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Successful Email Marketing for Small Businesses
This blog post, Benefits of Email Marketing for Small Businesses(With Real Examples), from Constant Contact offers a long list of useful tips for your email marketing campaigns. It also offers statistics proving that email marketing is still a good investment!In my own experience as a small business owner, I found I had the most success when my email campaigns were consistent* and provided value. If you only sell products or services in your emails, people will stop interacting - and may even unsubscribe.Make sure your messages are something your customer will want to open. Make your branding
A Brand New Mailchimp
Mailchimp has stepped up their game and added a lot of nice functionality with more promised for the future, but there is bad news for everyone who was using the free level. If you are one of the free level users, here are two things you will find the next time you log in: you can no longer schedule emails to send at a later date/time. the allowable size of your address book has changed, the pricing is now determined differently, I recommend reading David Gaughran's story here or straight from Mailchimp here. I am a Constant Contact Certified Implementer, however I also use Mail
Physician, heal thyself!
I consider myself lucky these days because I only have to keep my own work "plate" full, but in my past I did have staff and contractors that relied on me to keep them busy. In those days I was very busy feeding the pipeline, so when I saw this great resource from Constant Contact I thought I should share. It's also helpful for those individual entrepreneurs like me - we still have a pipeline, it just may not be as big. I appreciate the calendar in this piece. While it is really one of those "duh" marketing opportunities, we often are so busy preparing for a key event or recovering after
April work brings May business
It happened again, I became too busy with clients to pay attention to my own business! My goal to blog regularly went right out the window. I'm adding it to my task calendar so I (hopefully) make time for it going forward. So what have I been up to? One client is rebranding so I've been updating his marketing assets - website, videos, print materials, etc. I took over blogging and social media for another client. They have a lot of great content but it wasn't being used well. As we create new and revise previous messages we're cleaning up the website to match the message. I've been
Growing your email list is important.
People like to receive promotional emails from companies they do business with, and email drives new customer acquisition and purchases. Plus, you own your list and are able to contact customers and prospects on your terms. Take 2.5 minutes to watch this video and learn how to build your contact list. Ready to get serious about building your email list? Have a look at Constant Contact's helpful sign-up tools. Options include traditional website forms, sign up forms exclusively for WordPress and Facebook users, pop-up forms, sign up forms as Landing Pages. and Text to sign up!
Create an email that looks great on mobile
Almost 90% of people currently check their email on a mobile device. It's more important than ever to choose the right email template. Constant Contact offers a large number of beautiful email templates that reflect your branding - while looking great on mobile! Learn how 10 small businesses and nonprofits are using these templates and email marketing to succeed. You're sure to get some ideas of your own and learn to create stunning emails that get results. Increased Foot Traffic A single email drove 400 customers to the Wine Station for an event on a day that usually sees about 40 cust
Segment your lists for greater open rates
Here's a tip for a marketing plan that works for you - without taking all of your time: Segment your mailing list. Start your planning process by thinking about your customer base. Who are they? What motivates them? And how can you reach them effectively? Go beyond the sending basics and look for opportunities to target messages to different groups of people on your list. By targeting a smaller group of customers, your message is more personal and therefore, customers are more likely to engage. By segmenting your lists you should see open rates and engagement improve. Who can argue
Have doubts about using email? Let us clear them up.
Are you wondering if email marketing is for you? Does it still have impact? Have you considered these facts? Email marketing returns $40 for every $1 spent. 91% of US adults like to stay in touch with companies they do business with. If you're already using email marketing, this isn't news. Here are five common email marketing misconceptions: All email is spam People don’t like reading emails People can’t unsubscribe You need special expertise or training Email isn’t as effective as social media Read this article to clear up these misconceptions: 5 Email Marketing Mis
Add Value without Discounting
Running a discount during the holiday season is a great way to draw customers into your store and boost sales during this busy time of year, but it’s not the only way to offer something of value to your customers. If you want to run a successful holiday promotion, without discounting your product, consider one of these ideas: Free gift wrapping - There are a lot of folks out there who absolutely despise gift wrapping! Some have a natural touch for it, while others just can’t seem to figure it out. Free gift wrapping is a really nice gesture that will make your customers’ lives a li
Reduce stress by scheduling your campaigns in advance
It’s a busy time for your business. Who has time to create and send emails? Your email management tool should allow you to schedule now (or even earlier in this busy season) and cross that task off your list. Once you have a plan in place for the messages you want to send, get started creating your messages and schedule them in advance. If you have a series of emails to send out — maybe to promote a holiday fundraiser or highlight five of your top selling products as gift ideas — you can set up an autoresponder series. Set up the messages you’d like to send, choose the right send
Social Media Management Tools
Posting to social media can be sooooo time consuming. Twitter only allows so many characters, images might not display the same in different accounts, links show up differently, it's not easy to cross-post quickly and make messages effective. Often my clients end up ignoring one channel in favor of another, so they miss people. I have several clients who are now using social media management tools, so when I saw this article reviewing some of the top tools, I thought it was worth sharing.
