Tag: email

RocketResponder Is Email Marketing Software Made Easy

Patrick Griffin Leave a comment

writing emails for your subscribers Traditionally email marketing software has a reputation of being a little hard to understand and a bit of a minefield for the non-technical.

However at RocketResponder we believe that using email marketing software should be about as easy as sending a regular email…it is just that the message is going to more people, that’s all.

The problem with a complex system is that the longer it takes to master the less time people will actually spend using it and that just doesn’t make any sense at all.

An email marketing platform is designed to be used and used regularly, so it makes sense for it to be simple, intuitive and fast. Log on, open the email editor, select the list(s) you want to contact, write your email and press send is the kind of complexity that we should be talking about here.

If you have to spend hours studying a manual or struggling to interpret what the complex video tutorials are trying to get at, then the software is far too complicated.

Surely it far better that this is a simple “on demand” tool that you open up and use when you need it and get on with running your business when you don’t.

There is another thing that we passionately believe about at RocketResponder and that is that email marketing software is not just for email marketers. In fact you don’t even need to work online to be able to make great use from such software.

RocketResponder is designed to be as useful for those working online as it is for those working offline…in fact if you have a group of people you need to contact by email on a regular basis then it could be the best email marketing solution for you.

Churches, restaurants, political groups, small businesses, non-profit organizations and charities are all groups who may not traditionally be associated with email marketing, but which could all benefit from it.

In fact the list is virtually endless. Clear communication is vital both in the online and offline communities and email is a great way to get a message across in a clear manner to the very people who want to hear that message.

Today’s email marketing technology means that is now easier than ever before to handle your vital communication yourself, without having to hand it over to an expensive third party.

You really don’t need any great technical knowledge to manage subscriber lists and send them regular emails about things which are important to them and to you.

However you do need to consider whether you are currently using the best email solution for you and whether you are using email marketing effectively for communication.

If you have not considered using email marketing technology like RocketResponder until now, then this might be an ideal opportunity to discover just what it could mean for you.

Six Simple Email Marketing Solutions To Grow Your Business

Patrick Griffin Leave a comment

business email

Email marketing can be a bit of a minefield and if you get it wrong you can do your reputation (and indeed your business) a lot of harm.

It is never simply a matter of firing off a quick email with the first random thoughts that come into your head and pressing ‘send.’ However judging from some of the marketing emails I receive, it seems that this is exactly what some people actually do.

There is an art to email marketing and these six simple email marketing solutions will help ensure that your emails get opened, read and acted on:

  1.  Never, ever send spam. The golden rule is that you only send business emails to those people who have given you permission to do so. Targeting random people in the hope they want your goods or services (or worse – buying email lists for the same purpose) is not the way to go. Do not do this.
  2. Respect your email list. You may think you have the most wonderful offer that your subscribers will be fighting over to get their hands on. The trick is to promote it well…but not so much that your subscribers will get sick of hearing about it. For example ten emails a day would almost certainly be too much. But would three…or four?
  3. Really know your subscribers. People love personal service and despite the long-distance aspect of the Internet, people still enjoy great levels of personal service. So while most people on your list will know that your marketing message is going to everyone, they still want to think that it has been written just for them. When you really know your subscribers, your emails will always be relevant and you will instinctively know when the time is right to send out another marketing mailing.
  4. Know what you want to say. Before you set out to write any business email you must know what you want to say. If you don’t have a clear idea what your message is and what the desired response to your email is then don’t even consider writing it yet. You have to get this clear in your own head so take time on getting this step right.
  5. Say what you mean to say. Make a list of the key points you want to cover in your email. This ensures that you don’t miss out anything important and that you don’t include anything irrelevant. Use clear, simple and concise language that everyone can understand. You will never get complaints that your emails are too easy to understand.
  6. Don’t mail to sleeping customers. I don’t understand why so many people like to send emails at midnight…I can’t read emails while I am sleeping. Even worse, by the time I am awake then the midnight emails are right at the back of the queue. Spend some time working out when the best time is to send emails to your list. This can dramatically affect your open, click through and conversion rates.

