I am delighted to contribute to this meaningful exchange. As discussed, email subject lines are crucial as they play a key role in determining whether your emails are opened or ignored. To put it bluntly - subject lines for sales emails should pack a wallop. Most recipients: Decide to open or delete emails based on subject lines.  Choose to open emails because of catchy subject lines.There are some excellent suggestions provided above. Adding to this conversation with our in-depth expertise at Solutions for Growth, I would also recommend the following tips:  Test Different Formats: Experiment with various formats, such as including emojis, personalization, using colons or dashes, or trying question marks versus statements to see what performs best. Run an A/B test with 2 different subject lines. Incorporate Emotional Triggers: Tap into emotions by using words that evoke feelings of excitement, urgency, or relief.” Avoid Overusing Capitals and Exclamation Marks: Use capitals and exclamation marks sparingly to avoid coming across as too aggressive or spammy.  Make It Timely: Reference current events, seasons, or holidays to make the email more relevant.  Leverage Social Proof: Include elements of social proof, such as “Join 10,000+ Satisfied Customers” Use Questions to Spark Curiosity: Pose a question that addresses a common concern or interest of your audience to pique curiosity and drive opens. Offer Solutions to Pain Points: Address specific problems or pain points your audience faces. For instance, “Struggling with …” Keep Your Subject Lines Short: People have short attention spans, and lengthy sales subject lines beg to be skimmed over. Thank the recipient: Everyone appreciates being appreciated. Saying “I wanted to say thank you . . .” or “Thank you for . . .” shows gratitude, which helps with open rates. Click here to read more about one of our most popular articles: “Tips for Best Email Marketing Subject Lines”   There are many different ways to optimize a sales email subject line. The best method is to experiment with multiple approaches and find out what works best. At Solutions for Growth, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of customized and highly effective email subject lines, ensuring that our client’s messaging is achieved with exceptional quality.    Can I help you with any other specific questions? Please schedule a call with me today.    ... View more

Thank you @Caitlin_M ! @ArhondaS9 so sorry to hear about your stroke, I'm sure that was and is a challenge! As specialists in online sales, we can certainly explore the best way for you to sell your items online to get the most exposure possible and drive sales. Please share with us what you are currently doing. or planning to sell your items. Based on that, we can better focus the conversation. Thanks! ... View more

Great list Abigail!  I totally agree that knowing your audience is one of the most critical components of a robust marketing strategy. When we have a grasp of their pain points, and how our product or service solves their problem, along with where they're spending time online, we can then build out a strategic online marketing campaign that aligns with them.   My top strategies: Know your audience.  Create content on the platforms they're spending time on. Focus on the assets you own: email list, website and blog. You never know when the playground owner will kick you out. Create some lead magnets! Always Be Growing Your List! Leverage your Google Business Profile. So many reasons, but here's 3: (1)Google is the #1 search engine in the world, and Google loves Google  (2)People turn to  a search engine when they have an intent to make a purchase (3)Google Business Profiles are FREE   For more than 15 years, we've worked with hundreds of small business owners, helping them create and launch effective digital marketing campaigns, and these strategies have never failed us.       ... View more

Hello @CassieL32 ,   You have a good question – and very helpful answer from William A on the technical aspect of custom templates within the “house building” structure of Constant Contact.    We understand that perfecting your email template may require some back-and-forth, but the results are well worth the effort. Different blocks add certain features. It sounds like you may need to change the “feature article” to a different block - in order to have that section fill the width of the email. At Solutions for Growth, we’ve spent years crafting hundreds of customized and highly effective email templates, ensuring that our client’s messaging is achieved with exceptional quality.  Can I help you with any other specific questions? Please schedule a call with me today. ... View more

Hey, happy to chat about this! Publicly campaigning a digital marketing strategy isn't just about showing off your tactics; it's about building trust, engagement, and creating a buzz around your brand. ... View more

Hi @ChrisB80179! Aaron and David already gave you some super helpful tips, so I will just add a few thoughts about the images. Some folks will not be able to see the images in your emails unless they download them, so any information that is important to the content of your email should be in actual text. So, the Toyota ad and that great review might not be visible to some of your readers unless they take the extra step to download the images. Here is some extra info about using images in your emails.    Keep up the great work! My favorite flavor is Mint Chocolate Chip! ... View more

Hi Lillian, I encourage you to reach out to us to explore the best way Solutions for Growth can support you to develop an effective email program. Check us out!  David Fischer 888-840-2595 x701 ... View more

