Pro tip: 1. download a list 2. note contacts lacking 1st name 3. copy email address into gmail to line - using LinkedIn Sales Navigator lite - it will pull up the name if the person uses that email address for LinkedIn. Or, gmail might show you the person's name, or both.  4. Connect with the person on LinkedIn if that makes sense. 5. Update the record on your spreadsheet 6. Upload list back into your ESM Photo of a lake - Kitsap Peninsula, Washington, USA  ... View more

I have come to believe that one can send more than just business emails - as a way to share the love and also as a change in the channel. This email that went to friends and family (happy Valentine's Day to you, too! - feel free to join the list) had a fun rebound effect that I hadn't expected.     The subject line - Happy Valentine's Day (with some heart emojis in the subject line as well - a new feature I just tried for the first time!) led to my inbox being filled with love as people began responding - and my inbox currently looks a little like this!   Happy Valentine's Day! Isn't that fun?  And, it's an unintended consequence of trying something out. Give something new a try and see how it turns out for you.   ... View more

List Building Tricks   Happy New Year - I hope you're looking forward to 2018. I got to bring in the new year at a music camp outside of Seattle - playing music; eating great food and turning off all contact with the outside world. I feel refreshed.   I wanted to share with you a couple "inside baseball" things that I've figured out about how to use Constant Contact and email marketing. If you need a hand with either of these ( not everyone understands how to use Excel - I get that :  ) - please shoot me an email.   I download my entire contact list from time to time and sort the list by what lists a person is in. You may be surprised that some contacts are not on any list at all - I upload that group into whatever list they should belong to. I'm not sure how this happens, but I notice on my list that it does and I correct it from time to time. I also sort the list by first name and make sure everyone's first names are capitalized. This is also a great opportunity to see if a contact does not have a first name in that field - if I can figure it out, I add it - if not, I move on One way to add information about contacts is to  send out a survey  to your list from time to time and ask for information you might not have. This is also a great way to get a birthday email autoresponder going - I created  a training video on this topic  last month. Again - welcome to 2018 - If I can help you in anyway, please let me know.   Sincerely,     Albert Kaufman albert@albertideation.com   PS - if you want to up your game - sending personalized direct mail via  Send Out Cards   , is easy and fun, too.  ... View more

I highly recommend starting a birthday autoresponder series. I've created a 13-minute tutorial which details why and how to do this. Enjoy - and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  They Say it's your Birthday - So happy to you! ... View more

Everyone loves to celebrate their birthday. You can bring a smile to the face of your friends, family, clients and customers by sending them  an email on their birthday . In this 13-minute tutorial I describe how this process works.   Let me know how you do or if you have any questions - Albert Kaufman - albert@albertideation.com - http://albertideation.com   PS - You can join my birthday list here.    Albert Kaufman, Constant Contact Solution Provider     ... View more

Here's the podcast!    And here are some beautiful shots of Seattle's fall foliage - cause things go better with images!                  ... View more

Hi, I have a number of autoresponder series' that I'd love feedback on.  If you're interested in helping out a fellow solopreneur (and perhaps learning something or becoming entertained along the way) - please sign up here and let me know what your thoughts are as you go through the process. All feedback is welcome, thank you!  For your enjoyment - here are some Fall pictures from this week in Seattle, Washington.      ... View more

I’ve been having fun with autoresponders. I started one while on vacation – A Song A Day. One song each day, curated by me – someone who has spent a lifetime learning about and playing music. I’m now up to song #141 and there are 134 people enjoying (hopefully) some new music in their lives. Each day I hear from at least one person why a particular song moved them – and, I’ve also opened up the series to peoples’ musical suggestions!   I have a series for those who might like to try a free 2-month Constant Contact trial out for size. There’s having a 2-month trial, and then there’s having the trial and a coach who can show you how to make the best use of the trial/tools. That’s me!   Then, there’s the series for people who have Constant Contact and might like my assistance. There’s the new editor and regular changes to the product – I help people stay up to date and using all the tools as effectively, as possible.   These are just 3 of the various autoresponder series I have set up (around 20). If you’d like to learn more about my thinking on this topic, please join my email list (oh yes, there’s an autoresponder series there, too :) Not a long one, though, don’t worry! Just a welcome email. Did you know that your welcome email is by far the email that is opened at the highest rate of any email newsletter that you’ll send? Make it a great one! Make sure to try this out yourself. ... View more