Friday, July 29, 2016

What Makes a Really Good Email?

Anybody can send an email these days, but how can you make it really stand out in the inbox? Turns out, there are a lot of ways and a lot of brands are already putting those tactics to work.

We teamed up with Really Good Emails to talk about the innovative things brands are doing with email and how to apply them to your own email strategy.

It takes time and testing to know what will resonate with your audience, but if you take a cue from these email experts, you’re as good as gold.

What separates a really good email from the rest?

It depends – the answer really comes down to what your readers are most receptive to. Plain text can be just as effective as elaborate designs and interactive content, but you won’t know until you test!

Take note of any trends in your click-thru and open rates and use that data to give your subscribers what they want most.

Don’t be afraid to get creative.

In order to make an impact on your audience, you have to boldly go where no email marketer has ever gone before. (Or least far enough to stand out from the crowd.)

Part of being on top means recognizing the need for a more personalized experience. The number one takeaway? Custom content always gives us the feels.

Some trends are worth paying attention to.

Sometimes you keep an eye on things outside of your own industry to see what’s trending. 

When other email marketers share their success stories, take their advice and run. Plus, it never hurts to add new creative concepts to your marketing toolbox. You never know how it can boost your existing content!

Don’t get lost in the noise

The marketing world is loud. Companies are competing left and right to outdo the other so it’s important to stay relevant, innovative and bold.

Your content and design should be able to speak for themselves.

Mistakes happen. Learn from them!

Mistakes happen, but fortunately they’re avoidable. (Even email experts make mistakes.)

Some major things to keep in mind are a consistent experience and making sure all of your emails are responsive on both web and mobile.

Be willing to go the extra mile.

First impressions matter. Make sure your design looks great, is functional and all of your links work. This is your time to really sell your customers on what you have to offer.

Here’s where the experts get inspiration.

Sign up for the email lists of your favorite brands, retailers and influencers. Bookmark the emails that catch your eye. Ask what is it about them that makes you stop and stare. 

It’s not a bad thing to need a little direction. (Consider it constructive research.)

Want to join the movement?

There you have it, folks! Some of the most ingenious tips from the pros.

Missed out on this week’s chat? Here’s your chance! You can find us same time/same place on Thursday, August 11 at 12pm ET. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @AWeber.

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Let’s Get Technical: How to Create Video Content

By now you should already know that if you’re not creating video, you’re missing out on some serious audience engagement and revenue growth (if you don’t feel like clicking the link, here’s a taste of the stats you’re missing out on: 64 percent of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video… including video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80 percent… 75 percent of online video viewers have interacted with an online video ad this month… is your jaw dropping yet?).

But I understand why you might not be ready to dive into the video marketing trend. Of course you want to create video. But maybe you just don’t think you have the skills or tools to get started.

Well, I’m here to tell you that you do. And before you start with the excuse that “you’ve tried creating videos with little-to-no success,” I’m going to show you how to do it better next time.

All you need is a little technical guidance. 🙂

 

Video 101: Screen and live recordings

There are two types of videos you can create: a screen recording and a live recording.

Screen recordings

If you want to record something on your website or provide a tutorial on how to do something on a computer, you can make a screen recording. Here’s an example of what I mean:

These are perfect if you don’t want to just have someone explain how to do something; instead, you can show them exactly how to do it. Screen recordings can live on their own, or they can supplement a live recording with actual humans in it (which I talk more about later in this post).

All you have to do is open up the recording software of your choice (like QuickTime or CamStudio) and hit record!

A quick piece of advice before you start: screen recordings will capture sound, so be sure to record in a quiet room. While this means avoiding locations where people are talking, consider subtle noises like the sound of an air conditioner or other humming appliances.

For more information on how to create a screen recording, what equipment to use and advice on editing, watch this video featuring our very own video education specialist, Jay Moore:

Live recordings

Want to include a friendly face in your video? Live recordings (also referred to as “talking head” videos) are the way to go.

Before you start, be sure to consider these essentials: lighting, audio and on-screen talent.

Jay wrote about this in a previous post, but here are some highlights:

Pay attention to lighting to ensure you capture clear and clean visuals. Now that doesn’t mean you have to purchase expensive lighting equipment to achieve this look. Instead, aim for locations or rooms that are well-lit.

A standard camera that films video is all you need; even your iPhone will work just fine (just don’t use your laptop).

For audio, Jay recommends an iPhone compatible clip-on mic. Also, try to find a location that has as little environmental noises as possible (e.g., HVAC systems, people talking, birds chirping).

To prep your on-screen talent, I recommend preparing a script or outline of what the person in your video will be talking about. This will help you or your colleague stay on track.

For more detailed information on live filming, being on camera and reading scripts, check out this video:

Pro Tip: Need help on what to say in your videos? Learn more.

 

Adding the final touches: Video hosting & calls to action

Hosting your videos online makes it possible for your audience to easily watch them. It also gives you a link to share with others.

Our team’s favorites include Vimeo and YouTube. While both are great locations for hosting, they differ in price (Vimeo has a freemium plan, but requires a paid account for added features, while YouTube is free for all). Wistia is another great hosting platform, but we recommend it as you scale up your video content strategy.

