Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Will You Add? - Electronic Newsletters - Building a Personal Marketing Database
So you really want some business cards – you think it’s going to make people take you seriously and get in touch with you. What you have to realise, though, is that a badly designed business card is much, much worse than none at all, and will actually lose you business. Before you go ahead and make business cards on that spiffy machine that does them for pocket change, take a little time to consider exactly what you’re going to put on the card and where.The first, and most important, thing you should put on is your name! Don’t be modest – make it big and bold, so people can spot your card in a pile. It might feel a little egotistical, but remember that you’re doing it to help them find you, not because you think you’re really important.The next thing to put on is some kind of description of what you do – whether that’s a job title, or just which industry you’re in. If you’re undertaking a specific project at the moment that is somehow notable (you’re the producer of a popular TV show, for example), then it’s worth putting that on too.The two vital pieces of contact information to have on the card are your phone number and your email address – these are the two primary means of communication that people will use to contact you. Website addresses are also a very good idea, as they offer someone a quick, easy way to find out more about you.Your street address, on the other hand, isn’t really necessary unless you own a shop or otherwise expect people to visit you, and your online instant messaging address runs the risk of looking somewhat unprofessional. Depending on what business you’re in, a fax number might be useful – in general, if you get more than one fax per month or so, it’s probably worthwhile putting it on there.
•A link that they can click on if they want to share the newsletter with their friends.
•If you are a speaker or author, contact information where interested parties can book you for a speaking engagement.
•A privacy policy.
•A legal disclaimer.
Don’t Spam!
Every newsletter or eZine you send out gets rated by the recipient’s spam filter, and could, if you’re not careful, end up in their spam folder! You want to keep this rating as low as possible. To do this, be conscious of your word choice, color scheme, and background template. Certain words, like “free” or “guarantee,” and certain non-web colors or excessive use of graphics trigger spam alerts. Also, limit your database to people who have signed up to receive your newsletter and to those who you’ve done business with. By sending mail to parties who have “opted in,” you will be less likely to be flagged as a spammer.
But why care about spamming?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, if your message has a high spam rating, it will never make it to your subscribers’ inboxes. Many eZine systems allow you to monitor what percentage of your emails is actually getting through. It is a good idea to keep on top of these stats. A newsletter is worthless if your readers aren’t reading it. Secondly, there are anti-spam laws in place, both on the federal and state levels. While they aren’t generally enforced unless the violation is egregious, just being aware of these laws is essential.
The federal anti-spam law, called the CAN-SPAM Act, was passed by Congress in 2003. It contains several important provisions that you should know about:
•Your email's "From," "To," and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email.
•The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.
•You must not send to anyone unless they “opted-in” to your list by signing up or you have an existing business relationship with them.
•You must provide recipients with a mechanism to “opt-out” of receiving future emails.
•Each violation is subject to fines of up to $11,000.
But most importantly, if you consistently spam your subscribers, the ISP (e.g., AOL, Comcast, etc.) can block your domain name. These big ISPs provide their users with spam-flagging tools. If enough people flag your newsletter as spam, these providers will block EVERYTHING you send. That means that no one from AOL will be able to receive newsletters, emails, or anything else from you. And, unlike the spam legislation, these ISP providers monitor spam very closely because they want to keep their subscribers happy. And if they do decide to block you, there is no warning; they can just flip the switch. Once blocked, it is also extremely difficult to get unblocked, and you must provide the ISP with evidence that you are not in fact a spammer.
Monetizing Your List
Deciding to offer access to your subscriber base to someone else, or sell your list of subscribers, is a slippery slope that will take you down a path of consumerism that may or may not hurt your business. Selling your list to another vendor may result in customer dissatisfaction, spam issues, and most importantly, loss of subscribers. I wouldn’t do it.
However, you can partner wit
We are all leaders; in our families, churches, temples, lodges, clubs, businesses and fraternal organizations.Have you ever heard of a Cult Manager? Yet where have we ever seen more loyalty, commitment and blind obedience? No such thing as a Religious Manager. There’s a huge difference between management and leadership. “Semantics”, you say. When I went to Hotel School I was taught how to be a Hotel Manager. I found that I had to become a Leader in order to gain the loyalty and commitment of my staff.When I first arrived to work as a manager in a hotel in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, the staff did the usual hotel staff things to test me. The cashier would mix up the cash register, and see if I could sort out the problem. The night chefs would stay home, and see if I could handle the kitchen at night and prepare the breakfast. I had to prove myself.How does a manager cope with that, as opposed to a leader? I was called in to a meeting of my management peers and they told me to fire a certain Functions Manager. He was a rebel and no good, they said. Lazy. Obstinate. Get rid of him! His name was Oral, I’ll never forget. I watched him at work. His staff of waiters would set up the conferences and do all the work perfectly while he sat outside, smoking. I called Oral into my office and fired him. Then I said, “Oral, I’ve done what everyone here wanted me to do. I fired you. Now, I’m rehiring you on my terms. Here are my terms: You can sit outside and smoke all day. You never have to enter the hotel. As long as the job gets done to my satisfaction, I’m happy. If not, we will talk. How’s that?” Oral beamed. He thanked me profusely. He was happy. He did a great job. I was happy. And one day he saved me from being badly beaten up. Oral, you see, was a natural leader. He understood leadership. Suffice is to say that after a while I had a loyal following instead of an obedient staff.A leader understands that she is leading personalities with value systems, goals, fears, hopes and dreams. She knows that she can get people to work 24/7/365 when she pushes the right buttons. I once worked for a hotel owner for nine months with one day off in all that time. He was a true leader. Arthur Honey. He was Roger Bannister’s second when Roger Bannister broke the 3 minute mile. He could inspire, motivate and encourage people. He never
Everyone who receives your eZine is a potential customer. Whether you are selling your services or products, each newsletter is an opportunity to generate revenue. It is also a chance to increase recognition and grow your business.
