1. Tie Your Campaign to a Customer Benefit

Avoid running email marketing campaigns for the heck of it — you’ll only annoy customers. Instead, find a customer problem that needs solving, and use your email marketing to articulate how you’ll do it. PayPal did this by hooking potential customers with the promise of smoothing out the process of splitting bills.

2. Have an Actual List

It seems hard to believe, but many businesses don’t have enough of a list to get a successful email campaign going. You can do a few things to build your database of email subscribers. For instance, offer a free product, demo or trial when people sign up, or provide an e-newsletter. Remember to include calls to action where applicable, and always explain your privacy policies.

3. Segment Your Email Marketing Campaign

Would you try to sell a product to your grandmother in the exact same way you would to a child? Probably not, because different audiences require different approaches. Follow this philosophy by practicing segmentation. Moreover, check the effectiveness of your marketing by using metrics to test your approaches among various groups. While you can segment by categories such as age, life stage and so on, you can also segment by categories such as people interested only in your newsletter, or folks interested in product updates but not daily email tips.

4. Write Clearly

An email marketing campaign is not the time to be clever or punny. Create a straightforward subject line that tells the reader precisely what to expect in the body of the email. This may lead to fewer people opening the email, but those who do open it will be invested. Use your email to explain how your business can help the customer, and set out a compelling call to action for further research. Conversions matter more than the amount of people who open the email.

5. Define Success

Last, but not least, you won’t know if a campaign has been successful unless you define an objective before the campaign begins. For example, do you want a certain percentage of click-throughs? Use a few different metrics to measure success; common ones include the unsubscribe rate, the deliverability rate and the open rate.

Sources:

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/32854/10-Simply-Awesome-Examples-of-Email-Marketing.aspx

https://blog.kissmetrics.com/beginners-guide-email-marketing/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2015/05/07/tips-for-a-successful-email-campaign/3/

The Email Metric You Should Be Tracking, But Aren’t

The post 5 Common Sense Tips for Successful Email Marketing Campaigns appeared first on SendPress.

1. Create an engaging subject line

The subject is what consumers see first, and it is a critical component of any marketing email. You need to create a subject line that makes the consumer want to open and read the email. Keeping it short and simple is also important, leading with only the main point of the email message, such as "25% off all toys!" or "Promotional reward for loyal customers!"

Tip: Think about what would make you want to read an email. Consider an A/B email marketing campaign to see which subject line garners better results.

2. Craft your copy

You don’t want to blast consumers in the face with a pushy message, but you don’t want to bore them either. Blend your promotional or sales message with other material or images that provide the consumer with important information and explains why the consumer should click through on your call to action.

Tip: Using checklists to describe a product’s features or the benefits of a particular promotion reads better than long sentences and large paragraphs.

3. Use the right tone and get consumers involved

Today’s consumers want a rewarding shopping experience, and they want to be appreciated by the businesses where they shop. Always try to recognize customer loyalty in your emails, and if applicable, give consumers a chance to interact with the business. You can do so through links to blog posts, social media pages or surveys.

4. Create a clear call to action

When you write your call to action, make sure the consumer has a valid reason for following your directive. What do consumers get in return for their time spent on your website? Is the reason for the call to action clear to them? Keep the message straightforward, and make the call to action easy to find.

5. Know your market

Knowing your target market will help you write better, more appealing emails. If you have a target market consisting of different demographics, consider writing separate emails for each particular segment, rather than one mass message to all.

Following the preceding tips should improve the return on investment (ROI) of your email marketing campaigns. Additionally, if more of your emails are read and calls to action are followed, your brand visibility will increase.

Sources:

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/How_to_write_killer_email_subject_lines_45908.aspx

http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/how-to-write-a-killer-sales-email.html

5 Tips for Writing Killer Email Copy

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What would you say about a product that would eliminate the biggest headaches of sending email (not just newsletters but all email) through WordPress? And what if it didn’t even require SendPress or SendPress Pro but was still engineered to turn them into the most powerful email newsletter communication tool for WordPress on the planet? 

