Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Email Marketing Club: The Day I Got Dumped By An Auto-Responder
The latest Email Marketing Club is ready and it is full of all sorts of goodies for you such as:
- free ebook downloads
- product highlights
- Email Marketing Made Easy ebook updates and
- special bonuses if you read the entire e-zine!
We also have a really great article!
Check out:
Email Marketing Club: The Day I Got Dumped By An Auto-Responder
Happy Emailing,
Joan Pasay
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
- free ebook downloads
- product highlights
- Email Marketing Made Easy ebook updates and
- special bonuses if you read the entire e-zine!
We also have a really great article!
Check out:
Email Marketing Club: The Day I Got Dumped By An Auto-Responder
Happy Emailing,
Joan Pasay
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Read this article to get the straight goods on RSS Feed Marketing and how this technology is affecting Email Marketing
A few weeks ago our Email Marketing Club talked a lot about RSS Marketing. If you missed the article you can check it out here:
‘RSS Feed Me’
RSS refers to a technology that is commonly called Really Simple Syndication. In layman’s terms RSS uses XML format (a programming language which you need to know nothing about to use it...) for distributing news headlines and other content on the Web. You have probably seen RSS in action on many websites and never realized it.
The Email Marketing Made Easy Blog uses RSS technology. If you are picking up the Email Marketing Made Easy Blog with your My Yahoo! or another customizable webpage/RSS reader you are using RSS technology.
Some online marketers are really excited about RSS technology because they feel that Email Marketing can be enhanced (or even replaced) by RSS Feed Marketing. At Email Marketing Made Easy we agree that RSS technology is important and can, in some cases, be a great addition to Email Marketing. We don’t however encourage any of our clients to throw out Email Marketing and dive into the pool of RSS Feed Marketing blindfolded.
Why?
Go ask 10 people if they know what an RSS Feed is, and if they subscribe to any RSS Feeds. You will most likely quickly realize most people don’t know what RSS is or have ever heard of it.
But that will change. When Microsoft gets around to releasing their next Internet browser RSS Feeds will most likely become more popular. Netscape, Opera and other Internet browsers already support RSS Feed additions but currently these browsers are not widely used. For those who are RSS Feed hungry the hope is that Microsoft’s new browser will saturate the minds of all who use it to adopt RSS Feed Marketing into their life.
So what does all this mean?
Some of the very large, an expensive, Email Service Providers that cater to big business have recently launched technology that basically sends personalized marketing messages (like lots of the Email Marketing messages you receive and send today) using RSS technology. The major selling points are:
-The subscriber does not have to give their email address to get the marketing messages (they simply subscribe to the RSS feed - a process which does not require providing any personal information).
-The messages are Spam proof (at this point in time you can not Spam an RSS Feed reader).
-There is no chance of phishing (Spam emails trying to access login information for online accounts – PAYPAL, EBay, Banking, etc.).
-The RSS Feed marketing messages can be personalized just like an Email Marketing message.
All of this is wonderful and we agree that as time progresses RSS marketing of this nature will become more widely accepted.
So what do Joan Pasay and Email Marketing Made Easy recommend?
If your company can afford the fees of one of the large Email Service Providers ($1000 a month or more...) we encourage the adoption of RSS technology in a controlled environment. Joan Pasay and her team can help you develop an RSS Marketing Strategy and roll out a successful campaign.
If your company is like most, and is unable to pay the hefty fees associated with the larger Email Service Providers we recommend the following:
Wait.
But don’t be idle.
Email Marketing Made Easy uses the services of a great Email List Provider that offers RSS Feeds archives of all the Email Newsletters that get sent. This means you can encourage your subscribers to ‘pick up’ (a common term for adding an RSS Feed to a customizable webpage or RSS reader) your e-newsletter archives. We know this all sounds a little technical but it isn’t. If your readers are into RSS Feeds and you provide the RSS URL your RSS savvy customers will know what to do with it and in less than 10 seconds your archived e-newsletters will be resident in your customer’s RSS Feed reader.
The Email List Provider's name is AWeber.
We highly recommend getting into RSS by using AWeber’s services. Here is how to do it:
Will AWeber ever offer personalized RSS Feed Marketing like the large expensive Email Service Providers? We’ll have to wait and see. We have been told that they are working on it and we expect they will keep up with the trends as they always have. AWeber is one of the oldest Email Service Providers on the Internet and they have yet to disappoint us and we are sure they will launch technology that will be cutting edge.
A note of caution:
There are a few smaller unknown companies that offer personalized RSS Marketing service and software at a reasonable fee . These companies usually run Email Marketing list management services in tandem with RSS Marketing. If you choose to try one these services please use the same selection criteria you would use for any business transaction you do. While we won’t mention any names in this blog (become our client and we will happily tell you who to stay away from) please exercise caution. Make sure the company:
-Offers a 1-800 customer service number.
-Has a street address and phone number posted on their website.
-Offers a money back guarantee policy (make sure the policy can actually be executed)
-Is an established business
-Actually has employees (including technical help – this is VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!!!)
In the event you purchase software to perform this function make sure there is 1-800 technical help number available for installation and upkeep.
***Search online for feedback re any company you are checking out. If there are unsatisfied customers you will quickly find them on various business forums. Read the feedback! You might save yourself some time, money and heartache.
Need help getting adding RSS Feed Marketing to your Email Marketing efforts?
We can help: Check out Email Marketing Made Easy's services here
Want to check AWeber and get your e-newsletters archived in RSS? Check out AWeber here, and yes they more than meet the criteria above!
PS. There are other great ways to add RSS Feed Marketing into your online mix. Check out our Services page for more information.
Have you signed up for our Email Marketing Club yet? What is your excuse? Signup here.
Email Marketing Made Easy
‘RSS Feed Me’
RSS refers to a technology that is commonly called Really Simple Syndication. In layman’s terms RSS uses XML format (a programming language which you need to know nothing about to use it...) for distributing news headlines and other content on the Web. You have probably seen RSS in action on many websites and never realized it.
The Email Marketing Made Easy Blog uses RSS technology. If you are picking up the Email Marketing Made Easy Blog with your My Yahoo! or another customizable webpage/RSS reader you are using RSS technology.
Some online marketers are really excited about RSS technology because they feel that Email Marketing can be enhanced (or even replaced) by RSS Feed Marketing. At Email Marketing Made Easy we agree that RSS technology is important and can, in some cases, be a great addition to Email Marketing. We don’t however encourage any of our clients to throw out Email Marketing and dive into the pool of RSS Feed Marketing blindfolded.
Why?
Go ask 10 people if they know what an RSS Feed is, and if they subscribe to any RSS Feeds. You will most likely quickly realize most people don’t know what RSS is or have ever heard of it.
But that will change. When Microsoft gets around to releasing their next Internet browser RSS Feeds will most likely become more popular. Netscape, Opera and other Internet browsers already support RSS Feed additions but currently these browsers are not widely used. For those who are RSS Feed hungry the hope is that Microsoft’s new browser will saturate the minds of all who use it to adopt RSS Feed Marketing into their life.
So what does all this mean?
Some of the very large, an expensive, Email Service Providers that cater to big business have recently launched technology that basically sends personalized marketing messages (like lots of the Email Marketing messages you receive and send today) using RSS technology. The major selling points are:
-The subscriber does not have to give their email address to get the marketing messages (they simply subscribe to the RSS feed - a process which does not require providing any personal information).
-The messages are Spam proof (at this point in time you can not Spam an RSS Feed reader).
-There is no chance of phishing (Spam emails trying to access login information for online accounts – PAYPAL, EBay, Banking, etc.).
-The RSS Feed marketing messages can be personalized just like an Email Marketing message.
All of this is wonderful and we agree that as time progresses RSS marketing of this nature will become more widely accepted.
So what do Joan Pasay and Email Marketing Made Easy recommend?
If your company can afford the fees of one of the large Email Service Providers ($1000 a month or more...) we encourage the adoption of RSS technology in a controlled environment. Joan Pasay and her team can help you develop an RSS Marketing Strategy and roll out a successful campaign.
If your company is like most, and is unable to pay the hefty fees associated with the larger Email Service Providers we recommend the following:
Wait.
But don’t be idle.
