Email is the Alternate to SEO


What's a goal of business blogging that will never be a goal of email marketing? Search engine optimization (SEO), of course. For email, it's all about subject line optimization. (Is SLO a 'thing'?)

Crafting a compelling email subject line can achieve better and more immediate results than writing a whole blog post that is well optimized for SEO.

After 9 years, over 600 blog posts, and more than a thousand email newsletters, here is what I know to be true: email beats blogging hands down for tangible and measurable results... faster.

Writing for your newsletter means writing for people, which is way more fun than writing for search engines, whether it's your blog or your whole website. You don't have to be concerned with tediously repeating keywords and phrases, for one thing.

Sure, your email newsletter may include your blog posts. And it should... because your newsletter will get people reading and clicking through to your website much faster than Google will decide to show your post on page 1 of search results.

Email marketing doesn't always yield instant results but it's a shorter term strategy than relying on search engine optimization to attract opportunities from strangers. Now, do you know where you should be putting your precious time, effort and money?

Click to Tweet this Article

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Content Ideas for Consultants - Getting Started (Part 1)

Image
Just this week I heard it again: “If I start a newsletter, what would I put in it?” While I can think of lots of content ideas for just about any business owner I meet, it’s not so easy for everyone. In fact, it wasn’t always easy for me either. It gets easier, and you get better, with practice. For consultants, there’s an added bonus to spending time creating marketing content and that's learning . Benjamin Franklin said, “There is no better way to learn than to teach.” Sharing valuable content is teaching and, when you’re creating content for your blog or newsletter, you’ll also be doing research, checking assumptions, and developing opinions . If you’re a new business owner, or new to developing content, finding a place to start might feel like picking a needle out of a haystack. In this series of posts, I'll explain how to get started and accomplish other goals, too. Build Your Confidence Since confidence comes from writing about what you know , start with crea...
Keep reading »

A Marketing Strategy Gone Wrong

Image
The first thing I said when he answered the phone was, "Josh, I really feel sorry for you today!" Josh is a pleasant fellow who answered the phone last Thursday when I called the Centre for Arts and Technology in Halifax. I was just a little upset. I was pretty sure that mine wasn't the first call of this sort that he had received, and it wouldn't be the last. It started when I received 17 identical promotional emails to 17 imaginary Daley Progress employees from the Centre for Arts and Technology back on April 17th. ( Click here to get the back story on our imaginary staff.) That's the footer of an email addressed to mikehopkins@daleyprogress.com. (There is no Mike Hopkins.) At the time I replied and asked for all email addresses ending in my domain name to be deleted from their mailing list. Of course, I also took the time to preach a little about the dangers of buying mailing lists. I was disappointed that a reputable organization had been duped . ...
Keep reading »

Complex to Simple: Images for Social Media Posts

Image
Rocket Science Version The sizing of images for the various social marketing platforms, post types, and headers is becoming a bit complex. In fact, it would be a very practical way to teach equivalent fractions and geometry in Grade 9. But if you're long out of school and want all the details, get them on Twirp's Cheat Sheet: The ONLY social media image sizes you need to know . Squares and Rectangles The diagram below shows a very simplified rule of thumb for matching image shapes to social media posts on common platforms. Size Matters While bigger is better, it often means a larger file size and then icky compression stuff happens and... well, you've probably seen it on other people's feeds. I suggest your squares be a minimum of 600px by 600px; and 1200px by 1200px is about the largest you'll need. For rectangles, use minimum 600px by 300px, or maximum 1200px by 600px. originally published in Work Better, Not Harder newsletter August 31, 2017 Clic...
Keep reading »

Does your Content make your Readers feel Guilty?

Image
During a recent workshop, I remarked that sometimes health and wellness newsletters make me feel guilty. The two professionals in the room who work in that field were a little surprised. Of course, no one intends to make their readers feel guilty – or at least they shouldn't. We want our readers to feel positive emotions, like confidence and motivation. Perhaps even to take some positive action. Do you know how your readers feel when they read your newsletter? Or even before they open it? Consider how to craft your message so that negative emotions, like guilt and helplessness, are overcome by positive, empathetic ones. Here are a few tips: Use 'we' to show you empathize - instead of 'you' - when it makes sense. Avoid words like 'must' and 'should'. Try 'can' and 'will' instead. Tell a personal story that illustrates your point. Reread your content from the perspective of your target market. Put yourself in your ideal ...
Keep reading »

