Pushing Send

How two husbands use email to help other gay men create a happier, healthier, and wealthier life. Here's  David & John Auten-Schneider's story about Pushing Send.Key points from this episode:On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most important, email is a 9.Profitability has a direct correlation to how much attention we've paid to our email list.Other platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn, give you no control - unlike email!Social media platforms are constantly changing things - so what worked even just a week ago or a month ago, doesn't work today.An email list is there to help you create customers, to create value for people who will be your customers, or to create continuous value for people who are already your customers.Be more authentic and consistent in your emails.Tweetables:"Our profitability, or our revenue, has had a direct correlation to how much attention we've paid to our email lists, the people on our email list, as well as how we're growing our email list." - David Auten-Schneider from @DebtFreeGuys on the Pushing Send podcast"Email is something that we own, right? We own the ability to when we send or how we send an email, who it goes to, who is going to see it. So we have that choice. Whereas other platforms we don't own." - David Auten-Schneider from @DebtFreeGuys on the Pushing Send podcast"It's been pretty consistent. It's one of the least volatile components of our business. And to that point, we would much rather spend more time on our email list than social media." - John Auten-Schneider from @DebtFreeGuys on the Pushing Send podcast"An email list is there to help you create customers to create value for people who will be your customers or to create continuous value for people who are already your customers." - David Auten-Schneider from @DebtFreeGuys on the Pushing Send podcastLinks mentioned in this episode:DebtFreeGuys.comQueer Money PodcastConvertKitRosemarie Groner / The Busy BudgeterMarie Forleo

An investor and former journalist that publishes guides, playbooks, and who built multiple successful email newsletters reaching over 100,000 subscribers.Here's Cody Sanchez's story about Pushing Send. Key points from this episode: Avoid the middleman: You don't want somebody else to be able to remove your ability to communicate directly with your user and control that relationship.If you're going to be in someone's inbox, be there for something great or be funny or be a real value-add - but don't just to be there.There's a huge difference between trying to be right and trying to make people think. If you can think critically, the world sort of opens to you like a blossom.It's important that you charge something for some part of your newsletter. People don't value things that are free as the same as they do things that they pay for. Media businesses are tough and you need to have multiple revenue streams off of them.Within a business, internal email is the kiss of death - use Slack.Tweetables:"Why can't I learn about that in a way that's interesting? And that has a little bit of a story to it. And I try...giving it to you in a way where you're kind of looking forward to just reading the verbiage of it and you learn through osmosis. I think that's beautiful." - @Codie_Sanchez"The great thing about emails, you can have a relationship with the user directly." - @Codie_Sanchez "...I love writing. I think probably one of the most powerful things you can do is to learn how to communicate with the written word." - @Codie_Sanchez"I don't think you really have to know what you're doing in the space. You've just got to get out there and create it and see what lands" - @Codie_Sanchez"It's much easier to get a group of a thousand people engaged than it is a hundred thousand people." - @Codie_Sanchez "The lowest common denominator is humanity and humanity for the most part decreases or defaults to what they already know. So like...you don't have to be at the top level to make things happen. You can start a newsletter, have it be profitable." - @Codie_Sanchez Links mentioned in this episode:Codie Sanchez: LinkedIn, Instagram, TwitterBryan Kelly: LinkedInContrarian ThinkingGrow GettersSubstackJonah Goldberg - The DispatchSlack

The founder and CEO of EyeMail, a company whose technology allows brands to embed 60 seconds of video into their email marketing messages. This isn't just a link - it's actually in the email and you can play it right there. Lisa tells her personal story and what led to her building a business focused on email. This is Lisa Jones' story about Pushing Send.Keypoints from this episode:Lisa majored in logistics and procurement because she loved processes and things of that magnitude. When the opportunity became available to be a logistics specialist director at NASA, she jumped at the chance. It's been said that we receive 120 emails a day on average, and we send out 40 of that. 73% remains unread.It's been said that 95% of us retain what we see in video versus 10% of what we read.The EyeMail team is very proud of their diversity. The youngest team member is 23 and the most senior team member is 75.Email is here to stay. Some people will say that email is dead, but we just have a love, hate relationship with email. We send emails, but then we don't like receiving all of these emails that we're inundated with. However, email is here to stay.Is EyeMail an email service provider? No, they're not. They bring email to life and they're focused on that.Tweetables:"I used to always and still, do, ask the why question. why does this work? How does this work and how can it be better?" - Lisa Jones of #EyeMail on Pushing Send the podcast by @rasa_io"What if email could be brought to life? What if email could generate emotion and have video directly in the email inbox? I wonder if that would create a spark in a global community and with that EyeMail was born." - Lisa Jones of #EyeMail on Pushing Send the podcast by @rasa_io "I always knew that there was something unique about my life in terms of my direction. I didn't want to stay on one path. I wanted to have an adventurous career." - Lisa Jones of #EyeMail on Pushing Send the podcast by @rasa_io"I've always had an affinity for email. Email, because it's a channel that we all use." - Lisa Jones of #EyeMail on Pushing Send the podcast by @rasa_io"We're all inundated with messaging in our inbox. We're flooded. It's been said that we received 120 emails a day on average, and we send out 40 of that. 73% remains unread. So that's the core problem is how can you allow your marketing messages, your communications to stand out from the clutter?" - Lisa Jones of #EyeMail on Pushing Send the podcast by @rasa_io"But you know what? At the core of it all, we're all looking for human connection, human connection, as close as possible. And we know that video is primary for wanting to view content." - Lisa Jones of #EyeMail on Pushing Send the podcast by @rasa_ioLinks mentioned in this episode:NASAEyeMailTime WarnerMake a wish foundationMailchimpSalesforceConstant ContactMarketing CloudPorsche North America

Note: this popular episode was originally released on June 16, 2020. Ever wonder how you can use your email newsletter to move audience members from passive listening to deeper engagement? Today's guest, a prolific business podcaster, John Lee Dumas, shares his earliest experience sending an email newsletter and how he used it to grow his online platform. John is the founder and host of the award-winning Entrepreneurs On Fire Podcast where he interviews inspiring entrepreneurs to help them on their entrepreneurial journeys. He has interviewed over 2,000 incredible entrepreneurs, including Tony Robbins, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Barbara Corcoran, Tim Ferriss, and many more. In today's episode, we talk all about John's initial email Newsletter experience and how it has evolved through the years. We also discuss how John has used different avenues to grow his email list, the importance of capturing emails, and how John applied what he observed from other podcasters to his own email communication stream to help grow his business. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation with John Lee Dumas on turning your listeners into subscribers. Key Points From This Episode:How long John has been publishing their Entrepreneurs On Fire email Newsletter.The specific content and what the newsletter looked like and sound like back then.What email responses looked like and why it was different than it is today.How John handled the long email responses and deep engagement from listeners.What John believes is the difference between emails and the podcast.The importance of capturing emails from your podcast audience for growth.How John applied what he had learned from other podcasters to his email communication.John shares his initial lead magnet to grow his email list.How John incorporated his courses to grow his email list. John's approach to keeping his brand authentic to his own personality and voice.What his business and day-to-day look like today.Tweetables:“Email has been like my lifeblood into my audience because I get over a million listens of the podcast a month and podcasting is a very passive form of consuming content. There's no easy way to respond. You've got to be really intentional. Email gave me a direct link to their lives by pressing the send button and getting the content straight to their inbox.” — @johnleedumas [0:00:01]“Sometimes with podcasting — you are absolutely speaking to a black hole and sometimes you wonder, ‘Do these people exist?' Because you don't often hear from them, they're not engaging — and that's one of podcaster's biggest struggles.” — @johnleedumas [0:07:05]“You own your email list. Build your email list!” — @johnleedumas [0:11:30]Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:John Lee Dumas on TwitterJohn Lee Dumas on LinkedInJohn Lee Dumas on FacebookJohn Lee Dumas on Instagram Entrepreneurs On FireEntrepreneurs On Fire PodcastRasaDotcom Secrets — Russel Brunson

Note: this popular episode was originally release on June 9, 2020. On today's show, listeners will hear how a renowned copywriter teaches others to sell and promote with email. For Joanna, email is the direct path to revenue for every business, especially because it is a much cheaper and less time-consuming way of reaching your audience than many other mediums such as podcasting and blogging. Joanna educates listeners on the difference between direct mail and email, what direct response entails, and she gets into the factors that make or break an email campaign, including the relevance of the content and the timing. She gives pointers for writing sales-based emails that are interesting and that keeps the reader curious without resorting to cheap tactics like clickbait. But she warns marketers not to let the fear of being sleazy stop them from writing groundbreaking emails and suggests they should test different approaches with their audience. Joanna also shares how you can use storytelling skills to write effective emails and explains why getting everything out on the page is better than editing in your head as you go. Key Points From This Episode:Hear why email provides an instant payoff that is seldom seen in other mediums. Keeping in mind that, while other mediums could work, they will likely cost you more. The difference between direct mail and email and the role of our impulse to keep clicking. An explanation of what direct response involves in the context of marketing. Relevance and other factors that determine whether a sales-based email succeeds or fails. Find out about the crucial part that email has played in Joanna's copywriting business. Advice for writing sales emails that aren't sleazy and testing your audience's response. Writing interesting emails by paying attention to what is interesting and current in the world. Using storytelling skills to keep your email audience interested and wanting to know more. Why you have to write down everything that comes to mind and do the editing later. Tweetables:“There is a direct path between sending an email and making a sale. It is harder to make sales without sending emails.” — @copyhackers [0:01:52]“The most ideal, if you are trying to get an email to convert, is increased relevance. Relevance is everything—but it's hard.”  — @copyhackers [0:05:50]“The fear of being sleazy keeps so many marketers from doing breakthrough work.” — @copyhackers [0:11:36]“Great, readable copy doesn't happen on the first take. The first take is supposed to be ugly.” —@copyhackers [0:20:15] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Joanna Wiebe on LinkedInJoanna Wiebe on TwitterCopyhackersJohn Lee DumasEntrepreneurs on Fire Pushing Sendrasa.io

Jen Capstraw, one of the co-founders behind Women of Email, is a professional network aimed at promoting leadership among women within the field of email marketing. Jen shares her experiences as an email marketing strategist, as well as the story that led to the creation of women of email. Key Points From This Episode:Women of Email was created in 2016 following a conference where the imbalance of thought leaders represented by women in the email industry was not in women's favor.Women of Email became the official speakers bureau of female thought leaders in the email industry. They will give event organizers an easy pathway to achieve gender parody on stage.In the US the email industry is split 50/50 of men and women.As Women of Email grew and awareness of the organization was spreading. Recruiters started reaching out to ask for talent. And they had transparency policy. Having the numbers is helping them their members negotiate for better compensation.Women of Email is a productive community that has helped some of its members double and triple their income.There are no organization dues, so Jen solicits free passes to events so they access to education and networking.According to Jen, email marketers are kind of a bunch of underdogs and there's a like-mindedness in the community. It is a divers, but warm and welcoming environment. Jen also shares her story of email and what she thinks about email best practices.  Tweetables:I have to say 2020 is the year that email brought sexy back. Email volumes with, through the roof. Everybody leaned into the email channel in 2020, and that means we're going to stick. We're finally getting the respect that we have deserved all along. @JenCapstraw (00:01)I believe everyone has a story. Everyone can be a thought leader. There is something you can educate about that nobody else can, can explain or do in exactly the same way that you do. @JenCapstraw (07:56)it could take just one event to change your career, where you learn some new ideas, you make some new connections and you feel more connected to the industry and the community. You feel more excited about the type of work you do, and that can take you so far.  @JenCapstraw (16:11)When you see those numbers come rolling in that you're making money and ROI and making great things happen. That's a dopamine hit. And like, you're going to get addicted to that.  @JenCapstraw (17:43) I get such amazing feedback from people that they didn't know, that email was exciting. I get them excited. And I love hearing that. It's just, it's difficult. And that is exciting to me.  @JenCapstraw (19:34)I don't look at best practices as though they are gospel. They are just suggestions. In many cases, you've got to be legal and you've got to be relevant. And the rest of it's up to you. @JenCapstraw (25:05)Links Mentioned in this Episode:Jen Capstraw on TwitterJen Capstraw on LInkedInWomen of EmailKristin Bond