Email Marketing Made Easy uses the services of a great Email List Provider that offers RSS Feeds archives of all the Email Newsletters that get sent. This means you can encourage your subscribers to ‘pick up’ (a common term for adding an RSS Feed to a customizable webpage or RSS reader) your e-newsletter archives. We know this all sounds a little technical but it isn’t. If your readers are into RSS Feeds and you provide the RSS URL your RSS savvy customers will know what to do with it and in less than 10 seconds your archived e-newsletters will be resident in your customer’s RSS Feed reader.
The Email List Provider's name is AWeber.
We highly recommend getting into RSS by using AWeber’s services. Here is how to do it:
- Signup for AWeber account.
- Send your e-newsletters as you normally would via AWeber.
- Encourage your subscribers and customers to pick up your RSS archived newsletter feed.
- Monitor the activity and usage of the RSS feed.
- Use this data to make an educated decision as to when it would be appropriate to add personalized RSS Marketing into your marketing mix.
Will AWeber ever offer personalized RSS Feed Marketing like the large expensive Email Service Providers? We’ll have to wait and see. We have been told that they are working on it and we expect they will keep up with the trends as they always have. AWeber is one of the oldest Email Service Providers on the Internet and they have yet to disappoint us and we are sure they will launch technology that will be cutting edge.
A note of caution:
There are a few smaller unknown companies that offer personalized RSS Marketing service and software at a reasonable fee . These companies usually run Email Marketing list management services in tandem with RSS Marketing. If you choose to try one these services please use the same selection criteria you would use for any business transaction you do. While we won’t mention any names in this blog (become our client and we will happily tell you who to stay away from) please exercise caution. Make sure the company:
-Offers a 1-800 customer service number.
-Has a street address and phone number posted on their website.
-Offers a money back guarantee policy (make sure the policy can actually be executed)
-Is an established business
-Actually has employees (including technical help – this is VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!!!)
In the event you purchase software to perform this function make sure there is 1-800 technical help number available for installation and upkeep.
***Search online for feedback re any company you are checking out. If there are unsatisfied customers you will quickly find them on various business forums. Read the feedback! You might save yourself some time, money and heartache.
Need help getting adding RSS Feed Marketing to your Email Marketing efforts?
We can help: Check out Email Marketing Made Easy's services here
Want to check AWeber and get your e-newsletters archived in RSS? Check out AWeber here, and yes they more than meet the criteria above!
PS. There are other great ways to add RSS Feed Marketing into your online mix. Check out our Services page for more information.
Have you signed up for our Email Marketing Club yet? What is your excuse? Signup here.
Email Marketing Made Easy
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Email Marketing Club: Special Treats Edition
The Email Marketing Club is on a one week holiday but there are special treats for you here (and below):
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/2005/11/email-marketing-club-happy.asp
Check out Email Marketing Made Easy's services:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/2005/11/email-marketing-club-happy.asp
Check out Email Marketing Made Easy's services:
Coaching, Mentoring and/or Consultation for:
*Email Marketing
*E-zine Marketing
*Auto-Responder Marketing
*Internet and Web Marketing
*RSS Feed Marketing
Related Services:
*Creative Email/E-zine List Building (without Spamming)
*Email List Management, Delivery and Measurement
*Internet Marketing Effectiveness Reviews (E-zine, Email, Website, Blog, etc.)
*Article/Blog Ghost Writing
*E-zine/Email Newsletter Copywriting
*Auto-Responder E-course Copywriting
*Auto-Responder Management
*General Internet Copywriting (Website, Flash, Sales and Customer Service Applications, etc.)
Book an introductory coaching session here:
(use the coupon, it's good for 15% off until Nov.30/05)
Use this link to get your discount:
http://www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/coupon/?id=EXN955003111
If the link won't work for you, here is the coupon code: EXN955003111
You can enter the coupon code here:
http://www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/coupon/
Joan Pasay
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Want To Make Your Email Marketing Efforts A Sure Winner? Follow Product Life Cycles.
"Spam and the cluttered inbox have not killed the email medium for marketers. With a clear messaging strategy that is built off of a lifecycle relationship driven approach, there is still tremendous value that can be derived from email."
David Daniels, research director at JupiterResearch
We agree with David. Following Product Life cycles really is the way to go with Email Marketing. Want to learn more about how you can incorporate Product Life Cycles into your Email Marketing efforts?
Download our FREE Ebook:
Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Make More Money By Following Product Life Cycles.
Email Marketing Made Easy's Services - CLICK HERE
Joan Pasay
Email Marketing Specialist
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
MP3 Interview: Joan Pasay of Email Marketing Made Easy Interviewed By Lee Raito
Joan was recently interviewed by Lee Raito of BusinessSexcess.com
Hear the entire interview here for FREE!
Joan Pasay MP3 Interview
Check out Joan Pasay, her ebook and all the Email Marketing Made Easy services at these links:
Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money EBOOK
Email Marketing Made Easy Services
Check out who did the interviewing:
Business Sexcess
Hear the entire interview here for FREE!
Joan Pasay MP3 Interview
Check out Joan Pasay, her ebook and all the Email Marketing Made Easy services at these links:
Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money EBOOK
Email Marketing Made Easy Services
Check out who did the interviewing:
Business Sexcess
Thursday, November 17, 2005
MarketingSherpa's Email Marketing Benchmark Guide is out - Executive Summary Link Below
MarketingSherpa's Email Marketing Benchmark Guide has just been released. You can check out the executive summary here:
The report summarizes key trends you will want to know about and incorporate into your own Email Marketing Program.
MarketingSherpa's Email Marketing Benchmark Guide - Executive Summary Link
Enjoy,
Joan Pasay
Email Marketing Made Easy
The report summarizes key trends you will want to know about and incorporate into your own Email Marketing Program.
MarketingSherpa's Email Marketing Benchmark Guide - Executive Summary Link
Enjoy,
Joan Pasay
Email Marketing Made Easy
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The Weekly Email Marketing Club is ready -- RSS Feed Me
The weekly Email Marketing Club is ready. You can check it out here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/2005/11/email-marketing-lesson-rss-feed-me.asp
Why not check us out? Our full list of services are here:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/pages/services.asp
Take care,
Joan Pasay
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/2005/11/email-marketing-lesson-rss-feed-me.asp
Why not check us out? Our full list of services are here:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/pages/services.asp
Take care,
Joan Pasay
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Monday, November 14, 2005
Email Marketing Lesson: If You Realize You Made A Mistake After You Press Send, Just Admit It
Copyright --Joan Pasay 2005
A few months ago I started getting a bunch of junk Spam messages. All the messages had the same subject line. Thinking that the emails were hocking cheap Ritalin, I left them in my Spam filter and continued with my daily tasks. Besides, my ADHD was under control with my five Starbucks lattes-a-day personal remedy. Within seconds, I totally forgot about the Spam messages.
When I was doing my up my Christmas list a few weeks later, I got to my Dad's name and thought, "Dad is pushing eighty, I wonder if he might like some Viagra as a stocking stuffer?" I suddenly remembered all those Ritalin emails. Maybe the online drug shops had a whole variety of pharmaceuticals other than Ritalin, and I could get a great deal on my Dad's Viagra.
I went back to my Spam filter and searched for all the messages with that same subject line. They weren't hard to find, the subject was only one word -
"Whoops!"
But there was no Viagra to be found. No Ritalin for that matter either. What a rip! Now what would I get my Dad for Christmas?
To make matters even worse, I realized all those Spam emails with the "Whoops!" subject line weren't Spam at all. They were a whack of messages from a whole bunch of email lists I actually subscribe to. It seems a "Whoops!" message is a legitimate message that really means,
"I made a mistake, check within for details."
All my 'Whoops!" email messages detailed URLs that had been mistyped, web addresses that had been moved, wrong dates, wrong product prices, incorrect phone numbers and a whole variety of other issues all covered under the subject line -- "Whoops!"
I even had one message that had "Double Whoops!" as a subject line since this was the second email message from the same company in a two-day time period that was riddled with errors.
I don't know if "Whoops!" is the greatest way to admit you made an error. How many people even have "Whoops!" in their active vocabulary? I wonder what else might be a more effective email newsletter subject line when a mistake has been made?
- "Whoopsy daisy" -- No, too, childish.
- "My parents are cousins, I can't help it!" -- No, too personal.
