Martin Lieberman's Blog Posts

How do you know what aspects of your email newsletter are the most popular? If you’re only looking at your open rate or your click-through rate, then you’re only getting half the story.

A great newsletter is interactive, and has plenty for the reader to do — whether that’s in the form of calls-to-action or links to click on. And the more you give people to click on, the more you’ll learn about what catches readers’ attention.

We want to know: What is your greatest challenge when it comes to surveying your customers and members? Share your answer in our latest poll. After you vote, you'll be able to see what other people have said, and you'll know how your answer compares to theirs.

Look for the final tally in next month's issue of Hints & Tips.

Two email marketers walked into a bar. One turned to the other and asked, “What’s the secret to creating a great email message?” The other one thought for a second and finally replied, “To get to the other side.”

My apologies for that truly lame attempt at humor, but hopefully you get the idea I’m trying to make here: email marketing is no joke. Even people who make their livelihoods telling jokes take it seriously. But that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with the messages you send — especially if your business or organization is known for having a lot of personality.

That’s why I recently spoke with some people in comedy troupes who are funny to get their thoughts on email marketing. Not only do these folks know how to make people laugh, they also who know a thing or two about conveying brand and personality in their email messages.

Here are five lessons they shared:

In this month’s issue of Hints & Tips, Donna Glick, a senior manager in Constant Contact’s product strategy group, discussed some of the more important elements of great email design. There was plenty that didn’t make it into the article, so I wanted to share some of the other things we discussed.

In our most recent issue of Email Marketing Hints & Tips, we discussed some deliverability basics and some ways that you can avoid being branded a spammer. We received some great feedback about the issue, but some of our readers responded that they were confused because it looked like some of their emails weren’t being delivered at all. How do we explain this?

Chances are good that your email inbox is already overloaded with messages. But get this: It's predicted that by 2014, consumers will receive more than 9,000 email marketing messages a year. That translates to about 25 messages each day, double the average of 10 to 12 that people receive today. The numbers are courtesy of Forrester Research, which surveyed 3,730 U.S. online consumers and 286 email marketers.

Of course, the news is a mixed blessing because while on one hand, it’s good to know that email marketing is catching on as a popular marketing strategy, it also means inboxes will continue to get even more crowded than they already are. If you want your message to be seen and read, how will you break through that clutter?

One of the most important things to remember when you communicate with customers is that it’s not all about you and what you find interesting. Your customers are always asking the same question: What’s in it for me?

For example, just because you hired a new employee doesn’t make it interesting. But when you explain how this new employee will benefit customers, then you make the news relevant. Did you recently attend a conference? Great. Now tell your readers how what you learned there will make you a better service provider.

Taking this a step further, knowing exactly what your customers are interested in reading allows you to personalize your content and make it even more relevant to them. How do you find out what will be most relevant to your customers? Ask them.

A recent study by TNS, a global research firm, confirms that consumers trust information and recommendations from their friends more than they do those from other sources, including TV, newspapers, advertising, and online media.

These recommendations typically are the most reliable because when one friend tells another about an organization, the recommender is putting his or her reputation on the line to do so. And the person who was referred comes with a higher level of trust and confidence in the organization because of that.

Are you taking advantage of the power of word-of-mouth marketing? With email marketing, it’s easy. When you share great content with customers, you show off your expertise and remind customers what you offer. And when you communicate with customers on a regular basis, you keep your organization top-of-mind.

Shirley Leung, business editor at The Boston Globe, just gave a very interesting keynote about the state of the economy and the effect that small businesses can have on the recession. Leung opened her remarks on an optimistic note by saying “the worst of the worst is over,” but cautioned that the economy is still fragile and that the roller coaster may continue.

The real key to economic growth, Leung said, will be the entrepreneurial spirit that always fuels the creation of small businesses in a down economy. More layoffs means more people are starting their own businesses, and thankfully, both President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick are supporting innovation and technological advancement. It’s because of the efforts of all kinds of entrepreneurs that we will come out with an economy and a world that is “bigger and better than before,” Leung said.

After an active brainstorming session, Forum attendees declared, “We are part of the solution” and shared some great ideas on how they can better help their members. Here are some highlights: