The Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing

Email Marketing Best Practices

So you’ve heard the buzz about how easy and cost effective email marketing can be for your business. But, you might not be sure where to start?  We’ve put together this handy guide of email marketing best practices to help you get started in a snap.

Build your email marketing list

If you’re just getting started with email marketing, your list might be fairly small. That’s okay. Everyone starts somewhere, and you’ll grow your list over time. Just make sure you’re collecting email addresses, and especially that you have an opt-in form on your website, blog and applicable social networks so new people can sign up to join your list.

It is a email marketing best practice to include information along with your sign-up form to let your new subscribers know exactly how often you plan on emailing them (whether it’s once a month or twice a week, or another timeframe), and what type of information you’ll be sending. That way, people know right away what they’re signing up for when they sign up, and expectations are set, so there aren’t any surprises.


It also allows you to offer an incentive for subscribers, whether it’s special email-only discounts and deals, or information about new products and specials before they’re released on your website.

Start small

Not sure how often to send email? It’s better to start small, emailing subscribers once or twice a month, or more often if that is what you offered when they signed up. It’s important to only send what you promised. If you need to increase the frequency later, or during a busy season like the winter holidays, you can email your subscribers and let them know in advance what to expect.

A word of warning: Don’t add anyone to your email list without their permission. If they’ve entered a contest or drawing or you’ve gotten their business card, make sure to drop them a line to ask if they want to be on your email list – instead of adding them directly.

If you need ideas of what to send, we’ve got 50 unique ideas for you here.

Segment your list

Even if you only have 20 or 30 people on your email list, it’s not too soon to start segmenting it based on the type of information people are looking for. Local customers interested in events or workshops may go on a different list than those who live out of town. You may offer three different products for three unique groups – in which case it’s a perfect time to begin tailoring your marketing to specific groups of people, offering information specific to them instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

Do what’s right for your subscribers

You may get emails from chain clothing stores each day, telling you what to buy and what’s on sale. “That’s how they do their marketing,” says Jill Bastian, our own Training and Education manager. “For them it’s pretty successful, but for small businesses, people have different expectations.”

If you try too hard to emulate big companies, you could get in trouble. People may get annoyed with a high volume of emails. “Pay attention to your stats,” Bastian advises. “If subscribers drop off, look at your content. Are you sending the right information? Are you sending too often? Too many messages saying ‘Buy! Buy! Buy!’ can be really off-putting to people,” so make sure to intersperse useful messages with informational content in your email marketing.

Find your voice

As a small business owner, your tone may be able to be a bit more conversational than an email sent from a big business (depending on your industry or type of business, of course). Spend some time finding your company’s voice to ensure your messages hit the mark.

Be consistent

A rookie email marketing mistake is to simply send an email when you have something to say. But it’s better to email on a regular basis. Disappearing for even a couple of months can confuse your readers, who may forget about your business before you hit send nine weeks later.

Quality content

Another common mistake is to only send sales pitches to your readers.  “There’s more to sending out an email than putting some pictures of your product and saying, ‘okay, go buy it,’ because people won’t keep looking at the email if you don’t spend a little bit of time writing it,” says Bastian. Instead, post highly valuable content your readers are interested in and which they would benefit from, whether they use your product or not. Things like how-tos, tips and product help are popular types of content.

Make it readable

You’ll want your messages to be easy to read, no matter what device your readers are on, or how much time they have. Using bullets and subheadings makes your email easy to scan, even, for example, if someone’s quickly checking messages on their phone while taking the subway to work.

Also, make sure to break up longer paragraphs into shorter ones to make your material more digestible.

Proof and edit

Have a co-worker glance at your message before hitting send to avoid typos, broken links or other errors after the emails hit your subscribers’ inbox.

Testing

A simple web search on online marketing can present you with a dizzying array of often contradictory information on the best way to market to your readers. The thing is, there’s no one approach that works for every business, let alone each specific group of people. And since nobody can offer you the perfect blueprint for your unique email list, the most important thing is to test.

You’ll want to analyze your data from time to time, with a special look at the following:

• Subject matter. Are there specific topics people gravitate towards? Look at the open rate on your emails to see if there are any surprises. In some industries, people are always asking about a specific topic, but the open rate for emails addressing it is low. Sometimes people think they’re interested (or not interested) in reading information about certain topics, but the data shows otherwise. Keep an eye on which types of emails are read most often, and which aren’t, so you can modify the subjects you cover appropriately. Your readers may even change their interests and preferences over time.

• Subject line. What does better for you, emails with lots of information in the subject line or those with just a bit? If you have 200 addresses or more on your email list, A/B split testing can help you analyze two different subject lines for the exact same post to see which one gets a better response. There may be specific subject lines for your list that you’d like to test as well.

• Email length. There’s no cookie-cutter answer for what the best length is for your emails. It may vary by message depending if you are sending a newsletter, an offer, an invitation or another message. And you can also mix up your email length, if appropriate, with some short and sweet messages and some longer, more comprehensive reads.

• How often. Sending to your list on a regular basis is the best recipe for success. Stick with what you promised when the subscriber signed up and change it as needed as your business dictates.

• Counting clicks. Including links to products or areas of your website can help you see what your readers are interested in – just look at the number of clicks per link.

It’s tempting to feel like you’re done after the email you crafted is delivered to your email list, but it’s really just the beginning. Bottom line: Your email marketing campaign isn’t done when you hit send. Spend some time seeing what your customers or readers like and what they’re interested in – which products they look at or buy, which links they’re clicking on, which articles they’re reading, and so forth. Keep giving them the kind of information they want. If you’re not paying attention to the people reading your emails, then your email marketing won’t be successful.


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Attitude of Gratitude

It’s a solid rule of thumb in the retail world: Keeping existing clientele is easier, more profitable, and less expensive than trying to hunt down new clients.

