Podcasts about email service provider

This week we're diving into one of my favorite mantras: Done is better than perfect.I was inspired by my decision to relaunch my Master the Gram Challenge. It's been years since I last did it, and I had to remind myself to push forward without overthinking. I'm breaking down how I got it off the ground and the lessons I've learned along the way. In this episode I share:How to break out of the cycle of overthinking or perfectionism and take actionWhy clarity is key and how to make sure your audience knows what your product is, who it's for, and how it helpsThe step by step process of setting up operations for your products, including exactly what resources I used to set up the Master The Gram landing pageHighlights include: 00:00 Intro03:00 Setting up operations06:00 Setting up marketing09:30 Taking action is better than perfect12:00 Tweaking after feedback16:00 Having an accountability partner20:00 Mastering self-talk25:00 Walking through a sales page33:00 Setting goals for the yearCheck out episode 445 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTubeThis episode is brought to you by: Shopify. Go to shopify.com/hustlepro for a free fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify's entire suite of features.Links mentioned in this episodeMaster The Gram Landing Page: https://sidehustlepro.co/masterthegram Landing Page Builder: https://www.leadpages.com/ Link Shortener: https://prettylinks.com/ Stripe: https://stripe.com/ Email Service Provider: https://kit.com/ Canva: https://www.canva.com/ My Website: https://sidehustlepro.co My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidehustlepro/ My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicailamatthewsokome Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to learn more Postgres? Get on the waiting list for the full course: https://masteringpostgres.com. In this interview, I talk with Jesse Hanley, founder of Bento, about running a lean email service from Japan. We chat about the challenges of scaling infrastructure, managing databases, and maintaining a calm business while serving a global customer base. Links Mentioned: Bento: https://bentonow.com Database school on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI72dgeNJtzqElnNB6sQoAn2R-F3Vqm15 Database school audio only: https://databaseschool.transistor.fm Follow Jesse: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessethanley Bento on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bento Follow Aaron: Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarondfrancis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarondfrancis Website: https://aaronfrancis.com - find articles, podcasts, courses, and more. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Jesse Hanley 01:02 - Running Bento from Japan 01:48 - The Lean Team Structure at Bento 03:00 - Managing Support via Discord 05:01 - Benefits of Using Discord for Customer Support 06:45 - The Role of Community in Customer Feedback 09:01 - How Bento Gained Traction 13:00 - Bootstrapping Bento and Profitable Growth 16:00 - Running Your Own Mail Servers 19:03 - The Economics and Redundancy of Email Delivery 21:00 - Bento's Heroku Setup and Scaling Challenges 26:00 - Handling and Querying Massive Data in Bento 29:52 - Leveraging Elasticsearch for Data Queries 35:40 - Moving Toward Multi-Database Solutions 37:45 - Exploring Crunchy Data and Citus for Database Scaling 42:00 - Optimizing Bento for Performance and Scalability 54:02 - Jesse's Advice on Building a Calm and Profitable Business 57:00 - How Bento Uses WebSockets and Background Jobs 1:00:00 - Optimizing Bento with Action Cable 1:02:25 - Avoiding N+1 Queries with WebSockets 1:04:50 - Scaling Redis and Postgres at Bento 1:09:00 - Jesse's Approach to Managing Growth and Multiple Services 1:11:00 - Final Thoughts on Scaling and Optimizing Databases 1:13:10 - Advice for Aspiring Builders: Stay Patient and True to Your Vision 1:16:00 - Bento's Unique Approach to Email Marketing and Transactional Emails 1:19:50 - Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Jesse Hanley Online

Looking for the best email service provider for authors? Discover and compare Mailerlite, Mailchimp, Convertkit, Author.email, and Author Letter, covering both free and premium options. Explore the features, costs, and best choices to optimize your email marketing strategy, whether you're a cash-strapped author or ready to invest. Book Award Pro - https://DaleLinks.com/BookAwardPro (affiliate link) MailerLite - https://DaleLinks.com/Mailerlite (affiliate link) Mailchimp - https://DaleLinks.com/Mailchimp (referral link) Convertkit - https://convertkit.com/ Author Email - https://author.email/ Author Letter - https://authorletter.com/  Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Subscribe to my email newsletter - https://DaleLinks.com/SignUp  Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DaleLRoberts My Books - https://DaleLinks.com/MyBooks  Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Got thoughts? Share them with us here!In today's episode, I want to talk you through the process, what led to our decision around changing our Email Marketing Provider (ESP), what my recommendations are now, and the importance of having the right tools in your business that work for you and the way you need them to work for the business.You'll learn:Why we're changing email platformsMy criteria for choosing any tech tool for your businessMy email marketing service recommendationsWant to join our mailing list and snag 20% off your first order at the same time? Simply head to https://vault.thevirtualchapter.co/ to sign up!Loved this episode? Don't miss out!

In this episode of the Maverick Mompreneur Podcast, Ashley shares invaluable insights on the essential steps to take when starting or rebuilding an online business. Drawing from her rich experience and the challenges she overcame during her rebranding journey, Ashley provides a roadmap for building a long-term, sustainable, and impactful personal brand online. Whether you're considering a pivot, rebrand, or starting from scratch, this episode is packed with strategies and personal anecdotes to guide you through the process. Listeners can access a free checklist to track their progress and fill any gaps in their strategy. For those ready to elevate their digital marketing, Ashley introduces the Passive Digital Product Funnel Lab program, offering detailed support and implementation strategies for your business. Don't miss this treasure trove of guidance, whether you're refining your current brand or embarking on a new entrepreneurial journey. Download the checklist at www.elevatedwithashley.com/onlinebusiness and tune in for a journey of transformation and success with the Maverick Mompreneur Podcast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you are looking for additional support you can always reach me, Ashley, via email at hello@elevatedwithashley.com, DM me on IG @ashleyrlatimer, or join us in the Free Elevate Academy For Personal Brand + Business Building Female Entrepreneurs Facebook group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RESOURCES/MENTIONS:   Passive Digital Product Funnel Lab: bit.ly/3SF2Wnh Active Campaign (recommended Email Service Provider): https://activecampaign.referralrock.com/l/1NKNG595VW0/   The Brand-Builder's Roadmap To Sustainable $10K Months Dashboard ($97 $37): https://bit.ly/48X7omN   Free Personal Brand Toolkit (Including 3 Day Boss Up Your Brand Bootcamp Recordings, Zero To 6 Figures Case Study Ebook,& more!): https://bit.ly/40XNrYp   Maverick Society | The Membership: https://www.elevatedwithashley.com/maverick   My Tech & Tool Stack/Resource Page: https://elevatedwithashley.com/free-resources/   $10K+ Month Brand Blueprint Masterclass and workbook ($1): https://bit.ly/45JUF4B   Irresistible Offer Infusion Masterclass and workbook ($1): https://bit.ly/41SgKOq All Available Offers: https://www.elevatedwithashley.com/courses ------------------------------------ 1:1 Coaching & Mentorship MORE INFO - CLICK HERE DM me @ashleyrlatimer or email hello@elevatedwithashley.com if you are interested in working with me as your online brand, business and marketing coach! ------------------------------------   MORE FREE CONTENT ON MY WEBSITE: https://www.elevatedwithashley.com *Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Online Business Coach, Personal Branding, Digital Marketing, Online Marketing  

In this episode of Lead Gen HQ, we will take you through the dynamic world of lead generation using lead ads on Google and Facebook. Discover the ins and outs of generating leads as we delve into a fascinating case study of an IT company. This company has harnessed the power of lead ads not only to generate appointments for their sales team but also to drive calls and schedule demonstrations with their product team. We will break down the critical differences in cost per lead (CPL), contact rates, and conversion rates between Google and Facebook lead ads. Plus, get insider tips on optimizing your lead flow. Learn how to use Zapier to seamlessly integrate leads from Facebook and Google into your CRM and Email Service Provider, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. This episode is for anyone looking to refine their lead generation strategy. Whether it's targeting precision, crafting irresistible offers, or nurturing leads, get ready for a journey that could revolutionize your approach to digital marketing. Tune in and transform your lead gen game!

Imagine waking up on Christmas morning and running to tree to pass out gifts, only to discover that none of the packages have labels on them. You have no idea which package is for whom. Some packages go to the wrong person. People get upset. NO BUENO. Ahhh.... the power of LABELS. When it comes to communicating with your customers and leads, it is VITAL that you have some kind of identifier, label, or marker on their account to help you know what messages to send their way. So where can you add these "tags" to make sure you're sending your message to the right people? In your email service provider. I'm often asked, "But Corinna, what kind of tags could I use?" In today's episode, I'm sharing over 10 different "tags" you can use to label your customers with inside your email service provider. I want you to listen to the ideas, identify the ones that makes sense for YOUR business, and then GO SET THEM UP! Now be careful! Don't waste your time adding too many tags. Just focus on the ones you'll actually find helpful and use. How do you want to "sort" your list?

Hey Friend! In today's episode, I tackle a question that many entrepreneurs face: How to effectively launch a course? With options like webinars, boot camps, and email campaigns, it can be overwhelming to decide which strategy to choose. I explore the pros and cons of each approach, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with your audience. I also reveal the answer to the burning question about the best course-launching strategy. 

If you want to grow your business and drive sales through email, Cliqly offers everything you need! Learn all about it's most impressive features in this guide from WorkingWithWalter.com! Go to: https://workingwithwalter.com/ezemail

If you're ready to go from never emailing your list (or even owning one), to having an engaged list excited to open, read, reply and buy what you offer anytime…Then this workshop is for you!Join me to get powerful, what's-working-now, email marketing strategies for your business.Everything you'll hear from me in the LIVE class is strictly from experience.WE'LL TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO:→The IMMENSE benefits of owning, nurturing, and growing an email list→Getting the first connection with a subscriber RIGHT (you've got to be strategic!)→Common email marketing mistakes to avoid at all costs→How to write the perfect can't-look-away email series that connect and convert→2 actionable ways to make email marketing a breezeWHAT YOU'LL GET WITH THE MASTERCLASS:✓ Email Marketing Interactive Workbook✓ Plug-n-Play Email Templates✓ 1: 30-minute Laser Coaching Session with Stephanie✓ Access to the training recording for up to 30 daysDiscover The Secrets To Getting More Book Sales register here!

In this episode, Chris Orzechowski talks about his journey from elementary school teacher to becoming one of the world's top experts in building businesses with email. We discuss his first ventures in starting an online business (selling to wrestlers and their coaches)… How he grew his business… The right way to set up an Email Service Provider and why you should definitely be using tags and automations)… the strategy and psychology behind email… how to get clients and get paid… and much more.   Check out Chris's Email Academy a www.OrzyEmail.com   Get his first book for free at https://theemailcopywriter.com/   Watch my talk at Clayton Makepeace's $5,000 seminar for free at https://www.henrybing.co/chris   #copywriting #emailcopywriting #emailcopy

Today I'm speaking to Emily McGuire about Building Community Through Your Email List Emily is the Customer Evangelist at AWeber - a people-first Email Service Provider. With lessons learned over a decade in tech, sending thousands of email campaigns, and working on email campaigns earning over $80 million in revenue, Emily loves sharing the mistakes and strategies of email marketing done well. You'll typically find her with a cup of coffee in hand because #momlife. When her head isn't on her laptop, you can find her chasing her kid, reading a book, or binging trashy TV. In this episode, you'll learn about building community through your email list as well as...   Whether we should really still bother with email What works well now to grow our email lists The Frequency sweet spot: how often is too much? The danger and warning signs of writing emails that are too transactional 3 big mistakes to fix to avoid people unsubscribing from your email list And so much more Emily's Resources   Emily's Website Emily's Resources Connect with Emily on: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter   Sarah's Resources Watch this episode on Youtube (FREE) Sarah's One Page Marketing Plan (FREE) Sarah Suggests Newsletter (FREE) The Humane Business Manifesto (FREE) Gentle Confidence Mini-Course Marketing Like We're Human - Sarah's book The Humane Marketing Circle Authentic & Fair Pricing Mini-Course Podcast Show Notes We use Descript to edit our episodes and it's fantastic! Email Sarah at sarah@sarahsantacroce.com Thanks for listening!   After you listen, check out Humane Business Manifesto, an invitation to belong to a movement of people who do business the humane and gentle way and disrupt the current marketing paradigm. You can download it for free at this page. There's no opt-in. Just an instant download. Are you enjoying the podcast?  The Humane Marketing show is listener-supported—I'd love for you to become an active supporter of the show and join the Humane Marketing Circle. You will be invited to a private monthly Q&A call with me and fellow Humane Marketers -  a safe zone to hang out with like-minded conscious entrepreneurs and help each other build our business and grow our impact.  — I'd love for you to join us! Learn more at humane.marketing/circle Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes or on Android to get notified for all my future shows and why not sign up for my weekly(ish) "Sarah Suggests Saturdays", a round-up of best practices, tools I use, books I read, podcasts, and other resources. Raise your hand and join the Humane Business Revolution. Warmly, Sarah Imperfect Transcript of the show We use and love Descript to edit our podcast and provide this free transcript of the episode. And yes, that's an affiliate link. Sarah: [00:00:00] Hi, Emily. So good to see you speak to you today.  Emily: Hi there. Thank you for having me. Yeah,  Sarah: it's We're focusing on email marketing in this episode. And that goes under my, P of promotion because, , if you think email, usually you're thinking, okay, I'm promoting something, even though you're probably gonna tell us, well, it's not just promotion , but that's where I placed it under. So, Yeah. With that, let's just dive right in. , I think my first question would be, do you feel that email is still alive and kicking with all , you know, our over full inboxes? What, what's your take  Emily: on that? Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, a lot of people like to say email is dad. They've been saying that since I started in email marketing, about eight years ago. And, , you know, what I would say is, you know, email marketing, definitely isn't dad, [00:01:00] the way we think about it is, and I, that, People had adopted email, originally as a direct extension of direct mail. And so, , there's still some lingering ideas that email is this long form content where you can link, dump a bunch of articles and podcasts you're listening to, or the latest book you're reading in a newsletter and people are gonna read the whole thing. And, you know, in today's world, in digital marketing, we're competing with constant distractions. And I think that we need to be really aware of helping our readers focus, , on the main goal of our campaigns, , rather than just throwing a ton of content at them, hoping they'll find the right thing for. yeah.  Sarah: What I hear you say is, is this idea of the [00:02:00] newsletter, right? It's like, here is my newsletter and there's like 20 pieces of news. And I actually expect you to buy something from, from that newsletter, I think. Yeah. That's what I'm hearing. And, and, and you're right there, there is this tendency still, and that, I guess, Dates back from the days that we have these newsletters, whereas like, oh, I'm signing up. I'm giving my email away for just to be on a newsletter and that's just not true anymore. So, you know, I guess that makes me think of. , this idea of getting people onto you, your newsletter, or having them subscribe. So since this term newsletter clearly doesn't work anymore. What's the latest trend. What works well now to grow your email list, to have more subscribers on, on your.  Emily: Yeah. So,[00:03:00] you know, always a lead magnet of some kind is going to help. So lead magnet, , I'm sure you've probably addressed this before, but in case not, or if anybody needs a refresher, is a piece of content or a freebie or something, you can offer somebody in exchange for their email. So you are essentially setting up the relationship, whether you're a subscriber by saying, Hey, I can help solve a, a pain point for you with, Again, with some sort of guide or workbook or, um, maybe a quiz or here's a free discount or gift, , in exchange for your email address and that way you are, again, incentivizing people and not just saying, being really vague and saying, sign up for our newsletters. Well, what does your newsletter offer to people? Value are you offering to people? And that's where people, I think people really need to get specific around growing your [00:04:00] email list. Like, what is it you have to say and how are you actually helping folks?  Sarah: So these eBooks you're saying they're still work because they, they have been around for a long time as well. And it feels almost like. Maybe that's done too, but you're saying like, if the, I guess it depends on the topic. If the topic feels like, okay, this is going to help me, then I would give my email an exchange for the ebook.  Emily: Yeah. I mean, an ebook is still, you know, is still a strategy. Some people use, but you know, you can do many courses that you deliver over email. Mm-hmm , it doesn't have to be fancy. Like you can even take an ebook that you already have and turn it into little lessons that you drip out to your subscribers and, you know, send an email. What, after the other, so I think that, you know, starting with an ebook is a good place to start, but like, thinking about how are you interacting with your audience? How are you really engaging them with [00:05:00] the lead magnet will help again, get people really excited about your brand instead of you dumping content. On them and saying here here's a 10 page, 10, 20 page PDF to read. , I know because everybody's busy, right? Like I said, everybody's busy. , and so how are you, , giving people smaller chunks, right. Of information that is easy to digest.  Sarah: Right. So, so let's talk about then the emails. You know, if they're not newsletters, what are we putting in those emails? And, and you're kind of talking about emails that are transactional, transactional, and, and some warning signs where we can tell. Okay. There's something not working. People are not opening our emails or they're unsubscribing. So what are some signs of maybe, emails that are too transactional and then how do we fix that and how do [00:06:00] we make them non transactional?  Emily: Right. So I like to encourage people to think about, Different, email campaign categories. Mm-hmm that they want out. So, you know, obviously you're gonna have different goals for your emails. You might have, you might want to be pushing, you know, sales more often. Right? Of course, you're, everybody's trying to make money. Right. We gotta pay the bills. but you know, sending sale or emails that are really, only around.  Getting a sale or conversion. If you're only sending emails like that, you're gonna start seeing high unsubscribed rates, right? Mm-hmm and, uh, list churn is what they call that mm-hmm . And so you're not engaging people, you're not giving, you're only asking right. For them to give you their money. And so a varying that, I mean, having sale oriented emails is important, but also putting in content that is engaging. So maybe. You know, talking about, thought leadership [00:07:00] what's thought leadership in your industry having one email. So I recommend at least sending one email per week to keep. Engaged. So maybe one email a month is dedicated to that's more sales focused, one email a month. That's dedicated to thought leadership, around your specific, subject area.  Another one that's more personal, you know, because people wanna connect with you as a human. So do you have a story to tell about your business? Maybe what's going on behind the scenes and how can you show your humanity? And then maybe one that's a customer focused success story. So how are you helping your customers? What is something that, what are successes they're having? So you're sort of giving a whole picture to your business, keeping folks engaged, but also selling. Right. So metrics to look at for that are, you know, there are industry benchmarks that people like to cite. I've seen those very widely [00:08:00] across businesses. I don't think that they're very accurate. What I recommend people doing is setting your own internal benchmark. So what are your open rates for the past three months? Look at that. And then if something is dipping below that or jumping above that, then you know, you've got some successes or you've got some warning signs. So, open rates, I like to tell people. Anything over 20%, you're doing pretty good. Obviously you can do better. Anything under 10%. There's a problem. And usually when you've got, when open rates might dip, there's usually something else going. Else going on and that's usually a result of your list health. So it might be something going on with your subscriber base. Maybe you've got a lot of really unengaged people that need to be reengaged. Maybe they've never opened an email. If you have really low clicks on your email, then you need to start looking at, okay, what are you asking people to click on?[00:09:00]  Are you giving them incentive to click through to something else? And is that click really gonna get you where you want them to go? So is that going to lead to a sale or is it gonna lead them down their buying journey with you and then, and then another one is unsubscribe. So I already mentioned that, you know, just keeping an eye on that. What's your benchmark for your business over the last three months. And if you're starting to see your unsubscribed rates tick up and up, people are unengaged, with your emails. They're not there. There's something wrong with the content of your email, and then you need to come back and look at what were my most successful emails. Mm-hmm what were. With and how can I take those lessons and replicate it for future emails?  Sarah: Mm-hmm yeah, I don't do that enough. yeah. And the one thing that you didn't mention, but I guess would also play into that is when you actually get [00:10:00] replies, that's my favorite, you know, when you send an email and then you get replies, people telling you their stories and that's when I'm. Wow. I just love my lists. They're , you know, they're right there. They know that I'm the one sending the, the emails and then they can tell that it's personal and it's not, obviously it's automated because that's what we do nowadays. We use these tools, but they, if they hit reply, they feel like, okay, I can talk to Sarah and she's, she's gonna reply back. Emily: Right. Exactly. Yeah. Replies are a great one too. Not everybody, some people might have a contact center that is managing those replies for them. But yeah, if you're managing your own list and those replies are beautiful, they're, they're a great way to gauge engagement.  Sarah: Yeah. Yeah. And then you talked about, opening rates and, and I know I have heard this number before the 30% or 20% is. Still always surprises me. Like it seems [00:11:00] so low. Right. But that is just a sign of how overly busy we all keep ourselves and how much email. Stuff were subscribed to you. Like it just always, this just surprises me. I always tell my clients and my listeners to unsubscribe from the things that they're not actually using, but I, I guess the big majority of people are just, yeah, they still have too much stuff in their inbox. It's  Emily: amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and that's why, Well, but it also presents you an opportunity, right? So I like to tell people to resend their emails, , cuz people really have a lot of concern around redundancy. Mm-hmm . You know, well, if I already sent that content out in an email, people have already seen it before. They're not gonna wanna see it again. And it's like, well, if a good open rate is 20%, that means 80% of your E your list never [00:12:00] sought to begin with. Right. Yeah. And so that, that's a really great to me. It's a great opportunity to, , recycle your content, send out the same email content, you know, maybe three months apart, pick out your best performing emails and queue them up. So if you're having a busy week or, you know, you're, you're, you've got writer's block. You're not sure what you wanna send out that week. You've got a queue of old email. That you know, people like that you can resend. , yeah. And  Sarah: would you then target it in a way that the ones that had opened it wouldn't get it again or you're like, doesn't matter. Emily: It doesn't matter. I think a lot of people assume that just because somebody opened an email, , they think that it means that a they read it. not everybody does just because they opened the email, , B that they, remember. Everything or remembered what was in the email? Mm. And C , took the [00:13:00] action. They intended to mm-hmm . Again, we are competing with distractions. And so in my opinion, , you know, repetition is helpful. It's not a burden, it's not annoying. you're just reinforcing the points that, you know, people need. , cuz you're, you're listening to your customers and you know what help they need and hopefully your emails are helping. Sarah: Mm. Yeah. I, I kind of struggle with that idea cuz I feel like, well then what if you know, 10 people already read it and they're like, Sarah are, you know, are you ING with what's wrong? Like why are you sending me the same email? Like that? yeah, but, but I guess if you just kind of make the intro a bit differently or, or like rapid. Yeah. I, what I started doing actually. Uh, and I heard that on, on Jenny Blake's podcast is, Using the email. So a single email and then adding it to a sequence because [00:14:00] people who are on my list now, well, they're getting it now, but then if I add it to a sequence, then these people will get it once they get to that sequence. And so that I, I have started doing and. Stopped again, but do do that again. I think that that's a great strategy because you're right. It, we create so much content and, and especially those emails that, you know, resonated with our audience. Why not reuse them again? Sometimes I even used the email text and then just post it on LinkedIn, the same text, because you're right. Maybe they didn't see it on LinkedIn or they didn't see it on, on email. Yeah.  Emily: Yeah, exactly. I think, you know, we. Because we are so in our own content that people are not paying as close attention to it as we are. Yeah. You know, we know our content, but our audience, you know, they, they mostly don't care. right. Yeah. And you know, I've gotten, you know, from my own email list for,[00:15:00] , when I had a consulting business, I. I had a couple emails that people loved that I would send out once every six months. And I had the same people replying to that email saying they loved it every single day. like, remember that they got it before they had remarkable, you know, we have very short memories. Yeah.  Sarah: It's like goldfish memories. How much should we worry about these unsubscribed rates? When clients tell me, you know, they're always like freaking out when, when people unsubscribe and I actually try to tell 'em, well, maybe it's a good thing. Depends. You know? So what's your take on that and, and, and then maybe also tell us how can we avoid unsubscribes at at least. You know, big numbers of unsubscribes cuz the, the equational one, I think it's  Emily: actually healthy. Yeah. I mean it's [00:16:00] healthy, right. You know, not every, you know, not everybody's good for fit for us all the time. Right. , and you don't want people who are not interested you in you on your email list, cuz that drags down your engagement. Right. But there are a couple things that you can do to help with unsubscribes. One is, you know, if you see a spike in unsubscribes, something's wrong, you know, and usually what I see in that is, you know, maybe, , your subject line over promised what was in your email, right? Those things match up. You were not matching expectations up correctly for people. So I, I see people trying to get a little bit tricky and click Beatty with their subject lines. Yeah. And that ultimately, , loses trust with your subscribers, right? Yeah. The other thing you can consider is, , what I've done. For, businesses and myself, , is allowed people to pause their subscriptions. Mm. So you can, instead of saying, I let's break up [00:17:00] forever, you can say, you know what, I need a bit of a break three or six months, you know, you can decide that number for yourself three months seems to be a good option for folks and all you have to do. You know, depending on your email service provider, you can have a little button, or add a button above. Your unsubscribed link that says, you know, I need a break, something like that pop for three months and click, when they click it, send them to a really simple landing page that says, , you know, that confirms that their subscriptions paused. And again, depending on your email service provider, you should be able to tag somebody if they click that link. Right. And then them in an automation. that has that tag on them for three months. And at the end of this three months, you remove that tag and then all you have to do [00:18:00] is make sure that in your newsletter segment or your regular email campaign segment, you're excluding that tag. So, yeah, that's another option you can do is that you, they call that opting down instead of opting out. Sarah: I like that. Yeah. , I'm not sure I'm using Kajabi. I, I would need to check with, with them if they offer that option. But it, I think that's a great idea. , it's kind of like I'm, I'm on a. You know, email sabbatical, please, you know, please, please pause me for six months. Yeah,  Emily: yeah. And I've also done this for, you know, if you're running a, a campaign over a few weeks that is more maybe sales focused or if you're running, a challenge or, or something else, if instead of having people unsubscribed, if they're not interested in that particular thing, I let them know, Hey, you're not interested in this right now. You can pause for the duration. Yeah. Yeah. So, , it's another option to save those subscribers.  Sarah: Yeah. Any, any other, , [00:19:00] tips to yeah. Have stop people from unsubscribing, I guess also in terms of the. the links, , before you said, you know, it's, it's not a good idea to have this newsletter with a hundred links. So is the idea then to just have one link per email that used to be the, when I studied email marketing, that used to be the message. Is that still the case or how do we  Emily: approach links? Yeah. I mean, I would, you know, depending on what's in your email campaign or your newsletter, , you know, just being really intentional about putting links in your email. So, you know, if you are, you know, writing on a piece of thought leadership, right? If you're talking about something in your industry, if you have. Relevant to that piece that people might find helpful then, yeah. You know, hyperlinking it in the text saying, you know, if you need more help with this here's this resource. And then, to help [00:20:00] you with conversions have. Between one. And at the end of your email have one between one and three calls to action that are related to helping guide people through your sales process. So whether that's, Hey, if you need more help around this topic here, here is, , a list, another resource mm-hmm if you wanna talk about this topic more, here's how to get in touch with somebody mm-hmm . And, , or here is another piece of content that will help with this, right. Making sure that you're really intentional about, , guiding people through your sales process, and relating it back to how you're helping them in adding value. , I think that is, it's just being really, really intentional about what your goals are. For your emails, what your subscriber's goals are and marrying those two with, , guiding [00:21:00] them through your sales process. What's the next action they need to take in order to get help, right? Yeah.  Sarah: Yeah. I get that. , We used to also say that the PS in the newsletter that like sometimes people read the, the subject line and then they, you know, scroll down and, and so the PS had this big importance. Would you still recommend putting something in the PS as well?  Emily: Yeah. And that's where those three calls to action to live. Yeah. And bullet rate those don't make it a long block, a big block of text mm-hmm bullet. So they're easy to scan and read.  Sarah: Okay, great. And is there a difference between a hyperlink and a button link? Like is there stats that show the people click more than one or the other.  Emily: It I've seen stats very widely on that. And I think it depends on your, the kind of campaign you're running. I recommend, you know, at least [00:22:00] having one bold call to action with a button, , unless your email template is more of a letter format, then that might not make sense, right. With the, with the style and feel of the email. Mm. And then, you know, having some hyperlinked links in your text, if it's relevant and it's not a distraction for your subscriber, if it will help them and guide them further down their sales path.  Sarah: Hmm. Yeah. I'm also thinking you just mentioned design, like back in the days we used to have, or some people still have that, like the header and then the signature block, and it looks like this branded email. Right. , but then there was a trend where people were saying actually, what works better is just like text that looks just like any regular email. What do you recommend to your clients?  Emily: Yeah, I mean, it depends on the business. Again, I've seen, I've [00:23:00] tested those kinds of templates and results have varied widely mm-hmm I've seen a lot of success with text based emails. It's a really good place to start. It's a lot, it's a lot lighter load on somebody. Building emails. And I think that's definitely something you have to consider. Yeah. If you don't have a designer on a dedicated designer on your team or they're stretched really thin, , then, , yeah, it just bogs down the process. And so, but some brands are very visual mm-hmm and that makes sense for them. Mm-hmm so I think, , again, I do a mix typically, depending on the type of campaign, but, , text very simple text formatting works really, really well.  Sarah: Nice. Okay. The last topic I wanted to talk to you about, and, and you brought this up. When we had an email exchanges, this idea of community building, so using email for community building, [00:24:00] and that is of personal interest to me because we, we have our humane marketing circle, our community. So, so yeah. What's your experience there? And, and how do we use email for community?  Emily: Yeah. So I think, , you know, particularly in the last couple of years, you know, globally, we have seen a lot of, really hard things. Right. And. . I have seen a lot of businesses really miss the mark on it. Hmm. And instead of taking it as an opportunity to address people's humanity and the very real anxieties and fears people are experiencing, they instead use it as an opportunity to just give updates about the company mm-hmm . And although that information can be really important. I think that it. You know, ultimately human beings are emotional. We are emotional things who like to think we are [00:25:00] rational thinkers and, addressing people's emotions is just as important as educating them. Right. Mm-hmm because emotions can stop us, from doing the work right from showing up fully. And so, , I have seen brands, Incredible strides with their audiences and really bond, with their brands and build community by addressing their emotional states, especially when it comes to public crises. So, I think it's I, and, and it doesn't have to be something that big, but really thinking about what are your people struggling with emotionally? What anxieties do they have around the work that you're trying to help them do? , or. Personally, and really speaking to that, lets them know that you see them not only, or that, , you see them not just as a business [00:26:00] transaction, you see them as a whole human being and that builds trust and likability very quickly. Yeah,  Sarah: that reminds me of, , something I saw on LinkedIn. And I can't remember what brand it was, but basically it was mother's day and they were acknowledging that, you know, it being mother's day and usually there was like a mother's day sale and this was just after COVID and so they were acknowledging that. , it probably was a difficult day for a lot of people who, well, they had lost their moms. Right. And so instead of just sending out another sales email, oh, happy mother's day, they addressed that. And there was a lot of, yeah. Very positive feedback. , and it was, you know, going viral on, on social. Unfortunately, I don't remember that company name, but still, it was a really good example.  Emily: Yeah, that seems to be a growing trend in email marketing, where people are very aware of, you know, mother's day and father's day. And these relationships can be very complicated. Yeah. Um, [00:27:00] and, you know, allowing people to opt out for that season, again, opting down instead of opting out, Addresses their emotions and makes them say, Hey, we know you're a human being too, like yeah, yeah. Not just a potential dollar sign. Yeah.  Sarah: Yeah. And, and I think it does this human side should really be. All over, you know, your emails, , especially for our listeners who are more like entrepreneurs. So entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, you are the business, right? So it's all about community building for you. Of course. Yes. It's also about selling, but it's. Much more about community building because that will lead to the sales. So, so that human aspect is, is so important. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I agree. Wonderful. Any, any final thoughts? Anything else that we didn't touch on that you wanted to add here to this wonderful [00:28:00] conversation? Emily: Yeah. And I wanna address one specific, anxiety that I know that people experience with email and people get really anxious around hitting that send button. , and because, you know, we wanna be, we wanna do it right. We wanna do it. We wanna make sure we didn't do any errors or typos or wrong links. And I just wanna let people know that the next time you make an email mistake, we've all done it. , I've done it. , more than once and done it with teams who have five people reviewing the email. And so, , just wanna let you know. It's never gonna be perfect. And again, people appreciate the humanity sometimes and sending out that oops, email afterwards where addressing the mistake, , sometimes those do even better than the email you intended to send out that day. Yeah. So, , nobody's perfect and we're all just doing our best. And so, um, I wanna make sure people know that, , to not let that get in the way of sending out that next. [00:29:00]  Sarah: Yeah. In fact, it really shows you, which people should not be on your list are the ones that, you know, point out that you have misspelled this or that word or that, you know, I'm like, you know what? Yeah. Can be bothered. Exactly.  Emily: They're trying to get along. Exactly.  Sarah: Yeah. I'm just, you know, a one woman show here. So I don't have time to like, yeah. People sometimes suggested that I have a, you know, someone edited my emails and, and I'm like, look, it's pretty clear that English is not my mother tongue. I'm not gonna hire a copy editor for each email. that's just not gonna be authentic anymore. But yeah. I think you're right. It is. Idea for perfections that we have to overcome first. And then, and then eventually you get to the point where you're like, you know what? Yeah. Things happen. Yeah. Let it go. Yeah. [00:30:00] Wonderful. Well, Emily, why don't you share, with people where, they can find you and maybe you have a, a free giveaway. Well, as well that they can download, tell us  Emily: all. Yeah, so you can, I'm pretty active on LinkedIn. I like sharing things about email marketing there. You can find me on LinkedIn, , Emily McGuire, and also, you know, I'm the cur I'm the current customer evangelist at AWeber, which is an email service provider. And, we do have free accounts. So if you're looking for a new email service provider, feel free to head over to E aweber.com and check it out.  Sarah: Wonderful. Yeah. I used to, , use AWeber , when was that? Before I switched to active campaign and then to Kajabi, but I think if I had to switch again, I would probably go back to AWeber. It's a, it's a really good service. So, , yeah. Thank you. The last question that I always ask all my guests is what are you grateful for this week? Or  Emily: today? Today. I am grateful for [00:31:00] sunshine. I've been getting over a cold and so I've been inside a little too much. And so this morning, even though I'm not feeling a hundred percent, I'm like, I was like, I'm taking a walk around the block and I'm gonna get some sunshine gonna get that vitamin D in. Yeah, definitely. Especially, you know, in I'm in Michigan, in the us. And we have very long winters, so I'm soaking it up while I've got it. .  Sarah: Wonderful. Yeah. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Take care of yourself and thanks so much for your  Emily: time here. Thank you.

