What Do B2B Marketers Do Now? is an ongoing email. Join the mailing list to be the first to receive these weekly insights!

I love getting emails. Well, I get so many that I can’t keep up. BUT I love to see how competitors, vendors, clients, and other B2B firms are messaging their offerings and solutions. I attended the #forrb2bsummit last week, and I’ve been BOMBARDED with emails!

I’ve noticed that we really lack any sort of imagination in emails – I got so many from different vendors with similar subject lines and top-level messages. It all just becomes noise – very disappointing. Let them say what they want, but it’s not being heard!

Let this song by the Cars knock you around as we hear what the experts are saying this week.

Let the Stories Be Told

Not surprisingly, the role of Generative AI was prominent at the Forrester B2B Summit last week. Some key takeaways from the various keynotes:

• Don’t wait to implement your Generative AI strategy. If you don’t have one, then develop one. “You might not be interested in Generative AI, but Generative AI is interested in you.”
• Why is now any different? Big tech change is difficult to predict and typically arrives in ‘thunderstorms’. What triggers that change? A substantial shift in the user interface evolves access to the technology, making it available to a significantly wider set of the population. That’s what just happened.
• SEO in its current form will be obsolete. Why drive people to a website when Generative AI can simply tell you the answer?
• Websites in their current form – also obsolete. The future website is a large language model, made available to Generative AI. Rather than a dump of marketing information on a set of pages, data is simply made available and AI can sort through it.
• B2B sellers are MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. As more of the buying process becomes digital, human interaction and sellers will be integral. These sellers are ‘fast’ relationship generators. When AI can tell you so much, the differentiator becomes associated with how fast the seller can build a solid relationship.

What do you think? Things are getting more automated and more decisions can be driven through AI, so it’s good practice to let AI be on your side. But at the same time, the relationship matters more than ever – so don’t let it suffer!

Let the Good Times Roll

It’s been 45 years since the Cars released their first album. Wow. I remember playing that album over and over in my parents’ basement – my brother or sister bought it, but I wore it out! At the time, these guys were groundbreaking – they always embraced the latest technology and equipment… even if they knew it would be obsolete in two months!

As a guitar player and tech nerd, I tend to get a little too excited about gear. Do you know anyone that’s similar? A musician that has more gear than they know what to do with? Perhaps they suffer from Gear Acquisition Syndrome!

It’s a tongue-in-cheek ailment, but the behaviour is real! The trigger stems from a deep-seated emotional connection coupled with the satisfaction received from the pursuit of the instrument at hand.

For me, it’s a connection with Gibson Les Pauls, since I was obsessed with Led Zeppelin when I was learning how to play rock guitar. Seeing those guitars takes me back to that precise moment in time when I first heard Zep.

B2B impact? How can you get your customers to have that same emotional connection with YOUR brand? Consider those innovators and early adopters – the ones that HAVE to have the coolest and newest technology. Don’t let them leave you up in the air – foster those relationships and cross the chasm into the early majority!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or just say hello!

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat

The post AI: The B2B Worm for your Early Bird appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

One strategy we’ve talked about using, and that I want to share with you today, is the intentional typo. Letting a small error slip into a sales/marketing email to make it feel more personal, more human. If done right, to the one receiving the email, it can make it feel more personable, more authentic.

Now, if you do a quick Google search on the topic (because of course, I did), you’ll find many passionate naysayers. And for good reason. This tactic has often been used cheaply, making a glaring error in an attempt to get some quick engagement. What I’m proposing is a little different in a couple of ways.

Don’t do it in mass emails

And this goes two ways.

When people receive mass emails, they know they’re mass emails. Sure, with email marketing services like Constant Contact you can personalize the email to a degree based on individual data, but emails to a list still usually read as emails to a list. Personally, if I get an email with typos that I can tell went out to a lot of people… The grammar-lover in me feels second-hand embarrassment for the sender. Oof. How many hundreds of people did that go out to?

If emails are coming from the company – and not an individual – then an error tends to reflect on the company as a whole, having a greater impact on your brand. My advice if you’re sending an email to a big list? Proofread it. Proofread it like heck, and have someone else proofread it some more. Get that baby nice and clean and error-free!