Finally you will want to use a reputable auto-responder to manage your email campaigns. This must be flexible enough to meet your needs, must actually get your emails delivered and be easy to use. RocketResponder was designed to be fast, flexible and efficient – while not surprising you with unwelcome price hikes as your subscriber list grows.

If you follow these six simple email marketing solutions then your emails should get opened by your subscribers and they will be more likely to take the action you want them to take.

Why You Must Engage With Your Email Subscribers

Patrick Griffin Leave a comment

writing emails for your subscribersIt is a great feeling whenever someone signs up to your auto-responder list because it means that you have captured their attention.

You put something out there which was sufficiently appealing to a complete stranger that they said “I want to hear from you again.”

The more you put the word out then the more people you will get to sign up and at RocketResponder it is easy to keep track of your email subscribers and of how much they engage with you.

In email marketing it is the engagement factor which is key to your online success. Once someone has joined your list it is important to begin building up a relationship with them so that they will be encouraged to engage with you.

Your job is to get them to like you and, to this end, you want to share information about yourself when you communicate by email.

Encourage your subscribers to follow you on Twitter or Facebook or to check out your blog or YouTube channel if you have one.

If they do this then follow them back and thank them for engaging with you.

In your emails actively ask for interaction, for people’s thoughts, opinions and feedback where it is appropriate to do so.

You want to get people used to clicking links in your email so they can check out your latest offers and go on to buy from you when you want them to.

Email is fun and the more that you can get to engage with your list, the more fun it becomes.

When It Comes To Subject Lines, Size Does Not Matter Too Much

Patrick Griffin 1 Comment

subject linesSubject lines: Recently we explained that it is a good idea to keep your emails short rather than long when communicating with your subscribers.

People are busy, they are increasingly also doing something else when reading emails and they don’t have very much time to spend reading each one.

So when you are using an auto-responder like RocketResponder, it is a good idea not to make too much of a demand on people’s time if you want to keep your subscribers happy.

However when it comes to the subject lines, the size is much less important than you might think.

The only job of the subject line is to grab the reader’s attention in such a way that they go on to open the email.

Sometimes if takes a very short subject line to achieve this goal and sometimes it takes one a bit longer.

The bottom line is don’t be frightened of writing a long subject line if you think that it what it takes.

It is far better to write a good subject line which is long than a bad subject line which is too short.

In fact I remember seeing the results of a survey into subject lines where billions of subject lines, ranging from the very shortest ones right up to long ones of 148 characters or more, were analyzed.

When these were checked to see if there was a difference between subject line length and the numbers of opens and clicks the results were…there was virtually no difference at all.

So when it comes to subject lines don’t worry about length, just worry about making them so interesting that your email gets opened.

See also: Rocket Responder – When It Comes To Writing Emails, Size Matters

Why “W” Is Your Best Friend

Patrick Griffin Leave a comment

Marketing email writing tips

Marketing email writing tips: Sometimes when you have written an email for your RocketResponder subscribers, you may have a nagging feeling that you have left something out.

I know I have done this and I know many other people who have done the same.

It can happen when really important information gets left off such as the links you want your subscribers to click or the date or time that a particular event is taking place.

In these situations having some sort of template or guide can prove very useful and answering the five “W” questions may be a good place to start.

The questions are:

  • Who? – Who will benefit from this email? Who are you looking to target?
  • What? – What are the main points you want to get across? Make sure you cover tham all. What action would you like your subscribers to take after they have read your email.
  • Where? – Where is the action taking place? Is there a physical venue you need to mention or a specific URL you want to direct people to?
  • When? – Is the material time sensitive or is there a deadline or a specific date you must mention in the email?
  • Why? – Why are you writing this now? Why is your offer so good right now or why should your subscriber take the action you want them to take?

Obviously you don’t have to stick to this formula or always cover all the points mentioned but remembering the five “W” questions can act as a good starting point to ensure that the main points get covered each and every time.