The first email ever sent was from programmer Ray Tomlinson to himself in 1971. Its contents? “QWERTYUIOP.” Yep, the message that changed the future of communication was a line of jibberish sent between two computers sitting next to each other on a shared network. Crazy, huh?
We’ve certainly come a long way since then. Technology is constantly changing and evolving, and email is right there with it. From filters to spam to confirmed opt-in, there are a ton of things that email marketers need to stay ahead of if they want to be successful.
For small businesses owners juggling a million different tasks every day, this can be a real challenge. But not anymore.
AWeber has launched A History of Email Changes, a new website designed to help email marketers and journalists alike stay ahead of the frequent updates made by email clients that affect deliverability, engagement and security.
The site tracks all major changes that email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple, Yahoo and AOL) make and how the changes affect mobile and desktop devices. The updates include links to longer articles detailing the changes. Need to find an update Yahoo made in 2012 that you suspect altered your mobile open rates? You can search changes tracked all the way back to 2010.
Staying on top of industry news can impact your email marketing – and therefore, your bottom line – for the better. Here’s what it can do for you and your business:
… and a whole lot more.
Start getting regular updates today – visit A History of Email Changes to get started.
Consumer testimonials. You either love them or hate them. But regardless of how you feel as a business owner, they have become an integral part of our everyday decision-making.
In the mood to try a new restaurant? You turn to sites like Yelp! to read reviews. Searching for a new doctor? You make an appointment with the one your friend or neighbor recommends.
We rely heavily on the input of those we trust in order to make these commonplace decisions, and the decisions people make about your product or service are no different. Your potential customers want to know that the people who have used your product or service before not only enjoyed it, but recommend it as well.
And that can be great for your business.
According to Demand Gen’s recent study on consumer’s B2B content preferences, 97 percent of respondents said they give more credence to content that includes user-generated reviews– which means that the more positive reviews your brand has, the more likely new customers will come walking through your door.
Even LinkedIn’s 2013 Survey of B2B Marketers says testimonials are one of the most effective content marketing tactics. And if LinkedIn says so, then you better get moving.
How exactly can testimonials get you more customers?
Well, when a customer sees that someone else has had a positive experience with your product or service, they’ll be more comfortable in their decision to trust you and engage with your brand. In this way, testimonials have the ability to help eradicate the worries that are common among many first-time customers.
To begin collecting testimonials, you’ll first need a place for customers to send you feedback. Your email newsletter, for example, is a great place to invite comments. Or, send personalized postcards to customers thanking them for working with you and ask for thoughts on their experience. You may even want to offer an incentive, for example, “First 25 Customers to Give Their Feedback Are Entered to Win a $25 Gift Card.” (Just make sure they fall within the FTC guidelines!).
Finally, create a dedicated section for reviews on your website, such as the homepage or checkout page. This will give your audience a place to read all of the awesome things about your brand.
Whenever you get a new testimonial, be sure to share it with others via social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are great for celebrating your wins and showing potential customers that your brand really is cool. Who knows, it may even encourage other customers to share their own testimonials as well!
Remember, no one tells your story better than your customers. People want to hear what it’s really like working with you, and your existing customers can describe the experience better than anyone else – even you!
Travis Buck, Creative Director
Recently I received this clever email from Ann Taylor. It’s a simple short sale promotion but the design and use of animation really made it stand out. The design is very simple but the idea of an input field really enticed me to click, almost expecting that I’ll be able to type something and click “GO”. That’s the simple beauty of it. There’s no need for a “shop now” call to action.
Another creative email I received was this re-engagement message from Urban Outfitters. The text message theme is very clever and the overall design fits right in with their usual off the wall style. I like how the two calls to action are integrated into the text conversation. One of them is actually an unsubscribe link. It may seem counter-intuitive to reduce your list size. However, sending emails to subscribers that want to receive your emails will produce higher click-through rates and increase your ROI.
Studies show that 97% of your visitors browse your site and then abandon without making a purchase. While you may very well already have a solution in place to remarket to those who abandoned a cart before leaving, what are you doing to lure the others back?
Download this whitepaper to explore ways you can use browse data to create personalized product recommendations to bring those browsers back and turn them into customers.
With the unofficial end to summer behind us, it’s time to reflect on all the fun you had in the past few months. What’s that, you say? You were working all summer? Us too! It’s no secret that the AWeber team is full of hard workers, so many of us have a variety of summer jobs under our belts.
Here’s a few of our favorite summer jobs from the past, along the with the skills they taught us that prepared us for life at AWeber.
Favorite summer job: Construction Worker
“Construction work aided in my understanding of how buildings are put together and the systems used to maintain the indoor environment.”
Favorite summer job: Rita’s Water Ice Sales Associate and Manager
“Scooping water ice has helped me increase my communication skills and has helped me form a strong dedication to putting a smile on a customer’s face!”
Favorite summer job: Lifeguard and Swim Instructor
“Lifeguarding taught me to pay attention to detail and customer interactions.”
Favorite summer job: Soil and Water Conservationist
“I learned how to adapt to different situations easily, as well as interact with several different group dynamics. I am able to use those skills every day when helping our customers and the different issues they may have.”
Favorite summer job: Sandwich Artist
“I learned that creativity can be sparked any time, anywhere – even during lunch.”
Email is a vital part of growing your business online, but it shouldn’t be your only marketing channel.
To connect with more customers, you may be using a mix of mobile marketing, video and ecommerce tools already — or trying to figure out how they fit your business plan.
Great news: Four more services now integrate directly with AWeber, making it even easier to build up your audience with those channels.
We’ve asked our partners to briefly explain how their services can help you (and provide exclusive discounts for AWeber customers), so read on to learn more about these new integrations.