Great suggestions, @DavidFischerSolutionsForGrowth ! I love the idea of following up with clients to let them know their feedback is important and they are being listened to if changes are made to a website or processes based on what they've said. ... View more

I love the idea of testing out subject lines, @Nick_S ! What a great idea!    If anyone tries this, I would love to know which subject lines worked best for you. Share below!  ... View more

To piggyback on David's comment, when you work with a Certified Partner like those of us tagged by Chris, we access your account through our partner portal. So we don't know or use your login credentials, and you can boot us from your account anytime you want! Any of us would be happy to create a reusable template for your email campaigns.  ... View more

Thanks @DavidFischerSolutionsForGrowth and @ACTIVATE ! ... View more

@TomA775 David's tips were spot on, and I highly recommend finding more ways to work in photos that include people. Something clicks in the consumer's head when they see people enjoying products. You do have some of this but I would step it up big time. Photos of happy people in full width... ... View more

Great answer Nick! We follow your recommended actions. We also find Constant Contact's feature that identifies emails that are “Recommended for Removal" is very helpful. These are the suspended, non-existent and undeliverable bounce types that should be removed because they are unlikely to become active emails again. We usually see only a small number of emails that are identified as such but it helps us to clean our client’s list. If we see an unusually high bounce rate for our clients, we often look further into the reasons why and work with Constant Contact’s deliverability team who are very helpful. ... View more

Follow these guidelines to get good results in your website traffic growth Create high-quality, informative content that resonates with your target audience. This could be blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, or anything else that provides value. Optimize your website and content for search engines by using relevant keywords and phrases. This will help people find your site when they're searching for information online. Promote your content on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Share interesting snippets, infographics, or teasers to drive traffic back to your website. Get other websites to link back to yours. This is a great way to improve your website's authority and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in discussions on social media and other online forums. This will help you build relationships with potential customers and drive traffic to your site. Consider running pay-per-click (PPC) ads on search engines or social media platforms. This can be a great way to reach a targeted audience and drive traffic to your site quickly. Build an email list and send out regular newsletters or promotional emails to keep your audience engaged and informed. Include links to your website in your emails. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and user-friendly. People should be able to find what they're looking for quickly and easily. Track your website traffic using analytics tools like Google Analytics. This will help you see what's working and what's not, so you can make adjustments to your strategy as needed. ... View more

Thanks for sharing @DavidFischerSolutionsForGrowth! These are some great tips that will surely help someone who is just starting out or has questions about email open rates and the ins and outs of email marketing. Thanks for always being a great contributor!  ... View more

New Zealand is on my bucket list, too! Very cool about your Century Rides! ... View more

Hi Ori! Your newsletter is packed with valuable information but you are correct, it is very long. So long that the information at the bottom may get cut off for some of your audience’s emails. Besides for the terrific suggestions above, here are some more ideas to shorten your newsletter without losing the valuable information. Overall, link all your images to your website. Consider using Call-to-Action (CTA) buttons instead of links or a mix of both. Buttons tend to be more eye-catching. The top banner is great but takes up a good deal of real estate. In addition, you are not using your logo which immediately is recognizable to your congregants. You might want to consider changing the top of your email to include your logo and contact information. Logo on the left, address, phone number and website home page link on the right. That way, even if people don’t read your entire newsletter, they know where to go for more information right away. Move the week at a glance into 3 columns. (see the attached screenshot) Delete all the Learn More buttons (Keep the RSVP Required links in place) and add a large button to direct people to the online calendar and the virtual options at the end of the block. Delete the spaces in between the date and the events. Make the day, month and date a different color to stand out (again see the screenshot attached). Since your newsletter is weekly, perhaps avoid providing all the information on an event several weeks in advance. For example: Don’t Miss Our Juneteenth Shappat@WHC, Friday, June 14 6pm. Learn more When you get closer to the date, then provide the details. Similarly with the all the other events. List them with links and not the details until you get closer to the date. Condolences section – you could format the bulleted list into two columns, that would save room as well. We manage email newsletters for a large number of clients, including non-profits. (We do a great job with redesigning basic templates and supporting clients.) Reach out if you have any questions. I’m happy to help! ... View more

