Daily Biz Solutions

Now that we’ve explored the importance of sending permission-based email, let’s take a closer look at some of the techniques and practices that the most experienced email marketers use. These best practices can make the difference between rapidly growing your list through word of mouth, increasing your sales, and building strong relationships and losing subscribers to list attrition, aggravating customers, and getting your messages blocked before they even reach your recipients.

From Names & Subject Lines

For most people, a majority of emails received are junk email. As a result, each of us has developed a little ritual we follow when checking our email. Initially, most people looked first at the subject lines to determine whether to read a message. Today, however, studies have shown that recipients glance at the “From” field to see if they recognize the sender’s name or email address. Then, only if they recognize the From Name do they look at the “Subject” field to see if it’s of interest to them. This is why we recommend using a From Name that is either your organization’s name or a well-known person within your organization—and to keep that name consistent with every mailing.

Regarding subject lines, we have found a good strategy to be having one part of the subject line be consistent, and the other be variable. This way recipients can recognize your newsletter when it comes in as well as get a small taste as to what type of information might be featured for that issue.

Some examples of bad subject lines are:

The Permission-Based Email Marketing Monthly for September, 1 2005 from IntelliContact Pro

This subject line is simply too long. We recommend keeping subject lines between 20 and 50 characters whenever possible. This 80 character subject line is likely to get cut off in most email clients and could cause the message to have a higher chance of being blocked by a content-based spam filter.

[FNAME]’S ENTREPRENEURS CHRONICLE FOR SEPTEMBER

This subject line is in all caps, which will increase the change the message will get blocked by content-based spam filters.

Garden Tips

This subject line doesn’t provide any information as to what the message is about. We would recommend adding at least what month the message is for.

Oxy-Powder Special – Save $10 Today Only Buy Now!!!!

This subject line includes both a dollar sign and multiple exclamation points. Both of these things would cause the message to have a higher chance of being blocked by a content-based spam filter.

Here’s is a revised version of each of these subject lines:

1. Permission-Based Email Marketing Monthly for September

2. [fname]’s Entrepreneuers’ Chronicle for March

3. Garden Tips Monthly – Are Year Round Orchids Possible?

4. Oxy-Powder Special: 15% Off

By following these tips on From Names and Subject Lines you can maximize the chance of your message being opened by your end recipients.

HTML or Plain Text, or Both?

In the early days of the Internet, say 1998 and before, when most surfers were using Internet Service Providers such as Prodigy, AOL, and CompuServe, all email messages that were sent were plain text emails.

Then, with AOL 5.0 came the ability to send Rich Text messages that allowed you to bold or italicize text, insert pictures, and add links. Still, however, most email clients (the software tools that allow you to view your email, such as Outlook, Eudora, Thunderbird, Hotmail, etc.) did not have the ability to display full HTML messages.

Today, almost all email clients have the ability to display HTML messages. While some organizations still send their emails as plain text, there are a number of advantages of sending your message as an HTML message, especially with the easy to use WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) HTML editors that are available. The difficulty is, even today around 5% of email recipients either are unable to view HTML messages or have turned this feature off within their clients. To solve this problem, almost all marketers today send in a format called Multi-Part MIME. Multi-part MIME is a method by which one can send both an HTML message and a text message within the same document. When using Multi-Part MIME, you simply create your regular newsletter, announcement, or promotion as an HTML message and then create a separate text version. Then, when your message is sent, all the persons who can see HTML, will see your regular HTML message, and the 5% or so that cannot will receive the text version of the newsletter. Today’s email clients can automatically detect a Multi-Part MIME message and display the proper message.

