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Bill Gates took to Reddit to discuss cheeseburgers and AI

What does a billionaire eat when he can have anything? Cheeseburgers, apparently. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, and the richest man in the world according to Bloomberg, came back to Reddit today for his fifth AMA. He spoke at length about AI, polio, and politics. But we’re still stuck on the cheeseburger thing. The questions were a predictable mix of depth and frivolity. When asked if he ever used a disguise to go out incognito, Gates said he can get by with just a hat. Redditors joked that this puts him on the same level as most superheroes. He believes…

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Does Your Email Design Need Help? Here Are 4 Tips to Up Your Game

This post is the fifth installment of our new series, The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing. For eight weeks, we’re featuring a new article that covers a specific area of focus in email! Want a sneak peek into the content? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing. How important is the design of your email? Is a compelling message enough, or do you need to have gorgeous visuals as well? If you’re like a lot of time-strapped business owners, you may not have had the opportunity to do much with your email design. However, adding in some design elements might actually make your emails pack a bigger punch. Why? Because studies show that 90 percent of the information transmitted to our brains is visual. In fact, many marketers and designers believe that color can impact behavior. For example, brands like McDonalds and KFC may use the color red because it is believed to invoke feelings of hunger. Orange is frequently used as an effective call to action, because of its inviting and friendly tone, according to the folks over at 99Designs. So how can you use some of this knowledge to your advantage? Here are four tips to make your emails looks better right away, even if you’re not a designer. Prefer to listen to or watch this blog post? Check out the podcast adaptation of this post below or watch the YouTube video:

1. Choose the right colors

Select colors that reflect your logo and/or brand… but be sure that there’s enough contrast and clarity for your message to display clearly for easy reading. (For example, many people find white letters on a black background difficult to read.) You can also use some of the color psychology we discussed above to select complimentary colors. Check out this chart we created about the emotional impacts of different colors. Tip: If you need help with color schemes, Colourlovers.com is full of palettes and patterns that can help you create eye-catching designs.

2. Leave some breathing room

Densely packed emails may be hard to digest – especially on mobile devices, where 53 percent of all opens occur. Plus, according to research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, people’s attentions spans are actually getting shorter – meaning that it may be better to err on the side of too much white space instead of not enough. Leaving extra white space has an additional benefit: it challenges you to keep your message brief and to only include the relevant details. But what if you have a lot to say? Glad you asked …

3. Use text as a design element

Incorporate subheads, bullet points or images to divide text and avoid an email that resembles a legal document. [bctt tweet="Use subheads, bullet points or images to divide text and avoid an email that resembles a legal document."] This can also be a great way to make your message scannable. Lots of people choose to scan instead of read. Make sure your most important points are easy to find for the skimmers as well as the readers.

4. Don’t overdo it with images

Wait… didn’t I just say images are good? I did. But too many images can make your email load… very… slowly. People are impatient. Don’t give them a reason to delete your email before they’ve read it.

Clean and simple is OK, too

Whether you’re a minimalist or maximumalist in terms of email design (and yes, maximumalist might even be a real word), there’s one thing you can’t skimp on: good grooming. In terms of email, that means no spelling errors, no weird line breaks and no images that convert to non-images when your message is opened. Yes, this might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many emails go out that are hastily edited. Be sure to invest the time to preview your message first – on your computer AND your mobile device. Remember, a gorgeous header will not make up for spelling errors. If you’re using AWeber: To easily check emails before you send, click on the “Preview & Test” button on the upper right-hand side of your screen. Enter your email address and hit “Send Test” to get a test email delivered to your inbox. Don’t forget to view it on your mobile device as well! If you’re not using AWeber: Check out Email on Acid or other email testing tools to preview your design before you send.

Focus on one thing

If you’re new to email marketing, we suggest giving yourself some time for your style to evolve. Focus on having a well-groomed email to start, and then add in additional design elements as you become more comfortable. However, don’t get so caught up in having a great design that you hold off on sending emails. Remember, it’s your message that’s going to engage people. People can’t read the message you don’t send. Want to learn about other tweaks and techniques to up your email game? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing  for more info.

The post Does Your Email Design Need Help? Here Are 4 Tips to Up Your Game appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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47 Social Media Statistics to Bookmark for 2017

#SproutChat Recap: Creating Compelling Video Content

Video needs to be an essential component of your social media strategy. So why aren’t more brands embracing social media video content? When it comes to video and social there are definitely challenges ranging from quality to consistency. This week at #SproutChat, we discussed common challenges for creating video and community members shared solutions for producing more effective video content.

Equip Your Team With the Proper Tools

Reliable tools are instrumental to the entire video creation process. To ensure success, do your research and invest your time and financial resources into the software that best fits your team’s needs, objectives and goals. However, remember that software can’t turn everything into something. So make sure you’re complementing your tools with a talented team, detailed storyboards and thought out distribution plans.

@SproutSocial A1: On a budget? Don't discount your phone! You can use it to capture quality footage, edit and post. #SproutChat

— Katie Burton (@KatieBurton_) February 22, 2017

A1 I would using the phone you have works perfectly and focus on downloading some apps for the editing. #sproutchat http://pic.twitter.com/CGYxZ3dNfC

— Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) February 22, 2017

A1: Smartphones can be great video tools in the right hands #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/TQXhP2cD0a

— Mallie Rust (@malliefe2o3) February 22, 2017

A1 a tripod is a good investment for phone video #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

A1 I like creating short fun video's using @Snapchat! So far it's been well within budget! #sproutchat

— Christopher T. Burns (@burnzie333) February 22, 2017

A1.

