Welcome to Alto’s e-update, providing you with the latest news and deals from the media and other marketing opportunities. Please do not hesitate in contacting us if you require further information on any of the items below, we also welcome any feedback as to what information is useful to you.
November Update
Alto has moved!
Today sees the first update from our new office! Only a stone’s throw from our last office, please note our new address is: Alto Marketing Ltd, Office 3, Universal Marina, Crableck Lane, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, SO31 7AL, UK. Phone numbers and email addresses remain unchanged. We look forward to welcoming you here soon.
Media - What’s New?
Laboratory News Jobs - a recruitment portal aimed specifically at scientists - has been refreshed and modified see labnewsjobs.co.uk
Events
Alto may be attending:
If you are interested in any media networking at these events please contact Chris or David.
Medica 2008 , 19 - 22 Nov 2008, Messe Dusseldorf GmbH, Germany.
American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) , 13 - 17 Dec 2008, San Francisco, US.
Lab Automation 2009 , 25 -27 Jan 2009, Palm Springs Convention Centre, California, USA.
Guidelines for an Effective Response Form
A response forms main goal is to collect enough information to begin a relationship and to communicate trustworthiness to the subscriber. However, the trick is how to get sufficient information without instilling distrust in the respondent? Kath Pay from Infobox offers a list of tips for optimizing your subscription form, which can be organized in terms of content, design and wording.
Content:
The initial form should request the minimum amount of information necessary to begin a mailing relationship. Email and/or postal address and full name provides enough for a basic personalised communication.
More information can be requested in subsequent e-mail interactions, once your subscriber has developed greater trust towards your mailings.
Optional form fields can also be used to request additional information. Kath Pay recommends limiting optional fields to five, since anything greater will create the impression of an intimidating lengthy form.
Design:
Use error detection script to alert subscribers to information entered incorrectly. This minimizes faulty entries and maximizes the validity of your mailing list.
To the same end, include an extra field so the respondent fills in their email twice.
Include wide form fields so that the respondent doesn’t have to scroll from side to side, making it as easy and convenient for them as possible.
Use blank tick boxes so that opting in is an active choice. This prevents respondents from feeling like you are trying to cheat them and reduces spam complaints later on in the game.
Wording:
Clearly label whether a field is required or optional, so respondents are not needlessly intimidated by the breadth of the form.
Don’t use confusing instructions for checking tick boxes. The use of double negatives and other confounding tactics will make the respondent feel like you are trying to trick them.
Everything they are opting in to by checking tick boxes should be explicit in the text of the form, not hidden in the “Terms and Conditions”. Even though respondents are required to read this, they will still feel deceived when they encounter mailings they did not expect.
From time to time we hear of industry people looking for a change in employment. If you have a marketing/sales/business development vacancy, we may be able to put you in contact with a suitable candidate. Contact David or Chris with details.
Yours,
The Alto Team