Email Marketing Best Practices in 2017: 5 Tips to Improve Your Emails

2017 is the year of the email. Or, at least it should be: One research firm is predicting that 225.3 billion emails will be sent this year (!) – which is a five percent increase from previous years. And there’s a reason for this increase in sending: We love emails. In fact, 72 percent of consumers say emails are their number one choice in brand communication.  And businesses who use email marketing see huge financial returns. While this could be great for the growth of your business, it could also become your biggest challenge this year. With the increase in emails reaching the inbox,  your email marketing strategy in 2017 will need to rise above the competition to grab your subscribers’ attention. To ensure your emails don’t blend in, here are five email marketing best practices you can use to make your emails glitter in 2017.

1. Use Interactive emails to engage subscribers

When most people compare the appearance of a website to an email, they’d probably say the website is more visually interesting. With moving elements and clickable content, websites tend to be more visually interesting. However, this is starting to change as major ISPs like Gmail have started supporting interactive emails. Interactive emails contain an element(s) that subscribers can engage and interact with. Typically, this means an element changes as a result of clicking or typing something. There are a couple reasons why interactive emails will play a bigger role in 2017. One, more email companies are beginning to support the coding standards that allow for interactive elements in email (Gmail was a groundbreaking addition this year). And two, interactive emails, when used well, can increase email engagement and click-through rates. In the email below, we built an interactive carousel that allowed subscribers to click through the three images in the email: This carousel allowed us to place three images in one space, rather than stacking those images from top to bottom or relying on a GIF. While a GIF would have acted similarly on a visual level by showing all three images in the same space, the carousel encouraged clicking and user engagement that a GIF would not. However, while I love interactive emails, I would caution against building them just to create something cool. Building an interactive element takes time and some knowledge of coding, and they are not supported by all email clients. So if you plan to use an interactive element, you should be confident that it will have a positive impact on your engagement and click-through rates before you spend time building it. Take action: If you know how to code with CSS and HTML, use these instructions and create a similar carousel for one of your own emails.

2. Create emails that are easy to scan and read

As businesses send more and more emails to subscribers in 2017, you’ll end up facing more competition. And that only means one thing: it’ll be even more difficult to get your emails opened and clicked. To cut through the clutter and immediately catch and maintain your reader’s attention, your emails will need to be easy to read and scannable. A scannable email allows your busy subscribers to get the important information they need much faster. So instead of opening an email, seeing an overwhelming block of text and sending your email to the trash folder, they’ll read and click. There are a few tactics you can use to make your emails more scannable, like using descriptive and/or interesting headlines to quickly summarize your point. Or, catch your subscriber’s attention by writing short paragraphs and sentences. To further increase readability, I also encourage you to use images and whitespace appropriately to separate chunks of text. For the email below, Hotel Tonight uses three different sized headlines that vary from descriptive to interesting: While the main header “Pics, Please” is intriguing and fun, the subheadlines below are descriptive. This combination grabs the attention of the reader and then quickly gives them context. Additionally, by writing short sentences and separating paragraphs with images, they’re able to create an easy-to-read email. Take action: In your next email, use descriptive or interesting headlines to break up sections of content, write short paragraphs and sentences. Make sure to include whitespace to break up large sections of text.

3. Personalize your emails with dynamic content

Personalized emails get 29 percent more unique open rates and 41 percent higher click-through rates. While segmentation is one of the best ways to customize your emails to your subscriber, 2017 will prove that there are other methods you can try. One method I and other email fanatics are most excited about is dynamic email content. With a dynamic email, content is personalized to each subscriber based off data you have about that subscriber. For example, in the email below, Grammarly created a dynamic email that shows a subscriber how they used the service in 2017: The numbers in the email are unique to each subscriber who received it. By using dynamic content like this, the subscriber can get a personalized snapshot of their account information. Take action: You can easily create basic dynamic content in AWeber with custom fields. To do so, build a sign up form that asks your subscribers for personal information beyond their first and last name. Then, use custom fields in your email to pull in personalized information for each subscriber.

4. Place your call to action at the top of your email

Earlier I explained how scannable and easy-to-read emails will increase email engagement in 2017. But the placement of your call-to-action button may be just as impactful. Throughout 2016, the team here at AWeber HQ conducted a few email tests to figure out what makes up the perfect email. One test we ran was on call-to-action (CTA) button placement. We created two identical emails with one slight difference: In one email the CTA button was positioned at the top and in the other, the button was at the bottom. Version 1: Version 2: In the email where we placed the button at the top, we saw more than a 50 percent increase in clicks. We continued to test this top of the email button placement in other emails, and it consistently received more clicks. Take action: You can easily apply this insight to your own emails in 2017 to boost your click-through rates. All you have to do is move your CTA to the top of your email. You’ll just want to verify that your own email audience responds the same way ours did.

