May 24, 2012 Leave a Comment

[Q&A] How to Use Social Media & Email Together to Keep Customers Engaged

John Pepper, the founder of the popular East Coast globally-inspired burrito restaurant chain, Boloco, has been “going social” before businesses could really even go social.

In 2007, far before business pages were introduced, Boloco had around 17 different Facebook groups to represent the brand and its locations.

John started using email marketing even earlier, sending the chain’s first newsletter in 1999.

Since the beginning, he says that the goal of Boloco’s social media and email has been connecting with customers on a more personal level.

Here’s a transcript of my recent discussion with John on how social media and email marketing work together for Boloco, and how the relationship recently came into play when the business simultaneously celebrated a 15th anniversary with free burritos, announced a price hike, and raised over $20,000 for an important cause.

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May 3, 2012 3 Comments

One BIG Secret to Building Your Email List


In order for your engagement marketing to be effective you’re actually going to need a way to keep in touch with your customers.

One of those ways is via email.

Of course, this means you’ll have to collect your customer’s email addresses. But how do you do that?

You may be surprised at how easy it is when you use the best kept secret of building your email list.

It’s something so simple, that it’s often overlooked.

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Filed Under: The Engagement Blog Tagged:
May 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

30% Sales from Going Digital?

Maas Nursery has been in the Maas family since 1951, when Cristina Batz’s grandparents first founded the business. The nursery is located in the Houston area, but is well outside of the city. So, while Maas Nursery is recognized as one of the top residential landscaping services in the region, Cristina admits that even beauty needs a little bit of marketing.

“We don’t get a lot of drive-by traffic, so we had to make an environment that’s worth visiting,” Cristina explains. “People will drive two hours to see our garden.”

The nursery sports a beautiful, 15-acre landscape of rare flowers studded with fountains and antiques, making a visit to the store a unique and memorable experience. For the past few years, Cristina has worked hard to further improve that experience by marketing things online. She says that going digital has helped Maas Nursery power through tough times. Last year, sales grew by 30% and have remained strong ever since.

The key, Cristina believes, is to make the nursery not just a business, but a gathering spot, a community, and a resource for veteran landscapers and amateur gardeners alike, whether they’re at the store or at home.

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