It's not so much about

the camera BUT

the eye the behind it!!! #SproutChat#Photography#Video

— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) February 22, 2017

Subtitles for the Win

When people are consuming social media on desktops or mobile, they don’t usually turn the sound on right away. Adding subtitles to your video ensures viewers know what’s going on in your video content. Just be careful not to include so many subtitles that viewers can’t read fast enough.

A2: No. I avoid them if the video itself already has text because it can become unreadable when text overlaps. #sproutchat

— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) February 22, 2017

A2: Now with FB going audio on, not as much. If the dialogue is quick, it also hurts the vid quality trying to read that fast #SproutChat

— Jeff Higgins (@AnnaMariaSocial) February 22, 2017

A2: For the most part they are a good idea since many don't click the audio on. #sproutchat

— Brad Lovett (@Brad_Lovett) February 22, 2017

A2c: bothering the people around me and I'm more likely to watch other videos because they have subtitles #sproutchat

— Rachel Sprouse (@SprouseRachel) February 22, 2017

A2.

You never know what special accommodations your audience might need!!!

Not matter the platform.
You never know. #SproutChat

— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) February 22, 2017

Not mandatory but they help, so rhey should always be considered in the editing process #SproutChat https://t.co/BGTIS5pd40

— Vishal Rose👾 (@Vishal_Rose) February 22, 2017

Consider the Distribution Channel

Users expect different experiences on different social networks. Create video content that aligns with these habits. A good rule of thumb is–short, sweet and compelling.

A3 your audience/community will tell you what they want if you listen 🙂 #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

A3 strong visual storytelling works on all platforms run times will vary 🙂 #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

A3) Yes of course! Keep the core content but vary length – short videos are better-suited for Twitter. #SproutChat

— Alex Bourgeois 🇫🇷 (@wakanouka) February 22, 2017

A3: There should be consistency in brand voice in videos on different channels, but vid should be tailored to specific channel. #sproutchat

— Jessica Lynn (@JessTheWriter33) February 22, 2017

A3: Split opinions here! But I think most the time you only need small variations to tailor to different interactions. #SproutChat

— Venture Icon Media (@VentureIcon) February 22, 2017

Use Raw Footage when it’s a Good Fit

In the era of live social video, not all video content should be highly polished and produced. When it comes to user-generated content, emphasizing an individual perspective, SnapChat or Instagram Stories, raw content goes along way.

@SproutSocial A4: I think produced is necessary! @Chubbies does a great job for produced raw video! Live video is always raw #SproutChat

— Sid says (@Sidneytoldme) February 22, 2017

@SproutSocial A4. If you want to build trust with your audience, then raw video is o.k. and later you can edit portions of video #sproutchat

— Cheval John (@chevd80) February 22, 2017

A4) Depends what's the objective – from experience raw videos are more relatable, and therefore reap more engagement! #SproutChat

— Alex Bourgeois 🇫🇷 (@wakanouka) February 22, 2017

A4: BTS content is SO important for social but there is a time and place for both #SproutChat

— iMEDIA Conference (@iMEDIA_yeg) February 22, 2017

A4: I lean towards polished videos, but it depends on the content/message you're trying to market #sproutchat

— Rachel Sprouse (@SprouseRachel) February 22, 2017

Facebook Live is great for showcasing raw footage. Sometimes it's nice to capture the moment as it is #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/z6mUCnjj85

— Franco (@FrancoPRGroup) February 22, 2017

A4 #1 rule Don't be boring. Ever. raw or fully cooked. #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

Know Which Metrics Translate to Success

Measuring success with video is key. Knowing which metrics translate to success is crucial for your marketing strategy to succeed.
https://twitter.com/mettermedia/status/834503915852926976

A5: What % of viewers watched 100% of your video. This one always makes us giddy (or cry…LOL!) #SproutChat

— iMEDIA Conference (@iMEDIA_yeg) February 22, 2017

A5 – completion and conversion #SproutChat

— Jennifer Longworth (@JoysOfMercy) February 22, 2017

A5: For Facebook I love being able to see exactly when and where we loose our viewers in a video 5sec in? 15? Etc #sproutchat

— Breonna Bergstrom (@bmbergstrom161) February 22, 2017

A5: How many people finished the video? Made it through the key content? Subscribed? And, most importantly took action! #SproutChat https://t.co/0A6xUHTpDF

— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) February 22, 2017

A5: (1/2) For Facebook and YouTube, the length of time the video is watched. #sproutchat

— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) February 22, 2017

A5: (2/2) I'll take 100 people watching for 30 seconds over 1 million people watching for 3 seconds. #sproutchat

— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) February 22, 2017

A5 Feedback is also a good metric if you are posting video from a Cust Svc standpoint if promoting a new product or service #sproutchat http://pic.twitter.com/Cej3H58nVi

— Christopher T. Burns (@burnzie333) February 22, 2017

Join us next week to discuss social media listening vs. monitoring. In the meantime, stay in touch with fellow industry experts in our #SproutChat community.

This post #SproutChat Recap: Creating Compelling Video Content originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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Master Email Personalization with these 5 Best Practices

Targeting subscribers and sending them personalized, hyper-relevant emails is a great way to better connect with the people on your email list. It allows you to deliver the right message to people who want and need it most. And the more you can do that with your emails, the more likely you are to expand your reach and nurture your audience until they become customers and loyal advocates of your brand. But how can you optimize your emails so you’re making the most out of the opportunity to engage subscribers? Let's take a closer look at best practices for personalizing your emails to the right people on your email list.

