Saturday, June 1, 2013

BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU FOR E-MAIL FUNDRAISING

BUILD YOUR INTERNAL FILES - Understandably, your donor file will always give you the most return on any given e-mail.  Next would be your internal prospecting file and finally any external prospecting file.  As a point of clarification, the internal prospecting file are those people who have shown an interest in your organization but have not donated and, as one would expect, are more apt to give than any external list.  In other words, the “priority order” is to solicit those who have given before, those who have shown an interest in you, and lastly strangers.

GET A DECENT ESP - To conduct an E-mail Fundraising campaign you must have an Email Service Provider (ESP).  Basically, there are three types - Entry Level, Intermediate, and Advanced.  There are a variety of things that will differentiate ESPs.  One is the size of your list.  Another consideration is the “billing” process.  Typically, for Intermediate and Advanced ESPs billing is “volume based,” while for the Entry Level ESPs it is “file size” based.  Functionality is another determining factor:  The more advanced the greater the number of functions - especially in the realms of integration and reports.  As can be expected, the more advanced your ESP the more expensive it will be.

An example of an entry level ESP is iContact, and will usually be used when your mailing list is 10,000 or less.  Bronto would be a middle level ESP, and is for the organization whose list is 10,000 - 100,000.  An advanced ESP is for lists of 100,000+, and a good example of this would be Exec Target.
To learn more about the other strategies in email fundraising, visit my blog now!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

5 Proven Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic

PPC advertising - Instead of waiting for months to see results from organic SEO strategies, pay-per-click or PPC will give you results within weeks. Through paid advertising, you can then identify which keywords are often search and thus, will be viable in your organic SEO. Although this means you have to spend a little bit of money, the returns are great and that is why you should not neglect this strategy as well.

Social networking - The success of websites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube has taken Internet marketing to new territories. No longer do we bring clients to our websites, we bring our websites to where they are gathered and from there, hope that things will take off. It is therefore the job of the online marketer to seize the opportunities presented by captured and possibly hungry niche because these websites have the power to bring huge awareness to your brand.


These approaches to Search Engine Marketing will ensure that you are able to drive a highly qualified traffic to your website, convert visitors into clients and increase your revenue. Often times they overlap, nevertheless, they work hand in hand to drive that much needed traffic so that your online marketing success is guaranteed.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Proven Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic

Link building - No website is an island and that is why you have to build bridges to yours. If you can build links to authority websites, this will make your more credible and authoritative. If a visitor finds a link to your site from Wikipedia for example, he will think that you are indeed genuine in your desire to help and will remove the stigma of selling in his mind.

Blogging with targeted keywords - The purpose of blogging with targeted keywords is two-fold; to drive traffic and to pre-sell visitors to the helpfulness of your product or service. If you don’t target keywords with your blog, visitors will not find it even if they want to. On the other hand, even if you can drive traffic to your website, but you are not able to convince them of the usability of your product or service, they will also not buy from you. Blogging with targeted keywords then requires the mixture of naturally incorporating keywords into your blog and be as convincing as possible without being too pushy with your prospects.

These approaches to Search Engine Marketing will ensure that you are able to drive a highly qualified traffic to your website, convert visitors into clients and increase your revenue. Often times they overlap, nevertheless, they work hand in hand to drive that much needed traffic so that your online marketing success is guaranteed.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

eFundrasing and It’s Advantages

Despite any negative press about email, efundraising is alive and well and raising lots of $.
Unlike many newcomers into the efundraising field, Pathmaker has a respectable history in all aspects of fundraising -- traditional and online. We fully understand both worlds.

In addition to all our offline and online experiences, we also bring a recent track record of integrating the newer online technologies with traditional fundraising to achieve improved results that neither could produce on their own. Ask us about our comprehensive approach to fundraising that harmonizes your offline and online fundraising strategies.

Plus, we provide far more than general ideas! We provide specific and detailed input - and if needed, we can carry a plan through from concept to complete implementation.


We can tell you WHAT needs to be done, WHEN it needs to be done for optimum results, HOW it needs to be done - and we can back our recommendations with RESULTS.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

How to Use Email to Promote a Local Fundraising


If you are having a local fundraising event, why not exploit email to get the word out? I mean let’s face it, who do you think doesn’t have an email account? If you can get the word out through these media, you can expect more results and lesser expenses compared to having to rely mainly on flyers and tarpaulins.

Before there was Facebook or other social media accounts, email is the way to send our words for fundraising and it still a very effective tool to inform. A lot of infomercials are still using emails and the trend will like to continue in the years to come. Here’s how you can use email to send the word out:

1.  Design the flow of mails - You don’t just send the mails blindly, it has to follow a design flow. For example, you can start with a request, then you follow it up with supporting quotes and related client’s story. You can then send a third mail encouraging people to donate and a fourth, thanking them.

2.  Build an subscriber list - We have put together an article detailing the importance of a quality subscriber list. If the list is not qualified, you cannot expect a good performance.

3.  Create an effective email - When writing an email for fundraising, make sure that you fill in the necessary details but don’t make it too verbose that the recipient will be tempted to delete it.

4.  Choose the best broadcast tool - This is the caveat of email; without a good broadcast tool, you will be sending it one by one or you can cc it to everybody in the list. A broadcast tool will make the job a lot easier because it can send thousands of emails at once.

When creating a charity event, your goal should be to minimize the overall expenses so that all the proceeds raised will go directly to the charity. Using email accomplished just this so if you haven’t done it yet, you better start now.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

HOW TO BE PART OF THE e-BOOK PHENOMENON


The world is expanding technologically speaking, and that’s why we would like to discuss the “latest and greatest” trends of the day, of which one of those is the booming eBook Phenomenon.