- "Gall darn it, dagnamit, another error!" -- No, your subscribers will think you need a few sessions of anger therapy.
- "Sorry, I am too cheap to get an editor" -- No, that is what your subscribers will think, but it probably isn't the greatest option for your subject line.
Maybe:
*Sincerest apologies, URL error in [insert newsletter name here]
*Sorry to have wasted your time, telephone number error
*We will try harder next time, pricing error in [insert newsletter name here]
I asked a few business associates what they thought of the "Whoops!" subject line. They all agreed it sounded like someone attempting to be 'down home' and trying to appear like a bumbling friend instead of a business who is having some difficulty with the e-newsletter editing process.
I guess the lesson here is to just admit you made an error and not try to cover it up with a "Gee wilickers, I think I just might be a moron" type subject line.
None of this gets me my Dad's Viagra, but it has lessened the load on my over-worked Spam software. I have set the software to rescue all "Whoops!" email marketing messages and put them in the Deleted box where they belong.
Brought to you by:
Email Marketing Made Easy
Need help getting going with your own Email Marketing Program?
We can help - Click here to get started
A few months ago I started getting a bunch of junk Spam messages. All the messages had the same subject line. Thinking that the emails were hocking cheap Ritalin, I left them in my Spam filter and continued with my daily tasks. Besides, my ADHD was under control with my five Starbucks lattes-a-day personal remedy. Within seconds, I totally forgot about the Spam messages.
When I was doing my up my Christmas list a few weeks later, I got to my Dad's name and thought, "Dad is pushing eighty, I wonder if he might like some Viagra as a stocking stuffer?" I suddenly remembered all those Ritalin emails. Maybe the online drug shops had a whole variety of pharmaceuticals other than Ritalin, and I could get a great deal on my Dad's Viagra.
I went back to my Spam filter and searched for all the messages with that same subject line. They weren't hard to find, the subject was only one word -
"Whoops!"
But there was no Viagra to be found. No Ritalin for that matter either. What a rip! Now what would I get my Dad for Christmas?
To make matters even worse, I realized all those Spam emails with the "Whoops!" subject line weren't Spam at all. They were a whack of messages from a whole bunch of email lists I actually subscribe to. It seems a "Whoops!" message is a legitimate message that really means,
"I made a mistake, check within for details."
All my 'Whoops!" email messages detailed URLs that had been mistyped, web addresses that had been moved, wrong dates, wrong product prices, incorrect phone numbers and a whole variety of other issues all covered under the subject line -- "Whoops!"
I even had one message that had "Double Whoops!" as a subject line since this was the second email message from the same company in a two-day time period that was riddled with errors.
I don't know if "Whoops!" is the greatest way to admit you made an error. How many people even have "Whoops!" in their active vocabulary? I wonder what else might be a more effective email newsletter subject line when a mistake has been made?
- "Whoopsy daisy" -- No, too, childish.
- "My parents are cousins, I can't help it!" -- No, too personal.
- "Gall darn it, dagnamit, another error!" -- No, your subscribers will think you need a few sessions of anger therapy.
- "Sorry, I am too cheap to get an editor" -- No, that is what your subscribers will think, but it probably isn't the greatest option for your subject line.
Maybe:
*Sincerest apologies, URL error in [insert newsletter name here]
*Sorry to have wasted your time, telephone number error
*We will try harder next time, pricing error in [insert newsletter name here]
I asked a few business associates what they thought of the "Whoops!" subject line. They all agreed it sounded like someone attempting to be 'down home' and trying to appear like a bumbling friend instead of a business who is having some difficulty with the e-newsletter editing process.
I guess the lesson here is to just admit you made an error and not try to cover it up with a "Gee wilickers, I think I just might be a moron" type subject line.
None of this gets me my Dad's Viagra, but it has lessened the load on my over-worked Spam software. I have set the software to rescue all "Whoops!" email marketing messages and put them in the Deleted box where they belong.
Brought to you by:
Email Marketing Made Easy
Need help getting going with your own Email Marketing Program?
We can help - Click here to get started
Mailer Mailer Industry-Specific Open and Click Rates per Day, new report available to download.
MailerMailer has a new Open and Click rates report. You can download it here:
http://www.mailermailer.com/newsletter/SpecialReportOpenandClickRates.pdf
If you want to receive more reports like these, signup for the MailerMailer E-Newsletter:
MailerMailer E-Newsletter
Enjoy,
Joan
Email Marketing Made Easy
Need help getting going on your own Email Marketing program? We specialize in Email Marketing: Click here to get started
http://www.mailermailer.com/newsletter/SpecialReportOpenandClickRates.pdf
If you want to receive more reports like these, signup for the MailerMailer E-Newsletter:
MailerMailer E-Newsletter
Enjoy,
Joan
Email Marketing Made Easy
Need help getting going on your own Email Marketing program? We specialize in Email Marketing: Click here to get started
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Business Sexcess: I am always reading new books and here is one I think you should check out
When you live and breath marketing like the team at Email Marketing Made Easy does you read a lot of books.
Here is one I think you should check out:
BUSINESS SEXCESS
Yes, you are reading the title correctly. Sam Heyer and Lee Raito have taken business success tips and wrapped them up in a tasteful sexual tapestry. The book is very memorable, not just for the sexual analogy but for the sage business advice.
You can check out the book here:
Click here to take a look at Business Sexcess
Joan Pasay
Email Marketing Coach
Check us out here:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/coaching
Here is one I think you should check out:
BUSINESS SEXCESS
Yes, you are reading the title correctly. Sam Heyer and Lee Raito have taken business success tips and wrapped them up in a tasteful sexual tapestry. The book is very memorable, not just for the sexual analogy but for the sage business advice.
You can check out the book here:
Click here to take a look at Business Sexcess
Joan Pasay
Email Marketing Coach
Check us out here:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/coaching
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
The Weekly Email Marketing Club is ready -- Find Out How My Grandmother's Saggy Underwear Helped Mr. Pibs
The latest Email Marketing Club is ready. Check it out here:
Your Marketing Reminds Me Of My Grandmother's Saggy Underwear:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/
Want to get the Email Marketing Club delivered to your email inbox? You can!
Join the Email Marketing Club now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Pickup the Email Marketing Club RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
Earn good karma. Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
Your Marketing Reminds Me Of My Grandmother's Saggy Underwear:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/
Want to get the Email Marketing Club delivered to your email inbox? You can!
Join the Email Marketing Club now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Pickup the Email Marketing Club RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
Earn good karma. Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
Monday, October 31, 2005
The Weekly Email Marketing Club is ready -- Find Out What Would Jesus Email
The weekly Email Marketing Club is ready!
Click below to find out --
What Would Jesus Email?
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club
Want to get the Email Marketing Club delivered to your email inbox? You can!
Join the Email Marketing Club now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Pickup the Email Marketing Club RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
Earn good karma. Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
Click below to find out --
What Would Jesus Email?
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club
Want to get the Email Marketing Club delivered to your email inbox? You can!
Join the Email Marketing Club now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Pickup the Email Marketing Club RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
Earn good karma. Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
Email Marketing Error 101: I Got An Email From My Hero, And Was I Ever Disappointed
Copyright 2005 --Joan Pasay
Ok, I admit it. I have a few heroes. Who doesn't?
But what do you do when you find out one of your heroes can't spell, construct a sentence or sign his name?
It all started when I ended up on the website of one of my heroes. He said he had a Blog so I assumed he was telling the truth. Since he only had posted the name of the Blog, without a link, I emailed him to ask him where this supposed Blog was.
I did not really know if I would get an email back but within about ten minutes I heard my little inbox chime and there it was.
An email from my hero.
Boy, was I excited! This guy had answered my email!
I wondered what it would say. Words of wisdom? Would tiny pearls of enlightenment be attached?
I was kind of giddy when I pressed open.
And there it was.
Four lines of something that barely made any sense.
It appeared to be two sentences however neither had a capital letter at the beginning. The word 'I' was used twice, again without the use of a capital letter.
I checked the From field. It said the name of my hero. But how could I tell who sent this? There was no signature with a name, web address, or anything. Just a big blank white space.
The cryptic message seemed to explain that there was no Blog and talked about some discussion group I had never heard of.
My heart sank.
-Where was the inspiration?
-Where were the pearls of enlightenment?
