Monday, January 20, 2014

Email Marketing - The Juliet of Your Campaign

There’s a lot of back and forth on whether email marketing is a dead marketing practice. Let’s be real here – no marketing technique is ever really dead. Sometimes they simply play “Juliet” – marketers say the practice is dead, you should never use it again, and that it’s simply a waste of your time. But in reality, the technique is just taking a break. Email marketing is one of the most prominent of these today.

More People Checking Emails Immediately


Image via Flickr by Jim Pennucci



According to Pew Internet Research, about 52 percent of cell phone users send or receive emails on their phones. Since about 91 percent of adults in America own a cell phone, there are a huge number of people emailing on their phones.

People are likely to open and at least scan emails on their cell phones. Because of this, email marketing allows you to get your name and information in front of more customers than ever before. With people checking their phones, tablets, and computers for new emails, interesting and helpful email marketing campaigns are more likely to be successful.

More Options for Email Campaigns


Sending an email out to your customers is a great way to remind them that you are in business and want to work with them. Today, there are tons of options for what to send in your emails. Consider some of the options you have:
  • Information on sales
  • New products and business information
  • Blog posts and other informational articles
  • Social media information
  • Special benefits to customers (recurring customers get discounts, etc.)


It’s a good idea to make sure that the emails you send out are mobile-compatible. This will allow for easy viewing, no matter what device your customers view the email on.

More Ways to Capture Email


If email marketing is dead, why are marketers still consistently working to get email addresses? Depending on the blog, company, and marketer, visitors may be offered a number of different reasons to give their email address. For example, offerings may include:

  • Membership – Membership is usually used for signing in to an online retail store, but could also be used for forums and other web based businesses.
  • Ebook – Many blogs, gurus, and even retail shops today offer a free ebook in exchange for your email address.
  • Frequent Updates – Retail shops and blogs use the draw of regular updates as a way to get your email address. In addition, this is an option for service-based companies.
  • Discounts – Retail stores and service industries will offer discounts or coupons for those who provide an email address.


More Companies Doing Email Campaigns


There are more businesses starting online all the time. Each of these want to keep track of their customers in an easy, concise way. Because of this, you will see that more companies are doing email campaigns than ever before. Nearly anyone who takes a look at their email will see several, if not dozens, of new emails every day from companies who have received their email address as part of the company’s marketing campaign.

It’s time for marketers and analysts to stop saying that email marketing is dead. It was dormant for a while, but as we try to find new, better ways to get products and information out to customers, email marketing is making a huge comeback.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Bloggers, Bloggers Everywhere

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been doing this blogging thing for a long time. Back in the days of LiveJournal, I was one of the many typing out my life story. I didn’t realize until much later that blogging could be used for purposes other than my woes and wishes. It’s interesting to look at the way that blogging has evolved to be something more than just a personal journal to become a marketing tool, fundraiser option, and more.

The Mommy Blogger


Image via Flickr by Thomas Widmann

I think Mommy Bloggers are awesome. There is a lot of hard work and sacrifice that they have endured, and deal with on a daily basis. On top of this, they are able to keep up with regular posts to their blogs. There are several different types of Mommy Bloggers, from those who started their blogs to share info about their families to those who started their blogs looking for a little extra cash. You also have those who only write on their blogs, as well as bloggers who ask for guest posts, offer contests, and more.

Mommy blogging has become such a popular genre that there are conferences all over catering to those who make it big. What does it mean to make it big in the Mommy Blogging world? Get followers. The more people you have following your blog, commenting, and simply visiting your site, the more likely you are to be considered a big blog in the community.

The Personal Blogger


Image via Flickr by Anna Hirsch

The Personal Blogger and the Mommy Blogger are similar. However, the distinction is that the Personal Blogger isn’t necessarily a parent. They’re blogging for themselves. They put a lot of personal information out there. Personal Bloggers are in the mindset that I was back when in the days before blogging got big. They are using their own section of the Internet to release their stress and put down their story. A lot of “professional bloggers” look down on the Personal Blogger, unfortunately. We all have experiences that are insightful and helpful to others, and Personal Bloggers offer a way for people to connect on this level.