We thought so! Introducing WP Email Delivery

Here’s the problem: Hosting providers often block SMTP ports meaning YOUR messages don’t get sent. It’s also common to experience poor inbox delivery and high spam rates because your sender (shared server IP) has a bad reputation. Even for Pro users it can be complicated to choose other third party options and configure another account and don’t even get me started about waiting for a few thousand messages to leave the queue.  Soon everyone will be able to send through a reputable sender with just a couple clicks and get support soup to nuts.

Coming with the SendPress 1.5 release later this month we will be bundling WP Email Delivery (also available as a separate plugin) right into SendPress. This API-based email plugin doesn’t require SMTP ports to be open, doesn’t experience road blocks from your hosting provider blocking email, doesn’t necessitate opening any ports in your firewall, and handles your bounces with grace. Best of all WP Email Delivery can increase your hourly sending rate from 3,600 per hour up to 25,000 per hour (or higher depending on your sending reputation).

WP Email Delivery also doesn’t require SendPress. You can install it separately and when you enter your API Key you’ll automatically configure all WordPress emails to be sent out via our service. Some examples of WordPress emails that we will handle automatically are Password Resets, E-commerce Plugin emails (Easy Digital Downloads and Woo Commerce), Other WordPress newsletter plugins (A-hem, what?), Contact Forms (Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7, and others)…Basically if it’s an Email generated by WordPress or a WordPress plugin we can handle it and get it where it needs to go reliably and fast!

Depending on the number of email messages you send per month, there is an affordable plan built specifically to meet your needs. We have 3 annual plans starting at 500 email messages per month for a mere $18. All annual plans offer a free 15 day trial to check it out. Just add your payment info (for when you decide you love it), and start sending! From there, we have 3 monthly plans starting at 10,000 per month and you can always contact us for plans beyond 50,000 if you’re addicted to email! All plans include premium email support. And really, who doesn’t want the ability to chat with us from time to time? 

Yearly Pricing Options

Monthly Pricing Options

The post Announcing WP Email Delivery appeared first on SendPress.

The Benefits of Social Media Posting Automation

Don’t chain yourself to your computer when other business functions need your touch. Social media posting automation lets you move away from manually posting your content, so you can free up time to better spend elsewhere. You also gain control over your posting times, such as posting over the weekends or after everyone has left the office. The optimal posting time varies depending on your audience and niche, so automating your posting schedule lets you experiment with different times. If you operate a nationwide or international business, you don’t have to stay after hours for time zone appropriate posting.

Automated Posting Solutions

The best automated social media posting solution depends on the social networks you use the most, your must-have features, and your business budget. Here are several options ideal for creating scheduled posts across your social media profiles.

Buffer

This web-based service offers free and paid service tiers and supports for scheduling posts on Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, and Facebook profiles and pages. One handy feature Buffer offers that you won’t see in similar tools is RSS feed integration. If an influencer within your industry posts an interesting feature on his or her website, sharing from Buffer requires only a few clicks.

Post Planner

This paid tool combines post scheduling with content curation. It pulls relevant content from multiple sources, predicting the best matches for performance and your audience. Using these content sources or your own provides you with several ways to engage your audience. Post Planner‘s re-publishing feature lets you designate evergreen content suitable for posting multiple times.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite supports over 35 social networks, positioning it as the most flexible option in the pack. In addition to post scheduling, this service offers analytical tools so you can narrow down the best posting schedule. You can plan up to 350 posts at a time, spread between over 100 social media profiles.

Successfully growing your social media presence doesn’t require an endless amount of attention. Automated social media posting tools let you work smarter, not harder, and provide your audience with the consistent posts it demands.

Website

If are ready to start posting to social media but you don’t have a website yet you can get more information about how to get started at http://firstsiteguide.com/make-website/. They have a great guide to help you on your way.

The post How to Automate Your Social Media Posting appeared first on SendPress.

Growing Trend Towards Personalization

Everyone has the ability to easily filter out email messages they’d rather not see, which has led to the trend of email personalization. One potential customer will not be drawn by the same things that another is attracted to, so a message that appeals to one might just be ignored by the other.