Each platform also includes basic analytics, which allows you to see how viewers are engaging with your video content. From number of plays to how long someone watches a video, these statistics can help you identify what is and isn’t working in your video strategy.

Although the differences between each platform may be minor, be sure to do your research to find one that meets your needs (and budget).

Hosting with these providers also makes it possible to add calls to action (CTAs) within your videos. This allows you to drive viewers back to your website or encourage them to subscribe to your email list.

For more information on choosing a video hosting platform and adding CTAs, watch the video below:

 

Spread the word: Sharing your video

Once your video is complete, you can share it through email, social media, your website… any location where you interact with your online audience.

Although I may be biased in suggesting email as a must-have channel for sharing your awesome videos, the proof is in the data: according to Hubspot, adding video to your emails can lead to a 200-300 percent increase in click-through rates!

So, it’s a no-brainer. For more information on adding video to your next email, check out this video below:

 

What will you create with video?

Now that you’re equipped to create engaging video content, it’s time to get started.

Have other questions about creating videos? Ask away in the comments below and we’ll get back to you shortly.

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Thursday, July 28, 2016

40 Brilliant-but-Easy Ways to Build Your Email List

Email marketing is a high-impact, low-cost way of delivering your marketing message to current customers and prospects — if, that is, you have a great email list. If you don’t, this article is for you. Read on for the most effective and creative ways to build your email list.

If your email list is short, scant on information, full or errors and redundancies, or just not on-track with your targeting, that poor-quality data can be worse than having no data at all! Without a good email list, all your other digital marketing efforts are little more than wheel spinning.

There’s a lot to be said for the human touch, and these ideas rely on good old-fashioned human interaction to help you build your email list.

Build your email list the right way

1. Put out the sign-up sheet

Whether you’re at a trade show, community event or in your own storefront, collecting email addresses in person can be as easy as putting out a signup sheet and encouraging people to write down their details.

2. Leverage business cards

When you meet people face to face for any reason, ask for their business card. Offer yours. Set a glass bowl on the counter in your store or the reception desk in your office, and ask visitors to drop their cards in it. Offer some incentive to do so — a free product or service, gift card, etc. Use your own business cards to further drum up emails; add an offer on the back of your card that encourages people to sign up to receive your emails.

3. Host an event

Stage an event — lunch gathering, topic talk, book club or whatever works to get people in the door. Drop invitations at nearby businesses, post the notice on your front door, and advertise in local media. Ask people to RSVP with their email addresses.

4. Invite people to ‘join the club’

Offer a birthday or anniversary club that allows people to “enroll” by providing their email address and relevant date. Reward them with a special offer for signing up, and follow up with something else special, such as a discount coupon, on their birthday or anniversary date.

5. Organize a giveaway

Using snail mail and/or your existing email list, send people a postcard asking for email information and offer them a reward for providing it.

6. Drum up emails with direct mail

Sometimes you have a physical address but no email address. Send a direct-mail offer they can only get by going to your website and joining your email list.

7. Try some telemarketing

Throughout the day, you and your employees probably interact with many customers and prospects on the phone. Before you hang up, always ask if they would like to join your email list. Give them a brief statement of the benefits of enrolling — for example, exclusive offers and discounts only available to email subscribers.

8. Optimize your website for opt-ins

If a customer or prospect visits your website, they’re already at least somewhat interested. Don’t miss the opportunity to add them to your email list. Include email registration forms on every main page of your site, as well as on the pages for popular products and services.

9. Build with your blog

Your blog provides a great way to build a personal relationship with customers and prospects — and to gather their email addresses. Consistently end blogs with a call to action that encourages readers to sign up for your email messages. Require blog visitors to provide an email list in order to leave comments, and set it up so that they have to actively opt out if they don’t want their email address included on your mailing list.

10. Engage through social media

Social media participation can allow you to reach new audiences and make new connections. Stay abreast of trending topics that are of interest to your customers and prospects. Use social media to encourage people to visit one of the channels where they can sign up for your email list.

11. Don’t give up on bounce backs

Everyone hates to see the dreaded bounce-back alert in their inbox. If you have snail-mail information to match an email address, send a postcard asking the contact to provide you with an updated email address so you can stay in touch. Consider rewarding them with a discount or freebie for taking the time to respond.

12. Piggyback on a colleague’s efforts

Consider sharing email lists with neighboring businesses. Offer them space in your newsletter in exchange for including a link with your opt-in form in their newsletter.

13. Don’t let website visitors get away

If a visitor gets through your entire website without opting in, grab them one last time before they go. Set a lightbox to appear asking for an email address whenever someone is about to navigate away from your website or blog.

14. Create an online community

Platforms like BuddyPress for WordPress make it easy to set up a community and foster interaction between your brand and your customers. Include a sign-up form for your newsletter on every page of the community.

15. Leverage ‘email only’ specials

Reward your loyal email followers with specials that are only available to subscribers. Encourage them to forward the link to your sign-up page to friends and family.

16. Don’t forget your own email

Be sure every email you send has an opt-in form so that anyone who receives one of your emails via forward from someone else, can sign up directly to be on your list.

17. Use Foursquare

Offer a reward for customers who buy something from you and show that they checked in at your business on Foursquare using their mobile device. When they do this, they’re telling everyone in their network that they’ve done business with you. Each month, reward the person who gave you the greatest exposure by offering a discount, and asking for their email address.