In today's episode: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS We are covering the basic systems you need to get you started and the reality of the low cost of starting up an online business IF you know what to spend your money on! If you are overwhelmed with the idea of getting started then I'm here to help you get your head above water! You need hope that it's possible and this is the episode that lays it out for you! ***VIParts of this episode to refer to: Here are the basic systems I suggest getting set up: $1/mo Domain name (recommendation: GoDaddy) $6/mo Google Workspace (connect your domain name to your email address) $15/mo Scheduler (recommendation: Acuity, which is now called Squarespace Scheduling) $13/mo Canva (for graphics, social media posts, lead magnets, and waaaay more) $19/mo Email Service Provider (recommendation: Flodesk) $15/mo Zoom (for client sessions) FREE- Stripe account (for payment processing) FREE- Voxer (for communications) FREE- Wave (for bookkeeping, but I didn't mention this in the episode:) FREE- Airtable (for project management, also not mentioned, but I want you to have it!) All together that's $69/mo or less. And if you really want to put your money to work for you and start getting clients you know how to serve and get results for... it's only $997 or three payments of $350 for life coach training and certification plus setting up your online business in the 10 week mastermind! ~ The Greenhouse Course with BONUS Arboretum Business Course   Sharing is caring, so when you use some of these links, I may get an affiliate commission. Welcome to the Christian Life Coach Collective!

An email service provider (ESP) is a company that enables organizations to send out mass emails.  If you've ever signed up for a newsletter or clicked "subscribe" to receive updates from a website, chances are you've used an ESP. In the fundraising world, ESPs are commonly used to send out donor communications, like appeals and stewardship reports.  There are a lot of ESPs on the market, which can make it difficult to decide which one is right for your organization. In this podcast, we'll break down what you should look for in an ESP and provide step by step instructions for how to select the right email service provider. By the end, you'll have a good sense of what's available and be armed with the knowledge you need to choose an ESP that's a perfect fit for your organization.  

In today's episode: BUSINESS AND FOUNDATIONS SOOO many beginner coaches think that a website is a necessity before other important pieces of a coaching business. But I want to tell you why it's not helpful to focus on this in the beginning and what to do instead so you can really get to coaching. ***VIParts of this episode to refer to: The links for everything I refer to in this episode: $1/mo Domain name (recommendation: GoDaddy) $6/mo Google Workspace (connect your domain name to your email address) $15/mo Scheduler (recommendation: Acuity, which is now called Squarespace Scheduling) $19/mo Email Service Provider (recommendation: Flodesk) $15/mo Zoom (for client sessions)   Sharing is caring, so when you use some of these links, I may get an affiliate commission. Welcome to the Christian Life Coach Collective!

In this episode… The Best Email Service Provider for Life Coaches Business Success + Life Coach, Debbie Shadid, is talking with you about how you can create high-end and effective emails for your life coaching business with the power of Flodesk. If you've been around long you've heard me say “there's money in your list” and it's true. Email marketing has proven time and time again to be one of the most effective ways of growing your online business.  The real mastery is when you can pair your written emails with software that's simple to use, delivers beautiful emails, and overall saves you a ton of time on creating your emails. Today we're talking about Flodesk. Join in on today's episode to learn how Flodesk is the ultimate email service provider for life coaches.   Watch on YouTubeListen wherever you get podcasts or CLICK HERE Sign up for Flodesk here using my affiliate link (I get a small commission at no extra cost to you). Book a free discovery call with DebbieDon't forget to connect with me on social media

Ready to finally put together a free resource, challenge, or workshop to grow your email list? Email marketing is the MOST effective way my clients fill up their classes, programs, and private sessions. This episode outlines how you can use your social media influence to reach new students and pull them onto your email list. My recommended Email Service Provider >> www.megsangimino.com/Convertkit Join the Facebook Group! www.facebook.com/groups/yogabusinessstrategy Details on The Yoga Biz Accelerator Program > www.megsangimino.com/yoga-biz-accelerator Free Content Planning Template > www.megsangimino.com/contentcalendar --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yoga-biz-podcast/message

"Do you have too many ideas?" I'm speaking of too many ideas in general and in business which makes it tough to pick something (or one thing or idea) and to get to the next step sometimes for me anyway. Lol! What works for me to get my ideas out of my head and where I can reference them later on: 1. Cut the 'blue light' at least 1 hour before bedtime (close computer, phone and any other devices that give off that 'blue light' that make it hard for your brain to "power down" for the night. 2. Do a 'brain dump' of all of your thoughts (don't be fancy just get them out of your head!) Lol! I have different notebooks and journals and planners that work for me and when I use them efficiently, it helps me to get all of the thoughts running around in my head somewhere else so I can get to sleep! ;-) 3. Have or work on a 'Nighttime routine' (if you can) so you're "prepping" yourself to get to sleep as you go through the motions. 4. "Think it Out" aka Meditate. Give yourself time (when it's convenient for you) to just 'daydream' or 'brain storm' or as I like to call it, a 'brain dump'! 5. Another tip that I didn't mention that helps me is to do a voice memo of my ideas. Get them out of my head and where I can use them later for reference. If any of these tips have helped you please let me know on IG @imspeakingew And I appreciate you subscribing and following too! Coming soon to iTunes! On Spotify, you can click on 'Follow' and highlight the bell in green (this will alert/notify you for all future episodes) and last but not least please leave me a review if you feel so inclined. This always helps me to know what folks have resonated with (or not). ;-) What is an Email Service Provider? I've worked with Mailchimp and currently Convertkit - these are two examples of email service providers. ConvertKit: The creator marketing platform All-In-One Marketing Platform for Small Business | Mailchimp What is a Lead Magnet? In a nutshell...it's a freebie of value that you make to get your ICA's (Ideal Client Avatar) to sign up and to join your email list. Folks that I've referenced in this podcast episode: Marie Forleo - host of MarieTV, entrepreneur and philanthropist Amy Porterfield | Online Marketing Expert Post-it flags Maya Angelou's full quote... "Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better." Myers-Briggs Free Personality Test: Free Personality Test | 16Personalities Online Digital & Brand Personality Marketing (marketingpersonalities.com) ^^^^ After you know your Myers-Briggs 4 letters, or your type. This gives you tips on how you market in business according to your type (or what may make you feel more comfortable). There is a Free mini report and if you happen to purchase the 'full' report I will get a small commission at no charge to you. I personally love these reports, the full one is very extensive and it's helped me a lot! I reference it from time to time to remind me of marketing ideas that may resonate better than others...speaking of I'm going to reference it again very soon...I need a refresher! :) Human Design Get Your Chart (jovianarchive.com) Thanks for listening and for reading this! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elizabeth-west47/message