5. Automate your welcome email

Companies using automation see 53 percent higher conversion rates than those not using automation. Although automated emails aren’t a new tactic, we’ve found that many businesses aren’t using them (despite how effective they are). In fact, in a recent survey we conducted of over 1,500 small businesses, we found that 65 percent of people do not use email automation at all. So if you haven’t started using email automation, 2017 is a great time to begin. And welcome emails are a great place to start. When your subscriber signs up for your email list, they’re excited about the content they’ll receive from you. Your welcome email capitalizes on this excitement by giving them content right away. A great welcome email can can prompt subscribers to engage more and unsubscribe less. And it may be one of the best performing emails in your automation arsenal. For example, I created an automated welcome email for AWeber’s 2017 Email Marketing Master Class that subscribers receive immediately after enrolling: Because people received the email right away when they were excited about the class, we received an amazing 90 percent open rate and 45 percent click-through rate. (And did I mention you can still enroll in our 2017 Email Marketing Master Class? :)) Take action: If you have an email list that doesn’t have an automated welcome email for subscribers, create one today. You may be amazed at the open and click-through rates you see!

It’s your year to kill it with email

2017 is going to bring great opportunities to engage your subscribers with interesting, beautiful and well-written emails, and these tips will help you get there. Go forth and email on, my friend. At the end of 2017, your business will thank you. If you’d like even more tips for leveling up your email marketing strategy in 2017, enroll for AWeber’s free 2017 Email Marketing Master Class, where you’ll get six weeks of strategy and tactics from six email marketing experts. Registration closes on January 16, so be sure to save your spot now!

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How Team Sprout Uses Message Tagging for Product Development

As our business has grown so has our customer base. As exciting as this is, the need to stay on top of brand-to-customer communication has become even more important. While it may seem overwhelming to think about managing customer feedback, you don’t need an entire customer service department to organize and address customer queries.

Here at Sprout, we believe that open communication between consumers and brands creates progress. We also believe that, regardless of size, it’s imperative to remain agile and evolve our product to meet the needs and demands of our customers and the marketplace. Social is where these ideals intersect.

The medium provides a rare opportunity to not only speak with customers but listen and discover. In fact, according to a Nielsen report, more than one-third of customers prefer to contact businesses for customer support questions through social media.

We don’t take customer feedback on social lightly—and you shouldn’t either. At Sprout, 25% of inbound messages are organized and tracked through message tagging. We then filter these messages using our Tag Report and present findings to the appropriate teams. Sprout’s Message Tagging isn’t just valuable for bolstering communication between our business and our customers; it can be beneficial when it comes to further developing our product based on customer needs.

For example, we used our Tag Report to analyze the message volume around requests for LinkedIn analytics. We then compared these asks with other product feedback we were receiving. This data collectively demonstrated that LinkedIn analytics were a priority for our customers and reaffirmed our decision to prioritize the LinkedIn Pages Report for development.

In addition to tracking inbound messages from customers, we tag any outbound message that has information on a product update or new feature. This lets us run a report that delivers learnings to our product team and provides us with a better understanding of customer sentiment. The product team continuously calls on us and Sprout’s Tag Report, to gather data, distill requests and identify patterns easily observed from our social community.

Promoting communication between businesses and customers strengthens the brand/consumer relationship. With Message Tagging, we’re able to monitor that communication in a way that helps us evolve our product and more efficiently understand and respond to our customer’s needs.

This post How Team Sprout Uses Message Tagging for Product Development originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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How MailChimp Marketing Uses MailChimp Automation

10 Standout Social Media Marketing Examples From 2016

How to be a good person on Twitter

You can have a spectacular offline reputation, but one red mark, one tweet sent out to the world, and your online reputation can cause serious damage personally and professionally. Sadly, seemingly since the rise of social media, individuals and brands alike have been making poor decisions that have had dire results. Brand and reputation management seminars are big business but it all boils down to common sense. Let’s look at a few of the most recent examples where folks didn’t think through the content they were publishing to the Web and from there, we can establish a few ground rules…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Twitter

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The most memorable tweets, memes and web sensations of 2016

In a year that saw memes become more popular than Jesus and the Bible translated into emoji, there was no shortage of jokes and puns on the internet in 2016. But while there are plenty of spoofs and wisecracks to look back to with amusement, only a small selection can make it our year-end roundup. So without further ado, we present to you the most unmissable tweets, memes and web sensations of 2016. The US Election Before we move on to the more techy goofs and gaffes, let’s get this one right off the bat. Regardless of how you feel about the…

This story continues at The Next Web

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How to Optimize Your Social Media Workflow

The Best of Email Marketing Tips: 2016 Edition

It’s our annual roundup of your favorite posts of the year – and it’s a good one. Top themes we saw included: gifs, email list building, and integrating email with your overall marketing strategy. Read on to re-discover these oldies but goodies:

10. How to Use Email Marketing to Build Meaningful Relationships

There are a ton of resources out there about how to use email marketing to grow your email list and help drive revenue. But what about the other aspect of email marketing – the part that helps you build more meaningful relationships with subscribers? Explore this post to get advice on how to use email marketing as a way to create a reputation that’s built on something deeper than dollar signs. Read more.