Your first step is to get your book into a digital format. If you wrote your book on your computer as a Word.doc you have already accomplished this project. However, if your manuscript was completed a number of years ago and you have only a “hard” copy you have two choices: you can either scan your manuscript and convert it to digital that way, or you can simply have someone re-type your manuscript and save it as a Word.doc.

Once you have your manuscript in digital format (either Word.doc or PDF) you can proceed and convert it into an eBook format. To date, there are two of these that you can choose from: The iPad needs an ePub format, while Kindle needs Mobi. Now, you can upload it as a PDF, but this is typically problematic for both iPad and Kindle, as it mandates a lot of scrolling and the pages may not “fit.”

Once your book is in eBook format you next need to make it available to the public. To do this you should go to Kindle and set up what is known as a KDP, or Kindle Direct Publishing, Account. In doing so, this makes your book available on Amazon, as Amazon owns Kindle. (Currently, Amazon is selling more eBooks than hard copy books, and it is most likely that the trend is not going to reverse itself.)

Accomplishing this is a process, but you can do it! (AUTHORS NOTE: You can expect to receive about 70% of the sales price with eBooks sold on Amazon, though this can vary due to fulfillment arrangements and so on.)

To learn more about this process, contact Pathmaker Marketing today!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Simple Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page from Zero to 5,000


Facebook is far more than the name “social media” implies. It has become one of the most effective marketing venues the world has even seen. So why is it that, although you’ve created a Facebook page for their business, it just sits there? Why don’t people notice it? With countless people with Facebook accounts, why do you have only two fans after an entire year of exposure? Well, it might depend on your concept of exposure. And it might amaze you that there is nothing new under the sun.

You see, the essence of marketing is the same, whether it’s down at the town square or whether it’s on Facebook. We’re about to share some ideas that will draw crowds to your Facebook page or you table on the town square.

Rule Number 1: Let People Know You Are There - Tell people that you are “in the square and open for business.” Tell people you are on Facebook and tell them where to find you. Tell them everywhere you go. Advertise everywhere they go. It’s called cross-promotion. Put up banner ads on associate websites. Do you have a business card? Put your Facebook address on it – and do it prominently, not in teeny- tiny fine print. PROMOTE IT! Every email you send should have a link to your Facebook page. Every print ad should feature your Facebook page. Incorporate “Like” buttons for your page on other websites. And always – underline that – always talk about your Facebook page during every phone call, incoming or outgoing. Finally, create a sense of urgency. For example, “Don’t miss out on this one-time offer.” HERE’S A BONUS IDEA: Create a QR code and put in on all of your print collateral, even your business cards. They are cheap and easy to create and they can drive anyone with a smart phone to your page or website almost instantly.

Rule Number 2: Don’t Just Be There. Have A Purpose. - Not everyone needs a Facebook page. But everyone with a product or cause to promote does. Share your passion on your page. Let people know what you are all about. Let them know what supporting your cause can do for others. Let them know what your product can do for them. Then, go back to Rule Number 1 and cross-promote by driving them to your website(s).

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Schedule Your Free Demo to See Firsthand: The Power of Email Fundraising to Generate $$


I still find non profit organizations that are apprehensive about email fundraising. It seems like their concerns sometimes hover around issues like: "Will email cannibalize their snail mail results?" or maybe even more fundamentally, "Will people react negatively to solicitations?" from their non profit through email.

Before April 2008, this client had not been doing any email fundraising. They agreed to let Pathmaker start a monthly email fundraising effort on their behalf that was tied to their monthly snail mail fundraising efforts.

After doing an initial Verify My Email campaign, their email list netted out to 20,000 deliverable names.

Here are the results from our last 13 eAppeals for them:
Thirteen-month Summary:
1,816 gifts = $190,887 gross income generated
(Monthly Averages: 140 gifts for $14,683)

Don't be shy if your email lists are small to begin with. Pathmaker can help you implement a Traffic Conversion Plan and list growth strategies that will build your email file into a company asset that can deliver significant results for you. We're confident that we are one of the fundraising companies that can move your non profit marketing to the next level.

Call us Now @  (623) 322-3334 and we will help you succeed! 

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Despite any negative press about email, efundraising is alive and well and raising lots of $.


Unlike many newcomers into the efundraising field, Pathmaker has a respectable history in all aspects of fundraising -- traditional and online. We fully understand both worlds.
In addition to all our offline and online experiences, we also bring a recent track record of integrating the newer online technologies with traditional fundraising to achieve improved results that neither could produce on their own. Ask us about our comprehensive approach to fundraising that harmonizes your offline and online fundraising strategies.

Plus, we provide far more than general ideas! We provide specific and detailed input - and if needed, we can carry a plan through from concept to complete implementation.
We can tell you WHAT needs to be done, WHEN it needs to be done for optimum results, HOW it needs to be done - and we can back our recommendations with RESULTS.

Friday, April 26, 2013

E-mail Fundraising Strategies


It is obvious that any successful endeavor is the result of someone developing and implementing a specific, successful strategy.  Email Fundraising is no exception.  Any e-mail marketing professional worth their salt knows this to be true.  And, a real e-mail marketing specialist will tell you that there are actually five strategies that you can employ to ensure that your email marketing program is, in fact, a successful one. 
 “STAND ALONE” E-MAIL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN - Here, you want to make an offer that is totally exclusive to the e-mail you send.  To make these most effective, it is wise to have a time limit in which recipients must respond to benefit from your offer. Remember, all such offers should revolve around and be related to the cause you are trying to raise funds for. 

If you find all of this a little overwhelming, you may want to contact a Professional E-Mail Marketing Service like PATHMAKER MARKETING, LLC to assist you with your email marketing undertakings.  An e-mail marketing company of long standing, we not only knows how to implement these five strategies; we also have a track record of success that you will find most impressive!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Easy Internet Steps To Get More Visitors To Your Church


There is, without a doubt, nary a pastor or church in the country that doesn’t want to get more visitors to come to their church.  With a pure heart and a message to share, their intent is to provide for those visitors programs and services that will enhance and improve their life style.  As the 21st Century dawns it has become obvious to email marketing specialists that the Internet is a wonderful way for churches to evangelize and make themselves known to a lost world.  Randall Mains, Founder and CEO of PATH-MAKER  MARKETING LLC, one of the premier e-mail marketing professionals in the country, agrees that the following steps are an easy way to inform prospective visitors about your church and what it has to offer.


1. Launch Google Ad Words - - Target Geographically
2. Get your CHURCH found on Google by claiming your Google Place.
3. Get your members to give your positive reviews on Google Places.
4. Claim your Bing Listing
5. Claim your Yahoo Listing

As an email marketing company, PATHMAKER MARKETING, LLC knows that the above suggestions will work, if given the time to develop.  If you need a professional e-mail marketing firm to help you accomplish the above, PATHMAKER and Randall Mains stand ready to assist you.  To learn more, go to Pathmaker Marketing.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

How to Be Part of The e-Book Phenomenon




The world is expanding technologically speaking, and that’s why we would like to discuss the “latest and greatest” trends of the day, of which one of those is the booming eBook Phenomenon.

It goes without saying that before you can “post” and market an eBook you must first have a book. If you have a completed manuscript, either fiction or non-fiction, you can relatively easily take the next step and convert it to an eBook.

Your first step is to get your book into a digital format. If you wrote your book on your computer as a Word.doc you have already accomplished this project. However, if your manuscript was completed a number of years ago and you have only a “hard” copy you have two choices: you can either scan your manuscript and convert it to digital that way, or you can simply have someone re-type your manuscript and save it as a Word.doc.

To read more, click HERE.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Identifying Winnable Keywords


The task of Targeting Winnable Keywords is an Eight Step Process, which includes but is not limited to:

ID Your Target Terms
Locate Variations on those terms
Acquire the CPC and Global Volume Numbers for your Terms
Look for terms under $2.50 and under 2500 in Volume.

Everyone's Blog needs are uniquely different. That's why we design and install Compendium to meet your unique needs.

Identifying Winnable Keywords is only the first of the many ways Pathmaker Marketing LLC can serve you as a Premier Blogging Service. We can help you create Dynamic Calls to Action (CTAs). These guide people to take actions you want them to take. Do you want people to subscribe to your Newsletter, register to your E-mail list, or buy your product? Dynamic CTAs are the area where so many Blogs fall short. This is where we excel! Contact us now and learn more about our Premier Blogging Service!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Proven Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic


Gone are the days when all you need to do to run an online business is to build a website, send it to the major Search Engines and wait for visitors to come. Today, you need to proactively drive highly qualified traffic to it and convert visitors into clients. 

Search Engine Marketing is not just presenting flashy website, people are no longer buying that. What you need today is to find a hungry niche and sell them your product or services. The question then is how to drive a great deal of hungry visitors into your website. Here is a five-tiered approach to accomplish that:

Search Engine Optimization - It is a fact in online marketing that people will mostly see your website through the Search Engines. It is therefore imperative that the major ones at least (Google, Yahoo and Bing), will find it so that they can feed it to those who are searching. This means that your website should be Search Engine Optimized so their robots can crawl and index your pages. This will greatly influence your ranking in the search results.

This approach to Search Engine Marketing will ensure that you are able to drive a highly qualified traffic to your website, convert visitors into clients and increase your revenue. Often times they overlap, nevertheless, they work hand in hand to drive that much needed traffic so that your online marketing success is guaranteed. Learn four (4) more Proven Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic. 




Monday, April 8, 2013

Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page



Rule Number 1: Make Their Visit Worthwhile - Post valuable content on your page. Interesting content is okay, but valuable content is better. Tell them something they don’t know. It might be something unique about yourself, your product, or your company. It might be something newsworthy. Or it might be an exclusive offer of some kind, a discount, or a coupon. Somewhere on that page, offer something that they cannot get anywhere else, whether it’s material, philosophical, information, or even humor. If a visitor to your page considers what you have to say or offer is valuable, they have a reason to visit again. Speaking of which . . .

Rule Number 2: Give Them a Reason to Return - Create contests and have giveaways. Post teasers about upcoming articles or freebies. Link these ideas to things such as visiting your website and finding a hidden item. Create a contest whereby the person who refers the most new fans to your page receives a prize and some special recognition. Run short contests and year-long contests at the same time. Always tie contests to building your fan base. And keep your content fresh. Even people who were interested on their first visits will not keep returning if there is nothing new and interesting on your page. Keep creating that sense of urgency that originally drove them to your site to get them to return.

Rule Number 3: Encourage Interaction -  This is the a la mode on the pie, the icing on the cake, the gold nugget in the stream. As you comply with the first four rules, do it so intensely that people will “Like” or “Share” or “Comment” on what you have posted. This is where the magic happens. “Liking”, “Sharing”, and “Commenting” are what make things go viral. When someone Likes, Shares, or Comments on Facebook, it’s like Gossip Gone Wild. And when that happens, the increase in readership could become astronomical. Don’t wait on them to Like, Share, or Comment. Encourage them to do it.