That’s why it’s so important to let those in your current customer base know how much you value their business.

“We’re living in what I like to call the ‘Thank You Economy,’ because only the companies that can figure out how to mind their manners in a very old-fashioned way — and do it authentically — are going to have a prayer of competing,” writes social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk on Entrepreneur.com.

Research backs up the impact on your bottom line when you show appreciation to your clientele. The likelihood of selling to an existing happy customer is up to 14 times higher than that of selling to a new customer, reports a Marketing Metrics study. And businesses that grow their customer-retention rates by as little as 5 percent can see profit increases ranging from 25 percent up to a staggering 95 percent, according to studies by Bain & Co.

Fortunately, email offers an excellent vehicle for fast and efficient (but heartfelt) thank yous that help make customers feel appreciated while offering them a break from more promotional messages. If they’re genuine, such expressions can also put you head and shoulders above the rest in a marketplace that sometimes sees people as dollar figures instead of human beings.
Here are some tips for crafting thank you emails.

Massaging the messages

Need specific reasons to show customers appreciation? There are several kinds of emails to help express your gratitude while further cementing the positive relationships that can build your business. Consider these five options:

1. Thank you after a purchase – Ideally, these emails address the recipient by name and offer specific thanks for the item(s) purchased. If possible, the message should be positioned as coming from a real, genuine person within your organization instead of a faceless business; it might even include a small photo of the sender. But it need not be wordy; in fact, sometimes succinct messages pack a bigger wallop.
2. Holiday celebration – While recognizing the major holidays is a no-brainer, you’ll stand out even further if you recognize minor or tongue-in-cheek holidays that might have significance to your business and/or customer base. Consider the growing economic impact of Star Wars Day and the increasing awareness (Argh!) of Talk Like a Pirate Day. Copious online sources list similar commemorative days of all kinds. Note that recipients are apt to be even more responsive if you throw in a discount or freebie that keeps with the theme.
3. Birthday wishes – These are an excellent way to connect with customers — and make them feel recognized — in a non-promotional way. You can have fun with this via online tools that can customize your good wishes with animated GIFs, music, cool designs, and other bells and whistles. For even more impact, consider a birthday present such as a virtual gift card or special offer. Consumers who get a product for free provide valuable word-of-mouth by talking about the product 20 percent more, according to the Journal of Marketing. Examples of effective birthday emails are here.
4. Feedback requests – Asking customers their opinions about your business, products, and services can also make them feel valued and important. One of the easiest methods is a survey that can be automatically tallied; the results can help identify customers’ needs and wants, as well as monitor your brand’s identity in the marketplace. Make sure your survey is brief and easy to answer, though, as your audience could be turned off if they perceive it as inconvenient, time consuming, or overly personal.
5. Celebration of company milestone – Did you just make your 10,000th sale? Fifth anniversary? Unveil a new website? Whatever the milestone, let your customers feel as though they have helped you reach that goal. Tell your story in an engaging way, then explain how instrumental your customers have been in that journey.

Open sesame

It’s important to note, however, that even the most riveting message can’t serve its purpose if the recipient isn’t motivated to open it. Follow these suggestions for maximizing your chances of being noticed among the 90 business emails sent and received by the average human being each day, worldwide.

• Marketing firms or do-it-yourself tools can help you segment your email list so you’re not sending the same email to everyone. Your messages can then be tailored by any number of factors, including how recently or frequently the recipient has bought from you and the monetary value of their purchases. The same tools can automatically send messages on your behalf in response to what the customer does on your website, strategically timing the message to maximize the chance it will be opened.

• Keep your message focused and to the point, limiting each email to one call to action, if any. Ask yourself if you’d want to read the message, whether the tone is appropriate for your audience, and if you can edit out repetitive or meaningless copy. For these kinds of emails less is more, and three or four paragraphs should be your maximum length.

• Summarize the content in the subject line so recipients know your message isn’t self-promotional, (i.e. “Many thanks for your recent purchase, Rufus” or “The happiest of birthday wishes, Esmeralda”).

• Consider a freebie or special offer in the way of thanks. “On the surface, freebies look like obvious money losers,” notes Martha C. White on the Time website. “But when handled wisely, giveaways are all but guaranteed to boost sales. When consumers get something for nothing, they respond in a host of surprising, mostly unconscious ways — and the net result is often that the companies handing out freebies are rewarded well for their ‘generosity.’”

• Avoid sending from email addresses (i.e. noreply@domain.com) that don’t allow responses. Such addresses make you appear impervious to feedback and deny you further chances to connect with customers.

• In order to customize future messages, consider AB testing to determine which versions perform most effectively.

Email provides an affordable and relatively easy way to connect with your customers in ways that come across as less self-serving. Foster goodwill among your clientele by letting them know you value their support and business.


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Increase Your Open Rates with Sizzlin’ Summer Subject Lines

If you run an outdoor pool or an ice cream parlor, summer is a booming time for business. But even without summer-themed products and services, you can still add a splash of excitement to your marketing.

Memorial Day is right around the corner, and as people are starting to spend more time grilling and soaking up the sun, how can you capture their attention with your email subject lines? Remember, a subject line is just as important as the email itself because it’s the first thing people see in their inbox. Use these summer subject line ideas to get your emails the attention they deserve.

1. Draw attention with summer words and phrases
How are you celebrating summer at your business? Let it shine through in your email subject lines, but remember to keep it short and attention-grabbing. Use common summer words and references like these suggestions:

• Celebrate summer with a heat-wave sale
• Provide solutions to summer problems like mosquitoes and sunburn
• Make a list of lawn maintenance tips or suggestions for a fun family grill-out
• Talk about summer must-haves, summer safety, or summer places
• Use summer words and phrases like fun in the sun, beat the heat, high temps, and dog days of summer

2. Promote a summer sale
An easy way to tie your email to summer is to promote a seasonal sale. Craft an exciting line that encourages customers to open the email immediately. Tell them exactly what they’ll see when they open it. For example, “Don’t miss out on the big summer sale — Promo codes inside.” You could also tie your sale to a summer holiday, from Memorial Day to the 4^th of July or Labor Day.