So stick to the one-to-one emails. The emails that you’re sending to a single person. A follow-up to a voicemail, for example, or an email that specifically references a past conversation.

Stick to mistakes that won’t make people mad

If you mess up then and than, I’ll get mad at you. If you can’t even manage to get it’s and its straight (guys, it’s super easy: it’s for ‘it is’ or ‘it has,’ and its for literally everything else, no exceptions), then how do I know I can trust you in a professional or learned context? That may sound a little extreme to some, but I promise I’m not the only one who will react this way!

Maybe it’s just a grammar vs. spelling thing. A small misspelling should do the trick. Just make sure it’s not a technical word to do with your product/service, that you had better know how to spell.

There’s an art to it

This is definitely an art, not a science. I can’t give you definitive, precise rules to determine exactly when to use this strategy. I’m just giving my grammar-obsessive (Seriously, you should have heard what they called me in high school. Proofreading classmates’ work for fun? That was my jam!) two cents, and offering a few helpful suggestions.

But if you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re a marketing or sales professional. And in so assuming, I’m also assuming you have the savvy and know-how to feel it out and make the right call. I believe in you, and I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it!

Thomas Krol, Marketing Associate| thomask@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-j-krol

The post The Secret Joys of the Intentional Typo appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

Here in Canada, it’s been six years since anti-spam legislation was rolled out. Is your organization fully compliant? No great marketer wants to be a spammer – and I’m here to reframe the concept of spam. Keep your company from being blocked by firewalls and spam filters by following CASL regulations – in Canada or beyond. It will up your marketing game and it just makes good sense.

Introducing you to CASL

Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) came into effect on July 14, 2014 to protect Canadians, while also ensuring that businesses can continue to compete in the marketplace. This means that if you are a business in Canada, or send information to Canadian residents, you are required to comply with CASL. The law covers a range of activities that are considered spam but for the purposes of this post, we’ll focus on the email kind.

“That’s a great law – but what counts as spam?”

There are two types of spam. The first one is the use of electronic messaging (like email) to send unsolicited, undesired or illegal messages to others without their consent. It may also be used to send other electronic threats such as spyware and viruses.

According to the Government of Canada’s website Fightspam.gc.ca (which contains no spam), electronic spam includes:

• Electronic messages you did not ask for, including email, social media, and text messages;
• Messages from anonymous senders or senders you don’t know;
• The installation of apps or program without the express consent of the owner of the system;
• Promoting fake or misleading products or services; and
• The collection/use of personal information without permission.

The other kind of SPAM? Well, that’s processed pork meat, which electronic spam is actually named after. We’ll just focus on the electronic kind for now.

What is NOT considered spam?

This list includes:

• Newsletters and updates you did sign up for (but may find annoying) and provided implied consent;
• Email messages from a person you know (who you may also find annoying), or someone who is trying to contact you personally;
• A terrible chain email from the early 2000s sent by a friend you know telling you to forward to 10 people or else you’ll have bad luck forever (sadly, not spam either);
• Generic Luncheon Meat. It’s essentially the same product, but it’s not real, authentic, brand-name SPAM.

How can I remain compliant with CASL?

The goal is to be the king – or better yet, the queen – of CASL and remain compliant with these regulations set out to protect citizens. If you choose to not take part you may be faced with a serious fine of up to $10 million for businesses. Don’t believe me? In 2016, Kellogg Canada was fined $60,000 just for sending messages to recipients without their consent. They’re not kidding around with this.

Fun Fact: In Italy, you can actually be imprisoned for sending spam. It is important to be informed of these rules, as some services, like Mailchimp, have rules that are actually more stringent than some local laws.

To be compliant with these laws the government of Canada has set out some tips to keep you in the clear. These include:

• Ensuring you have implied or express consent to contact someone – never collect email addresses that were not provided to you by their owner (This is where CASL differs from the US CAN-SPAM law. In the US, you can send someone an unsolicited email but you must provide an opt-out. In Canada, you must first obtain permission to contact a person, or they must opt-in before you can send them commercial electronic messages);
• Always providing a way out. Include an obvious opt-out or unsubscribe option in your email messages.
• Making sure you and the viewer can easily identify your organization. Otherwise, your credibility is questioned and you might be considered spam;
• Being truthful (Lay everything out on the table – no surprises, no nonsense); and
• Don’t harass people! If someone isn’t interested in what you have to offer and they ask you to stop, then stop. There’s a good chance they’re not interested in what you’re trying to sell.

