Check Out How to Make Sure Your Emails Stay Relevant.

In the world of modern marketing, email is king. People are living in their inboxes – checking and sending email has become the #1 activity on both mobile devices and the internet as a whole. But you also have to remember that those inboxes are noisier and more crowded than ever. You’re not only competing with other brands for your subscribers’ attention; you’re also competing with their bosses, their mothers, their kid’s teachers… you know, people that they know and love or, at the very least, probably need to pay attention to.

So every time your recipients invest the time to open your email, they’re expecting a more personal, customized experience. And if they don’t get it, they’re gone – 56% of people unsubscribe from emails due to content that’s no longer relevant to them (Chadwick Martin Bailey). The good news is that when you get that subscriber experience right, it leads to major results. Relevant emails drive 18x more revenue than broadcast emails (Juniper Research).

Thankfully, marketers have plenty of tools at their disposal that make using customer data to create and send targeted content easier and faster than ever before. To help you get started, here are a six great ways to make your emails more relevant and, ultimately, much more likely to convert.

1. Automate your emails.

Automation is an easy and approachable way to save time and send more relevant messages to your audience. Because they use your customer behavior as a trigger, automated emails are timely, personalized and hyper-relevant to the reader. Plus, they help you reach your subscribers when they’re the most excited and ready to hear from your brand.

Establish a great relationship with new subscribers from the get-go with an automated welcome series. When a new subscriber fills out your signup form, that serves as the trigger to launch the welcome series. Your series could look something like this:

• Email 1: Thanks for signing up and brand introduction.

• Email 2: Exclusive piece of helpful content.

• Email 3: Case study of a customer having success with your brand.

• Email 4: Special offer with a call to action to buy.

It’s such an easy way to make a great first impression – and it gets long-term results. Subscribers who receive welcome notes show 33% more long-term engagement with that brand (chiefmarketer.com)

2. Segment your audience.

Here’s the thing: there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all email. And since each of your customers has different problems, interests and needs, you shouldn’t be treating them as if they’re all the same. Thankfully, marketers are beginning to understand the importance of audience segmentation when it comes to making their email campaigns more targeted and relevant to individual subscribers. In fact, 32% of marketers say segmenting their email database is one of their organization’s top objectives (MarketingSherpa).

By segmenting your audience into groups, it makes it much easier to send each group a clean, simple email with content that’s directly relevant to them. Information about the age, gender, geographic location, buying preferences, activity and engagement of your subscribers can help you send emails that will make your subscribers feel as if you truly understand them – because, thanks to all that data, you really do!

3. Test, test, test.

Split testing your subject lines is easy, and it’s a surefire way to learn more about your audience and get the best open rates possible. And the more split tests you perform, the more you’ll come to better understand your audience’s habits and preferences.

Subject lines (and marketers) are competitive by nature, so split testing your subject lines can actually be kind of fun. Have a couple members of your team write different subject lines, split test them and root for your favorite to win as the results roll in. It’s the marketing equivalent of horse racing, complete with the fancy hats and mint juleps. (Oh, you don’t do that when you send email? Weird.)

4. Keep copy clear and concise. `

On average, people receive over 84 emails a day – so you have to make a big impression each time you show up in your audience’s inbox. Humans have gut reactions in 3 seconds or less, and the adult attention span has fallen to 8 seconds, so you also need to grab their attention as quickly as possible.

The more straightforward your message, the more attention-grabbing and likable your message will be. Get to the point and keep the focus on a strong, eye-catching CTA so your audience will know exactly what you’re offering them or asking them to do.

5. Use dynamic content.

Dynamic content is a powerful tool that allows you to send unique, personalized content to each one of your subscribers based on the data you store about them. And where classic email personalization inserts exact data into an email, dynamic content takes it a step further by using that information to display different content to different people – all from the same email.

For instance, let’s say you’re a clothing brand. Using dynamic content, you could send one email that displays men’s clothing to male subscribers and women’s clothing to female subscribers. That way, each subscriber is served content that is relevant to their specific needs and buying habits, making them much more likely to make a purchase. And hey, it saves you a ton of time because you didn’t have to create two emails to do it.