By now you should realize that it’s not having a Facebook page that is the secret to success, it’s how you promote it and use it. Tell folks it’s great. Then prove it to them when they visit. If you’ve followed the rules, not only will they return, they’ll bring Friends, and Friends of Friends, with them. And the Friends of their Friends’ Friends will follow.

Learn 2 more Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page by visiting our Pathmaker Marketing Blog.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Proven Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic to Your Website





1.     Link building - No website is an island and that is why you have to build bridges to yours. If you can build links to authority websites, this will make your more credible and authoritative. If a visitor finds a link to your site from Wikipedia for example, he will think that you are indeed genuine in your desire to help and will remove the stigma of selling in his mind.

2.     Blogging with targeted keywords - The purpose of blogging with targeted keywords is two-fold; to drive traffic and to pre-sell visitors to the helpfulness of your product or service. If you don’t target keywords with your blog, visitors will not find it even if they want to. On the other hand, even if you can drive traffic to your website, but you are not able to convince them of the usability of your product or service, they will also not buy from you. Blogging with targeted keywords then requires the mixture of naturally incorporating keywords into your blog and be as convincing as possible without being too pushy with your prospects.

This 2-tiered approach to Search Engine Marketing will ensure that you are able to drive a highly qualified traffic to your website, convert visitors into clients and increase your revenue. Often times they overlap, nevertheless, they work hand in hand to drive that much needed traffic so that your online marketing success is guaranteed.

Learn the other 3 Proven Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Traffic to your website by visiting Pathmaker Marketing Blog

Friday, April 5, 2013

HOW TO BE PART OF THE e-BOOK PHENOMENON




The world is expanding technologically speaking, and that’s why we would like to discuss the “latest and greatest” trends of the day, of which one of those is the booming eBook Phenomenon.

It goes without saying that before you can “post” and market an eBook you must first have a book. If you have a completed manuscript, either fiction or non-fiction, you can relatively easily take the next step and convert it to an eBook.

Your first step is to get your book into a digital format. If you wrote your book on your computer as a Word.doc you have already accomplished this project. However, if your manuscript was completed a number of years ago and you have only a “hard” copy you have two choices: you can either scan your manuscript and convert it to digital that way, or you can simply have someone re-type your manuscript and save it as a Word.doc.

Once you have your manuscript in digital format (either Word.doc or PDF) you can proceed and convert it into an eBook format. To date, there are two of these that you can choose from: The iPad needs an ePub format, while Kindle needs Mobi. Now, you can upload it as a PDF, but this is typically problematic for both iPad and Kindle, as it mandates a lot of scrolling and the pages may not “fit.” 

Once your book is in eBook format you next need to make it available to the public. To do this you should go to Kindle and set up what is known as a KDP, or Kindle Direct Publishing, Account. In doing so, this makes your book available on Amazon, as Amazon owns Kindle. (Currently, Amazon is selling more eBooks than hard copy books, and it is most likely that the trend is not going to reverse itself.) 

Accomplishing this is a process, but you can do it! (AUTHORS NOTE: You can expect to receive about 70% of the sales price with eBooks sold on Amazon, though this can vary due to fulfillment arrangements and so on.)

You are not limited to selling only on Amazon, but that is yet another process to be discussed another day!

Monday, April 1, 2013

How to Use Facebook to Promote a Local Fundraising Campaign


Facebook is not only a good way to connect with relatives and friends, it also an excellent tool to announce a fundraising event. Think about it, what you’ve got in there is already a captured audience, compared to flyers and tarpaulins wherein people can choose not to read or even look at them. People on Facebook can choose to ignore you as well but, it is less likely because what you’ve got there are people who know and trust you. Here’s how you can use Facebook to promote a fundraising event:

Create and event - Create an event in Facebook ideally on the Fundraiser’s own account. Make sure that after you filled in the necessary details, that you click “anyone can view and RSVP” so that it is made public. You should also click “show guest list on event page” so that people can see who are invited and can invite new people.

Once the event goes live and you have invited your friends and they have RSVP, their friends can now see it on their wall too. This will make your invitation viral.

Check our Blog to learn more tips on how to use facebook to promote your local fundraising campaign.

Friday, March 29, 2013

3 Tips on Email Fundraising


It probably is pretty safe to assume that E-Mail Fundraising is not a flash in the pan, but, rather, will be a major weapon in the arsenal of every email marketing firm in the nation for ad infinitum.  Scattered across the World Wide Webaretitbits of information and suggestions posted by various e-mail marketing experts meant to help give a better understanding of email marketing.  Below is a list of “what to do” guide for enjoying E-mail Fundraising success.

1. ADD “READ MORE” LINKS INTO YOUR COPY - Writing an e-mail fundraiser piece is a little different than writing a direct mailer piece.  In the former you might stop a thought in mid-paragraph and put in a “read more,” having your email serve as somewhat of a “teaser.”

2. STUDY THIS HEURISTIC TO LEARN A SIGNIFICANT LESSON FROM E-MAIL EXPERT FLINT McGOUGHLIN.

                                    eMe = rv(o+i ) - (f+a)
The effectiveness of your Message = relevance of your offer (offer + incentive) less (friction + anxiety)

In essence, this is saying that the advantages of your offer and incentive needs to outweigh the recipient’s reluctance to reply positively to your offer, plus the anxiety he might feel in doing so.   “Friction” deals with the ease of your check out procedure.  Asking for as little information as is necessary, and keeping the checkout process as short as possible can minimize it.  Said simply, “Anxiety” is the general reluctance someone might have in doing business on the Internet. 


