When I was a young, aspiring writer I knew the first names of editors but was frightened of using them. My rejection rate gradually dropped as I fathomed what each one favoured. I was targeting my submissions before email marketing was invented. My next step was to predict the style of image each editor would … READ MORE »
There’s a TV advert for an insurance company where clever use of the language doesn’t so much cover a negative as turn it into a positive. It would appear that the company refuses to pay out on 3% of claims. To someone wanting to insure their property, this might be worrying. On the other hand … READ MORE »
I reviewed a couple of articles I’d written two or so years ago on the subject of how mobile devices are changing email marketing and I was surprised to find words I hardly use nowadays, such as Blackberry. Obviously, many people still prefer them but they are becoming niche. It shows how quickly technology develops … READ MORE »
Words can describe the universe. We’ll have to accept that mathematics does it quicker although no more accurately. On top of that, you need words for poetry where a phrase can define an emotion. One subtlety of the English language is that a word can have a different effect on different people. Much might depend … READ MORE »
Many managers are put off surveys, and for good reason you might think. Aren’t they hard work? Isn’t the return rate too low for dependable results? And surely email marketing software gives the same data but much quicker. All these objections can be overcome. I received an email from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) asking … READ MORE »
Email marketing can feel restrictive. We are governed by statistics. There’s a 5% advantage in doing A, so there’s no decision to make; A it is. This is the sensible option. However, it is not the only way to go. Gut reaction, intuition or instinct, call it what you wish, means you believe something without … READ MORE »
Every company segments their email marketing lists, at least all those you regard as competitors. The only difference is how well they do it. Most will use the obvious criteria, such as age, gender, location, which means that if you want to gain an advantage you need to do something special. You will be able … READ MORE »
Ask any professional copywriter and they will probably tell you that using a pro for your email marketing campaign is the best option. I have any number of logical reason I could bring to the argument. However, most people can create copy suitable for an email marketing campaign. All you have to do is: 1/ … READ MORE »
The easy answer to the question ‘What’s a Subject Line for’ is; to encourage a subscriber to open your marketing email. To support that, the way one judges a Subject Line is to compare the returns before and after a change. If the new line increases the open rate, it is better than the one … READ MORE »
All writers are hurt when they realise that their carefully crafted copy in a marketing email is only scanned. That doesn’t mean that all the effort they put into the text is wasted. However, it makes writing and editing it that much more difficult. You understand how Google uses keywords, at least as far as … READ MORE »