1. Identify your goals.

If you haven’t written down what you hope to achieve by personalizing your emails, now's the time to do so. Whenever you think about ways to optimize your emails, it’s important to understand why you’re optimizing them. You don’t want to throw in a subscriber’s first name simply because someone else did it and you thought it was fun. Make sure it helps you achieve your goal, whether that’s to boost your engagement rates like email opens. After all, there are different ways to personalize your emails. You can send an email with a personalization field, like a subscriber’s first name, or you can email specific, contextual content to a targeted group of subscribers. By identifying your goals, it’ll make it easier for you to determine how to personalize your messages. As you think about how you want to improve your communication with subscribers, some questions you might ask yourself include:

• Do you want to embrace a more conversational tone?
• Do you want to include specific details of subscriber information?
• Do you want to send more relevant content based on your subscribers’ needs and interests?

For each scenario, consider how you might be able to achieve the goal you’re looking for through personalization. If you want to embrace a more conversational tone, for example, addressing a subscriber by her first name can be a subtle way to achieve that. Adding a first name personalization field might also help your email stand out in the inbox and catch your subscriber’s attention. Or, if you want to send the right message to the right group of people who would find it most relevant, you may want to segment subscribers to deliver targeted content. By having an idea of what problem you want to solve, you’ll be able to identify the best way to segment subscribers and deliver more personalized emails.

2. Collect the right data.

Once you have an idea of how you want to send targeted emails, make sure you’re collecting the right information so you can make it happen. If you want to send targeted emails that include a subscriber’s first name, confirm you’re collecting first names in the sign up form. If not, adjust your form to include a first name field, like this sign up form featured on our Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing: If your goal is to send personalized emails based on a subscriber’s specific interests,  you might want to ask for that information on the sign up form. Or, send a survey out to your subscribers so you can see what people are interested in, and follow up with relevant email content. If you want to send a one-off email based on how subscribers engaged with a previous message, you can also create a segment based on actions like opens and clicks. As you consider ways to optimize your sign up form so you can send personalized emails, avoid asking for too much information. Including too many fields can be overwhelming for your potential subscribers, and you don’t want to create a barrier that could prevent them from joining your list. If you do include more than just name and email address, I encourage you to emphasize the value of your emails. You might even want to explain what kind of targeted content you’ll deliver if a subscriber shares more information about themselves.

3. Use personalization naturally.

Once you’re collecting the right data, there’s one rule to keep in mind: With great personalization power comes great responsibility. Personalized content should feel natural and not forced. Do it if it makes sense for the goals you have for your broadcast emails or automated campaigns. Does adding the first name to a subject line bring additional value, or are you just doing it to try it? Do you really need to set multiple campaigns for different sign up forms if the emails aren’t too different from one another? Another helpful way to think about it is by looking back at the goals you originally set. Whether you use personalization fields or contextual content, it should either make it easier for you to create the email or help you establish a personal connection with your email community.

4. Get creative.

While there are a variety of ways in which you can personalize your emails, I like to break it out into two strategies: personalization fields and contextual content. Personalization fields allow you to automatically populate an email with specific subscriber’s information, like their first name or city. Contextual content allows you to send relevant content to targeted segments of subscribers, like a broadcast message to re-engage those who haven’t opened an email in over six months. Since there are so many pieces of information you can collect about your subscribers and ways to send hyper-relevant emails, there are endless opportunities for you to get creative with both strategies. For example, personalization fields aren’t limited to subject lines. You can pepper them into your email content to better hold the attention of your readers. Here’s an example from one of our customers Honoree Corder, a writer, speaker and coach to authors looking to publish books: For contextual content, consider how you might be able to target automated campaigns to your different subscribers. You can send them campaigns based on what incentive they signed up for, their geographical location or experience level. One way to find out what your subscribers really need is by referencing any common questions they’ve asked. Are there individuals who want information based on their industry or personal situation? Are there others like that person? If you're low on ideas, this can be a good place to start.

5. Test your emails.

Testing your emails is a must-do for most people who send email, and it’s especially important if you’re doing things like adding personalization fields or triggering multiple types of automated campaigns. After you create your emails that feature personalization fields, send a test to yourself to make sure the right information is being pulled in correctly. If subscribers first names should appear, confirm that’s actually happening. If you’re using AWeber to send your emails, you can add personalization field content so you can view it in your test email. If you’re sending broadcasts to a targeted subscriber segment, carefully set up the process so that the email is only going to that group. If triggering different automated campaigns, test the sign up process to make sure the right follow up sequence is launching with the right actions. Tweak and test as needed until everything looks good to go!

Start personalizing your emails today

There are a variety of ways in which you can better connect with subscribers and I encourage you to choose one of these new tactics to try in your next email send! Want more ideas to help you write better emails? Sign up for our What to Write in Your Emails Course (and get 20+ free email copy templates)!

The post Master Email Personalization with these 5 Best Practices appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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How Bee’s Wrap Calls Customers to Action

Customer service on Twitter is about to get more human

If you’ve got a problem that can only be resolved by speaking to a human being, you need Twitter. From airlines to supermarkets, companies have whole-heartedly embraced the platform as a way to acknowledge and resolve the issues of their customers. But there’s a problem. It’s a bit weird – inhuman, even – to hold a conversation with Tesco or United Airlines. They’re not people. They’re companies. Recognizing this is a bit off, Twitter has introduced custom profiles for Twitter, which it is currently trialling with US mobile carrier T-Mobile. Now, when you slide into T-Mobile’s DMs, you’ll see the…

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How to Write a Successful Social Media Proposal: Free Template Included

Bull charging through NYC takes social media by storm

A runaway bull in Queens got millions of views on Facebook Live during its short stint of freedom. The New York Times reports the bull escaped from the Aziz Slaughter House in Jamaica at 10 a.m. and was spotted 20 minutes later by frantic 911 callers. Within minutes, a news helicopter had spotted the bull, and the footage was streamed to Facebook Live. At the time of writing, the ABC7NY broadcast had been viewed over 1 million times. Live footage of the bull’s capture on CBS New York’s Facebook page had over 23,000 views. Twitter also lit up with videos,…