And the reason it’s free? You want as many names in your database as you can get. In order for someone to give you their valuable, personal information, you need to provide them with something equally valuable in return. Also, if you ask people to pay for your newsletter, some may if they perceive significant value above and beyond the fee, but most will just move on to someone who will give them the equivalent information for free.
Your eZine can be created in either plain text or HTML (HyperText Markup Language) formats, or both. HTML is the same code that is used to create web pages, so it allows you to incorporate design elements such as colors, graphics, photos, and links in your eZine. At one point, plain text vs. HTML format for newsletters was a highly debated topic and the vote was pretty evenly split. With the advancement of technology, such as increased storage capacity in inboxes, this is no longer such a pressing issue; however, there are a couple of things to know.
First and foremost, you want your readers to be able to read your newsletter. There are a couple of great websites that will help you manage and send out your newsletter with this priority in mind; I use Aweber (http://www.aweber.com). This site sends out both types and then the receiver’s email software chooses which format will be the most readable. However, if you cannot send out both, there are certain advantages and disadvantages to either type.
Text: Text documents are the easiest to read because all email servers can receive them. They also are less likely to be caught in spam filters, so you can be sure that your subscribers are receiving your newsletter (see tip 9 for more information on spamming). However, you have to worry about “wrapping” the text so that it looks the same in everyone’s inbox. And, you can only work with text color to make your content and product presentations flashy and visually exciting and interesting.
HTML: As noted above, an eZine in HTML format will display like a web page. However, not all email programs will be able to read it properly. While the technology has improved, many people still own older machines that cannot decipher HTML embedded in an email. Also, the spam rating for this type of newsletter is significantly higher than it is for a text document, so there’s a chance it may end up in your readers’ spam folders. The possibilities for design, color-scheme, and product placement are endless, and usually make it worth your time to explore this option.
Best of both worlds: Another option for format is to send out a plain text message that simply introduces that issue of your eZine, then provides a live link to the full version online, which can include as many graphics and media as you want. This ensures that your email will get through, but also allows you to take full advantage of online resources. Keep in mind, however, that not all readers will be willing to click out of the message to another web page. Consider what’s best for your readers.
Content
It is essential that you take your newsletter or eZine seriously and create high-value content. If you deliver sub-par information, you will quickly lose subscribers. At the same time, however, don’t overwhelm your readers with too much information, even good information. Short is better than long. Many people are inundated with emails every day; they are not going to take the time to read your weekly novel. If you can condense your message into three really pithy paragraphs and deliver great value to your reader, you are golden.
Ideal target: Try limiting each issue of your eZine to 350 words of text. This will fit on most viewers’ screens, without having to scroll down. Subscribers really appreciate having all the content at their immediate view.
Once you’ve struck this balance and engaged your readers, you can then use your content to promote your products, speaking engagements, or your media placements. If you can incorporate a plug for your latest eBook, mp3, or any other item into your newsletter, you will sell infinitely more merchandise. You will do best if you can make a connection between the message you are sending and the product you are presenting. If your message is all about reading body language and you can say, “For more about the subtle messages you send with your body language, check out my new eBook on …” By giving readers a bit of useful information, you are creating an interest in the specific topic, and you can build on that by immediately offering to expand their knowledge of the topic with a related product.
The best balance: While each issue of your eZine is a great marketing tool, there’s good reason to give your readers a break from promotions once in awhile. They’ll surely appreciate the occasional reminder that you are providing a worthwhile service outside of your product plugs, and that might make them even more willing to purchase a product the next time. A good balance is a 3:1 ratio of issues without and with product plugs.
Sell Your Products
Having products to sell and incorporating them into your eZine are obviously a great way to generate income and make your newsletter profitable. I currently make on average about $8,000 a month from products people buy off of my newsletter. That’s a lot of money! I’ve been able to accomplish this by taking the time to create 70 pieces of merchandise. These range from eBooks and mp3s to assessments and soft-cover books. I am also in the process of creating Podcasts and video downloads to complete my range of media offerings.
Explore all of your options. Your products do not have to be tangible; they can be electronic. Things like eBooks and mp3s are great items because there are no manufacturing, distributing, or shipping costs. Once you pay to create the file, that’s it. It’s pure profit!
Also, your products should be as specific as possible. If your newsletter is on a broad topic, such as cooking, create products that address specific issues. You may have “how to grill the perfect steak,” or “when a vegetarian menu is your best option,” or “the top 25 chocolate recipes.” By breaking down your expertise into specific titles that solve a certain problem or meet a specific need, you will be able to easily generate products and start earning money off of your “free” newsletter.
In order to sell products in your eZine, you will need some type of online shopping cart to process the transactions. Most of these systems have the capability to automatically handle the purchase and distribution of eProducts such as mp3s and eBooks (I use AutomatedShoppingCarts.com). Another useful feature called “Ad-Tracking” allows you to track which purchases were made from each eZine so you can monitor your most and least effective product sales copy. Ad-Tracking also allows you to do “split testing,” which enables you to track the results of several versions of sales copy for the same product. This process will let you see which sales copy is the most effective at generating sales. By dividing your web traffic for a product between several destination pages, each with different sales copy, you will be able to easily determine which page is performing best. There are also software programs available to help you test and optimize your online ads.
Promotional Content
There are three approaches to newsletter content: the type that exists to sell products, the type that exists to promote the author, and the type that purely gives information.
Obviously, if you have a lot of products and are using your newsletter to generate income, the first option is the best. However, make sure that the content of your newsletter doesn’t suffer. You are still providing your readers a service and feeding them valuable content. If your content suffers because you are trying too hard to sell your products, you will lose subscribers and ultimately lose money.
If you are a speaker, author, consultant, personal coach, or expert who wants to gain recognition, you should promote yourself in your newsletter. You should talk about what you’ve been doing, your recent articles and media mentions, your speaking engagements, problems you have helped your clients solve, opportunities you have helped your clients seize, and how potential clients can contact you. After all, there is no better product than yourself, so you need to market your services as effectively as possible.
If you don’t like the idea of using your newsletter as a promotional device, the solely informational option is probably what you’ll choose. Companies can use newsletters to educate customers on effective product usage or share ideas from other customers. While your newsletter is still valuable as a database generator, I would advise against abstaining from all promotional copy. If you are going to take the time to create a newsletter, you want it to work for you as much as it can. There is always a way to find a balance between maintaining the integrity of your newsletter and either promoting yourself or your new project/product.
Auto Responder vs. Here & Now Tips
There are two different types of newsletter formats, the auto responder and the Here & Now time sensitive tip.
Auto-responders (or evergreen eZines) are a series of tips or eZines that are created in advance and sent out at set intervals (weekly, monthly, etc). First, you must write several tips or newsletters that you put into a reserve database of eZines. When someone subscribes to your newsletter or tip series, they receive issue #1. Consequently, if person A signed up for your weekly tip a year ago and person B signed up yesterday, person A would be on tip #50, while person B would only be on tip #1. This is a great system if you do not want to create a new newsletter every month or week. Once you write enough tips, you can sit back and wait as your subscriber network reads through them all. However, you need to monitor your newsletters and subscribers carefully. Once your readers start to catch up on the eZines you’ve already written, you need to create more. The downside of this system is that you cannot make your tips relevant to items in the breaking news or seasonal happenings. The topics need to be able to stand on their own.
The Here & Now time sensitive tip is an eZine you write each week or month. If you enjoy relating your advice to current events, holidays, or seasons, or just like writing a newsletter every so often, this is the best option for you. It is also a great way to promote your speaking engagements, current articles, or recent sightings to keep your readers up-to-date on your activities. If you are just starting out and don’t have a lot of products to promote, this might be your best option because it allows you to create visibility for your marketing efforts before you have product.
The Layout
Laying out your newsletter is extremely important. You have many more options with HTML, which makes your eZine display like a web page, than you do with plain text. However, if you are confined to text, play with color, spacing, and font to be as creative as possible.
In HTML, it is important to create continuity between your website and the newsletter. If you have a logo, a slogan, or any type of branding on your website, make sure that it is also on your newsletter. I am a proponent of creating a column that takes up one third of the page either on the left or right side. While your content goes in the middle two-thirds of the page, this side column is purely promotional. You can use this space to write catchy copy about yourself and your products or services. Or, you can create buttons that make it easy for people to buy merchandise directly from your eZine. But most importantly, the best way to promote your products and your services is to make your newsletter as visually interesting as possible. Use of color, pictures, and design will entice people to buy and help them remember you.
HTML layout also enables you to create hyperlinks within your message to pages on your website, particularly your shopping cart. (You can also do this in plain text, but it is clunky and intimidating.) All the Stuff That Goes on the Bottom
There are a couple of items that need to be included in every newsletter, regardless of its intended use. Most important is an easy way for your readers to subscribe and unsubscribe. Most newsletter service providers insert this link automatically and make it user-friendly.
You also need:
•A link to update contact information. If your subscriber is changing email addresses, make it easy for them to keep subscribing to your eZine.
•A phrase about the author, i.e. “Check out Dr. Alessandra’s website at …” to keep referring your readers back to your site and products.
•A copyright notice—for your own protection.
•A link that they can click on if they want to share the newsletter with their friends.
•If you are a speaker or author, contact information where interested parties can book you for a speaking engagement.
•A privacy policy.
•A legal disclaimer.
Don’t Spam!
Every newsletter or eZine you send out gets rated by the recipient’s spam filter, and could, if you’re not careful, end up in their spam folder! You want to keep this rating as low as possible. To do this, be conscious of your word choice, color scheme, and background template. Certain words, like “free” or “guarantee,” and certain non-web colors or excessive use of graphics trigger spam alerts. Also, limit your database to people who have signed up to receive your newsletter and to those who you’ve done business with. By sending mail to parties who have “opted in,” you will be less likely to be flagged as a spammer.
But why care about spamming?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, if your message has a high spam rating, it will never make it to your subscribers’ inboxes. Many eZine systems allow you to monitor what percentage of your emails is actually getting through. It is a good idea to keep on top of these stats. A newsletter is worthless if your readers aren’t reading it. Secondly, there are anti-spam laws in place, both on the federal and state levels. While they aren’t generally enforced unless the violation is egregious, just being aware of these laws is essential.