I Serve at the Pleasure of the Client
The first time I heard the statement "I serve at the pleasure of the President" was on West Wing back in the early 2000's. When I started my Virtual Assistant Services business, I thought about that statement and realized it represented the way I work with my clients. I know a lot of things, I have a lot of experience, and I have a lot of advice to offer on what you should do and how you should do it, but in the end what I do for your business is what you want me to do.* When we begin work, I learn from a client what they want to achieve, I tell them what I think the best way is to achie
3 Easy Steps to Link Your Google Accounts & Boost Local Search Marketing
There are so many different ways to list your business online, it can be very confusing. Whether we like it or not, Google is king. If you can master the way your business appears on Google, you will be on the road to cleaning up your online presence, because a lot of the other search tools pull their data from that Google listing. I could take you down the road of cleaning this up in my brand management services, but this article hits the high points: 3 Easy Steps to Link Your Google Accounts & Boost Local Search Marketing - Manta
How to Stand Out on LinkedIn
If you rely on networking to grow your business and reputation, you need to take some time to update your LinkedIn presence and take advantage of some of the new tools they have available. And it's not just for individuals anymore - you can now create company pages and showcase pages for your products and services. This article offers a nice summary of some of the new features you will find: How to Stand Out on LinkedIn With Visual Content Need more help?
Expanding on Word of Mouth Advertising
A few years ago we were in need of some tree trimming at our house. So I asked a neighbor who had a large pine cut down if she would recommend the company she used. She was very excited to tell me how impressed she was with their work, and even passed the company name, phone number and contact person. I called them, had great results, and have used them several times since. You may be missing your best marketing: testimonials and quotes from your current customers! When a customer or client sends you an email with a positive thank-you, what do you do with that compliment? Here's an ide
6 Steps to Building Your Own Market Analysis
You have a great idea for a business. You have a business already, but you want to add a new service. You have a business already, but you aren't experiencing the growth you need. Here's a question, did you analyze your market and its needs before you started down this road? Sometimes what we think is an opportunity is clouded by our enthusiasm. The old "Rose Colored Glasses" problem. Or, in reverse, you don't see an opportunity because you aren't looking closely enough at the market. This article has a really great, concise outline of the steps you MUST take before you invest in a new
The Value of Webinars
A while back I talked about the value of live seminars and workshops. While I still prefer in-person events, there is tremendous value in webinars if you do them right. The biggest advantage of a webinar is their reach. Never offer a webinar only one time - if your webinar tool does not allow you to record and manage your recorded webinar, you need to find a tool that does. I recommend and use GoToWebinar for this very reason. It has a very easy interface for sharing a recorded webinar, gives you great insight into who watched, when they watched, how many times they watched and how int
How to List Your Home-Based Business on Google
Home-based businesses are on the rise, but if you're like me you don't want your client or random salespeople showing up at your doorstep. When you create your business profile on Google, do you really want a photo of your house showing up in the search? Here is the best way to list your home-based business on Google: How to List Your Home-Based Business on Google
6 Ways to Improve Your Local Online Presence (and why you should)
My husband asked if I wanted to go to a restaurant down the road from us that offers a very unique menu, and it changes seasonally. We go there a lot for brunch and that menu is generally predictable, but we don't often go for dinner. They also have daily specials including delicious soup, so I was curious to learn that day's special, or at a minimum, the current season's dinner menu items. As little as five years ago I may have pulled out the phone book and called them, or just taken my chances. But it's 2017 so I pulled out my phone and looked them up. I didn't find the daily special, but I
Why Seminars Still Work
I like webinars for conveying new information or training, but I really LOVE workshops and seminars. In some ways they seem "retro", like receiving paper mail. When participants take time out of their busy day to physically appear at a location for the purpose of learning some new skill, experience a new product or to network, you know they are really interested in what you have to share. Take a minute to read this author's experience: Why Seminars Still Work
4 Tips for Your Next Email Blast
If you've visited my website you know I'm big into email marketing. I work with a lot of people who are trying to use email as their primary advertising and marketing tool, and in many cases they are doing a great job. And then there's everyone else. And that's where I come in! If you are expecting your email advertising to create sales or some kind of response from the recipient, you need to spend time planning your content in advance. This article outlines four things you should consider when creating your email campaigns How to Write Email Copy that Converts . These tips aren't
Is there ROI in Webinars?