The Guru Blogger


Image via Flickr by Wade Armstrong

Guru Bloggers take their knowledge and put it into every post. Everything they write about is very specific. They are experts in their fields (or in some cases, they think they are experts). The Guru Blogger has a goal to help you understand the information they have to offer. It’s become kind of an “in” thing to say you’re a Guru Blogger, because come on now – who doesn’t want to know everything about their passion. Unfortunately, some Gurus don’t know as much as they’d like you to think, and some are simply pointing you in the wrong direction.

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Guru Bloggers. I think that they start with the right intention, but eventually it gets warped. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. However, for the most part, if someone is calling themselves a Guru it’s likely they’re trying to get Internet points.

The Marketing Blogger


Image via Flickr by Red Mum

Nearly every big company today has a blog. Even many small companies decide that this is a smart way to go for their marketing campaigns. They’re not wrong. Blogs are a great marketing strategy, when used in conjunction with other marketing techniques. The writers for these companies are Marketing Bloggers.
Marketing Bloggers are writing for companies they work for, or in many cases for companies they contract with. These bloggers are coming up with great topics for the company, updating the website, and responding to comments. Marketing Bloggers will frequently come up with new marketing techniques for the company, and usually have a background in marketing in general.

Have you ever gone to a company’s website to look up information about the product or services offered? How about to research customer service issues? Frequently Asked Questions, Support Articles, and information about the company itself are all written by the Marketing Blogger.

The Topical Blogger


Image via Flickr by Beck

There are a lot of things to discuss, argue about, and review out there. Topical Bloggers take all of this and run. If you search around the Internet a little bit, you’ll quickly stumble on blogs about every topic known to man. Food, politics, religion, books, and more all have a prominent place online. Topical Bloggers rarely, if ever, write outside of their stated genre. In addition, many of these are actual experts in their fields. If you stumble on a foodie blog written by a chef, you’re likely to get some great information, right?

So, where do I fit in? Take a helping of the Topical Blogger and add a dash of Marketing, and you’re probably getting close. If you blog, where do you fall?

New Beginnings

It's important to have a niche when you're blogging, selling something, or really doing much of anything online. I know this, and I've known this for several years. I've always had a hard time deciding on a niche for myself. I could write about writing - it's something I know well. I could write about parenting. There is a lot I could do, but what do I want to do?

I love marketing. And I love writing. So, I'm going to put the two together. There are tons of marketing blogs and gurus out there, but that's ok. I'm not trying to say I know everything, because I don't. Things are always changing in the marketing world. But I do know enough. And what I don't know, I am happy and excited to learn.

So, with this post I have made the decision. I am going to focus on business and marketing. I am also making a goal to practice what I preach. It's harder than most give credit for. I know that updating your blog multiple times a week is crucial for marketing purposes, so I'm going to do that. Look forward to more marketing and business posts in the near future!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

5 Things to Do to Teach Kids to Share



Being a parent is a fun, difficult, important, crazy, all-consuming job. There are so many things we need to teach our children to make them productive members of society. And one of the most important things we can teach children when they are young is how to share. In school, work, and even personal relationships, it is important to know how to share. So, how do you teach your young child how to share?

Practice Sharing
Image via Flickr by moppet65535

Practice makes perfect. We’ve all heard this saying many times. When teaching a child to share, it’s important to practice sharing. Whether showing your child how to share with a sibling, with yourself, or with friends, the more they are shown how to share, the more likely they are to do it themselves. Another good way to practice sharing is to simply play by taking turns. Build a tower together – your child puts down a block, then you put the next one. With this exercise you are helping your child learn valuable lessons – sharing, patience, and working together to achieve a goal.

Limit Punishments
Image via Flickr by ankakay

When teaching a child something new, it can be tempting to be stern with them when they aren’t complying. However, when teaching sharing, it is crucial to limit punishments and stern actions. Sharing is not something that can be forced. Many children will have trouble sharing their toys with others, and may even have certain items they refuse to share. This is normal, and the child will learn that sharing is more fun than playing alone. However, scolding and punishments in this area may lead to resentment and selfishness.