Racheal Cook is  a business coach for female entrepreneurs that uses email to grow her community and revenue. Today she is sharing how she does that and she also explains one of the unique and personal ways she connects with her most engaged subscribers and customers.Key Points From This Episode:Rachael has found that she can drop off social media and creating content for a while with no impact to her business, but stopping email would completely slow down her business. She views email as an ecosystem with some things that are automated and some things that are happening real-time. Challenges have been one of the best ways to grow her business. Racheal feels like it is important to know your sales cycle and how long it takes someone from the point they enter your ecosystem until the time they become a paid client and email shortens that. Creating incentives for people to go from her podcast to her email list has also been really beneficial. She uses a hybrid of evergreen systems and live launches to convert leads when they are warm. She also sends a personal email when she is live launching and send them a BombBomb video.Getting personal with your subscribers and delivering a high-touch experience can blow them away. Her business is automated enough to make it scalable, but also warm and human. Racheal is a lifelong learner and she has learned from some of the best people in the industry. She consistently subscribes to email campaigns of others in and out of her industry to see how they are sending emails.Really listening to her audience and putting those things in to practicehas been a game-changer for her.Tweetables: Email has really been the number one way that I not only connect with my community and potential clients but also nurture them into becoming paid clients. @RachealCook (00:00) I love challenges. I think they've been one of the best ways for me to grow my audience and grow my business. It really accelerates that relationship building like nothing I've ever seen before.  @RachealCook (03:45) I think it's important to know your sales cycle, how long it takes somebody from the point where they enter your ecosystem until they become a paid client and email has allowed me to really shorten that timeframe.  @RachealCook (05:09)We have different emails that they'll get specific for people who actively said, Hey, I actually want to hear about this thing. So they'll get an email, inviting them to jump on a sales call or they'll get the opportunity to get some extra content that we've planted just for those who are the most engaged with the launch. @RachealCook (09:29)There comes a point where they anticipate that it's going to be completely automated and we've made it a point to be automated enough to make it scalable for the business, but not so automated that it's cold and not human.  @RachealCook (13:43)Links Mentioned in this Episode:Racheal Cook on TwitterRacheal Cook on LinkedInRacheal Cook MBAPromote Yourself to CEO podcastPat FlynnZapier

Tara McMullin is a popular small business strategist with over a decade of experience guiding small businesses to think bigger. She is the founder of What Works. She's also the host of the What Works podcast. She has mastered email marketing as a key part of her own business growth. Key Points From This Episode:Tara's approach to email marketing today is similar to it was in 2009 with a lot more information behind it.The one mistake she made early on was using email as a delivery system instead of using a relational approach. She now uses the relational approach with no tricks or gimmicks. A huge part of her marketing strategy is getting back to thinking about the human on the other side of the email and the experience that they're having. At one point, Tara got really burnt out and she refocused on building something she was more proud of that had a positive impact on people.  During this dry period of really focusing on optimizing her email list, Tara McMullin fell in love all over again with what she originally loved about using email to build a relationship with her audience.She uses a system of over-correcting and then pulling back and finding her equilibrium again, which was very helpful.The format of her newsletter is a personal letter at the top, an article/blog post and then at the bottom of the newsletter is the latest podcast. Tara's future thinking perspective often places her at the beginning of changing times and not just reacting to what is happening. She focuses on figuring out ways to connect with people and ask them to subscribe in ways that make me know that they want to hear from her.Tweetables:  I'm looking at email as a way to communicate directly with the people who are most invested and as a way to start a conversation to create that ongoing engagement and nurturing. @TaraGentile (03:47)You're trying to build a sense of investment in what you're doing and also helping your subscribers create a sense of investment in themselves and their own goals, That's the lens that you have to look at everything through. @TaraGentile (05:40)It took me really from 2017 through most of 2019 to really get a handle on how I wanted to approach email and approach my content in a way that really prioritized the relationship and also was something that I thought could serve the business too. @TaraGentile (10:13)Instead of reacting to what's happening right now, I'm always thinking about all right, what's going to be happening six months from now or a year from now. So I tend to be on the beginning of a change @TaraGentile (17:30) Links Mentioned in this Episode:Tara McMullin on TwitterTara McMullin on LinkedInWhat Works NetworkWhat Works Podcast

Jackie Bledsoe is an author and speaker who went from only publishing content on his blog to building a thriving email list of subscribers that are highly engaged. He shares his story and how life is different because of email. Plus, he explains some of the challenges he's faced along the way and how he builds a relationship with his subscribers. Key Points From This Episode:Jackie wishes he began collecting emails sooner to build his list and can see a connection between his flow of business and how that relies upon on his commitment to email. He has found that his off-the-cuff emails do the best, even only publishing weekly. Everyone who joins Jackie's list goes through a welcome or indoctrination series. Watching others, listening to them and trying to emulate successful marketers is how Jackie learned how to grow his business using email. He was blown away by the power of email after doing his first campaign based on a series of emails. Jackie writes his emails like he is speaking to one person and he has seen powerful connection with the people he is serving. He believes email marketing has been a main engine to open the doors for writing books, speaking on stage and launching products that change lives. Being consistent and authentic is what Jackie says has really created a solid connection with his audience no matter where he is writing.Tweetables: I can say that our business has ebbed and flowed based on my level of commitment to communicating via email to our audience.  @jbledsoejr (2:00)How can I most effectively do this? What is it? How do I do it? What can I test? And it kind of started from there. It was no big aha moment. I just started watching others, listen to them, and trying to emulate what they were doing.  @jbledsoejr (06:33)Getting somebody to sign up, sitting in writing an email that actually got engagement, and then getting write in an email that ended up with money in my bank account.  @jbledsoejr (09:03)It was just amazing to me how people, once they allowed me into their inbox, now allow me into their world by being transparent, sharing their troubles, their successes.@jbledsoejr (11:17)The power of building a business with email marketing as one of its main engines, you know, it's opened the door for us, to write books and speak on stages and launch products and impact lives.  @jbledsoejr (11:46)Being consistent with them every week, me being authentic, makes them turn around and write those emails that are very transparent and open that they probably, they wouldn't put on a Facebook post comment stream. @jbledsoejr (16:21) Links Mentioned in this Episode:Jackie Bledsoe on TwitterJackie Bledsoe on LinkedInJackieBledsoe.comMichael HyattLamar TylerJeff Goins

How two of the most successful women at the helm of email newsletter media companies think about email. Jen Bolden sold IdealBite to Disney in 2009 and Amanda Steinberg sold DailyWorth in 2018.  They co-founded HigherU, where they set emerging impact entrepreneurs for success in order to create a more just, humane, and sustainable world. Jen and Amanda are incredible examples of how we can utilize email in genuine and authentic ways to cultivate an audience and rally them around our mission and our purpose.Key Points From This Episode:When Jen started IdealBite, she created emails as a way to share ideas about how people can make the world more sustainable. The strategy was based after Daily Candy. Amanda started DailyWorth with email as the strategy from day one because it was highly scalable with really low overhead. Jen helped mentor Amanda in the early days of DailyWorth with tips on paid growth, barters,  and understanding the importance of how you are perceived in the world. Both Jen and Amanda discuss what they would have done differently with their newsletters before they were sold. When Jen and Amanda created HigherU.com, they knew how to grow and scale a business where you need to have people who are very passionate and buy in. They love email for movement marketing and they have a formula for transforming people on your email list to clients, sales donors, etc. Doing the work is a key part of their formula and really staying true to one's unique self and mission. Pursuing 5,000 mission-aligned emails is important because you have to have a big enough audience to generate enough income from a very small percentage of it. Tweetables:It was a hundred percent like just get it into their inbox, let them have an amazing experience. Let them walk away feeling satisfied because they just learned something. @JenBoulden (02:40) What we know how to do is go from small to big.  It's very much about what we've done, but it's about teaching others how to do it. @AmandaSteinberg (14:49) Email allows for just a much more natural flow of a real genuine quote-unquote relationship. @JenBoulden (17:07) In order to build a movement, you have to have a big enough audience where you can generate enough income from a very small percentage of it. @AmandaSteinberg (23:04) Links Mentioned in this Episode:HigherUJen Boulden on TwitterJen Boulden on LinkedInAmanda Steinberg on TwitterAmanda Steinberg on LinkedInMailchimpDaily CandyDanny LevyMarianne Williamson Tory Burch fellow

Amy Blaschka is a contributor to Forbes.com and a social media ghost writer launched her own email newsletter, Illuminate Me this year. She shares how she got started and why she chose a specific tool for her email newsletter. Plus she talks about the specific workflow she uses to write her newsletter each week.Key Points From This Episode: Amy started her email newsletter to have some fun and because she can connect directly and that someone is willingly allowing you into their inbox. It took her a while to start a newsletter because she had seen so many bad newsletters and she wanted to do something that reflected her values and talent.  She does not charge for her newsletter because she wants to get to know her audience a little more and to plant the seed to give herself options for the future. Amy chose Sub Stack as a platform because she has the option to convert it to a paid newsletter or to keep it free. She feels like her work with her newsletter, her contributions as a writer for Forbes and social media are all interconnected and she is intentional about creating this connection. Amy sends her newsletter every Sunday morning and she always points people back to her Forbes article and something that will showcase the same theme in a different way. She maps them out a month ahead.She believes If anybody is looking to up kind of their level of content, make sure there's one clear takeaway, you know, and that brief is better.Amy shares her view on being present on several different platforms. Tweetables: I think what's special about email is there's an intimacy, that you are one-to-one with your audience. So you're sending something that lands directly in their inbox. If somebody signs up for your newsletter, they actually want to hear from you. @AmyBlaschka (01:34)I feel like you need to establish yourself, your credibility, your competency, your value to somebody before you have any ask of them. @AmyBlaschka (07:27)I know people that have paid ones and, you know, I think you're going to have a smaller list because you're asking people to fork over money right. For that. But, you know, I think before you can do that, you have to demonstrate your value. @AmyBlaschka (11:43)  If anybody is looking to up kind of their level of content, I would say, we'll make sure there's one clear takeaway, you know, and that brief is better.  @AmyBlaschka (18:12) Links Mentioned in this Episode:Illuminate Me NewlsetterAmy Blaschka on LinkedInAmy Blaschka on TwitterAmy Blaschka on InstagramAmyBlaschka.comSubstackForbes.com

John Vuong is a seasoned sales professional and Internet marketer with an exceptional track record helping companies grow their clientele and profits. John is sharing how he developed his perspective on email strategy and his approach as a local, boutique SEO agency owner. Key Points From This Episode:John learned how to engage with his audience from his personal work experience and engaging with thousands of business owners over the course of many years. He feels like his job as a marketer is to educate and inform and then when the client is ready, they'll reach out if it is a good fit. John believes you should give as much as you can, stay authentic and not be pushy.Figuring out upfront if you are going to be a good fit for your client is important. This includes understanding the business by asking the right questions and listening. You need to understand what your customers are actually using to communicate with your ideal tribe.John stays away from drip email campaigns and uses a vetting process as he proceeds in his relationship with potential clients.He believes that people, take a step back, talk to your 10, most loyal, ideal, the best type of clients, and really uncover how they love being communicated with why they chose you. Then, try to attract more of those types of clients. John wants to be there for his client when they are ready and wants them to feel like they are in total control of the process. Tweetables:The more you're out there being consistent, more informative and more genuine, and you're actually adding value. People all see that you want to help. The more you give the more you're going to receive in return.  @JohnVuongCan (04:07)I know I can help the best. Everyone else, I want to help educate and push them along so that they can further their business to better benefit on whatever software, skill or relationship that they're looking for. @JohnVuongCan (07:17)You have to understand what your customers actually are using to then communicate with your ideal tribe because not everyone is going to be using that platform.  @JohnVuongCan (10:40)There's always something new and flashy and people read up on something that will save them so much more time, get way better click-through rates or better prospects, but ultimately it's the quality of leads and the conversion rate if it's working for you, why change it? @JohnVuongCan (14:53)Links Mentioned in this Episode:John Vuong on TwitterJohn Vuong on LinkedInLocal SEO Search Inc.

