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February 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Stop Blasting Out Emails Via Your Chamber Mailing List

Ok, I know I’m somewhat of an idealist here but it really bothers me when I get added to 50 different email lists simply because I joined the Indianapolis Chamber. I realize that as a member, one benefit is that I have access to other members’ contact information and they have access to mine. However, just because you have my email address does NOT mean that I have asked to be on your email list.

I get press releases, poorly-designed newsletters, product promos, and all sorts of messages from companies that I’ve never heard of or have no relationship with. And guess what? Since they’ve spammed me repeatedly, I now have no desire to ever work with them. Many of these newsletters don’t even offer a way for me to unsubscribe!

This is a very impolite and dangerous practice. Spamming a large group of people who have not given you permission is a great way to get your email server blacklisted after enough people flag your message as spam in their email applications.

Try building a permission-based list instead. Invite people to sign up via your web site. Become active in social media. Mention your newsletter as you network. All these activities build a strong permission-based list.

And while you’re at it, make sure your newsletter is interesting and useful!

Filed Under: Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,
September 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Business Email Etiquette

Email is a powerful tool for communication in business. When used correctly, it can help you move projects forward, gather valuable information, and delegate actions. When used poorly, however, it can become a source of frustration and inefficiency. Here are some proven guidelines for improving the effectiveness of your email communication.

Use a descriptive subject line. I see subject lines all the time that consist of “Hi” or “Question”. This is absolutely useless and makes it impossible to glean information about the message while scanning or searching subject lines. Instead, use a descriptive subject line that gives a very short summary or label related to the actual topic of the message. This will make your recipient more likely to read and act on your message and makes it easier to scan in a long list of messages.

Keep it short. Most people today are very busy and will have very little patience for an email that rambles and requires extreme effort to digest. Talk in clear, concise points and keep it as short as possible. In general, the longer the email, the slower your recipient will reply – if he or she replies at all.

Separate topics by paragraph. No one wants to squint through a long email that has no visual separation between topics. Keep your topics short and concise and separate them by a double-space. Paragraphs in email should not be indented, either.

Keep it actionable. This is an often-ignored guideline. Your recipient is probably very busy and has many other emails fighting for attention. The easier you make it for your recipient to act, the more likely it is that you will get results. People naturally want to process the things that are easiest and so by keeping your message clear and actionable, you increase the chances of a response. If you need something, say so succinctly. If you have a question, ask it clearly. Whatever action you need, get to the point and make it easy for your recipient to help you.

Include a signature. This courtesy is also commonly ignored. Every business email should have a signature. This is a small block of text that appears at the bottom of your message that includes your phone number and other contact information (company name, title, web site, etc.). This makes it easy for your recipient to call you if necessary, or find information on your company web site. Any email system will allow you to set up a default signature that is included automatically in every message. Don’t make your recipient go on a scavenger hunt for your contact information – include it in every email.

Remember to use proper email etiquette when communicating with your business contacts and you will be noticed as a great communicator and someone who is easy to do business with.

Filed Under: Marketing, Productivity, Technology Tagged With:
September 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Writing sensible email messages | 43 Folders

I stumbled upon this great article today on 43Folders:

Writing sensible email messages | 43 Folders.

This summarizes all my griped about today’s email usage. One of my biggest frustrations about modern business communication is how little time some people put into crafting a proper email message. Please read this and share it with all your friends :)

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Productivity, Technology Tagged With:
August 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Using Google Apps for Efficient Business Communication

At SpinWeb, we are always looking for ways to streamline our business practices, create more efficient systems, and implement smart customer service methods. We have noticed over the years that email and communications has always been a pain point for many organizations and so we would like to share a way that we’ve found to enjoy a more zen-like state of email and group communications. We use Google Apps.

Google Apps (short for “Google Applications”) is a suite of applications from Google that includes email, calendaring, instant messaging, and shared documents. Google Apps allows organizations to implement a full groupware suite at no cost at all. There is no setup fee, no hardware to buy, and no ongoing fee. Though there is a corporate level which includes a nominal yearly fee, the basic services are all free. So what does Google Apps include?

Email. If you’ve ever used Gmail, you know how powerful and easy to use it is. By using Google Apps for your business, you get Gmail but branded with your organization’s domain name. All of your employees or team members can have “yourname@yourcompany.com” email addresses and can access it via a Gmail web interface. You also have the option of using Outlook, Apple Mail, iPhones, Blackberries, or pretty much any other email program or device.

Spam/Virus Filtering. Email through Google Apps comes with outstanding spam and virus filtering. It is all handled seamlessly with no setup or configuration. We have found the accuracy of Google’s filtering to be excellent.

Group Calendaring. Google Apps includes a robust group calendering feature which give you the ability to manage multiple calendars as well as see other team members’ calendars for group scheduling. Calendars can be synced with Outlook, iCal, iPhone, Blackberries, or almost any other major calendaring program. Syncing can also be done “through the air”. For example, if you add an event on your iPhone, it will instantly show up on your Google calendar and vice-versa.