3. Create a calendar of local events
People will look forward to your emails if they know they’re getting more than just an in-your-face promotion. Everyone wants to know about the hottest and most popular summer events, so add a calendar of local events to your emails. Give your customers something to get excited about, from local fireworks to the best farmers markets around town.

4. Use common sense
Your email subject lines should be fun and personal. If you wouldn’t send it to a friend or family member, you shouldn’t send it to current or potential customers either. But don’t go overboard. Stay away from emoticons if using them doesn’t align with your brand. All caps and excessive punctuation should also be avoided. Keep your email professional.

5. Create content people want to read
Your customer wants an answer to the question, “What’s in it for me?” That means it’s important to give them relevant and engaging content in each email. One way to do this is with a summer-themed educational list. If you sell clothing, try talking about the top five summer trends. Or if you run an auto repair shop, list helpful ways to keep your car running smoothly. And don’t be afraid to add a bit of humor. Bonus points if you make your customers laugh.

Don’t let all that hard work on your email marketing campaigns go to waste. Use these tips to keep your open rates up and your business growing all summer long.


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7 Reasons Your Business Needs a Welcome Email

When someone signs up for your email list, it’s important to roll out the email red carpet and welcome them. Statistics show these new subscribers are most engaged within the first 48 hours. An automated welcome email (which is a type of autoresponder) can help you reach out to your new subscribers within that crucial window of time. Luckily, at the end of this month, we’ll be launching automated welcome emails in our newest version of VerticalResponse.

Why is an automated welcome email so important to have in your email tool belt? We’ve identified seven reasons why your business should take advantage of a welcome email:

1. Save time
What small business owner isn’t looking for ways to save time? We know you’re busy. With an automated welcome email, every time a new name is added to your list, your pre-made welcome email is delivered straight to their inbox. It’s that simple.

You don’t have to create and send a welcome email every time a new contact signs up, which means you’ll spend less time creating individual emails and managing your list. You create the welcome email once and it’s automatically sent to new subscribers.

2. Provide immediate value
New subscribers have high expectations. When they sign up for your emails, they expect high quality content in return. A welcome email sets the tone, instantly showing customers what kind of communication and information they’ll receive as a member of your email list. A welcome email is your time to shine. A sleek, well thought out welcome email shows subscribers your company can be counted on to deliver valuable content.

This example comes from BuzzSumo, a content marketing competitor analytics tool. They provide value by including links to their “Getting Started Tutorial,” free webinars and “Knowledge Base.” They also let you know that you can reply to the welcome email to get answers fast.



3. Tailor your welcome email with ease
Like many small businesses, your email lists may be divided into different groups. As an option, you can customize a welcome email to meet the needs of each group. For example, if your lists are divided by location (San Francisco or New York) you can create welcome emails that are tailored to a particular city or area. Each group receives a targeted look and message.

4. Make a great first impression
One of the biggest reasons to send a welcome email is to make a good first impression. A welcome email is like a digital handshake between two new people. It’s the first step to forming a relationship.
A welcome email gives you the chance to knock your first meeting out of the park. You only get one shot at a first impression, and delivering a professional email that extends a friendly greeting as soon as they sign up for your list can make your new subscriber feel welcome.

Plus, a welcome email can provide information about your company or offer a new-subscriber discount. All of these aspects add to the subscriber’s overall impression of your business.
This example comes from Hipcamp, a California campsite booking website. They thank you for joining, explain their mission, tell you what you can do on the site, and encourage you to explore, all in a friendly, welcoming tone.



5. Generate some buzz
Who doesn’t want to create a positive buzz around their business or product? Well, a welcome email does just that. As part of a welcome email, you can get prospective customers excited about what’s to come. Tell new subscribers why your email list will rock their world. For example, in the welcome email below Crate and Barrel tells subscribers they’ll get special offers, a look at new items, design tips and access to store events. That quick list gets subscribers pumped up about their new email relationship.



6. Take advantage of a potential sales opportunity
When a new subscriber joins your list, it means they want to know more about your product or business. Since the welcome email lands in their inbox while their curiosity is still piqued, subscribers may be more likely to make a purchase from your business. To provide a little extra incentive, consider adding a promotional deal to your welcome email.

Take a look at the email below. It not only welcomes the subscriber, but it also offers 20% off. The customer sees it as a nice gesture, and it opens up a sale opportunity for your business.



7. Increase email response rates
Every small business wants to see impressive email response rates. When you send an email, you want subscribers to open it, read it and take action. Statistics show welcome emails have impressive response rates.

The Epsilon Email Marketing Research Center says triggered emails – which include welcome emails, shopping cart reminder emails and anniversary emails – have an open rate of 46-53% and clickthrough rates between 9-11%. Other non-automated emails have an open rate of 26-32% and clickthrough rates that hover around 4 percent.

Simply put, subscribers pay attention to welcome emails.


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Social Media Management Dashboards. Which One Is Right For You?

There will come a time that you may find yourself overwhelmed with all things going on relating to your social platforms. But, there are amazing Social Media Management Tools out there. We discuss in our opinion the 2 Best Social Media Dashboards out there. Of course they all cost money so that'l be part of your decision making process. Check out our video where we discuss the pros and cons of each social media management tool dashboards and hopefully it'll help you make your decision.

Social Media Mangement Tools Mentioned:
www.Agorapulse.com
www.Hootsuite.com

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: But What About Emojis?