Geoff Austin, Chief Marketing Officer at Selz. Twitter: @selzdotcom
Who is Selz best suited for?
Selz is designed for bloggers, digital creators, entrepreneurs and small business owners who want ecommerce to be affordable and as simple as using a PayPal button.
What sets Selz apart from other, similar apps?
Selz is a simpler way to sell physical products, digital downloads or services from your own online store, blog or existing website.
It gives you the tools you need to take your online sales to the next level, including a checkout that is mobile optimized and streamlined to maximize sales conversions.
What benefits/results can marketers expect from using this integration?
Email remains one of the most powerful marketing tools available. Growing your list is easy with this free app. Connect your AWeber and Selz account to automatically export your customer’s contact details and sales data to your AWeber list, so you can expand your marketing and sales efforts with customers.
Why should AWeber customers connect to Selz right now?
This free app is one of the easiest ways to build a customer email list and to increase ecommerce sales.
What’s the pricing model?
Selz is free to use, with only a small fee per sale. There are a range of free and low priced plug-and-play apps available. There are no additional credit card or PayPal transaction fees.
How to get started with Selz today:
Get your Selz account
Get step-by-step help integrating AWeber with Selz
Jed Singer, VP of Product Marketing at Stuzo. Twitter: @GetMEG
Who is MEG best suited for?
MEG is best suited for digital marketers, content marketers, and any business with web conversions — such as newsletter sign ups, appointment setting, shopping carts.
What sets MEG apart from other, similar apps?
MEG is a stand alone suite of marketing apps designed to boost mobile conversions across the web, social media, within native mobile apps, and in the real world through iBeacons.
What benefits/results can marketers expect from using this integration?
MEG Apps are designed to boost mobile conversion rates, decrease mobile bounce rates, and increase mobile engagement with your brand’s content, products, and services. MEG Apps can help businesses increase leads and conversions with always-on apps or with campaign apps, both of which are turnkey and take seconds to set up.
Why should AWeber customers connect to MEG right now?
If you’re getting web traffic from mobile devices, you’re probably also losing some leads, as conversion rates on mobile devices can be lower than on desktop. MEG helps you recapture those leads and increase your conversion rates on mobile. Plus, MEG Apps don’t require designers or developers to set up or launch, and they are easy to customize.
What’s the pricing model? Is there a special offer for AWeber clients?
MEG is currently free for all users, with monthly paid plans launching in October. A free model will also be available, with limited access to features. Customers that sign up through AWeber will get free access to the Pro plan through December 31, 2014.
How to get started with MEG today:
Get your MEG account
Get step-by-step help integrating AWeber with MEG
Hayley Dixon, Marketing Executive at vzaar. Twitter: @vzaar
Who is this app best suited for?
vzaar is a video hosting service that helps businesses drive revenue with video. That includes online educators selling video lectures, ecommerce brands marketing products or publishers using video advertising to monetize content.
What sets vzaar apart from other, similar apps?
vzaar makes it incredibly easy to get started with video: there’s no complicated infrastructure and you don’t need a huge IT team to implement it. vzaar has an advanced set of video security features which ensure that your brand’s content is always working for you, and not somebody else.
What benefits/results can marketers expect from using this integration?
The vzaar-AWeber integration turns your video into a powerful lead generation tool. Gone are the days when people viewed your videos and you had no idea who they were. By inserting an email capture form at the beginning, middle, or end of your video you can collect viewers email addresses and stay in touch with high quality leads. vzaar automatically sends viewer information to your AWeber list so there’s no need to juggle two different lists.
Why should AWeber customers connect to vzaar right now?
You don’t want to let all your video views go to waste. The sooner you start capturing your viewers’ email addresses and adding them to your lists, the more leads you’ll generate.
What’s the pricing model? Is there a special offer for AWeber clients?
vzaar offers an unlimited, fully featured 30-day free trial. Plans start at $20 per month, with no long-term contracts, and you can change plans at any time. Through September 30, AWeber customers can get 20% off a monthly subscription with code AWEBER20.
How to get started with vzaar today:
Get your vzaar account
Get step-by-step help integrating AWeber with vzaar
Albert Cann, Product Manager at Ez Texting. Twitter: @eztexting
Who is Ez Texting best suited for?
Ez Texting allows organizations of any size to manage their SMS mobile marketing campaigns and stay in touch with contacts, employees, prospects, customers, and other stakeholders.
What sets Ez Texting apart from other, similar apps?
Ez Texting provides a user-friendly way to send and receive messages, and run a variety of more advanced campaigns, such as drip campaigns and autoresponders. If you need help, our client success managers are available via phone, email, and live chat.
What benefits/results can marketers expect from using this integration?
Marketers can include an effective SMS channel into existing marketing campaigns, or launch new SMS campaigns to their lists. Since over 95% of text messages are read within the first five minutes of receipt, this is an outstanding way to communicate with contacts effectively.
Why should AWeber customers connect to Ez Texting right now?
To harness the power of an efficient, effective and minimally priced marketing channel within minutes.
What’s the pricing model? Is there a special offer for AWeber clients?
Ez Texting’s pricing options range from a Pay & Go model to a variety of monthly plans. Pricing starts at 5 cents per message (volume discounts are available) with no set up fees, contracts or commitment. AWeber customers can receive a 30% discount on their first purchase by using code AWEBER30 at checkout.
How to get started with Ez Texting today:
Get your EZ Texting account
Get step-by-step help integrating AWeber with EZ Texting
Didn’t catch last month’s roundup? Get caught up on our recent announcements (August, July, June, May) or browse the App Showcase to see all of our third-party integrations.
What do you think of these services? Have you gotten results with any of them? What other apps are on your radar? Let us know in the comments.
Olivia Dello Buono contributed to this post.