Sharing Is Endorsing

Image
In the press for time to get everything done, it can be tempting to share content from trusted sources that you do not review. Sharing content from other experts, colleagues and organizations is a great way to let your fans know that you: keep up with current trends actively pursue continued learning are an expert in your field are aware of what other experts are talking about are plugged in to the local business community Keep in mind that when you share content, your fans assume that you endorse the content. Even with trusted sources, things can go wrong. Take the time to read what you share. If you don't agree, say so. If you do agree, mention why. Show your fans that you have read the content yourself. The last thing you want to do is mislead your fans by sharing content that is contradictory to your own opinion. And a fan that has come to rely on you for great shares, will be disappointed if you share something of no value to them other than the catch...
Keep reading »

7 Out Of 12 Small Business Bloggers Agree On This

Image
When I teach marketing courses, the group eventually tires of seeing this list come up on the screen in every class: Build relationships, community Grow your reputation, sphere of influence Be seen as an expert Share valuable info, products, services Increase your social media following Give value to your customers, prospects and colleagues on a regular basis Get found - SEO The items on this list are key reasons for publishing a blog or newsletter . Yes, of course, the ultimate goal is sometimes - but not always - an increase in sales. The problem is, you (and me) can't meet all the goals on that list at the same time. We'd become unfocused and demotivated. So I 'force' these small business folk to pick only two goals  to focus on. Last week I noted the two goals each person called out as we went around the room. I added my own two goals, as well, to round the group off at a dozen. Seven of us chose #2 - growing our reputation - as one of our two ...
Keep reading »

Automate to Boost Productivity

Image
Aside from your traditional newsletters and promotional messages, you can also use your bulk email application to automate some other processes. You might not think of iContact (or whatever app you use) as a productivity tool, but it can be. Here are a couple of examples. Patient/client reminders You’re familiar with those postcards we get in the mail reminding us it’s time to book our appointment with the dentist, or optometrist, or pedorthist. If that is a standard practice for your business, consider sending these reminders by email, automated to go at appropriate intervals. One of our clients claimed this is saved her money every month. Certificates If you use a mail merge to create certificates in Word for course attendees, you can do the same in iContact and send them out by email at the same time. You can use merge fields for the name, date, and any other info that you want inserted into the certificate. We recently sent Certificates of Completion to several hundred...
Keep reading »

Original Content Makes YOU Unique!

Image
Do you really need any more information than what you’re already getting? Do your readers? How do you compete with ALL that content that’s readily available? You give them something they can’t get anywhere else! A list is easy - here’s one way to think about it: Static resources : original writing, photos, videos, slide shows, presentations, and more Live resources : webinars, teleseminars, lunch and learns, other events, and more The execution is maybe not so easy. Developing original content requires energy and inspiration. Plan your content in advance - even if only in your head. Take advantage of inspiration when it comes because it often won’t at midnight when facing a deadline. So, what if you can’t write, sing or dance? (That I strongly doubt, but let’s pretend.) Does it mean you have nothing to share? Not by a long shot. Think context. It may not be original content pieces - it might be the way you arrange them, the context in which you present the...
Keep reading »

Your 'Thank You for Signing Up' Page

Image
A redirect page is a webpage where someone ends up after filling in your subscription form. This is something you have control over and it's worth putting a little effort into. After all, someone has just said they trust you enough to sign up for your newsletter - it's a good time to dazzle them with more of your brilliance and give them some value right away . Here is a screenshot of Anita Kirkbride's redirect page. When someone subscribes to Twirp's newsletter, this is where they end up. Here's why this page is great: It clearly describes what the subscriber signed up for. There's a free giveaway, which was promised in the call to action. There's a link to get immediate value by going to Twirp's blog. Also those cute little Twirplings at the bottom of the screen jump up and down... which made me feel kind of happy to have subscribed. Is it time to take a fresh look at your own redirect page? What is the most important message you want t...
Keep reading »

Can Iceland's Volcano Drive Blog Traffic?

One way to drive traffic to your blog is to use current popular news stories as a jump off point to hook your audience. Readers often search current news stories and, if your post headline contains one of them, the same thought process will have them following the link to your blog post. For example, emergency preparedness planning was a hot topic during the swine flu pandemic warnings in 2009. Emergency preparedness is less discussed with the story dropping out of the headlines. If you would like to open up the topic again with your clients, try using the Icelandic volcano eruptions and the havoc resulting at UK airports as a jumping off point. Be sure to include the story headline in your blog post title to have your readers clicking in and keep the post content relevant to keep them there. Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »