A or B email marketing

I swear sometimes I feel a little overly smart but truthfully I really just enjoy reading. For instance today I’m reading an awesome Kindle Book entitled The Boron Letters. If you haven’t read it yet I suggest picking it up right now because there are certainly more than a few marketing lessons I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Anyhow,  in one of his letters Gary Halbert wrote about the distinction between A and B mailers and how the ‘A’ mail is always opened and the ‘B’ mail was more of a sometimey open.

This thought made me realize that by simply eradicating B mail characteristics we could instantly improve our email marketing efforts.

I’ve actually been unofficially testing this process for a few weeks now unconsciously I suppose. Basically, I used highly commercial subject lines like ‘simple method proven to make money online’ In contrast I would send the exact same email with a different subject line reading ‘firstname important stuff, please open’ or ‘firstname, need some help?’ … Now there’s no true scientific measurement here but I noticed in general more people were drawn to

1) personalization
2) less gimmicky subject lines

So here’s the deal. If you’re using email marketing in your business the Hype and generalization may be killing your email’s true potential. Instead of approaching your audience with commercial copy try being yourself After all, anyone can be a ‘B’ ….

Thanks for reading,

Andrea Naomi

Should you blog and build an email marketing list?

Yes, it’s true blogging and email marketing are two very different marketing strategies. However, they can actually work in tandem to increase your business’ revenue potential. Oftentimes its difficult to understand the distinction between blogging and email marketing because they are both mediums of communication at their core. However, if you examine the models closely you’ll discover the distinction rests primarily in “how the audience is acquired”. When acquiring an audience through blogging your visibility and reach depends largely on 1) Content 2) Exposure 3) Authority. Eventually if pursued consistently your blogging activities will attract individuals who share an interest in the material your blog provides. In contrast, email marketing implies that you’ve already attracted individuals interested in your content and have the added benefit of increased control in communication. You don’t need a list to be a blogger and in the same respect you do not need to blog to have a list. However, when you put these two strategies together you end up with an extremely lucrative marketing machine.

Why is that?

You see prior to the internet, blogs, and social media traditional forms of advertising promised several benefits. These benefits included

1. Increasing/Enhancing  brand exposure
2. Increasing revenue through foot traffic
3. Increasing revenue through reputability
4. Increasing revenue through association

The biggest problem however with traditional advertising was 1) The cost of advertising 2) Inefficient remarketing processes. It wouldn’t be accurate to say that prior to the internet there was no feasible method for communicating with already interested consumers. The idea of sending a message to customers or potential customers is an age old practice. However, instead of clicking a few buttons and analyzing the impact of that marketing message through open and click rates or Google analytics businesses were forced to resort to spreadsheets, time consumer reporting processes, and manual documentation.

The beauty of combining both blogging and email marketing is that smaller businesses now have the opportunity to market in a way that was once reserved for big business budgets. More importantly, blogging combined with email marketing creates enhances the spectrum of your businesses marketing process. Not only do you have the benefit of advertising your business message, product, or service publicly on the internet. But now you also have the added benefit of being able to repeatedly content people who expresses significant interest in your business without having to spend any more money on another advertising campaign.

Long story short. Combining blogging and list building will enhance your marketing process and ultimately create more sales for your business.

Is Your Blog a marketing tool?

It might surprise you to know that there are millions of blogs and bloggers online today. In fact, back in October of 2011 NM Incite recorded 173 million blogs as sources of online buzz. Blogs are quickly becoming the newest form of instant media but a blog without marketing essentially gets lost in the sea of more than a 100 million blogs.

What really surprises me about the blogosphere is that most people venturing into blogging territory somehow believe there’s a “one size fits all” marketing method. However, if you’re an avid student of blogging you’ll notice that using your blog to as a marketing tool can manifest in many different ways.

For example, some bloggers are entirely against list building. They believe that content will attract readership and focus solely on the content marketing aspect of blogging. Other bloggers place an emphasis on social interaction either through social media platforms or video marketing and then funnel or direct traffic back to their blogs. Other bloggers focus on leveraging publicity through guest posting, authority sites, or press releases. And of course there are bloggers who simply utilize the power of paid marketing to earn market share. There are also many bloggers who utilize multiple strategies as a marketing tool.