-Where did this guy go to school?
I learned a lot that day.
-Even heroes can have terrible email manners
-Even heroes can miss out on email marketing opportunities by neglecting to use an email signature
-Even heroes can lose an admirer by quickly typing out gibberish to get a faithful fan out of their inbox.
Thanks hero, I am glad you emailed me. I realized you are a person just like me. You are no longer my idol. My aunt is an English teacher. If you want some private tutoring, I can send her contact information to you. If you want to improve your marketing efforts try complete sentences in proper English and an email signature with at least your name, web address and contact information.
Brought to you by --
The weekly Email Marketing Club e-zine:
Join now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
and by:
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Home of the ebook -- Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. (Visit the link above to check it out)
and by:
Joan Pasay the Email Marketing Coach. Find out Joan can help you reach your marketing goals:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/coaching
Earn good karma. Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
Ok, I admit it. I have a few heroes. Who doesn't?
But what do you do when you find out one of your heroes can't spell, construct a sentence or sign his name?
It all started when I ended up on the website of one of my heroes. He said he had a Blog so I assumed he was telling the truth. Since he only had posted the name of the Blog, without a link, I emailed him to ask him where this supposed Blog was.
I did not really know if I would get an email back but within about ten minutes I heard my little inbox chime and there it was.
An email from my hero.
Boy, was I excited! This guy had answered my email!
I wondered what it would say. Words of wisdom? Would tiny pearls of enlightenment be attached?
I was kind of giddy when I pressed open.
And there it was.
Four lines of something that barely made any sense.
It appeared to be two sentences however neither had a capital letter at the beginning. The word 'I' was used twice, again without the use of a capital letter.
I checked the From field. It said the name of my hero. But how could I tell who sent this? There was no signature with a name, web address, or anything. Just a big blank white space.
The cryptic message seemed to explain that there was no Blog and talked about some discussion group I had never heard of.
My heart sank.
-Where was the inspiration?
-Where were the pearls of enlightenment?
-Where did this guy go to school?
I learned a lot that day.
-Even heroes can have terrible email manners
-Even heroes can miss out on email marketing opportunities by neglecting to use an email signature
-Even heroes can lose an admirer by quickly typing out gibberish to get a faithful fan out of their inbox.
Thanks hero, I am glad you emailed me. I realized you are a person just like me. You are no longer my idol. My aunt is an English teacher. If you want some private tutoring, I can send her contact information to you. If you want to improve your marketing efforts try complete sentences in proper English and an email signature with at least your name, web address and contact information.
Brought to you by --
The weekly Email Marketing Club e-zine:
Join now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
and by:
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Home of the ebook -- Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. (Visit the link above to check it out)
and by:
Joan Pasay the Email Marketing Coach. Find out Joan can help you reach your marketing goals:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/coaching
Earn good karma. Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Email Marketing Advice: That FROM Field Can Really Sting You In The Butt
It sure is a big responsibility to be in charge of the company Email Newsletter. Once a week you, and only you, are responsible to carefully craft an email marketing message and get it out to all of your sacred e-newsletter subscribers.
You take the job seriously and get started early in the week. You want this email message to be really great. The company is counting on you! Your email marketing campaign is one of your employer's core marketing activities.
1. It is Wednesday. You take the afternoon and carefully craft the weekly company email message.
2. It is Thursday. You spell check the weekly company email message.
3. It is Friday. You ask your marketing buddy across the office to proof the weekly company email message. You don’t want to embarrass yourself with grammatical errors or an article that does not make sense!
4. It is Saturday. You sleep on it and are confident the weekly company email message is ready to go.
5. It is Sunday. You take the day off and have a really great afternoon with your boyfriend. You are worry free! Your weekly company email message is all put to bed and ready to go.
6. You wake up early on Monday morning, get to the office and login into your Email List Management service and get your weekly company email message all queued up.
7. You press send and watch your weekly company email message go into cyberspace. “Oh, goody!” you exclaim. “Think of all the business I am going to bring into the company with this carefully crafted email marketing message!”
8. It is Monday, one second later. A subscriber receives the weekly company email message in their inbox.
9. It is Monday, two seconds later. Your subscriber looks at the FROM field.
10. It is Monday, three seconds later. Your subscriber seems perplexed. “Hmmm, who is Mary Franklin?” they think.
11. It is Monday, four seconds later. Your subscriber takes a deep breath, says, “Never heard of her,” and presses the delete button.
12. It is Monday, five seconds later. You are in a meeting with your new boss. You yelp, grab your butt and scream, “I think I just got stung by a bee!”
You did. And you let it out and you painted the target on your hiney.
Your name might mean something to you but your email list subscribers probably have no idea who you are and will freak out when they see a strange email in their inbox from some gal named Mary Franklin.
If you are Anthony Robbins you can get away with it.
Since I assume you;
-have never walked on fire
-are not almost seven feet tall and
-don't have a huge toothy grin
You don’t qualify to put your name in the From field of your weekly company email marketing messages.
Think about it from your subscriber’s point of view.
-They subscribed to an email list from your company.
-They expect to receive a message from your company.
Instead they receive a message from someone named Mary Franklin. Someone they have never heard of, never met, never seen, and is not mentioned in any literature that belongs to the company.
I think the only logical reaction would be to press the delete button. Wouldn’t you do the same thing?
Here are some suggestions for a FROM field that will mean something to your email list subscribers:
-Your company name and URL (Hey, you can put anything you want in here, so the clearer the better).
-The name of your periodic mailing (only if it is well- branded).
-Your company name AND the name of your periodic mailing.
Keep your name to yourself. I hate to bruise your ego, but no one cares if a message comes from you expect people who know you.
Feeling like you have a few swollen, red bumps on your rear?
Go check your FROM Field.
Brought to you by Joan Pasay and Email Marketing Made Easy
Check out the -- Email Marketing Club: The only place on the Internet where Email Marketing is FUN!
Join now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
Click below: http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Check out our popular ebook Email Marketing Made Easy & one on one expert Email Marketing coaching at http://www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Earn good karma, forward this article to everyone you know who has an email address.
Copyright Joan Pasay - 2005
You take the job seriously and get started early in the week. You want this email message to be really great. The company is counting on you! Your email marketing campaign is one of your employer's core marketing activities.
1. It is Wednesday. You take the afternoon and carefully craft the weekly company email message.
2. It is Thursday. You spell check the weekly company email message.
3. It is Friday. You ask your marketing buddy across the office to proof the weekly company email message. You don’t want to embarrass yourself with grammatical errors or an article that does not make sense!
4. It is Saturday. You sleep on it and are confident the weekly company email message is ready to go.
5. It is Sunday. You take the day off and have a really great afternoon with your boyfriend. You are worry free! Your weekly company email message is all put to bed and ready to go.
6. You wake up early on Monday morning, get to the office and login into your Email List Management service and get your weekly company email message all queued up.
7. You press send and watch your weekly company email message go into cyberspace. “Oh, goody!” you exclaim. “Think of all the business I am going to bring into the company with this carefully crafted email marketing message!”
8. It is Monday, one second later. A subscriber receives the weekly company email message in their inbox.
9. It is Monday, two seconds later. Your subscriber looks at the FROM field.
10. It is Monday, three seconds later. Your subscriber seems perplexed. “Hmmm, who is Mary Franklin?” they think.
11. It is Monday, four seconds later. Your subscriber takes a deep breath, says, “Never heard of her,” and presses the delete button.
12. It is Monday, five seconds later. You are in a meeting with your new boss. You yelp, grab your butt and scream, “I think I just got stung by a bee!”
You did. And you let it out and you painted the target on your hiney.
Your name might mean something to you but your email list subscribers probably have no idea who you are and will freak out when they see a strange email in their inbox from some gal named Mary Franklin.
If you are Anthony Robbins you can get away with it.
Since I assume you;
-have never walked on fire
-are not almost seven feet tall and
-don't have a huge toothy grin
You don’t qualify to put your name in the From field of your weekly company email marketing messages.
Think about it from your subscriber’s point of view.
-They subscribed to an email list from your company.
-They expect to receive a message from your company.
Instead they receive a message from someone named Mary Franklin. Someone they have never heard of, never met, never seen, and is not mentioned in any literature that belongs to the company.
I think the only logical reaction would be to press the delete button. Wouldn’t you do the same thing?