It is for this reason that one should always create a text version of every newsletter that is sent out. Without a text version, the message will either show up blank or show up as garbled HTML code for the percentage of recipients who cannot view HTML messages. On a final note, you can go about creating your text message one of two ways. The first option is to recreate the message in the text-only section by copying and pasting the text from the HTML message. If you choose this method, be sure to type out the URLs of each link). The second option is to upload your HTML message to your web site and then send a message like the one below:

Dear [fname];

Your September edition of the Gardening Tips Monthly Newsletter is now available. You can read it online at http://www.gardentips.com/newsletters/septnews.html.

Regards,

Betty Sampson, Editor

Gardening Tips Monthly

http://www.gardentips.com

When to Email

In marketing timing is everything, but with email marketing it can make the difference between emails being read and being trashed. Naturally every person has his or her own preferential time to deal with email, but there are a few general rules of thumb for when it is best to send email messages.

If you’re mailing to business recipients it’s best to sent email Tuesday thru Thursday, between 9:30 am and 3 pm. Studies found that Monday’s are generally reserved for meetings, organizing, and catching up on all the tasks left over from the week prior and emails sent Friday afternoons are often ignored or show up at the bottom of the list when downloaded on Monday morning.

If you are emailing consumers directly, emailing between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. is generally more successful than other times of the day. Friday thru Sunday emails are the most effective, generally because consumers are more likely to be online over the weekend and have more leisure time to ponder your offer.

These mentioned times may change based on which time zone you are in and which time zone most of your customers are in. For example, if you are based in San Francisco but most of your clients are on the East Coast of the United States, you may wish to adjust the sending windows by three hours. In some cases, we have seen some international clients segment their list by geographic location to be able to more easily send messages during the most optimal time window.

Email Sending Frequency

As with all marketing, balancing the frequency of your messages is extremely important. If you don’t send enough messages, it is difficult remain in the forefront of your customer’s mind and be considered when they are ready to buy. If you send too many, you may annoy your recipient and cause them to unsubscribe.

We have generally found that either a bi-weekly or monthly sending schedule produces the best results. This may vary, however, based on your type of newsletter and subscriber that you have. One strategy could be to create a signup form that allows your subscribers to specify what mailing frequency they prefer. Then you could tailor how much material you send to each specific subscriber preference. Make sure, however, that each message you send has something of value to the end recipient. We’ve found that it is better to send a high quality monthly newsletter than a medium-quality weekly newsletter.

Personalization

Email marketing tools like IntelliContact Pro generally have a powerful method of improving open rates and response rates. This method is personalization. Message personalization can be done by inserting what is known as mail-merge fields into your message. For example, if you wanted to insert the first name of a subscriber into a message subject or body in IntelliContact Pro you would just type in [fname]. Take a look at the two below messages and see the difference inserting mail-merge personalization fields can have.

Message 1 – No Mail-Merge Personalization Fields

Dear Subscriber,

Thank you for purchasing one of our products in the past. Today we have launched a new online catalog that may help you in your future purchases. You can find this catalog at http://www.autobodycorp.com/catalog/.

We appreciate your business. Please know I am always here if you have any questions about your past purchases.

My warmest regards,

Frank Desean, President

Autobody Products Corp.

http://www.autobodycorp.com

Message 2 – Using Mail-Merge Personalization Fields

Dear [fname],

Thank you for purchasing [productname] on [purchasedate]. Today we have launched a new online catalog that may help you in your future purchases of [productcategory] products. You can find this catalog at http://www.autobodycorp.com/catalog/.

We appreciate having the business of [businessname]. Please know I am always here if you have any questions about your purchase of [productname] or any [productcategory] purchases that you may make in the future.

My warmest regards,

Frank Desean, President

Autobody Products Corp.

http://www.autobodycorp.com

As you can imagine, message #2, using mail-merge personalization fields, is a much more personal communications and would likely lead to a greater message response rate.

List Segmentation

There is no doubt that specifically targeted emails with valuable and relevant content work the best. By dividing your database either by interest or demographic, you will be able to appeal to the needs and wants of your consumer and improve your sales results. An effective segmentation strategy, however, begins with the sign up form. Make sure you are collecting the information during the initial signup that you will want to segment by later. IntelliContact Pro includes a list segmentation feature that makes it easy to segment your lists by any field in your subscriber database.