"Do you have too many ideas?" I'm speaking of too many ideas in general and in business which makes it tough to pick something (or one thing or idea) and to get to the next step sometimes for me anyway. Lol! What works for me to get my ideas out of my head and where I can reference them later on: 1. Cut the 'blue light' at least 1 hour before bedtime (close computer, phone and any other devices that give off that 'blue light' that make it hard for your brain to "power down" for the night. 2. Do a 'brain dump' of all of your thoughts (don't be fancy just get them out of your head!) Lol! I have different notebooks and journals and planners that work for me and when I use them efficiently, it helps me to get all of the thoughts running around in my head somewhere else so I can get to sleep! ;-) 3. Have or work on a 'Nighttime routine' (if you can) so you're "prepping" yourself to get to sleep as you go through the motions. 4. "Think it Out" aka Meditate. Give yourself time (when it's convenient for you) to just 'daydream' or 'brain storm' or as I like to call it, a 'brain dump'! 5. Another tip that I didn't mention that helps me is to do a voice memo of my ideas. Get them out of my head and where I can use them later for reference. If any of these tips have helped you please let me know on IG @imspeakingew And I appreciate you subscribing and following too! Coming soon to iTunes! On Spotify, you can click on 'Follow' and highlight the bell in green (this will alert/notify you for all future episodes) and last but not least please leave me a review if you feel so inclined. This always helps me to know what folks have resonated with (or not). ;-) What is an Email Service Provider? I've worked with Mailchimp and currently Convertkit - these are two examples of email service providers. ConvertKit: The creator marketing platform All-In-One Marketing Platform for Small Business | Mailchimp What is a Lead Magnet? In a nutshell...it's a freebie of value that you make to get your ICA's (Ideal Client Avatar) to sign up and to join your email list. Folks that I've referenced in this podcast episode: Marie Forleo - host of MarieTV, entrepreneur and philanthropist Amy Porterfield | Online Marketing Expert Post-it flags Maya Angelou's full quote... "Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better." Myers-Briggs Free Personality Test: Free Personality Test | 16Personalities Online Digital & Brand Personality Marketing (marketingpersonalities.com) ^^^^ After you know your Myers-Briggs 4 letters, or your type. This gives you tips on how you market in business according to your type (or what may make you feel more comfortable). There is a Free mini report and if you happen to purchase the 'full' report I will get a small commission at no charge to you. I personally love these reports, the full one is very extensive and it's helped me a lot! I reference it from time to time to remind me of marketing ideas that may resonate better than others...speaking of I'm going to reference it again very soon...I need a refresher! :) Human Design Get Your Chart (jovianarchive.com) Thanks for listening and for reading this!If this episode was of value to you, please share, follow and/or review it here->

The featured guest on this week's episode is Liz Boer! In this episode Liz gives her TOP THREE tips on things you need to do (or DON'T) before launching your course! If you already have a course, or are thinking of launching one this episode is for you! You can find more about Liz by checking out her website: www.lizboer.com and check out the free list of tools here: www.lizboer.com/tools or to work with Liz and apply for her 12 week coaching program click here: www.lizboer.com/scale-up You want to start your own podcast? Check out how to work with me and book your VIP day at: www.theamywilliams.com for more episodes, special guests, or apply to BE a guest check out: www.theamywilliams.com/podcast www.theamywilliams.com/guestapplication

Ep 105 – Nicole Schefler of Tech DivaYou can sign up for our weekly newsletter, The Technopath Way Tips, here: https://technopath.lpages.co/technopath-way-tips-email-opt-in-page/ Nicole's tips for staying organized and taming the overwhelm:· Map out the different technologies you useo Make a list of the different platforms/tools you use and what they are foro Leave a column for ‘cost'· In a subscription based technology world (like Netflix, Disney+) it is easy to lose sight of how much your org is spending each month· Take this list and see what automations you can put into use with your existing techo Do you have email automations set up? · If automations, technology and backend organization are not your zone of genius – outsource! Find a consultant or volunteer that can lighten this load· Reach out to adjacent nonprofit groups that focus on technology to fill your gaps· Use the analytics already embedded in many tools (open and click rates for emails, followers, engagement, impressions on social media) to determine if you're being effective and to see where to allocate your time· Maybe you need a more catchy headline on LinkedIn, or clearer call-to-action on your website or social medias to have more potential stakeholders following you· No matter what technology you want to use ask for nonprofit pricing· Be clear on what and how you are asking stakeholders like volunteers and board members to do. While this can be time consuming to initially set up, it makes the inevitable turn over much easier to handle when the on-boarding of new board members and volunteers can be smooth and quick Tech Stack· Canva for graphics - the free version is very robust for pulling in volunteers· Email Service Provider - email collection, storage, automation and marketing – · Meditation app – the mental clarity has really helped with creativity and feeling less overwhelmed· Digital notepad – Can write things out that are immediately converted to typed text for easy dissemination if needed, and allows you to access your notes on other devices like a phone while you're on the go· Trello or Basecamp – Keeps everyone updated and on the same page with projects without you having to continually explain where you are in the process· Google Docs – simple and excellent for onboarding and turnover Management Tips· It is key to start with a culture of caring about the people you manage· Being empathetic and leading with a compassionate heart· When you build culture you build retention across the board – donors, volunteers, employees· Inclusivity is not just about diversity, it is also about building a culture where everyone feels heard, seen and accepted· Psychological safety is the number one thing for all organizations whether they are nonprofits or businesseso Ask questions safelyo Provide feedback safely· Investing in your weak points even when there isn't a lot of wiggle room in the budgeto Paying for a management courseo Hiring an outside consultant to run technology, or engage more deeply with donors, anything outside your area of expertise· Remember to delegate and let go so your team can help your organization grow Nicole's Must-Have Tool for any project – Google Suite. Everyone knows the basics of how to use it no matter what kind of turnover rate your organization may have. Google Suite free for nonprofits -- https://www.google.com/nonprofits/?fbclid=IwAR1k55TvWmAB9rvQGE-8K9of6h10Dh2hSpoHIJa-R7EU6b8yvaxKFFFGO6k

Crucial Constructs has released a report on email marketing software. The author highlights the importance of email marketing and recommends several email marketing software tools. Go to https://crucialconstructs.com/whats-the-best-email-marketing-software (https://crucialconstructs.com/whats-the-best-email-marketing-software) to learn more.

In this episode of the Ecommerce Coffee Break, I  talk about how to avoid the Spam folder of your email subscribers when doing email marketing.On the Show Today You'll Learn:What Email Deliverability  isWhat factors influence your  Email Deliverability RateThe technical setup for your email accountsStrategies & Tips to increase your  Email DeliverabilityAnd more! Got A Question You Want Answered On the Podcast?Ask your questions or let me know if there is a topic or guest you'd like to hear from in the comments below or click here to visit my contact page and submit your question there for a chance to be featured on one of my upcoming Q&A episodesSubscribe & Listen Everywhere:Listen On: ​My Site | iTunes | Spotify | Amazon | Stitcher | Deezer | Google PodcastPlease support the podcast by giving an honest Rating/Review for the show on iTunes!Share the podcast with your family, friends, and co-workers.Tag the podcast on Instagram @clauslauter and let me know what you like about it.If you like the content and would like to support the podcast, you can buy me a coffee here._______________

When it comes to driving REAL business results, email marketing is one of the most important tools in your marketing toolbox (if not THE most important tool). In this episode, I cover why you should be thinking about email marketing - and how to get started. We discuss how email marketing works, how to get people to sign up for your list, what to say in your emails, the different types of marketing emails (automated and scheduled), and more.SHOW NOTES: https://makinggoodpodcast.com/59INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/laurentilden

Adding email marketing to your business's marketing strategy can be overwhelming enough without stressing over which email service provider to use. From up and coming platforms like Flodesk to the OG, MailChimp, and more, which do you choose?In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the 4 things I truly believe you need to consider before committing to an email service provider based on:your marketing goalsyour desired featuresyour budgetyour desired supportI'll also cover the 4 email platforms I recommend any new-ish to email marketing business owner try before they buy. Tune in so you can confidently choose the right email service provider for you and start growing your business with email marketing!Mentioned in the episode:001. Grab the Free Guide: Flodesk vs. MailChimp vs. ConvertKit vs. MailerLite 003. Check out Elisabeth Huijsken's Newsletter002. Get 50% off Flodesk or use HYPEGAL50 Instagram:@hypegal.co

 MASTERCLASS GRATUITE  >> Tunnel de Vente : 4 étapes pour vendre votre expertise en ligne Rejoindre ma newsletter pour avoir accès à tous les cadeaux bonus (passés et futurs) en plus d'être informé.e de la sortie du dernier épisode. >> Les épisodes dont on a parlé :   - Choisir le bon lead magnet   -Le Storytelling

Episode Links: Coffee + Contracts https://coffeecontracts.idevaffiliate.com/783.html Discount Code: lifestylebyre   Market Dwellings https://marketdwellings.com/ Discount Code: lifestylebyre   We are taking the confusion out of your real estate database, right here right now. Database can feel like such a confusing topic for real estate agents because there are so many options. What exactly is a real estate database? How do I make one? Do I need an Email Service Provider? Do I need a fancy CRM? Who even goes into my database? And what the heck do I do once I create one? My goal with this episode is to take the mystery out of database and help you grow and scale your own database in a way that works for you. Your database is an amazing tool to have as a lead gen bucket for agents and I want you to know how you can grow your own stream of leads throughout database.

In todays episode  we'll talk about the 7 best practices for writing patient attracting emails. Here's an overview of what I cover. Use an Email Service Provider i.e Mailchimp No Gmail Accounts Take Time To Think About Subject Line Keep The Design Simple (NOT Corporate) Write For One Person Prioritise Content Consumption On Your Site Use Clickable Images  One of the most under utilised, cost effective and easy to implement marketing strategies is email marketing.   If you've not considered upping your email game let me tell you why this is important: You're 6 times more likely to get a click through from an email than you are from a social media post Your message is 5 times more likely to be seen in email than facebook When it comes to purchases (making an apt) as a result of receiving a marketing message..email has a much higher conversion rate YOU own the connection with this audience NOT the social media platform. Enjoy the show. Thanks for all you do, keep saving lives. Angus See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might think that Gmail and Yahoo meet your needs, but think again. You're going to want an upgrade once you understand what you can do with an actual email service provider. Plus, the three I recommend depending on what your current needs are.Resources mentioned in this episode:MailerLite (affiliate)ConvertKit (affiliate)DripTech School

In today’s podcast Trudy talks about the relevance and importance of having an email service provider and how it could be beneficial to your online business.By going through a list of questions and answers, Trudy gives you the tools to help you work out which email provider is right for your business … both now and later when your business grows.

I am back to providing a tip for this week. I was recently tagged in a post on Facebook where a person was asked what email service provider to switch to since they had an issue with emails going to spam. Let's talk about that.

Choosing An Email Service Provider - The most critical part of your email marketing program Choosing the right email service for your company is a daunting task. There are a lot of elements that you need to consider before you can find the perfect brand-ESP fit for yourself.  Today we make this process easy, and straightforward. We provide with you all the tips and techniques you can use to find the best ESP for your personal needs. Joining us in this podcast is Christopher Mariott, a 25 year veteran in the digital marketing space and the founder of Email Connect. He is a recognized expert in helping brands connect with the right marketing technology providers and platforms.  Questions Answered in the Podcast How ESPs are a close partner for your business? Why is getting the right ESP the most critical thing that an email marketer can do? Why simply adding more features won't get you sales as an ESP? How early detection of deliverability issues works in your favor, compared to only marketing higher email delivery rates? Switching from one ESP to another smoothly, and what's involved in these transitions? Tips for doing your homework on choosing the right band-ESP fit for your business

Is your Email Service Provider doing everything they can to make sure that your emails get through? Are you having trouble with high bounce rates, low open rates? In this episode we talk about the many factors involved in getting your emails delivered and what you can do to help.

EP 15: E-mail isn’t the sexiest marketing topic, nor is it the most fun, but if done well it can lead to the best ROI of any tactic in your marketing plan. Regardless of industry and even though there is more noise in the inbox and more apps for consumers to juggle, e-mail continues to prove itself as the best one-to-one communication channel for brands and most preferred by consumers. But, marketers continue to struggle with their email efforts. Even some 26 years after the first email campaign was sent, marketers are still challenged by how to ethically grow subscribers, ensure deliverability, and create content that is timely, targeted, and relevant. Today we’re joined by Michael Barber (and his British Mum) to explore some of the best and most practical ways to improve your e-mail marketing, challenge your email conceptions, and discuss just why this tactic continues to be vitally important for marketers.  We’ll also discuss how to ethically grow your email subscriber lists and how to select the appropriate Email Service Provider for the job. Key Topics Design Best Practices Creating Relative & Personalized Content Building Trust with Subscribers Email List Building Strategies Selecting The Right ESP For The Job Michael Barber of Godfrey Michael Barber SVP, Chief Creative Officer Godfrey @michaeljbarber anywhere online Recently named one of Marketo’s 50 Fearless Marketers Detailed show notes, links and resources can be found at: www.amawestmichigan.org/EP15

It's been a year and a half and if you're like me, GDPR is still confusing! This week, we are excited to have legal expert Mariam Tsaturyan to cover some of the ins and outs when it comes to being compliant with GDPR, even if you're not in the EU (yes, this still applies to us here in the United States).  We are talking about everything GDPR including: How to know if the GDPR regulations apply to your website or blog Making changes to your privacy policy and terms & conditions page to be in compliance Options you Email Service Provider may have to make everything easier How to stay in compliance when your freebie is a multiple part email series like a 5 day challenge or video series Why being GDPR compliant is actually better for your list (and saves you money)   For the full blog post that goes with this episode, click here > Resources  mentioned //Convert Kit - The #1 email service provider I recommend Make sure your site is GDPR compliant with Mariam's FREE GDPR checklist Legal templates including Privacy Policy templates, Terms of Use and Disclaimers Legal Audits for your website by Mariam   Mariam Tsaturyan's Official Bio //Mariam Tsaturyan is a licensed and practicing attorney in the United States. She started blogging as a side hustle. However, Mariam soon realized that there is a real need for legal tips in the blogging and online creative space. She now spends whatever free time she has blogging and helping other bloggers and online creatives to be legally compliant, run their website and business the right way. She is a mother to an overactive almost 3-year-old, and is married to her college sweetheart.

Every business needs an email marketing strategy as a part of their marketing strategy. Doesn’t matter if you’re an online business, or brick-and-mortar, all businesses need a way to build a stronger connection with their target audience and stay connected with their clients or customers. Email is such an effective and budget-friendly way to humanize a brand and build relationships. In today’s world, there really isn’t a reason to NOT have an email marketing strategy. Today, I’m going to run through the basics of getting an email marketing strategy off the ground. Before we jump into that - be sure to grab my free guide to turning your marketing to-do list into a marketing plan. You’re going to need four things: Email Service Provider, such as the following popular options: MailChimp ActiveCampaign ConvertKit Drip When comparing email service providers, consider the following: Ease of use What the platform looks like Price: short-term and long-term Landing pages Compatibility with other platforms (intergrations) Physical Address Lead Magnet, such as: Downloadable checklists or templates Ebooks Cheatsheets Guide, like my Marketing Journey Guide Resource list Workbook Quiz I use Canva to make nearly all of my graphics. Email Plan, such as a plan to email your subscribers every week at a specific date and time. Consistency here will pay off! Looking to connect off the podcast? Find me on Facebook and Instagram!