In today’s digital age, communicating your marketing message is all about being clear, concise, and direct. Twitter gives us 140 characters to get our point across; we abbreviate “OMG,” “LOL,” and “OMW,” for text messages; crowded inboxes require standout subject lines for readers to open your campaign; and Instagram now allows you to hashtag emojis. We’ve all heard the idiom before: “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and it’s never been more true.

In a recent study by Appboy, they discovered emoji use in emails has increased an unprecedented 7,100 percent compared to last year.



So what does that mean for your email marketing? If you’re already in the process of spring cleaning your marketing efforts and coming up with fresh new subject lines, content, and creative, consider the impact of emojis to convey your message.

Keep in mind that emoji use in your marketing may look different than in your personal communications. Are you trying to highlight a specific promotion, deal, or point? Are you celebrating a milestone or event? Is there a seasonal campaign you’re running? Emojis can be a great way to draw attention to these programs or add an emotional, visual element to your communications.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your marketing and get a little creative. Try running an A/B test to see if emojis work for your brand. While emoji use is on the rise, you may find that they aren’t the right fit for your brand. ()



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Build Customer Trust by Sending These 6 Emails

When sending emails to your current and potential customers, it’s important to remember that not every point of contact should be a push to sell your products or services. Building business relationships starts with building trust from the very first email. So, how do you build trust? By respecting your readers’ time, offering expert advice and tips, sharing things that benefit your customer and being honest.

Need some examples? Here are six emails that help build customer trust.

1. Welcome email
As your first contact with a new subscriber, your welcome email is handshake; make sure it’s warm and inviting. Keep it short. You want to welcome them, thank them for signing up, introduce your business and tell them how often they’ll hear from you.
You can also include a few bullet points about what they’ll be receiving in terms of email content. Be sure to ask your recipient to “whitelist” you by adding your email address to their address book.
To see examples, check out this post: 10 Examples of Highly Effective Welcome Emails.

2. Alert emails
Consider sending alert emails when appropriate. For example, if you’re an allergist, you could send an alert email about the high pollen count in your area. A travel company can send weather alerts. If you ship products to your customers, send an alert with an estimated arrival date. Alert emails are timely and informational. It’s an effective way to keep your customers in the loop, which builds your relationship.

3. Newsletters ­
With every newsletter you send, you educate your audience about your business while building trust at the same time. The purpose of your newsletter isn’t to sell, but to inform. Tell your audience about recent changes, highlight an exceptional employee and mention upcoming events. You can include all sorts of content in your newsletter.
Get in the habit of sending your newsletter on a regular basis so customers come to expect it. Newsletters are like lunch dates. These digital meetings give you and your contact a chance to catch up.

4. Oops emails
Did you make a mistake? If so, admit it. Apologize for sending out the wrong deal, an inaccurate fact, or a broken link. It’s an opportunity to build trust. Admit your mistake and explain how you’ll correct the problem in the future. Here’s an example:



5. Educational emails
Remind your readers why you’re their go-to expert by sending out short articles, videos or infographics that are of interest to them. According to the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer, industry experts are twice as credible as CEOs. So make the most of your opportunity to impress clients (and earn their trust!) with your knowledge and expertise.

6. Freebie emails
If your business or service is giving something away, let your audience know about it via email. We’re talking about no-catch free stuff (or services). For example, a landscaping service might give away 20 tickets to the Home & Garden Show. You could give away free memberships or a free consultation for services, many B2B companies giveaway free content like ebooks or whitepapers.
What kind of emails do you send to build trust with your subscribers? Share in the comments section below.


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25 Comical Subject Lines + Tips for Funny Writing

Want a sure-fire way to engage your subscribers and get them to open your emails? Make ‘em laugh. A humorous subject line is a great motivator.

So, how do you write funny subject lines? Since hiring Amy Schumer or John Oliver is probably out of the question, you’ll have to channel your own inner comedian. Don’t worry; we’ll help you find your funny bone. We have four tips to help you create chuckle-worthy subject lines. Before we start, here are some funny subject lines to use as inspiration:

• OpenTable:  Licking your phone never tasted so good
• Move Loot:  Seat Your Heart Out
• Travelocity:  Need a day at the beach? Just scratch n’ sniff your way to paradise…
• Uber:  Since we can’t all win the lottery…
• Overstock:  Seriously. We’d like to thank you.
• Grubhub:  Last Day To See What This Mystery Email Is All About
• Refinery29:  10 bizarre money habits making Millennials richer
• Groupon: Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike Our Nephew, Steve)
• Eater Boston: Where to Drink Beer Right Now (Sent at 6:45am on a Wednesday)
• Fabletics: Your Butt Will Look Great in These Workout Pants
• Edgevale: Get In Our Pants
• UrbanDaddy: You’ve Changed
• Influitive: So I’ll pick you up at 7?
• BloomThat: Better than a pumpkin spice latte!
• Gap: Mondays are suddenly AWESOME
• The Bold Italic: Just Pho You: Where to Eat SF’s Best Pho
• Pop Physique: Get Ready. Keep the Pie Off Your Thighs Returns.
• The Muse: We Like Being Used
• BuzzFeed: Yes, We’re Still Talking About Kim Kardashian’s Butt
• Groupon: There are no deals in this email
• Warby Parker: Pairs nicely with spreadsheets
• Sublime Stitching: Bummed you missed out? Console yourself…
• NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences: Show Us Yours and We’ll Show You Ours
• Baby Bump: Yes, I’m Pregnant. You Can Stop Staring At My Belly Now.
• Benefit Cosmetics: Do you like to watch?

Tips for writing amusing subject lines:

1. Connect things that don’t go together
To get subscribers to crack a smile and click open on your email, try combining two things that may not necessarily fit together. The “Pairs nicely with spreadsheets,” subject line is a good example. Try to combine your product or service with something out of the ordinary. For example, an online retailer could connect hip trends to the older generation. A subject line like, “Ten Trendy Styles Even Your Grandmother Thinks Are On Fleek,” could get a smile from your readers and encourage customers of all generations to open your email.

2. Use movies and song titles
Draw inspiration from movie quotes, song titles, and infamous TV or internet moments. Because it’s true, we are still talking about Kim Kardashian’s derrière. Think of movies that relate to your business, or famous quotes that you could incorporate into your subject line. For example, a dating service could incoporate the movie title, Finders Keepers, into a subject line. A spa or salon could weave in the movie title, Inside Out. A landscaping business could reference Angry Birds. A local pub could use Seinfeld‘s Kramer quote, “Boy, these pretzels are makin’ me thirsty.”

3. Keep an eye on celebrity happenings
If you’re not into celebrity gossip, we won’t force you to read tabloids, but celebrities are always good for a faux pas here and there. From fashion fails on the red carpet to odd occurrences like Charlie Sheen’s “Winning” rant, Hollywood can provide material for a subject line or two.

4. Be blunt
Sometimes stating the obvious is funny. People tend to skirt some issues and sugarcoat others to avoid hurt feelings, but it’s okay to be brutally honest on occasion as long is it’s appropriate for your biz. The subject line from WorkLife, “Everyone Hates The Boss. Learn How to Smile Through It,” is a good example.
Try something similar with your business. For example, a restaurant could say, “We promise not to ask how it tastes when your mouth is full.” Accountants can play up how awful paying taxes is by referencing the famous Ben Franklin quote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” An auto repair service can talk about running on empty. Tell your audience the brutal truth and explain how your business can help.

A few words of caution
Humorous subject lines have a lot of benefits, but there are a few rules you’ll want to stick to.

• Don’t be offensive

If you take a joke too far, you can offend your audience. If you think your subject line is borderline offensive, don’t send it. Since humor is subjective, it’s always a good idea to run your subject line by another colleague to make sure you’re not crossing the line. Also, politics are risky and divisive. Political humor may alienate a segment of your audience so use extreme caution here.

• Don’t stray from your company’s voice

You’ve worked hard to create a voice and tone for your brand. That voice can certainly have a dash of humor, but don’t stray too far. Keep your voice true to your brand.

• Humor is just another tool

As always, you want your email content and subject lines to be diverse. In other words, you don’t have to make your contacts laugh with every email. It’s just another tactic to have in your marketing toolbox.


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29 Ways to Collect Email Addresses for Your Newsletter

 Looking for ways to grow your list of newsletter subscribers? There are a ton of ways to get people to sign up for your weekly or monthly email marketing campaigns. I’ve put together a list for you to read, so you have heaps of options for growing your list.

1. Include a link to your newsletter sign up form in the main navigation bar of your website and/or blog. (Or better yet, include a sign up form in the main navigation bar).
2. Create a “sign up” call to action on your Facebook business page.
3. Create enticing visuals encouraging people to sign up for your list, and post them on social media channels (especially Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn).
4. Attend or exhibit at a trade show or networking event and bring a newsletter email sign up clipboard or book. If you’re tech savvy, bring an iPad or mobile device with you. Ask each person you talk with to sign up. Do the same for any business cards you receive.
5. Include a link to your newsletter sign up form in your personal email signature.
6. Place a newsletter sign up clipboard next to every register if you have a retail store. Have your employees mention the newsletter and emphasize the benefits (exclusive discounts, events, educational info, reminders, etc.)
7. Join your local chamber of commerce, email the member list (if it’s opt-in) about your services, and include a link to sign up for your newsletter.
8. Host your own event. Art galleries, software companies (one here has a party every quarter and invites the neighboring businesses), retail shops, consultants (lunch & learn) can all host an event and request attendees to join your newsletter.
9. Offer a birthday club, and give something special to those who sign up.
10. Incentivize your employees. Give them financial rewards for adding new subscribers to the newsletter.
11. Give something away like samples, a tour, a consultation, a free how-to guide, infographic, how-to video, etc. Have people sign up for your newsletter to qualify.
12. Get referrals. Ask your customers to encourage friends to sign up. In exchange, give them a discount.
13. Use Pinterest! Here’s a step-by-step guide to building your email list with Pinterest.
14. Make and upload videos to YouTube, then include a link at the end of every video directing people to your newsletter sign up form.
15. Post your sign up form page on LinkedIn and sponsor it.
16. Send a postcard. Have a list of postal addresses without emails? Send a direct mail offer that can be redeemed when the recipient signs up for your newsletter.
17. Include a link to the email sign up form in your Twitter business profile description. Here’s how to edit your Twitter profile.
18. Use a Lightbox. When someone attempts to leave your site, display a lightbox and ask them to sign up.
19. Include a forward-to-a-friend link in all your emails.
20. Use a hosted sign up form landing page.
21. Create a tab on your business Facebook page and include an email sign up form.
22. Offer “Newsletter only” discounts and mention them on your sign up form page and on social. Don’t use those offers anywhere but in your newsletter.
23. Ask people over the phone. If people call your business for whatever reason, don’t hang up until you’ve asked if you can add them to your newsletter.
24. Put a fishbowl on your counter, ask for business cards and permission to sign up for your newsletter, then do a weekly prize giveaway of your product and announce it in your next edition.
25. Post a photo of an item or an offer to giveaway on Instagram. Then, include a link in your Instagram bio asking people to sign up to participate in the giveaway.
26. Include a call to action, a link and/or a sign up form at the end of every blog post you write.
27. Add a link or sign up form in the footer, and/or side bar of your website.
28. Create a Twitter lead generation card to advertise and gain sign ups for your email newsletter.
29. Include a link or sign up form on your company’s “about us” page.

Bonus: Optimize your site for appropriate SEO keywords, and ensure your business is on appropriate online listings. You want to appear at the top of organic search results when people are looking for your products or services. This will help get your business and your newsletter sign up form found.
Have any additional ideas?  Share with us on social!