Lauren Meyer is one of the foremost experts on email deliverability and she breaks down this complex topic so we can understand and then take action on it. Here she is sharing some very practical ways we should think about email deliverability, regardless of the specific size of our email list.Key Points From This Episode:The goal of an email is not just to get someone to sign up, but to consistently send emails that are valuable to them. Ultimately it's in the eyes of the recipient as to what is valued, what's spam, and what smart, not spam.Lauren feels like you should look at analytics, but also determine the frame of mind of your audience and what their motivation is to open an email. She feels like you need to come to people with the right attitude, ask the right questions, and be thoughtful. Email deliverability can be an issue for everyone, no matter their list size. It's important to find an ESP that has other good customers and policies in place. The best way to monitor your deliverability is to do so over time. Lauren shares several things that you should be looking at. Lauren suggests looking at what you're changing, what you're doing as well as how your audience tends to react to that as the best way to spot deliverability issues.Your job is to really align with the mailbox providers. Make their job easier to say that your messages truly deserve to hit the inbox every time. Because once you've built up that really good sender reputation, it's a lot easier for you to go to the inbox. Tweetables:And so I think people need to realize that the goal of an email is not just to get someone to sign up, but  to consistently send emails that are valuable to them. @LaurenEmailGeek (02:25)What does the recipient actually think of this mail? Do they like it? Do they want to receive it in the future? Do they want to engage with it or do they just want to get it out of their way and never think about it again?  @LaurenEmailGeek (03:41)I think that's where it really takes a mix of being able to look at your analytics, being able to kind of step back as well. And just kind of have that emotional intelligence to say, is this an email that I might want to receive? @LaurenEmailGeek (06:11)Understanding your own program, just really what are your goals with email and, and how can you best serve those by finding an ESP that really fits your needs. And just focusing on what you know, and what you can work on. @LaurenEmailGeek (13:18)The most damaging reaction that a recipient can have to, your message is to mark it as spam. @LaurenEmailGeek (15:04)Links Mentioned in this Episode:Lauren Meyer on TwitterLauren Meyer on LinkedInSocket Labs 

Ryan Jenkins is a professional speaker and generational expert. He has been  keynote speaker for clients such as State Farm, Salesforce.com, and The Home Depot  He shares how he has used email to grow his business and what he's learned about Generation Z and their approach to email. Key Points From This Episode:Email has been the bedrock for Ryan's business and he feels like it is here to stay for a while.Ryan doesn't use pop-ups or opt-ins on his website because he hasn't been looking to grow a massive list, because his audience is small, but now that he is publishing his third book, he does wish. that he had a larger list.  When speaking at events, he asks for email addresses in a variety of ways and he shares how and what tools he uses.Ryan talks about how he serves two different audiences at the same time and what he hopes everyone does who lands on his site.Ryan shares the resources he's used to learn about email during his career. Gen Z is now moving into the workplace and you'll be surprised to see how they prefer to communicate. He also digs into some tools that are now being used to interview job candidates.It is important to start helping Gen Z to experience connection and how to leverage technology in the best way possible, but also looking for those unique moments to stay connected with one another.Tweetables:I'm constantly trying to figure out how do I make this effortless and seamless for the audience and what can I add? What can I give them that's going to be super valuable and just make it as easy for them to engage with as possible?  @TheRyanJenks (09:24)I don't really differentiate between who it is. I'm trying to drive them towards the, the contact form where I can also flush out some more of the details and I can evaluate if this is a legitimate lead.  @TheRyanJenks (13:05)72% of generation Z want to communicate via face-to-face at work. And that blows people away. And that's according to our research and other research has it as high as 75%. @TheRyanJenks  (16:54)We have to keep a very watchful eye on Gen Z and help them right. Start helping them to experience what that is and how to leverage technology in the best way possible, but also looking for those unique moments to stay connected with one another. @TheRyanJenks (25:22)Links Mentioned in this Episode:Ryan Jenkins WebsiteRyan Jenkins on TwitterRyan Jenkins on LinkedInSlackHubspotCanvasSimple Texting

Franz Sauerstein is a sought-after email marketing strategist for e-commerce brands in Europe. He's learned how to navigate the pitfalls that often come with following best practices. Today he shares how he's experimented with email marketing, then used what he learned to help his clients scale their businesses.Key Points From This Episode:Franz explains that if weren't for email he wouldn't have a business. He cultivated each of his customers from writing them personally. He still uses this practice with brands he really wants to work with. Using segmenting and treating each industry separately has been a powerful tool when Franz works with clients. Business really picked up when he began using a marketing funnel versus only relying on social. People felt like they had gotten to know him through his emails and a working relationship came naturally.Franz talks about how one of the challenges he faced was experimenting with everything he learned from the experts at the time and that it could be really difficult to filter out what would really work.Bryan and Franz discuss how there is no one size fits all strategy and what works for one market might not work in another. Franz talks about what he's learned from US marketing trends and what can translate over to be used in Germany and what he's learned from the pros in Germany, as well. Tweetables:If I want to work with a brand, I will try several things to get on their radar before getting on a call with them, I will tear down their website, review it, give them feedback and show them what they could do better.  @FranzSauerstein (02:28)The single best thing I've done to extract the maximum value out of my email list is really to think about what I'm sending them and rethinking it like quarterly. @FranzSauerstein (00:01)Start with a baseline because, you know, okay, I haven't changed this variable and I haven't changed the rest of the variables. So there must be something I can do to improve this. @FranzSauerstein (12:42)There's a reason the greatest direct response copywriters worked in the US and figured out how copy works and why we still use those principles and refine them. So it's like, yes, it's different. But it's also the same."  @FranzSauerstein (14:52) Links Mentioned in this Episode:Franz Sauerstein on TwitterXciting WebdesignXingBrennan DunnDripFacebookTik TokJonathan StarkKai DavisKai Cuts

Kim Jimenez is a digital marketing strategist and educator who works with online creators to build their businesses. Today she shares how she has used email to grow her business, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's Kim Jimenez.Key Points From This Episode:Kim discusses her perspective on profitability over popularity and how staying true to the foundations of business is important to her. She discusses how her company leverages search, lead magnets and advertising to build her email list. Kim feels like getting to know her subscribers and adapting to trends has helped her list continue to grow. Once you get to know your subscribers, you can craft your message to them specifically and meet their needs. Kim learned the hard way about making assumptions about what she thought her customers wanted and learning that she needed to steer away from what she would want to what they would want. She believes that 2020 changed the game in so many different ways, but it also made real lasting, sustainable marketing principles that are timeless way more valuable.Kim is moving forward with the goal of serving her existing customers even better. Tweetables: I realized that I could kill myself trying to promote a product on social media and growing a huge audience and battling the algorithm and creating content every single day, or I could be more strategic and focus on the foundation of entrepreneurship.. @KimAnnJimenez (2:21) Adapting right to all the different trends and getting to know our people. Honestly, I think has been one of the things that has kept us consistent and helped us just continually grow. @KimAnnJimenez (9:22)Through time, you start getting to know who that person is and you can craft your message to attract that kind of person. @KimAnnJimenez (12:46)We don't want to go down that path again of like putting so much energy and effort into something that A isn't, what people want and B is just not going to be sustainable, profitable, et cetera, for the business.   @KimAnnJimenez (16:57)I think that 2020 changed the game in so many different ways, but it also made real lasting, sustainable marketing principles that are timeless way more valuable.   @KimAnnJimenez (20:25) Links Mentioned in this Episode:Kim Jimenez on FacebookKim Jimenez on YoutubeKim Jimenez on InstagramKim Jimenez on TwitterKim Jimenez on PinterestKim + CoFrank KernMarie Forleo

John Meese is a serial entrepreneur, new author and the current dean of PlatformUniversity.com.  He has a wide range of experience with email and he's learned some interesting things along the way, including a few tricks that might help you with your email content.Key Points From This Episode:John discusses how social platforms have not been around as long as email and they don't see the kind of consistent results that email has. Remembering that there is a human on the other side that receives an email allowed John to develop a natural connection that led to his initial success. John admits that when he went from running two anonymous blogs to one under his name, there was a lot of fear that came with that. He pushed through that fear because he knew he genuinely wanted to help people. When writing emails, he tries to write them as if he is having a natural professional conversation with a colleague. John shares what he's learned along the way about both small email lists and large email lists. He believes that email is at the center of every business strategy. Teach It Forward, is an example of an automated newsletter sequence that John created as part of Platform University is some of the best content he believes he's ever written.Tweetables:Each person, each email subscriber, each email address on my list was a real person on the other side. And that really helped, I think create just a natural connection that allowed me to get some initial success. Even when I had a really small audience.  (3:20) There was an element of when I started creating content online of building an email, that's actually seeing subscribers. There was an element of fear that came with that. I'm like, Oh my gosh, what if I misstep? (06:32) As I stayed focused on the fact that I was talking to real people, as if I was having a conversation with them, then it took a lot of the fear out of it made it more personal. (07:01)A business at its core is really a collection of products and services that act as real solutions to real problems for real people. (08:54)You've got to stay connected to the real people on the inside of that email list. And I've seen a lot of people who manage big email lists really forget that. (14:39)Links Mentioned in this Episode: John Meese on LinkedInPlatform UniversitySurvive and ThriveTeach It Forward NewsletterJeff WalkerWordpressMichael HyattPlatformBryan Harris

Tamsen Webster is a messaging and presentation strategist. Today she shares with us how she infuses her weekly newsletter with the ideas she shares as a communication thought leader. She is an in-demand speaker and strategist who helps brands build big ideas and bring them to life. She also applies the same process to her own weekly newsletter and she shares her workflow with us. Key Points From This Episode:Tamsen defines The Red Thread and she shares how she uses it as a method to help people find and build connection. The Red Thread is a way for our brain to come up with a solution for why things make sense together- the story that our brain builds to connect the problem and solutionThis concept can be applied to email because it's about helping people to clarify what they are asking for and to make sure that the people they are asking for it are sure to take it. Tamsen's email workflow involves sketching out a red thread so she knows what the main elements are and then just sitting down to write it out.  She finds that talking it out first helps greatly. She views her newsletter as a way to show that she's doing the work and to help others do the same. Tweetables:The main problem I want to solve is that there is so often a gap between these amazing, amazing ideas and the impact they can have. And so often that gap simply in how they're articulated  @TamaDear (00:26)The Red Thread is that it's the story that our brain builds to connect the problem and solution. And simultaneously it is also the name of the method I've developed to help people find and build that connection... that story, @TamaDear (02:08) Ideas aren't found they're built and they're built by the story that kind of happens in the dark. @TamaDear (06:10)That's how I use the newsletter that's for me is to show that I'm doing the work and help people do their own and to create knowledge and to stay in it and to be constantly doing it and to help other people do the same.   @TamaDear (21:02)Links Mentioned In This Episode:Tamsen Webster on TwitterTamsen Webster on LinkedInThe Red Thread NewsletterEricssonTEDxChris AndersonBufferSeth GodinAnn HandleyWarren BuffettClubhouse

Nicholas Vandenberg is the founder of Chili Piper, a tool for turning inbound leads into qualified meetings. Nicholas talks about his experience crafting emails that close the deal.Key Points From This Episode:There are three phases where email is relevant: cold outreach, sales engagement and then when things are not going as fast as the salesperson wants it to.Customization is a key strategy for the success of Nicolas's work. Qualification and being relevant and resonating with your customer is important for getting a reaction from a customer. Meeting life cycle automation is critical for success in Nicolas's business and email plays such a large role in this. Nurturing an existing customer base is important and Chili Piper aims to deliver useful information to their clients. Tweetables: I think in our case, it's about being relevant. So it's something that resonates. If we show the gentleman guy, or lady, what his current solution does and how it could be done better in a very, uh, vivid and real representation. So that's more likely to create a reaction. @nicholasVDB (03:29) I think every company in every sector of the opportunity to do some extra research, to make sure that their solution is relevant. In effect, it's a step of the process that's called qualification. @nicholasVDB (05:11) That's what we call the meeting life cycle. And it's on, it's critical, but you want to have the email that facilitates the process or the way to closing. @nicholasVDB (08:04)Email is still by far the most valuable tool in relationship, especially now that we are all working remotely. @nicholasVDB (12:12)Links Mentioned In This Episode:Nicholas Vandenburghe on TwitterNicolas Vandenburghe on LinkedInChili PiperInstant BookerSlackMailchimp