This week's episode is about storing your email list, and having the software to manage it. I will talk about the different types that are out there.Since this about starting up your side hustle - the one I talk about the most is Mailchimp. It is free for your first 2000 subscribers and you get the automation sequences to deliver your lead magnet.And don't forget - for planning your email campaigns, download the content calendar:https://www.sidehustlebookkeeper.com/podcast-upgradeSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TonyPrice)

This post comes after the news that Mailchimp is making some big changes in 2019. I'll break down what these changes mean for YOU and whether or not you should switch. Spoiler alert: YES. I'd recommend changing.  When I very first got started with email in 2013, I used Mailchimp. I heard a speaker talk about the importance of an email list and that's what she recommended. They had a free plan for up to 2000 emails and were a trustworthy company. I stayed with them until 2015, when my goals were different and Convertkit won me over with their fabulous features. I haven't looked back. I've still recommended Mailchimp to readers as an okay place to start, though they aren't my favorite. But coming on the heels of their announcement in May 2019, I'm changing my tune. Here's why and what YOU need to know. WHAT'S CHANGING IN MAILCHIMP Mailchimp has been providing a service: allowing businesses big and small to send emails to their customers. (LEGAL emails. Read more about being legal HERE.)  Now Mailchimp is moving to become a "marketing platform." They are adding features that allow them to be more of a CRM (customer relationship management) tool. That tells us a lot. The keyword being: CUSTOMERS.  In simplest terms, Mailchimp is moving its focus toward bigger businesses and business as a whole. Not mom-and-pop blogs or authors (as much as we really are running businesses). Most of the email services I've recommended handle that ONE thing: email. Other big companies like Infusionsoft call themselves a CRM rather than an email service provider. The difference is a different features and a heckuva lot more money. For most of us, Mailchimp is not focused on providing our needs. But they'll still provide email, right? Yeah. But I wanted to look at the big picture FIRST--they aren't here to serve YOU, the author or blogger or creative with a starting-out to average income and business. Now let's break down some of the specific changes. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? If you are still using Mailchimp and don't have more than 2000 subscribers, you're probably thinking that you're find and can just stay. You CAN. But there are current and coming changes that will affect you.  What's changing: (as noted) the focus is now on bigger businesses as a CRM free subscriber count now includes unsubscribes as well as active users limited audiences for free plan members pricing/credits for month-to-month users changes to automation (looks like you can't add new ones now on the free plan) More things WILL change, but we simply don't know yet. My guess would be that they lower the free plan to 1000 or less. There is no need for them to keep people on who are just using them for the free plan. Plus, if you've been cleaning your list regularly to stay under 2000, those emails you cleaned will now still count. Under that, my old list wouldn't be a free plan anymore. If you've been on the legacy PAID plan, you're grandfathered into their pricing. If you are on the FREE plan, when you hit paying levels, you'll be getting the new pricing. And the month-to-month users' credits will stop being active. In short, you're getting less bang for your buck. SO, SHOULD YOU LEAVE MAILCHIMP? You don't HAVE to. I mean, if you have 200 subscribers, you're probably thinking, why waste my time moving? Here's the thing: before this, I was barely recommending Mailchimp. Their features are clunky and should be way better and easier to use for as long as they've been around. They are a powerhouse and should have had features where you could click a link in an email to add a tag or move you to a group. That kind of thing is so hard in Mailchimp that even after watching tutorials on merge tags, I didn't get it. They kind of try to hide this by calling some of their features automations and tagging, but where other companies have sophisticated features called the same things, Mailchimps features just don't do the job. The best thing about Mailchimp has been the giant free plan. That will likely change, and fundamentally does now that they are counting unsubscribes. With average features, they are trustworthy in terms of a reputable company, but their goal isn't to serve YOU. They don't even have customer service AT ALL for the free plan. If you have considered a move, I think this is the kick in the pants that you should use to just do it.  WHAT EMAIL SERVICE PROVIDER SHOULD YOU USE? I've tried all the biggies. Well, almost. I haven't tried Send in Blue or Active Campaign or Infusionsoft. But I've tried Mailchimp, Mad Mimi, Tiny Letter, Aweber, ConvertKit, and Mailerlite. That's a lot. I've paid for plans to test things SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO. Here are my top two recommendations and who should try each one. I'm an affiliate for each and will share my link, which won't cost you extra. (And NO, I'm not promoting them because I'm an affiliate. I became an affiliate because I USE and LOVE them.) Cheapest and Simplest: Mailerlite This email provider gives you 1000 free emails. They also have features that Mailchimp doesn't. Their automations are much more powerful and do more. Much more. Once you start paying, it's not that much AND you have customer service on the free plan. I use Mailerlite for my Emma St. Clair list, where I essentially have an easy entryway onto my list and sell books. The end. TRY MAILERLITE!  Most Powerful and Amazing: ConvertKit I've long been an advocate of Convertkit and still am. Their features are fantastic and streamlined. Easy to use and powerful. If you are simply selling books, this is more than you'll need. But if you have other things going on like sales funnels and lots of lead magnets and things like that, Convertkit's features beat Mailerlite's. I use Convertkit for my Create If Writing List, where I've run webinars and hosted live summits and set up sales funnels. TRY CONVERTKIT! If you're still unsure, you can check out my post where I go more in depth on which email service provider you should use. READ IT HERE. You can also read more about Mailchimp: David Gaughran-  Big Changes at Mailchimp Written Word Media- Mailchimp Changes: Everything Authors Need to Know For now, you CAN stay with Mailchimp if you're way under the limit. But you might not want to. Eventually, you WILL want to move and it's much easier to move now than move later. Trust me.

How to increasing your Email Marketing Impact Welcome to Part 3 (our final episode in this 3-Part Series!). So far we’ve discussed how to grow the size of your email list and the quality of your email list and in this episode it’s all about increasing the level of engagement in your email list! On today’s show your hosts, Suzi Dafnis and Michelle Falzon give you tips and ideas for getting more interaction happening with your email subscribers (and why you want this now, more than EVER!). EXTRA RESOURCES: You can also get a FREE Resource Your 90-Day Email Impact Planby visiting: www.herbusiness.com/emailimpact Listen to this episode to hear more about: How to measure the level of engagement in your emails (including the 5 numbers you want to track regularly to take the pulse of your email engagement) Why a more responsive list means your Email Service Provider will give you better deliverability (and why this is a BIG deal!) How to use surveys to get more people opening and clicking on your emails What clues to look for in past emails that will help you create EVEN more engaging emails in the future (including one SUPER easy tip that takes just a few minutes and requires no tech savvy whatsoever!) The simple two word phrase that will skyrocket your list engagement and get more of your subscribers knowing, liking and trusting you. Tips for upleveling your emails… yep… if you want more engaged readers, you gotta write better emails! And much more. Also mentioned in this episode: Your 90-Day Email Impact Plan: www.herbusiness.com/emailimpact Content Sells Episode 6 - Strategies for Creating Emails That Sell without being Salesy: https://herbusiness.com/podcast/06-strategies-for-creating-email-campaigns-that-sell-without-being-salesy/

Email is THE best way to grow and scale your business and communicate with your ideal client.  In fact, email generates $44 in ROI for every $1 spent (Hubspot 2016).   Yet it can be daunting to choose an email service provider.  With so many features, processes and templates - it's hard to know what to choose.  I mean who wouldn't be overwhelmed and confused? In this week's episode I walk you through the 5 key elements to research prior to choosing the email service provider for your business today and as you look into the future.  I also give you the skinny on regular email (think Gmail or Outlook) and using an email service provider like ConvertKit, MailChimp or Active Campaign. I share my Top 3 picks that I use, have used and recommend to my consulting clients.  Last but not least, I share the skinny on all the current marketing stats around email and give you the #1 thing you should NEVER do to your email list.   Resources Mentioned: ConvertKit ActiveCampaign Mailchimp Download Transcript Love this episode?  We would love a Review! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes!

This is the fourth episode in the email marketing series that we're working on. And today's episode is going to go over ConvertKit vs MailChimp. I've used quite a few different email service providers over my business career, and these are the two I like the best, especially for beginning business owners. I think those are the two best for non-techies. And they are the two best if you want to get your email system marketing up and running quickly. And they're the easiest, I think, for doing it all yourself. So you don't have to have any big team doing it for you. It's really easy to get in there, do we need to do and then get out. Now, I'm going to go over the bits and pieces, the pros and cons, the differences of the two. I definitely think if you are just starting out in business and don't have an email service provider yet. Or especially if you've never used one before, you're going to want to choose one of these two. Hopefully going over all this information will help you make the best choice for you and your business right now. In this episode, we will go over: The Dashboard Forms and Signups vs Landing Pages Emails Price Tagging/Segment vs Groups/Segments eCommerce Support Integrations Affiliates This episode is sponsored by your FREE MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. If you have a business, you know you need an email list. But, what if you're just starting out, and your budget is close to zero. Or, maybe your budget is actually zero when it comes to using an email service provider right now. What are you gonna do? In this free gift that I have created for you, it's called MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. I show you how to use MailChimp's free service. So, MailChimp lets you use their service for free, with a few limitations for up to 2000 people on your list. And that sounds great. But, here's the problem with that. The way they have it setup, it's not intuitive on how to use their free service if you have more than one thing that you're giving away. So, basically you create these lists. But it's only good for one thing that you're giving away. If you go to give something else away, then it changes the first thing. Does that make sense? Well, anyway, you're gonna grab this free gift. Let's say to get people on your email list, you have two to three different freebies that you're trying to give away. But to set up to the three lists, it's a bit tricky. Just click here for your MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. If this podcast has been helpful for you, go ahead and - Subscribe in iTunes. So you can get new episodes delivered to you every Tuesday and Thursday. And while you're there, if you have a moment, please - Leave a Review in iTunes. If you think this podcast is gonna be helpful for other people, leaving a review is a great way to get it up there and suggested for the other people that are looking for podcasts. So, really, really appreciate it if you would leave us a review. And that's it. We will see you in the next episode. Links Mentioned in this Podcast: Organizing Her Business Systems and Technology FB Group Send me an email MailChimp Email Marketing How-to ConvertKit (affiliate link) - 14-Day Free Trial MailChimp ORGANIZING HER BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY FB COMMUNITY - https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrganizingHerBusiness TIA HAIN INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/tiahain/ ORGANIZING HER BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY SHOW NOTES - https://tiahain.com/9

Episode 015: Choosing an Email Service Provider   Episode Summary:  Email marketing is typically one of the best returns on investment for most ecommerce websites. In this episode, Julie talks through the factors you need to consider when choosing an email service provider including your goals and budget as well as your functionality and level of service needs.   Episode Links: https://mailchimp.com/ https://www.constantcontact.com/ https://www.klaviyo.com/ https://www.activecampaign.com/ https://savvybusinessmethod.com/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAHt2LynOZylOjlIz878okg https://fb.me/savvybusinessmethod    Episode Transcript:     Announcer: Are you looking to take your online business to the next level? Well, you're in the right place. Welcome to The Savvy Business Method, with your host, Julie Feickert.   Julie Feickert: Hello, and welcome to episode 15 of The Savvy Business Method podcast, where we talk about how to plan, start, and grow your small business online. I'm Julie Feickert, and my goal is to help you build practical business skills so you can provide a better life for your family.   Today we're going to talk about email marketing, and we've done a few episodes talking about email. And one of the reasons I like to talk about email is because email marketing tends to have a higher rate of return for small business owners with websites, ecommerce websites, than a lot of other types of marketing. And so this is something that I feel really strongly that ecommerce website owners need to have in place and need to do well so that they can get the best rate of return on their investment and grow their business.   So today I want to walk you through choosing an email service provider. Now, before we get into the factors you need to consider, I want to clarify that an email service provider is the service you're using to send out both your automated and manual email marketing campaigns to your mailing list, so like your sales emails and your abandoned cart emails. This is different from who hosts your business e-mailbox. So I have an email address through my website, SavvyBusinessMethod.com. That email address is hosted and managed by a different service than what I use to send out the emails for Savvy Business Method. So hopefully that makes sense. That's just a point of confusion occasionally, and I want to make sure we clear that up in advance. All right, well, there are a number of good options out there for an email service provider, or an ESP. I'll probably use ESP throughout this so I don't have to keep saying email service provider.   Now, a couple of them you've probably heard of. If you've been around ecommerce at all for a while, companies like MailChimp, Constant Contact, and Klaviyo are really popular with small website owners. And so we're going to be talking about companies like that today. And really the company that you choose or the company that's the best fit for your business is going to be dependent on a number of factors, including how large your email list is, your budget, and the features and the level of service that you specifically need. So let's walk through each of these and really dig into how you can figure out which service will best meet the needs of your specific business.   All right, first off, I would recommend that you think about the goals that you have for your email marketing. Now, are you looking, for example, to just send out periodic emails to your email list, to maybe announce a sale or a new product or just remind them your business exists? Or are you looking maybe to do more triggered marketing? These are the automated campaigns, things like a shopping cart abandonment campaign, when somebody abandons their shopping cart, or a welcome series that starts sending out emails to them as soon as they sign up for your email list, or a post-purchase series that follows up with them after that sale, to support that sale, maybe get a product review, and also try to get them to make that second, third, fourth sale, et cetera. So those are some different types of campaigns that you could be considering running.   Now, those are typical ecommerce campaigns. But if you are selling an item that requires a great deal of education or thought by the consumer, they really have to consider this purchase, or maybe it's a very high dollar value item, you may also need to run a sales funnel. So that's sort of a different type of campaign, right, where you're catching them at various points in the sales process and kind of funneling them through to the sales process. And so knowing your goals in advance can really help you understand the level of functionality that you're going to need from an email service provider.   All right, on top of the type of email marketing specifically you're looking to do, you do need to also give some thought to what are your goals for growing your email list? Is your email list growing very quickly? Is it likely to get very large? Do you need specific tools built into your email service provider to help you grow that list and capture email addresses? Or are you using a separate system or something like that? Email is either a small part of your marketing for some businesses, or it's a very big part of it. And knowing that in advance can be really useful before you go out and try to choose a company.   All right, next up, you need to know the types of features that are available in each system that you look at, okay? So let's talk first about automation and the functionality of the automation system within any given email service provider. Now, knowing what kinds of campaigns you want to run is really helpful, right? So then you want to look in the system at what kinds of campaigns can be automated.   Now, let's talk, for example, about shopping cart abandonment, because generally most decent email service providers are going to have support for an abandoned shopping cart campaign, because that's a very common need for an ecommerce website. So if you're looking at an SCA campaign, are there campaign templates in the system that you're looking at to get you started? Are you going to have to come up with the code for the emails by yourself? Are you going to have to come up with the sequencing and the delays all by yourself?   Now, there are some trade offs here, right? So if you're just getting started with your business or you're not particularly tech savvy or you don't have a particularly large budget to do a lot of custom coding, having an email service provider that has a drag-and-drop system or has some example campaigns already set up, where you're just plugging in your logo and the colors and the time delay you want between the emails, that can be fabulous, especially when you're first getting started.   But as you grow, one thing you need to be looking at with automation functionality in any of these email service providers is whether there is flexibility long-term. So I have great faith in you. I know that as you go on in your ecommerce journey that you become more savvy in how you run your business, and you start noticing some trends with your email marketing, you are going to be in a position to be a little bit more strategic about how you lay out your emails and how you lay out your sequences. And having the ability in a system to then go in and be flexible and set up your own campaigns with these custom layouts or custom timing can be really important. So this is just thinking ahead, right? So as you become better at this, are you going to have the flexibility in the automation system to do the campaign that you want to do? All right, also with the animated, or automated, excuse me, automated campaigns, if you could do animated campaigns, that'd be cool, too, but with the automated campaigns, you want to be asking the email service provider about the level of service they're providing here, right? So are they building the campaigns out for you, or is that something you do? And if it's something you do, be sure to get a demo or a trial period so that you can make sure that your level of technical skill meshes nicely with the complexity of the system that you're looking at. There are systems out there that are so ridiculously easy, drag-and-drop systems, they're great. There are systems out there that require a lot more tech skill, and they also tend to have a lot more functionality long-term. So those trade offs are there. Just be thoughtful before you sign any agreements or sign up for a year plan or something like that, that you're picking something that you are going to be able to work with and get those automation sequences set up well.   All right, next up, I would encourage you to look at the tracking and reporting that is available through the system that you're considering. This may not seem like a big thing. And to be honest, it isn't a really big thing when you're first getting started. But again, as you grow, as your email list is bigger, as you're generating more revenue, and as you get more savvy as an ecommerce marketer, you're going to want to see more and more metrics of how your email is doing.   And there can be major differences between the tracking and reporting in different systems. So for example, most systems will track things like clicks and opens and how many people purchase something after reading the email. But if you're planning on running more complex campaigns from the get-go, you might want to think through what information you would want about those campaigns, and then verify that those metrics are available in the system you're looking at. Also, as you start running more and more campaigns and more complex campaigns, it's really useful to be able to download your statistics into a spreadsheet program like Excel so that you can analyze the statistics. So just double check that you have that ability in whatever system you're looking at, too. So again, thinking ahead, right, we just want to make sure we can grow, and as we become better at this, that we have the information available, and it's not going to be this huge pain to pull the information out of the system.   All right, when you're looking at a system, I'd also recommend you look carefully at their template options. Now, templates are the pre-built emails that are available that, in theory, you're just going to drop your logo in and change the colors and maybe tweak the layout just a little bit. But basically, it's a plug-and-play system, right? You plug your information in, and you're able to send emails that look reasonably professional.   Templates are amazing, I mean, especially when you're first getting started or you don't have the tech skills or you don't have the budget for something custom. They can just be the best thing ever. But it's important to look and make sure that the company that you're looking to work with has templates, if you're going to use a template, that they have templates that are going to be able to be adjusted enough to match your branding so that your emails are recognizable to your customers, because you're going to have a much easier time using email for marketing if your customers recognize the email is coming from you and it's reinforcing whatever branding and messaging that your site has going on.   All right, so in order to look at templates, you need to think through a few things. Most of this is about thinking through the types of emails you'll be sending out. When we think about batch and blast emails, those newsletter or sale emails that we send out manually to our lists, having a big image, that hero image at the top is pretty common. But then you need to think through, are you just going to be sending out emails with that one image and maybe some text? Are you planning on sending supporting articles or recipes or guides or something else further down the email that you're going to need space to drop in? Maybe you're planning on doing product highlights, or you want to have multiple product recommendations in your emails.   All of that are things that you should be considering when you're looking at templates, because you don't want to mess with those templates too much unless you are some sort of coding expert, because those templates are really finicky, because they're meant to work both on a desktop and on a tablet and on a mobile device, which is great. It used to be that we didn't have that functionality, even a few years ago. But now it's standard. But it also means you can't mess with the template like you used to be able to.   All right, so let's say that you're not finding any templates that work well for you. You need very specific branding, or you need a specific layout. What are your options? Most companies, especially the higher-end email service providers, and believe me, there are some high-end email service providers out there, and they are fabulous. I miss them dearly. They often offer a service where you can draw out what you want for an email, have a designer draw it out, and then there are people who will build that template for you. And that service generally runs anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 in my experience. So that's just something to think about. That is a chunk of money. So if that's something that's in your marketing budget, great. You can have a really nice, well-branded email. But if it's not, you're going to need to figure out how to work with the templates that are already in the system.   All right, next up, this won't matter to everybody, but if you work a lot from your phone or mobile device, you may want to check and see if whatever email service provider you're considering has some sort of mobile app so that you can log in to the system on the go. This requirement, if this is really important to you, I'm going to tell you up front this is going to limit your options, because a lot of the email service providers do not have apps. And the ones that do have very low functionality apps, from what I can find. But just something to think about. If you're used to having constant access to systems from your cell phone, then you need to take that into account when you're picking somebody, and decide how important that's going to be, if that's going to be a hill you want to die on or not.   All right, next up, you need to make sure that whatever system you choose can be fully integrated with both your ecommerce platform, so this is where you sell things, right, like Shopify or Magento or BigCommerce or CoreCommerce or whoever you're using, as well as any other systems that are critical for operating your business, okay? So these are things like if you have a customer relationship management system, if you're doing more sales focus, you might have a CRM. Your ecommerce platform has to, or excuse me, your email service provider has to interface with your CRM. If you're using a landing page system like Leadpages, you need to make sure that that is interfacing with your email service provider. If you are using a separate system for email capture and you've got your popups and your static banners and all of that on your site through another system, you need to make sure all of these systems can talk to one another.   It does not work for you to be manually downloading email addresses out of one system and putting them in another. Don't get stuck in that idea. That doesn't work because part of the effectiveness of email is when someone signs up that they are immediately getting whatever follow up you promised them. Otherwise you're going to end up with a lot more spam complaints. So don't get into this idea of downloading automatically. If someone signs up on Facebook, it needs to feed directly to your email service provider. If they sign up on a popup, it has to feed directly. People place an order on your ecommerce site, it has to feed directly into your email service provider.   So this is a big thing to worry about. The nice thing is, thanks to Google, this can be really simple. You're just normally typing in the name of your ecommerce platform and the name of your email service provider. So you can type in Shopify integration ActiveCampaign, or something like that, and see if those two systems talk. That information is usually very readily available. All right, you also need to be concerned about deliverability. So what does deliverability mean? This means the number of emails that actually make it into your customer's inbox and on the way are not marked as spam, okay? So we're talking about the issue of, when you send an email, does that email get marked as spam? Does it get put in their spam box, their junk folder? We need our emails making it to our customers' email boxes. Now, granted, if our customer has Gmail, we're probably making into the promotion box. That is a very different thing than getting marked as spam and ending up in a junk folder, right? At least there's a chance they're going to see our email, and it doesn't have this big spam label on it.   Okay, so deliverability really matters. And this is a tough thing, because there are a decent number of companies out there that maybe don't have the best deliverability rates, to put it nicely. So this is something you need to ask about. And you really are looking for 98% or higher deliverability. It's also helpful if the company has a dedicated deliverability team. These are people who have working relationships with the big email providers, like Gmail and Microsoft, for Outlook and that sort of thing, or Yahoo Mail, where if there's an issue, that they're able to talk to those companies directly and say, hey, why did all of our email going to customers with your email address get marked as spam, something like that.   So this is actually really important, because you are working hard, right, to build your email list. And building an email list is not a free thing. You're putting effort into it. You might be paying for lead ads, something like that. And then to be sending emails and not having them get to people, that is a huge problem. Now, something to keep in mind, companies do not have high deliverability rates on accident. Yeah, they've got good systems if they're going to have a high deliverability rate. They probably have dedicated deliverability teams. But the other thing they do to ensure that their deliverability rates are high is they do not tolerate bad behavior from their customers. Okay?   So if you have an email service provider who's just letting you sign anyone up, import any list, send any email, that is a bad sign, okay? You're probably going to have really low deliverability rates, because a company like Gmail or Yahoo Mail is going to see emails coming from that provider and be like, oh, yeah, these are the people who send a lot of spam. So this is just something to be thinking about. You actually do want it to be a little bit difficult to send your email, okay? Just like you don't want to go to a college that gives As to everybody, okay? It becomes a meaningless grade, right? If it is so easy to send email, if no one ever asks a single question about where you got your lists or what you're putting in your emails or where you got an email address, then you need to be suspicious and ask more questions, okay? That's all I'm saying.   So I'll give you an example. I recently switched to a new email company because I needed to shift the type of emails that I was sending for one of my companies. And I went to send my first email with them. And I checked them out. They have a great reputation. I was actually quite happy with them. And instead of my email going out at 11 a.m., I got an email from their deliverability team saying, hey, we are holding your email until you give us some more information. And they needed a very detailed, documented list of where I had gotten every single one of the email addresses for my company, which fine, because I did obtain them all perfectly legitimately. But I had to basically swear that I had done this legally, and it was fine. I mean, the whole process took like 15 minutes. My email went out 15 minutes later. It was fine. This is a good thing. I mean, yeah, it was a pain in the moment, but that's a good thing. That tells me that they care and that odds are good that my emails will continue to go out and not be marked as spam going forward, okay? So that's a good thing.   Another thing to look at in terms of this whole deliverability question, something you can kind of investigate without having to ask too many questions up front is look at who their other clients are. Email service providers are really good, generally, at letting you know if they have big companies that use them for their email. So that's just another thing. You can look and say, oh, they're working with larger companies. They probably have a little bit higher quality service going on. I mean, you're not going to get the same service as a big client, don't get me wrong. Your $25 a month is not going to get you the same service as maybe a company like Costco gets. But nonetheless, generally that'll be a more reputable company, right?   All right, so along with deliverability, you also want to look at their customer service, okay? And this is things like how quickly will you get help if you need it? Do you have different ways to contact them? If you're on a very inexpensive plan, then you're probably only going to have like an email contact information going on or maybe live chat during Monday through Friday, eight to five, type thing. If you have a more costly plan, I would sincerely hope that you would have the ability to contact them 24-7. So when I had a huge email list with one of my companies, it was over 300,000 people, we were paying a pretty significant amount of money for our email every month. And the company we were working with was a very high end company. And they were fabulous. But I had a phone number. If something went wrong on a Saturday at 9:00 p.m, I had a way to get a hold of the main line, and I actually also had my account rep's cell phone number, as well. So there were things I could do. If I had some massive catastrophe, there were people I could call. But you're not going to get that level of service as a really small business.   Next up, you want to look at how extensive is their help, okay? So is this more of a self-service system, where they give you a bunch of articles and they expect you to figure it out? Or will they get in there and do things for you? And again, that's probably going to be a function of how much you're paying. Setup is also a factor you want to think about, if you need to be setting this up on your own, or are they going to do initial setup for you and kind of get you all set up and ready to go, and then kind of turn you loose on it? So that's just questions to ask.   If you are paying more or if you have a larger list and are paying more, you may be assigned an account rep. And so a good question to ask if you're kind of working in that system is what would your account rep be doing for you? Will they be meeting with you regularly? Will they be making active suggestions, getting to know your business, helping educate you on how to do email marketing better? Or are they just your contact person if something goes wrong, okay? So that's just going to vary depending on the company and the type of plan you're on and how large your list is, things like that. All account reps are not created equal, let me tell you. But there are some amazing ones out there.   All right, last up for factors you need to think about is, of course, the money factor, right? I've kind of been alluding to this with all of these other things I've been talking about. But your budget, in the end, is going to drive a lot of this decision for you. All right, so what is your budget? That can be a little bit hard of a question, right? You have a marketing budget hopefully worked out, and you may have some ideas about how much you can potentially spend on email lists.   But let me give you a few things to think about when you're planning your budget. One is how big is your list? Now, if you are coming into this with a fairly large list, like I did very little email marketing until I had about 80,000 people on my email list. And this is just me not knowing how powerful it could be. And so I was using a very slimmed-down provider. I was sending out like one email every other week. I think I had just started sending out one email every week, when I contracted with a fairly big, fairly high-end email provider, and I got a great account rep, and I was able to just take my email and run with it. But if you have a very small list, you are going to be looking at different options than if you're coming in with 80, 100, 200, 300,000 people on your email list.   Now, don't be intimidated, okay, because there are actually even free plans out there. I would not recommend a free plan because free plans usually come with a lot of strings attached. Maybe we can talk about those in another episode. But the low priced plans, where you don't have all the restrictions, for a lot of these service providers, generally start about $25 a month. So they are super affordable. But you can easily spend many thousands of dollars a month, depending on how big your list is and how much functionality you need, how much support you need. So there is a range. But that's good, right? Because that means there is something there for everyone.   All right, next up, when you're talking about your budget, you need to be thinking about how much money you could reasonably make by putting a solid email marketing program in place. And this'll be a little bit easier to judge if you're already doing some email marketing and you kind of have a feel for how your customers respond to email. But if you have no system in place at all, it can be much harder to understand what the potential is, okay? And there's so many factors that go into this. There's no way we can cover all of them today. But let me just give you a general rule of thumb.   Most companies will generally see a 5x to 10X return on their investment for email marketing. And that is a very general rule of thumb, okay? Some companies will see more, some will see less. But that would mean for every dollar you spend on email marketing, you're looking to get five to $10 back. I mean, that's part of the reason email marketing can be so powerful. But to get those kind of returns, you need to be careful what system you're using. You need to do your email marketing well. There are a lot of factors there, right? So that's just a general rule of thumb.   All right, and then finally, in terms of your budget, you need to be thinking about, can you balance being affordable now with the ability of the system to grow with you? I mean, the perfect email marketing system would have a very inexpensive plan at like $25, but they would be able to grow, regardless of your email list gets to half a million people, right? That's going to be a hard thing to find, just to put it nicely. But still, you want to look for something that's affordable now but does have some potential to grow, because ROI, as I said, or your return on investment can be really hard to predict. It could be that you have this amazing email list that just worked correctly with the right sequences of emails, is going to generate an amazing return for you. Or it could be your email list, you know, just doesn't buy that much stuff off email. And that could be a little bit hard to predict when you're first getting started. And so finding something that's affordable but can scale and even maybe unlocking more complex or really cool features that you can use for some functionality can be really awesome.   Also, just a warning up front that moving systems is a huge pain. I actually just did it, and it's no fun at all. One of the main problems with moving systems, besides having to get your list into a new system and prove that it's a legitimate list, that you didn't go out in the internet and buy it or something, is that you lose a lot of your tracking and your tagging, normally, when you move systems. So you don't have the easy ability after you move systems to go back and say, well, these were people who purchased something, or these are people who spent more than $100. So a lot of your ability to segment goes away. And we'll talk about segmenting in a future podcast, but just something to keep in mind. Don't make this decision willy-nilly. You do not want to move, okay?   But that being said, picking carefully is important, but it is better to pick a company and start sending email and start making money off your email list than it is to get stuck in any sort of cycle of indecision. And I realize that with all the things I've given you today, it's really easy to be overwhelmed and say, you know, maybe I'll just not worry about this right now. And please, please don't do that. Go back through the show notes. There is a full transcript there so that you can take your time to go through the different things that I've talked about. And think through them and make a list of the factors that you need to be considering, because no system is perfect, right? That doesn't exist. But it's better to have an imperfect system reliably collecting email addresses and sending out email regularly than it is to have nothing at all, all right?   Okay, so that's it. Thanks so much for joining me today. I'll be back in your feed in a few days. But in the meantime, I'd love to hear from you. If you have feedback or ideas for future shows, you can find me at SavvyBusinessMethod.com, as well as on Facebook and YouTube. Be sure, please, to hit that little subscribe button in iTunes or Stitcher. That way you don't miss any episodes. We're doing episodes on Mondays and Thursdays now. I don't want you to miss anything. Also, rating and reviewing this podcast, I really appreciate when you guys do that. I love reading the reviews, and that helps it move up in the ranking so people find it when they search. And that's helpful for everyone else. So I appreciate anything you can do for me on that, and I will see you next time.   Announcer: Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Savvy Business Method, with Julie Feickert. If you enjoyed today's episode, please leave a review and subscribe. And for more great content and to stay up to date, visit SavvyBusinessMethod.com, Savvy Business Method on Facebook. We'll catch you next time.   Episode 015: Choosing an Email Service Provider

We are continuing on with our email marketing series.We're in the third week. And today's particular episode is about: What Is the Difference Between an ESP (Email Service Provider) and a CRM (Customer Relationship Management System) First off, let's go over what they stand for so that may help right there. ESP stands for email service provider. CRM stands for customer relationship management. The problem is that people are using these two acronyms interchangeably all the time. I'm not sure that they know exactly what they stand for; I think that's why they just get used interchangeably. The problem is when you're new to this whole environment. And you don't know what they stand for. And you don't know how to use them. And what you're supposed to do with them, it starts to get really confusing. In fact, I think it was a couple years ago when I realized that I was listening to my business gurus that I follow. And they were using them interchangeably. And then, it got to the point where a couple of 'em were like, "I don't even know what this stands for. I don't even know which one means what. What am I supposed to be using?" I'm like, "Alright, if you guys don't even know, somebody needs to figure this out." I went, I figured it out. And it's like, "Okay, now it makes total sense." I think the problem is, it's one of those things that if it's not your job specifically, you don't really know all the intricate details of it. But you wanna get to know the details especially of ESPs because even if you're just starting your business, it is something you're gonna need to use... This episode is sponsored by your FREE MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. If you have a business, you know you need an email list. But, what if you're just starting out, and your budget is close to zero. Or, maybe your budget is actually zero when it comes to using an email service provider right now. What are you gonna do? In this free gift that I have created for you, it's called MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. I show you how to use MailChimp's free service. So, MailChimp lets you use their service for free, with a few limitations for up to 2000 people on your list. And that sounds great. But, here's the problem with that. The way they have it setup, it's not intuitive on how to use their free service if you have more than one thing that you're giving away. So, basically you create these lists. But it's only good for one thing that you're giving away. If you go to give something else away, then it changes the first thing. Does that make sense? Well, anyway, you're gonna grab this free gift. Let's say to get people on your email list, you have two to three different freebies that you're trying to give away. But to set up to the three lists, it's a bit tricky. Just click here for your MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. If this podcast has been helpful for you, go ahead and - Subscribe in iTunes. So you can get new episodes delivered to you every Tuesday and Thursday. And while you're there, if you have a moment, please - Leave a Review in iTunes. If you think this podcast is gonna be helpful for other people, leaving a review is a great way to get it up there and suggested for the other people that are looking for podcasts. So, really, really appreciate it if you would leave us a review. And that's it. We will see you in the next episode. Links Mentioned in this Podcast: Organizing Her Business Systems and Technology FB Group Send me an email MailChimp Email Marketing How-to ConvertKit (affiliate link) - 14-Day Free Trial MailChimp Aweber Drip Constant Contact Get Response InfusionSoft OntraPort ORGANIZING HER BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY FB COMMUNITY - https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrganizingHerBusiness TIA HAIN INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/tiahain/ ORGANIZING HER BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY SHOW NOTES - https://tiahain.com/7

Okay we're back continuing our email list, email service provider, email stuff and such series. All of the things that you need to know about emails. And sending out emails to people. And how to do this for your business. All the things that you're supposed to know for email marketing. Hopefully we will cover all the bases as this series goes on. But it is a lot of information so I'm trying to break it down into segments. What Is an Email Service Provider (ESP) and Why You Need to Use One Today's segment is what is an email service provider, or ESP. And why do you need to use one. Things we talk about in this episode: What is an ESP? Why You Need to Use an Email Service Provider for Your Business It is a great place to manage your email list. Don't break the law. Emails are trusted from them. You get analytics from them. You can use automation. This episode is sponsored by your FREE MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. If you have a business, you know you need an email list. But, what if you're just starting out, and your budget is close to zero. Or, maybe your budget is actually zero when it comes to using an email service provider right now. What are you gonna do? In this free gift that I have created for you, it's called MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. I show you how to use MailChimp's free service. So, MailChimp lets you use their service for free, with a few limitations for up to 2000 people on your list. And that sounds great. But, here's the problem with that. The way they have it setup, it's not intuitive on how to use their free service if you have more than one thing that you're giving away. So, basically you create these lists. But it's only good for one thing that you're giving away. If you go to give something else away, then it changes the first thing. Does that make sense? Well, anyway, you're gonna grab this free gift. Let's say to get people on your email list, you have two to three different freebies that you're trying to give away. But to set up to the three lists, it's a bit tricky. Just click here for your MailChimp Email Marketing How-to. If this podcast has been helpful for you, go ahead and - Subscribe in iTunes. So you can get new episodes delivered to you every Tuesday and Thursday. And while you're there, if you have a moment, please - Leave a Review in iTunes. If you think this podcast is gonna be helpful for other people, leaving a review is a great way to get it up there and suggested for the other people that are looking for podcasts. So, really, really appreciate it if you would leave us a review. And that's it. We will see you in the next episode. Links Mentioned in this Podcast: Organizing Her Business Systems and Technology FB Group Send me an email MailChimp Email Marketing How-to ORGANIZING HER BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY FB COMMUNITY - https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrganizingHerBusiness TIA HAIN INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/tiahain/ ORGANIZING HER BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY SHOW NOTES - https://tiahain.com/5

Episode 005: Ecommerce Data Storage and System Security   Episode Summary:  As small owners our livelihoods depend on securing our data and protecting critical systems such as access to the backend of our website, email service provider, etc. In this episode Julie discuss the various options available for storing and backing up data as well as issues surrounding securing critical systems.   Episode Links: My scanner: http://a.co/d/fYWAVOs https://www.dropbox.com/ https://www.box.com/ https://gsuite.google.com/ https://www.crashplan.com https://www.lastpass.com/ https://keepass.info/ https://1password.com/ Authenticator App for iOS: goo.gl/i6JDMp  Authenticator App for Android: goo.gl/LiRfRs    Episode Transcript: Announcer: Are you looking to take your online business to the next level? Well, you're in the right place. Welcome to The Savvy Business Method, with your host, Julie Feickert.   Julie Feickert: Hello and welcome to Episode 5 of The Savvy Business Method podcast, where we talk about how to plan, start, and grow your small business online. I'm Julie Feickert, and my goal is to help you build practical business skills so you can provide a better life for your family. A quick reminder that my YouTube Channel is available, and I have a bunch of short videos up there, so if you're looking for some quick tips and tricks head on over to YouTube and be sure to subscribe so you're notified of all the new videos because there are so many more coming. Now, for today's topic we're going to be talking about data storage and protecting systems. Doesn't this sound exciting? This is the episode where you are going to find out that I am a total nerd. But I hope this is useful to you, because as small business owners we need to be really thoughtful about how we store our data and how we protect our systems because it really is a point of potential liability for us. Think about this: Have you ever stopped to consider what would happen if tomorrow you woke up and were missing your order data? So you had no idea who had placed an order on your website. What if your inventory tracking sheet disappeared? Would you have time to go through and recount all of your inventory, and go back through all your reporting and recreate all your projections? Or what about that truly nightmare scenario. What would happen if your site was corrupted and there was no way to recover the data and you had to start all over? What would that look like? How many sales would you lose? How much of your sanity would you lose? As much as being an entrepreneur can be this awesome experience, there are some downsides, right? In a corporation there would be a department that's responsible for data storage and security and there would be people who had gone to school for data security making the decisions. But when you're a small business owner, the decisions fall to you. So I want to talk with you today about the things you need to be concerned about when it comes to data storage and protection. I've been doing this a long time; I've made my share of mistakes, I've seen other people make their share of mistakes and I'd like to save you some pain and suffering. So maybe grab a glass of wine and sit back and let's dive in. Okay, let's start the discussion by talking about what we should be storing and how. Now, I am going to tell you up front that I am a huge fan of keeping copies of keeping copies of pretty much everything related to your business. They're very few exceptions. You should keep every invoice, every form you fill out, every screenshot if you register with online systems, that sort of thing. Everything should be kept, well-filed, and easily accessible. That sounds like so much work, doesn't it? Let me give you a few tips here: I would strongly suggest that you invest is a really good scanner, the type that feeds paper, not the type that lift up that you have to lay a paper down. This thing is going to be your best friend. I will link to the one I have in the show notes but I'll tell you up front it is definitely not the cheapest option, I'm sure there are different ones available. I just happened to have had this one for 7 or 8 years and it has just kept on kicking and done a great job for me so I feel like I should definitely link to it but know that it is definitely one of the more costly ones. It feeds fifty pages at a time; it's just super easy to use. I would suggest that you try to make scanning your paperwork something you do a couple times a week. Once you get in the habit of this, it'll take you a couple of minutes, you'll name all your files, you'll get them into folders, and then when something happens, I guarantee you something will happen on like a Tuesday afternoon at 4:00, where you have to find a piece of paper, and it'll be right there for you. It's so much easier; it takes so much stress of your life to be able to find what you need quickly. Now, having told you you should keep everything, I do need to disclaim something here: When it comes to other people's personal data, and I'm talking about things like birthdays and social security numbers, specifically the types of data you end up having a hold of when you hire people, that information you should not be keeping long term, and you'll want to check with your local small business attorney so you can determine from like a state level what your liability there is, but in general I try to follow the rule that I don't keep people's personal information for longer than 12 months once they've stopped working for me. That just limits your liability in case your data were to be stolen, okay? So I just wanted to throw out that there is that one exception to not keeping everything, but you know like everything else? You've got to keep it. Okay, so where are you keeping all of this data? It's a lot, right? Wait until you start doing videos or podcasts, then you're going to have so much data you're not going to know what to do with it. But, you know, we have to balance a few things as entrepreneurs. One of the biggest priorities when it comes to storing our data ends up being accessibility. How quickly can I get the files that I need so that I can get my work done? Can I get to my files form my cell phone or on my laptop or on my desktop so that I can pull up things quickly and get my work done? Okay, so in terms of storage options, the big ones that I see most small businesses using and I have used myself include DropBox, Box.com, Google for Business. The nice thing about these platforms for storing data is that they're generally accessible form just about everywhere, and so you always have access to your files and you can get your work done from wherever you happen to be. The thing to understand when you're using a system like this that's based on a cloud structure so your information is sitting on servers in some warehouse somewhere is that some third party systems are not generally backed up. That's not part of the service that's being provided. Also be sure to read the fine print. Generally speaking, third party systems don't guarantee your data will be safe. Things like security breaches, and corruption of the data where the data's lost, those are all risks you generally just take using a third party service. But, understand I am not knocking on these services. They are amazing for accessibility. I'm just pointing out that you really need to be thoughtful about backing up your data and backing it up regularly. Now, backing up your data generally means making at least one backup copy that is stored in a different location, personally I do this every day but you can do it a couple of times a week or once a week, It just kind of depends on how much data you're generating. I will tell you that redundant backups are best, this is when you back up from, say, DropBox to a server in your house, and then you back up that server to an off-site backup situation like CrashPlan or something like that, in fact that's the system that we personally use for our companies. Because that way, if something goes wrong, I always have a couple of different copies that I can go back to. Now there are a couple of good backup solutions out there. If you're talking about trying to back up a copy just on a different computer, but in your home or your office, you can use an external hard drive, just use a separate computer, you can use a Network Area Storage device or a server if you want to get a little bit fancier. All those options start at like $80 dollars, so they're not terribly expensive, and if you're going to be generating a lot of information, or as your business is really generating revenue, I'd encourage you to make that investment so that you have this set up and can be all the time. Now, if you want to talk about off-site backups, there's a couple of options available. If you're mainly storing files on your computer you certainly could back up to a third party service, like DropBox, or Google Business, and so if one of those two things fails, you should have another copy availble. I did mention CrashPlan; that's who we personally have used for years. I really like CrashPlan, they're affordable, they have an excellent reputation for not losing data, and that's really important to me. In terms of a potential free option, I have in the past, mainly for personal and stuff, not as much for business, but if you have a friend maybe in another city or state who would be willing to do a nightly exchange of data, we used to send all of our personal stuff to our friend's server in their home, every couple of days, and they would send their stuff to us, and at one point that saved some really important pictures, that would have otherwise been lost. So, that's a free option, maybe not the most secure thing ever, but it is something to consider. Okay, so hopefully you're now getting some ideas on how it is you're going to back up your data regularly and make sure you keep copies of everything. So let's move on and talk more about system security. Now, number one thing in terms of system security because you're going to be running a lot of systems as a small business owner, right? You have your website, you have your Email Service Provider, you have your Google accounts, you have your main email server that's handling like your business email, I mean there's a lot of things that could be potentially be broken into and damaged caused. So, the first thing you need to worry about is having different secure passwords for every single system and I know that sounds so elementary but you would not believe how many people are still working on insecure passwords. So let's just do a quick review. Every single system you have, every single time you are asked for new password, you should be creating a unique password that is long, like at least 12 characters, it should include upper and lower case letters, numbers, symbols, you want a nice combination going on. Now, of course, if this is something that you're new to in creating unique passwords, these long secure unique passwords, you're probably having a panic moment right now, right? Because how are you going to remember all these passwords? I would really encourage you, every small business owner needs to have a subscription to a password manager. Something like LastPass, or 1Password, or Keeper, or KeePass, there's a ton of these out there. They're very secure; you get to basically have a password to log in and you'll want to make a secure password there but hopefully you can remember one secure password on your own, and these systems keep everything secure and they just make it so much easier to have great passwords for everything single one of your systems. They're also really inexpensive; most of the time they're like two or three dollars a month. So this is well worth your time and your money to get this, get a subscription and get it set up. I would just put a warning out to you because we own businesses, right? And we need to make sure if something happens to us that our businesses stay functioning so they can continue to support our families, if you have someone who would be the executor of your estate, you probably want to have some information somewhere so that they can get into your password manager so when in the event something happens to you, and I hate to be fatalistic but we all need to be thinking about that, they'd be able to get access to your systems to keep your business running. Okay, next up let's talk about accessing systems in general. Because even with all of your secure passwords there are still some things you need to be thinking about in terms of how easy your systems are to access. Now, one, you need to make sure all of your devices are also password protected, your laptop, your phone, your tablet. All of these devices should not be easy to break into. Because, I mean, let's face it. We all know someone or maybe we've done it ourselves where we've left, like, our phone in a public restroom, you don't want someone to immediately be able to get access to say, your website, or lock you out, or to get access to your email system and send spam email, something like that. And there are a number of things you can do to prevent that, you can secure your devices with passwords, some brands are obviously better than other for that, you can use what's called Authenticator, which will come up and ask you for a separate authentication, normally it is sending a text to your cell phone with a number so that you have to have that to log in to your systems. I would also put out a warning to you that you want to make sure you are only accessing password-protected systems over secure wireless. This is something that I just cannot overstate; actually I know of a situation where a company lost a whole bunch of money out of their bank account because their bookkeeper was accessing their bank account over an unsecure wireless connection. And, the general rule of thumb here is if you did not secure that wireless connection yourself, or you don't know what you're doing, you need to assume that your wireless connection is not secure. So don't go to Starbucks or any coffee shop, not dissing on Starbucks, but don't go to a coffee shop and access your bank account, okay? That's just not a good plan at all. Also know that if you lose money out of your business bank account, your bank doesn't have to put it back and they won't. So, this is your incentive. Just be careful. Also if you travel a lot, like I used to do a ton of traveling for work for a while there, I had a subscription to a Virtual Private Network. And that's how I accessed systems like in the evening is my hotel room I would go to my Virtual Private Network, and then I could use the hotel's Wi-Fi, and I was able to access my system securely. So there's a bunch of things that you can do. This is just about changing your mindset, and thinking about what would happen if someone was able to get access to my systems. Okay, now at some point odds are good your business is going to grow and you're going to be in a position where you need to give access to secure systems to other people. Whether it's hiring a virtual assistant, or maybe your developer who's working on your website or, maybe you start hiring employees. And so this is going to take some special thought and set up on your part. So, the number one rule I have is do not give employees, contractors, anyone access to administrative accounts. And by administrative account I mean anything where they can get in, and do significant damage and particularly anything they can get into where they could delete you as a user. So you think about if you give access to an employee and they can delete you out of the account, or delete your user out of the account, they can get control over whatever it is you're working on. And, you know, we all want to be able to trust people but the reality is that sometimes, things go sour, and we need to be protecting ourselves and our businesses. You really want to only give employees and contractors and other people as much access as absolutely necessary to accomplish their tasks. Now the good news is this has gotten a lot easier over the last few years because of these password systems that are available now. So for example, I use LastPass to not only secure my personal passwords, and then my husband and I share passwords, because, you know, we ultimately have two companies that we're running, and then I am also able to set up other users so if we have an employee or a contractor, I can give access for them in LastPass, and I can give them a password to access LastPass, and if for some reason I need to take their access away, I am doing that through my LastPass account, okay? So I'm able to, let's say they quit, or I have to terminate their employment, I am able to terminate access to one system, and they no longer have access to any of the systems. It's amazing. I cannot even begin to tell you the difference this makes for a small business owner, it used to be if you let somebody go, you had to sit there and go "Oh man, which systems did they have access to and how do I lock them out of all these systems?" Now it's a matter of changing their access to one system. So definitely make sure you've got these kinds of systems set up before you think about hiring anyone. Okay, well I've given you a lot to chew on today. You know, data protection isn't really that difficult, it's just about getting your systems set up and being thoughtful about doing the basic maintenance and kind of getting into that new mindset. Yeah as I said, I'm human and I've made my share of mistakes as a business owner, I have seen other people make mistakes, and some of which were fairly disastrous but I just don't want to see bad things happen to you or your business. Okay, if you have feedback or ideas for future shows you can find me at savvybusinessmethod.com as well as on Facebook and YouTube. Please be sure to hit that little subscribe button in iTunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode, and of course, I would greatly appreciate if you could rate and review this podcast in iTunes. It really does help other people find it, and I love reading the reviews. I just get some sweet lovely reviews and I am so thankful for them. I'll be back in your feed in a few days and until then, hey, go secure your data! Bye for now!   Announcer: Thanks so much for listening to this episode of The Savvy Business Method with Julie Feickert. If you enjoyed today's episode please leave a review and subscribe, and for more great content and to stay up to date, visit savvybusinessmethod.com, and Savvy Business Method on Facebook. We'll catch you next time.   Episode 005: Ecommerce Data Storage and System Security  

Marketing Automation System - https://www.automationlinks.com/whats-the-difference-between-an-email-service-provider-and-a-marketing-automation-system/ In this video Brad Smith answers the questions about what the difference is between an email service provider and a marketing automation system. You'll see the stats and tips on why you should setup automation and personalization in your business. 1. Create email templates and/or use pre-made templates. 2. Maintain a subscriber list, uploaded by the user for distributing messages. 3. Send email, allowing users to distribute their messages to subscribers. 4. Automate from 1st email to ongoing 5. Save you time 6. See statistics and reports of email campaigns and individual emails to measure success. Grow Your Website And Business With Our Automation Software: https://www.automationlinks.com/free-demo [Install a website tool to increase your web conversions] --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/automationlinks/support

  My Guest this week is Rob Wilson an expert marketer who is particularly adept with Using Active Campaign and this week's episode is all about how to establish build and grow your email marketing, in particular (but not exclusively) using Active Campaign.   This Week's Guest: Rob Wilson Founder of the BizSysMan, building business improving systems. Over 20 years in IT at the Director level. I work as the bridge between IT and the business to produce business systems that produce a return on investment. Expert in Active Campaign, OptimizePress, OptimizeMember. With certifications in Sales Funnel Creation and Content Marketing. Also loves WordPress and PHP programming :) In this Week's Episode you will discover: How email marketing can help your business Why using a proper Email Service Provider is important How to start building your email list How to develop your customer relationship with your email list How to get the most out of Broadcast Emails Why you might want to send out a single email The power of Active Campaign Automations Some examples of how to use Active Campaign Automations The Common problems and mistakes made in email marketing How to avoid some of the pitfalls of email marketing You can find out more about Rob at: http://www.bizsysman.com http://members.bizsysman.com www.stepbystepcourses.net Generously Rob is offering $15 off his Active Campaign Course which you can find here. Use coupon code "John01" to get the discount AC Power Start http://members.bizsysman.com/active-campaign-power-user-course-details/?coupon=john01 Step by Step Squeeze Pages http://members.bizsysman.com/optinsqueeze-page-creationv2/?coupon=john01 Mentioned in this Episode: Email Service Providers Active Campaign - http://www.activecampaign.com (affiliate link) Aweber - https://www.aweber.com Mail Chimp - http://mailchimp.com/ Infusion Soft - https://www.infusionsoft.com Convertkit - https://convertkit.com Other Software Tools Leadpages - http://www.leadpages.net/ (affiliate link)   Get Your Active Campaign Email Marketing Cheatsheet - Detailed Notes From This Episode!   Click on the Image above or on this Link to Get Access to Your Email Marketing Cheatsheet!         

El Email Marketing es una técnica que utiliza el correo electrónico como canal de comunicación, si observamos de manera detallada el Email Marketing ayuda a cumplir cualquiera de los objetivos de mercadeo de un negocio o una empresa. - Sirve para realizar activaciones de marca. - Nos Permite lanzar campañas para incrementar las ventas - Nos ayuda a mejorar e incentivar el compromiso de nuestros clientes. La proliferación del SPAM (correo electrónico no solicitado) crece de manera alarmante y esto obliga a las empresas que prestan servicios de correo electrónico como Gmail, Hotmail o Yahoo a establecer filtros cada vez más fuertes para prevenir el SPAM Hoy solo el 21% de los correos promocionales o comerciales llegan a la bandeja de entrada, el 79% de los mensajes promocionales que se envían van a parar a las bandejas de correo no deseado o simplemente quedan bloqueados. Esta es la razón Numero 1 para pensar en una plataforma de envío de correo electrónico, conocidas como ESP (Proveedor de Servicios de Email o Email Service Provider)...

Today's question comes from Alexia, who asks about email marketing. Which email service should she use? Can she start with a provider for smaller lists first and upgrade later? Also, can she email people she knows who did not opt in to an email list? Alexia’s site is http://capitalizesocial.com. Alexia mentions two episodes of the Smart Passive Income Podcast, Session 159 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/autoresponder-email-best-practices/) and Session 185 (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/the-story-behind-convertkit-with-nathan-barry/) . The email service providers Alexia mentions and I discuss are Active Campaign (http://www.activecampaign.com/), Infusionsoft (http://askpat.com/infusionsoft), and ConvertKit (http://askpat.com/convertkit). Do you have a question about email marketing? Record it at http://www.askpat.com/. Share your thoughts on this episode on Twitter using the hashtag #AskPat576. Today's sponsor is Freshbooks. Go to http://www.GetFreshBooks.com and enter "Ask Pat" for more information.

My guest on this episode is Rob Walling. Rob is the founder of Drip, an Email Service Provider that specializes in marketing automation. He's also a pioneer in the online course world, having built his first course, The Micropreneur Academy, in 2009. In this episode, you'll learn Rob’s story and how Drip can help you create email courses, grow your list and improve your marketing. In This Episode, You'll Learn:• Why he waited to launch his first course, The Micropreneur Academy• If working as a consultant prepared him to create products• The approach Rob took to launch his course during a time when online courses weren’t popular• The top 3 things Rob learned about creating online courses• Why you may not need to build your whole course all at once• Why building an email list is critical to your sales and success• How his frustration with Mailchimp led to creating Drip• How Drip is different from Mailchimp and ConvertKit• Why Drip thinks email courses are so valuable (and helps you set one up)• How Drip helps you build your audience• How conversion rates help you optimize your marketing efforts References and Tools that Rob Mentioned:• Drip • Rob’s Blog • Rob’s Podcast: Startups for the Rest of Us• The Micropreneur Academy • Twitter handle: @robwalling Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.  And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher. Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Rob for sharing his experience and expertise with us on The Zen Courses Show!

There are so many questions that go into choosing the right email service provider. In this podcast episode, I discuss what to look at and consider, when looking for the best email service provider for your blog and business.

Marketers have almost come to blows discussing this controversial email service provider (autoresponder service). What's all the fuss? Should you even consider it? Why? Why not? How much money could you pick off the table.. or waste by using Active Campaign? Find out the answer to all these questions on the latest episode of the Breakthrough Email Marketing Show. To discover more about ActiveCampaign, see http://emailresponsewarrior.com/activecampaign Also see: http://breakthroughemailmarketing.com/activecampaign-love-hate.html