Here are some suggestions for a FROM field that will mean something to your email list subscribers:
-Your company name and URL (Hey, you can put anything you want in here, so the clearer the better).
-The name of your periodic mailing (only if it is well- branded).
-Your company name AND the name of your periodic mailing.
Keep your name to yourself. I hate to bruise your ego, but no one cares if a message comes from you expect people who know you.
Feeling like you have a few swollen, red bumps on your rear?
Go check your FROM Field.
Brought to you by Joan Pasay and Email Marketing Made Easy
Check out the -- Email Marketing Club: The only place on the Internet where Email Marketing is FUN!
Join now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
Click below: http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Check out our popular ebook Email Marketing Made Easy & one on one expert Email Marketing coaching at http://www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Earn good karma, forward this article to everyone you know who has an email address.
Copyright Joan Pasay - 2005
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
The New Email Marketing Club: Oct. 25/05 -- Starbucks, A Sexy Lady, And My Search For The Ezine.
This is the first edition of the new Email Marketing Club:
The Only Place On The Internet Where Email Marketing Is FUN.
I hope you like the new theme.
To your happiness,
Joan Pasay
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
You can see the Email Marketing Club online here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/
You can pickup the RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
************************************************************
Starbucks, A Sexy Lady, And My Search For The Ezine.
by Joan Pasay -- Copyright 2005.
The other day I heard someone at a 6:00 am network meeting proclaim- "I have an ezine!" Still half asleep, and hopped up on my third cup of coffee, my mind raced to try to figure out what he was talking about. I remained silent and sent my best early morning grin the way of the self-declared ezine-ite and knew I had a task for later.
"What the heck was an ezine?" I thought. It sounded sort of like a European motor scooter or something but I did not want to embarrass myself like the time I thought SEM was some kinky couples thing, only to find out it was Search Engine Marketing. I had to switch networking groups after that incident...
So after the meeting I went to the only place where you find out these sorts of things - Starbucks, during the day. Everyone knows that entrepreneurs that have a 'home office' really work from Starbucks. I even think Starbucks invented the concept to sell more fancy coffee drinks.
After ordering my latte I asked the barista if he knew what an ezine was. He instantly blushed and turned towards the comfy chair section. I didn't get it.
What did the comfy chairs have to do with ---
And then I saw her....
The hair, the clothes, the face, she was the sexiest woman I had ever seen. She looked so familiar but I was sure I would have remembered meeting someone who looked like her.
Feeling like my 4:30 am shower and one minute makeup session was quite insufficient I turned back to the barista and mumbled, "What does she have to do with an ezine?.." but he was off blending some mocha, no whip, double shot of espresso adult-Slurpee and I found myself talking to a shelf overflowing with bags of coffee.
I grabbed my latte and headed to the comfy chairs and -- the woman.
As I got closer I knew I had seen her before. But where?
She noticed me staring and smiled. "Hello, want to join me?," she whispered. Her voice sounded like Marilyn Monroe singing 'Happy Birthday Mr. President'.
I introduced myself and mentioned the barista told me the sexy lady could tell me what an ezine was. She giggled like a sex kitten, leaned towards me and whispered,"Can you keep a secret?"
A secret! This was getting exciting! I gulped back half my latte,burning my throat in the process and choked out a "Yes". I knew I was getting close, this definitely had nothing to do with a European motor scooter! "Ok, ok," I thought. "Tell me what the heck an ezine is!"
I closed my eyes in anticipation of finding the truth. I knew I was about to be enlightened. I held my breath - finally I would find out what an ezine was! I waited, eyes closed, my heart beating in anticipation. I took a deep breath and squealed at the top of my lungs, "I am ready, tell me what an ezine is!"
But when I opened my eyes the sexy woman had vanished. Instead there sat John Stossel. There was also everyone else in the Starbucks all gathered around me thinking I had just experienced some sort of caffeine-induced Kundalini awakening.
"You already know what an ezine is," said John Stossel."I do?" I said, trying to assure my new audience I was mentally stable.
And then in John's reporter-like style he said, "An ezine is a periodic electronically published newsletter or email newsletter. Sometimes they are posted on a website but most of the time they are sent via email or even RSS. Email newsletters were getting old so we cooked up a new, sexier name."
And with that John Stossel vanished and the sexy lady appeared again. My Starbucks audience all filed back to their comfy chairs and I sat there silent.
The milk frother hummed in the background and the sexy lady patted my hand. "Don't worry about it. Beauty and value are on the inside...even with an ezine," she said.
I took a long time to walk home that day. I had been duped by a marketing gimmick. That guy at the 6:00 am network marketing meeting was bragging about his email newsletter!
I guess exclaiming to an audience of half-asleep business persons trying to remember if they had let the dog out before they came to the meeting, "I have an email newsletter!" would be kind of lame.
I felt different writing my weekly e-newsletter, um, er, ok, weekly ezine that afternoon. I felt more alive, kind of lighter. Would my readers notice the difference? I had to promise the sexy lady that I would not reveal the secret that an ezine is simply an email newsletter so don't tell anybody,ok?
Ezine does sound a lot sexier than 'e-newsletter' and we all know sexy sells.
************************************************************
So what goes in an ezine? E-newsletter? Email Newsletter? Or whatever you want to call it?
*Something your customer will value such as industry news, teaching or how-to articles. If you can't write articles yourself there are tons of resources on the Internet that offer free articles. My articles are regularly re-published in ezines all over the Internet. I keep the copyright and get to promote Email Marketing Made Easy and our products. The other ezines get content and I get free advertising!
*Promotions for your products and services.
*Promotions for other companies' products or services you think your customers would appreciate (usually you will earn some sort of commission for sales or you charge a fee for the ad space).
What should you call your periodic mailings?
Whatever you want to call them. I call mine the Email Marketing Club. I have a client who calls his 'Weekly Specials E-flyer'.
Remember what the sexy lady said (and by the way I am still trying to determine if the sexy lady and John Stossel were one and the same person)...
Beauty and value are on the inside.
The weekly Email Marketing Club newsletter, ok ezine,is brought to you by www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Home of the ebook -- Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. (Visit the link above to check it out)
And home of --Joan Pasay: Email Marketing Coach. Signup for an introductory one-on-one coaching session here:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/coaching
Join the Email Marketing Club now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Check out the Email Marketing Club Blog:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club
Pickup the Email Marketing Club RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
Want to earn good karma? Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
The Only Place On The Internet Where Email Marketing Is FUN.
I hope you like the new theme.
To your happiness,
Joan Pasay
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
You can see the Email Marketing Club online here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/
You can pickup the RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
************************************************************
Starbucks, A Sexy Lady, And My Search For The Ezine.
by Joan Pasay -- Copyright 2005.
The other day I heard someone at a 6:00 am network meeting proclaim- "I have an ezine!" Still half asleep, and hopped up on my third cup of coffee, my mind raced to try to figure out what he was talking about. I remained silent and sent my best early morning grin the way of the self-declared ezine-ite and knew I had a task for later.
"What the heck was an ezine?" I thought. It sounded sort of like a European motor scooter or something but I did not want to embarrass myself like the time I thought SEM was some kinky couples thing, only to find out it was Search Engine Marketing. I had to switch networking groups after that incident...
So after the meeting I went to the only place where you find out these sorts of things - Starbucks, during the day. Everyone knows that entrepreneurs that have a 'home office' really work from Starbucks. I even think Starbucks invented the concept to sell more fancy coffee drinks.
After ordering my latte I asked the barista if he knew what an ezine was. He instantly blushed and turned towards the comfy chair section. I didn't get it.
What did the comfy chairs have to do with ---
And then I saw her....
The hair, the clothes, the face, she was the sexiest woman I had ever seen. She looked so familiar but I was sure I would have remembered meeting someone who looked like her.
Feeling like my 4:30 am shower and one minute makeup session was quite insufficient I turned back to the barista and mumbled, "What does she have to do with an ezine?.." but he was off blending some mocha, no whip, double shot of espresso adult-Slurpee and I found myself talking to a shelf overflowing with bags of coffee.
I grabbed my latte and headed to the comfy chairs and -- the woman.
As I got closer I knew I had seen her before. But where?