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Creating an Effective Facebook Ad Campaign

6 Free SEO Tools Social Media Marketers Can Use Too

The Secret to Writing Addictive Email Content

This post is the fourth installment of our new series, The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing. For eight weeks, we’re featuring a new article that covers a specific area of focus in email! Want a sneak peek into the content? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing. It's easy to become obsessed with searching for the next “trick” in email marketing: the formula for creating an effective subject line; the perfect call-to-action copy that will influence more of your subscribers; the ideal way to design an email that will bypass the spam filter. While it’s certainly a good thing to stay on top of the latest email marketing best practices, there is one key to boosting subscriber engagement that is often overlooked. And that’s sending valuable content your subscribers expect and want to receive from you. But how do you know if you’re sending relevant emails? What does “valuable content” actually mean? In this post, we’ll dive deeper into what it takes to create engaging content and how you can apply it to your emails today. Prefer to listen to this blog post? Check out the podcast adaptation of this post or watch the YouTube video:

So what is valuable email content, anyway?

The dictionary definition of “valuable” is “worth a great deal of money; extremely useful or important.” So content that is valuable to your subscribers should first and foremost be useful and important. As a result, the goal of every email you send and the foundation of your email content strategy should be to help your audience.

“I approach email marketing as the chance to open up a conversation. Of course, I have goals and objectives for my emails but I always look at what value I can add to the person reading my email before asking them to do anything.” - Mark Asquith, Excellence Expected

[bctt tweet="I have goals and objectives for my emails, but I always look at what value I can add. - Mark Asquith"] To help you craft useful emails your subscribers won’t be able to find anywhere else, there are 5 questions to use as a litmus test for your content.

1. Is it useful?

The best way to create helpful content is to take what you know about your specific audience and brainstorm topics that addresses their needs and goals. Using your subscriber/customer personas, you can identify ways to provide solutions to specific problems, help them achieve their goals, keep them up-to-date on industry news and so on – just be sure the education you provide ties back to your business. To deliver this educational content via email, you can send either a broadcast or a follow up. Broadcasts are one-time emails you can send to deliver time-sensitive information, such as a newsletter, blog updates or information about an upcoming sale or event. In this email newsletter below from food blogger Meghan Young, for example, she shares her latest blog post: Follow ups (also known as autoresponders) are emails you can create and schedule in advance to be automatically delivered to subscribers the moment they sign up to your list. Since these emails can run for weeks, months or years at a time, the content is usually evergreen (not time-sensitive). Some follow up emails you might schedule include welcome emails, an educational course or a lead nurturing series. Before determining which type of email you want to send, you should identify the goal of your message. Then, make sure it’s clearly conveyed to readers. “I also make sure to be super clear on where the value is within the email for the reader. I only ever ask them to take one action and ensure that they know exactly what taking that action will result in.” - Mark Asquith [bctt tweet="I make sure to be clear on where the value is within the email for the reader. - Mark Asquith"]

2. Is it interesting?

To create interesting content, there are a few writing principles to keep in mind. First, choose a tone that works best for your audience. In many cases, taking a conversational tone can improve readability and help your brand appear more relatable. However, if your audience expects a more formal tone because it’s more appropriate for your industry, then keep it formal. Again, reference your audience persona to confirm you’re writing in a way that’s most appealing to them. “I treat my subscribers like I would someone I really respect and admire. I know some people who are very intelligent and discerning are on my email list and they read my stuff. So I don't talk down to people, and I make it worthwhile to read my emails. I even bury jokes in the "P.S." and small font at the end just to delight and surprise people who are paying attention.” - John Corcoran, Smart Business Revolution [bctt tweet="I treat my subscribers like I would someone I really respect and admire. - John Corcoran "] Second, organize your email content in a way that’s easy for subscribers to read and skim. In today’s fast-paced world, you may only have a few seconds to showcase the value of your email. So make it as easy as possible for them to understand. To accomplish this, structure your content so the most important information is at the top. Additionally, use headlines, subheadlines and bullet points to break up large chunks of text. To emphasize important parts of your message, try bolding, italicizing or underlining words and phrases.  

3. Is it unique?

As you consider what you want to write about in your emails, you may find that your topics have already been covered by someone else. But that doesn’t mean you can’t jump in on the conversation. In order to make your content stand out from the rest, try taking a new angle on the topic. By doing so, you’ll be able to stand out from competitors and establish yourself as a thought leader in your niche. I also encourage you to try new content mediums where your competitors may not have big audiences. If your industry is flooded with blog posts and ebooks, experiment with other forms of communication like podcasts or video. As you test different angles, keep an eye on your email performance to see what resonates best with your audience. To help you really stand out in the inbox, optimize your subject line to include specific references to what subscribers will learn in your email!  

4. Is it what you promised in your sign up form?

A big reason why subscribers disengage with an email list is because the emails no longer deliver the value they were expecting. When it comes to sending valuable emails, the expectations you set in your sign up form play a huge role. By telling people what you’ll be sending them in your emails (as well as how often they’ll receive them) before they sign up to your list, they’ll know what they’re getting into. Plus, you’ll be more likely to attract the right subscribers. This will also prevent any unpleasant surprises for your subscribers, which could lead to spam complaints and unsubscribes. Check out the sign up form from the previous example from food blogger, Meghan Young: In the sign up form, she tells me what kind of content to expect in my inbox and how often it'll arrive. Once you’ve verified that you’re setting clear expectations, it’s time to follow up on your promise by delivering that content.  

