, many of our readers emailed their votes to me out of frustration. They wanted to vote on the blog, but the poll program wouldn't let them. STRIKE THREE! Let the IT beatings begin.
Some people shared their votes via the "comments" section. Those are pretty interesting actually, because our readers elaborated with additional 2nd and 3rd choices and in some cases gave their votes for the "worst" commercial.
And, as I mentioned, out of frustration, other people sent their votes via email. In total about 40 people voted and the results are very interesting. Unfortunately, I have no way of entering the email votes into our "user friendly" blog poll program, because its high level of security only lets me vote once. (This is the same program that didn't let many of you vote at all.)
In any event, I have manually compiled all forms of votes and I will share the results with you on Friday. (You can still vote if you're one of the fortunate minority who can actually figure out how to make the poll program work. To sign in you have to a.) Go to the actual blog site. This step in itself appears to be a major road block for those of you who receive this blog via email or RSS feed. b.) Click on the tiny, hard to find "join" button in the upper right hand corner. c.) Fill out the required information. d.) Vote.)
To all of you who voted or tried to vote, a very big "Thank you!" Now I have to go start our IT department on fire.
Wedding Ring Coffin
You've got to hand it to Westchester, N.Y., divorcee Jill Testa. After her 20-year marriage ended, she hammered her wedding band into a pancake, but then didn't know what to do with it. So she and her brother invented the Wedding Ring Coffin, which they're now marketing online at the eponymous Web site. It's exactly what it sounds like; a miniature coffin in which to place a wedding ring that's no longer worn. And for $29.95 plus shipping, you can also get an engraved plaque to go with it, with an option of sayings including, "Six feet isn't deep enough!" Oooh, bitter much?
Improving Email Newsletters and Email Marketing Efforts - Part 5
Make your stories relevant to your readers. For instance, instead of communicating safety information through your manager of safety, have team members talk about how and why they routinely follow important safety procedures.
Yes, that's much more difficult than simply regurgitating a bunch of boring facts and rules. And it's one reason why most companies outsource the writing and production of newsletters. B&M currently produces a variety of newsletters aimed at:
- employees,
- dealers/distributors
- end users
- prospects
Regardless of the targeted audience, all of these newsletters are informative, relevant and entertaining ... and we have awards on our office walls that indicate our approach to newsletters is effective. Imagine that. Contact leslie.l.bonk@bmpr.com for more information.