Work Better, Not Harder

How often do you 'prune' your email subscriber list? — iContact (@iContact) March 27, 2014 My answer is: Never! I've got two really good reasons for you: #1. There's value in being seen even if your email goes unopened. If someone has not unsubscribed, don't make assumptions about their wants and needs . Perhaps the timing just isn't right. Being seen in your subscriber's inbox serves as a reminder that can still keep you top of mind. #2. Your open rate is over rated. If you make decisions about deleting contacts based on open rates , you're effectively negating all the hard work you do to build your list . Open rates are understated by the number of 'plain text' or 'text only' views; an image has to be viewed in order to count as an open. With more use of mobile devices, the gap between actual opens and reported opens is increasing. You could be deleting a contact who regularly reads your newsletter on their phone. Are y...

Some people put a lot of credence in testimonials. Granted, that may not be you, but don’t discount their importance. Testimonials boost your reputation by: positioning you as an expert answering unasked questions your prospects might have about the experience of working with you or your company providing social proof Make it easy for your customers to provide a testimonial – be specific in your request. Here is what I ask for when I request a testimonial from a newsletter client: “You might choose to write about how a newsletter helps your business, what it was like to work with us, or how you feel about the final results.” Testimonials of varying lengths are great because you can put them to different uses. Brief testimonials are great for headers and headlines. More lengthy testimonials will often describe something that you then don’t have to describe yourself. Maintaining a page of testimonials on your website keeps them all in one place. Aside from being e...

If you have a newsletter, it should have a read online link . This link takes the reader to the web version of your newsletter. This is an archive copy of your newsletter that is like a web page. How can you use this? 1) You can use it to provide event details and online payment for any event you are planning. Particularly useful if you have difficulty with website updates. Just send a newsletter event announcement with a register now PayPal link in it. The read online link url becomes your event registration page. Share it on social media, include it in follow up email, and post it on your blog. 2) Put it on your website as a resource for your clients and customers . Many of us are answering common client questions inside our newsletters. You can use the read online url on your website with your FAQ answers or in case studies. If you are answering those questions on your blog, you can use it there too! 3) Once you have a few issues under you belt, keep your archive link hand...

The main goal of your subject line is to get your subscribers to open your newsletter – that’s it. But achieving that is not as simple as it sounds. If you are engaged in promotional email campaigns (advertising), you might use scare tactics or name dropping to encourage opens. These tactics may work well for B2C marketing but if your goal is to build your reputation and gain trust, ensure that your subject line is not misleading. You don't want your subscribers to feel let down or ripped off once they click to open. Here are some tips for creating a subject line that encourages opens without endangering your reputation: Simply and clearly describe the content within, focusing on results not features. Make sure to develop content that your subscribers will find valuable and interesting. Don’t use fancy words and acronyms. Ask a question your readers are dying to know the answer to. Make sure you answer the question within your newsletter! Say something surprising...

There are two things that usually keep someone from starting a newsletter. One is compiling their first mailing list. The other is: "But I can't write very well!" There are ways to publish a newsletter without having to do a lot of writing. #1. Come up with the ideas and prepare an outline. Then delegate or hire someone to do the writing for you. #2.   Curate content . That means researching and gathering content from other sources that you then share, giving appropriate credit. This model is used by online publishing empires like Huffington Post and Smart Briefs. Search for content online or set up Google Alerts for your keywords. #3. Solicit content from other experts serving the same target market. Using a model of guest contributors , offer the opportunity for writers to get in front of your audience. Develop systems to attract relevant, well-written content. #4. Use a different medium ; create and include your own photos, graphics, video or audio...

It’s a bit like telling all your family and friends when you’re starting a diet or quitting smoking. Your reputation is on the line. Powerful incentive for task completion! We all know how easy it is to put off things that are a little risky. What if something comes up and we’re not ready? Something will always come up if we start out with that possibility in mind. We’re busy – we lose focus. Opportunity knocks every day for entrepreneurs, and we’re right there to open the door. One way to get motivated is to create a deadline – one that other people know about. As professionals and small business owners, our reputation is of the utmost importance to our continued success. Put your reputation on the line and you will get things done. And that should grow your reputation more. originally published in Work Better, Not Harder newsletter Mar-12-14 Click to Tweet this Article Click to Comment

Do you know that an email marketing campaign can improve your 'conversion funnel'? Do you care? If we want our potential customers to understand us, we have to speak their language - not expect them to learn ours. Our customers don't care about conversion funnels. They want their newsletters to excite their readers enough to pick up the phone, or buy a book, or register for an event. What do your customers want? Use their language to talk to them, not your industry's. photo by allenjaelee Click to Tweet this Article

Overheard at a networking event: “But I don’t want to spam my friends.” An excellent sentiment! But if you think your friends would consider your newsletter to be spam, what does that say about your content strategy ? The solution to avoid sending spam is simple. Figure out what your friends (and customers and prospects and colleagues) will find interesting or useful and give them that. You're right. Your friends don’t want spam – so give them something better. Click to Tweet this Article