How many tools are you putting to good use?
Website? ( everyone)
Email Newsletter? ( the savy)
Blog? ( the few)
Almost a year ago I wrote an article on this topic, and only a few people have figured it out.
Your Blog is the active day-to-day place to chronicle your business and developments. Your newsletter is probably monthly unless you're a restaurant or (politician). And your website just lays there!
Here's an example: www.dressage4kids.com is the website for Lendon Gray, two time olpympic equestrian competitor and organizer of the Youth Dressage Festival each summer in NY. I started publishing her newsletters more than a year ago. (remind me to update that page...) This summer she started posting to her blog and putting more of her personal thoughts and musings on the internet. http://graydressage.blogspot.com is a completely independent and separate operating system, and she can update it any time from any computer in the world... ( I had hoped she would make an entry from Germany last month)
More later, Jeff
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Rave reviews!
Many Thanks to First Choice Rehabilitation who just celebrated their first year of email newsletters to their patients and associates!
Karen, their Marketing Manager, gave us a great review at the SOS Healthcare Networking luncheon in Camp Hill this week. They put the text of the articles together, select some photos that are representative of the topic, and provide a spreadsheet of their new additions to the mailing list each month. They post the newsletter to the ARCHIVES on their website each month.
I format the articles to post individually, and then assemble the newsletter into a template that has evolved over the past year. They began with 410 addresses of current patients and are now over 1300 permission based addresses. Their readership averages a confirmed count of at least 25%.
This is a very topical newsletter format, with NO sales content! The format is now (December) very consistent, with a seasonal article, a story about a community involvement they are hosting, an employee profile and a patient 'Success Story'.
Give me a call if I can assist with staying current with your clients, patients, donors or prospects with effective and affordable email marketing programs.
Happy January,
Jeff
Karen, their Marketing Manager, gave us a great review at the SOS Healthcare Networking luncheon in Camp Hill this week. They put the text of the articles together, select some photos that are representative of the topic, and provide a spreadsheet of their new additions to the mailing list each month. They post the newsletter to the ARCHIVES on their website each month.
I format the articles to post individually, and then assemble the newsletter into a template that has evolved over the past year. They began with 410 addresses of current patients and are now over 1300 permission based addresses. Their readership averages a confirmed count of at least 25%.
This is a very topical newsletter format, with NO sales content! The format is now (December) very consistent, with a seasonal article, a story about a community involvement they are hosting, an employee profile and a patient 'Success Story'.
Give me a call if I can assist with staying current with your clients, patients, donors or prospects with effective and affordable email marketing programs.
Happy January,
Jeff
Friday, November 23, 2007
Cleaning up lists
Interesting challenge...
Client purchased a 150,000 name list, purported to be of people interested in receiving email solicitations. I know this was going to be a headache, but took the challenge.
Started out by trying to batch 1000 addresses thru constant contact, but more than 40% of addresses were bouncing… Two batches and Constant Contact shut us off.
Went back to guy who produced the list and he steered us to Streamsend.com
Clumsy broadcasting tool, but managed to clone the email and start sending batches thru that site. Ended up with 40% + bounces, but at least got the first email sent and generated quite a few positive responses.
Took all the 'unsubscribes' from both Constant Contact and Sendstream and entered into both sources to preclude spaming anyone who opted out.
Will repeat process with Black Friday blast of sale announcement that went to their regular subscribers on Tuesday. Wish us luck!
Client purchased a 150,000 name list, purported to be of people interested in receiving email solicitations. I know this was going to be a headache, but took the challenge.
Started out by trying to batch 1000 addresses thru constant contact, but more than 40% of addresses were bouncing… Two batches and Constant Contact shut us off.
Went back to guy who produced the list and he steered us to Streamsend.com
Clumsy broadcasting tool, but managed to clone the email and start sending batches thru that site. Ended up with 40% + bounces, but at least got the first email sent and generated quite a few positive responses.
Took all the 'unsubscribes' from both Constant Contact and Sendstream and entered into both sources to preclude spaming anyone who opted out.
Will repeat process with Black Friday blast of sale announcement that went to their regular subscribers on Tuesday. Wish us luck!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
adding calendars to emails,websites and blogs
Here's a great tip on posting CALENDAR events on your website... I received this from Mary Waldron. Took a little tinkering ( and reading her instructions) but it includes some great features. how about this invitation?
Mary has a link to Tuckanoe. I added calender items to www.mountainlaurel.ponyclub.org and www.dressage4kids.com
Many thanks to Mary for her idea!