The federal anti-spam law, called the CAN-SPAM Act, was passed by Congress in 2003. It contains several important provisions that you should know about:
•Your email's "From," "To," and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email.
•The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.
•You must not send to anyone unless they “opted-in” to your list by signing up or you have an existing business relationship with them.
•You must provide recipients with a mechanism to “opt-out” of receiving future emails.
•Each violation is subject to fines of up to $11,000.
But most importantly, if you consistently spam your subscribers, the ISP (e.g., AOL, Comcast, etc.) can block your domain name. These big ISPs provide their users with spam-flagging tools. If enough people flag your newsletter as spam, these providers will block EVERYTHING you send. That means that no one from AOL will be able to receive newsletters, emails, or anything else from you. And, unlike the spam legislation, these ISP providers monitor spam very closely because they want to keep their subscribers happy. And if they do decide to block you, there is no warning; they can just flip the switch. Once blocked, it is also extremely difficult to get unblocked, and you must provide the ISP with evidence that you are not in fact a spammer.
Monetizing Your List
Deciding to offer access to your subscriber base to someone else, or sell your list of subscribers, is a slippery slope that will take you down a path of consumerism that may or may not hurt your business. Selling your list to another vendor may result in customer dissatisfaction, spam issues, and most importantly, loss of subscribers. I wouldn’t do it.
However, you can partner with
What is a Remarkable Business?My definition of a remarkable business is - a business that serves its customers like no other on the planet.The only purpose of any business - whatever the size - is to provide the highest possible service, value and result to every single person that inquires of you, asks advice from you and buys or invest from you.If your business is a remarkable one, your competition will have no chance. Your business WILL be the compelling choice to your customers! You and Your business will be constantly written about, interviewed and publicised.Let me share something by Seth Godin:This is an essay about what it takes to create and sell something remarkable. It is a plea for originality, passion, guts and daring. You can’t be remarkable by following someone else who’s remarkable. One way to figure out a theory is to look at what’s working in the real world and determine what the successes have in common. But what could the Four Seasons and Motel 6 possibly have in common? Or Neiman-Marcus and Wal*Mart? Or Nokia (bringing out new hardware every 30 days or so) and Nintendo (marketing the same Game Boy 14 years in a row)? It’s like trying to drive looking in the rearview mirror. The thing that all these companies have in common is that they have nothing in common. They are outliers. They’re on the fringes. Superfast or superslow. Very exclusive or very cheap. Extremely big or extremely small. The reason it’s so hard to follow the leader is this: The leader is the leader precisely because he did something remarkable. And that remarkable thing is now taken—so it’s no longer remarkable when you decide to do it.” —Seth Godin, Fast Company/02.2003My question to you is, as a small business where do you start? Where do you start turning your business in to a "Remarkable" one?Go back to your Vision Statement (if you have one!). Make it your businesses Primary Purpose to be a remarkable one in your industry, county, country or worldwide and so on...Look at every single process in your business and ask the question "how can i make it remarkable"?What is the alternative? If you do not deliberately choose to be remarkable.. you are choosing to be ordinary. Ordinary businesses are always chasing customers, profits and what ever they can grab on the way. Long hours, poor te
Content
It is essential that you take your newsletter or eZine seriously and create high-value content. If you deliver sub-par information, you will quickly lose subscribers. At the same time, however, don’t overwhelm your readers with too much information, even good information. Short is better than long. Many people are inundated with emails every day; they are not going to take the time to read your weekly novel. If you can condense your message into three really pithy paragraphs and deliver great value to your reader, you are golden.
Ideal target: Try limiting each issue of your eZine to 350 words of text. This will fit on most viewers’ screens, without having to scroll down. Subscribers really appreciate having all the content at their immediate view.
Once you’ve struck this balance and engaged your readers, you can then use your content to promote your products, speaking engagements, or your media placements. If you can incorporate a plug for your latest eBook, mp3, or any other item into your newsletter, you will sell infinitely more merchandise. You will do best if you can make a connection between the message you are sending and the product you are presenting. If your message is all about reading body language and you can say, “For more about the subtle messages you send with your body language, check out my new eBook on …” By giving readers a bit of useful information, you are creating an interest in the specific topic, and you can build on that by immediately offering to expand their knowledge of the topic with a related product.
The best balance: While each issue of your eZine is a great marketing tool, there’s good reason to give your readers a break from promotions once in awhile. They’ll surely appreciate the occasional reminder that you are providing a worthwhile service outside of your product plugs, and that might make them even more willing to purchase a product the next time. A good balance is a 3:1 ratio of issues without and with product plugs.
Sell Your Products
Having products to sell and incorporating them into your eZine are obviously a great way to generate income and make your newsletter profitable. I currently make on average about $8,000 a month from products people buy off of my newsletter. That’s a lot of money! I’ve been able to accomplish this by taking the time to create 70 pieces of merchandise. These range from eBooks and mp3s to assessments and soft-cover books. I am also in the process of creating Podcasts and video downloads to complete my range of media offerings.
Explore all of your options. Your products do not have to be tangible; they can be electronic. Things like eBooks and mp3s are great items because there are no manufacturing, distributing, or shipping costs. Once you pay to create the file, that’s it. It’s pure profit!