Return on Investment. Those magical words that tell you what something is worth. That "investment" word usually applies to costs which includes your time. In my opinion, you should take advantage of any possibility to reach a broad audience with your message - as long as you can afford it. Marketers believe there is still value in webinars, even though the medium has been around since the beginning of the internet. Most believe a successful webinar gives away free content in exchange for the possibility of a qualified sales lead. Anyone who attends a webinar and sits through most or all of
Content Marketing Tips for Non-Profits (and for-profits too!)
Consider content marketing in everything you do online. Did that sentence just send you into a panic? Relax, it's not that hard. Even the most experienced marketer needs a reminder once in a while, and tips are always helpful! Here are a few of my own: Have you visited a site where the top post is several months (or years) old? How did that make you feel about that information? Unless you post regularly (like every day) and unless your posts are specific to a timeline, consider turning off the date/time stamp on your posts. ALWAYS make your content about your target, not about you. If
How to Pitch Anything in 15 Seconds
If you can’t tell me what you do in 15 seconds, I’m not buying, I’m not investing, and I’m not interested. Building a message map can help you pitch anything (a product, service, company, or idea) in as little as 15 seconds. A message map is the visual display of your idea on one page. It is a powerful tool that should be a part of your communication arsenal. Here is the three-step process to using a message map to build a winning pitch. For this exercise you will need a notepad, word document, PowerPoint slide, or whiteboard. Step One. Create a Twitter-friendly headline. Ask
5 Best Practices in Creating Infographics
Infographics do more than tell data and statistics. They tell a visual story about an important topic. Though concise and simple, infographics are filled with valuable information that is presented in a user-friendly and easy-to-recall layout. In fact, infographic search interest on Google increased nearly nine times more over the span of five years. Similar to our recommendations for PowerPoint presentations, with infographics "less is more". Bullet points, short statements and a lot of graphics are the key. But unlike a PowerPoint, you will not be making a presentation using this tool
A Beginner’s Guide to Infographics
Infographics have been around for thousands of years, we've just called them by different names. Infographics are another attempt to explain and present the world around them through a combination of words and visual representations. From primitive cave paintings to Egyptian hieroglyphs, history shows us that human beings are visual creatures by nature. We know infographics as a fun and quick way to digest and absorb information without a ton of heavy reading, and this is very valuable (and necessary) way to reach today's markets. Here are a few ways you can use infographics to convey
Video Marketing Basics: A Look into YouTube and Vimeo
Video marketing has changed the way businesses create multimedia content. From boring infomercials and sales gimmicks, businesses have shifted to creative and engaging videos. In a survey of over 600 marketing professionals, 93% of them used video for marketing and communications! If you already have videos or are planning to produce videos, consider one of these online tools for your video distribution. If you want to make videos and you don't know where to start, we would love to help you! YouTube: Online video has become synonymous to YouTube. Owned by Google, YouTube is the
Seven Ways Technology Makes Your Small Business Grow Faster
When properly harnessed, technology has the ability to change lives for the better. In fact, its impact extends far into the business arena — to the extent that technology has the potential to make or break most businesses; this is especially true for small businesses. Does this mean that technology can negate the effects of bad business fundamentals, poor management, or inept leadership? Absolutely not! However, it does mean that small businesses who at least score average in most areas can benefit immensely from the tech sector. Namely, it can help them grow and become more effective.