6. Harness the power of social proof.

Apps like Instagram, VSCO and Afterlight have led to an increased availability of high-quality photos from everyday folks, so marketers now have unprecedented access to their consumer’s real-life product experience. This user-generated content (UGC) has become a force to be reckoned with in the marketing community. Did you know that UGC is 50% more trusted by users than traditional media (Ipsos Millenial Social Influence Study)? Or that only 15% of people trust recommendations from brands, while a whopping 84% of people trust recommendations from people they know (WeRSM)?

Planning – An Essential Part of Everyday.

A common productivity tip is to plan each day in advance, preferably the night before. But how exactly do you do this? How do you know which items to put on your next day’s to-do list?

If you aren’t careful, self-delusion can creep into your planning process. It’s tempting to put items on your task list that you think you’ll enjoy as opposed to those you really want to see completed and checked off. You may also end up jotting down too many items that seem urgent but which really don’t need to be done at all.

In order to plan each day intelligently, it’s wise to begin at the end. Imagine that it’s already the end of the day you’re aiming to plan. That day is now behind you.

As you look back on your day, you feel fantastic. You know you did your best. You think to yourself, “Wow… what an amazing day this was! I wish every day could be this wonderful.”

You feel great because you completed what you most wanted to get done. You’re now enjoying the afterglow of a day well spent.

If you do this quick exercise, it helps you clarify that each day is an investment. Some activities squander your time while others help you build a better life.

You can extend this process to weekly and monthly planning as well. Project yourself to the end of that time period, and look back with feelings of gratitude. Again, you know you did your best. You feel great about all that you accomplished.

Now as you look back, what do you see? What is it you feel great about? Which items did you check off your task list that left you feeling so satisfied?

Task completion feels good. You know that when you do your best and get a lot done, you feel great at the end of the day. You may feel tired and spent, but that afterglow is unmistakable. Similarly, you know that when you waste a day on trivialities, you don’t feel as good afterwards. You may look back and wonder where the time went and hope that tomorrow will be better. But hope isn’t a very positive feeling; hope is what you’ll find at the border between disappointment and desperation.

Start with the feeling you want to experience at the end of your days, weeks, and months. Get yourself to that place emotionally. Then project that feeling backwards in time and get a sense of the momentum that spawned it. That feeling arises when you’re in a state of flow, steadily completing the tasks that are most important to you.

This process won’t turn you into a workaholic. An unbalanced day will leave you feeling unbalanced afterwards. What you want to aim for is a smooth, flowing, productive day that balances your personal and professional life — the kind of day that will leave you feeling terrific if it becomes your default way of living.

As you project backwards in time, write down the tasks you imagine yourself completing during the day. Don’t think about what you’re doing with your time moment by moment. Simply focus on the miniature milestones. What did you actually get done? Why does that matter to you? How did you feel when you finished?

For example, instead of seeing yourself processing your day’s email, imagine the boost you feel from seeing your inbox empty and closing your email program. Instead of seeing yourself writing a blog post, imagine the feeling you get from clicking “Publish.” What are the milestones throughout your day? Identify those, and you’ll have your to-do list. Your to-do list consists of the action steps you need to take to generate those milestones.

A single day’s task list is usually short, typically 3-7 items. If you have more than 7 items, you’re probably overdoing it. You may be focusing too much on trivialities that seem urgent but which aren’t really important. Significant tasks normally require thought and concentration for extended periods. Those also tend to be the tasks that give you the greatest emotional boost when you finish them.

Focusing on the feelings is a quick way to cut through your mental clutter and get a sense of what really needs to be done right now. At any given time, you may have dozens of eligible tasks vying for your attention, but you obviously can’t do them all at once.

There are multiple successful and unsuccessful versions of each day. Some versions of your day will leave you feeling wonderful afterwards, and some will leave you feeling disappointed. You don’t have to be perfect in making the right choices here. You’ll eventually get to those other important tasks that didn’t make the cut for the next day’s list, and the exact order in which you do them may not be a big deal. The big deal is the habit you establish, the habit of flowing through each day doing what needs to be done and feeling great about your accomplishments.