I decided to jump over to my personal inbox and scroll through the first page to see what emails I had clicked on. Besides the jury duty summons (definitely clicked on that), I also clicked on an email that was offering a discount for an art tutorial (I mentioned in another post that I'm a sucker for these things). I clicked on a project update email for something I backed on a crowdfunding program. I also clicked on an email that identified me by name and another one that is a newsletter for an art program I use.   My main takeaway from observing my own behavior (which should be viewed as strictly anecdotal) is that while my inbox is filled with a lot of deals, delivery notifications, and news alerts I primarily focused on the emails that talked to me directly or relate to products/services I've shown expressed interest in.   It highlights the importance of making sure you're not just sending to any, ol' contact. I am interested in art-related stuff, but not, say, gardening. Review your audience engagement and if you can't win back their interest, focus on the contacts that are actively engaging with your campaigns. ... View more

Great article and video, David. Thank you for sharing.   I think SEO is a valuable tool that often gets overlooked. Of course, major platforms like Google don't necessarily always advertise exactly what the search algorithm prioritizes and it gets changed all the time. Instead of just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks, go to your search platform of choice (and maybe even compare/contrast multiple search platforms) and think about how YOU would search for what you're hoping people search for. You can think of the obvious keywords and maybe the not-so obvious keywords. You can also think about how people might be thinking of what they're looking for and typing in the wrong thing (like a misspelled word). Review the search results that appear near the top of the page (after the sponsored results) and make note of what type of webpage appears. Is it the front-of-site for a company? Is it their community message board? Is it a blog? This can guide you towards understanding what people are looking for and how the search engine prioritizes certain types of pages depending on the search parameters. ... View more

I second David's answer above, and also want to add that I use data and analytics to create custom audiences for ad campaigns. This allows me to run promotions to those who have already engaged ads as well as upload custom audiences LISTS so that I can marketing online directly to those already in my database. Cold marketing = awareness. Warm marketing = conversions.  ... View more

That's a great example! Right when everyone is at their most engaged, they're reminded why they're there. Thanks for sharing ... View more

I love listening to K-pop and one of the coolest things I've participated in are events that occur around album releases. Fans gather at local small businesses (usually bubble tea shops) to talk with each other, sing along to new music, play games, and create communities based on our common interests. I've met some wonderful individuals at them and we've become friends. Some events have part of their ticket sales go toward local charities! ... View more

We find the Content Generator tool to be of great value. Often you know what you want to say, but saying it succinctly can be a challenge. When using any AI tool, it’s important to ensure the content is completely correct and in language you are comfortable with. The Content Generator is versatile. Because of the tool, you can write about any range of topics from common to more specialized subjects. We find we need to tweak the copy to get to how we want it to sound, but it still saves time because you can dive right in and start writing instead of fishing around trying to find the words to begin. The paragraph below is this one re-written by the content generator. We would go in and re-phrase it to make the copy sound more personal but the way the generator put the ideas in order and shortened up the sentences is an improvement over the initial paragraph we wrote. Discover the immense value of our Content Generator tool. Simplifying your message can be challenging, but with this tool, you can easily convey your thoughts effectively. Accuracy and comfort in your language are key when utilizing AI tools. The Content Generator offers incredible advantages - it's versatile and allows you to create content on a wide range of topics, from common to specialized subjects. While some tweaking may be needed to perfect the copy, this tool saves time by enabling you to dive straight into crafting your content without wasting time searching for the right words. ... View more

AI!!! Gemini, ChatGPT, Otter, Canva, Lumen...those are an important part of marketing's (and humanity's) future. AI tools will take much of the drudgery out of some marketing tasks, allowing us to focus on strategy and bigger-picture concerns. Think of Constant Contact's AI tool. It's a revolutionary way to get people using Constant Contact who are intimidated by the "...I can't write..." fear. It's pure genius.  ... View more

Hi Christian,   I'd be happy to share with you thoughts about marketing effectively. Please provide details about your business, what you offer and who is your typical customer. I'd also suggest that marketing is expensive when it's not done well, leading to a negative or poor ROI. Marketing is an investment, and when well executed, leads to revenue. It would be very challenging for a  business to grow without marketing. I look forward to hearing from you Christian. ... View more

Hi ChristianN559! I get this question all the time and the answer really isn't a hard and fast rule. In all honesty, it will vary based on many factors.  1. What is the expectation you set with your subscribers in the first place? 2. How often can you send them information that's of value to them? (aka high quality) 3. What's your bandwidth for consistency? 4. What are your goals?   In essence, consider these ideas: For a welcome series, probably 3-5 emails over a 7-10 day time period For regular nurturing emails, 2-3 times/month (with a minimum of once/month!)   Here's some examples: Local deli/cafe can send daily specials Financial planner can send monthly updates The rest of us are somewhere in the middle.   Bottom line: Quality and Consistency for the win! ... View more