Ryan Allis is a nationally recognized expert on email marketing. Ryan is the CEO of Broadwick Corp, providers of the email marketing software IntelliContact Pro. For additional information on email marketing software, visit http://www.email-marketing-software-resource.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Allis

Something that has never lacked demand are Solutions because there has always been Problems. The type of problem may be different, but problems themselves never die. The Internet has opened up a venue for the average person to consider a Online Business which their experiences could be tuned into profits.

Because we routinely do things week after week we lose sight that what we have learned might be a solution to someone else. Just as the saying goes “another mans junk is another mans treasure” could stand true in a business sense. There are people who don’t know how to cook, but are great with computers. There are people who are great at making money, but don’t have a clue what to do with it.

There are people who don’t know that You Tube exists little less know how to use it. So don’t think your acquired efficiencies may not have value to anothers problem and profit it will. Wealthy people pay tens of thousands of dollars for someone to solve or teach them things. It’s not because they can’t learn, but their time spent is more valuable working than learning what they paid for.

Look around and you will see How to this or How to that and some of the Solvers are making six or even seven figure incomes. The Internet has bridged the distance gap and the phone has made it a bit more personal. Like anything else these days getting the word out is the challenge. With a highly congested marketplace and even more people looking for alternative incomes due to the economy what can you do?

Be Patient – frustration due to impatience will kill any good business idea
Knowledge – while building your business look forward and see what others have had to hurdle
Prepare – Knowing the possible bumps will make it easier to tackle if they come your way
Be Honest and Fair – to many quick buck plans die in the forest. If you want a long lasting Viral business treat your customers right

I believe these keys will form a firm foundation for this type of business and send you on a profitable path. Results and reputation will stand out in your customers mind and your future in this business could depend on it.

For more information visit The “Solution Hub” below and see how You can be part of the Solution…

RB

Visit the Solution Hub for more information and Marketing options.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ric_Bai

Last week I went to a business networking event. There were lots of people milling about, most were in little clusters talking and shaking hands while trying to balance their plate of cheese cubes, meatballs, celery and carrot sticks. There were a few people, obviously newcomers because they were standing alone, looking for someone to talk to. When I looked at the clusters I noticed that most were made up of people who work together or people who already know each other and have a relationship. I’ll bet, when they get in their car to drive home, they mumble something like, “another networking event, I didn’t meet anyone new who could be a prospect, what a waste of time.” And yet they cluster; which is intimidating for new people to break into a conversation and even more difficult for the clusterers to meet them.

The business reason for attending networking events is to meet new people and identify those who can become new prospects. After appropriate follow-up actions, eventually some of those prospects will become new clients or referral agents or both. But few attendees get out of their cluster, their comfort zone, and engage strangers in conversation. Why?

My guess is that there is a lack of social confidence, a fear of the unknown, and a fear of rejection caused by a lack of preparation. People feel awkward engaging a stranger in conversation. It doesn’t come naturally to most, so people successful at networking, prepare and practice.

They prepare “conversation-starters”, comments about current events, the weather, sports, the quality (or lack thereof) of the food, the traffic, anything to make it easy to initiate conversation with someone they don’t know. To make themselves comfortable and sound natural they practice those opening gambits in the same way an actor rehearses lines in a play. They practice their networking skills every chance they get – waiting in line at the supermarket for example. The more they do it the easier it is, the more natural they sound, the more confident they become and the more successful they are… and “Hi, have you tried the meatballs?

Larry Galler coaches and consults with high-performance executives, professionals, and small businesses since 1993. He is the writer of the long-running (every Sunday since November 2001) business column, “Front Lines with Larry Galler” For a free coaching session, email Larry for an appointment – [email protected]

Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.larrygaller.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Galler

I have been researching how technology can affect small businesses in their respective management practices and tangible purchases. Most of my research has mostly to do with Information Technology because as a small business owner I understand the mental anguish I personally go through deciding if it is time to take the BIG STEP.