3. USE THIS FINAL CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU HIT “SEND”

Ask Did my test e-mail:
Allow me to go through checkout
Have a subject line with no issues
Have working links
Display Properly
Have contact’s name, address and telephone number

These are just 3 of the 11 Tips on Email Fundraising, check our Blog to learn more. 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Be a Winner with An Email Marketing Campaign!


One of the truly exciting parts of an E-Mail Campaign designed and instituted by Pathmaker Marketing LLC is the fact that it can be "Automatic” in nature. Once implemented, the program is basically self-sufficient. Once new readers subscribe to it the program is delivered to them with no additional effort on your part.
While the E-Mail Campaign is not directly Economically Driven, it should contain elements that subtly encourage the reader to get in touch with you. While you are imparting tantalizing tidbits of information that the reader can find useful, you still want them to support you with their business while you build their trust and confidence in you and your level of expertise!
To learn how you and your Company can benefit from an E-Mail Campaign designed especially for your business, contact Pathmaker Marketing LLC to schedule a private phone conversation with CEO Randall Mains as quickly as possible. After all, you want to reach everyone in your community!
Why not get started right away! Select the package that best fits your budget in the form below, and we’ll get right to work on your behalf.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

eFundraising is Alive and Well!


Despite any negative press about email, efundraising is alive and well and raising lots of Dollars. 

Unlike many newcomers into the efundraising field, Pathmaker has a respectable history in all aspects of fundraising -- traditional and online. We fully understand both worlds.

In addition to all our offline and online experiences, we also bring a recent track record of integrating the newer online technologies with traditional fundraising to achieve improved results that neither could produce on their own. Ask us about our comprehensive approach to fundraising that harmonizes your offline and online fundraising strategies.

Plus, we provide far more than general ideas! We provide specific and detailed input - and if needed, we can carry a plan through from concept to complete implementation.

We can tell you WHAT needs to be done, WHEN it needs to be done for optimum results, HOW it needs to be done - and we can back our recommendations with RESULTS.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic to Your Website


Search Engine Marketing is not just presenting flashy website, people are no longer buying that. What you need today is to find a hungry niche and sell them your product or services. The question then is how to drive a great deal of hungry visitors into your website. Here is a five-tiered approach to accomplish that:

Search Engine Optimization - It is a fact in online marketing that people will mostly see your website through the Search Engines. It is therefore imperative that the major ones at least (Google, Yahoo and Bing), will find it so that they can feed it to those who are searching. This means that your website should be Search Engine Optimized so their robots can crawl and index your pages. This will greatly influence your ranking in the search results.

Learn the other Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic to Your Website, check our website now. 

Thursday, March 14, 2013

E-mail Fundraising Strategies


Email Fundraising is no exception.  Any e-mail marketing professional worth their salt knows this to be true.  And, a real e-mail marketing specialist will tell you that there are actually five strategies that you can employ to ensure that your email marketing program is, in fact, a successful one.

E-MAILS TIED TO CURRENT EVENTS - This is pretty self-explanatory.  What you need to do is keep abreast with the news and develops an email campaign that revolves around what is transpiring.

MONTHLY “THEMED” E-MAIL CAMPAIGNS - Virtually every month has a holiday or event that you can “build” an e-mail fundraising campaign around.

DIRECT MAIL/E-MAIL COMBO - E-Mail Marketing Firms will tell you that the advent of an email marketing campaign should not be the demise of other fundraisers that have worked for you in the past.

MEDIA/E-MAIL COMBO - Again, you are utilizing more than one method to supplement your fundraising efforts.  In this situation, you make your offer on either the Radio or TV.
“STAND ALONE” E-MAIL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN - Here, you want to make an offer that is totally exclusive to the e-mail you send

If you find all of this a little overwhelming, you may want to contact a Professional E-Mail Marketing Service like PATHMAKER MARKETING, LLC to assist you with your email marketing undertakings.

Grow Your Facebook Page from Zero to 5,000


Facebook is far more than the name “social media” implies. It has become one of the most effective marketing venues the world has even seen. So why is it that, although you’ve created a Facebook page for their business, it just sits there? Why don’t people notice it? With countless people with Facebook accounts, why do you have only two fans after an entire year of exposure? Well, it might depend on your concept of exposure. And it might amaze you that there is nothing new under the sun. 

Let People Know You Are There. - Tell people that you are “in the square and open for business.” Tell people you are on Facebook and tell them where to find you. Tell them everywhere you go. Advertise everywhere they go. It’s called cross-promotion. Put up banner ads on associate websites. Do you have a business card? Put your Facebook address on it – and do it prominently, not in teeny- tiny fine print. PROMOTE IT! Every email you send should have a link to your Facebook page. Every print ad should feature your Facebook page. Incorporate “Like” buttons for your page on other websites. And always – underline that – always talk about your Facebook page during every phone call, incoming or outgoing. Finally, create a sense of urgency. For example, “Don’t miss out on this one-time offer.” HERE’S A BONUS IDEA: Create a QR code and put in on all of your print collateral, even your business cards. They are cheap and easy to create and they can drive anyone with a smart phone to your page or website almost instantly.


Learn the other Ways to Grop Your Facebook Page. Visit Our www.pathmakermarketing.com Now. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Easy Internet Steps To Get More Visitors To Your Church


There is, without a doubt, nary a pastor or church in the country that doesn’t want to get more visitors to come to their church.  With a pure heart and a message to share, their intent is to provide for those visitors programs and services that will enhance and improve their life style.