As you can see there are many marketing methods bloggers can use to attract traffic and gain credibility within the blogosphere. But I have to caution you. If you’re just starting to build a blog you might want to consider tackling one strategy at a time.

Why? Well it’s very actually very simple. Productivity requires resources and any increase or decrease in resources will have a direct impact on your productivity output. Most new bloggers don’t have the benefit of a team or staff, it’s just a fact. Therefore, time becomes your most valued resource. By choosing a particular blog marketing strategy you’ll be able to devote your time to a specific activity which basically means you’re able to reap larger productivity benefits.

Remember a startup blog is just like any other startup business. You don’t have to start small but you do have to operate on scale. As your readership, revenue, and offerings grow so does the scale of your operation. Whatever stage you may find yourself – don’t be discouraged and remember there’s both a time to sow and a time to reap.

Thanks For Sticking With Me,

Lead Getting Is A Funny Thing

First the door to door salesman, then the cold calling, and now digital prospecting. It’s amazing what marketers will do to get leads for their businesses, promotions, etc. I remember a few years ago some awesome leader told me to round up a list of realtors in a state that has a high demand for a certain product I was selling and then just call them randomly and pitch the product.  So, that night I printed out a list nearly 10 pages long of realtors in Ohio. I was ready to pitch with my list in hand, armed with a script, and just the pure desire to WIN. Some 120 calls later and multiple variations of uncomfortable, “Ummm…I think I’ll pass on this one”  I looked at that stack of realtors and said this is SUPER FUNNY.

That was one of my very first lessons in lead generation. And today I thank that leader with every ounce of gratitude in my bones because I know that the go to “scraped list and script” is definitely for someone else. Why? It wasn’t so much the rejection of it all – I have thick skin you know Instead, it was more like bartering my soul for the idea of “LACK, LESS, SCRAPE, TOIL, DESPERATION” . Not a pretty picture right?

Scraping the bottom of the internet barrel armed only with a PITCH fork felt like I was saying, “No! There’s not enough to go around” And that is the very antithesis of universal law. To search for instead of being found. To disturb instead of excite.

You see lead getting is truly a funny thing because most of us are taught that it’s the end all be all of internet marketing when instead it’s simply the mechanism that connects you with the right people. The truth is you can go about this process in 2 very simple ways

1) Beg, borrow, and steal

————–OR——————-

2) Give, attract, and respond

One requires you to swallow the pill that says, “This world is lacking in everything”

The other requires you to believe that you’re in harmony with the universe and it’s all being rearranged to land at your doorstep. Which one would you choose and why?

http://bit.ly/17cFzki

via LinkedIn

Dealing With Fear

One of the challenging aspects of business is that we’re always on the verge of facing something new. Of course knowledge is an excellent precursor to any solid decision making process. But for me personally I turn to God. I remember my very first start-up a friend asked me who were my investors and I hold her, “Just me and God”.  You see no matter what your doing God can be apart of it. And when he is there’s absolutely nothing to fear.

To Aspiring Home Business Owners

I had the oddest dream today that someone out there needed a half-profound half-cheesy totally unwavering voice of courage TODAY. It’s nearly 10 in the evening and just a few minutes ago I was kicking a soccer ball around with my “big” little brother who’s just dying to be a professional soccer player. Mind you, the sun has been down for hours now and the only source of light is a few dim street lights off in the distance and the god given glow of the moon. We can barely see and he’s just incredibly tired from practice earlier today. But none of that matters to him AND NONE OF IT SHOULD MATTER TO YOU. You see I imagine you’re an aspiring home business owner on the verge of a serious breakthrough. You may be ready to QUIT, to throw in the towel, to say “that’s it I’m done” BUT there’s this longing inside you to pursue your dream YOU ARE AN ENTREPRENEUR. There will be times when you have to play in the dark – roll up your sleaves at half past midnight and get to work. There will be times when your criticized, laughed at, and sometimes dead broke. BUT THAT’S OKAY because the price you have to pay PALES in comparison to what you’re destined to RECIEVE. So keep your head up & CARRY ON. You’re meant to do this!

Email Marketing Theft and Why You Should Avoid it

Recently Ben Settle published a post about a random (unknown) 7 figure marketer who stole his email copy (read the actual post here) . We see this sort of thing happen on the internet time and time again. In fact, most “make money” or “opportunity” product launches include swipe files for their affiliates or ibo’s. Now I’m not against swipe files per say but I definitely don’t agree with intellectual property theft.

I understand there’s a certain lure to ‘copy and paste’ especially in the online marketing profession. But honestly, email marketing theft is one of those unwritten sins  you definitely should avoid at all costs.

Here’s the reason.

Once upon a time in 90′s swiping copy might’ve been effective BUT TODAY it’s a totally different ball game. No one wants to see the same message 25-100 times over. That’s ridiculous! And whether you know it or not the online marketing industry is actually a close knit community keywords like 100% commissions or bootcamp are highly identifiable terms. So when you’re using swipe you’re not only stealing you’re basically doing your email marketing campaigns a huge disservice.

Why I feel so strongly about Ben’s message.

If you’re a publisher at any level whether it’s online or off then you understand that WORDS both written and spoken carry extraordinary value. Historically speaking words start and end wars, revolutionize governments, inspire movements, and save lives. Today the words we use to market our lives or business online have become literal assets, sort of the bridge between a prospect and customer. Basically, it’s not something anyone should take lightly.

Developing Your Personal Email Marketing Voice

Believe it or not – communicating is a natural innate human function. Since the dawn of time people have found their own unique ways to communicate from drawing pictures on walls to creating dialects of already existing languages, and even creating a special childhood language so your parents don’t understand what you’re talking about. Suffice it to say creating your own communication style is NOT impossible. Furthermore, in my experience unless your Nike or Coca-Cola and can fund huge media buys your probably better suited using your PERSONAL STYLE rather than participating in the endless mediocrity of online marketing noise. Trust me being yourself will pay you better, and that’s not some sort of idealistic concept it’s actually true.

Over the past few years I’ve actually had a few of my personally written words stolen. Some people have even gone as far as stealing social media bios which is absurd (but it happened). Crazy right? Honestly, there’s no need for all that silliness.

Has someone ever stolen your content before? If so, please share it with us. If not, simply let us know what you think about the entire email marketing theft subject. As always we enjoy and appreciate your input!

http://bit.ly/Z9r9mY

via LinkedIn

Become a #Social Media Trader with Empire Avenue

I always enjoy really cool tech stuff and when it’s paired with Social media well I get a little addicted sometimes (just putting it out there). Today, I came across a site called Empire Avenue. What makes this site very different from every other social media extension is the unique financial “trading” take. Now, let’s be clear Empire Avenue operates on Fake Money called eaves.   But really in the social media world I’m expecting eaves will eventually be more valuable than silver or gold and I’m usually great at predicting things.

Why Empire Avenue is Great For Newbies

Granted I’m not an Empire Avenue expert but after a few steady hours testing the platform I definitely think it’s B2B Kingdom news worthy. What I found really refreshing is the EA community is very engaging. After just a few minutes as an Empire Avenue newbie a bunch of awesome social media traders purchased some of my shares to help me get started…

Aside from the lure of trading social media stock (which is pretty fun BTW) Empire Avenue actually helps you engage with multiple social networks and also analyzes your social media awesomeness! And if that wasn’t enough it’s definitely an impeccable form of real live traffic!

Using Empire Avenue To Get Traffic To Your Blog

As you must already know, I love traffic. I mean what blogger doesn’t, right? Well wouldn’t it be nice to send traffic wherever your internet heart desires? With Empire Avenue you can send your fellow social media traders on missions! Haha it’s ingenious, seriously! It’s very empowering for any blogger to become a self-proclaimed internet traffic controller and Empire Avenue is definitely making that happen. How? Well it’s very simple. Take a look at some of the examples below

Basically the process allows you to reward eaves in exchange for completing a mission. Pretty cool right? And just when you thought  I was finished talking about the benefits of EA there’s one more thing I’ve gotta share!

How to Expand your Network Using Empire Avenue

One important component any internet website must have to ensure people are actively using their platform perpetually is time relevancy. The great thing about Empire Avenue is that you can’t just join and forget about it. Why? Because if you don’t engage or remain active your share price falls. And if your price falls your capabilities also diminish. The platform also integrates rewards for users who maintain and increase their share prices. I haven’t exactly wrapped my mind around the entire process but what I do know for sure is that the company remains relevant because it surprisingly does not automate 100% of the process – which is definitely something the internet needs today. So what are you waiting for? Join me on Empire Avenue it’s literally a site worth seeing!