Also, your products should be as specific as possible. If your newsletter is on a broad topic, such as cooking, create products that address specific issues. You may have “how to grill the perfect steak,” or “when a vegetarian menu is your best option,” or “the top 25 chocolate recipes.” By breaking down your expertise into specific titles that solve a certain problem or meet a specific need, you will be able to easily generate products and start earning money off of your “free” newsletter.
In order to sell products in your eZine, you will need some type of online shopping cart to process the transactions. Most of these systems have the capability to automatically handle the purchase and distribution of eProducts such as mp3s and eBooks (I use AutomatedShoppingCarts.com). Another useful feature called “Ad-Tracking” allows you to track which purchases were made from each eZine so you can monitor your most and least effective product sales copy. Ad-Tracking also allows you to do “split testing,” which enables you to track the results of several versions of sales copy for the same product. This process will let you see which sales copy is the most effective at generating sales. By dividing your web traffic for a product between several destination pages, each with different sales copy, you will be able to easily determine which page is performing best. There are also software programs available to help you test and optimize your online ads.
Promotional Content
There are three approaches to newsletter content: the type that exists to sell products, the type that exists to promote the author, and the type that purely gives information.
Obviously, if you have a lot of products and are using your newsletter to generate income, the first option is the best. However, make sure that the content of your newsletter doesn’t suffer. You are still providing your readers a service and feeding them valuable content. If your content suffers because you are trying too hard to sell your products, you will lose subscribers and ultimately lose money.
If you are a speaker, author, consultant, personal coach, or expert who wants to gain recognition, you should promote yourself in your newsletter. You should talk about what you’ve been doing, your recent articles and media mentions, your speaking engagements, problems you have helped your clients solve, opportunities you have helped your clients seize, and how potential clients can contact you. After all, there is no better product than yourself, so you need to market your services as effectively as possible.
If you don’t like the idea of using your newsletter as a promotional device, the solely informational option is probably what you’ll choose. Companies can use newsletters to educate customers on effective product usage or share ideas from other customers. While your newsletter is still valuable as a database generator, I would advise against abstaining from all promotional copy. If you are going to take the time to create a newsletter, you want it to work for you as much as it can. There is always a way to find a balance between maintaining the integrity of your newsletter and either promoting yourself or your new project/product.
Auto Responder vs. Here & Now Tips
There are two different types of newsletter formats, the auto responder and the Here & Now time sensitive tip.
Auto-responders (or evergreen eZines) are a series of tips or eZines that are created in advance and sent out at set intervals (weekly, monthly, etc). First, you must write several tips or newsletters that you put into a reserve database of eZines. When someone subscribes to your newsletter or tip series, they receive issue #1. Consequently, if person A signed up for your weekly tip a year ago and person B signed up yesterday, person A would be on tip #50, while person B would only be on tip #1. This is a great system if you do not want to create a new newsletter every month or week. Once you write enough tips, you can sit back and wait as your subscriber network reads through them all. However, you need to monitor your newsletters and subscribers carefully. Once your readers start to catch up on the eZines you’ve already written, you need to create more. The downside of this system is that you cannot make your tips relevant to items in the breaking news or seasonal happenings. The topics need to be able to stand on their own.
The Here & Now time sensitive tip is an eZine you write each week or month. If you enjoy relating your advice to current events, holidays, or seasons, or just like writing a newsletter every so often, this is the best option for you. It is also a great way to promote your speaking engagements, current articles, or recent sightings to keep your readers up-to-date on your activities. If you are just starting out and don’t have a lot of products to promote, this might be your best option because it allows you to create visibility for your marketing efforts before you have product.
The Layout
Laying out your newsletter is extremely important. You have many more options with HTML, which makes your eZine display like a web page, than you do with plain text. However, if you are confined to text, play with color, spacing, and font to be as creative as possible.
In HTML, it is important to create continuity between your website and the newsletter. If you have a logo, a slogan, or any type of branding on your website, make sure that it is also on your newsletter. I am a proponent of creating a column that takes up one third of the page either on the left or right side. While your content goes in the middle two-thirds of the page, this side column is purely promotional. You can use this space to write catchy copy about yourself and your products or services. Or, you can create buttons that make it easy for people to buy merchandise directly from your eZine. But most importantly, the best way to promote your products and your services is to make your newsletter as visually interesting as possible. Use of color, pictures, and design will entice people to buy and help them remember you.
HTML layout also enables you to create hyperlinks within your message to pages on your website, particularly your shopping cart. (You can also do this in plain text, but it is clunky and intimidating.) All the Stuff That Goes on the Bottom
There are a couple of items that need to be included in every newsletter, regardless of its intended use. Most important is an easy way for your readers to subscribe and unsubscribe. Most newsletter service providers insert this link automatically and make it user-friendly.
You also need:
•A link to update contact information. If your subscriber is changing email addresses, make it easy for them to keep subscribing to your eZine.
•A phrase about the author, i.e. “Check out Dr. Alessandra’s website at …” to keep referring your readers back to your site and products.
•A copyright notice—for your own protection.
•A link that they can click on if they want to share the newsletter with their friends.
•If you are a speaker or author, contact information where interested parties can book you for a speaking engagement.
•A privacy policy.
•A legal disclaimer.
Don’t Spam!
Every newsletter or eZine you send out gets rated by the recipient’s spam filter, and could, if you’re not careful, end up in their spam folder! You want to keep this rating as low as possible. To do this, be conscious of your word choice, color scheme, and background template. Certain words, like “free” or “guarantee,” and certain non-web colors or excessive use of graphics trigger spam alerts. Also, limit your database to people who have signed up to receive your newsletter and to those who you’ve done business with. By sending mail to parties who have “opted in,” you will be less likely to be flagged as a spammer.