Randall Mains, Founder and CEO of PATH-MAKER  MARKETING LLC, one of the premier e-mail marketing professionals in the country, agrees that the following steps are an easy way to inform prospective visitors about your church and what it has to offer.

 Launch Google Ad Words - - Target Geographically
Get your CHURCH found on Google by claiming your Google Place.
Get your members to give your positive reviews on Google Places.
Claim your Bing Listing
Claim your Yahoo Listing
Launch Facebook Ads - Target Demographically
O[pen a Facebook Page for your church.
Get listed in the top 40 directories in your community.
Get an account in Linkedin, the Top business directory.
Get an account in the other top 9 business directories.

To learn the other steps To Get More Visitors To Your Church, visit our website. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Is Your Website Effective?


With no obligation whatsoever on your part, Pathmaker will generate a custom, metrics-based report that will give you a precise assessment of how your website measures up against its potential to be DYNAMIC and to be a tool that drives customers to your business. 

The company’s proprietary software will scour the internet to provide you with an analysis of how your website scores relative to six key elements that are absolutely necessary for a successful internet presence.  Those elements include:

Your local search engine ratings
Your local directory citations
Your competitors’ local directory citations
Your social media presence
Your keyword rankings
Your customer reviews

Your site will receive a score for each element, measuring the visibility of your site as a percentage of its potential.  Finally, the report will give you a composite score, revealing the overall visibility of your site.   A clear explanation of the findings accompanies each score, so you know where the gaps are and you have a general idea of how to address those areas that could use some improvement.  You’ll even know how your visibility compares to your competitors’!
We want your website to be effective and your business to be successful.  

The Pathmaker Visibility Report will give you an awareness of the reality of your site’s status that will be beyond your expectations.  With the insight you gain, you will know EXACTLY the steps to take to make your site exponentially more effective.  They are all steps that anyone can take.   If you have questions, need assistance, or would simply rather have an experienced professional do the job - Pathmaker Marketing has the resources to quickly and efficiently improve your online visibility and, ultimately, grow your business.

For your FREE Visibility Report, click here.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

EMAIL CAMPAIGNS - Get the Most Innovative Marketing Plan Today!


Perhaps the most Innovative Marketing Plan on the Internet today is Email Campaigns. Dedicated to imparting Enduring Tidbits to clients and prospective clients alike, rather than being directly Economically Driven, the program is meant to expand both the depth and breadth of a businesses’ relationship with its clients!


Pathmaker Marketing LLC has both the knowledge, expertise and talented individuals necessary to put together Email Campaigns that will allow you to endure yourself to your clients, while subtly leading them to your doors! As we develop your multi-part Campaigns we will concentrate on meeting the needs of those you serve, while constructing them in such a manner that they will be Automatic in nature!

To learn more about how we can help you develop Email Campaigns, visit us HERE. You will be pleased with the end results, and your clients will be thrilled with the information you share with them!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Email Fundraising Techniques


It probably is pretty safe to assume that E-Mail Fundraising is not a flash in the pan, but, rather, will be a major weapon in the arsenal of every email marketing firm in the nation for ad infinitum.  Scattered across the world wide web is tidbits of information and suggestions posted by various e-mail marketing experts meant to help give a better understanding of email marketing.  While each and everyone may be valuable, it could be painstakingly difficult to fetter them out and paint a picture with a broad enough scope to actually let you know how to attain success in this realm.  That’s why, as successful email marketing professional, I thought it would be prudent to take time to share a plethora of suggestions that have helped Pathmaker Marketing, LLC in their quest of becoming a successful professional e-mail marketing firm in the realm of e-fundraising.  So, below is a comprehensive “what to do” guide for enjoying E-mail Fundraising success.

1.    TEST - TEST - TEST - Constantly.  In email fundraising there are some variables that you can control and some that you can’t.  What you can control is when you send and how you design your emails and how you design your Landing Pages.
2.    BUILD YOUR INTERNAL FILES - Understandably, your donor file will always give you the most return on any given e-mail.  Next would be your internal prospecting file and finally any external prospecting file.
3.    GET A DECENT ESP - To conduct an E-mail Fundraising campaign you must have an Email Service Provider (ESP).  Basically, there are three types - Entry Level, Intermediate, and Advanced. 
4.    NO CSS WHEN CODING E-MAIL IN HTML - What is often overlooked is the fact that that if you use CSS it will be stripped by many email clients.  For example, G-mail, Hotmail, Yahoo, and MacMail all tend to strip out CSS
5.    DESIGN AND CODE TO 600 PIXELS WIDE - At that width your e-mail will render okay in a number of environments, such as PC, iPad and mobile phones.  

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Top Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic


Search Engine Marketing is not just presenting flashy website, people are no longer buying that. What you need today is to find a hungry niche and sell them your product or services. The question then is how to drive a great deal of hungry visitors into your website. Here is a five-tiered approach to accomplish that:

1. Search Engine Optimization - It is a fact in online marketing that people will mostly see your website through the Search Engines. It is therefore imperative that the major ones at least (Google, Yahoo and Bing), will find it so that they can feed it to those who are searching. 

2. PPC advertising - Instead of waiting for months to see results from organic SEO strategies, pay-per-click or PPC will give you results within weeks. Through paid advertising, you can then identify which keywords are often search and thus, will be viable in your organic SEO.

3. Social networking - The success of websites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube has taken Internet marketing to new territories. No longer do we bring clients to our websites, we bring our websites to where they are gathered and from there, hope that things will take off. 