5. Does it align with your business goals?

Whether you send emails to build an audience, grow your business or both, the content you send should help achieve your goals. When you’re not directly promoting a product or your service, consider how you can still give your subscribers opportunities to connect with you and become a customer. As you provide educational content, show how your business can also be an answer to their problem and include links back to your website. Maybe there are ways you can include customer case studies or testimonials, or even share user-generated content from your social followers. As long as you regularly deliver valuable content, providing opportunities for them to turn into customers should feel like a natural element of your emails, rather than a sales push. If you keep these elements in mind, you’ll be creating valuable email content in no time.

Create addictive content

While all five of these tactics are great ways to craft engaging content for your audience, I encourage you to choose one and give it a try in your next email! To learn even more ways to improve your email content (like what to write in your subject lines and welcome emails), check out The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing!

The post The Secret to Writing Addictive Email Content appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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How to Do an Instagram Audit in 60 Minutes or Less

Build a strong social brand with these 5 fantastic strategies

There’s a lot of noise in the internet and you’re trying to get your voice heard above all the confusion. Have no fear, there are a lot of things you can do that’ll give your brand the added boost it needs to rise above the chaos. The internet is jam-packed with people, competitors, and to be honest, a lot of clutter that takes the spotlight off your brand. It’s unfortunate, yes, but as with a lot of things in life, coming up with a good plan can help immensely. This goes well beyond a simple strategy, but includes how to…

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Dance in front of Beyoncé with the Blin.gy app

Ever wanted to enter your favorite music videos? Thanks to Blin.gy, you can. Blin.gy maps the user’s face or body, then puts a live video behind them, meaning you can dance or lip sync in front of all your favorite singers/rappers/memetic clips. If you’ve ever used Musical.ly, then you’ll be familiar with how this app works. You film yourself and the app does the rest of the work. Your clip is then saved and sent out for everyone to see. All clips are 15 seconds long. Blin.gy uses chroma keying, the same green-screen technique used in Hollywood to put actors…

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#SproutChat Recap: Productivity for Marketers

Social media marketers have a plethora of productivity apps and platforms in their tool boxes. But figuring out how to best utilize various softwares and workflows can be challenging. This week at #SproutChat, we were joined by Lolitta Gevorkova, Social Media Specialist at Evernote. We discussed how social media marketers can get the most out of their business day, business goals and tips and tricks for increasing productivity.

Managing Your Content Calendar

Managing a content calendar is no easy task, especially when multiple teams are involved in the creation and curation of content. Lolita provided tips for using Evernote to manage your content calendars and our community chimed in with their own processes.

A1. SM moves FAST & organization is key. We use Evernote for content calendars, asset libraries, & more. https://t.co/PPer8VPoba #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/mXEC5XL2OV

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A1: I use @evernote to store ideas, then move them into a calendar template for my full editorial calendar. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 15, 2017

A1: I write all my blog posts and blog topic ideas with @evernote #SproutChat https://t.co/DSreBEhZ1k

— Josephine Borrillo (@70mq) February 15, 2017

A1: I use @evernote to plan out content in a calendar, draft posts and create to-do lists for each client #SproutChat

— Searcy Sledge (@SearcySledge) February 15, 2017

A1. You can use @evernote for organisation, content management and communicate with your immediate team. #SproutChat

— Bianca DeLeon (@deleonbiancam) February 15, 2017

Collaborate Across your Team for Maximum Productivity

Collaboration is the key to success for any organization. Identifying your team member’s strengths and assigning tasks is a must. Our #SproutChat community weighed in with their most effective team productivity hacks.

A2a. Organizing, planning, & getting ahead! Learn how to collaborate on a project with these tips. https://t.co/rDb8ihRcHr #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/93c9DsA5Nq

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A2b. Team collab. goes beyond apps. Our true secret sauce is inspired by @google’s Project Aristotle. https://t.co/tMp6DasiP4 #SproutChat

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A2 …have a home base for the project where everyone knows and uses …#sproutchat

— Tim Elliott (@TimElliottUK) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A2: find platforms that make your life easier & win your team to them. This is *why* I got @evernote premium #SproutChat

— Travis Ham (@travisham) February 15, 2017

A2. Group chat threads are key (or group hangouts or slack channels or whichever) #SproutChat

— Reva Minkoff (@revaminkoff) February 15, 2017

A2: Communication=key to collaboration. Tools that show changes are really helpful, especially when writing/editing as a group #SproutChat

— Mallie Rust (@malliefe2o3) February 15, 2017

A2. Using electronic methods that the team has agreed upon. Ex: Instant Chat Messengers which are embedded in many apps as well. #SproutChat

— Eloquent Content (@eloquentcontent) February 15, 2017

Teams of One Should Take Note

Productivity tools aren’t just for teams. Individuals can benefit from tapping into productivity tools for reminders, automation, content scheduling and so more. When you’re wearing many hats and managing various tasks, prioritizing the productivity software features that save the most time is crucial.