18. Be active on blogs and forums

Frequent the blogs and forums your customers do and offer insightful comments. Include a link to your website where visitors will find your opt-in form.

19. Get employees involved

Reward employees for collecting valid, testable email addresses. Remember to have them obtain the person’s consent before giving you the email address for your list.

20. Encourage customers with a daily deal

Daily deal sites can be useful for retail or local service businesses. Offer your discount (daily deal) through the site for a limited time and ask anyone who wants to grab the deal to provide their email address in exchange.

21. Word of mouth still rocks

Ask current and new customers to refer new subscribers to your list. Sweeten the deal by offering them a discount as a reward for valid, confirmed and consent-backed email addresses.

22. Encourage forwarding

When you send an email, include a forward-to-a-friend link in case recipients want to forward your content to someone they think will find it interesting. Make sure the link directs newcomers to a page with your opt-in form.

23. Serve up a sandwich board

Sandwich boards are nothing new, but what about using one in a new way? Place one on the sidewalk in front of your storefront or office to advertise your newsletter and offer a reward to anyone who signs up. Invite customers into the store to enroll, or give them the web address where they’ll find your opt-in form.

24. Use receipts

Customize your credit card receipt with a field/line where customers can jot down their email address while they’re signing. Or, simply ask them to write their address on the back of the receipt. At the end of the day, enter the addresses into your database and send out a welcoming email.

25. Take it to the street fair

Spring, summer, winter, and fall — your community probably has at least one street fair or similar event throughout the year. Participate in the event and collect email addresses right at the fair. Sweeten the deal by offering new subscribers a discount on their first (or next) purchase in exchange for sharing the email with you.

26. Encourage competition

Sponsor a video contest in which customers create a one-minute video about why they like your business, products or services. Ask them to send the videos to you and post them to your Facebook page. Invite visitors to vote on which video should win a cash or merchandise prize. Include an email opt-in on your Facebook page. Be sure to follow Facebook’s rules regarding contests.

27. Go mobile

When you’re out in the world at a tradeshow, business meeting or other public forum, use your smartphone to collect email addresses. And be sure to include an email opt-in with your business’ mobile app. If you offer the app for free download through your website, “charge” users the “price” of their email address in order to download the app.

28. Inside-the-box ideas

If you ship products, it’s a perfect opportunity to expand your email list at no cost! Include an inbox request on a card inside every package you ship. Be sure to tout your “email only” offers and direct recipients to your website’s opt-in form. After they join, redirect them to a page where they’ll receive their first promotional offer.

29. Make it more than just a bill

When you send out an invoice, include an option to sign up for email communications with you. Again, sweeten the deal by offering an incentive such as a discount or free shipping on the next order as a reward for providing email addresses.

30. Signs of the times

Include a link to your opt-in page in the signature of all your emails, personal and professional.

31. Network for emails

Join your local Chamber of Commerce or another business networking group. Email the member list (if it’s opt-in) about your services and include a link to sign up for your emails and newsletter.

32. Download freebies

That e-book or buying guide you created to establish thought leadership in your industry can also help build your email list. When visitors to your website request a free download, ask them to complete your opt-in form in order to download.

33. Speak up for yourself

Speaking engagements are a great way to establish your company as active in the community, but you can also weave into your talk the idea that more information can be found on your website. Offer free consultations in exchange for signing up for your newsletter and emails.

34. Giving it all away

Every month, offer a giveaway of a valuable or fun item to anyone who signs up for your email list.

35. Subscriber-only access

Everyone likes the feeling of being in on something exclusive. Offer your email subscribers something only they can get. It might be a special discount. It could be access to a video, e-book or another piece of useful content. Promote the availability of this exclusive access in order to encourage more email enrollments.

36. Give them subscription options

People like more choices, so consider creating subscription levels that let people sign up to receive content that’s relevant to them. For example, if you sell widgets and tax advice, provide three options on your opt-in form that allow users to sign up to receive info about widgets, info about tax advice or both. Further customize by allowing them to designate how frequently they’d like to hear from you — weekly, monthly or only when something really special is going on. People may be more likely to sign up for your email list if they have some control over the content they’ll receive.

37. Don’t forget the power of print

Add a QR code (a bar code that people can scan with a smartphone app) to print ads, direct-mail post cards and other printed marketing materials. Use the code to allow people to opt-in to your email list simply by scanning the code.

38. Leverage testimonials

Make your opt-in form extra convincing by including testimonials from current email subscribers touting the quality of your content.

39. Create a teachable moment

Are you an expert in something people want to know about, like weight loss, home improvement, cooking, etc.? Promote an exclusive online email course available only to subscribers.

40. Reel them in with a scroll box

Visitors to your website might overlook the call to sign up that you have at the top of every page, but it’s harder to ignore a lightbox or pop-up. Scroll boxes pop up on visitors’ screens after they’ve scrolled down a certain length of the page. The box encourages them to sign up for your email list. They can be effective for encouraging a user who’s already shown interest in your content (by staying on the page long enough to scroll) to sign up for your email list.

Building an email list takes time and is critical to marketing success in the digital age. What tactics do you use to collect more emails?

Get a Free VerticalResponse Account

Sign up and send up to 4,000 emails per month for free.