4. Link building - No website is an island and that is why you have to build bridges to yours. If you can build links to authority websites, this will make your more credible and authoritative. 

5. Blogging with targeted keywords - The purpose of blogging with targeted keywords is two-fold; to drive traffic and to pre-sell visitors to the helpfulness of your product or service. If you don’t target keywords with your blog, visitors will not find it even if they want to. On the other hand, even if you can drive traffic to your website, but you are not able to convince them of the usability of your product or service, they will also not buy from you.


This five-tiered approach to Search Engine Marketing will ensure that you are able to drive a highly qualified traffic to your website, convert visitors into clients and increase your revenue. Often times they overlap, nevertheless, they work hand in hand to drive that much needed traffic so that your online marketing success is guaranteed.


To learn more about these strategies, click HERE.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

5 Proven Search Engine Marketing Ways to Bring Qualified Traffic to Your Website


Search Engine Marketing is not just presenting flashy website, people are no longer buying that. What you need today is to find a hungry niche and sell them your product or services. The question then is how to drive a great deal of hungry visitors into your website. Here is a five-tiered approach to accomplish that:

1. Search Engine Optimization - It is a fact in online marketing that people will mostly see your website through the Search Engines. It is therefore imperative that the major ones at least (Google, Yahoo and Bing), will find it so that they can feed it to those who are searching. 

2. PPC advertising - Instead of waiting for months to see results from organic SEO strategies, pay-per-click or PPC will give you results within weeks. Through paid advertising, you can then identify which keywords are often search and thus, will be viable in your organic SEO.

3. Social networking - The success of websites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube has taken Internet marketing to new territories. No longer do we bring clients to our websites, we bring our websites to where they are gathered and from there, hope that things will take off. 

4. Link building - No website is an island and that is why you have to build bridges to yours. If you can build links to authority websites, this will make your more credible and authoritative. 

5. Blogging with targeted keywords - The purpose of blogging with targeted keywords is two-fold; to drive traffic and to pre-sell visitors to the helpfulness of your product or service. If you don’t target keywords with your blog, visitors will not find it even if they want to. On the other hand, even if you can drive traffic to your website, but you are not able to convince them of the usability of your product or service, they will also not buy from you.


This five-tiered approach to Search Engine Marketing will ensure that you are able to drive a highly qualified traffic to your website, convert visitors into clients and increase your revenue. Often times they overlap, nevertheless, they work hand in hand to drive that much needed traffic so that your online marketing success is guaranteed.


To learn more about these strategies, click HERE.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Simple Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page


Facebook is far more than the name “social media” implies. It has become one of the most effective marketing venues the world has even seen. So why is it that, although you’ve created a Facebook page for their business, it just sits there? Why don’t people notice it? With countless people with Facebook accounts, why do you have only two fans after an entire year of exposure? Well, it might depend on your concept of exposure. And it might amaze you that there is nothing new under the sun. 


We’re about to share some ideas that will draw crowds to your Facebook page or you table on the town square.

Rule Number 1: Let People Know You Are There. - Tell people that you are “in the square and open for business.” Tell people you are on Facebook and tell them where to find you. Tell them everywhere you go. Advertise everywhere they go. It’s called cross-promotion. Put up banner ads on associate websites.

Rule Number 2: Don’t Just Be There. Have A Purpose. - Not everyone needs a Facebook page. But everyone with a product or cause to promote does. Share your passion on your page. Let people know what you are all about.

Rule Number 3: Make Their Visit Worthwhile. - Post valuable content on your page. Interesting content is okay, but valuable content is better. Tell them something they don’t know. It might be something unique about yourself, your product, or your company. It might be something newsworthy.

Rule Number 4: Give Them a Reason to Return - Create contests and have giveaways. Post teasers about upcoming articles or freebies. Link these ideas to things such as visiting your website and finding a hidden item.

Rule Number 5: Encourage Interaction -  This is the a la mode on the pie, the icing on the cake, the gold nugget in the stream. As you comply with the first four rules, do it so intensely that people will “Like” or “Share” or “Comment” on what you have posted. This is where the magic happens.


By now you should realize that it’s not having a Facebook page that is the secret to success, it’s how you promote it and use it. Tell folks it’s great. Then prove it to them when they visit. If you’ve followed the rules, not only will they return, they’ll bring Friends, and Friends of Friends, with them. And the Friends of their Friends’ Friends will follow.

Learn more information about the ways to Grow your Facebook Page, click HERE.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Steps In Getting Your Business Found In Local Internet



In the day and age that we live one thing is as true as it ever was - - it doesn’t matter how good you are or how competitive your prices are if no one knows about you!  As a result, the age-old challenge of making sure that potential clients find you continues to rage on.  Currently, however, the secret to achieving this goal no longer revolves around the yellow pages, billboards nor, to some extent, even radio and TV advertising.  Rather, the key, the “secret” if you would, to marketing success pretty much revolves around the Internet and Social Media!

1. CREATE A LOCAL PRESENCE ON THE BIG THREE SEARCH ENGINES - These are, of course, GOOGLE PLACES, YAHOO LOCAL, and BING LOCAL (BUSINESS PORTAL).

2. GET LISTED IN AS MANY LOCAL DIRECTORIES AS POSSIBLE - These can run the gamut from “Angie’s List” to “Hot Frog” and includes things like:
superpages.com                    
yellowpages.com                   
yelp.com                                
myhuckleberry.com             
showmelocal.com                  
3. CREATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES - Including Company Accounts (not personal) in  FOURSQUARE, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKED IN and YOU TUBE.