You’ll probably find that when you apply this process for a few days in a row, your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks lists will become shorter, more focused, and more challenging. You’ll be less likely to put non-essential tasks on your lists because those don’t leave you feeling that you did your best at the end of the day. You’ll start incorporating tasks that truly matter to you, tasks you really want to see completed, so you can enjoy the results of having them done.

Home of the most effective email marketing software available.

Home of the most effective email marketing software available.

19 Helpful Subject Line Tips…

Your audience will judge an email by its subject line. Even though subject lines are a small part of your message, it’s essential that they entice and allure your email recipients.

After all, your subject line is the first impression you have on the recipient. It’s time to shine through their inbox and get your email content opened, read and clicked! Here are 19 quick tips to help jazz up your email subject lines.

Tip #1: Keep it short and sweet. Your subject line should be a maximum of 50 characters. It may prove difficult to get your point across in so few words, but it’s effective.

Tip #2: No one likes talking to a robot. Think about when you call a company and can’t get a hold of an actual person. It’s frustrating, right? This goes for email, as well. Never use “noreply@company.com.” I repeat, never use this email address. Not only does it make it look less personable (therefore less likely for your recipient to open it), it also stops people from adding your email to their address book.

Tip #3: Use personalization tokens in the subject to catch their eye. Let’s face it, everyone loves the sound of their own name. Adding recipient names adds a feeling of rapport. Affix it to your subject line by saying things like: “John Doe, we really wanted to share this…”

Tip #4: Add preview texts to email and watch your open rate increase substantially. Usually located near the subject line, the preview text gives viewers a glimpse into the email. Make it count!

Tip #5: Clarity is sometimes more important than complex, flowery language. The goal behind the email should be clear, unless you’re going for an elusive subject tone to entice your viewer.

Tip #6: Do not try to get your email opened by making false promises. This will irk your audience and probably get you on the dreaded unsubscribe list.

Tip #7: Speaking of making promises, if your visitor has downloaded an offer and you’re delivering it via email, it’s a great idea to use a subject line that says something like, “your new ebook inside!” or “your guide awaits!” This works better than a simple “thank you” in the subject line; it makes it clear that something is waiting inside the email, just for them.

Tip #8: A/B testing is a great idea. You should use this on most of your content, and your email subject is no different.

Tip #9: One effective subject line style that will stop readers in their tracks: urgency. Using deadlines like “today only” or “24 hour giveaway” will encourage your reader to act now, instead of putting it off until later – when there’s a chance of them forgetting it.

Tip #10: How will your viewer benefit from your email? Make it clear. For example, “Increase your open rates by 50% today” is more appealing than “How to increase open rates.”

Tip #11: Minimize a boring detail when possible. It’s a waste of your precious words. For example, if you’re sending an order confirmation, doesn’t “Your order is being processed” look better than “Order #9435893458358 is being processed?”

Tip #12: Sending an email at the right time with the right subject line… genius! Sending an email at 4:45PM about a happy hour special when most people are about to leave work is a prime example.

Tip #13: Just like blog titles, using numbers in your subject line is an effective practice. People love numbered lists and human curiosity always spikes when numerals are involved. At Bluleadz, our blog post title, “7 Reasons Your Blog Posts Suck,” could also be used in an email subject.

Tip #14: Asking a question in your subject line can also draw readers in. Engage with them by asking a question, such as “Are you making these SEO mistakes?” or “Do you know what your website is doing wrong?”

Tip #15: If you can’t (or don’t want to) use personalization tokens in the subject line, use “you” or “your,” so it still sounds like you’re addressing them directly.

Tip #16: Use information from the actions your customer has already taken. What forms have they filled out? What industry are they in? Target your audience in this way.

Tip #17: Another personalization tactic that works is to tailor subject lines to their location. Livingsocial and Groupon do a great job of this. Location-specific offers or news will surely increase your open rates.