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© 2016, Contributing Author. All rights reserved.

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12 Free Design Tools We Love

Visuals. We love ‘em! And so does everyone else: According to Kissmetrics, content with relevant images gets 94 percent more views than content without images.

But if you’re already wearing more than one hat, adding “part-time web designer” to your resume is probably the last thing you need right now. That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite free design tools to help you save time and money – and still make it look like you have a designer on call.

Canva 

1

With it’s clean user interface (UI) and drag-and-drop functionality, Canva was built with the non-designer in mind. From social images to infographics, Canva can be used for projects of all types and sizes. We love it’s easy-to-use templates that make us look like pros.
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

Pablo by Buffer 

2

Our friends at Buffer built this easy-to-use tool that allows users to create beautiful social images in seconds. With Pablo, you can create custom social images to promote your brand. It may not have as many options as Canva, but don’t let it’s simplistic feature set turn you off – it’s pretty much foolproof.
Best For: Social Media

Landscape by Sprout Social 

3

Want images that are optimized for social media? Look no further than Landscape, the social image resizing tool from Sprout Social. No more time spent cropping and resizing photos – Landscape does it for you.
Best for: Social Media

Over 

4

Create beautiful photos straight from your phone. Over coins itself as the “fastest, easiest photo editor” and we have to agree! With over 10,000+ images and graphics to choose from, inspiration is only a few clicks away. (Think of it as the 2016 alternative to WordArt.)
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

InVision 

5

InVision is a design-driven project management tool that’s best for creating prototypes and workflows. It’s especially good if you’re taking on your own website design or working with a small to mid-size team since you can suggest edits right onto the page. Once you upload your design, you can add animations, text and gestures to transform static images into interactive prototypes. Plus, you can test your designs on mobile devices to make sure it actually works.
Best for: Teams, Websites, Email Templates

Giphy 

6

Though the debate is still out on how to pronounce the term, it’s safe to say that much like a photo, an animated GIF can speak a thousand words – and possibly more. (This is especially useful when you’re facing a 140-character limit.) That’s why we love Giphy, the internet’s biggest library of animated GIFs. It’s database is easy to search and there hasn’t been a time when we couldn’t find the perfect GIF for the job.
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

Instagram

7

With all of the supplemental photo editing apps out there, sometimes we forget where it all started. We love Instagram’s in-app editing features and filters. Plus, it’s a great place to collect user generated content (UGC) from your fans to use on your website, blog or social channels.
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

VSCO 

8

Short for Visual Supply Company, VSCO Cam is a photo app that brands itself as a community of discovery and expression. It’s much like Instagram in that you can edit and share photos, but in your own library. And that’s why we love it! VSCO is a great place to edit and curate photos before you share them to your followers. We use it to test out different filters and styles to see how they look as a whole. (This is especially important for keeping a consistent look and feel to your feed.)
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

Priime 

9

Priime teamed up with top photographers to create over 100 beautiful styles you can apply to your photos on both Mac and iOS. It’s no-frills interface (sorry, no stickers or text overlays here) makes it super easy to create clean, beautiful images. Our favorite part is the batch editor, which means you can give an entire photo shoot or campaign a consistent look in just a few clicks. Plus, each style is broken down to reveal how it’s built, as well as its best use cases.
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

Death to the Stock Photo 

10

Royalty-free stock photos sent to your email every month? Sign us up! Death to the Stock Photo sends monthly downloadable images from talented photographers and artists so brands no longer have to shell out a lot of money for aesthetically pleasing images. We love that each pack tells a story, which is great for giving a consistent look to a blog post or email campaign.
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

Pexels 

11

Pexels brands itself as having the “best free stock photos in one place.” And well, we can’t disagree. The site adds over 50 new photos daily, so it’s unlikely that you’ll run out of things to choose from. No generic stock photos here; the ones on Pexels are actually good.
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

Unsplash 

12

Ten new photos every 10 days by email. (That’s one photo per day if you do the math.) Oh, and you can use them anywhere: As per their website, you can “copy, modify, distribute and use the photos for free, including commercial purposes, without asking permission from or providing attribution to the photographer or Unsplash.” Win-win.
Best for: Social Media, Blog Posts, Email Campaigns

Let’s Start Creating

Have you used any of these tools? What are your favorites? Send us a tweet @AWeber or leave a comment.

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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

[Podcast] Episode 32: Redefining the Line Between Sales and Spam with John Bonini

Are you sending spam without even realizing it?

In this episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, we talk with John Bonini, Growth Director at Litmus.

In a blog post written earlier this year, John explored the nuances of selling and spamming. Email marketing is evolving, and it’s crucial for marketers to reinforce the value they’re providing, while redefining traditional views on spam. John shares his take on how to be relevant, be human, and tactfully write to convert.

Check out the episode above, and you’ll hear about:

  • How email marketers define spam vs. how consumers are defining spam
  • Different ways to consider personalization
  • Why NOT selling your solution is selfish
  • How to source great marketing copy
  • The importance of manual outreach
  • And much more…

Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show:

We didn’t get to cover it, but here is a fantastic series of articles Litmus put out regarding Single v. Double Opt-in:

Click here to download this episode directly. (MP3)

Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

The post [Podcast] Episode 32: Redefining the Line Between Sales and Spam with John Bonini appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.



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Spice Up Your Emails With Animated GIFs

Are you bored with your email marketing? Does it lack pizazz? Draw inspiration from social media, and spice up your emails with animated GIFs! GIFs can be used for a variety of situations such as promotions and tutorials. Within an email, it can be an effective way to add animation to entice individuals to engage with and arrive on your landing page.

But what is a GIF?

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. This file format supports both animated and static images. GIFs can loop endlessly or only display a few sequences of the animation.

How to Create GIFS

There are multiple online resources where you can import your pictures and create a GIF perfect for your email or website. Some of these resources include Imgflip, Make a Gif, and GIPHY. These websites simplify the process by creating the GIF for you. All you need are the images or a video file. GIFs can also be produced in Photoshop. With these tools, you can create GIFs as simple as an image that changes color to as complex as a short tutorial.

Reasons to add GIFS

1. GIFs can quickly direct your attention to a call-to-action

Individuals are more likely to watch a GIF all the way through instead of scrolling past an image. If your call-to-action is prominent within the GIF, there’s a greater chance of someone noticing it and clicking through the email. 

LOFT often utilizes GIFs in their emails including in the example below. They draw attention to the promo CTA with the rotating dessert GIF.

2. They can further illustrate product details

Are you trying to display how a product works? GIFs have the ability to show product potential or they can offer a quick tutorial.

Sprout Social easily explained how their new app works through the use of a GIF.

3. GIFs allow showing more products without overwhelming the viewer

It can sometimes be difficult to showcase all of the product options without creating a busy image. The goal is not to overwhelm the viewer, so a GIF allows multiple products to be shown through a quick animation.

For example, Kate Spade used a GIF to display the same handbag in different colors options.

4. They can support a promotion by adding a sense of urgency

If you’re implementing a promotion with a short timeline, it’s necessary to create a sense of urgency in order for your promotion to be successful. An animation can assist with creating this sense of urgency by including a count down or timeline.

Kohls used a ticking clock during one of their promotions to illustrate the short period of the promotion.

5. They can help you stand out from your competitors

A little creativity and animation is sometimes all you need to be noticeable in the competitive business environment. Bed Bath and Beyond showed the space saving benefits of Space Bags with a simple animation.

6. Finally, they add an element of fun

And who doesn’t enjoy a little fun?

Things to Consider

Be aware that not all email clients support the animation. Instead, they will show only the first image within the GIF. Windows Phone 7 and Outlook 2007, 2010, and 2013 don’t support the animation.

Many times, this issue can be solved by ensuring that the first image of your GIF includes the necessary information that you want the viewer to see such as the call-to-action, offer, or main image. 

Also, be careful not to use GIFs too frequently. GIFs can be a pleasant surprise for the viewer or tiresome if they’ve grown accustomed to seeing them. When used sparingly, animated GIFs can add a new, welcoming element to your email and hopefully, invite people to engage with your content.

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© 2016, Jade Ptacek. All rights reserved.

The post Spice Up Your Emails With Animated GIFs appeared first on Vertical Response Blog.

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Monday, July 25, 2016

Tips for Choosing the Right Email Marketing Service for Your Business

Give yourself a pat on the back. You’re here because you know email marketing is essential and you want to learn how to incorporate it in your marketing strategy. You’re one smart cookie.

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding which email service provider (ESP) is going to help you launch or grow your business. So don’t feel rushed.

To help you reach your final decision, here are some things you should consider:

Establish goals for your email marketing strategy

What are you looking to accomplish with email marketing? The answer to this question is usually the same: Connect with more customers and earn more income, of course!

When you have the right ESP to support you, it becomes even easier to turn that dream into a reality. Growing your business through email is possible because it gives you a constant two-way stream of communication with your customers. It’s also a great way to keep them in the loop with promotions and updates.

As you set expectations in the beginning, it’ll guide you towards an ESP with the features to help you meet your goals.  

Identify your budget

The same way that every business is different, so is every budget.

Email marketing is often inexpensive, but it’s important to plan your budget accordingly. Some ESPs offer basic freemium models for startups and smaller lists but then require you to upgrade once you go beyond a certain number of features. There are some that offer unlimited emails, but will charge you based on the number of subscribers you have. And there are some ESPs that calculate the cost based on the number of emails you send instead of the size of your email list.

Be sure to keep this in mind as you do your research and look for an ESP that gives you the most bang for your buck.

As you do your research, you might also find different payment plans, such as monthly, quarterly and annual pricing.

If the price overwhelms you, remember that for every dollar spent on email marketing, the average ROI is $38. That’s a 3,800 percent increase in your pocket!

Consider educational resources and training

There’s no shame in getting help with a new product, especially when it comes to your business. You’ll find that some ESPs offer a variety of educational resources, including how-to articles, blog posts, webinars, videos, podcasts and other training tools to help their customers learn more about the product and email marketing.

Here at AWeber, for example, we even offer email courses designed to teach our customers about a specific email-related skill, like what to write in your emails, or how to create an email list.

Evaluate their deliverability rate

Resources and training are great to have, but sadly they don’t matter if your emails never make it to the inbox.

Email deliverability rate is a way of measuring how successful emails are at making it to subscribers’ inboxes. Choose a provider with a high deliverability rate to give your emails the best chance of making it into the inbox.

