Tips for creating email campaign content

Sending out an email campaign for the first time may seem a bit daunting to those who have never engaged in marketing before. But simply following best email marketing tips and practices can help create successful email campaigns that keep readers engaged and eager for more. Here are three tips to creating the content for an email campaign:

Use the 80/20 rule: The principle of the 80/20 rule is that 80% of the content in an email should be purely for educational or informative purposes, while only 20% should be content that promotes the firm. Email subscribers are more likely to engage with a campaign that provides information they are interested in. Campaigns that only focus on content that tells readers to purchase products or services may overwhelm or annoy readers, which can result in higher rates of opt-outs and unsubscribes.

Include expectations: Make sure you inform new subscribers exactly what they can expect from receiving your email newsletters when they use the signup form. Don’t forget to include the type of content they will receive, and the frequency in which they will receive it. Setting newsletter expectations early can lower email opt-outs as readers know exactly what they are getting.

Use an irresistible subject line: Many people don’t realise that an email campaign’s subject line is one of the most important aspects of an email’s content. Using a compelling or creative subject line will make readers want to read the content. Don’t settle for overused lines like ‘February newsletter’; use language that will engage readers to read further.

Five steps to writing a business blog post – fast!

Successful blogs are those that are regularly updated with fresh and relevant content. These blogs require time and dedication; two characteristics a business can often struggle to find.

Below are five simple steps that can help make writing a blog post a speedy and easy task.

1. Make a list of the five biggest problems your clients have. Pick one.

2. It is likely that the problem chosen is quite broad. To write a tight and focused blog post, you will need to hone in on that problem. A good way of doing this is to think of questions related to that problem. Once you decide on a question, think of three key points that could answer that question.

3. Pretend someone has asked you this question to your face. Write down exactly how you would answer them. Don’t edit what you write (yet!) just write.

4. Once you’re finished, read it a few times to see if any parts need to be edited, or if any points need to be explained more clearly.

5. Upload to your blog and hit publish!

Seven steps to writing an engaging blog post

A quality blog can help businesses build a strong online presence. But one of the main challenges they face is crafting original content on a constant basis. Using systems can help businesses overcome this problem and produce regular, high-quality blog content.  A systematic approach to blogging may sound boring, but in reality, it can make the task a whole lot easier. Below is an example of a system that is designed to make writing blog posts as simple as possible.

1. Pick a topic ahead of time
Choosing a topic and trying to write it at the same time can kill productivity. Make a list of topics and titles to work from ahead of time to make this process fast and simple.

2. Write an engaging introductory paragraph
Introductions help to define the progress and flow of a blog post. They should be kept simple, capture readers attention, and share the main idea of the article.

3. Create an outline
Blog posts need a structured outline to be successful. Blogs with no outline tend to ramble, and may confuse or bore readers.

4. Share research
Find a case study, news article or other high-quality content that supports the point you’re trying to make in the blog post. Backing up your claims with actual research can build trust with online readers.

5. Add Images
Break up your content with a few relevant images. But be aware of online copyright laws, and always cite your sources.

6. Create a Conclusion
Sometimes writing the conclusion before writing the blog post can be productive. It causes the blog article to stay tight and focused. Conclusions should be short and summarise the article.

7. Finish with a question
Questions can get readers thinking about your blog post, which in turn can increase reader engagement.

The essentials of a modern website design

Businesses who keep their websites up to date with emerging trends and technologies are more likely to increase their opportunities for traffic and exposure. Those who allow their websites to become outdated, not only miss out on these opportunities, but also risk being penalised by search engines.

Below are four website design elements businesses should consider when designing or redesigning their website to keep up with the changing nature of the online landscape.

– Navigation: Online visitors will not stay on a site for very long if they can’t find what they are looking for. A website’s navigation should be easy to find and be consistent across every page.

– Content: Publishing great content on a website can improve the reputation of a business, and result increased visitors, sales and SEO benefits as well.

– Mobile-Friendly: Web users have moved to using mobile devices to browse the internet. Making sure a website is mobile-friendly can avoid any losses in potential website traffic.

– Social media integration: Incorporating social media into a website may allow a business to reach and interact with potential clients in ways that a website simply does not offer.

Never forget that social media is a two-way street

A lot of business owners are new to social media marketing, and, as with all new endeavours, there are always a few early pitfalls. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is treating social media platforms as though they are traditional media platforms. That is, using them to broadcast a one-directional message.

Social media is an interactive mode of communication. It is about inviting your audience to participate in the communication process and reacting to their responses. Engaging people on social media can involve starting discussions, inviting people to share experiences or photographs, or having an online competition. There is no limit to ways that you can connect with your customers online, and the more imaginative you are, the better your chances of success!

The ABCs of SEO

Have you ever wondered why Google and other search engines will turn up some companies results over others? The answer is search engine optimisation or SEO.