She noticed me staring and smiled. "Hello, want to join me?," she whispered. Her voice sounded like Marilyn Monroe singing 'Happy Birthday Mr. President'.
I introduced myself and mentioned the barista told me the sexy lady could tell me what an ezine was. She giggled like a sex kitten, leaned towards me and whispered,"Can you keep a secret?"
A secret! This was getting exciting! I gulped back half my latte,burning my throat in the process and choked out a "Yes". I knew I was getting close, this definitely had nothing to do with a European motor scooter! "Ok, ok," I thought. "Tell me what the heck an ezine is!"
I closed my eyes in anticipation of finding the truth. I knew I was about to be enlightened. I held my breath - finally I would find out what an ezine was! I waited, eyes closed, my heart beating in anticipation. I took a deep breath and squealed at the top of my lungs, "I am ready, tell me what an ezine is!"
But when I opened my eyes the sexy woman had vanished. Instead there sat John Stossel. There was also everyone else in the Starbucks all gathered around me thinking I had just experienced some sort of caffeine-induced Kundalini awakening.
"You already know what an ezine is," said John Stossel."I do?" I said, trying to assure my new audience I was mentally stable.
And then in John's reporter-like style he said, "An ezine is a periodic electronically published newsletter or email newsletter. Sometimes they are posted on a website but most of the time they are sent via email or even RSS. Email newsletters were getting old so we cooked up a new, sexier name."
And with that John Stossel vanished and the sexy lady appeared again. My Starbucks audience all filed back to their comfy chairs and I sat there silent.
The milk frother hummed in the background and the sexy lady patted my hand. "Don't worry about it. Beauty and value are on the inside...even with an ezine," she said.
I took a long time to walk home that day. I had been duped by a marketing gimmick. That guy at the 6:00 am network marketing meeting was bragging about his email newsletter!
I guess exclaiming to an audience of half-asleep business persons trying to remember if they had let the dog out before they came to the meeting, "I have an email newsletter!" would be kind of lame.
I felt different writing my weekly e-newsletter, um, er, ok, weekly ezine that afternoon. I felt more alive, kind of lighter. Would my readers notice the difference? I had to promise the sexy lady that I would not reveal the secret that an ezine is simply an email newsletter so don't tell anybody,ok?
Ezine does sound a lot sexier than 'e-newsletter' and we all know sexy sells.
************************************************************
So what goes in an ezine? E-newsletter? Email Newsletter? Or whatever you want to call it?
*Something your customer will value such as industry news, teaching or how-to articles. If you can't write articles yourself there are tons of resources on the Internet that offer free articles. My articles are regularly re-published in ezines all over the Internet. I keep the copyright and get to promote Email Marketing Made Easy and our products. The other ezines get content and I get free advertising!
*Promotions for your products and services.
*Promotions for other companies' products or services you think your customers would appreciate (usually you will earn some sort of commission for sales or you charge a fee for the ad space).
What should you call your periodic mailings?
Whatever you want to call them. I call mine the Email Marketing Club. I have a client who calls his 'Weekly Specials E-flyer'.
Remember what the sexy lady said (and by the way I am still trying to determine if the sexy lady and John Stossel were one and the same person)...
Beauty and value are on the inside.
The weekly Email Marketing Club newsletter, ok ezine,is brought to you by www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Home of the ebook -- Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. (Visit the link above to check it out)
And home of --Joan Pasay: Email Marketing Coach. Signup for an introductory one-on-one coaching session here:
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/coaching
Join the Email Marketing Club now and receive a gift - guaranteed to increase your status with your friends, co-workers and boss.
http://www.emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Check out the Email Marketing Club Blog:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club
Pickup the Email Marketing Club RSS Feed here:
http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/club/atom.xml
Want to earn good karma? Forward this email to your friends, enemies and anyone else you know that has an email inbox.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Want to know an Email Marketing secret?
On Tuesday, October 25 2005 something is going to happen.
Prepare to be surprised, slightly shocked and a very happy you found out about Email Marketing Made Easy before your friends did.
Bookmark this page OR include us in your RSS Reader.
You don't want to miss this.
Joan
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Prepare to be surprised, slightly shocked and a very happy you found out about Email Marketing Made Easy before your friends did.
Bookmark this page OR include us in your RSS Reader.
You don't want to miss this.
Joan
www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Email Marketing Lesson: How To Cure Email Marketing Irregularity and Constipation
This diary entry is based on real life events.
Dear Email Marketing diary,
About six months ago, I went for my yearly visit to Dr. E. Newsletter. He poked and prodded and checked to make sure everything was working as it should, then he sat down on his little stool, looked me straight in the eyes and asked:
"How is the plumbing?"
I blushed, made note of the nearest exit, squirmed on my seat and said, "I thought you were a marketing doctor. Since when do you ask questions about, er, uh, the pipes?"
"I'm talking about your emails dummy," he said. "Any blockage, inconsistency, irregularity or even -- constipation?"
Still too shocked to comment on his analogy, I stuttered while answering. "Uh, we send out e-newsletters. Probably about fifteen in the last year."
"What prompts you to send your messages?" he asked.
"When we have things to announce, like a few months ago one of our author's published a new book so we told all our email subscribers about it. Then a few days later we got her book signing tour dates and locations so we emailed again to let the subscribers know where they could meet her. She appeared on CNN, so of course we had to tell everyone about that, and then yesterday we announced her e-course, so we emailed everyone again."
"Sounds like you have been active. What were you doing before the book came out?" Dr. E. Newsletter asked.
"Oh, not much, everything was same old, same old, not really much to say. The author had not written anything new for a few years so we didn't really have much to communicate." I explained. "We really don't want to bore people when we have nothing new to say. We had not sent any emails for about a year before the book came out, we had to retrain on the software, our skills were rusty. We had even forgotten the password to the admin panel!" I playfully giggled.
Feeling pretty proud of myself I sat back, looked around the examination room, crossed my arms and noticed my shirt was drenched. I was sweating like a pig! Was I sick? Had I picked up something in this office?
Dr. E. Newsletter noticed my physical condition and became very silent. He got out his prescription pad and started to scribble something.
I panicked and started talking very quickly, "We are not sick, you just said we are active. What are you giving me? I don't want any marketing drugs."
"Your emails over the past few months sounds like you were blocked and constipated for a year and then digested a book and got a case of Montezuma's Email Revenge. You said you had sent about fifteen emails in the last year. How many of those were sent after the book came out?" Dr. E. Newsletter grunted.
"14..." I said, turning my head away in shame.
"Take the prescription, your email marketing campaign sounds like you need it," Dr. E. Newsletter said as he shoved the pad towards me.
I left the doctor's office that day a little shaken up. Dr. E. Newsletter had compared my email marketing campaign to a common bowel condition. Was my campaign really in trouble? Did it really stink?
It was two days before I even remembered to look at the prescription Dr. E. Newsletter had given me. What kind of a drug would I have to take to fix this?
Turns out, his prescription was pretty easy to follow. We only had to take one dose and we were regular again.
From the desk of Dr. E Newsletter:
Take one does of Pepto-Bismail and
1) Send your email marketing newsletters on a pre-determined regular schedule.
2) Keep to the schedule, or stop sending e-newsletters.
Dr. E. Newsletter was right. We rarely got much of a response from our email newsletter
campaigns. It probably had to do with our customers rarely hearing from us and then getting bombarded with messages when we wanted them to do something.
One customer even sent us a well written, but scolding, email that said she felt dirty when she would get our messages. It was clear we were only sending her email messages when we wanted something.
I booked a six-month check-up with Dr. E Newsletter. I go next Friday. I am actually looking forward to the visit. We've been sending e-newsletters once a week for about five months now. Oh sure, in the beginning we pulled our hair out a little, but after awhile we got in a groove and now the weekly email message gets sent every Wednesday at noon. Even in the summer when most of the group is on holidays we band together and get that e-newsletter out.
After my last visit to Dr. E Newsletter I vowed to never have my email marketing campaign referred to as constipated, irregular and (I am even ashamed to think it..) Montezuma's Email Revenge. How embarrassing!
Dr. E. Newsletter mentioned to me that 'Email Irregularity' was the most common condition in email marketing. He said he prescribes gallons of Pepto-Bismail every week.
Readers: Email irregularity is a condition that is extremely dangerous. The customer in the story who said she felt dirty when she would get intermittent emails is a real person. Maybe your customers feel like she does.