You’ll know you’re in the right hands if you see teams or individuals who are dedicated to fighting spam. (AWeber has a team of deliverability experts that work closely with email clients like Google, Yahoo and more to ensure the best possible chance your emails get delivered.)

Look for advanced email automation

With email automation, you can schedule emails at a specific cadence ahead of time – this way, your emails can work for you as you take care of other areas of your business. You can do things like create a friendly welcome email series to showcase more about your business, or start an educational course to help subscribers learn a new task – the sky’s the limit! You can use automation for more than just scheduling broadcasts. Most email marketers use it for numerous lists, annual emails, follow ups and recent activity. Your ESP should give you access to all of this.

Take it from AWeber’s CEO and founder, Tom Kulzer, who created the original autoresponder back in 1998. He wanted a way to easily follow up with business prospects, and he ended up automating a process that became the foundation of AWeber.

Get email analytics to measure effectiveness

Imagine you sent your first email yesterday and have no idea how your audience reacted to it. This is tragic in the email world, but it happens.

Being able to track individual email stats is a must-have when choosing an ESP. Access to click-throughs and open rates, new daily subscribers and bounce rates are all factors you’ll want to know, since they’ll help improve your campaign.

Keep in mind that not all email marketing providers track analytics the same way. To make sure you understand what you’re getting, learn how the ESP you’re considering gets its numbers.

Create beautiful, simple sign up forms

It’s important to dress the part for a new client meeting, right? The same rule applies to your sign up form. Except you’re not just promoting your business; you’re promoting your email list.

That’s why it’s important to look for an ESP that makes it easy for you to start collecting subscribers right off the bat. A couple of notable features to keep an eye out for include pre-designed sign up form templates and a sign up form generator.

This way, you can choose from existing templates to save time, or you can build your own customized form.

Some ESPs will even offer A/B split testing for sign up forms. Let’s say you’re stuck between two designs and you’re not sure which one will resonate most with your visitors. When you run an A/B split test, you can experiment with different elements in your sign up form to see which one performs better.

Also consider what level of personalization you can add to your sign up forms, such as custom fields. These allow you to request more specific information in your form like geographical location and other areas of interest your company may offer.

Choose a provider with customizable HTML and pre-designed templates

When it comes to designing your emails, you should have the ability to do so with ease – regardless of your level of expertise.

Most ESPs, like AWeber, offer both customizable and pre-designed templates. You should also look for a platform that allows you to build emails in an editor you’re most comfortable with; drag and drop, HTML and plain text editors are some of the most common. 

Consider segmentation capabilities

The secret to a successful campaign is sending relevant information to the right audience. To do so, you need smart segmenting capabilities to narrow in on targeted groups of subscribers.

Segmenting allows you to send targeted emails to subscribers based on their demographics, email domain, click-throughs and more.

Segmenting ensures that your subscribers only receive information that they signed up for at the right frequency.

Pick an ESP that integrates with other apps

If you use other tools to power your marketing and business (like WordPress, Facebook or PayPal), you’ll want to look for an ESP that syncs with it. This way, you can ensure people signing up to your webinar landing page, for example, moves directly into your designated email list – saving you time and effort in having to do so manually.

Merging your marketing strategies into one area helps you make the most of your experience. Not to mention, it makes it easier to automate your marketing efforts.

Get award-winning customer service when you need it

You’re a business owner with limited time to wait on the phone for tech help. That’s why you need to choose an ESP with a reputable customer support team. You need a team of trusted, knowledgeable individuals who are available every day to answer your questions.

They should be accessible through phone, email and/or live chat to answer questions about billing, importing lists, scheduling emails and more.

Test it before you buy it

If you’re still unsure which ESP is right for you, we have some good news! Most ESPs offer a hassle-free trial of some sort so that you can test the water and explore. Don’t get stuck with an ESP that just doesn’t measure up to your vision.

Fortunately, each asset mentioned above is something that AWeber prides itself in. Want to see if AWeber is the right ESP for you? Sign up for a free 30-day trial today!

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Friday, July 22, 2016

Podcasting and Email Marketing: A Tale of Two Mediums

The movement is REAL.

On July 6th, we set up shop at Podcast Movement in Chicago. At AWeber, we’re total fans of the medium; we recently started our own show, and we know that many of our customers are successful or emerging podcasters. We’re also confident that all podcasters could benefit from email marketing, so we proudly sponsored and attended the event for our second year.

I was tasked with writing a recap for our awesome blog readers, and when I sat down to pen (err… type) a draft, I couldn’t articulate the experience in words, other than, “The movement is REAL.”

The passion, creativity and drive from the 1,500+ podcasters who attended was overwhelming. If you have the desire to grow your reach and express your voice, today is the day to start podcasting. Not to mention, the community is incredibly supportive.

How podcasting is similar to email marketing

It wasn’t until I had a mini-revelation this month that this article began to take shape. Podcasting and email marketing are a bit like kindred spirits.

When successful, and executed with the right intent, both podcasting and email marketing can be a vehicle for you, your brand and your business to create lasting relationships that will help you grow. These mediums give you a direct channel to serve an audience. These mediums are an opportunity to express your true voice.