A3a. Collecting research is crucial to a marketing strategy. Use our Web Clipper to save web articles → https://t.co/4PVa12cpME #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/FNhPThg3QX

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A3b. As a team of one, time is especially scarce. Save time w/ marketing persona and calendar templates. https://t.co/KwwWzHl8ZK #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/jGCuuF7atS

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A3: Make sure the tools you use are right for the job. You don't fix a toilet with a hair dryer. Strategize & consolidate assets #SproutChat

— Jeff Higgins (@AnnaMariaSocial) February 15, 2017

A3: Being a lone wolf gets hectic! Interactive calendars, checklists & notes-to-self can help you stay on top of all the to-dos. #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/bSm29ptdD4

— Driven Local (@DrivenLocal) February 15, 2017

A3) Time management, to-do lists by project and a deadline calendar are key to have when handling various tasks. #SproutChat

— Liliana H ☕️️ (@Liliholl) February 15, 2017

A3: It's hard to be marketing when you're alone. Probably the best way would be setting goals, calendars, and checklists #SproutChat

— Kelly Lovell (@kellyalovell) February 15, 2017

A3: it sounds cheesy but just blocking off time in your calendar and committing to getting things done helps a lot #sproutchat

— Breonna Bergstrom (@bmbergstrom161) February 15, 2017

Get the Most out of Your Software

The best features within a software are often “hidden.” These lesser known capabilities provide marketers with the “a-ha” moment that changes the way they look at a tool and increases daily usage. Lolita shared her favorite Evernote “hidden” features and the rest of the community offered their own software must-haves.

A4a. Voice recording! Capturing interviews or brainstorms into a note w/ your phone is a game changer. https://t.co/uKVfHgGtBc #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/3EbPYgKY7q

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A4b. Did you know you can put emojis in note titles?! Our marketing favorites:

📅 Content Calendar
📈 SMM Reporting
📌 To-Dos#SproutChat

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A4 The web clipper is by far my favorite feature! I like that you can do full screen or just parts #sproutchat

— Shannon Williams (@Shannon_L_W_) February 15, 2017

A4 @evernote is free? Most folks are on a tight budget, but evernote always comes through as an affordable option for any use! #SproutChat

— HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) February 15, 2017

A4: Web clipper is my fave, along w/ ability to e-mail a note w/ tags attached & have it arrive in the right notebook. #SproutChat https://t.co/5RClUljuUf

— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) February 15, 2017

A4: Well, I just learned that you can scan and upload written content, and now you tell me there's a recording option? Brilliant #SproutChat

— Venture Icon Media (@VentureIcon) February 15, 2017

Foster Growth & Encourage Community Engagement

For social media marketers, productivity also means fostering community growth and engagement–no matter how many other tasks are being assigned. The #SproutChat community knows this challenge more than anyone. Check out their best tips for achieving community while staying focused and prioritizing other asks.

A5a: In @SproutSocial, our marketing & support teams collaborate to engage w/ our community. Communities thrive in conversation. #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/fJvYlObt71

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A5b: Events are key to our community engagement. Our strategy includes: Periscopes, Facebook Lives, webinars, & offline events. #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/MMGcaRXkVg

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A5: Really listening, whether to coworkers or clients. @evernote helps organize your takeaways & turn them into actionable steps #sproutchat

— Brandfolder (@Brandfolder) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A5: Ask your audience questions and allow them opportunities to voice their opinions! #SproutChat

— nicole (@nicolemaries__) February 15, 2017

A5: If you want more engagement from your community, you have to step up and start conversations. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 15, 2017

A5: Be the first to engage. Support is a 2 way street, and you can only expect engagement if you reach out first. #SproutChat https://t.co/7qO0S1SmmE

— Metter Media (@mettermedia) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A5: Lead mainly by sacrificially serve them and putting their needs ahead of your own #SproutChat

— Travis Ham (@travisham) February 15, 2017

A5) You foster+engage communities when: accessing information is easy, but secure; you respond to requests & facilitate sharing #SproutChat

— Liliana H ☕️️ (@Liliholl) February 15, 2017

Next week, #SproutChat will discuss how to create great video content. Until then, join our Facebook community to stay connected.  

This post #SproutChat Recap: Productivity for Marketers originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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A Crash Course in Email Automation

If you want to reach the right people with the right information at the right time, email automation is a non-negotiable. In fact, 91 percent of marketers say automation is the key to their success: "Email automation is the lifeblood to our businesses. Whether we are using a ‘Welcome Series’ for new subscribers, an invitation series for people requesting access to our products, an ascension series for transitioning a lead to a buyer…we are constantly using automation to create more touchpoint with the prospect/customer."— Justin Rondeau, Digital Marketer (The other nine percent? Probably haven't tried it yet.)

Getting Started with Automation

Email automation can be used to create multiple autoresponder series, as well as robust campaigns that are triggered when an action occurs—like, when someone subscribes to your newsletter. In fact, automated emails get 100 percent more engagement than a newsletter, with half of the work. Still looking for ways to integrate automation into your email marketing strategy? From getting started to more advanced email automation, we rounded up our top posts so you can improve your a-game, no matter what your skill level is:

Lesson 1: How to Get Started with Email Automation

Skill level: Beginner

Think email automation is only for big brands? Think again. Let this post be your guide to creating two basic automation series: one for prospects and one for customers. You'll even get a checklist of all the tools you can use to make setting up your campaigns even easier. The only thing you need? An awesome email automation platform, great content and a few hours of time! Read more

Lesson 2: Welcome Email Campaigns 101: How to Create an Awesome Welcome Campaign

Skill level: Beginner

Email automation doesn't have to be intimidating. It can be as simple as setting up your first welcome email. This post walks you through the steps of creating your first welcome email campaign, from the different types of welcome emails to the best time to schedule your campaign. It's also jam-packed with tips for writing content that converts your subscribers and what to do after you hit 'send.' Read more

Lesson 3: How Running Shoes Guru Uses Email Automation to Engage 20K+ Runners Worldwide

Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate

Wondering how email automation can work for your business? Take it from Ruggero Loda. He's the founder of Running Shoes Guru, and uses autoresponder emails to stay connected with his list of over 20k+ subscribers. We'll walk you through all of the tactics he uses to combine his content with email automation to attract and engage his online community, from how to get people into your autoresponder series to driving revenue. Read more

Lesson 4: How to Use Google Analytics to Create an Awesome Welcome Email

Skill level: Intermediate

You've got the basics of welcome emails down. Now what? This post covers how you can use Google Analytics to improve your welcome emails. From identifying your best content to tracking your sources, this is the perfect post for beginners who are ready to start optimizing their campaigns and seeing results. Read more

Lesson 5: How to Use Autoresponders to Write an Email Course

Skill level: Intermediate

Creating an email course might seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be! Anyone with a passion and story to tell can create their first profitable email course and this post proves it. It covers all of the questions from:

• How much should I charge for my course?
• What should I write about?
• How do I structure a course?
• What should my lessons look like?