But why care about spamming?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, if your message has a high spam rating, it will never make it to your subscribers’ inboxes. Many eZine systems allow you to monitor what percentage of your emails is actually getting through. It is a good idea to keep on top of these stats. A newsletter is worthless if your readers aren’t reading it. Secondly, there are anti-spam laws in place, both on the federal and state levels. While they aren’t generally enforced unless the violation is egregious, just being aware of these laws is essential.
The federal anti-spam law, called the CAN-SPAM Act, was passed by Congress in 2003. It contains several important provisions that you should know about:
•Your email's "From," "To," and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email.
•The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.
•You must not send to anyone unless they “opted-in” to your list by signing up or you have an existing business relationship with them.
•You must provide recipients with a mechanism to “opt-out” of receiving future emails.
•Each violation is subject to fines of up to $11,000.
But most importantly, if you consistently spam your subscribers, the ISP (e.g., AOL, Comcast, etc.) can block your domain name. These big ISPs provide their users with spam-flagging tools. If enough people flag your newsletter as spam, these providers will block EVERYTHING you send. That means that no one from AOL will be able to receive newsletters, emails, or anything else from you. And, unlike the spam legislation, these ISP providers monitor spam very closely because they want to keep their subscribers happy. And if they do decide to block you, there is no warning; they can just flip the switch. Once blocked, it is also extremely difficult to get unblocked, and you must provide the ISP with evidence that you are not in fact a spammer.
Monetizing Your List
Deciding to offer access to your subscriber base to someone else, or sell your list of subscribers, is a slippery slope that will take you down a path of consumerism that may or may not hurt your business. Selling your list to another vendor may result in customer dissatisfaction, spam issues, and most importantly, loss of subscribers. I wouldn’t do it.
However, you can partner wit
Have you ever needed to raise funds for some event or project. It can be allot of work, but depending on how well organized the event is, it can be a lot of fun too. Once you have reached your goal or the end of the event, it can be a very rewarding experience. Church fund raising can be very challenging, but most events bring in lots of dollars as most people are very generous if the event goes to a good cause. In many cases, you will find volunteers to help. The problem usually stems from someone wanting to take charge of the event as it requires a lot of time and effort on someone’s part. In this article you will learn some ideas for church fund raising and some tips on getting organized.There are many church fund raising events that can be planned and it would all depend on what group you are raising the funds for that can determine the fund raising event. If you are raising money for the youth department there are many fund raisers that you can do. You could sponsor a car wash that would be a lot of fun for the kids, but you definitely need adults to help out and not only wash, but supervise too. You could hold a slave auction that basically rents the kids out to do some type of work at peoples homes. Many older people enjoy this as it gives them an opportunity to get things done around their homes that they can't do, and it also affords them time to spend with a young person. Church fund raising can bring many different age groups together at one time and this can be a good thing.If you are planning a church fund raising event for older people, the events will be a little different than say something for the youth department. You might be looking more at a bake sale where grannies can show off their cooking skills and delicious family recipes. Everyone enjoys eating so this is usually a big hit. You might also find the older people organizing a bazaar or garage sale. This requires a lot of work as besides all the set up and work of the event, they will need to gather up the items that are to be sold or auctioned off. Church fund raising can bring many different types of personalities together and this can often be a challenge, but everyone can find a place to serve in some form or fashion. Church fund raising is an opportunity to get to know others.If you are doing a
•The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.
•You must not send to anyone unless they “opted-in” to your list by signing up or you have an existing business relationship with them.
•You must provide recipients with a mechanism to “opt-out” of receiving future emails.
•Each violation is subject to fines of up to $11,000.
But most importantly, if you consistently spam your subscribers, the ISP (e.g., AOL, Comcast, etc.) can block your domain name. These big ISPs provide their users with spam-flagging tools. If enough people flag your newsletter as spam, these providers will block EVERYTHING you send. That means that no one from AOL will be able to receive newsletters, emails, or anything else from you. And, unlike the spam legislation, these ISP providers monitor spam very closely because they want to keep their subscribers happy. And if they do decide to block you, there is no warning; they can just flip the switch. Once blocked, it is also extremely difficult to get unblocked, and you must provide the ISP with evidence that you are not in fact a spammer.
Monetizing Your List
Deciding to offer access to your subscriber base to someone else, or sell your list of subscribers, is a slippery slope that will take you down a path of consumerism that may or may not hurt your business. Selling your list to another vendor may result in customer dissatisfaction, spam issues, and most importantly, loss of subscribers. I wouldn’t do it.