Need more ideas for your next email? Check out our list of 50 email ideas.


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25 Proven Steps to Achieve Email Marketing Magic

If you’ve left email marketing out of the promotional mix for your business, you’re missing out on a method that has been shown to generate as much in revenue as all other types of digital advertising combined. Just how much revenue does email drive? Research last year found that such campaigns produce an average ROI of $38 for each dollar spent. To add to that, Econsultancy found email marketing was rated effective by more companies and agencies than any other channel.



If you haven’t been giving email marketing the focus it deserves, not to worry, this post is for you. Here are 25 proven steps you can start taking today to begin reaping magical rewards in no time.

1. Build Your List

Start by gathering email addresses from current and potential customers. Building your list can seem difficult and time-consuming, but it’s worth your while to limit it to those who choose to engage. Buying lists is a bad idea, since emailing anonymous contacts can seem invasive and often results in complaints, bounced addresses and unsubscribes. Gain trust by not sharing subscribers’ info with other companies, and by creating emails with useful or exclusive information and valuable offers, not just sales pitches. The options for growing your list are only bounded by your imagination. Some of the best ideas can be found here and here.

2. Segment Your List

Segment your audience so you can create targeted messages for different groups, leading to better open rates, lower opt-out and unsubscribe rates and improved deliverability. Check out our 2016 Complete Guide to List Segmentation. Segmenting allows you to separate your list according to geographic region, customer behavior patterns (buyers vs non-buyers, openers vs non-openers), age, area code, and more, so you can create content and offers most likely to generate responses.

3. Plan Your Content

Decide what range of content you’ll offer. Possible subject matter includes:

• Tutorials
• Recommendations
• Reports on industry trends or research
• Explanations of company functions
• Comments on current events
• FAQs
• Profiles of your clients or employees
• Surveys
• Contests
• Previews of coming events
• Descriptions/photos of new products
• Inspiring quotes
• Blogs
• News articles or humor

The medium might include copy, photos, infographics or videos. If you don’t want to generate the content yourself, source it from social media, business partners, online sources or content agencies.
In general, experts advise using a likable voice; employing sharp design; being different from competitors; incorporating snappy subject lines and offering discounts. A common mistake? Looking to your own preferences to determine what your audience would like. Perhaps most importantly, strive for a mix of 80 percent informational and 20 percent promotional content. Messages that aren’t sales-oriented may seem counterintuitive, but they work to develop brand awareness and customer relationships, paving the way for future purchases. Do recipients a favor by helping them solve a problem, providing inspiration, giving them direction toward a goal or quickly expanding their knowledge.

4. Analyze Your Competition

Study what competitors are doing. Sign up for other email campaigns and newsletters to compare your efforts with those of competitors and industry leaders. It’s OK to put your own spin on their ideas and techniques but always strive for original content that’s hard for your readers to find elsewhere.

5. Plan Your Email Campaigns

Devise a year-long email marketing plan that projects multiple messages, tying your content into holidays, special events, pop-culture happenings and current events when applicable. Work backward from preferred launch dates to set writing or sourcing deadlines. Shoot for three to five emails monthly.

6. Design with Mobile in Mind

Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly in design and content, since two-thirds of such messages are now read on mobile devices. That means limiting copy to 750 words or less.

7. Develop a Welcome Email Program

Create a series of follow-up emails to new subscribers introducing them to your company, products and website. Avoid the hard sell; start with a warm welcome for subscribing and follow with a reminder of the benefits, a thank you offer, helpful information about your products or services and links to your website and social media sites.

8. Implement Autoresponders

Use autoresponders that automatically trigger welcome emails, resend messages that were never opened, and send newsletters at regular intervals. Such a practice can increase your open rates by 30 to 40 percent. Other uses might include thank yous for purchases; reminders; polls; contests; or requests for comments, reviews or content submissions. Autoresponders are fairly crucial if you’re too busy to regularly monitor your email account.

9. Personalize Your Emails

Implement as much personalization as possible, using analytics and customer surveys to your advantage by recognizing birthdays and anniversaries, referring to previous purchases and shopping patterns, and otherwise making readers feel valued. Experts predict we’ll eventually have capability for highly optimized 1:1 emails within a single broadcast.

10. Track Performance

Track open and click rates, revenue and conversion, unsubscribes and bounces, and use your website’s analytics tools to gauge post-click through behavior. Note that services are available to fix bad data — incorrect or problematic addresses that increase bounce-backs.

11. Test and Optimize Your Campaigns

Continually test your campaign, and use the results to tweak further strategy. Consider a schedule for the testing of one campaign variable each month, such as copy length and content, time and day of the week, frequency, call to action, design and other elements.

12. Gather Customer Feedback

Listen closely to customer feedback about content, format and frequency, and respond quickly. To avoid being perceived as a spammer, be gracious and quick with those who ask to unsubscribe.

13.  Monitor Industry Trends

Email marketing is evolving so swiftly that business owners must be proactive to keep on top of important features and best practices. VerticalResponse helps you stay at the top of your email marketing game with its free and easy-to-use email marketing tool.

Once you’re on a roll with your campaign, consider elements that can improve your responses even more. Here are some ideas:

14. Use Visual Content

Gifs and videos can be powerful additions, since visuals are processed by the human brain in about one-tenth of a second.

15. Maintain Brand Voice

Develop a consistent voice, experimenting to determine which writing style and topics most appeal to your readers. An example of a defined voice is the tone of the informal and somewhat irreverent blogs posted on Groove HQ. “(The writer) addresses the recipient like human beings,” writes Jimmy Dala on Marketingland.com. “It sounds simple, but so many people lose the human touch when they are blasting bulk emails about Presidents’ Day sales.”

16. Use Humor When Appropriate

Devise fun and entertaining polls related to your industry, then record some of the best responses online. Cottonelle once staged a fun email survey asking consumers whether they rolled toilet paper over or under, incorporating results into video demonstrations, a U.S. map, social media and a website.

17. Socialize

Make sure widgets are installed into your emails allowing readers to instantly share your content on their social media sites.

18. Test Timing of Campaigns

Fine tune the timing of your email campaigns. Some report the highest open rates (leading to the highest conversions) are achieved in the evenings after the dinner hour. Others say those working are more likely to open an email sent just prior to the lunch hour. Experiment to find out what works best for you and your audience.

19. Use Email Sign Up Forms

In order to fuel continued and sustained list growth, it’s a no-brainer to have an email sign up form on your website, blog, and other digital properties like social media sites. Check out these three golden rules for sign up forms.

20. Give Incentives

Offer prizes as part of a contest on social media requiring entrants’ email addresses. Check out Social Sweepstakes to engage fans on Facebook and grow your email list.

21. Leverage Social Channels

Ask your social audience to stay connect via email. If Twitter is your primary channel, use a Twitter Ads account to glean more email addresses via Twitter lead-generation cards sent to Twitter users.

22. Incorporate Inspiration

Examine competitors’ emails more closely with the free tool Scope; it creates a web-based version, HTML source code and a view of how it appears on mobile, desktop and plain text.

23. Avoid the Spam Filter

Pre-empt being relegated to spam bins by running your emails through the Email Spam Test. A number of other tactics can also help you dodge the spam filter, which reportedly snags some 21 percent of all emails. Some have to do with coding, content and formatting, but you must also limit the repetition of seemingly benign words like “guaranteed” and “free.”

24. Test Your Subject Lines

Use SubjectLine.com to get viability scores on the subject lines of your email. The first query is free. Here are 50 all-time great retail subject lines for more inspiration.

25. Use Clear Calls to Action

One of the most important elements to your email campaign is the call to action (CTA). Subscribers typically read the first line, notice any images, and glance at your CTA. Eliminate any confusion by making your CTA obvious and compelling. Some are better than others, and here’s why.


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Make Money Online With Affiliate Marketing

Most people's understanding of "affiliate marketing" starts and ends with the Amazon Associates program, one of the biggest in the world.

For the entrepreneur, the challenge with Amazon Associates is building enough traffic to generate substantial revenue. For the newbie, the traffic hurdle is almost unsurmountable. But don't despair! You can create a successful affiliate marketing business, if you do so strategically.

What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is when a publisher or company gives you a cut of each sale they make when you promote them on their site. There are lots of different affiliate opportunities, from courses to web hosting to books, tapes and DVDs. More on affiliate marketing.

Let the affiliate marketer beware
Affiliate marketing are sometimes touted as "get rich quick schemes" by shady sites offering pyramid schemes that promise quick cash for little effort. Make no mistake -- successful affiliate marketers put in a lot of effort toward building an audience and quality content that will bring in sustainable passive income. Expect to do a lot of legwork up front -- but if you play your cards right you can build a solid source of revenue over time

The key to successful affiliate marketing
So you've committed to building an affiliate business. Your success as an affiliate marketer is tied to these questions:

Can you find products or services to offer that offer you a great commission rate?

Can you find a niche market that is likely to buy what you are offering?

Are you able to build content and traffic around these products?

How to find a favorable commission rate
Amazon's commission rate is pennies each dollar of merchandise that you sell.
What many people don't know is that there are affiliate opportunities out there that pay commission rates that are much more favorable, from $20-$100.
Browse Commission Junction, Share-a-Sale and Ejunkie for opportunities and their general commission rate.

Target a niche
If you're just starting out, a niche market is the obvious way to go. Look for a market that has a clearly defined need and willing audience. Then, find affiliate opportunities that dovetail with that niche market.

Create an effective website
Once you have a great product you believe and a target market, you'll need to stock a site with quality content that will help drive traffic and affiliate sales. This articlehas some great tips on the nitty gritty of creating your own website. Once you have your website set up, you'll want to optimized it for conversions and sales. Learn about the four qualities of an effective website.





Build an audience through trust
The most successful affiliate marketers build compelling content first, and affiliate revenue later.

Chris Brogan has said: "when there’s an opportunity to bring something of value to your community and make some money for your efforts, then you’re looking at what I think of as a great opportunity."

To build a successful affiliate program, it helps to care about the products you are selling, and to offer legitimate value beyond just a quick sale. While you can build an affiliate business around any type of product, it helps if you actually use the product and endorse it personally.

Make sure you understand disclosure
A couple of years ago, the FCC introduced new rules that covered the increasingly professionalizing world of bloggers. Now you must disclose when you have a financial interest in a product or service you feature on your blog. This goes for sponsored posts, but more importantly, affiliate links.

Many affiliate marketers, including Copyblogger Media and Chris Brogan, attempt to use this to their advantage. How? They use the disclosure as an opportunity to talk about how much they personally love the product they are selling.


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15 Must-Haves for a Solid Email Marketing Program

You’ve heard how a targeted email campaign can transform your marketing communications into a thing of beauty, bringing in new leads, increasing your revenue and creating customer loyalty.

Now, a month into the New Year and your 2016 planning, you have a chance to make a fresh start by launching a new campaign or even beefing up your old one in a medium that continues to be extremely effective.

Email marketing is both your entry point, leading new customers to your business – and your anchor, connecting all your other marketing together. Says Jayson DeMers in Forbes, “You can draw people to your blog by offering snippets of content, or you can drive up your following numbers by inviting people to share deals on social media. You can also use your other marketing channels to invite people to sign up for your email list, resulting in a closed, cohesive system that nurtures your overall customer base as one unit.”