9. 5 Irresistible Incentives for Your Sign Up Form that Aren’t eBooks

When it comes to creating incentives for your sign up forms, ebooks are often the go-to lead magnet. After all, they’re a great way to educate an audience. And people love freebies. But what if you’re not an experienced writer or don’t have the time to craft a 10-page ebook? In this post, you’ll learn other types of lead magnets you can create to attract new subscribers to your email list, like an email course or checklist. Read more.

8. Valentine’s Day GIFs to Delight Your Subscribers

It’s no secret that the AWeber team loves GIFs. (Proof in point here, here and here). And part of the reason for that is because we know you love them, too. So it’s no surprise to see our Valentine’s Day GIF collection was in the top 10 for 2016. While it’s just a little too early to repurpose these lovely animated images in your emails, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Bookmark this page for your future email sends in January and February. Read more.

7. A Roadmap for Launching a New Product with Email

Developing a new product is a huge milestone for any business owner – regardless of what that product may be. If it’s a mobile app, new clothing item, book – anything at all – you want to make sure it gets the promotion it deserves. And since 66 percent of customers have made a purchase as a result of an email (beating out social and direct mail), you definitely want to make sure it’s part of your promotion plan. So if you have any products launching in the new year, this read will help you master email as a promotion channel. Read more.

6. Send Beautiful Curated Email Newsletters with the Curate App

As a small business owner or entrepreneur, time is one of your most valued commodities. And with the rise of content marketing and thought leadership becoming an important component of any marketing strategy, it becomes difficult to balance continuous content creation with everything else on your to-do list. And that’s why content curation (sharing specific pieces of content written by others), gained momentum in 2016 – which gave way to the launch of AWeber’s third mobile app, Curate. With Curate, users can create and send beautiful curated newsletters straight from their mobile device. There was a lot of excitement about this app, so we’re happy to see it landed in the #5 spot in our countdown. Read more.

5. The 2016 Holiday GIF Guide

Did I mention our obsession with GIFs? Not surprisingly, our 2016 Holiday GIF guide quickly claimed a spot in our top 10 posts this year. The holidays are still here, which makes this a timely piece you can explore and leverage now for your last-minute holiday emails. Bonus: Within the post, you’ll also get instructions on how to use the festive GIFs in your emails! Read more.

4. Understanding the Marketing Funnel: 5 Strategies to Improve Your Email Marketing

Crafting emails to an audience who aren’t yet customers can be tricky. How do you convey the value of your business without being too pushy or salesy? What’s the right balance between sharing educational content and talking about your product or service? Why must this be such a gray area?!?! If these questions sound familiar and you’d like to turn more subscribers into loyal customers, this post is for you – or at least worth a re-read. In it you’ll discover how the five stages of the marketing funnel can be applied to your emails to help turn them into an ROI-driving machine. Read more.

3. The Do’s and Dont’s of Affiliate Marketing

By joining an affiliate marketing program, you open up a new opportunity to tell others about your favorite products and services and earn commission as a result. But there’s more to being a successful affiliate than simply signing up for a program and blasting a link onto every social network in the hopes that someone will click it and make a purchase. To help you navigate the waters that make up the Affiliate Marketing sea, check out our third most popular post for 2016. In it you’ll find creative tips on how to spread the word about your favorite companies without appearing too salesy. Read more.

2. 9 Things Email Marketers Can Learn from Social Media’s Biggest Names

When we attended Social Media Week in NYC earlier this year, we knew there were going to be some serious knowledge bombs dropped all over the place. And we weren’t disappointed. In this conference recap post, our Social Media Specialist, Olivia D., shared her top takeaways from the social media pros – along with a unique angle on how they can be applied to your email strategy. Read more.

1. 15 Industry Experts Share their #1 Email List Building Tactic

Here it is – our number one post of the year! Whenever we ask our readers and customers what aspect of their email marketing strategy they want to improve, the answer is often one thing: list building. And this makes sense: the more people you can reach with your emails, the more opportunities you have to grow your audience and turn them into customers. To get the most valuable and proven list building tips, we asked 15 industry experts about their number one tactic for getting new subscribers – and they didn’t disappoint. Check out this post to see what they had to say, and how you can incorporate their tactics into your own email strategy today. Read more.

Thanks for a great 2016!

As you re-explore our top posts of the year, I want to also thank you for being an avid reader of our blog – we had a blast writing and sharing email marketing strategy tips, and we hope you enjoyed them! There’s a lot in store for next year, and we can’t wait to share more articles with you. And as a friendly reminder: If you aren’t on our email list, sign up below to ensure you never miss a post! :)

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How Team Sprout Uses Its Twitter Listening Report for Content Creation

Demystifying Search Engine Optimization

Here’s How Email Color Can Impact Subscriber Behavior

When used effectively, color theory can be one of the most powerful tools an email marketer can work with. After all, the right color choice can help convey the value of your emails. Color can instantly set the mood, evoke emotion and spark a psychological reaction that gets people to take action. In fact, 90 percent of a subscriber's first impression is based on color or visual cues alone. [bctt tweet="90 percent of a subscriber's first impression is based on color or visual cues alone."] Let’s take a look at how colors can have a major impact on how your email performance so you can make your campaigns work harder for you.

