Bill Carmody says, “Has there ever been a salesperson who closed a million-dollar deal via an outbound email blast? My guess is that the chances this has happened range from slim to none. Author Thom Singer summed it up best in The ABC’s of Networking, when he noted that, “When we shortchange the face-to-face, we shortchange the relationship.” Singer was right, and businesses are following his advice: Despite the proliferation of digital-communication tools in business, in-person events have experienced a renaissance in recent years. In 2015 alone, companies poured $572 billion into... [...]

Lisa Toner says, “As a salesperson chasing quotas month after month, you’ll inevitably spend a lot of your time writing and sending emails. The scary reality, however, is that a shocking 76% of sales emails are never even opened. How are you supposed to sell if you can’t get your prospect’s attention in the first place? Calling leads can be a huge time investment with little return. Reps end up spending their days talking to voicemails instead of demonstrating the value of their product to an interested party. And when you get email right, it can have a huge impact on the entire... [...]

Many beginning marketers have asked themselves that question. And that’s good because it’s a crucial question. Get the answer wrong, and you can waste a lot of money on useless fluff. Even worse, get it wrong, and you very likely will not succeed. Lee Murray, a veteran online marketer of many years standing, has been pondering the question and believes he has the answer, which he includes in his new training, “It’s All You Need”. There are many places online where you can build your business. Murray believes that if you want to start out with an approach that even... [...]

Nikki Gilliland says, “Newsletter subscribers are an incredibly valuable asset for retailers. By signing up, customers are actively showing appreciation for a brand, as well as an interest to hear more in future. As a result – and as our Email Marketing Census highlights – almost three-quarters of companies now rate email marketing as delivering an excellent ROI. But are retailers really using emails to excellent effect? From data capture to saying hello, here’s a look at the email sign-up process offered by a range of online retailers. Let’s start with the best of the bunch. Gap Long... [...]

Kristen Dunleavy says, “Have a growing audience and a solid content strategy? Congrats! You’re on your way to monetizing your business with paid products or services. So how exactly can you make that happen? We talked to photographer Jared Polin, who makes a living from selling his photography guides to his 200K+ email subscribers and 500K+ YouTube followers. In the first part of our case study with Jared, we covered his free content strategy, where he explained his process for creating content and driving traffic to it with email. This time around, we wanted to know how he balances his... [...]

Kevin George says, “First impression may not be the last impression in the world of emails, but it always matters—mainly because user behavior indicates that the maximum chance of emails being opened is only once. So what is it that ensures maximum open rates? Designing the perfect email isn’t just about finding the right images and colors for the message you want to deliver to your subscribers. The process includes everything from choosing a familiar “from” name to crafting the perfect subject line and ensuring your email does not look like a spam mail. Crafting the Perfect Email Visually... [...]

Tom Tate says, “On this episode of Ask Me About Email Marketing, we chat with writer, podcaster, speaker and brand strategist Nick Westergaard to get his take on the current landscape of digital marketing. Nick shares with us actionable insights on how to build a strategy, connect your digital dots, and get the most out of your limited time and resources. Nick’s latest book, Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small, offers a fresh perspective on how to develop a multi-channel marketing strategy, whether you are a solopreneur, or on a large team at a big business. In... [...]

Brian Westnedge says, “It is no secret to digital marketers that email delivers business value. 72 percent of customers rate email as the most preferred method of communication and for every $1 spent, email marketing generates $38 in ROI. Unfortunately, the most valuable marketing channel is also the least secure. Every day, marketers pay a hidden phishing tax—in lost brand trust, in reduced email performance, and in diminished ROI. Email fraud costs companies around the world billions, and can destroy brand reputation—customers are 42 percent less likely to interact with a brand after... [...]

David Freund says, “I absolutely despise email. Perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic here, but the truth is that for most of us, this obligatory form of communication is a necessary evil for survival in business. But there’s too much of it — more 205 billion (that’s with a capital B) emails are sent per day — and it’s too easy to lose track of communication, notes, attachments, and reminders. Mastering email is an art form. But lucky for us, there are an endless number of tips and tools that we can use to avoid mishaps and unnecessary headaches that can come with... [...]

Drew Price says, “You know what hurts? Spending roughly three weeks (or more) shepherding an email from ideation to deployment … only to realize later that an error made it all the way through to your customers’ inboxes. I know this feeling all too well — I’ve made a few dingers myself over the years. And while none of the mishaps resulted in an apology email, they all still haunt me. Want an example? How about this subject line on behalf of The Home Depot: “New Lower Prices on Lightning.” The lesson: Waiting until after approvals are finished to manually type in a... [...]