What I mean by the term, Big Step, is that I may feel pressure to upgrade my server or buy the newest POS software. Do I need this technology for my business? We must first research the product, find businesses that are already using it, put together a forecast of how this product will affect business, will there be a significant amount of profit loss in the beginning, and much more.

I believe it was the New York Times in the 1930′s that said that the common pencil would shortly disappear from offices and businesses due to the production of the typewriter. I can safely say that the New York Times were all too wrong about that prediction, yet imagine you were a small business owner who owned a pencil-making shop. You have been making a little profit and just getting by, and you pick up your copy of the New York Times and there it is on the front page, Pencils May Disappear!Your heart races, and depending on your experience and education you make either an impulsive decision or an educated decision for your business.

The impulsive decision would be to begin closing your pencil-making shop and start assembling typewriters or at least reselling them. With the Great Depression at hand, you end up loosing it all because the typewriter really made it’s mark in the mid 1940′s and you were bankrupt before you could reap any profits ten years later.

The educated decision would be to continue pencil making while starting to research the typewriter. Trust your actual sales and productivity for now, but do not be ignorant of a growing future elsewhere. You may perhaps decide to advertise your pencils on the same page as a typewriter ad in the New York Times. The majority of people would see the price tag for a typewriter and a pencil and most likely buy the pencil first.

I am not one to agree with always holding back from a potential profit that could change your life, but wisdom would say to carefully research your options. Right now in our time and age there is an overwhelming amount of advertising that compels businesses to make a change, upgrade, re-train, sell something else, or overhaul your business practice. Before you buy into the message you must have a vision for the future of your business.

The bottom-line is that not all technology in your market is necessary to implement, but understanding the technology in your market is an absolute necessity.

Joshua Moran is the owner of http://www.joshuamoran.com Visit some of his sites: The Best Vitamins and Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Moran

Your assignment is due and you’re cutting it close. Your ability to keep your body and mind calm and clear can keep the creative juices flowing. How? Take frequent mindfulness breaks.

Mindfulness is your ability to remain aware of the present moment, of what is going on in and around you right now. Worry about the future (will I make the deadline?) and anger about the past (why did I procrastinate?) are just two common feelings that take us out of the present moment. Returning your attention to the present moment can calm these feelings so you can get the job done with clarity.

The best way to stay in the present moment is to take mindfulness breaks. I have a clock in my home that chimes on the quarter hour. Each time it chimes, I stop, turn my attention to my breath and observe my in-breath and out-breath for three cycles or more if I need it to feel calm. I train people to use their breath as their anchor to the present moment. It is always with us as long as we are alive, and it is always in the moment. You can’t breathe in the past or the future!

The telephone is a helpful bell of mindfulness. I stop what I am doing and follow my breath for two rings before answering. Not only do I feel calm, but I greet my caller with presence instead of interruption or distraction. Even sirens can be a mindfulness break. You can think of many more.

You can install a bell of mindfulness on your computer. You can set it to chime randomly, on the hour or on the quarter hour. Download it at http://www.mindfulnessdc.org/mindfulclock.html.

Deadlines are a fact of life. Deadline stress does not have to be. By connecting to the present moment via your breath, you can remain calm and meet your goals with greater ease.

Bethany Klug, DO specializes in holistic medicine at the Kansas City Holistic Centre.

She teaches whole foods nutrition and holistic living online. Visit University Of Masters for information about her courses. Please enter “DRKLUG” in the referral box when you enroll.

She authors the monthly column “The Doctor Cooks” for the Kansas City Wellness Magazine. The Doctors Cooks Weblog is now online with past articles, menus, recipes, tips and other resources. Please subscribe!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bethany_Klug