While it may sound like a pipe dream, email personalization is possible. In fact, WordPress plugins like SendPress already allow users to choose their own lists to subscribe to, and 2015 will likely see an explosion in this type of technology. If you’re not sold on this yet, just look at some of the benefits:

1. Lead nurturing is improved.
2. Conversion rate increases.
3. Audience becomes more passionate about product.

Realization That Not All Pop-Ups Are Bad

People have long had to deal with pop-ups on the Internet, so it seems counterintuitive to think that these annoyances may make a comeback. Fortunately, they’re not how you remember them. Sites are increasingly using "pop-up boxes" on their websites to get users’ email addresses.

The best thing about these boxes is that pop-up blockers don’t stop them because they are just part of the page, so there’s really nothing to block. A person can simply enter their email and click "Submit," or they can hit cancel and still see the content they came for.

Email lists are growing thanks to this tool and, in the end, you’ll have more eyes on your newsletters because of it. If you want an actual brand new technological advancement that will change email marketing, though, it might just be wearable technology.

Wearable Technology Changes The Game

Only a decade ago, computer watches were the thing of James Bond films, but if you’ve been watching the news lately, you know that this is no longer the case. "Smart watches," and other forms of wearable technology, will hit the ground running, and your email marketing campaign needs to be ready.

Potential clients will have the ability to filter out messages without ever having to view them on their smartphone or computer. In the end, this means your focus on header text, visuals and subject lines will have to increase exponentially.

Increase in Automated Email Campaigns

Some WordPress plugins, such as the aforementioned SendPress, already allow users to automate their email marketing. In fact, many business owners and marketers currently have access to this technology but don’t make use of it. In 2015 and the years to come, this will all change.

Email is becoming more integrated with other means of marketing and this, combined with increasing time constraints, will lead marketers to lean more on automated campaigns. Since all of your emails can be automated, you can use your time to handle other important issues involved with running a business.

In the end, email marketing constantly evolves with changing technology. Getting ahead of these evolving trends could make a huge difference in your email marketing strategy.

The post Email Marketing Trends That Will Change The Game In 2015 appeared first on SendPress.

Simms Jenkins @SimmsJenkins

Simms Jenkins is the CEO of BrightWave, an agency touted as North America’s leader in email marketing. He also authored the books The New Inbox and The Truth About Email Marketing. On his feed, you’re likely to see articles on everything from subject-line best practices to using tools like SendPress to handle email marketing.

Mackenzie Fogelson @mackfogelson

As the founder and CEO of Mack Web, Mackenzie Fogelson is an expert in email marketing. Fortunately, she also knows about Web marketing in general. On her feed, you’ll find everything from how to make the best marketing videos to tricks to get the most out of email WordPress plugins.

Chad White @chadswhite

Although he’s the research director at Litmus, many people simply know him as the author of Email Marketing Rules. He has also written numerous articles and blogs about email marketing trends. With nearly 11,000 followers and counting, it’s obvious people want to hear what he has to say.

Scott Hardigree @indiescott

Scott’s feed is full of useful email marketing information. His posts prove he’s an eclectic soul, but he knows how to craft an amazing email campaign. If you’re following him, you’ll have access to plenty of email-marketing resources, and you’ll be the first to know about upcoming webinars and email trends.

Jay Jhun @emailrocks

He admits that he’s fanatical about email, and as the VP of Strategic Services at BrightWave, Jay Jhun lives up to that claim. Jhun runs a team whose primary focus is to improve email marketing strategies. From list growth to developing strategies from the ground up, he’s a key resource for those who want to learn more about marketing through email.

Jordie van Rijn @jvanrijn

Jordie van Rijn is many things, but the very first role he has listed on his Twitter profile is "email marketing consultant." His page is a treasure trove of amazing information, and it also links to his informative blog, which answers every possible question you could have about email marketing.

Loren McDonald @LorenMcDonald

As the VP and self-proclaimed "evangelist" of major marketing company Silverpop, Loren McDonald has the experience to back his theory. He tweets videos and articles that explain how to engage customers and authored Almost Everything You Wanted to Know About Email Marketing.