How color can get the click

According to Kissmetrics, color helps increase brand recognition by 80 percent – and that makes it an incredibly important piece in creating your brand identity. Plus, having your own brand colors can help distinguish you from your competitors. [bctt tweet="Color helps increase brand recognition by 80 percent."] Research even shows that there is a connection between the use of color and how it affects customer perception of a brand. Think of your favorite brand for a second. What color do you associate with them? Now take a look at the chart below. Does it match up with your perception of the brand? Now that you've considered how color affects your own perceptions of your favorite brands, it's time to ask yourself how you can leverage this information in your email strategy. Let's take a look at each of the different colors listed above, identify why it elicits certain emotions and feelings and how you can best incorporate it into your future email sends.

Blue

Blue is often used to represent feelings that are cool and calm. That's because blue has mood-boosting properties that signal the body to produce chemicals that are calming and promotes a feeling of positivity. Light blue can be a refreshing splash of color in your emails. Warby Parker's use of the lighter shade helps to emphasize the vibe they're going for: By contrast, dark blue is a classic choice for brands who want to emphasize luxury, without the formality of black. Take note of how Everlane used it in their email below:   Pro Tip: Studies have shown that blue appeals to a wide range of people. Try testing a blue call-to-action (CTA) button or link color.

Pink

Pink tones are youthful, fun and exciting. It's a great choice for emphasizing femininity or something sweet. (The color actually makes us crave sugar!) Shades of pink are perfect for a welcome email, as they encourage friendliness. Take a look at this example from Lyft:   Pro Tip: Try adding shades of pink to your welcome email for a friendly first impression.

Green

Green tones are reminiscent of natural elements, health and well-being. It's a soothing choice, and promotes feelings of relaxation and harmony. It's also the color that the human eye is most sensitive to and able to discern the most shades of. Since it feels very fresh, green a great color to use to promote a new product or feature. This example from Offscreen is a perfect example of one way to use a green color palette in your emails:   Pro Tip: Launching a new product or feature? A splash of green can help emphasize it's newness.

Orange

Orange represents warmth and energy. Fun and flamboyant, orange is often is used to represent positivity and optimism. Another cool thing about orange? We naturally associate it with trust and safety. We love this example from Google:

  Pro Tip: Orange is a very bold color choice that can easily intimidate most marketers. Slowly ease your way into using orange by adding images featuring the sunny shade.

Yellow

Like orange, shades of yellow can symbolize positivity and optimism. In fact, it's known as the happiest shade in the color spectrum. Yellow is also known for activating memory, stimulating the mental processes and encouraging communication. Pro Tip: Yellow helps sparks memory. If you have something important that you want subscribers to remember, keep yellow in mind.

Black

Black is a classic color choice that never goes out of style. It's often used to represent formality (think "black tie"). It also implies weight. For example, people assume a black box weighs more than one that's white. Harry's did a great job of exemplifying this in one of their product emails:   Pro Tip: If all black is too much for you, go for the no-fail combo of black on white.

White

White is cool, calm and serene. It's a great choice for brands that want to feel modern and fresh. This campaign from The Little White Company is a great example of using white in your emails:   Pro Tip: Create a softer contrast between your background and text by choosing a mix of warm gray tones rather than pure black.

Purple

Purple is luxe and elegant. It's that in-between shade that uplifts, while still maintaining a sense of calm. It's also known to encourage creativity! We love how Stuart Weitzman incorporated it's signature purple shoebox in this abandoned cart email: Pro Tip: Purple is a great choice for a luxury brand to help convey the value of their products and services.

Red

Red tones represent passion, adrenaline and action. As a high-energy color, it can boost your energy levels and get the heart pumping. If you want your subscribers to feel the urgency of your message, red is a good color choice.   Pro Tip: Too much red can be overwhelming. Try adding a splash of red to the header or footer of your emails.

Color best practices

Consistency is key when it comes to establishing brand trust and association. Always keep your brand top of mind and use color sparingly to create a seamless experience for your subscribers. No matter your color choice, always keep it simple. A high amount of contrast between your background and text will always be user-friendly. [bctt tweet="Here's How Email Color Can Impact Subscriber Behavior"]

Start sending beautiful emails today

Ready to put these tips into action? Start by implementing one (or more!) of these tips to get more engagement from your subscribers.