This story was inspired by 4 different companies who suffer from Email Irregularity:
*A semi-famous author / coaching company who had not sent an email message in over two years, wrote a new book and then sent a flurry of messages hocking the book.
*A very famous author / business guru who had not sent an email message for months, made a new website, changed some business methods and sent a number of emails in a very short period of time hocking the new business approach.
*A baby products company that sends emails on a very inconsistent basis, and then sent two in one week, both hocking new products.
*A movie distribution company that usually sends an email message about once a month, and then decided to sent three messages in two days.
How would you have felt on the receiving end of these Email Marketing messages?
Having a regular scheduled email marketing campaign encourages:
*Your customers to expect to hear from you. Who knows, they might even look forward to your messages if you are providing real value.
*Repeat customer sales. The more times a customer hears from you, the more likely they are to partake of your services again. (The key is for them to hear from you frequently on a regular basis).
*A perception that you are still in business, you are consistent and you are always ready, willing and able to provide more goods and services.
Just in case you aren't clear on the symptoms of 'Email Irregularity' here is a quick summary. If you experience these symptoms follow Dr. E. Newsletter's prescription right away:
*No consistency in the frequency of your Email campaigns - Things are rather irregular.
*A flurry of email messages when something happens in your company Usual sending triggers are a new business approach, a new website, a new product or service - Montezuma's Email Revenge.
*Long periods of time when you don't send any email messages - Total Blockage. Your customers will think you are really sick or even are dead.
Joan Pasay is a dynamic e-marketing coach & the author of:
Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. For online and offline businesses.
Joan's ebook provides over 100 creative email ideas geared to keep your Email campaigns fresh, frequent and regular.
You can check out here ebook here: http://www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Become a member of Joan's free Email Marketing Club: http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Feel free to send this article to anyone you wish who you think suffers from Email Irregularity and Constipation.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay
Dear Email Marketing diary,
About six months ago, I went for my yearly visit to Dr. E. Newsletter. He poked and prodded and checked to make sure everything was working as it should, then he sat down on his little stool, looked me straight in the eyes and asked:
"How is the plumbing?"
I blushed, made note of the nearest exit, squirmed on my seat and said, "I thought you were a marketing doctor. Since when do you ask questions about, er, uh, the pipes?"
"I'm talking about your emails dummy," he said. "Any blockage, inconsistency, irregularity or even -- constipation?"
Still too shocked to comment on his analogy, I stuttered while answering. "Uh, we send out e-newsletters. Probably about fifteen in the last year."
"What prompts you to send your messages?" he asked.
"When we have things to announce, like a few months ago one of our author's published a new book so we told all our email subscribers about it. Then a few days later we got her book signing tour dates and locations so we emailed again to let the subscribers know where they could meet her. She appeared on CNN, so of course we had to tell everyone about that, and then yesterday we announced her e-course, so we emailed everyone again."
"Sounds like you have been active. What were you doing before the book came out?" Dr. E. Newsletter asked.
"Oh, not much, everything was same old, same old, not really much to say. The author had not written anything new for a few years so we didn't really have much to communicate." I explained. "We really don't want to bore people when we have nothing new to say. We had not sent any emails for about a year before the book came out, we had to retrain on the software, our skills were rusty. We had even forgotten the password to the admin panel!" I playfully giggled.
Feeling pretty proud of myself I sat back, looked around the examination room, crossed my arms and noticed my shirt was drenched. I was sweating like a pig! Was I sick? Had I picked up something in this office?
Dr. E. Newsletter noticed my physical condition and became very silent. He got out his prescription pad and started to scribble something.
I panicked and started talking very quickly, "We are not sick, you just said we are active. What are you giving me? I don't want any marketing drugs."
"Your emails over the past few months sounds like you were blocked and constipated for a year and then digested a book and got a case of Montezuma's Email Revenge. You said you had sent about fifteen emails in the last year. How many of those were sent after the book came out?" Dr. E. Newsletter grunted.
"14..." I said, turning my head away in shame.
"Take the prescription, your email marketing campaign sounds like you need it," Dr. E. Newsletter said as he shoved the pad towards me.
I left the doctor's office that day a little shaken up. Dr. E. Newsletter had compared my email marketing campaign to a common bowel condition. Was my campaign really in trouble? Did it really stink?
It was two days before I even remembered to look at the prescription Dr. E. Newsletter had given me. What kind of a drug would I have to take to fix this?
Turns out, his prescription was pretty easy to follow. We only had to take one dose and we were regular again.
From the desk of Dr. E Newsletter:
Take one does of Pepto-Bismail and
1) Send your email marketing newsletters on a pre-determined regular schedule.
2) Keep to the schedule, or stop sending e-newsletters.
Dr. E. Newsletter was right. We rarely got much of a response from our email newsletter
campaigns. It probably had to do with our customers rarely hearing from us and then getting bombarded with messages when we wanted them to do something.
One customer even sent us a well written, but scolding, email that said she felt dirty when she would get our messages. It was clear we were only sending her email messages when we wanted something.
I booked a six-month check-up with Dr. E Newsletter. I go next Friday. I am actually looking forward to the visit. We've been sending e-newsletters once a week for about five months now. Oh sure, in the beginning we pulled our hair out a little, but after awhile we got in a groove and now the weekly email message gets sent every Wednesday at noon. Even in the summer when most of the group is on holidays we band together and get that e-newsletter out.
After my last visit to Dr. E Newsletter I vowed to never have my email marketing campaign referred to as constipated, irregular and (I am even ashamed to think it..) Montezuma's Email Revenge. How embarrassing!
Dr. E. Newsletter mentioned to me that 'Email Irregularity' was the most common condition in email marketing. He said he prescribes gallons of Pepto-Bismail every week.
Readers: Email irregularity is a condition that is extremely dangerous. The customer in the story who said she felt dirty when she would get intermittent emails is a real person. Maybe your customers feel like she does.
This story was inspired by 4 different companies who suffer from Email Irregularity:
*A semi-famous author / coaching company who had not sent an email message in over two years, wrote a new book and then sent a flurry of messages hocking the book.
*A very famous author / business guru who had not sent an email message for months, made a new website, changed some business methods and sent a number of emails in a very short period of time hocking the new business approach.
*A baby products company that sends emails on a very inconsistent basis, and then sent two in one week, both hocking new products.
*A movie distribution company that usually sends an email message about once a month, and then decided to sent three messages in two days.
How would you have felt on the receiving end of these Email Marketing messages?
Having a regular scheduled email marketing campaign encourages:
*Your customers to expect to hear from you. Who knows, they might even look forward to your messages if you are providing real value.
*Repeat customer sales. The more times a customer hears from you, the more likely they are to partake of your services again. (The key is for them to hear from you frequently on a regular basis).
*A perception that you are still in business, you are consistent and you are always ready, willing and able to provide more goods and services.
Just in case you aren't clear on the symptoms of 'Email Irregularity' here is a quick summary. If you experience these symptoms follow Dr. E. Newsletter's prescription right away:
*No consistency in the frequency of your Email campaigns - Things are rather irregular.
*A flurry of email messages when something happens in your company Usual sending triggers are a new business approach, a new website, a new product or service - Montezuma's Email Revenge.
*Long periods of time when you don't send any email messages - Total Blockage. Your customers will think you are really sick or even are dead.
Joan Pasay is a dynamic e-marketing coach & the author of:
Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. For online and offline businesses.
Joan's ebook provides over 100 creative email ideas geared to keep your Email campaigns fresh, frequent and regular.
You can check out here ebook here: http://www.EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com
Become a member of Joan's free Email Marketing Club: http://emailmarketingmadeeasy.com/email_marketing_club
Feel free to send this article to anyone you wish who you think suffers from Email Irregularity and Constipation.
Copyright 2005 - Joan Pasay
Email Marketing Manners 101: Clearing Your Inbox By Forwarding Email Messages To Someone Else
This week I received an email message entitled to Stephen. Since my name isn't Stephen, and I am not even a guy, it got my attention. Seems that a well-meaning customer service rep at a company I deal with decided that the way to answer my help request was to pawn me off on someone else.