(Here’s the full text of the law, if you’re into that.)

To Finish Off

It’s important to note that I am not a lawyer and this article should not be taken as legal advice. This article is intended to be a helpful tool to inform you and to begin your own research on the law or to refresh your knowledge for those who are already familiar with it so you can remain in the clear and be the Queen (or King, as needed) of the CASL.

Now. Wondering how to get your opt-in counts up? Connect with me and let’s talk about how!

Cynthia Sundberg, VP Operations and Administration | cynthias@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-sundberg-6742481

The post Be the King (or Queen) of the CASL appeared first on Virtual Causeway.

Introducing you to CASL

Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) came into effect on July 14, 2014, to protect Canadian’s while ensuring that businesses can continue to compete in the marketplace. This means that if you are a business in Canada, or send information to Canadian residents, you are required to comply with CASL. The law covers a range of activities that are considered spam but for the purposes of this post, we’ll focus on the email kind.

That’s a great law but what counts a spam?

There are two types of spam, the first one is the use of electronic messaging to send unsolicited, undesired or illegal messages to others without their consent and may be used to send other electronic threats such as spyware and viruses.

According to the Government of Canada’s website Fightspam.gc.ca (which contains no spam), electronic spam includes:

• Electronic messages you did not ask for, including email, social media, text messages;
• Messages from anonymous senders or senders you don’t know;
• The installation of apps or program without the express consent of the owner of the system;
• Promoting fake or misleading products or services;
• And the collection and or use of personal information without permission.

The other kind of SPAM is processed pork meat, which electronic spam is actually named after. We’ll focus on the electronic kind for now.

What is not considered spam?

• Newsletters and updates you did sign up for (but may find annoying) and provided implied consent;
• Email messages from a person you know (who you may also find annoying), or someone who is trying to contact you personally.
• A terrible chain email from the early 2000’s sent by a friend you know telling you to forward to 10 people or else you’ll have bad luck forever. (sadly, not spam either)
• Generic Luncheon Meat. It’s essentially the same product, but it’s not authentic SPAM.

How can I remain compliant with CASL?

The goal is to be the king, or queen, of CASL and remain compliant with these regulations set out to protect citizens. If you choose to not take part you may be faced with a serious fine of up to $10 million for businesses. Don’t believe me? See here how just last year, Kellogg’s was fined $60,000, just for sending messages to recipients without their consent. They’re not kidding around with this.

FunFact: In Italy, you can actually be imprisoned for sending spam. It is important It be informed of these rules as some services such as Mailchimp have rules that are actually more stringent than some local laws.

To be compliant with these laws the government of Canada has set out some tips to keep you in the clear. These include:

• Ensure you have implied or express consent to contact someone. Never collect email addresses that were not provided to you by their owner. This is where CASL differs from the US CAN-SPAM law. In the US, you can send someone an unsolicited email but you must provide an opt-out. In Canada, you must first obtain permission to contact a person, or they must ”opt-In” before you can send them commercial electronic messages.
• Always provide a way out. Include an obvious opt-out or unsubscribe option in your email messages.
• Make sure you and the viewer can easily identify your organization. Otherwise, your credibility is questioned and you might be considered spam.
• Be truthful. Lay everything out on the table. No surprises, no nonsense.
• Don’t harass people. If someone isn’t interested in what you have to offer and they ask you to stop, stop. There’s a good chance they’re not interested in what you’re trying to sell.

Here’s the full text of the law, if you’re into that or here’s 4 Tips for Contacting Clients Electronically and 3 Things to Think About When Sending Messages. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Conclusion

It’s important to note that I am not a lawyer and this article should not be taken as legal advice. This article is intended to be a helpful tool to inform and to begin your own research on the law or to refresh your knowledge for those who are already familiar with it so you can remain in the clear and be the King of CASL.

The post How to Be the King of CASL appeared first on Virtual Causeway.