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Accessibility in Email Marketing

The Ultimate Guide to Twitter for Small Business in 2017

8 Tips to Build Customer Relationships With Social Media

4 Ways Content Marketing Can Boost Your Affiliate Referrals

With all the work that goes into affiliate marketing, creating compelling content for your audience is often a forgotten piece of the puzzle. But you could be missing out on a huge opportunity to drive referrals: According to DemandMetric, content marketing costs 62 percent less than traditional marketing and generates around three times as many leads. When you create valuable content for your audience and include affiliate links to the brands you’re referring, it opens up the opportunity to get in front of new audiences and convert new sales. To help kick-start content creation for your affiliate marketing efforts, here are four tactics you can get implement today:

1. Product reviews

Product reviews are a powerful way to show your audience how you feel about a particular product or service – and they can have a huge impact on the purchasing decisions they make. In fact, 89 percent of consumers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations. [bctt tweet="89 percent of consumers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations."] To ensure your product reviews help persuade your followers to try the product you’re recommending, there are a couple of best practices to keep in mind. First, be sure to include a completely honest review that focuses on both the pros and cons. This way, your readers will have more realistic expectations of the product. If you were to share a one-sided product review, it could do more harm than good – your referrals might expect a perfect product, and if those expectations aren't matched, it could create a bad experience and damage your credibility. Check out this example below from the product review site, Top Ten Reviews: In this review, they manage to provide an honest recommendation by balancing the pros and cons of this anti-virus software. By calling out the advantages of the product and including a “cons” section, they’re able to attract the right consumers to the product and be upfront about why it’s not the best purchase for others. Another tip to keep in mind as you create your content? Include images and examples of how the product can be used. The writers over at CNET do a great job of this in their Dark Sky weather app review below: By including several images of the apps interface, it helps set accurate expectations for potential customers. They’ll know exactly what they’re buying, and how they can expect to use it. As you craft your own reviews, consider what types of visuals you can use to accompany and support your content. And don’t forget to include your affiliate link by hyperlinking any relevant keywords or images or the products name!

2. Video

When most people think about content, they often go straight to blog posts, whitepapers and ebooks. However, video is a huge opportunity for content creators; according to Hubspot, 64 percent of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video. Not to mention, YouTube is the second most popular search engine after Google. While you may be intimidated by the idea of filming your own videos, creating video content doesn’t have to be a hassle. Keep in mind that your first videos don't need to be perfect, and that you'll get better the more you try. As you embark on creating video content for your affiliate marketing efforts, here are a couple of approaches you can take: a comparison video and a how-to video. Comparison videos Simply sharing your thoughts on a particular product or service is a good place to start with video, as this allows you to endorse a particular brand. [bctt tweet="Sharing your thoughts on a particular product or service is a good place to start with video, as this allows you to endorse a particular brand."] AWeber’s own customer and affiliate, Amy Schmittauer, does just that in her email comparison video review: While Amy’s genuine endorsement speaks to pros and cons of both services, she ultimately recommends AWeber based on the fact that we provide all features for trial users. Interested in learning more about creating engaging video content? Learn more. How-to videos Creating step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or service is another effective way to provide valuable resources for current and prospective customers. By demoing the product and providing viewers with a virtual hands-on experience, you’re able to give them a behind-the-scenes look at how they can benefit from it. John Corcoran, another one of AWeber’s affiliates, does a great job of using video as a platform to teach his audience how to set up a sign up form in AWeber: This tactic is not only effective because it shows the value of the tool and helps spread the word about AWeber, it also helps current customers become more successful.

3. Blog articles

Writing a blog post that talks about your experience with a product or service can be a powerful way to share your endorsement towards a particular brand to your readers. And many affiliates do just that as a way to educate others and encourage referrals. Not sure what to write about? Try writing a “how-to” blog post on a topic you’re passionate about or an expert on. If creating video content is too daunting, writing a simple article can be an easy first step to creating engaging content for your affiliate marketing efforts. [bctt tweet="Writing a simple article can be an easy first step to creating engaging content for your affiliate marketing efforts."] In this blog post example below, Syed Balkhi of wpbeginner does an excellent job teaching his audience about what it takes to start a podcast: In addition to sharing best practices for podcasting, he includes his favorite products to help make it happen. Wherever he does, he makes sure to include his affiliate link along with the product or brand name. This way, he’ll get referral credit whenever someone clicks a link. As you think of ways you can craft content for your readers (and promote referrals), consider how you can get testimonials from others to support your recommendations. In this post from Blog Tyrant on how to start a food blog, the author provides valuable instructions and quotes from someone who had gone through the experience as well: And the author made sure to include affiliate links to products he recommends.

4. Social Media

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are powerful tools for marketers, businesses and influencers – and especially affiliate marketers who are looking to drive new referrals. As you create new content (like the kind mentioned throughout this article), your social networks will be great places to distribute it to your followers and other audiences.   Here’s a social post from the blog 99Signals, who shared a blog post that highlights tools and resources for growing a blog audience: Within the blog post, they share their affiliate link for a few of the products they recommend checking out. As you craft your social posts, also consider how you can leverage industry-specific and popular hashtags. By adding them to the ends of your tweets and posts, you can expand your reach for those exploring content on the hashtag. In this tweet from the popular daily deal site, Brad’s Deals, it features hashtags to get their blog post in front of a larger audience: As you explore hashtags to add to your posts, make sure they are relevant to the content you share. Otherwise, it can come across as spammy.

Create engaging content today

While there are many ways to create content to help educate your audience and drive referrals, I encourage you to choose one tactic to try. As you learn what works and what doesn’t, you can make improvements to tailor content for your specific audience – and hopefully earn more commission. Interested in learning more about affiliate marketing best practices? Check out my last post, The Do’s and Don’ts of Affiliate Marketing.

The post 4 Ways Content Marketing Can Boost Your Affiliate Referrals appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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#SproutChat Recap: Running a Successful Boutique Agency

Agency work isn’t easy. Strategizing, managing and executing a brand’s social and digital marketing initiatives requires a deep understanding of your client’s industry and audience.

This week at #SproutChat, we were joined by Sprout All Star, Brooke B. Sellas. In addition to starting her own boutique agency, B Squared Media, Brooke is a marketing and social media consultant and an adjunct for consumer behavior at The City University of New York (CUNY). During our chat we discussed how to grow, scale and achieve your entrepreneurial goals.

When Is It Time to Be Your Own Boss?

Deciding when to make the jump from working for someone else to being your own boss is the first step in starting your own social media agency. It’s also one of the scariest steps of your new business venture. There may never be a “perfect” time to make the leap but if you’re passion and driven it’s important that you try. Before taking the plunge, meet with other entrepreneurs, budget accordingly and really understand what you’re about to get yourself into.

A1: I “made the leap” due to a combination of my gut feelings and pressure/support from my parents & then BF. #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A1: I'd argue it's different for everyone, but i would have to say it's when you've outgrown your current environment. #sproutchat

— Nicole Glueckert (@nmglueckert) December 14, 2016

A1: When you have lots of potential clients, a great reputation and a lot of money in the bank. #sproutchat

— Brad Lovett (@Brad_Lovett) December 14, 2016

A1 when you see clients everywhere you look 🙂 #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) December 14, 2016

A1: when the status quo seems unbearable & you can't stop thinking "this would be so much better if it was done differently". #sproutchat

— Clara Buchanan (@clara_buchanan) December 14, 2016

A1: It may never feel like the "right" time. Sometimes you just need to have faith in yourself nad your experience #SproutChat

— Joe Martin (@joeDmarti) December 14, 2016

Finding & Securing Clients

So you’ve decided to quit your day job. Now what? If you want your agency to be successful, you need to find and secure clients. Start by doing your research, listening to the experts, networking and playing to your strengths.

A2: We do well with clients if they’re willing to: learn, pay on time, be a partner, abide by the “No A**hole Rule.” #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A2b: A common ground never hurts. Even if it's a connection in common. Your network should WORK for you (and you for it). #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A2c: p.s. That’s actually a GREAT book for any #entrepreneur to read: https://t.co/tRvpw2k3se 📖💯📚 #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

@SproutSocial A2: Start with what you know! Do what you feel confident it, from there branch out! #SproutChat

— Sid says (@Sidneytoldme) December 14, 2016

A2 Research, Research, research … check out there social channels & platforms to get a better understanding of who they are #sproutchat

— Apple Box Studios (@AppleBoxStudios) December 14, 2016

A2 start with knowing your strengths & where those can help people do the most good/work. Don't pretend to be an expert over all #SproutChat

— LUCYrk (@LUCYrk78) December 14, 2016

Know When You Need Help

As your agency begins to grow, you’re going to need to enlist the help of others. During our chat, Brooke said it best when she said that learning to hire people that are smarter that you is a win for your business. But once your ready to hire someone, how do you find them? Asking for recommendations and reaching out to your professional networks is a good place to start.

Learning to be with/talk to/hire the "smarter than you" peeps is such a WIN for me and @HelloBSquared! #SproutChat https://t.co/VFbu5DrP2a

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A3 Ask for recommendations for vendors people you trust, trust #sproutchat

— Toby Metcalf (@Toby_Metcalf) December 14, 2016

A3: Reach out to your network. The community around you can point your in the right direction when you need resources #SproutChat

— Kathleen Burns (@katbu) December 14, 2016

A3 All about that networking! Then you can start to build a list of people you can quickly call on in a pinch #sproutchat

— Apple Box Studios (@AppleBoxStudios) December 14, 2016

A3: Use your network! #sproutchat

— Lauren Scarpa (@LScarpa22) December 14, 2016

A3: The #SMM community is BIG. Join an online group & collab! (I can't design, but I know designers who need social!) 😉 #sproutchat

— Nicole Glueckert (@nmglueckert) December 14, 2016

A3. Identify potential service providers and analyze them based on budget, quality of service and word of mouth (reviews). #SproutChat

— Ayesha Ambreen (@AyeshaAmbreen) December 14, 2016

A3: 1st, admit you're not the best @ everything. 2nd, build a network of trusted, willing experts. 3rd, be clear, trust, verify #SproutChat https://t.co/MKAQ2iXkJk

— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) December 14, 2016

Recognize Your Agency’s Value

Setting boundaries and understanding your agency’s value is critical to driving a profit. Make sure that you’re logging your work and clearly communicating expectations and pricing with each of your clients.

A4: We set rates by closely monitoring and rating tasks. How many hours to complete X? Is it a low/med/high cost to us? #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A4b: We take those task #s and back into the # of hours/services a client needs. Don’t EVER get stuck with NO margin! #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A4 there will always be someone who will work cheaper. value yourself and others will too #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) December 14, 2016

A4 understand the value of client #conversions, your experience, time commitment and go from there. #Sproutchat

— Michelle (@michelletweet) December 14, 2016

Invest in the Right Tools

Keep your team of one or 100 on track by investing in the right tools. That’s why we asked our community what software programs they rely on to complete their daily tasks and meet the needs of their clients.

A5b: Obvi, we LOVE @sproutsocial for social tracking (Smart Inbox, Tagging, Competitor Reports) and as a light social CRM. #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A5: We use @toggl for time tracking. Soon to test @hubstaff (great for remote teams). Billing is @QuickBooks all the way! #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

Excel is a HUGE tool in our tool belt! #SproutChat https://t.co/dCnYvbNIt5

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A5 we use Basecamp for time tracking and filemaker for estimates and billing and whatnot #sproutchat

— Apple Box Studios (@AppleBoxStudios) December 14, 2016

A5: Using @freshbooks & @trello #SproutChat

— Kendra Bullen (@kendrabullen) December 14, 2016

Remember Why You Started Your Agency

Being your own boss is a dream but the reality isn’t always as glamorous. Take time to reflect on what you’ve built and always remember why you started your boutique agency in the first place. From collaboration and relationship building to a diverse and evolving professional skill set–agency work is worth the hustle.

A6: Agency work can go 2 ways. When YOU are an agency you have more team members who can have special skills (ex: PPC or SEO). #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A6b: One thing I never thought of, but makes up 15% of our biz, are agencies that outsource projects to our team. #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A6c: It's been a BIG part of our growth strategy/great source for recurring projects. Especially bc our sales team = JUST ME! #SproutChat

— Brooke B. Sellas (@madSMscientist) December 14, 2016

A6 latest and greatest tools. Early adopters. Fellow #social advocates #sproutchat

— Michelle (@michelletweet) December 14, 2016

A6: Personally, I love the variety and the relationship building. Plus, you can fire your 'boss' without losing everything. #SproutChat

— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) December 14, 2016

A6: Collaboration is a HUGE part of our culture. We utilize all our resources to produce the best for our clients! #SproutChat

— BrandExtract° (@BrandExtract) December 14, 2016

We’ll be back for our last #SproutChat of 2016 on Wednesday, December 21 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST. Get ready to for trivia on Sprout Social and social media trends. In the meantime, stay connected with other industry experts by joining our Facebook community.

This post #SproutChat Recap: Running a Successful Boutique Agency originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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10 Book Recommendations From Team Sprout

Here at Sprout Social, reading really is fundamental. Good books teach us about our craft, inspire us to be better leaders and even allow us to fall into escapist fantasies during our cold winter commutes.

As 2016 draws to a close we asked members of Team Sprout to share the best things they’ve read this year. Here are some of their top picks in engineering as well as a few fiction and nonfiction options to mix things up. If you’re looking for a good travel read this holiday season, these are all fantastic choices.

Our Engineering Picks

1. “The C Programming Language” by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie

“The C Programming Language” is one of the few programming books that not only offers valuable and practical information but is enjoyable to read. While it focuses on the C language, it outlines useful concepts and design patterns for any programmer looking to build well-architected, efficient programs. This book does assume some familiarity with basic programming concepts but even novice programmers should be able to pick up and follow along.

About the Authors: Brian Kernighan is a computer science Professor at Princeton University. He has contributed to the development of Unix and coauthored the AWK and AMPL programming languages. Dennis M. Ritchie was the computer scientist responsible for creating the C programming language and was also a key contributor to Unix. Guess you could say he wrote the book on C.

Recommended by Colin, Senior Software Engineer

2. “Eloquent Javascript” (2nd Edition) by Marijn Haverbeke

Javascript is the backbone of modern web development and it’s increasingly important to do it well. “Eloquent Javascript” is a thin volume that distills Javascript’s beauty and efficiency and serves as a great introduction to the language that can really make core programming concepts click. “Eloquent Javascript” provides a grok-able and inspiring entry point for new developers.

About the Author: Marijn Haverbeke is a software developer and blogger based out of Berlin.

Recommended by Chris, Senior Software Engineer

3. “The Idea Factory” by Jon Gertner

“The Idea Factory” isn’t, strictly speaking, a programming book, but it’s a fascinating read about the history of innovation through the 20th century. “The Idea Factory” explores how engineering and technical innovation revolutionized communication and ushered in the Information Age. Countless aspects of modern life have been invisibly influenced by the innovations at Bell Labs, and this fascinating history sheds some light on how much the world has changed as a result.

About the Author: Jon Gertner is an editor and technology writer at Fast Company magazine. Previously, he worked as a science, business, and economics writer at New York Times Magazine. “The Idea Factory” is his first book.

Recommended by Dan, Software Engineer

4. “Extreme Programming Explained” by Kent Beck

“Extreme Programming Explained” is a thorough but quick introduction to the XP management philosophy and walkthrough of how to involve the whole team to get buy in on said philosophy. Testing, agile business practices and TDD are buzzwords that get thrown around a lot in development circles, but “EPE” breathes new life into those concepts and reminds us why we need to be intentional about our processes and team dynamics. The examples are direct, simple, and easy to apply to day-to-day work. Even if you don’t subscribe to all of the tenets of XP, reading “EPE” is a worthwhile exercise in checking your processes as a team.

About the Author: Kent Beck is a software engineer, the creator of the extreme programming methodology, and one of the original signatories of the Agile Manifesto.

Recommended by Shane, Software Engineer

5. “Professor Frisby’s Mostly Adequate Guide to Functional Programming” by Brian Lonsdorf

Earlier this year Sprout’s Javascript Guild read and discussed this book as a group. It helped the team start understanding and implementing functional programming concepts in their day-to-day work. It’s an engaging and practical read that’s immediately applicable for Javascript development that is also a great first pick for a team book club or professional development side session.

About the Author: Brian Lonsdorf writes about Javascript and functional programming online. You can find his book on gitbooks and other writings on his profile at Medium.

Recommended by the Sprout Social Javascript Guild

Our Fiction Picks

1. “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel

“Station Eleven” is the most inspiring and heartbreaking story about the aftermath of the apocalypse you’ll read this year. It won the Arthur C. Clark Award for Best Novel in 2015 and was the champion of the 2015 Tournament of Books.

After a mysterious plague brings society to its knees, people find a way to soldier on. A group of traveling actors and musicians called the Traveling Symphony tours the scattered enclaves of North America, bringing entertainment and news of other settlements to these isolated communities. This book reminds us that we create art and meaning, even after the apocalypse, “because survival is insufficient.”

Recommended by Chris, Senior Software Engineer, and Jess, Software Engineer

2. “The Hollows” series by Kim Harrison

“The Hollows” follows Rachel Morgan, a heroine with an absurd knack for finding herself in trouble. It’s an Urban Fantasy series with tons of detective work, romantic entanglements, character development and soul-searching. And vampires. Because who doesn’t love a good vampire series?

Recommended by Matt, Software Engineer on Bambu by Sprout Social

3. “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“Americanah” is a stunning piece of contemporary literary fiction. It spans three continents as it examines the most complex themes of life in today’s globalized world, from love and relationships to race and identity. And it’s not just us who were moved by this powerful exploration of life and love: Americanah won the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. It was also nominated or shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction and the Goodreads Choice Award.

Recommended by Alicia, Brand Marketing Specialist, and Shane, Software Engineer

Our Nonfiction Picks

1. “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” by Jocko Willink

A copy of “Extreme Ownership” has been steadily making its way around the engineering and product teams here at Sprout. Contrary to what the title might imply, this is not a book about the military—it’s a leadership handbook grounded in the lived experiences of Navy SEALs. “Extreme Ownership” has a lot of inspiration to offer about mission, team collaboration, and communication. Willink takes these lessons from the military and makes them applicable in everyday professional and personal settings.

Recommended by Anjali, Product Manager

2. “The Signal and the Noise” by Nate Silver

Nate Silver has been a strong voice in predictions and betting markets for political races and sports for nearly a decade. “The Signal and the Noise” pulls back the veil and lets us see into the process that Silver uses to distinguish truths in a sea of noise. These insights are fascinating and essential reading for anyone interested in the processes involved in Data Science.

Recommended by Greg, Data Science Lead

Bonus Recommendations: Podcasts

1. ‘99% Invisible’ from Radiotopia

‘99% Invisible’ is a show about the unseen thoughts, decisions and labor that shape the way we live our lives. Each episode takes a deep dive into a topic that invisibly influences the world. They’ve done collaborations with other audio productions like Planet Money and DecodeDC, and are one of the most popular podcasts available on iTunes.

Recommended by Alicia, Brand Marketing Specialist, and Shane, Software Engineer

2. ‘Reply All’ from Gimlet Media

It’s a show that’s all about…the internet! PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman take deep dives into everything from memes and internet arcana, to why Google Adwords support techs hate dealing with locksmiths. If you spend time online and don’t quite understand why the Internet is so weird, ‘Reply All’ will help you figure it out.

Recommended by Laura, Lead Visual Designer, and Jess and Shane, Software Engineers

This post 10 Book Recommendations From Team Sprout originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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