Elizabeth McCravy is a Nashville-based web designer who is using email to grow her business. She shares some of her key strategies and also and some of the struggles she's encountered as she's built her list and what she did to address them.Key Points From This Episode:Elizabeth began collecting emails long before she began a true email strategy. When she began offering products, this established email list was extremely helpful for her success. She has since developed an email strategy that includes using nurture sequences and funnels that allow new readers to move along in a journey with her over a series of weeks and she doesn't have to write fresh emails each week. Emails feel more personalized for Elizabeth than her podcast or social media channels, because she can actually have a two-way conversation with her readers. Elizabeth uses quizzes, FB ads, freebies, and lots of other lead magnets that involve interaction to build her list. She also hired a rockstar copywriter to help, as well. Writing weekly emails has always been a struggle for Elizabeth, so she doesn't do it and uses her funnels and sequences instead and sprinkles in new, and great stuff along the way. Tweetables:I have these sequences that people go into and they're kind of on their own journey with the email content and I did that because I got kind of sick of just every single week having to write a brand new email, focusing on making it like as awesome as possible. @lizabethkatlyn (04:28) Every week when I'm doing this over and over and over again, I was struggling and feelingl like the content was good enough to put in someone's email inbox and bombard them with it every week. So I ended up not doing it. @lizabethkatlyn (15:33)Doing an evergreen sequence plays that same role like that for me and my business is what just ended up feeling the best. Keeping that going, adding to it consistently when there's a new podcast episode.  @lizabethkatlyn (16:53)If you don't have anything that you think is valuable or that you want to say, and I feel the same way about emails. We should feel good about it. And that's going to create an amazing relationship with the people on your email list.    @lizabethkatlyn (18:17)Links Mentioned In This Episode:Elizabeth McCravy DesignsElizabeth McCravy on TwitterElizabeth McCravy on InstagramElizabeth McCravy on LinkedInBreakthrough Brand PodcastConvertkitEmily Conley at Emily Writes Well 

Lindsay Bryan-Podvin is a financial therapist from Michigan who has grown her email list and her business by going against the grain of typical advice. Today Lindsay discusses how what she learned about email marketing from others, just wasn't a great fit for her business and even her personal and professional brand and what she is doing differently. Key Points From This Episode:As a therapist, email has worked well for Lindsay because her audience has a chance to really get to know her before they decide to work with her. Being a financial therapist is a very specific niche that forced Lindsay to get online, get social and start her email list. After an Instagram algorithm changed, she quickly realized that her email list was the way to go because she owned that list. Lindsay realized just how powerful her email list was after doing a 7-day email challenge and finding a surprising connection. She sought advice and was getting tips from gurus and found that she started sounding less and less, more like herself and my emails started looking more and more like everybody else's.Lindsay determined that the challenge is how to walk that line of getting help for your email so that you can actually come through as yourself. It has been incredibly liberating for her to do this and very fruitful.Tweetables:To me, bro-marketing is imagining that there is a one-size-fits-all and if it's not working for you, then you're the problem. @mindmnybalance. (00:40)At the start of my email list and then right now, that had been my 100% authentic voice. But in the middle point, when I was getting tips from gurus, I started sounding less and less, more like myself and my emails started looking more and more like everybody else's. @mindmnybalance. (07:54)The challenge is how to walk that line of getting help for your email so that you can actually come through as yourself. @mindmnybalance. (08:10) I realized that the more I sounded like other people, the less I sounded like myself, the more my email lists responded and they responded negatively by unsubscribing and not opening my emails. @mindmnybalance. (11:06)The liberation and freedom of fully showing up as myself has been a gift and that is when people respond. @mindmnybalance. (13:16)When you liberate yourself from this idea, that email has to be one way or business has to be one way or a website has to look one way you actually call in people who want your product or service more because they are also aligning with you. @mindmnybalance. (14:51)Links Mentioned In This Episode:Mind Money Balance Mind Money Balance PodcastLindsay Bryan-Podvin on TwitterLindsay Bryan-Podvin on LinkedInLindsay Bryan-Podvin on InstagramZappos

Stefan von Imhof is the head of product at Flippa.com. He launched a successful, niche, email newsletter on the Substack platform. Stefan has a really cool way of looking at his email newsletter business and creating opportunities for both audience members and sponsors alike.Key Points From This Episode:Stefan likens his Alternative Assets newsletter to a market fit due to its immediate success. His big "aha" moment came to him when people began asking about sponsorships and that took on a life of its own. Alternative Assets came together because Stefan was interested in digital assets and the fact that we are now able to do amazing things with our cash because of new technology platforms.Stefan shares about both his free and paid newsletters. He has created a model of sponsorship from a few pieces of data, including subscribers, clicks, open rates, growth rates, etc to formulate sponsorship sheets. He shares a lot about the actual value of newsletters and how to use those values to determine if a paid package is an option for you. Tweetables: It's not just digital assets that I'm interested in, I'm interested in, in the wide world of opportunity that we all have thanks to technology to basically do really cool things with our cash. @Stefanvonimhof (04:15) Stefan von Imhof: (05:41)I also just happen to think that digital assets provide the absolute best alternative investment opportunity for sure. Right.? And I think that drumbeat is definitely getting louder. @Stefanvonimhof (05:41)It also has a really interesting kind of psychological effect, because thinking about it like the sooner you book, the sooner you lock in prices, the less chance they have of like going up even more later.@Stefanvonimhof (12:26)The big dividing line is if you're really, truly monetizing it or not. Newsletters that are earning revenue through sponsorships or paid packages or a combination thereof are going to be valued a lot more. @Stefanvonimhof (14:14) Links Mentioned In This Episode:Stefan von Imhof on TwitterStefan von Imhof on LinkedIn Alternative Assets Morning BrewFlippa.comSubstack

Emily McGuire has built an excellent reputation for herself in email marketing circles and she skilled at clearly articulating how to leverage an email list to our advantage. Her expertise has been honed through years of hands-on trial and error, plus a willingness to buck best practices and just experiment. She is here with us today to share her insights from the email trenches.Key Points from this Episode: Emily fell in love with email at the beginning of her career by chance but quickly began to focus on emails because of the many touchpoints it creates and the ability to track someone along their journey. She shares her very relatable struggles and questions that she had as she navigated the email world and how she has tackled these issues to find success. Emily breaks down the process she uses for uncovering hidden revenue in an email list and the power behind using these foundations to find out who your customer really is and the goals you want to accomplish.A crucial piece of being a good marketer and copywriter is speaking to people like they're actual human beings instead of somebody who hasn't bought from you yet to help you establish a relationship and make a meaningful connection with them. Emily believes that you need to take a step back as a business owner so that you can have a bird's eye view of what a customer may be seeing when they encounter you. Use empathy and trust your marketer. Tweetables:How do we improve? This is what we've tried in the past. Should we try it again? Or should we go out and see what's going on? What other brands are trying and try that too. @flourishandgrit (08:06)How are we directing subscribers from the inbox to whatever that goal is starting there and then finding all of the pieces we need to get there. @flourishandgrit (10:30)Being able to step back and really lay out those foundational pieces is the heart of what makes a really powerful email program. Because again, it helps you see, it helps you see your audience and who they are. @flourishandgrit (11:56)Make it really easy for them to make that connection between, Oh, here's my problem. And here's how they solved my problem. And you're doing that mental work for them. So they don't have to jump through all those hoops. @flourishandgrit (14:08)When you are living and breathing your business and your work, when you are just so in it, it is so hard to take a step back and get that bird's eye view, those fresh eyes on what a customer might be seeing when they first encounter you. @flourishandgrit (14:38) You need to trust your marketers. You need to trust your team when they tell you, this is what our data tells us. This is how our audience is responding to certain types of messages. @flourishandgrit (16:56)Links Mentioned In This Episode: Emily McGuire on TwitterEmily McGuire on LinkedInFlourish + Grit

Yaro Bagriy has built a community to help niche, email newsletter publishers through the struggles of both building and growing their newsletters. And he also has a handle on some simple, yet powerful tools available to niche publishers. Key Points from this Episode: Yaro is laser-focused on newsletters because of their scalability of revenue for the same amount of work and because you can get started immediately.Finding the distribution channel of where his audience lives has been his biggest challenge, but he considers those on his list his true followers. The Newsletter Crew podcast began when Yaro discovered that there weren't a lot of resources out there to teach people how to have more successful newsletters.A big topic that is talked about often in Yaro's community is plagiarism. They brainstorm different ways to work around that. They also discuss growth, tech stacks, pricing and give each other feedback. Yaro shares his favorite email tools to use and how he uses them for his newsletter and beyond. You won't want to miss his insider look at these tools that go way beyond just sending an email newsletter. Tweetables:Scalability is another big, I guess, selling point for newsletters on why I love them. And with the scalability also comes with the scalability of revenue, @YaroBagriy (09:30) The people on my mailing list, are my true followers because they actually took the time and they actually want to hear more than just my tweets or my blog posts that you want to follow that journey and, and actually get the key into their most intimate place on the internet, which is their inbox. @YaroBagriy (05:08) A big topic that's been frequent every week or every couple of weeks is, you know, someone always has a newsletter that has been plagiarized and kind of brainstorm different ways to work around that @YaroBagriy (09:30) Links Mentioned In This Episode:Yaro Bagriy on TwitterSubstackNewsletter CrewMorning BrewRichard PateyCarddMailchimpEmail OctopusConvertkitMailerliteActiveCampaignMemberfulDiscordSparkloopFeedletterDuuce.comInbox StashInbox ReadsHecto.io

Brendan Kane is a highly acclaimed social media growth strategist and author who gained 1 million social media followers in less than 30 days . Today he discusses how he uses email for the growth of his own business. Key Points from this Episode: Brendan talks about the two key factors to being successful with content on any platform. He describes that email is just like any other platform in that you want to use it in a way that serves the person that's being sent to and give them value. There is a big distinction between what people want and what people need. It is important to lead with what the customer wants to get them to what they need to create a larger impact. Brendan shares that we all fall into this trap of just constantly just doing the same thing over and over again, without really learning something from it. Quality vs quantity is the key. Email is part of the growth plan of Brendan's business and he views it as a way to stay connected, keep the conversation going after the initial purchase of his books, create lifetime value and maximize revenue.Brendan also shares his email process and how he uses A/B testing to drive open rates. Tweetables:Just grabbing attention. Isn't enough on its own. You have to have the story or the substance to back up the reason for grabbing that attention. @BrendanKane2 (00:37)it's like any other platform in that you want to use it in a way that serving the person that's being sent to so often when we're creating content, the biggest mistake that we make is we're designing it for ourselves instead of, for our audience. @BrendanKane2 (07:37)We've just seen over time. It's just it's quality over quantity. It really is. And if you have that mindset, you'll ultimately get to success and to the answers. You're looking for much faster. @BrendanKane2 (11:37) I've got to do it. I've got to grow up in my hands and experience it so I can figure out how it works. And then once I know how it works, then I can scale it. @BrendanKane2 (17:32)Links Mentioned In This Episode:Brendan Kane on LinkedInBrendan Kane on TwitterOne Million FollowersThe Social DilemmaHook PointNetflixJoe Rogan

David Meerman Scott is the author of numerous best-selling marketing books and he thinks businesses should adopt some radical ideas about email marketing. He is sharing how he's incorporated these radical ideas into his own marketing efforts and will really inspire you to think differently about how you look at email marketing. Key Points From This Episode: With email marketing is so important to treat people like humans and humans are hardwired for connection. David talks about how newsjacking, which means when the whole world is talking about something, create content to go along with that breaking news, can be a very welcome form of communication. He discusses how Waterfield Design uses this well.Contacting someone too often can be a relationship killer. David is an avid follower of presidential campaigns and how candidates use marketing. He shares a few great examples of how to market and not to market. Giving gifts with no expectation of anything in return is a great way to build fans. David shares how he learned this from The Grateful Dead. Tweetables:Cookie-cutter doesn't work, being human, being interesting does. @dmscott (20:07) Another form of neuroscience that we looked at for the idea of Fanocracy is the idea that giving gifts with no expectation of anything in return is a great way to build fans. Whereas giving content that involves coercion is not a good way. @dmscott (20:28)I'm a strong believer t's way, way better to give something away with no expectation of anything in return. Then try, try to dangle things in front of people to build an email list. @dmscott (22:39)I think that if your goal in the universe is to add value to the universe, to build fans, to create valuable things, that people will be happy that they have made a part of their life. That that comes back to you. The universe gives back to you. @dmscott (23:53)Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:David Meerman Scott on TwitterDavid Meerman Scott on LinkedInFanocracyWaterfield DesignAppleHubspotMarketing Lessons from the Grateful DeadBrian Halligan Bill Walton