A clean inbox is key to a productive day
Try this tool to clean up your inbox. A clean inbox, checking email less frequently, and taking action on each email you receive are keys to a more productive day! Visit the web tool unroll.me Sign up using your email address unroll.me will search for all subscriptions attributed to that email address Choose whether you want to keep the subscription in your inbox, unsubscribe, or add it to your "rollup" list. When you have completed your list, the next step allows you to choose the time of day you wish to receive a digest of your subscriptions in your inbox. Choose how freq
How to Outsource 8 Time-Consuming Tasks to a Virtual Assistant – Skillshare
Ask yourself What would it mean to you if you could save more time, and be more productive? How would you life and business change as a result of having more time and more energy to accomplish your goals? Imagine, how would you feel right now if you actually had more free time to do the things you wanted? But… what if you’re already working at maximum capacity, or you’re working long hours everyday? How can you possibly relax and get the rest you need when you have so much to do? How can you get more time out of your 24 hour day and get more accomplished? The answer is s
Why You’ll Never Make Your Employees Accountable
You can't make employees more accountable, but being a great leader and manager will naturally result in a higher level of accountability among your team. Source: Why You’ll Never Make Your Employees Accountable
8 Small Changes That Will Instantly Enhance Productivity
By Armela Escalona When we fail to resist behaviors, they become habits. Habits can be good or bad, chronic or temporary. In many cases, they are the cause of decline in our productivity. When we develop destructive behaviors, they make us do unnecessary things that waste precious time. We lose important hours to do useful work. However, it is important to note that productivity fluctuates. Like levels of happiness, it is often affected by our mood and the environment. A newly hired employee may be productive on the first few weeks on the job; however, when comfort sets in, he will fin
6 Steps to Getting Organized
By Rieva Lesonsky Are you an organizationally challenged small business owner? These 6 steps to getting organized will help you get a grip. One of my biggest challenges as a small business owner is getting organized—it’s something I’m always trying to get better at. Apparently, I’m not the only one pursuing this goal. In a recent study by Office Depot, 83 percent of small business owners say a well-organized office is important to a business. What’s more, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) believe that the more organized the office, the more profitable the business. Specifically
How Can Technology Help My Small Business?
SCORE, the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, has gathered statistics on popular small business technology, such as mobile tools and the cloud, while revealing a need for improvement in customer relationship management (CRM) and data security. Mobile technology is prevalent: 80% of small business owners use a mobile device at least once a day 56% use it for communication and scheduling 30% take notes and create to-do lists 29% check social media 24% bank online The cloud is popular with entrepreneurs: 92% use at least one cloud-based solution, a
8 ways your small business can outshine your big business rivals
By Nicky Tatley Owning Owning a small business is not easy when you’re constantly in the shadow of major chains and online retail giants – but there are some perks to being petite. The trick is to take advantage of what your bigger rivals can’t achieve. Here are eight ways a small business can shine: Be agile Go niche Get personal Be brave Be choosy Make friends Innovate Get flirty Read More: 8 ways your small business can outshine your big business rivals
5 TED talks that will help to reinvigorate your career |
Do you love the job that you do, or is it just ‘okay’? If you’ve been working in the same profession, or job, for 10 years or more, it’s likely that you’ve become a little bored or disillusioned with certain aspects of it, and maybe your output is no longer your best. Often we continue to ‘make do’ simply because we worry that making changes could be risky, or push us too far outside of our comfort zone. But considering we spend at least 40 years of our life working, it’s important that we’re doing something we enjoy. The good news is if your career has become a bit stagna
Should You Hire A Virtual Assistant?
There comes a time in every successful startup company where you have tooutsource work. As a business owner, you know that your time is valuable, and it should be spent doing the important things you excel at. Don’t get me wrong, every part of running a business is important, no matter how small- but some things are worth paying someone else to do. One of the first things that people outsource are small administrative duties, which a virtual assistant can do. What Is A Virtual Assistant? A virtual assistant by definition is usually a self-employed professional who carries out many differ
14 Things To Do On A Slow Day
You probably don't experience slow days too often, but when you do, you'll want to make the most of that time. With help from Mark Strong, a life, career and executive coach based in New York, Teri Hockett, the chief executive of What’s For Work?, a career site for women, Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant, and Cynthia Kyriazis, president of Productivity Partners, Inc., here is a slide show list of the 14 things you could do on a slow day at work. View slide show: 14 Things To Do On A Slow Day At Work
20 amazing features in Office 365 that you probably don’t know about
Microsoft's Office 365 cloud software has become a wildly popular alternative to Microsoft Office. Office 365 is a little unusual in that it is cloud software and you install it on your PC or Mac, to give you the best of all worlds. As you or your company keeps paying for it, Microsoft automatically adds cool new features. We asked Microsoft to send us a list of the best, little-known things you could do with the software. Read the tips: Useful hidden features in Office 365