Then I talked expert email marketer Ben Settle for our latest podcast episode. He mentioned that great emails are a lot like radio segments: You talk about something that’s relevant, then you ask your audience to buy something. I’ve never thought of email this way, but it’s actually quite true. This parallel between the two also got me thinking about the ways in which podcasting is also similar to email.

Check out what I learned at the event, and let me know in the comments if you see the same correlations.

Key takeaways from Podcast Movement

 

At the core of it, people are choosing to engage with your podcast. And you have opportunities to engage your audience.

As a result, your podcast becomes so much more than just your show. Your audience can quickly scale into a full-blown community, ready and willing to form a relationship with you as the host. If you don’t deliver what they’re looking for, they can choose to simply not listen.

Email marketing is no different. Your subscribers are opting-in to your email list. They want to hear from you. They are choosing to open your messages, and like podcasting, they can choose to unsubscribe. Here lies a valuable opportunity to seize! Take advantage of this attention and build the real relationships that will push you and your audience further.

Okay, so how do you do that?

 

Podcasting and email marketing are also similar in that they appear to be one-way channels. You create a message (with audio or type,) and send it out with the click of a button. But these channels can be built to enable conversation. It’s the nature of your content, the level of engagement you provide, and the invitation to reply that defines whether your content will be a one-way push, or a two-way discussion.

One of the greatest offenders of this is a “donotreply@yourbusiness.com” email address, or a podcast that doesn’t offer any additional ways to connect, like mentioning their Twitter handle, website, or email list.

And then what do you do?

 

After we put out the call to engage (both as podcasters and email marketers), it’s important to listen. If we want to build real relationships, we need to get to know the people on the other end.

And once we get to know our audience, we can just BLAST audio and emails to them, right?

Well, not quite.

 

We believe that when you try to speak to everyone, you run the risk of speaking to no one. To truly create compelling content, you need to focus on addressing the individual.

Podcasting and email marketing are incredibly similar in this regard. Daniel J. Lewis’ recommendation to speak to one person instead of a thousand echoes a tactic that our CEO Tom Kulzer wrote about in this article. Using an email service provider like AWeber, you can even personalize your emails using data (like a subscriber’s first name) to make an email really feel like it was written just for them.

The other thing about email and podcasting is that you can do it. In fact, the barriers to entry have really broken down for both mediums over the past few years. You don’t need expensive gear or even more expensive software to record and publish a podcast. The same goes for attracting email subscribers and sending emails – anyone can do it.

 

You also don’t need an established brand, business or product. Nor are you required to have an existing audience. You can literally start from scratch as an indie podcaster or email marketer and grow without limits.

As you expand your audience, you might even find that many exciting opportunities will present themselves.

Seriously?

Yes, and there are some podcasters out there whose stories serve as inspiration to others. In fact, our CMO Erik Harbison led a panel with our friends Tim Paige, Mark Asquith, Carrie Olsen and David Raphael on the topic of scaling your podcast into a business.

 

The experts on the panels shared their experiences to show that it can be done. You can make a living serving people with engaging content, valuable products and a strong brand.

Meeting awesome customers

One of my favorite aspects at Podcast Movement was meeting a ton of AWeber customers. I had the chance to talk about email marketing, podcasting, email automation, list-building tactics and more with unique individuals who were excited to share their shows. I left with a list of two dozen new podcasts to check out.

As the host of our podcast, I was eager to record some audio with attendees. I had an incredible experience meeting and interviewing customers, like Natalie Eckdahl (pictured below) from bizchix.com.

Entrepreneurs like Natalie drive us at AWeber to continue to innovate our product and serve our audience as best as we can. Hearing about Natalie’s mission, and how she uses podcasting and email together to deliver value to her community was deeply inspiring. (We’ll be releasing those audio interviews over the next few weeks on our podcast feed. Subscribe now on iTunes!)

 

Get started now

During a recent podcasting webinar (literally just finished listening to it!) with John Lee Dumas and Mark Asquith of Podcast Websites, John just described the current state of podcasting as “the golden age.” I couldn’t agree more.

If you’re an email marketer with something to say, and looking to expand your reach, today is your day to reach further.

When you master these two mediums, it’ll help you take yourself, your business and your tribe to the next level.

Get started today

We’ve put together a great course for podcasters to learn everything they need to know about email marketing to get moving. Check out our Email Marketing for Podcasters guide and course now. And it’s totally free.

For established email marketers looking to start your podcast, we’re launching an exciting new campaign in the coming weeks to help you get started. Be sure to check back soon for more information!

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Thursday, July 21, 2016

Email Reactivation

Are you a looking at your sales figures this time of year and wondering where everyone went?

It’s no secret the middle of the summer can be a slow, syrupy season for sales revenue. That’s what makes it a great time for rejuvenating your email marketing campaign, giving a shout-out to existing customers who seldom if ever respond, click or buy.

The good news is that reactivation campaigns offer great value when it comes to ROI, producing a median return of $28.50 for every dollar spent compared to a mean customer-acquisition cost of $55.24. After all, Internet users trust opt-in email messaging above all other forms of advertising, reports a recent study.

“Consumers don’t just trust email, they look to it for purchasing decisions,” the study notes. “Both B2B and B2C marketers have much to gain by breaking through inbox clutter, but this could prove a more difficult task for B2B marketers in the years ahead.” Prognosticators point to a burgeoning 143.8 billion business emails to be sent this year, compared to 89 billion in 2012.