Verne Harnish is an influential business author focused on helping small businesses grow into larger ones. For him, email plays a critical role in supporting his effort to stay connected with these very business leaders he's trying to help. Key Points from this Episode: The origin of Verne's newsletter began when he partnered with MIT to share what it really takes to grow a company.Verne dedicates a concentrated, specific time each week to create his newsletter and it helps him to stay current in his own field. Verne shares how email helped fill an entire room of people and create powerful business relationshipsPersonally responding to readers helps him connect to his audience and gives him a deeper insight into where his readers are coming in. Internal communication is essential and that should come from the CEO directly to all employees in an organization. Verne shares that the pandemic had an interesting effect on his business. Tweetables:It helps me build bridges and relationships with these top thought leaders who then Kevin Oaks and Hermann Simon are going to be on virtual summits that we're going to be hosting next spring. And so it's been a very powerful relationship builder. @AgileScaleUp (05:12)It really comes back to one of our core values, which is to practice what we preach and the importance of chunking like activities together so that you can get into the flow. @AgileScaleUp (06:04)Something that we highly recommend that CEOs do is engage directly with their audience @AgileScaleUp (13:07)Links Mentioned In This Episode:Verne Harnish on LinkedInVerne Harnish on TwitterScaling UpEntrepreneurs' OrganizationsKevin OaksHermann SimonFortune MagazineScaling Up SummitJim CollinsPatrick LencioniSeth GodinSalesforce.comHubspotRob GlazerTim FerrisGreg BrennemanBrad Feld

Sam Parr, the founder of one of the most successful email newsletter businesses of the past two decades, The Hustle, shares how he got started and the incredible vision he has for where he's taking his business. Key Points from this Episode: Sam Parnell talks about HustleCon and when he determined email was the path forward. He describes his business like a pirate ship and how he can go by his own rules and each subscriber is a little wind in the ship's sail. Sam discusses that people can find success doing what he has done with hard work, talent and that you've got to be good at your craft and the work will be a lot harder than you think.He shares his vision from early on and how it has changed over time and continues to be exciting. Cold emails allowed Sam to raise 1 million dollars to start his own company and he has so many incredible friends and business contacts through sending cold emails. Write like you talk is how The Hustle got it's tone and subsequent success of the company and its writersTweetables:What we and I have is a pirate ship and I don't care about anyone not on the ship. I mean, I want people who agree with our ethos to join our ship. I only care about my subscribers and pleasing them and making them happy and providing value to them. @TheSamParr (05:41) We can say whatever we want, we could do whatever we want and our people are going to hear us. And I think that that's really invigorating and it makes me feel wonderful. @TheSamParr (06:18) Therefore there's not that many people who think they're talented, who aren't actually talented, but because of the nature of it is everyone thinks like it's so easy and I'm like, it's simple, but it's not easy. @TheSamParr (07:07) The vision from day one was always to build up a massive email list of entrepreneurial type folks, provide value to them and get them to love us and trust us. @TheSamParr (09:30)I raised a million dollars to start my company will almost 100% of it came from a cold email. So I can attribute of million dollars to that as well as the hopefully tens of millions of dollars that we've turned that $1 million into. @TheSamParr (15:13) Links Mentioned In This Episode:The Hustle TrendsSam Parr on TwitterSam Parr on LinkedInThrillistGrouponThe Morning BrewTim FerrissNerdWalletRameet SachdevTim WestergrenStephen KingDavid Ogilvy

Peter Cooper, the founder of an email newsletter network with over 500,000 subscribers, describes how he built his network and how it's changed over the past 10 years. He also shares his belief on how to best cultivate an audience and keep them loyal. Key Points from this Episode: `Peter saw a need for email-first communication in his niche and he got his start before someone else beat him to it. He pitched it to his current list and it grew from there. Ruby Weekly, Peter's newsletter started out as a way for him to sell his online courses and he pivoted to include sponsorships as an alternate source of income. Using Facebook's domino strategy to build a similar group of publications like JavaScript Weekly and others, as well and they all slightly overlap each other. When you need to build something, build from the well of your current audiences and lean on the audience of someone else. Building trust creates a subscriber who will then move on to your different publications. With Peter's publications, they try to provide justifications for why they have linked to certain things and as to why something is newsworthy or interesting.Decide if you want to have a specific or general personality with your newsletters. Coming up with systems for your business can help you be prepared for the unexpected.Tweetables: At the end of the day, I'm running a business that I want to keep running for 20, 30 years. So there's going to be a lot of boring time in that. It's not all going to be fun and sunshine and rainbows. @PeterC (00:32) Look at what you're doing and what's working, but then think about what those people also do, who they also mingle with, what are the kinds of, of domino effects you can bring into your thing. @PeterC (08:43)) When I need to build something, I kind of go and drink from that well that I've nurtured and made work over time. @PeterC (11:59) Software engineering is a space where you do tend to trust people's opinions more on why they're sharing news with you perhaps more than just having a fire hose of stuff in your topic space. @PeterC (19:20) Email, which originally was less intimate is now actually becoming a more intimate format in this modern kind of 2018 last Renaissance of the email newsletter. @PeterC (20:38) Links Mentioned In This Episode:Peter Cooper on LinkedInPeter Cooper on TwitterCooper PressRuby WeeklyJavaScript WeeklyJason L. BaptisteHacker NewsHelp a Reporter OutGrouponLiving SocialMailchimpTech CrunchThrillistThe HustleRedditMorning Brew

Marcus Sheridan is an internationally known speaker and bestselling author. He shares how he got his start selling above ground pools and also owns an award-winning content marketing agency. He also talks about how many of the lessons he's learned on the front lines of sales and marketing can be applied to one on one email outreach. Key Points from this Episode: Sending out individual emails from a sales perspective versus a marketing perspective can affect the success of the email. Get your customer's attention by having a great subject line and focusing on the problem of that individual and use video instead of just text. Death by Subject Line: Following up, checking in, reaching out and touching base. The three simple best practices for one-to-one emails: include the name, video and something personal in the subject line. Specificity versus generic versus just checking in. Video is important for sales-based emails and over 80% of content consumption is video.Mimic the sale process as close as possible to what they would experience in person. Every company of any size should utilize a full-time videographer. This is better than the speed and expense of video production companies. With video, don't waste people's time. Immediately get to the nuts and bolts and start with the problem and then transition into the solution. Tweetables: The moment, marketers, stop talking and teaching like marketers and start talking and teaching and thinking like business owners and sales leaders, everything starts to change. @theSalesLion (00:01) we have found ways to ensure that we get people's attention. We focus on great subject lines. We focus on the problem that they are having individually. We're not generic or specific with how we speak to them. @theSalesLion (03:31) The key is the specificity by which we say that we've got to send a signal that says this message was made for you. It's about you. And if you don't open it, you will miss something that could lead to error, mistake, frustration, pain, loss, et cetera. That is the key. @theSalesLion (06:39)There's nothing worse than a false hope pipeline for a salesperson. @theSalesLion (09:21) We have to mimic the sale process as close as possible to what they would experience. If they were talking to a sales person, video is the essential key to that. @theSalesLion (15:48) Links Mentioned In This Episode:Marcus Sheridan on TwitterMarcus Sheridan on LinkedInImpact PlusThe Visual SaleVidyardsBomb BombLoomSoapbox

Dave Verwer, the creator of iOS Dev Weekly, has been publishing his weekly newsletter to a stadium full of people for almost a decade and he has had some really interesting opportunities to expand his work into new areas because of this email. Dave took this very popular niche email newsletter turned a 600 person list into over 40,000 subscribers and he is sharing how he did just that and turned that process into a product. Key Points From This Episode: Sometimes the intentions you have when making business decisions don't pan out the way that you had planned, but there can still be an opportunity. Elevating your position within your community can lead to opportunities without having to directly promote yourself. Consistent, interesting, good quality content can make a big impact in the growth of your newsletter. Focus on a wide variety of topics in your niche and provide great commentary that will save people time when they don't have to read everything out there. Develop a product based on something you need for yourself that actually works properly. When you see a need in your industry, create a way to fill that need. This can create multiple avenues of income.Tweetables: I think the main reason that grew was because it was every single Friday that I think is, is absolutely key to it. And it was interesting, good quality content. @DaveVerwer (05:51) I get feedback quite regularly that it's a good selection of quite broad content and it saves people having to read what can be an overwhelming amount of content that people publish every week. @DaveVerwer (06:46)The links are core to the newsletter, but the commentary as well has become something that people pay attention to and appreciate. @DaveVerwer (07:38)Here is this concrete example of an email that grew from nothing to tens of thousands of subscribers, heavily engaged subscribers. And that's the key thing as well. People really read and really enjoy these kinds of newsletters because it saves them time.@DaveVerwer (13:34)Links Mentioned In This Episode: Dave Verwer on TwitterDave Verwer on LinkedIniOS Dev WeeklyiOS Dev JobsRuby WeeklyDel.icio.usYahooPinboardMailchimpCurated

David Hieatt, the founder of the cult denim brand, Hiut Denim Co. , used an email newsletter to resuscitate a marketing program that was literally dead and lifeless. David shares the secret of a truly attention-grabbing email newsletter, and he describes how to have a simple, yet systematic process for doing it consistently. Key Points From This Episode: In terms of a newsletter, you are in a relationship business and you have to learn to give as well as to sell. Deliver emails that are well-researched, beautifully designed, and beautifully written. In that, you are respecting the time with excellence.Be more engaged with your audience by having multiple conversations with your customer that you are like-minded about. Don't only talk about yourself. Create a system for your emails and seek out the best things to share. What catches your attention and why. Have a balance between giving and selling in your emails. Even during difficult times, like Covid, having invested so much in your newsletter, you can have direct conversations with a customer and still see growth.Tweetables: "Don't dismiss that your newsletter is fundamentally your most powerful sales tool of all. Whenever I talk to anybody, I'm so respectful of it because it really has not only saved my business. It's allowed me to go and grow."@DavidHieatt (00:24)"When you deliver something and it's really well-researched and it's beautifully designed and beautifully written, and there are no typos in that. You are beginning to respect their busy-ness with excellence. And that's why you are ultimately going to win."@DavidHieatt (6:11) "When you use your instinct when you listen to your gut, you go, hey, there's something there. I'm serving my community." @DavidHieatt (20:37)"My advice is to go and invest in that direct relationship. And because if you look after your community, they will definitely look after you." @DavidHieatt (23:15)Links Mentioned In This Episode: David Hieatt on TwitterDavid Hieatt on LinkedInThe Do LecturesDo Book Co. Hiut Denim Co. Wired MagazineRapha Evernote Second BrainMedium