I understand that one person at a company can't do everything but what are you really saying when:
*You receive an external help request from someone who deals with your company and you
*Deal with it by sending an internal message to another employee who can take care of the issue and
*Carbon copy the internal message to the customer who sent you the help request
Does that mean you are off the hook?
Am I the only person who thinks this is super rude?
Am I the only person who thinks that a customer might be:
1. A bit confused when they get an email from someone they don't recognize?
2. A bit confused when they get an email clearly addressed to another person?
I think the customer would feel pawned off and not appreciated.
Even worse, they just might delete the message because it is addressed to someone else (thinking it is Spam).
My story does not end there. My issue has not been resolved! Do I email the customer service email again, or do I email 'Stephen', the guy that I think is taking care of my issue because I was cc'd on an internal email conversation?
Maybe it would have been better if the customer service rep had emailed me and told me the issue was being taken care, and she would leave the request open until the issue had been solved.
I don't like getting emails that clearly indicate I have been pawned off.
I also don't like getting called Stephen.
And I really don't like being clueless as to the status of my issue.
Customers don't need to know who is taking care of what in your company. They need a response that indicates you care about their issue and it will be resolved. Next time you think it is appropriate to simply 'clean out your inbox' by pawning off an external help request to someone else in your company, think about how the customer will feel when they get a strange email addressed to someone else.
Using Email requires manners and a little thinking about how the recipient will feel when they get your message. If email manners are an issue for you than admit it, and use the telephone.
Joan Pasay is an Email Marketing Specialist and author of the eBook,
"Email Marketing Made Easy --
How to Get Your Customers To Give You More of Their Money."
Sign up for her FREE weekly Email Marketing Club newsletter at: http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/email_marketing_club
Get our Articles RSS Feed at:
http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/articles_rss_feed.asp
View our full list of Articles athttp://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/index.asp
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
MailerMailer Metrics Open and Click Rates by Day Report just released today!
Most of you know I am a great fan of MailerMailer. They have issued another great report that you will want to take a look at.
And while you are at it why not signup for their newsletter? They offer great information as well as reports just like these.
Newsletter signup click here.
Download the Clicks By Day Report here:
http://www.mailermailer.com/newsletter/SpecialReportOpenandClickRates.pdf
Joan Pasay is an Email Marketing Specialist and author of the eBook,
"Email Marketing Made Easy -- How to Get Your Customers
To Give You More of Their Money."
Sign up for her FREE weekly Email Marketing Club newsletter at http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/email_marketing_club
Get our Articles RSS Feed athttp://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/articles_rss_feed.asp
View our full list of Articles athttp://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/index.asp
And while you are at it why not signup for their newsletter? They offer great information as well as reports just like these.
Newsletter signup click here.
Download the Clicks By Day Report here:
http://www.mailermailer.com/newsletter/SpecialReportOpenandClickRates.pdf
Joan Pasay is an Email Marketing Specialist and author of the eBook,
"Email Marketing Made Easy -- How to Get Your Customers
To Give You More of Their Money."
Sign up for her FREE weekly Email Marketing Club newsletter at http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/email_marketing_club
Get our Articles RSS Feed athttp://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/articles_rss_feed.asp
View our full list of Articles athttp://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/index.asp
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Email Marketing Lesson: How To Build An Email List, Part Two of Two
Do you remember the word I made up last time?
Unjoin.
Today I'll let you know what the concept of unjoining means and how it will get you in trouble with your customers.
So, what does it mean to 'unjoin' a list before you join it?
Here are two real life examples I came across the other day from two very large companies who should know better (I will leave the guilty parties unnamed).
Real life example one - From a large multinational car company website:
I do not wish to receive
( ) ABC Company special events and promotions
( ) ABC Company Retailer promotions
( ) Marketing Surveys
Do you see where this company is requiring the customer to unjoin the list before they even joined?
If the customer did not check the boxes above they would be put on three email lists! I call this reverse permission email marketing and I think it stinks.
Real life example two - From a large national telecommunications company website:
(x)Yes, I want to receive via e-mail, information and special offers on products and services from XYZ Company and its affiliates.
Whoops, this company has already checked the box for the customer! This is a sneaky way to get more email addresses on your Email marketing list. Lots of people don't notice the pre-checked box and submit the form with the box checked.
The result?
Email marketing messages flooding an unsuspecting customer's inbox.
Did the customer ask to be added to the list?
No.
They were tricked into being put on the Email marketing list.
Now, I know all of readers of this article would never do this to your sacred customers. Why would you?
*****It just ticks people off and you are getting customers
on your Email list who really don't want to be a part of it*****
So how do you really ask customers to be on your list?
You ask people to join and let them join if they want to.
Don't:
-trick people into joining by pre-checking boxes-ask people to say which newsletters they DON'T want to receive
Here are some ethical ways to ask:
Offline businesses:
-use a blank check box on a paper form that you are using to gather information
-use a blank check box on a paper "customer profile" form
-use a blank checkbox on a paper contest entry form-use a signup sheet at your cash register and get the customer to signup on the spot
Online businesses:
-use an email newsletter signup form on your website
-ask the question (with an unchecked check box) when your customer is paying for their order online
-ask the question (with an unchecked check box) when your customer is placing a customer service request
Here is my three-step Email list building recipe:
1. Always ask your customer's permission to add them to your Email marketing list.
2. Be thankful for the email addresses you get on your Email marketing list.
3. Know that the customers on your Email marketing list really want to hear from you and will respond when you email them.
Joan Pasay is a dynamic e-marketing coach & the author of:
Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. For online and offline businesses.
Sign up for her FREE weekly Email Marketing Club newsletter at: http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/email_marketing_club
Get our Articles RSS Feed at:http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/articles_rss_feed.asp
Feel free to send this article to anyone you wish.
Copyright - Joan Pasay 2005
Unjoin.
Today I'll let you know what the concept of unjoining means and how it will get you in trouble with your customers.
So, what does it mean to 'unjoin' a list before you join it?
Here are two real life examples I came across the other day from two very large companies who should know better (I will leave the guilty parties unnamed).
Real life example one - From a large multinational car company website:
I do not wish to receive
( ) ABC Company special events and promotions
( ) ABC Company Retailer promotions
( ) Marketing Surveys
Do you see where this company is requiring the customer to unjoin the list before they even joined?
If the customer did not check the boxes above they would be put on three email lists! I call this reverse permission email marketing and I think it stinks.
Real life example two - From a large national telecommunications company website:
(x)Yes, I want to receive via e-mail, information and special offers on products and services from XYZ Company and its affiliates.
Whoops, this company has already checked the box for the customer! This is a sneaky way to get more email addresses on your Email marketing list. Lots of people don't notice the pre-checked box and submit the form with the box checked.
The result?
Email marketing messages flooding an unsuspecting customer's inbox.
Did the customer ask to be added to the list?
No.
They were tricked into being put on the Email marketing list.
Now, I know all of readers of this article would never do this to your sacred customers. Why would you?
*****It just ticks people off and you are getting customers
on your Email list who really don't want to be a part of it*****
So how do you really ask customers to be on your list?
You ask people to join and let them join if they want to.
Don't:
-trick people into joining by pre-checking boxes-ask people to say which newsletters they DON'T want to receive
Here are some ethical ways to ask:
Offline businesses:
-use a blank check box on a paper form that you are using to gather information
-use a blank check box on a paper "customer profile" form
-use a blank checkbox on a paper contest entry form-use a signup sheet at your cash register and get the customer to signup on the spot
Online businesses:
-use an email newsletter signup form on your website
-ask the question (with an unchecked check box) when your customer is paying for their order online
-ask the question (with an unchecked check box) when your customer is placing a customer service request
Here is my three-step Email list building recipe:
1. Always ask your customer's permission to add them to your Email marketing list.
2. Be thankful for the email addresses you get on your Email marketing list.
3. Know that the customers on your Email marketing list really want to hear from you and will respond when you email them.
Joan Pasay is a dynamic e-marketing coach & the author of:
Email Marketing Made Easy: How To Get Your Customers To Give You More Of Their Money. For online and offline businesses.
Sign up for her FREE weekly Email Marketing Club newsletter at: http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/email_marketing_club
Get our Articles RSS Feed at:http://EmailMarketingMadeEasy.com/articles/articles_rss_feed.asp
Feel free to send this article to anyone you wish.
Copyright - Joan Pasay 2005