Jeff Kurtz
DC Mountain Laurel PC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's Mary's note:
Hi Jeff,
I wanted to see what you thought about Google Calendar. My daughters HS Quizbowl team has their schedule in Google Calendar and I added it to my Google Calendar, which was wonderful. So I set one up for Tuckahoe Pony Club and linked it to the website (the site is still torn apart but you'll see the Google link and the picture gallery):
http://tuckahoe.ponyclub.org
I didn't want everyone to be able to mess with the dates, so I set the account up with the email address dc@tuckahoe.ponyclub.org and our club officers will have the passwords. To display the calendar, you do this (cc'd from the HS techie):
1. When you are looking at the google calendar(s) you've created, on the left side is a bubble called MY CALENDARS listing the different calendars you have (each one color coded).
2. Click on the little arrow to the right of the calendar name, and choose "calendar settings"
3. Scroll down to the section named "Calendar Address" - click on the button called "HTML"
4. a pop-up window will appear with the whole complex web address. You can then save this link as a shortcut or copy/paste the link into an email...etc.
It's an embed command.
I am also very curious about the 'document' feature - that might be helpful too.
Mary
Mary has a link to Tuckanoe. I added calender items to www.mountainlaurel.ponyclub.org and www.dressage4kids.com
Many thanks to Mary for her idea!
Jeff Kurtz
DC Mountain Laurel PC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's Mary's note:
Hi Jeff,
I wanted to see what you thought about Google Calendar. My daughters HS Quizbowl team has their schedule in Google Calendar and I added it to my Google Calendar, which was wonderful. So I set one up for Tuckahoe Pony Club and linked it to the website (the site is still torn apart but you'll see the Google link and the picture gallery):
http://tuckahoe.ponyclub.org
I didn't want everyone to be able to mess with the dates, so I set the account up with the email address dc@tuckahoe.ponyclub.org and our club officers will have the passwords. To display the calendar, you do this (cc'd from the HS techie):
1. When you are looking at the google calendar(s) you've created, on the left side is a bubble called MY CALENDARS listing the different calendars you have (each one color coded).
2. Click on the little arrow to the right of the calendar name, and choose "calendar settings"
3. Scroll down to the section named "Calendar Address" - click on the button called "HTML"
4. a pop-up window will appear with the whole complex web address. You can then save this link as a shortcut or copy/paste the link into an email...etc.
It's an embed command.
I am also very curious about the 'document' feature - that might be helpful too.
Mary
Mary Waldman send a note recently about how to post pics and albums to a website.
Let's use the thought about how to have your club members post their stuff where you can link to it... That way they can be responsible for (or lack therof) their own accomplishments and posting. This webstuff gets old when it's a onw-person band...
I like picasa, although Kodak is ok too. I sent this article to Mary and she replied that she figured it out and it worked for her. http://tuckahoe.ponyclub.org/
Other examples at www.mountainlaurel.ponyclub.org and Dressage4kids.com .
Let me know if this works for you, and if I can further clarify how to play with picasa.com
More ideas to follow...
Jeff Kurtz
DC - Mountain Laurel Pony Club
Let's use the thought about how to have your club members post their stuff where you can link to it... That way they can be responsible for (or lack therof) their own accomplishments and posting. This webstuff gets old when it's a onw-person band...
I like picasa, although Kodak is ok too. I sent this article to Mary and she replied that she figured it out and it worked for her. http://tuckahoe.ponyclub.org/
Other examples at www.mountainlaurel.ponyclub.org and Dressage4kids.com .
Let me know if this works for you, and if I can further clarify how to play with picasa.com
More ideas to follow...
Jeff Kurtz
DC - Mountain Laurel Pony Club
Friday, June 22, 2007
Survey tools entering email arena.
A quick note,
Constant contact just released a survey tool that is pretty flexible. Take a look at (just an example) the information I'm getting back after a survey went out yesterday. ( attached.)
What a nice way to close the loop relative to buyer's remorse or to complete an engagement. This can include a highlight for referrals!
If you received my email yesterday, please take a few minutes to respond so I'll have added data before meeting next Tuesday. I would love to have you attend and add input to the process. If you did not receive the survey you can click HERE to offer input.
Thanks! and have a good finish to your week,
Jeff Kurtz
Reykur Associates Inc
Email Marketing Strategists
570-401-4843
Constant contact just released a survey tool that is pretty flexible. Take a look at (just an example) the information I'm getting back after a survey went out yesterday. ( attached.)
What a nice way to close the loop relative to buyer's remorse or to complete an engagement. This can include a highlight for referrals!
If you received my email yesterday, please take a few minutes to respond so I'll have added data before meeting next Tuesday. I would love to have you attend and add input to the process. If you did not receive the survey you can click HERE to offer input.
Thanks! and have a good finish to your week,
Jeff Kurtz
Reykur Associates Inc
Email Marketing Strategists
570-401-4843
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
expectations
Email Insider for Monday, February 5, 2007: http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=54974
Email experience council always has great input to improving your stature in the organization... take a look at this post!
Jeff
Email experience council always has great input to improving your stature in the organization... take a look at this post!
Jeff
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