Here are 15 ambitious steps you can take to transform your email marketing:
1. Vow to grow your email list to expand your marketing capabilities. The number of ways to do that boggles the imagination (check out these 50 and these 24). Some ideas include website and social media opt-in forms, collecting addresses at point of sale and incentivizing employees to gather them for you. Also, consider the use of a lightbox (an online data-storage function) to create pop-up invitations to enroll as the user scrolls to a browser or reaches a certain scroll depth.

2. To prevent falling behind on your campaign mid-year, create an email marketing plan that projects multiple messages, anticipating holidays and special events through 2016. Work backward from preferred launch dates to set deadlines for writing content. Shooting for three to five emails monthly is a good idea, as is creating how-to videos and tutorials about your business or website.

3. Ensure your emails are mobile-friendly in design and content, since nearly 60% are now read via mobile device. Analysts predict in the next five years marketing via smartphone will become even more sophisticated, with responsive design increasingly boosting smartphone conversion rates.

4. Segment your list, fine tuning which kinds of messages you’ll send to targeted groups. Thirty-nine percent of email marketers realize better open rates through segmentation, says research by eMarketer, while 28 percent see lower opt-out and unsubscribe rates, and 24 percent see better email deliverability along with increased sales leads and greater revenue.

5. Offer as much personalization as possible, using data-gathering tools and customer surveys to your advantage by recognizing birthdays and anniversaries, referring to previous purchases and shopping patterns, and otherwise making readers feel valued. Location demographics, for example, allow you to mention events, landmarks, or stores near the reader. In a 2016 study of marketing firms by Emailmonday.com, 76 percent of respondents predicted email communication will be completely personalized in the next five years. In the future, analysts expect even more highly optimized 1:1 emails that allow for customized communication for each recipient within a single email broadcast.

6. Develop a welcome program, a series of follow-up emails to new subscribers introducing them to your company, products, and website. The emails can be automated by interval or triggered by customer action. Let readers know they’re coming, differentiate them from other kinds of emails in the subject line, and avoid hard-sell techniques. The first email should contain a warm welcome and thank you for subscribing, while subsequent messages might include a reinforcement of the benefits of subscribing, a special thank you offer, helpful information about your products or services, or links to your social media sites. Clear calls to action and appealing images are recommended.

7. The truth can set you free, so it’s wise to monitor response rates so you can adjust future marketing plans. Track open and click rates, revenue and conversion, unsubscribes and bounces, and use your website’s analytics tools to gauge reader behavior after click through. Industry-wide, email marketing is increasingly providing data for the analytics that drive other marketing efforts.

8. Following up with automated emails when recipients don’t open initial emails can increase your open rates by 30 to 40 percent. They all should include different subject lines. The first should come three days after the original, be shorter than 500 words and reinstate the benefits of your product or service. Subsequent messages could mention why your product is necessary and how it’s used, offer testimonials or reviews, solicit questions, and/or include an FAQ section.

9. Continually test your campaign and use the results to tweak further strategy. Consider a schedule for the testing of one campaign variable each month; those could include copy length and content, time and day of the week, frequency, call to action, and/or design. Also consider a heat map test of your website, a graphic display showing which areas are most frequently scanned by visitors so you can strategize where to place calls to action.

10. Pay more attention to creating effective subject lines, since they’re the primary factor influencing whether your audience will actually open the email. In general, the subject copy should be short (40 to 50 characters) and as straightforward as possible; it should change each time; leave out all capital letters and exclamation points, and avoid words like “free” or “percent off” to keep from being weeded out by spam filters. What works best? A question, a call to action, a sense of urgency, the mention of a benefit to customers, and/or a mention of the recipient’s name or city. Don’t use the space to mention your company, since that’s apparent in the “from” line. Consider studying popular click-bait sites like Buzzfeed that lure readers in with fun, short and punchy subject lines and preview text. How might you incorporate some of those techniques into your own campaign?

11. Listen closely to customer feedback. Survey subscribers about likes and dislikes, using the data to create more effective content and up-front value propositions. Use preference centers on your website to allow customers to dictate their druthers when it comes to content, format, and frequency. Be gracious and quick with those who ask to unsubscribe, since the last thing you want is to be perceived as a spammer (perhaps ask them if you can decrease email frequency or limit the content to certain categories).

12. Include opt-in forms as well as forwarding options on all social media networks, including LinkedIn. You might even email those who mention your business on social media, inviting them to opt in.

13. Sign up for other email campaigns and newsletters to compare what your competitors and industry leaders are doing. Consider whether to adopt their ideas and techniques.

14. Pay attention to industry trends. For example, some marketers are beginning to use modular templates for email campaigns that allow for faster switching out and editing. Others are moving away from coded emails toward tools that put more design control in their hands, while some are trending toward kinetic email that includes more videos and sophisticated animation. A relatively new method known as “double opt in” allows a reader to simply send a company a blank email to receive an opt-in email in return.

15. Take a hard look at whether your content is offering enough value to recipients. Instead of a constant sales push, think in terms of “sticky” content — bits of useful, fun, and/or humorous information in small, easy-to-digest portions that might capture readers’ attention and keep them coming back for more. Messages that are less sales-oriented work to develop brand awareness and customer relationships, paving the way for possible purchases.Other tips: Strive for original content, not just a recap of what everyone else is already saying. Tie your content into holidays, pop-culture happenings, and current events when applicable. Don’t go overboard with too many links. And gifs and videos can be powerful additions, too, since visuals are processed by the human brain in about a tenth of a second.

Other tips: Here’s how to make content marketing, email, and social media work together in harmony.

“Modern email marketing isn’t about making a sales pitch or attracting as many clicks as possible — it’s about providing value to your users,” adds Demers. “It isn’t enough to send a simple promotional email or a short list of new content on your site. Serve them well with better designs, more appealing copy and better offers. Free giveaways, discounts, and special deals are all winners.”


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