Learn two more steps by visiting us @ Pathmaker Marketing. 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Easy Internet Steps To Get More Visitors To Your Church


There is, without a doubt, nary a pastor or church in the country that doesn’t want to get more visitors to come to their church.  With a pure heart and a message to share, their intent is to provide for those visitors programs and services that will enhance and improve their life style.  As the 21st Century dawns it has become obvious to email marketing specialists that the Internet is a wonderful way for churches to evangelize and make themselves known to a lost world.  Randall Mains, Founder and CEO of PATH-MAKER  MARKETING LLC, one of the premier e-mail marketing professionals in the country, agrees that the following steps are an easy way to inform prospective visitors about your church and what it has to offer.

1. Launch Google Ad Words - - Target Geographically
2. Get your CHURCH found on Google by claiming your Google Place.
3. Get your members to give your positive reviews on Google Places.
4. Claim your Bing Listing
5. Claim your Yahoo Listing


As an email marketing company, PATHMAKER MARKETING, LLC knows that the above
suggestions will work, if given the time to develop.  If you need a professional e-mail marketing firm to help you accomplish the above, PATHMAKER and Randall Mains stand ready to assist you.  To learn more, go to Pathmaker Marketing. 

Learn more about other Easy Internet Steps to get more visitors to your Church, visit: Pathmaker Marketing Now!

Friday, February 1, 2013

What You Need to Know about Web Design


When it comes to Website Design there are several basic "Musts" that need to be kept in mind - the Do's and Don'ts, if you would, of Website Design. Here are a few points you will want to consider:

Design - it isn't about you: You need to ensure that your site caters to what your Visitors like, not you. With that thought in mind, there are numerous things to avoid, and the Designers at Pathmaker Marketing LLC not only know what these are, but how to stay away from them.

Ease of Use - make it easy to find your content: Visitors need to be able to easily see what you have to offer and to be able to readily get to it. Our Designers will equip your site so that visitors can easily navigate around it.

Copywriting: Too little and your Visitor leaves uninformed; too much and they leave bored. Pathmaker Marketing LLC Designerswill direct you as to how much is perfect and, if you so desire, our Copywriting Staff can even prepare the text for you.

Interactivity: One of the cutting edge aspects of Website Design is providing the capability of "involving" your visitors. From Games to Gathering Information, our Designers are adept at creating opportunities for "Visitor Participation" with your site.

Technology - use it to facilitate meaningful conversation: By using State of the Art Technology our Designers can actually determine your visitor's likes and interests by the way they browse your site, thus allowing you to "cut to the chase" when you do follow up contacts.

Content - make it useful: Pathmaker Marketing LLC Designers are trained to design Websites so that they address visitor's potential problems and provide resolutions.

It would seem that the above is all you need to know about Designing the Perfect Website. The reality is we have just barely scratched the surface! The Pathmaker Marketing LLC Designers work closely with our Search Engine Optimization Team to ensure that your site is, in fact, "optimized". The key here, of course, is Targeting Keywords.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Keyword Research


I’m sure your first thought is, "Well, where are we going?”  And well it should be!  You would be appalled, however, if you knew how many people put together a Search Engine Marketing Program with no idea where they are going!

That’s why we at Pathmaker Marketing LLC want to share with you the importance of Keyword Research and, more importantly, offer our services in conducting an effective and successful program.

After we have determined "where” you’re going, we will work diligently to determine the best way to get you there!  Just as the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, you will want your journey on the Internet Highway to be as direct as possible.  While meandering on country lanes is a wonderful way to spend a vacation, "meandering” on the Internet is detrimental almost to the point of being disastrous!

Remembering that Keyword Research is the Foundation of an effective Search Engine Marketing Program will allow you to understand that, basically, you need to "chase” those individuals who want your Product/Service and are using the Internet to find you!  Our goal, on your behalf, is to determine and isolate the words they will be using while they are looking for you!  These are the words/terms that they will type into their Google Search.  Your goal, and our intent, is to make sure that you and/or your company "comes up” when they type in their Search Words!

Effective Search Engine Marketing Programs don’t just happen - - they are the result of a lot of hard work, and well-executed Keyword Research!

Visit us today at Pathmaker Marketing LLC.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Social Networking and its Benefits


Most of us, when we think of Social Networking, picture Facebook in our minds. Created by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, it has grown to be the number one Social Networking entity in the world, and vies for the distinction of being the largest US Web Company with Google and Amazon on a most competitive basis. What this means to you is that with over 500 million active users, Social Networking has become a viable choice as part of your Internet Marketing Program! This is true because Facebook now has Company Pages, which allows the general public and not only your friends to visit.


One of the major advantages of Social Networking (and there are several!) is that it allows you to actually Interact with both your current and prospective clients/customers! You can establish a question and answer scenario, where you are able to display a degree of your expertise. Further, you can discuss your plans concerning upcoming sales and specials! You can actually have Testimonials posted there, allowing prospective clients to get an idea of the qualifications and quality of your product or service.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Social Networking is that it creates a situation whereby people are circumventing the"Google Search." Today, via Facebook, Twitter and other avenues of Social Networking, people are informing and advising their friends where to do business! We tell our friends where to eat, where to play, and even where and what to buy. The exciting thing is that when Friend A shares something on their Facebook Page, they are sharing with Friends B-W and with all their friends.

To stay on the cutting edge with your Internet Marketing Plan, you need to make arrangements to create a Company Page as soon as possible.

Why not get started right away! Contact us now by visiting our website here.