However, you can partner wit
How do you make a decision to purchase a service or product?Think back to the last time you made a decision to make a significant investment, be that something for your home or business life and the chances are that you not only tried out the product or service before you bought it, but you also asked the opinion of others.Let’s take for example purchasing a camera. Perhaps you asked a friend about their experience of a certain model of camera. You might have also researched the camera on the Internet or in magazines. You might even have gone into your local camera shop so you could ask the opinion of the camera expert in the store.In all these cases, you were seeking endorsements and opinions – in other words testimonials about the camera.When it comes to your potential clients making a decision to invest in your services, which are no doubt far more expensive than purchasing a camera, what reference sites and testimonials can you offer up?Putting in place a process to systematise accessing testimonials is an often an overlooked strategy in many professional services practice. Added to that, many testimonials are far from impactful.For example have you ever noticed the testimonials on a web site that say something like:“Working with Jo was great. CD, London.”This just leaves you wondering – who was CD? Why did they find working with Jo great? What difference did it make to them? Was CD in the same situation as I find myself in?Frankly this form of testimonial is not going to be seen as credible as it is vague and non specific.What would be more influential would be a testimonial that outlined:- The situation the client had found themselves in prior to working with the professional services firm- The actions that they took together to overcome these problems- The tangible results that were achieved – wherever possible with specific metrics- The name, position and organisation of the person providing the testimonial – that is car more credible than just providing the initials of someone.If you have delivered excellent service to your clients, it is highly likely they will be happy to provide you with a testimonial. So why is it that we so often fail to access testimonials?Here are three simple steps to ensure that you access powe
The Here & Now time sensitive tip is an eZine you write each week or month. If you enjoy relating your advice to current events, holidays, or seasons, or just like writing a newsletter every so often, this is the best option for you. It is also a great way to promote your speaking engagements, current articles, or recent sightings to keep your readers up-to-date on your activities. If you are just starting out and don’t have a lot of products to promote, this might be your best option because it allows you to create visibility for your marketing efforts before you have product.
The Layout
Laying out your newsletter is extremely important. You have many more options with HTML, which makes your eZine display like a web page, than you do with plain text. However, if you are confined to text, play with color, spacing, and font to be as creative as possible.
In HTML, it is important to create continuity between your website and the newsletter. If you have a logo, a slogan, or any type of branding on your website, make sure that it is also on your newsletter. I am a proponent of creating a column that takes up one third of the page either on the left or right side. While your content goes in the middle two-thirds of the page, this side column is purely promotional. You can use this space to write catchy copy about yourself and your products or services. Or, you can create buttons that make it easy for people to buy merchandise directly from your eZine. But most importantly, the best way to promote your products and your services is to make your newsletter as visually interesting as possible. Use of color, pictures, and design will entice people to buy and help them remember you.
HTML layout also enables you to create hyperlinks within your message to pages on your website, particularly your shopping cart. (You can also do this in plain text, but it is clunky and intimidating.) All the Stuff That Goes on the Bottom
There are a couple of items that need to be included in every newsletter, regardless of its intended use. Most important is an easy way for your readers to subscribe and unsubscribe. Most newsletter service providers insert this link automatically and make it user-friendly.
You also need:
•A link to update contact information. If your subscriber is changing email addresses, make it easy for them to keep subscribing to your eZine.
•A phrase about the author, i.e. “Check out Dr. Alessandra’s website at …” to keep referring your readers back to your site and products.
•A copyright notice—for your own protection.
•A link that they can click on if they want to share the newsletter with their friends.
•If you are a speaker or author, contact information where interested parties can book you for a speaking engagement.
•A privacy policy.
•A legal disclaimer.
Don’t Spam!
Every newsletter or eZine you send out gets rated by the recipient’s spam filter, and could, if you’re not careful, end up in their spam folder! You want to keep this rating as low as possible. To do this, be conscious of your word choice, color scheme, and background template. Certain words, like “free” or “guarantee,” and certain non-web colors or excessive use of graphics trigger spam alerts. Also, limit your database to people who have signed up to receive your newsletter and to those who you’ve done business with. By sending mail to parties who have “opted in,” you will be less likely to be flagged as a spammer.
But why care about spamming?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, if your message has a high spam rating, it will never make it to your subscribers’ inboxes. Many eZine systems allow you to monitor what percentage of your emails is actually getting through. It is a good idea to keep on top of these stats. A newsletter is worthless if your readers aren’t reading it. Secondly, there are anti-spam laws in place, both on the federal and state levels. While they aren’t generally enforced unless the violation is egregious, just being aware of these laws is essential.
The federal anti-spam law, called the CAN-SPAM Act, was passed by Congress in 2003. It contains several important provisions that you should know about:
•Your email's "From," "To," and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email.
•The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.
•You must not send to anyone unless they “opted-in” to your list by signing up or you have an existing business relationship with them.
•You must provide recipients with a mechanism to “opt-out” of receiving future emails.
•Each violation is subject to fines of up to $11,000.
But most importantly, if you consistently spam your subscribers, the ISP (e.g., AOL, Comcast, etc.) can block your domain name. These big ISPs provide their users with spam-flagging tools. If enough people flag your newsletter as spam, these providers will block EVERYTHING you send. That means that no one from AOL will be able to receive newsletters, emails, or anything else from you. And, unlike the spam legislation, these ISP providers monitor spam very closely because they want to keep their subscribers happy. And if they do decide to block you, there is no warning; they can just flip the switch. Once blocked, it is also extremely difficult to get unblocked, and you must provide the ISP with evidence that you are not in fact a spammer.
Monetizing Your List
Deciding to offer access to your subscriber base to someone else, or sell your list of subscribers, is a slippery slope that will take you down a path of consumerism that may or may not hurt your business. Selling your list to another vendor may result in customer dissatisfaction, spam issues, and most importantly, loss of subscribers. I wouldn’t do it.