... and much more! We've even compiled a list of really good email course examples to get you inspired. Read more

Lesson 6: How We Created Personalized Campaigns for an Email Course

Skill level: Intermediate

Personalization is all the rage these days, and we aren't just talking about a name in the subject line. Subscribers now expect relevant, tailored content to fit their needs. In fact, personalized emails receive nine percent higher open rates and 41 percent higher click thru rates than content written for a broader audience. This post takes a deeper dive into how we created multiple automated email campaigns from a single sign up form — with video tutorials to help make it even easier! Read more

What's Next

With Campaigns from AWeber, you can build relationships with your subscribers and still be able to spend time on the things you love. If you're already an AWeber customer, log in to your account and see the power of Campaigns for yourself. Not a customer? Start using email automation for free today.

The post A Crash Course in Email Automation appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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Rethinking Subject Lines and Preheaders

9 Tips on How to Get More Subscribers: A YouTube Guide

Julian Assange sends first ever tweet from his 5 year old Twitter account

For over five years, the @JulianAssange handle on Twitter has laid dormant. But that just changed, as the controversial Wikileaks editor and founder has activated it. Here’s his first tweet. Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated (in a curious plot) https://t.co/S7Nd9SIXIw http://pic.twitter.com/KpDzLbokxH — Julian Assange (@julianassange) February 14, 2017 The tweet makes a light-hearted reference to a conspiracy theory which states that Assange died during his period of asylum at Ecuador’s embassy in London. This is something which both Assange and Wikileaks have had to emphatically deny in recent months, most recently in a Reddit AMA. Assange joins…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Twitter

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Simplify, Simplify, Simplify with Fjällräven

How to Schedule Instagram Posts Through Sprout Social in 6 Easy Steps

[Podcast] Growing your email audience

You can't successfully send email without any subscribers to send to. Listen to these tips and tactics to start growing an engaged email audience today. Join host, Tom Tate in the episode three of an eight-week series exploring each chapter of our latest creation, The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing.

Episode synopsis

This episode is a companion piece to the Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing and our recent blog post, The Beginner's Guide to Growing Your Email List. Ready to grow your audience? This podcast episode is a great start. Click here to download this episode directly. (MP3)

Ask us anything!

Have a question about email marketing that you want answered in a future podcast episode? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

The post [Podcast] Growing your email audience appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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The Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Email List

This blog post is the third installment of our new series, The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing. For eight weeks, we’re featuring a new article that covers a specific area of focus in email marketing! Want a sneak peek into the content? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing. Growing your email list is one of the best things you can do for your business. That’s because, unlike other channels, you own your list. Here's what Andy Crestodina, Co-Founder of Orbit Media, has to say about it: “Email marketing means ownership. Along with direct traffic (which is difficult to control) email marketing is the only source of traffic that isn't coming from a company. It's not Google. It's not Facebook. It's not Twitter. It's mine.” [bctt tweet="Email marketing means ownership. It's not Google. It's not Facebook. It's mine. - @crestodina" via="no"] Think of it like this: Growing an audience on a platform like Facebook or Twitter is a lot like renting a space. You wouldn’t spend a lot of time and effort building something that wasn’t really yours. Your email list, however, is yours alone to take with you. Those subscribers opted in to your list because they want to hear from you. But when you’re just getting started, you’re probably wondering how on earth you’re going to get people over to your list in the first place. You could be starting from 10. (Or zero.) But you need to start somewhere, right? Read on for quick and easy-to-implement ways you can start growing your email list today! Audio learner? Check out the podcast version of this post or watch the YouTube video:

Think quality over quantity

You might think the key to success is getting 10,000 subscribers overnight. But it’s not about having a massive list. It’s about having the right people on your list who are engaged and interested in your products and services. "As my list has grown, I've just remained focused on the next metric right ahead of me. First it was just to hit 200 subscribers, then 300 subscribers, then 400 subscribes. Eventually the goal was 1,000 subscribers, then 2,000 etc. etc.  As I've gone past 10,000 and 20,000 and beyond I've actually started to focus more not on the sheer number but on engagement." - John Corcoran, Smart Business Revolution [bctt tweet="Focus more not on the sheer number but on engagement. - @JohnCorcoran" via="no"] To start growing your list and attracting the right subscribers, here are 10 key tips that you can follow:

1. Create a sign up form

A sign up form is where your website visitors submit their email address and other information in order to subscribe to your email list. These forms typically live on the sidebar or header of your website, but can display as a pop up or slide-in form as well. A good sign up form is a key part of your email marketing strategy, as it’s essential to growing your list. Without one, people wouldn’t have any place to subscribe to your emails and you’d be missing out on potential leads. Your sign up form is also the place where you convince those visitors as to why they should sign up for your emails. The more thorough you can be with your headline and description, the better chances you’ll have to convert those visitors into leads.