To improve your SEO, you need to understand what it is that search engines are looking for in their algorithms. The problem is that these algorithms are a) not made public, and b) constantly changing. Despite this opacity, there are a couple of things you can do and be confident that you are improving your SEO.

1. Use root directories: Domain naming is important to the structural integrity of your site, so you are far better off using root directories (www.company.com/aboutus) than subdomains (www.aboutus.company.com).

2. Link it up: The more you link your sites to other sites, the more search engines will recognise your site as legitimate

3. Use keywords: This is especially important in your URLs

4. Optimise user experience: IF your site is hard to navigate, there is a good chance that search engines will recognise this and penalise you accordingly

Online security

Businesses are becoming more concerned with having an online presence; however they should also be concerned about the security issues that this can cause.

There is always a risk of malicious campaigns or viruses occurring online in an attempt to infiltrate business systems.

Even if the business is not directly active online, its employees most certainly are. This can prevent a risk if the employees are discussing the business online, or if they are accessing their social media accounts on the businesses computers.

The best way to approach the businesses security online is through a frequently reviewed set of procedures and policies.

However, there are a number of ways to secure the businesses online presence:

-Create a policy and procedures document on social media activity within the business. Ensure that all employees are familiar with it, and what they can and cannot do concerning their personal online presence.

-Double check when opening a link from a social media page on business computers as hackers may create false pages to obtain a business’s log in details.

– Ensure that the business has different emails for each social media platform. If hackers are able to get their hands on the email for one site, they are likely to attempt to hack different accounts.

-Advise employees to choose their online friends wisely and that it is not wise to accept friend requests from people they do not know.

-Hold regular workshops and seminars with employees and technical assistance to educate them on the latest security practices and what dangers they may be facing online.

Boost website traffic

Increasing website traffic is an important way in attracting the attention of customers to a business.  It also assists in higher conversion rates and repeat business.

Although it can be costly, there are budget conscious strategies that can increase a business’s search engine optimisation (SEO) and encourage more traffic to their website.

Videos

Videos clips are becoming increasingly popular as a marketing tool and can be a valuable asset to a company’s website.

Videos are cheap and easy to make, and can be used to link back to a website. Images also often rank higher than text in search engines.

Blogging

Regularly updated and high quality blogs can increase a website’s visibility within a search engine. Links to the blog can also be posted on social networking sites and other blogs to encourage people to click through to the website.

Keywords

Using the right keywords on a website will allow for SEO. The keywords are best placed in headings, homepage titles, and website content. This will increase the likelihood that they are picked up by search engines, or found by people researching a particular topic.

Common website building mistakes

It’s uncommon these days for a business not to have a website. Most businesses understand the power of having an online website and its ability to increase sales.

However, simply having a website doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to drive the results that are expected. A lot of businesses find themselves falling into common traps and overlooking important aspects when designing and building a website.

Below is a list of four common mistakes business owners are likely to make when building a website:

1. Difficult to navigate

Customers don’t want to waste their time clicking through a number of website pages to make a purchase. Websites that drive the customer to purchase will have only one call to action button.

When designing businesses should decide on what action is most important and emphasise that option above all others. For example, if a business is focused on online sales, then the ‘buy now’ button should be most prominent on the page.

2. Too much content

Clients don’t want to waste their time reading through an overload of text. Instead, consider whether the information is best displayed visually, through an image or video.

3. Not thinking about mobile

Most businesses are focused on designing a website for online that they often forget about mobile. Mobile traffic is only going to increase, so businesses should design a website with both desktop and website in mind.

A good mobile website should be structured similar to an app, designed for easy navigation and a constant visible call to action button.

4. Overly complex jargon

Businesses often struggle to describe what they do without using complicated industry jargon. Any text used on the website should be structured towards the target audience and be written in a way that is easily understood  by them.

A guide to email marketing

Email marketing can be one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers. It can be used to inform people about a new offer, or to promote a specific product or service.

Many businesses also send out more general emails, for example a regular newsletter or a Christmas card. This is generally a good idea; however, you have to be careful not to overdo it. Annoying people by sending them too many emails can be enormously damaging to your brand, and may indeed lose you customers down the track, particularly if they request that you remove them from your email marketing list.

Here are some tips to improve your email marketing:

-The subject of the email is critical. If the subject is not intriguing, people will not open the email. Not only will this mean that you’ve wasted your time and effort, but it also creates the impression that your firm sends out redundant emails.

-Keep the body of the email short and sweet. People are busy and will appreciate that you have been concise.

-Be conservative with images; they can be hard to open in some email programs and can also slowdown the time it takes to open an email from a smartphone

-Send your email at a time when your target audience is likely to be online! For professionals this is generally around lunch time on a weekday, whereas for the general public it’s usually Sunday evenings