Creating a compelling reactivation campaign that prompts a response from customers may be challenging, but it’s a low-cost tactic that could fire up your sales this time of year if you follow these steps.

1. Segmenting audiences

If you haven’t already divided your customers by type, that can be accomplished relatively easily. Check out our complete guide to list segmentation. A global study earlier this year found segmented email campaigns produce 14 percent higher open rates, 64 percent higher click rates, and 8 percent fewer unsubscribes than unsegmented plans.   

For your reactivation campaign, your goal is to reach each online audience member with a message targeted (at least partially) toward his interests, values and preferred communication styles, increasing the likelihood he’ll open and respond to the email.

While the potential categories are endless, popular segmentation methods include dividing customers by the kinds of products they’ve purchased or perused, by previous emails they’ve opened, by demographics or by their stage in the sales funnel (awareness, evaluation or purchase). As such, many marketers create fictional personas for their common customer types, establishing a general marketing message for each along with an “elevator pitch” or selling style that might apply.

Depending on your goals, today’s analytical tools can drill down to detailed info like customer occupations, salaries, pain points, hobbies, family, education, values, goals, objections, preferred devices, computer literacy, news sources, hours of availability, and ideal shopping conditions, while simultaneously weeding out customers unlikely to buy your product. 

You might also consider identifying (and creating special offers for) your “gold standard” audience that in the past has bought high-margin products without being high maintenance.

2. Baiting the hook

Your next step is creating your next round of email messages to appeal to your different personas or segmented audiences. Some general tips for crafting copy include:  

  • Re-engage customers on a set schedule, perhaps 30, 60, or 90 days after they’ve been unresponsive.
  • Most reactivation emails contain some statement of regret that makes the customer feel valued. A Google search shows a range of copy with headlines like “We’ve missed you,” “Let’s stay together,” “It’s been a while,” and “Good friends are never forgotten.” Depending on your audience you can be highly creative with wording and imagery or stick to the basics.
  • Reference your past interactions with the customer so they feel recognized.
  • Consider the customer’s individual needs, problems, and interests. What might he care about that others don’t, and how can you appeal to that?
  • A discount, special offer, free product, or free download or upgrade can be especially effective in achieving reengagement. In one study, the most effective offer involved free shipping.
  • Think about where your customer is in the sales funnel. Those relatively unaware of your product might value a free white paper, kit, e-book, tip sheet, checklist, webinar, or how-to video. Those still evaluating may react well to a webinar, case study, product sample, data sheet, FAQ sheet, or demo video. Those close to buying may respond best to a free trial, live demo, consultation, estimate, or coupon.
  • Consider the recipients’ level of expertise; should your wording be basic or highly technical? How industry-specific should you be? Should language be formal and professional or casual? Are you using appropriate jargon?

Here are some samples of compelling reactivation emails:

3. Writing open-friendly subject lines

The title of your email greatly impacts whether it will be opened; one study found 33 percent of email recipients open email based on subject line alone. In general, subject lines should contain only six to eight words; differ from past versions; mention the recipient’s name; lead with the most important words; clearly state your purpose and value; and point to any deadlines. Recent research also found subject lines containing “free” are opened 10 percent more often, while “sale,” “new,” or “video” can also boost rates. Another study reports 13 of its top-25 subject lines in reactivation campaigns have contained the phrase “We miss you.” Tickling your recipients funny bone can also lead to an open. Here are some important tips when using humor.

4. Making it mobile

Last year the average adult mobile phone user in the U.S. spent 2.8 hours per day on their devices, with mobile phone use growing 58 percent worldwide between 2014 and 2015. Users worldwide are expected to reach nearly 2.1 billion this year. Need we say more? It’s apparent you must format your email marketing to play well on mobile. One study reports 40 percent of emails are opened first on mobile.

5. Re-confirming opt-in

If you can get customers to click on your reactivation email, you may wish to include a highly visible “opt-in” button to confirm they still wish to receive your messages. That may seem counterintuitive, but there’s no point in continuing to pitch the uninterested, and being vigilant as such prevents accusations of spamming. A few ways other companies have done that can be found below.

6. Rewarding responders

Strengthen relationships with those who respond to reactivation with a follow-up email that says something like “Welcome back” or similar messaging that reaffirms their value.

7. Including surveys

Consider including a brief survey in your reactivation emails to learn why the customer has been non-responsive in the past. Make it clear you’d like to correct any issues, and keep the survey short, easy, and painless to fill out. Online services Survey Monkey, EZquestionnaire, or KeySurvey can help. Below is an example:

8. Following up

Don’t be surprised if a customer doesn’t respond to your first reactivation email; your campaign may well necessitate a series of short, engaging messages over time, perhaps culminating with your most attractive offer. If that doesn’t work, consider sending a message by post in case there’s an issue with the customer’s email or online access. The added expense may be worth your while, considering that retaining existing customers produces a much higher ROI than finding new ones.

Finally, keep in mind that your email campaign should always be a work in progress. To cut through the clutter of the gazillions of business emails out there, you’ll probably need to continually tweak your content and methodology to find fresh ways to reach target audiences.

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© 2016, Contributing Author. All rights reserved.

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