So Many Platforms, Not Enough Time

This blog will continue to get attention but it is worth pointing out that I am actively using other platforms for posts, updates and other BrightWave/email and digital targeted messaging related information.

Please feel free to:

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Become friends with me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Get Mobile Updates from BrightWave

We also have pages on on Facebook and LinkedIn for The Truth About Email Marketing and EmailStatCenter.com listed below:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=16020781869&ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/The-Truth-About-Email-Marketing-Simms-Jenkins-PearsonFT-Press-2008/17477394213?ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/wwwEmailStatCentercom/43118058760?ref=ts


I welcome feedback and what else you would like to see this blog include.

The Email Marketing Manifesto

My In Focus article on iMediaConnection titled "Email's new role in digital marketing" has drawn some really positive and passionate responses and interest from a diverse group of marketing professionals.

If you have not read it, please do as I have internally dubbed this "The Email Marketing Manifesto" for 2009. Whether you agree with it or not, check it out and please let me know comments and where you agree and disagree on my thoughts and where email is going and needs to be headed towards.

What's going on at BrightWave?

No, this blog has not disappeared but has taken a bit of a hiatus. We just have been extremely busy ensuring all of our clients maximize their ROI during these wild times (and not just survive) as well as growing BrightWave in the most strategic fashion possible.

Business is strong here at BrightWave. We have expanded our offerings into what we call "Digital Targeted Messaging Services" which include leveraging SMS, Social Networking and Voice while still delivering highly targeted and measurable messages for our clients to their customers and prospects. That has been exciting as our business is undergoing a major transformation and will continue to look a bit different in 2009 and beyond. What that means is we can offer more services and message delivery platforms to our clients, guided by a simple premise: digital targeted messaging can be extremely powerful and impact business goals if done properly and with permission.

Of course, BrightWave still is and always will be, an email marketing driven shop. We have many new clients (stay tuned for announcements) that we are very proud of. Our industry leadership hopefully has not slipped a notch. Stay tuned for a big iMedia In Focus piece and some features from friends like Mark Brownlow at EmailMarketingReports.com.

The book continues to open new doors and draw rave reviews.

What else is going on in our world? Check out The BrightWave Report and find out.

Holiday Boss Gift Alert - Special Blog Offer on The Truth About Email Marketing

Looking for that perfect gift for your boss or clients for the holidays?

BrightWave CEO Simms Jenkins' book, (The Truth About Email Marketing) makes the perfect gift for anyone looking to improve their email marketing efforts.

One reviewer commented, "is an amazingly simple yet detailed guide for newbie marketers or seasoned veterans who want to best leverage one of the most powerful communication vehicles of our time."

Looking for more budget for 2009? This book can assist - one reviewer stated, "Anyone interested in maximizing their marketing budgets should stop what they are doing and read this book."
Read more reviews.

Special BrightWave Blog Discount: As a valued reader of this blog, you are entiled to receive 25% off, plus free shipping. Just purchase the book through the FT Press store and enter the discount code Emailmark02 during the checkout process. Buy Now!

If you are interested in any signed copies of the book or a bulk order, please contact us.

Thanks and happy reading.

New Meaning of Double Opt in

Papa John's has been aggressive in leveraging the internet and technology in general to separate itself from the other pizza giants and to add other sales channels. So I wasn't surprised to read about them using Facebook for a promotion.

The promotion is simple and smart. Become a fan of Papa John's on Facebook and you get a code for a free medium pizza. Of course, the trade off is they are going to communicate with you on Facebook so they get another direct channel to interact. Sounds like a win-win.

After I received the update on Facebook, I was told to visit a website and I would get an email with the code. Of course, I had to provide my email address to get the code. There was no mention of "by providing your email address, you are opting in for future communications from Papa John's" as there should be since surely they are using this to build their email list.

Assuming I am right, this is an interesting (if imperfect) way to get 2 opt ins (hence the title of this blog post) - one on Facebook and one via email marketing.

I like the approach in using the email/social media angles to build your databases and offering up unique and valuable offers/content to unique audiences.

For more on email marketing and social media in the restaurant industry, BrightWave Marketing client Ted's Montana Grill was featured today by DM News in a story titled "Ted's Montana Grill mixes e-mail with social media"