However, you can partner wit
Banner stands are a low cost alternative for the exhibitor who is looking for a large graphic area. These versatile displays can be set up very quickly, which is appealing for many who exhibit at trade shows. They are also extremely lightweight and easy to ship, which makes them a low cost alternative to heavier backwall displays.Banner stands come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common types are tension pole banner stands, retractable banner stands, tension fabric banner stands, and telescoping banner stands. Tension pole banner stands hold the graphic tight between the two ends of a pole that has been placed under tension. Retractable banner stands come with the graphic rolled up inside the base, and you simply unroll the graphic and hook it to a pole on top to place it under tension. Tension fabric banner stands consist of an aluminum frame with a dye sub graphic stretched around it.Banner stands almost always weigh less than 20 pounds, and many weigh as little as 5 pounds. When you are in need of a display solution that can be shipped cheaply all over the country (or even internationally), the banner stand is an excellent solution.In general, most exhibitors prefer retractable banner stands. They are easy to use, lightweight, and very durable, which makes them an excellent long-term choice for the exhibitor who is consistently attending shows. Tension Pole Banner Stands are usually cheaper, because they require less parts, but the graphic is not as well supported, which means they are often less durable.
•A link that they can click on if they want to share the newsletter with their friends.
•If you are a speaker or author, contact information where interested parties can book you for a speaking engagement.
•A privacy policy.
•A legal disclaimer.
Don’t Spam!
Every newsletter or eZine you send out gets rated by the recipient’s spam filter, and could, if you’re not careful, end up in their spam folder! You want to keep this rating as low as possible. To do this, be conscious of your word choice, color scheme, and background template. Certain words, like “free” or “guarantee,” and certain non-web colors or excessive use of graphics trigger spam alerts. Also, limit your database to people who have signed up to receive your newsletter and to those who you’ve done business with. By sending mail to parties who have “opted in,” you will be less likely to be flagged as a spammer.
But why care about spamming?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, if your message has a high spam rating, it will never make it to your subscribers’ inboxes. Many eZine systems allow you to monitor what percentage of your emails is actually getting through. It is a good idea to keep on top of these stats. A newsletter is worthless if your readers aren’t reading it. Secondly, there are anti-spam laws in place, both on the federal and state levels. While they aren’t generally enforced unless the violation is egregious, just being aware of these laws is essential.
The federal anti-spam law, called the CAN-SPAM Act, was passed by Congress in 2003. It contains several important provisions that you should know about:
•Your email's "From," "To," and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email.
•The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.
•You must not send to anyone unless they “opted-in” to your list by signing up or you have an existing business relationship with them.
•You must provide recipients with a mechanism to “opt-out” of receiving future emails.
•Each violation is subject to fines of up to $11,000.
But most importantly, if you consistently spam your subscribers, the ISP (e.g., AOL, Comcast, etc.) can block your domain name. These big ISPs provide their users with spam-flagging tools. If enough people flag your newsletter as spam, these providers will block EVERYTHING you send. That means that no one from AOL will be able to receive newsletters, emails, or anything else from you. And, unlike the spam legislation, these ISP providers monitor spam very closely because they want to keep their subscribers happy. And if they do decide to block you, there is no warning; they can just flip the switch. Once blocked, it is also extremely difficult to get unblocked, and you must provide the ISP with evidence that you are not in fact a spammer.
Monetizing Your List
Deciding to offer access to your subscriber base to someone else, or sell your list of subscribers, is a slippery slope that will take you down a path of consumerism that may or may not hurt your business. Selling your list to another vendor may result in customer dissatisfaction, spam issues, and most importantly, loss of subscribers. I wouldn’t do it.
However, you can partner with another vendor or exchange your list with someone in a data-share arrangement. If someone has a product that you think would benefit your customers, you can make an arrangement with the seller to give him or her access to your list of subscribers. You can put an advertisement in your newsletter and tie your content to this other product or service. However, make sure that the product you are promoting is not, in any way, in competition with your products or services. Also, you should create an agreement with the other vendors with whom you are exchanging marketing lists so that they promote your products and services in their newsletters. This type of agreement, or exchange of lists, is a great way to expand your marketing reach and also maintain the integrity of your newsletter and the loyalty of your readers.
Keep in mind that a list exchange, or joint venture as it’s sometimes called, is not the same as selling your list. You don’t give up control of the information in your database; you simply agree to mail them your list without giving them access to your actual database. They only get access to your list through you.
Another important issue to keep in mind is to make sure that the person who you are exchanging lists with has a list that’s comparable to yours in some way. Size can matter; if you have a list of 5,000 subscribers, it’s not usually a good idea to exchange your list with someone who only has 1,000. Sometimes, however, the content of the list is more important than its size. If the list contains information on the best 1,000 people out there to whom you wouldn’t otherwise have access, then that would be a good deal. Try to keep the exchange even and in mutual benefit to both parties. This way, your readers get the benefit of exposure to new information, and you get the benefit of expanding your reach through all of your hard work on your newsletters!
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.atriclecheck.com/article/25961/atriclecheck-Electronic-Newsletters--Building-a-Personal-Marketing-Database.html">Electronic Newsletters - Building a Personal Marketing Database</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.atriclecheck.com/article/25961/atriclecheck-Electronic-Newsletters--Building-a-Personal-Marketing-Database.html]Electronic Newsletters - Building a Personal Marketing Database[/url]
Related Articles:
Do You Really Know How to Treat Your Customers?
Bad Meetings - Who Invited the Vampires?
Target Marketing - Can You Spot An Ideal Client
Bookmark it:
|