Marketing

With all the work that goes in to creating the perfect email, it’s hard to believe that the effectiveness of your campaign can often come down to a few words in an email subject line. A study conducted by Chadwick Martin Bailey and Constant Contact found that 47% of consumers make their decision about whether or not to open emails from business or nonprofits based on the content of the subject line.

That’s nearly half of your customers, clients, supporters, or volunteers who will choose to either open or trash your email based on the subject line alone. It’s a challenge facing all businesses and organizations, but it isn’t one you need to tackle alone. Here are 5 tips to help you create subject lines that get your emails opened.

Keep it short.

When it comes to your subject line, you have only a few seconds to capture their attention. It’s no surprise then that subject lines with less than 50 characters have open rates 12.5% higher than those with 50 or more, and click-through rates are 75% higher. Keep in mind the typical inbox preview pane will only show 30 to 40 characters (the typical mobile device shows around 15 characters). If possible, shoot for 25 to 40 characters or 5 to 8 words. (more…)

When you think of online surveys and polls you probably think of the customer satisfaction survey you send out from time to time. But surveys are also an easy way to make the communications you’re already doing—email newsletters, content on your Facebook page, etc—more engaging. Engaged and interested customers and members are more likely to stick around longer and spread the word about you. Surveys help you make your marketing more relevant: when your customer and members get the chance to share their perspectives, you get the kind of insightful feedback you need to create engaging offers, content, and more.

Here are 6 ideas for creative ways that you can use surveys to engage with your audience. 

1. Get blog topics

Create a poll asking which blog topics your audience is most interested in. Be sure to put it in an email, on your Facebook Page, or link to it on your Twitter account. After all, you’re trying to create the content your audience wants to read—they know best what that is! (more…)

It might seem intimidating to communicate a message in 140 characters, especially for those getting started with Twitter. That’s completely understandable. After all, no one likes their thought to be cut short.

But it doesn’t have to be difficult for you to successfully use Twitter for your business. Here are three easy to implement ideas that will make your tweets sing and help you get the attention you deserve.

1. Imitate the pros

Not sure what to say in so few words? If you’re having trouble, check out some headlines from your favorite magazine, newspaper, or news website. Great headlines pique reader interest, get right to the point, and leave readers wanting more—that’s what your tweet should do too! Simply follow the headline formulas the pros use by swapping out their topics for yours. (more…)

One of the most daunting tasks for small businesses getting started with email marketing is often tied to creating and growing a contact list  After all, getting started with email marketing is about a lot more than just creating and sending marketing emails.

It’s about a fundamental shift in the way a business approaches its marketing. It’s about taking control of your message and delivering it to an audience of people who can make a measurable impact on your business’ bottom line.

By creating and growing an email contact list, you’ll be able to take control of your message and communicate with your audience on your own terms. You’ll be giving the people who are actually interested in attending your events, buying your products, or signing up for services the ability to opt-in to receive information that’s relevant to them. (more…)