Liz Willits, is an email marketing expert at AWeber. She shares how she took her experience working for this major email marketing tool, and now uses it to help clients dramatically improve their email ROI. She also discusses how she saw the power in collaboration and how an outside perspective can further improve the content of your email marketing. Key Points From This Episode: Unlike social media, an email list is something you own and you can use it on any email platform.A successful email marketing plan can help with business growth when it is done well. Email deliverability is important. ISPs like Gmail and Yahoo will determine if your email is going to go to the inbox based on engagement.Avoid getting marked as spam by trying not to trick people. No clickbait or frequently changing the sender name or email. Give people value instead of only trying to sell to your subscribers. Just because you feel a certain way does not mean your audience feels a certain way. People have all different kinds of thinking.You need to be catering to all of the people in your audience, whether they make quick decisions or whether they're more thoughtful and they need more information before taking an action or making the decision. A/B tests show that copy matters. This can be tested with a big list. A subscriber survey can be the most direct way to learn what your audience wants.Interactive content and a visual hierarchy in your newsletter can help encourage your readers to click on content. A journalistic background and a copywriting background can be a really powerful combination for creating conversational emails that convert. Tweetables:"I think the most important skill for any marketer to have,is at least to have one copywriter on the team because good copy is the thing that makes people take action. Your email can look great, but good copy is what's going to get people to take action." @LizWillits (00:20)"Think about email marketing, like a relationship with a friend or a family member and treat your subscribers like how you would want to be treated and how you would treat a friend and a family member." @LizWillits (06:15)"Just because you feel a certain way, does not mean your audience feels a certain way. This is how I feel and so my audience, they feel that way too. And that's just not the reality. People have all kinds of different ways of thinking." @LizWillits (09:57)"A lot of people don't feel still in the marketing world that copy matters and an AB test can clearly show that copy does matter." @LizWillits (13:34)"Really great writers know how to get the reader from A to Z in a story. They know how to tell a story without too much detail, but with the right amount of detail, to give the reader everything they need to know." @LizWillits (20:23)Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Liz Willits on TwitterLiz Willits on LinkedInAweberSendGridThe Platinum Rule by Tony Alessandra

David Newman is a consultant and coach who has been using email for decades to take his business from six figures to well beyond seven figures. He describes how he delivers incredible value to his audience and he gets a ton of personal satisfaction doing it. Key Points From This Episode: Send emails with a consistent schedule and consistent format that someone looks forward to and is easily digestible. Happy meal marketing means that people are better off just when they've experienced your marketing.Email is a lifeline between you and your future prospects, clients, and customers. Don't send emails for the sake of sending emails. Send an email to communicate and add value and build a relationship with your subscribers.Whatever style of email newsletter you put out, your brand needs to be part of the message and part of the digital relationship that you're building.Your business needs to FLOP- feature and leverage other people. Don't make every bit of your newsletter only about you.A large email list or subscriber base gives you the freedom to make bigger, better choices that are earned by people's attention.Tweetables:"A single email address in your database is worth 200 social media followers or connections on any platform of your choice, gladly trade any of those for a single good email address."@DNewman (00:33)"If you adopt this happy meal marketing that every touchpoint with the marketplace adds value and nobody leaves hungry,that is going to put you in a position that when they have a need, a referral or when they want to invest in whatever it is you do, you will be top of the list " @DNewman (08:07)"If you had nothing, What's the first thing you would get started on? And without even thinking, I would get busy building a new email list. It is that important. It is that critical. It is much of a lifeline between you and your future prospects, clients and customers." @DNewman (11:33)"If you're constantly just pushing out your stuff and your ideas and your content, and you're not curating and sharing other content, people will start to get bored." @DNewman (15:45)"I think your bank account is going to reflect two things: the amount of attention that you earn from your marketplace and the amount of value that you deliver to them. There is no better attention and value tool than email." @DNewman (21.59)Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:David Newman on LinkedInDavid Newman on TwitterDO IT! Marketingrasa.ioYahoo! GroupsSeth Godin

Val Geisler is a highly successful email marketer, copywriter, and self-proclaimed email geek that is on a mission to help marketers honor the human experience through email messaging. In this episode, she talks about concepts she applies to both client B2B, B2C and her own business emails. Plus she shares some of the best email examples she keeps in her personal swipe file for inspiration. Key Points From This Episode: B2B emails are similar to B2C emails because a human being will be the one reading these emails. These email lists also have a need to be segmented depending upon the role of who is reading the email.Email is the nucleus of the customer experience and is needed to maintain the relationship between the customer and the brand.Val's own email list is comprised of different segments and she implements lots of different ways to teach for free to her email list and engage with them so that they can continue to learn. People learn in different ways, so it is important to present emails in a variety of formats. Creating balance with types of emails and when you send them can play an integral part in your email marketing strategy.While building a larger list is important, developing a relationship for those that have chosen to be on your list is vital.Val Geisler's message is an important one regarding the responsibility we all have in sending human-centric, email messages. Tweetables:"Who said that you don't get to talk to people like they're people, because as a business, when you send an email, you're not sending that email to another business, the person who signed up on behalf of the business is receiving the email and they're human." @LoveValGeisler (02:04)"We as brands can't exist without our customers. We have to go to them, we have to say hi, we see you, we want to talk to you. Email to me has always been a way to have a conversation.." @LoveValGeisler (07:38)"I think there's a real missed opportunity in saying let's put all of our eggs in the acquisition basket, and none of them in what we do to retain those customers once they're either on our list or even better, once they've purchased from us... we need to keep them in our ecosystem. " @LoveValGeisler (18:14)"I like to think that there is a world where we as email marketers are honoring what a consumer goes through on a daily basis with email, and that we're able to send emails that they want when they want them and that we're delivering value beyond those asks. " @LoveValGeisler (19:36)Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Val Geisler Val Geisler on Linked InVal Geisler on TwitterFix My ChurnSaneBox

Sujan Patel is a veteran marketer and entrepreneur who has effectively used email to grow multiple businesses, which include three sales and marketing tools specifically focused on email. In this episode, he shares helpful tips for cold email outreach, how he has grown his own email newsletter that has over 50,000 subscribers, and his view of how to balance value-based content with promotional offers. Key Points From This Episode:Sujan's three companies are all focused on email. You'd build the list on Voila Norbert and you'd send it through Mailshake and you'd probably continue with the conversations with Right Inbox.Cold email outreach should be brief, clear, and really think about how your email will solve the reader's problems. Be unique with your email newsletter, find your own angle, and focus on the value or entertainment you can offer. Subscribe to the newsletters of top companies and see what they are doing and implement the practices that you like and feel are successful. Send an email when you have something relevant to say. The value to ask ratio should be the value you provide versus something you're taking or asking of needs to be the value needs to be significantly greater. The greater the value ratio to what you're doing, then the better the results you're going to have. Tweetables:"My biggest pet peeve is when people forget that when you have a real-life conversation with somebody, that's pretty much the bar for what you should be having all the other forms of communication be like." @SujanPatel (00:01)"Use everything people are doing successfully in your space or the successful people are doing in your space as inspiration, but be unique, figure out what you can do those others cannot." @SujanPatel (05:49)"Send an email when you have something to say, but also make sure you have something to say enough to be top of mind or relevant." @SujanPatel (12:44)Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Sujan Patel on LinkedInSujan Patel on TwitterMailshakeRight InboxVoila NorbertSlackZendeskBillShopifyScott GallowayMorning BrewThe HustleWall Street Breakfastrasa.io

Mary Ellen Slayter is the CEO of the B2B company, Rep Cap, and expert in email marketing. She was a traditionally trained journalist who worked for the Washington Post and SmartBrief before starting her own content marketing company. In this episode, she shares how she combines storytelling, tailoring to an audience, trust and statistics to create a powerful content marketing strategy that will resonate with your list.Key Points From This Episode:Clean your list so that only the people who want to be there are kept on the list.Think about how you would explain what you are writing as a storyteller and use the data to shape the way you tell those stories and the services you offer.Write your newsletter keeping your audience and their interests in mind. Be specific.Is it accurate? Is it relevant? Is it interesting? That is the priority in a newsletter.Take information, curate it so that it is useful and deliver it in a timely fashion.There are a lot of things that you can learn from how somebody behaves with an email and statistics. Automation can be used to make sure that you are serving up the right content to the right people Tweetables:"There's a good chance that if you're not actively regularly pruning that list and doing re-engagement campaigns, veering off people who don't want to be there, there's probably a lot of dead weight in your email and your list." @MESlayter (00:06)"I really do see myself like I'm a storyteller and I'm telling that story to one person. And then I also take that feedback and take that data and use that to shape the way that I tell those stories. "@MESlayter (03:30)"The value of taking those things, curating them into something that is useful and getting that into somebody's inbox in a timely fashion. People make a habit of that. And they learned to trust it." @MESlayter (07:47)Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mary Ellen Slayter on LinkedInMary Ellen Slayter on TwitterRep CapSmartBriefManaging Editor NewsletterManaging Editor LiveZeroBouncerasa.io

Richard Lindner has been the president of Digital Marketer since 2008 and he's created numerous email campaigns, yielding remarkable open and click rates. But what's worked in the past, doesn't always work in the present. Richard explains his thoughts about email and what caused Digital Marketer to shift focus and build an editorial-style email newsletter, which was different from what they'd been doing for many years. He also shares how sending an internal newsletter can help an organization with the alignment of their company goals and the team that is charged with leading them. Key Points From This Episode:Email expedites every stage of the customer value journey and is the way that we continue to add value to prospects who may not be a customer.How you build the list and how you talk to the list and how you get them to be there when you're not talking to them and remember you and buy stuff from you.Four questions to include in every email that you write: Why now? Who cares? Why should they care? How can you prove it? Increase engagement by adding value. Not everything you send has to ask for something. Internal marketing is important because a team needs to understand how it ties back to the mission, the vision, the values, and the purpose.Writing a weekly internal newsletter, making sure that people understood just that - What is going on right now in the company? What are we thinking about? What are the big decisions? What's important? What are we researching and reading right now? Companies need to know when there is a need when there is a segment of your internal database that needs to be nurtured. Tweetables:“What is going on in your ideal customer, in your subscriber's head right now that makes the message that you have, or the thing that you're interrupting them to tell them important?” — @RichardLindner“My whole mission in email is to keep email conversational. To write it to where if I read it out loud, it wouldn't be an awkward conversation between two humans.” — @RichardLindner“Marketing at its core is just the articulation of the transformation from the before state to the after state.” —@RichardLindner“Today I think the odd part is, most employees know more about a lot of things, probably more than ever before about what is going on in the company, but less about what's important and what the focus is and how that ties back to what they do.” - @RichardLindnerLinks Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Richard Lindner on LinkedInBryan Kelly on LinkedInPerry Belcher on LinkedIn Rasa.ioDigital MarketerRecess.ioMailchimpAWeber

Sending out mass emails feels impersonal more often than not, yet doing them manually is not viable either. What is the solution to combatting the inherently cold nature of the marketing funnel? According to today’s guest, Ryan Farrell, it’s through providing quality content that people can always take something away from. As the Marketing Director of the world’s number one LinkedIn marketing company, LinkedSelling, Ryan has seen how email has been used extensively to grow and sustain a multi-seven figure dollar business. In this episode, Ryan sheds light on the evolution of LinkedSelling’s email list. For them, it has always been about more than a sales opportunity; it’s also a chance to foster meaningful connections. LinkedSelling moves past the conventional sales-driven email approach, and we hear about some of the strategies that have used to implement their unconventional model. Along with this, Ryan also discusses Connect 365, LinkedSelling’s software offering, and their warm email concept — a warmer way of sending cold emails. This was a great way to wrap up season one of Pushing Send. Be sure to tune in today! Key Points From This Episode:Hear more about why email has been such a key piece in LinkedSelling’s success.How LinkedSelling has maintained a sense of open-worthiness with their emails.What LinkedSelling does to combat the coldness of funnel marketing.The obstacles LinkedSelling faced with emails when they expanded their product offerings.Some ways LinkedSelling has been intentional about fostering subscriber relationships.Connect 365’s origin story and its evolution from an internal process to product offering.Defining ‘warm emails’, how they differ from cold ones, and how to apply this concept.Connect 365’s warm email playbook — Be very personal and casual.Tweetables:“The goal is to help people be successful. Because the more they’re successful, the more they’re going to trust us, and the more that they trust is, the more likely they are to become a client.” — @RyanFarrellStl [0:03:52]“I want more conversations to be happening because people want to do business with other people; they don’t really want to do business with an autoresponder.” — @RyanFarrellStl [0:11:36]“The playbook that we tell people to use with Connect 365 is to type an email as if you’re typing them to your friends.” — @RyanFarrellStl [0:16:54]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Ryan Farrell on LinkedInRyan Farrell on TwitterLinkedSellingInfusionsoftMailchimpHubSpotConstant ContactJosh TurnerBen KniffenConnect 365rasa.io

Email has been around for a while and by many predictions will still be a crucial business tool for a long time to come. It has got such a small learning curve; it’s easy to use, it’s intuitive, and it can be personalized for each specific audience. On today’s show, we find out just how a marketing consultant and secret weapon for content creatives like influential podcasters and authors, has mastered the art of cold email. Sachit Gupta joins us as today’s special guest to talk about why he thinks email is such an incredible communication channel. Sachit is considered a master at cold emails because he has learned from others, made mistakes, had successes, and leveraged his observations into a couple of key philosophies. During our conversation, we go on to discuss principles of building emails, the importance of doing proper research, how to understand our audiences, and more! Stay tuned for an insightful conversation on lessons learned from cold emailing on Pushing Send Podcast!Key Points From This Episode:Sachit explains how content creators can leverage email differently than other channels.How powerful a role email played in growing his business, especially in the early days.Principles of email content creation: Practical tips from Sachit.Sachit shares his experience in receiving his first email reply.Sachit shares some of his past experiences from his career.The importance of doing proper research for prospective clients. Three points Sachit has identified for all of us to understand our audiences.He explains three different camps people fall into when reaching out to them through email and why they’re important: The yes’, maybe’s, and the no’s. Tweetables:“Email is something that is easy, it’s intuitive, and it’s been around for a long time, and it’s going to be around for a long time.” — @sachitgupta [0:02:47]“I think the biggest principle that drives everything [with emailing] is — ‘How is this valuable in a sea of messages, for the person you’re emailing?’” — @sachitgupta [0:06:37]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Sachit Gupta on LinkedInSachit Gupta on TwitterRasa

On today’s show, we welcome Grant Baldwin, a public speaker, author, entrepreneur, and the host of The Speaker Lab podcast — a platform where he helps other speakers to start, build, and grow their business. Grant is truly an example of how a professional speaker built his business and went on to teach thousands of others how to launch their own speaking careers the same way. His approach to email marketing is deeply rooted in making sure you understand the prospective subscriber’s want or need. His focus is on creating a range of absolutely compelling lead magnets to deliver immediate value, which will hopefully have your brains firing and thinking by the end of this episode. During our conversation, we talk about email newsletter structure, how to make your emails intriguing to both your audience and the decision-makers, we discuss different email marketing tools, lead magnets, and so much more. Stay tuned for a jam-packed session on today’s episode of Pushing Send.Key Points From This Episode:What their email marketing structure looks like at.What life would be like if Grant didn’t have access to email marketing: The upside of emailing.Grant shares what’s in it for both his business as well as those who subscribe to his emails.How email plays a role in growing your business: Practical tips from Grant.The importance of researching the “Who” you’ll be talking to with your emails.The process of creating an irresistible offer and gaining a truly engaged audience.Creating content that applies both to your audience and your decision-makers.He talks about the “Speaker Fee Calculator.” How to create a lead magnet and the role they play in your email marketing.Grant shares successes in his business directly related to email responses.Tweetables:“Email helps you be in control of your communication!” — @grantbaldwin [0:02:13]“One of the things we usually talk about is keeping your emails short and sweet. Do more than a copy/paste spray and pray approach instead really try to tweak and customize to the appropriate context.” — @grantbaldwin [0:05:40]“The audience and the decision-maker can often be two different groups. A practical tip for structuring your email newsletter is to try and think through how to generate opt-ins for both. You want to make sure you’re sending the right message to the right people as your recipients won’t necessarily all be equal.” — @grantbaldwin [0:08:50]“A lead magnet is basically something that incentivizes or gives people a reason to opt-in and then from there you can start your email newsletter sequence.” — @grantbaldwin [0:10:10]“Your email list is basically this faucet that can generate revenue for your business.” — @grantbaldwin [0:15:52]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Grant BaldwinGrant Baldwin on emailGrant Baldwin on TwitterGrant Baldwin on LinkedInRasa

Welcome back to another episode of Pushing Send. Today on the show we have Brennan Dunn, who will be describing some early lessons in email marketing. Brennan has been in the freelancing world for many years and currently makes his living by providing software and products to freelancers and consultants from his home office. Brennan is a master of segmentation and automation and in today’s episode he shares practical tips on how to best utilize these parameters when thinking about email marketing. During our conversation, we talk about foundational principles for the next best products and how to structure your newsletters to subtly promote them. We also discuss the concepts of Shadow Newsletter, and Dynamic PS’ and what to do with collected segmentation data. Stay tuned, because you don’t want to miss out on today’s mind-blowing interview with one of the leading email marketing guys out there!Key Points From This Episode:Brennan shares what life was like before becoming well-known for email marketing.Brennan talks about how he came to the idea of segmentation and automation.How to make sure recipients get what they want from the content you send them.A foundational principle for how great products are born: Keep your ear to the ground.He explains segmentation and automation in more practical details.The middle ground between ‘one-size fits all’ and a personalized email. Brennan shares details of the concept: The Shadow Newsletter.What a Dynamic PS entails: Offer funnels.How to use your email newsletter to subtly promote products.Brennan shares tips for listeners that are new-to-email newsletters. What to do with collected data for optimized segmentation.Tweetables:“My attitude with email marketing or really, online business in general, has always been to keep my ear to the floor and listen to what is being said. Whether directly to me or inferred by reading between the lines and then respond to that with products, or future educational email content, or articles or videos — whatever it might be.” — @brennandunn [0:07:23]“I wanted to really think about how can I try to find the middle ground between one-size-fits-all versus the one-to-one, highly personal, highly specific way of communication.” — @brennandunn [0:12:06]“Personalization done right is really just the reaction to segmentation data.” — @brennandunn [0:20:44]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Brennan Dunn on LinkedInBrennan DunnBrennan Dunn on TwitterDouble Your FreelancingRight MessageRossa.IO

In this episode, we welcome Bill Macaitis, a marketer who is committed to taking a customer-centric approach in everything that he does. Bill has led marketing at Slack, Zendesk, and Salesforce and he talks about how he has used email to authentically engage B2B customers. For him, email marketing is more about adding value than making a sale, playing the long game of educating and entertaining the audience to gain their trust and build relationships. Email offers the exciting opportunity to connect with prospects on a highly personalized basis, and he talks about the part that technology continues to play in fine-tuning this engagement. During his time at Slack—the company that notoriously ‘killed’ inter-office email—Bill and his team still effectively leveraged this channel to grow their business and keep customers updated with the latest developments in the company. He also gets into their strategies for getting feedback from customers, how he manages to prioritize the human aspect of email, and how multitouch attribution can help you stand out from the crowd. Key Points From This Episode:Find out what Bill’s earliest email marketing experience was like. The one-to-one connection that makes email marketing so effective. Bill shares about using catchy subject lines and being a customer-centric marketer. The evolution of the email channel from spray and pray to content that adds value. Thoughts on whether marketers today still struggle to put the customer first. How new software helps marketers to be more thoughtful and build better relationships. Learn about the benefits of multitouch attribution in an overly competitive world. Bill explains how he and his team leveraged email marketing at Slack (the email killer!). Creating content that does not necessarily sell but educate and entertain the audience. Get some insight into the thought processes behind email newsletters at Slack and Zendesk. How Bill ensures that he always considers the human side of email communication. Examples of how they have managed to elicit responses and feedback from customers. Tweetables:“At the end of the day, that one-to-one connection I thought was just so powerful and there’s just an immediacy that comes from it—it’s a personal connection.” — @bmacaitis [0:02:32]“I’m a big customer-centric marketer. So, what that means is, everything I do, I think about what is the experience going to be for the average person.” — @bmacaitis [0:03:31]“The world is just too competitive; there are too many companies selling what you sell. So, you’ve got to be able to stand out, and I just think through the email, through content, through tone of voice, those are all opportunities to differentiate yourself and provide value.” — @bmacaitis [0:09:09]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Bill Macaitis on LinkedInBill Macaitis on TwitterSlackZendeskSalesforce Rasa

Ever wonder how you can use your email newsletter to move audience members from passive listening to deeper engagement? Today’s guest, a prolific business podcaster, John Lee Dumas, shares his earliest experience sending an email newsletter and how he used it to grow his online platform. John is the founder and host of the award-winning Entrepreneurs On Fire Podcast where he interviews inspiring entrepreneurs to help them on their entrepreneurial journeys. He has interviewed over 2,000 incredible entrepreneurs, including Tony Robbins, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Barbara Corcoran, Tim Ferriss, and many more. In today’s episode, we talk all about John’s initial email Newsletter experience and how it has evolved through the years. We also discuss how John has used different avenues to grow his email list, the importance of capturing emails, and how John applied what he observed from other podcasters to his own email communication stream to help grow his business. Stay tuned for an insightful conversation with John Lee Dumas on turning your listeners into subscribers. Key Points From This Episode:How long John has been publishing their Entrepreneurs On Fire email Newsletter.The specific content and what the newsletter looked like and sound like back then.What email responses looked like and why it was different than it is today.How John handled the long email responses and deep engagement from listeners.What John believes is the difference between emails and the podcast.The importance of capturing emails from your podcast audience for growth.How John applied what he had learned from other podcasters to his email communication.John shares his initial lead magnet to grow his email list.How John incorporated his courses to grow his email list. John’s approach to keeping his brand authentic to his own personality and voice.What his business and day-to-day look like today.Tweetables:“Email has been like my lifeblood into my audience because I get over a million listens of the podcast a month and podcasting is a very passive form of consuming content. There’s no easy way to respond. You’ve got to be really intentional. Email gave me a direct link to their lives by pressing the send button and getting the content straight to their inbox.” — @johnleedumas [0:00:01]“Sometimes with podcasting — you are absolutely speaking to a black hole and sometimes you wonder, ‘Do these people exist?’ Because you don’t often hear from them, they’re not engaging — and that’s one of podcaster’s biggest struggles.” — @johnleedumas [0:07:05]“You own your email list. Build your email list!” — @johnleedumas [0:11:30]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:John Lee Dumas on TwitterJohn Lee Dumas on LinkedInJohn Lee Dumas on FacebookJohn Lee Dumas on Instagram Entrepreneurs On FireEntrepreneurs On Fire PodcastRasaDotcom Secrets — Russel Brunson

On today’s show, listeners will hear how a renowned copywriter teaches others to sell and promote with email. For Joanna, email is the direct path to revenue for every business, especially because it is a much cheaper and less time-consuming way of reaching your audience than many other mediums such as podcasting and blogging. Joanna educates listeners on the difference between direct mail and email, what direct response entails, and she gets into the factors that make or break an email campaign, including the relevance of the content and the timing. She gives pointers for writing sales-based emails that are interesting and that keeps the reader curious without resorting to cheap tactics like clickbait. But she warns marketers not to let the fear of being sleazy stop them from writing groundbreaking emails and suggests they should test different approaches with their audience. Joanna also shares how you can use storytelling skills to write effective emails and explains why getting everything out on the page is better than editing in your head as you go. Key Points From This Episode:Hear why email provides an instant payoff that is seldom seen in other mediums. Keeping in mind that, while other mediums could work, they will likely cost you more. The difference between direct mail and email and the role of our impulse to keep clicking. An explanation of what direct response involves in the context of marketing. Relevance and other factors that determine whether a sales-based email succeeds or fails. Find out about the crucial part that email has played in Joanna’s copywriting business. Advice for writing sales emails that aren’t sleazy and testing your audience’s response. Writing interesting emails by paying attention to what is interesting and current in the world. Using storytelling skills to keep your email audience interested and wanting to know more. Why you have to write down everything that comes to mind and do the editing later. Tweetables:“There is a direct path between sending an email and making a sale. It is harder to make sales without sending emails.” — @copyhackers [0:01:52]“The most ideal, if you are trying to get an email to convert, is increased relevance. Relevance is everything—but it’s hard.” — @copyhackers [0:05:50]“The fear of being sleazy keeps so many marketers from doing breakthrough work.” — @copyhackers [0:11:36]“Great, readable copy doesn’t happen on the first take. The first take is supposed to be ugly.” —@copyhackers [0:20:15] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Joanna Wiebe on LinkedInJoanna Wiebe on TwitterCopyhackersJohn Lee DumasEntrepreneurs on Fire Pushing Sendrasa.io

With nearly the entire world at home, it’s an interesting time to be working in email newsletters. Email opens and engagement is as high as it’s ever been, but what is the place of these newsletters currently? Dan Oshinsky, email newsletter consultant, former director of newsletters at Buzzfeed, and The New Yorker join us to share his perspective on email newsletters during the pandemic. We kick off the show by discussing some of the unrealistic expectations that brands may have during this time of increased engagement. From there, we move onto how brands and people can find their voice through their newsletters. Dan struggled with his first pandemic email but learned that it’s about adding the right kind of value to people’s lives. The advice Dan gives his clients is that this is a moment to slow down and truly connect with their customers. We then turn our attention to the importance of onboarding and off-boarding emails and how they take readers and turn them into loyal fans. We round the discussion off by talking about some of the opportunities that come with the rise of pop-up newsletters. Key Points From This Episode:The downside of increased email engagement during the pandemic.Why figuring out the role he plays in his readers’ lives has been so difficult for Dan.The importance of using email to connect with your audience deeply right now.Hear more about Dan finding his voice for his first COVID-19 newsletter.Walking clients through pandemic-related content: Dan’s experience.The valuable lessons Dan has learned about onboarding emails in establishing trust.Learn more transitioning readers using offboarding emails and explaining what comes next.Pop-up newsletters: What they are and how they can be used as experiments.Tweetables:“People are understandably scared, they’re nervous, they’re worried about what’s going to happen next. And if you can be useful for them in this moment, it’s a pretty powerful thing.” — @danoshinsky [0:02:26]“The more human you can be right now, the more honest and transparent you can be at this moment, the better.” — @danoshinsky [0:04:01]“If somebody signs up for your email list and you’re not welcoming them, you’re not introducing them to your voices, your expertise, the way you can serve them, you’re missing an opportunity to win over that reader and convert them into a paying supporter and someone who could be a fan of yours for a very, very long time.” — @danoshinsky [0:17:17]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Dan OshinskyDan Oshinsky on TwitterInbox CollectiveAnn HandleyDavid Remnickrasa.io

We don’t often associate copywriting with humor, but for today’s guest, Lianna Patch, this is a core tenet of her unique approach. As a sought-after conversion copywriter, Lianna blends humor with conversion optimization methods to write high-performing emails that increase sales and grow her clients’ businesses. We kick the show off by learning more about what prompted her foray into the world of humorous copywriting. While companies now hire her for her snarky style, this was not always the case. She felt stunted in her previous positions under the weight of professionalism. We then move on to explore more about what conversion copywriting is and what sets it apart from its direct response counterpart. Lianna sheds light on the kind of research necessary for conversion copywriting. From there, we dive into humor. It is no accident that Lianna has seamlessly woven comedy into her writing. She has drawn on cognitive psychological and physiological principles of humor and shares some of them with us. We then turn our attention to Lianna’s own newsletter and why it’s been on the back burner for a few years. Finally, we round the show off with some tips from Lianna on how to overcome the fear of the white paper when starting a series of emails. Be sure to tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Learn more about how Lianna got started in the copywriting world and what she’s up to now.How conversion copywriting compares with the old school, direct response style.Exploring what conversion copywriting is all about and what research it entails.How Lianna’s style draws on cognitive psychological and physiological principles of humor.Some resources Lianna used to learn about the psychology of humor.Learn more about Lianna’s newsletter and what the status of it is.Some of Lianna’s best email copywriting tips. What clients have told Lianna about her emails and how customers have responded.Common mistakes Lianna sees when people write a series of emails and overcoming them.Insights into what happens when a client hires Lianna to work for them.Tweetables:“For me, there’s a much bigger connection with knowing your customer and being customer-centric, and usercentric, and humancentric that sometimes gets lost especially in the more direct response end of copy.” — @punchlinecopy [0:03:31]“In the broadest sense, conversion copywriting is any copy that starts based on research about the person it’s going to ultimately target.” — @punchlinecopy [0:05:05]“I think a lot of people, but especially in SaaS, have this disconnect in the way they would speak to a human being and the way they would sit down to write.” — @punchlinecopy [0:14:54]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Punchline Conversion CopywritingLianna Patch on TwitterLianna Patch on LinkedInCopyhackersJoanna WiebeBreakthrough AdvertisingThe Psychology of HumorComedy Writing for Late-Night TVrasa.io

Looking for some inspiration to start your own newsletter? We have just the person to give it to you! Josh Spector is the brains behind the For The Interested newsletter, which he has grown to twenty-five thousand subscribers! His passion for writing and newsletters informs his work, choosing to leave video and audio content creation to others, Josh has doubled down on his own interests and it has clearly paid off. After realizing his love of the format, the decision to center his work through a newsletter was a natural one and Josh pours himself into each new issue, viewing their creation as a perfect mix between art and business strategy. In our conversation, Josh explains his process and journey since beginning his publication and shares some really insightful tips for our audience. He believes getting clear on how your newsletter can help its audience is imperative to its success and reach. Josh drills down on building a community, fostering networking opportunities, and how he has shared the lessons he has learned to help others to do the same. Listeners can expect to gain perspective on the key components of an effective email newsletter as well as some useful thoughts on molding a clear message. Tune in today to get it all!Key Points From This Episode:Josh's passion for and natural inclination towards writing and newsletters. Connecting through email; reaching further than social media platforms! The central importance of email communications to Josh's career. Networking and lead-generation — the array of options offered by a newsletter. Challenges in the process of building a large, subscribed following. Culminating different projects, blogs, and objectives into one newsletter. Josh's creative and strategic approaches to his newsletter; blending two worlds.Building community around a shared interest and Josh's Facebook Group 'Newsletter Creators'. The places online that Josh started to look for the members of his tribe. The course that Josh is currently creating based on the lessons he has learned. Success stories from Josh's network; small and big wins for the community he has built.The key components to an effective newsletter; audience awareness and value-proposition.Tweetables:“Writing is my preferred form in terms of content creation. I don't really make videos. I don't have my own podcast.” — @jspector [0:01:41]“I am a big believer that you should do things and create things that you would want to consume.” — @jspector [0:02:19]“Just about everybody has an email address!” — @jspector [0:03:10]“It forms the backbone to my business and in some ways it is the ultimate resume.” — @jspector [0:06:17]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:rasa.ioJosh SpectorFor The InterestedNewsletter Creators on FacebookJosh Spector on TwitterSeth GodinTribesThe BeatlesNewsletter Nerds on FacebookLianna Patch

Marketers are often caught up in the numbers and believe that the bigger an email list, the more successful the marketing. But this could not be further from the truth because newsletters should create value and not focus on who arrives but who chooses to stay. Reframing marketing success in this way makes it clear that audiences have chosen you and you can use this to engage with them more meaningfully. Today’s guest, Jay Acunzo, is a content marketer turned podcaster, and he is here to share his unique and refreshing approach to his email list. In this episode, he talks about his acclaimed newsletter, Damn the Best Practices, how he approached it, and what it taught him. Despite his initial frustration at not seeing the numbers he thought he needed, he instead saw the power of having a small, but highly engaged audience. It was clear that resonance rather than reach was what truly mattered. Jay also shares how he tackles drafting his newsletters, and why marketers’ focus on perfection is stifling creativity. Understanding that the process of creation is inherently iterative is not only liberating but also allows you to create more and ultimately improve. We also talk about why Jay doesn’t use conventional success metrics, why he thinks there’s only one way to grow an email list, and the importance of getting clear on your message. Be sure to tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:Jay’s Damn the Best Practices newsletter, why he started it, and why it’s no longer around.Damn the Best Practices origin story and how Jay found his ‘tribe’ through it.Where Jay’s passion for creating and connecting comes from.Some of the writing tools and techniques that help Jay draft arresting newsletters.The only way Jay believes that you can grow your email list.Why Jay realized that the type of engagement was more important than list size.Jay’s tips for people struggling with their newsletter: Lean into the iterative process.Find out why email is the number one place for Jay to put his content.First, find out what you want to say before deciding where you want to say it.Jay’s ‘Unsolicited Response Rate’ metric and what it helps him measure.What Jay loves about his team and why they’ve succeeded together.Tweetables:“I fell in love with notion that I could make something early on that made me feel and that I could give it to someone else that made them feel too. And I just thought that was magic.” — @jayacunzo [0:05:53]“We often blow the biggest opportunity to give people cause to stick around.” — @jayacunzo [0:07:20]“There’s only one way your email list should be growing: The owner of that email opted in.” — @jayacunzo [0:11:07]“If you can find a small audience and serve them deeply, you’re done.” — @jayacunzo [0:22:54]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Jay AcunzoJay Acunzo on Twitter Marketing ShowrunnersBreak the WheelUnthinkable with Jay Acunzorasa.io

Want to know how a struggling consultant started an email newsletter and went on to achieve runaway success? Today on the show Bryan Kelly interviews Kurt Elster who is a leading Shopify expert and podcaster who used email to turn his dwindling career into a thriving one! Brennan Dunn is the guy who helped Kurt to adopt a personal and engaging approach to his audience, helping him to foster a deep connection with the people on his email list. In this episode, Kurt talks about creating mass emails that read like a note from a friend rather than a desperate sales pitch—because building relationships is everything. No one likes being sold to but everyone welcomes those who are interested in helping them solve their problems and add a ton of value long before asking for anything in return. While email has been on the block for a while, this marketing strategy is far from tired. Be sure to tune in to learn all the benefits of email lists and the what, why, and how of sending effective emails! Key Points From This Episode:Why Kurt was drawn to plain text emails that rely on marketing automation. How certain mass emails manage to feel personal and build relationships and trust. Understanding that no one likes being sold to.The advantage that email has over many other forms of marketing. Hear what life was like for Kurt before he discovered the power of email. All the ways you can use an email list to take your business to the next level.The most crucial piece of advice: give more value than you take. Learn how many times you have to appear in someone’s inbox before they pay attention. The evidence that, while email is old, it is still the best-converting strategy for e-commerce. Why being consistent and sticking to a schedule is non-negotiable. Advice for making the most of the unique opportunities with new subscribers. Tweetables:“I’d get an email from someone and you’re building this relationship where they are emailing thousands of people but on the receiving end it really feels like, when done right, they’re talking to you.” — @kurtinc [0:01:54]“No one wants to be sold to. I don’t want to be sold to….No one else wants it either. There may be a handful of weirdos who are like, ‘Yeah, sell to me.’ Most people absolutely do not want that.” — @kurtinc [0:03:24]“Looking at my e-commerce clients, email, for a lot of them, drives 70% of their revenue.” — @kurtinc [0:13:31] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:wwKurt ElsterKurt Elster on TwitterShopifyBrennan Dunn Harley Finkelstein on Twitterrasa.io

We’re days away from putting the final touches on Season 1 of our new podcast Pushing Send, and we thought we might give our listeners a sneak peek into the show, which is all about people who create amazing emails. The series highlights their strategies and how they connect and engage with subscribers. Our guest-list includes seasoned experts like Bill Macaitis, the former CMO at Slack; Joanna Wiebe, the founder of Copyhackers; and John Lee Dumas, the founder, and host of the award-winning podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire. Today you will hear from the host Bryan Kelly as well as Jared Loftus and Emily Dowd from the rasa.io team, who will give you a taste of what to expect, sharing their thoughts on the approach to the show and reflecting on the comments made by our first few guests. Be on the lookout for Episode 1 and 2 that will air on May 12th, 2020! Key Points From This Episode:Why the behind-the-scenes stories of a great email are particularly illuminating. Acknowledging the thought, effort, and creativity required to create an impactful email. The idea that every email sender has a different goal and measure of success. The difficulty of editing interviews when all the content is so good! Hear what success for this podcast looks like, including inspiring and building relationships. What emails and dating have in common…Tweetables:“To form or further relationships or get a message across takes effort. It takes some thought and some creativity, and hearing how people go about that and come up with those ideas I think is going to be really interesting.” — @JaredLoftus [0:01:22]“I think what is going to be such a great takeaway from this whole series is that each email sender has a different goal that they are talking about and what success means to them.” — Emily Dowd [0:01:41]“For the record, I would be skeptical of anyone that doesn’t think email is sexy.” — @JaredLoftus [0:03:20] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Bill Macaitis on LinkedInSlack Joanna WiebeCopyhackers John Lee Dumas on LinkedInKurt ElsterShopifyJared Loftus on LinkedInJared Loftus on TwitterEmily Dowd on LinkedIn Bryan Kelly on LinkedInrasa.io