Group Instant Messaging. Google Apps also comes with built-in IM via Google Talk. Your organization can utilize the built-in chat server to see when other team members are online and can keep in touch via instant messenger.

Group Document Management. One great feature of Google Apps is its free office suite. Using Google Docs, Google Spreadsheet, and Google Presentation, your organization can have a free set of office applications that are hosted “in the cloud”. Additionally, your team can collaborate by editing a single document as a team and track changes online.

At SpinWeb, we manage Google Apps accounts for our clients as a courtesy. We have found that utilizing Google Apps has given us a powerful business communication system that rivals many of the “enterprise” systems in use today. Interested in implementing Google Apps in your organization? Contact SpinWeb to learn how.

Filed Under: Productivity, Technology Tagged With: , ,
July 8, 2008 By Leave a Comment

5 Tips for Improving Your Email Newsletter

Having an email newsletter is one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to communicate with your constituents in a positive way. However, I’ve noticed that many organizations are not taking full advantage of this medium. There are many subtle guidelines that are important to follow when publishing an email newsletter. Here are a few tips to help maximize the effectiveness of your newsletters.

1. Utilize a professional design. It amazes me how many times I receive an email newsletter that contains broken images, low-quality photos, and incorrectly formatted content. Most people get at least some spam and you want to make sure that your newsletter does not look like all the poorly-formatted spam that gets sent today. Make sure you are using a professionally-design email template that matches the branding of your company.

2. Keep the content subscriber-focused. Most organizations make the mistake of filling their email newsletters with “look at us!” promotions and “latest specials”. News flash: your subscribers want value from the newsletter. They do not want more marketing. A great way to structure your newsletter is to make the main article a useful piece of information that educates your subscribers, offers them useful information, and gives them something they can take away and use. Marketing messages will get ignored and lead to unsubscribes while useful content will get saved and read. There is nothing wrong with promoting your business in the sidebar areas but keep the main content useful to your subscribers.

3. Stick to an appropriate schedule. Another common mistake is to send out your newsletter whenever you feel like it or whenever you have something new to announce. Big mistake! The more sporadic your newsletter is, the more it will feel like spam. Pick a schedule and stick to it. We’ve found that every 2 weeks is a very good standard to follow. Once a week is often enough to be annoying but once a month is infreqent enough to be forgotten. Every two weeks is a great balance and gives your subscribers a routine to get used to. We also recommend sending on a Friday morning.

4. Give your subscribers an easy escape via one-click unsubscribe. Any unsubscribe process that takes more than a single click is absolutely unacceptable. I am always amazed at newsletters, even from large companies, that require me to “update my subscription preferences” in order to unsubscribe, or ask me to send them an email with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. This is burdensome and rude. Your subscribers may have very valid reasons for wanting to leave. It’s their choice… let them unsubscribe easily. It’s also important that your unsubscribe process is automatic and instant. Additionally, if your unsubscribe process is too difficult, your subscribers are more likely to simply flag your message as spam, which can lead to you getting blacklisted on the Internet. Very bad!

5. Keep your list clean and 100% opt-in. Adding subscribers to your list without their consent is very bad manners. It can also get you flagged as a spammer. Just because you exchanged business cards with someone at a networking event does not give you permission to add his/her email address to your list. Just because your local chamber of commerce gives you a spreadsheet of all the members’ email addresses does not give you permission to dump that spreadsheet into your list. If you add subscribers to your list, make sure your have their consent. Offer an easy way to subscribe on your web site. If you meet someone in person, ask for his/her permission to subscribe that person. It’s better to have a list of 500 people who want to hear from you than a list of 5,000 people who don’t.

These small details can make a huge impact on the effectiveness of your email newsletter. By following proper newsletter ettequitte and establishing your organization as an expert in your field, you will be able to build and strengthen trust with your audience.

Filed Under: Design, Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , ,
March 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Enough With The “My Email Address Has Changed” Messages

I’m sure all of us have gotten those messages from friends that say “My email address has changed… please update your address books. My new email address is blah@blah.com.” Sometimes it’s for a legitimate reason, but other times it’s because the person has changed Internet Service Providers (ISP). This bothers me because in this day and age, no one should have to be held hostage his/her ISP.

If you are using an email address like “bob@comcast.net”, “fred@att.net”, or “mary@sbcglobal.net”, stop it! You may decide to change ISPs someday or move to an area where your cable provider is Insight, rather than Comcast. If this happens, your email address will go away. For this reason, you really should be using a web-based mail service from one of the big (free) providers. I personally recommend Gmail. By using Gmail (or Hotmail, Yahoo!, etc.) you ensure that you will not have to change email addresses even if you move or change ISPs.

Now, all this is meant to address personal email addresses, of course. If you are using a personal email account for business use: shame on you! That’s also bad, but for different reasons that I won’t go into right now :)

Don’t let your ISP control your email. Go get a Gmail account and free yourself!

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Technology Tagged With:
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