2. Add your form to your website

As we mentioned before, your sign up form doesn’t have to be a static element on your page. There are a few different types of forms that can give you very different results. Static form - An embedded sign up form is one of the most common types of forms that you probably think of for attracting website visitors to subscribe to your list. These are static blocks that you can embed on your homepage, sidebar, at the end of a blog post or even on its own dedicated page. Pop up form - Perhaps the most “in-your-face” option, these types of forms have a high likelihood of conversion. A pop up form appears over your web page and gives more attention to convey the value of your list. Many sign up form creation tools will allow you to customize the length of time at which a pop up form appears on your site (we recommend ~45 seconds, but testing is key). Notification bar form - These types of forms sit at the top of your website or blog. They're nice because they're not as invasive as a pop up form and won't get lost like a static form. It's a great way to capture new visitors straight from your site! Slide in form - This is a less invasive form than a pop up, but still helps capture your visitors' attention when they are scrolling through your content. As they make their way through your content, a slide-in form will appear about 3/4 down the page. This is the perfect time to get people who are engaging with your content to sign up for your list. Take advantage of your most highly trafficked pages and make sure your sign up form is prominently displayed. This could be your website homepage or blog. The location can also influence which type of form you decide to use, so keep that into consideration to create the best experience for your website visitors.

3. Emphasize the value

Your sign up form should clearly explain the value someone will get when they subscribe to your list. What will they get when they sign up? How often should they expect to hear from you? Setting those expectations up from the beginning will help to attract quality subscribers – and alleviate any potential spam issues. Clarity is key here. Your sign up form should explain the benefits of signing up for your email list, information about the types of content you’ll be sending (newsletters, product promotions, etc.), the cadence of your emails (i.e. weekly, monthly). When you define these expectations up front, your subscribers won’t have any questions about what they signed up for.

4. Have a strong call-to-action

Your call-to-action (or CTA, for short) is where you ask your readers to take a specific action. In this instance, that action is subscribing to your list. This is your opportunity to get a little creative. A unique and creative phrase (“Sign me up!”) is far more powerful and convincing than a generic CTA (“Subscribe now”). Here’s a great example: The reason this CTA works so well? It’s fun, fresh and makes the visitor feel good about what they’re signing up for. The reader knows exactly what they’re going to get when they subscribe.

5. Optimize your the look and feel of your form

Consistency is key for creating a great experience. Your sign up form should reflect the look and feel of the rest of your website. This helps to establish brand trust, as all of the elements will feel familiar to your visitors. Try adding brand elements to your form, using consistent colors and fonts and making sure your call-to-action button stands out.

6. Offer an incentive

Adding an incentive to your list adds another layer of value to your sign up form. People love freebies! Offering a relevant incentive (or lead magnet) is a great way to encourage the right people to sign up for your email list. Exclusive discounts, PDF guides, ebooks, downloads and templates are all great examples of valuable incentives that can help convert passive visitors into loyal email subscribers.

7. Promote your email list

Looking for a place to start promoting your list? Look no further than the followings you already have established! If you’re actively creating and sharing content on a platform like Facebook or Twitter, try reaching out to your audience and encouraging them to sign up to your list. After all, they’re already finding value in the content you’re sharing. Now it’s time to take your relationship to the next level. Encouraging your social media followers to sign up for your list doesn’t have to be difficult. There are a ton of easy-to-implement ways that you can promote your list on your social platform of choice, like:

• Adding Facebook’s call-to-action button to your business page tab. By linking this button to your email list, you’re giving your social visitors a clear and easy way to stay in touch.
• Pinning your sign up form link to the top of your Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn feed to help keep it top-of-mind.
• Promoting lead generating content on your social channels with a link back to your website to capture email addresses.

Another powerful way to grow your subscribers really quickly? Host a contest or giveaway! (Just be sure to make it clear that people will be signing up for your list when they subscribe.) By offering a valuable prize and promoting it on social media, you’ll be collecting new subscribers in no time.

8. Send valuable content

One of the best – and most often overlooked – ways to get people to subscribe? Send great content. This is hands down the best way to earn your subscribers trust and get them to share your newsletter with their own networks. Your content should always have a unique point of view and provide value to your audience that they won’t find elsewhere. You have to prove to them that they need your content. “As email is the closest, most personal form of digital marketing it’s a matter of trust. If I can earn your trust to opt in, then I have a duty to protect that and never abuse it.” - Nick Westergaard, Brand Driven Digital A cool way to tease your email content is to syndicate your content on a platform like Medium or LinkedIn Pulse. Or, team up with an influencer in your space to help spread the word about the awesome content you’re sending through email. The more you promote yourself to relevant communities and groups, the more likely you are to keep your email list growing and growing.

9. Add an integration to the mix

There are a number of third-party apps and tools out there that are designed to help you grow your email list. From shopping carts to landing pages, these apps make it easy for you to connect with your email service provider and start automating sign ups directly onto your list. Win-win!

10. Grow your email list offline

But what if you’re not an online marketer? There are still ways to grow your email list even when you’re offline. The customers and clients that you interact with everyday are potential email subscribers. Leverage those relationships by downloading an email sign up app to your phone or tablet and collect subscribers on the go. More of the old school type? A pen and paper work just fine. You can manually import your subscribers into the list of your choice.

What’s Next

Now that you have a list of tactics to start growing your list, it’s time to take the next step. Many of these ideas take 10 minutes or less to implement! Start by creating your sign up form and adding it to your website. And remember, it takes time to nurture and grow your email list the right way. “It isn’t a “quick fix” – relationships take time to build and email marketing is simply the medium that we use to build them – don’t rush it!” - Mark Asquith, Excellence Expected [bctt tweet="It isn’t a “quick fix”. Relationships take time to build and email marketing is simply the medium. - @MrAsquith" via="no"] Want even more email marketing tips for beginners? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing.

The post The Beginner’s Guide to Growing Your Email List appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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