Olivia Dello Buono says, “Yes, we talk a lot about email around here. Tons, in fact. But let’s get rid of that word for a second and remember what an email really is: communication.“Email is still the most personal form of digital marketing,” says Nick Westergaard, founder of Brand Driven Digital. “Social media comes and goes. If we’re connected via email, we’re connected for the long haul.”And communication requires two parts: the sender and receiver.If the receiver isn’t in the right frame of mind to process your message when you relay it, you might as well be talking... [...]

Olivia Dello Buono says, “Your sign up form is one of the most important things to consider when planning your email strategy. After all, it’s one of the key steps to growing your email list and generating more leads.In this week’s #EmailChat, we teamed up with our friends at Privy to discuss how marketers can give more attention to their forms and collect more subscribers and more sales. Here’s what we found:1. Understand why optimizing your sign up form is importantBefore we jump into tactics, it’s important to know why you should spend time optimizing your sign up form... [...]

Liz Willits says, “How important is the design of your email? Is a compelling message enough, or do you need to have gorgeous visuals as well?If you’re like a lot of time-strapped business owners, you may not have had the opportunity to do much with your email design.However, adding in some design elements might actually make your emails pack a bigger punch. Why? Because studies show that 90 percent of the information transmitted to our brains is visual.In fact, many marketers and designers believe that color can impact behavior. For example, brands like McDonalds and KFC may use the... [...]

Monica Montesa says, “Targeting subscribers and sending them personalized, hyper-relevant emails is a great way to better connect with the people on your email list.It allows you to deliver the right message to people who want and need it most. And the more you can do that with your emails, the more likely you are to expand your reach and nurture your audience until they become customers and loyal advocates of your brand.But how can you optimize your emails so you’re making the most out of the opportunity to engage subscribers?Let’s take a closer look at best practices for personalizing... [...]

Olivia Dello Buono says, “It’s easy to become obsessed with the latest and greatest “tricks” in email marketing: the formula for creating an effective subject line; the perfect call-to-action copy that will influence more of your subscribers; the ideal way to design an email that will bypass the spam filter.While it’s certainly a good thing to stay on top of the latest email marketing best practices, there is one key to boosting subscriber engagement that is often overlooked.And that’s sending valuable content your subscribers expect and want to receive from you.But how do... [...]

Olivia Dello Buono says, “If you want to reach the right people with the right information at the right time, email automation is a non-negotiable. In fact, 91 percent of marketers say automation is the key to their success:“Email automation is the lifeblood to our businesses. Whether we are using a ‘Welcome Series’ for new subscribers, an invitation series for people requesting access to our products, an ascension series for transitioning a lead to a buyer…we are constantly using automation to create more touchpoint with the prospect/customer.”— Justin Rondeau, Digital Marketer(The... [...]

Olivia Dello Buono says, “Growing your email list is one of the best things you can do for your business. That’s because, unlike other channels, you own your list.Here’s what Andy Crestodina, Co-Founder of Orbit Media, has to say about it:“Email marketing means ownership. Along with direct traffic (which is difficult to control) email marketing is the only source of traffic that isn’t coming from a company. It’s not Google. It’s not Facebook. It’s not Twitter. It’s mine.”Email marketing means ownership. It’s not Google. It’s not Facebook. It’s mine.... [...]

Liz Willits says, “So you want to get started with email marketing? Good choice.Email is pretty darn powerful. In fact, for every dollar spent on email, businesses earn 38 dollars in return on their investment.But before you start growing your email list or sending emails, it’s important to have a plan. With a plan in place, you’ll have a better sense of what you need to do and who you need to target.According to research conducted by Content Marketing Institute, 62 percent of businesses that document their content marketing strategy consider it to be effective. In comparison,... [...]

Olivia Dello Buono says, “Email is one of the most effective ways to turn your passive ‘likes’ and followers into loyal customers. If you’ve already built up a fanbase for your business on your social channels, it’s time to take the relationship to the next level by inviting them to join your email list.In last week’s #EmailChat, we chatted with Brian Peters, Marketing and Social Media Manager at Buffer, to learn how marketers can leverage their social media channels to grow their email list bigger, better and faster!Needless to say, there were a ton of insights and tips... [...]

Monica Montesa says, “Now that we’re a few weeks into the New Year, the reality that it’s time to commit to the goals you’ve set for yourself is probably settling in right about now.If email marketing is on your to-do list for 2017 (and I hope it is!), you’ll want to start with setting measurable and attainable goals. After all, when you have clear objectives and targets to aim for, it can make it easier for you to stay motivated and execute a game plan that helps you get the list growth, engagement rates and business results you’re looking for.To help you get started, here are... [...]