Tip #18: Make your recipient feel special. Creating a subject line, such as “For our beloved customers only…” can be magical.

Tip #19: Do not overuse capitalization. In fact, only capitalize your letters following grammar rules. Saying “OPEN NOW AND RECEIVE A FREE TRIAL” isn’t going to get you an email open… It’ll actually do the opposite.

Even if you have the most dazzling rolodex around, if your emails aren’t getting opened, they’re not getting seen. You have awesome content to share, you just have to prove it in your subject line.

– Tallon James

Snapco Design – www.snapcodesign.com.au

iDesign Mailer – www.idesignmailer.com

8 Frequently Asked Questions About Photo Copyrights And Emails

Emails need images. That’s no surprise. Finding the perfect image can be tricky. To make things more complicated, there are copyright laws. Before you add an image to your email, you should know about these rules.

It`s tempting to grab an image from Google, but can you do that legally? What if you take your own picture, what then? Can you use an image from a stock site however you want for as long as you want?

Not to worry, we have the answers to these commonly asked questions.

1. Can I use images I find by doing a Google search?

No. If you didn`t take a picture, it`s not yours to use. Photographers, models and creators of any artwork or branding all have the right to say how the final image can be used. If you just take a picture from the internet, you could be violating copyright, even if you attribute it.

2. Can I take my own pictures?

Yes. It`s a great idea. Taking your own pictures not only helps avoid copyright infringement, but it also gives your emails and social media posts a personalised touch.

3. How can I use photos from stock sites?

When you purchase or download an image for any reason, you`re not buying the image but rather the right to use that image in a particular way.

Buying an image isn`t like buying a pen or a chair. You can`t use it however you want, and you don`t own it after you buy rights to it. Instead, it`s more like a rental. You`re buying the right to use something in a certain way for a certain amount of time. You don`t really own it, but you can use it as long as you obey the rules.

What does royalty-free mean?
Royalty-free images are those you can use over and over after an initial purchase. They`re not necessarily free, and you`ll still have to provide attribution for the image. You can, however, add them to your library of photos without worrying about paying for the second, third or fifth usage. Most of the time, these images are sold over and over again to various users, so it`s not something you own.              

What does rights-managed mean?
Another type of photo is rights-managed, which means you pay a one-time fee to use an image once. If you want to reuse the image, you have to re-license it. In this case, you can pay to get exclusive rights to a photo so it won`t be used anywhere else.

4. What should I look for when buying an image from a stock site?

Read the terms of service thoroughly
Check the terms of service to see if use is restricted in any way
Review the rules to see how many times it can be used
Note exactly how you must attribute the photo
Major stock photo sites:

iStock
Fotolia
Dreamstime
Stock Free Images
Veer

5. What should I look for when using an image from a free stock site?

Again, review the terms and conditions. Most free sites require you to provide attribution, which means listing the author and website when you publish the photo.

Watch out though, the quality of images on free stock sites can sometimes be weak.

Free stock photo sites to check out:

Unsplash
Super Famous
FreeImages
Picography
Stocksnap.io

6. Can I use images from Flickr?

Some people choose to get photos from Flickr. You can select free images in the Creative Commons section. In some cases, you can download free images as long as you attribute the source. You can also browse through free photos based on how you plan to use them. For example, if you plan to use an image for commercial purposes, you can browse by “commercial use allowed.”

The Creative Commons section on Flickr is popular because of its high-quality photos and searchable library. It’s worth checking out.

7. Can I use movie stills?

Using representative pictures from movies that illustrate a point can be extremely problematic in terms of copyright infringement, and it`s rarely worth the trouble of making sure you`re within the law for a simple email.

8. Can I use clipart?

Another picture option is clipart. If you`re looking for a graphic or an icon, clipart is an easy way to go. The rules are less strict with clipart since there aren`t models and photographers involved.

Some good clipart sites are:

Clker
Open Clip Art Library
WPClipart

Imagery is a key ingredient to any email. The next time you look for the perfect image to support your newsletter or promotional email, be sure to read the terms and conditions and make smart choices to safeguard against copyright infringement.