Whether you just copy/paste emails to 10 clients or you need a WordPress plugin to contact hundreds at once, these Twitter users can help you improve your chances of success. With the right email software and advice, there’s nothing standing in your way.

The post 7 Twitter Users to Follow if You Use Email Marketing appeared first on SendPress.

Opt-in Form Placement

The placement of your opt-in form probably has the biggest effect on sign-up rates. You can write exciting, engaging copy and design an irresistible lead magnet, but if users don’t see the form your opt-in rate will still be low. Some of the most effective placements include

• Top of the sidebar. If collecting emails is one of your primary goals, your opt-in form should be above any ads or other sidebar content. It should be the first thing users see when they start searching your blog.

• Lightbox pop-up. If you offer a lead magnet that your users genuinely want, they are more likely to view the pop-up favorably. There are a number of plugins that can insert pop-ups into WordPress, and many have customizable features to control when a pop-up is displayed.

• End of posts. If readers make it to the bottom of one of your posts, they probably to want to read more of your content. Make it easy for them to sign up by adding your opt-in form code directly to your theme’s files or using a WordPress Plugin to insert it dynamically.

Effective Lead Magnets

Your lead magnet provides a compelling reason for a user to provide an email address. Many blogs make the mistake of using a generic sign-up form that doesn’t offer a strong reason to sign-up. If your current opt-in form’s only benefit is similar to “Enter your e-mail for our free newsletter,” you’re probably missing out on subscribers.

Your lead magnet must be something your target audience finds highly valuable. It can be as simple as a special tip or as complicated as an entire online course. The best type of lead magnet depends on your market. Hobby niches often enjoy guides, eBooks or newsletters, while professional audiences tend to respond better to industry white papers.

Writing Opt-in Form Copy

Finally, you need to write copy that persuades the user to sign up. The headline is the most important part of the opt-in form. It should clearly tell the user how they benefit from signing up to your list. The call to action is also vital. Specific text that reinforces your lead magnet, such as “Claim Free Guide Now,” often works better than a generic CTA such as “Sign Up.”

The post How to Increase Email Opt-In Rates on Your WordPress Site appeared first on SendPress.

Not Testing Emails

The best way to cause a potential client to close an email without giving it any thought is to have formatting or graphical errors in the message. It looks unprofessional; a small mistake can cause huge issues in an email.

This is why it’s smart to test a message on major email providers before sending it out on a mass scale. By simply forwarding the email to test accounts from Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail and other providers, a marketer can ensure the message will be visually well-received.

Inconsistency

Being inconsistent simply isn’t an option with email marketing. It’s important to show potential customers that there’s always something going on. Of course, the law of diminishing returns applies. Those who send daily emails are likely to simply annoy people. Sending out an email once a week, or at a minimum once a month, is the best way to go about it.

Ignoring Email Statistics

Advertisers often know that analytics are available when marketing through Facebook and phone systems, but few realize that email marketing can provide statistics. SendPress, for instance, gives detailed reports that showcase open rates, unsubscribe rates and number of clicks. Having these analytics at hand can help marketers decide if they’re on the right path.

Making Unsubscribes Difficult

Hell hath no fury like a potential client scorned. Happy clients may sometimes be vocal about their satisfaction; upset clients nearly always voice their unhappiness. Each email should have an Unsubscribe link available, and the process of unsubscribing should never take more than two clicks.

If people have to click on a confirmation notice, remember a password they created months ago or even enter their email address to unsubscribe, they can quickly become annoyed. On top of potentially angering a client, this person may mark these emails as spam.

Subject Line Mistakes

When sending out a newsletter, it’s important to remember that the subject line may be the only thing a person sees. They then have the option to click it or delete it. Writing a boring or nondescript subject line is a surefire way to get a message send straight to the Trash folder.

Take time to come up with a catchy subject line, but never make these intros misleading or deceptive. Once again, this can anger a potential customer.

Sending Unsolicited Emails

Not only is sending unsolicited newsletters illegal, it can also result in loyal customers not receiving these messages. Once a certain number of people mark a message as spam, email providers treat it as such.

Having people write down their email while at a trade show simply isn’t enough; a confirmation email should always be sent. Only after they click to confirm the subscription should they be added to the list.

Contrary to popular belief, email marketing is far from a useless endeavor. When done correctly, it can bring in new clients and keep others loyal. WordPress email marketing tools like SendPress can ensure a campaign is undertaken in a proper way, turning it into a very successful enterprise.

The post The 5 Worst Mistakes Businesses Make with Email Marketing and Newsletters appeared first on SendPress.

Understand Your Audience

SendPress allows you to send different newsletters to different sections of your mailing list. In order to take advantage of this feature, you need to know something about the demographics of your mailing list, such as the age, gender, and interests of your subscribers. You can gather this information through sending out surveys, or by allowing readers to input information about themselves when they subscribe to your mailing list.

Use Responsive Design

People use a variety of devices to check and read their emails. If you want your emails to make an impact on as many readers as possible, you need to design newsletters and other emails that display correctly on all devices. When you use SendPress to send your emails, responsive design is simple to implement; SendPress has an easy-to-use editor that you can use to create emails that look great on all browsers, email clients, and mobile devices.

Write Engaging Subject Lines

For email marketers, the biggest challenge is often just getting subscribers to open newsletters. With so many people receiving a barrage of emails every day, making your correspondence stand out from the crowd can be tough. The key is to write subject lines that make subscribers want to open the email and find out more, rather than generic headlines such as "April newsletter." You should always aim to rouse the reader’s curiosity in the subject line of an email newsletter, then follow up with relevant, fresh content in the email body.

Gather Feedback and Act on It

SendPress allows you to view statistics on your subscribers’ engagement with your emails. For example, you can see the number of people who open each email that you send out. You can use this information to help you experiment with new approaches to your newsletters, such as different layouts, headings, or even sending out emails at different times of day. When you hit upon a new approach that works, you can stick with it to increase engagement among your mailing list.

The post Keeping Your WordPress Readers Engaged With Email Marketing appeared first on SendPress.

Improved Communication

e-Newsletters enhance communication with your customer base. You can reach out to your customer base — both regular customers and those folks you haven’t done business with in months — with a simple email blast. SendPress makes it simple for you to create an e-Newsletter and improve business communication, and you can do so without any programming knowledge.

Up-to-Date Information

Customers who haven’t checked out your website or stopped by your physical location lately might not know what’s going on with your business. An e-Newsletter allows you to share important business information with both long-lost and loyal customers. Whether you’ve gained a new manager, opened a new location or changed your product or service offerings, an e-Newsletter can easily share this information with your network. Share big news, such as industry awards, via an easy-to-create e-Newsletter.

New Business

e-Newsletters can even help drum up business. A well-designed and informative newsletter can encourage both past and potential customers to patronize your business. Consider your e-Newsletter another marketing tool for your business. In this newsletter, you can advertise your services, answer frequently asked questions and offer discounts to encourage customers to try your product or services.

Website Traffic

e-Newsletters might be delivered via email, but their digital form can also boost traffic to your business website. Your e-Newsletter can include links to your website, whether you want to direct readers to a page detailing pricing information or business contact information. These links will encourage readers to visit your website, learn more about your organization and, perhaps, purchase your products or sign up for your services.

Name Recognition

e-Newsletters also help you enhance your business’ name and brand recognition. A thoughtfully crafted, professionally designed newsletter created by SendPress allows you to deliver your brand and company name to the inboxes of past, potential and current clients across the country — or the globe. Even if your business cannot afford national advertising efforts, e-Newsletters offer a more cost-effective way to familiarize customers with your brand.

Conclusion

Thanks to SendPress, e-Newsletters are simple to build and design in WordPress and send to your virtual mailing list. An effective marketing tool, e-Newsletters allow you to connect with your customers digitally, which can have a positive impact on your business’ bottom line.

The post Benefits of Business e-Newsletters appeared first on SendPress.