Amy Black's Blog Posts

Want to learn how you can make your email newsletter even better (or how to get it started)? Here are some resources you can tap into.

For starters, Constant Contact’s Learning Center has a collection of newsletter-focused Hints & Tips articles. You can also view newsletter examples and read about how Constant Contact customers are getting great results with their newsletters.

Here are two more sites that I highly recommend. I’m linking specifically to the email newsletter sections, but there are many other topics they cover that you may find useful.

You may have heard that using the word “free” in your subject line can negatively impact your email’s deliverability. It is one of the words that can trigger the Internet Service Providers that receive your email to categorize it as spam.

Well, now there is a new motivation to avoid using the word “free” in your email campaigns. A recent court ruling set a new precedent: unless the “free” item is completely free, without strings attached, advertising it in a subject line may be considered deceptive, which goes against CAN-SPAM legislation. In other words, it may be breaking federal law.

Back when all the craziness began in the marathon run for this presidency, I signed up for a number of candidates' email lists. I wanted to see how they were using email marketing for their campaigns. Needless to say, I've been getting a lot of emails, now more than ever. (I'll note that this activity was not a political exercise for me; it is all about the email marketing. The same goes for this blog entry.)

What is your definition of spam? There’s a good chance it might be a little different from the next person's and that both of yours might be different from the legal definition. It’s vital that we are all aware of what the law is, as it relates to spam, but it’s also important that we understand what our subscribers see as spam.

Did you catch the most recent version of our Hints & Tips e-newsletter? It includes an editor’s pick of best practice articles from 2006 and 2007. Topics include subject lines, open rates, email marketing makeovers, and much more!

I'm hosting the newsletter on the web with Constant Contact’s new Email Archive option. If you use Constant Contact for your email marketing, you'll want to check out Email Archive. You can use it to host your newsletters on the web and create a "home" page with links to any newsletter you choose to make public.

A co-worker forwarded me a holiday email campaign that she got from Borders bookstore last week. I liked what it was advertising: a warm and fuzzy shopping experience. 

Borders invited me to come down, bring the kids (if I had any), enjoy some holiday music and tasty treats. And, while I’m at it, do a little shopping (ah ha!). They even gave me a “25 percent off one item” coupon. Sounds very tempting.

I just got an article in my inbox about email marketing and last minute shoppers. The author, Al Diguido, is hoping that all of the stores he buys from will send him emails over the next week with gift ideas. As a last minute shopper, he writes that he needs help finding the right gift and quick! He encourages retailers (online in particular) to make the most of this opportunity.

While Al’s article is targeted at marketers who are able to do some pretty advanced targeting, his point is relevant to small businesses. There are sales to be made with people who have yet to do their holiday shopping.

While a picture may be worth a 1,000 words, good copywriting could be worth thousands of dollars! The words you use in your marketing emails will impact the results you get. That’s why professional copywriters are always looking for the right words to use, words that will get the readers to take action. But a smart copywriter knows that before they start writing copy they have to answer a few important questions.

Ask yourself these five questions:

Looking for a perfect gift for yourself this holiday season? Yes, it’s okay to buy a gift for yourself! Especially one that can help your business or organization be more successful in 2008. I’ve got an idea for you. Why not get the new E-mail Marketing For Dummies book written by Constant Contact’s very own, John Arnold?

John is our regional development director for the Colorado area. He’s been taking the message of email marketing "to the people" for years now. He is a great educator and has excellent insight into the practice of email marketing. And, lucky for us, he put everything he knows about it into this book. Whether you are just getting started or you’ve been at it for a while, you’ll find some great information. There’s something for everyone.

Okay, there are 25 shopping days left before Christmas. That means you have 25 more days to increase your holiday website sales. People are shopping. Recent reports show that online spending is up this year. So, what can you do to get these spenders to shop with you?

One option is to offer free shipping. A recent study conducted by BizRate Research for Shop.org showed that more than 78% of the online retailers surveyed will offer some form of online shipping. They offer it because they know that consumers expect it and because they’ve found it to work.

If you aren’t already offering online shipping for the holidays, and it sounds like something you want to try, you still can.