Get Excited
Image via Flickr by sheggy

You want your child to be excited about playing well with others, right? If so, you need to make sure you get excited, as well. Praise your child when they share. Tell them how great they are doing when they let another child, or even yourself, play with their toys. Even when your child only shows another person their toy, it is important to encourage this behavior. Children grow with praise. They are more likely to do the behavior, in this case – share, when they know they are doing something good.

Be Realistic
Image via Flickr by meddygarnet


Are you expecting your one year old to willingly share all of their toys? This could be unrealistic. In fact, most professionals agree that true sharing doesn’t start happening until about 2 ½. While it is important to start teaching your child to share before this, it is not a good idea to expect true sharing at a very young age. Realistic expectations on when your child should have good sharing skills can keep you sane and your child happy.

Practice What You Preach
Image via Flickr by juliocrockett

How often do you share? When teaching a child anything, especially a habit like sharing, you need to make sure you do it, as well. When playing with your child, give them the toy you have. As you do this, explain you are sharing the toy. Even things like sharing a cooking dish with a friend or lending the lawn mower to the neighbor are a great times to show your child how important it is to share.

Sharing. It is something that, as adults, we may not think about very often. However, as parents, it is something that is constantly on our minds. Teaching our children to share will help them grow. It is a long and sometimes very frustrating process. However, as with most things that have to do with parenting, it is worth it in the end.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Creating Characters that Click


Are you busy writing your next best-selling novel? Sometimes it is important to get a little bit of help. One area many writers find difficult is getting the perfect balance for their characters. There are so many things to keep in mind. Your characters are what drive the story, and because of that, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind.

Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy
Image via Flickr by Mdemente

Your characters need to be more than just a way to advance the story, even though that is their primary function. They need to have personality. Each character has to stand out, just like each person in real life. Think about some of the people you know. Sure, they may have similar interests and tastes, but there are distinct differences between each of them. There is something in each of us that makes us stand out. Similarly, there needs to be something about each character that makes them unique.

Along with the personality, the details are probably one of the most important parts of your character. The little things can mean a lot. What is the character scared of? Do they have a birthmark on their shoulder? Does a limp halt your character’s gait? This is more than just the personality of the character. When you know your characters as well as you know your best friend, you are able to write them better. Because of this, many writers will base their characters loosely off of people they know. This can be a good starting point if you are having trouble coming up with well-rounded characters.

A Rose by any Other Name
Image via Flickr by Parvin ♣( OFF for a while )

As much as I admire him, I’m going to have to disagree with Shakespeare on this one. Names are important. They can convey so many things at once, and this is why one of my favorite parts of writing fiction is coming up with character names. A name and a personality can go so well together. On top of that, names can help you with the setting of your story.

Does your story take place in a fantasy world of werewolves and fairies? More exotic names will generally work in this setting. However, if your setting is a small town in the Midwest circa 2010 or so, you may want to consider more traditional names. Using unconventional names in a conventional setting can also be a great way to further the story. Is your character picked on because of their name? Is there a reason behind the name?

Many authors use names as a type of foreshadowing. For example, if the main character’s name is Benedict, the reader will be able to understand that the character may not be altogether trustworthy. The meaning and history behind a name can help further the story in subtle ways.

The Dashing Hero and the Damsel in Distress
Image via Flickr by M@rcello;-)

A story needs a protagonist. It’s just not going to go anywhere without someone or something to follow. Likewise, it needs an antagonist. However, there are many different archetypes to select from when creating your characters. Of course, in a lot of cases, these archetypes are chosen because of the character’s personality in conjunction with the story arc. When creating your characters, it is a good idea to designate the archetype, at least for yourself. That wise old man on a bench in the park, does he follow the trickster archetype, or is he more of a mentor?

Remember, an archetype does not mean that a character can or can’t do certain things. This is simply a way to help you focus on why they do what they do. Any character of any type can do anything. Knowing the archetype of your characters simply helps you and the reader understand the character’s motivation.

Make a Splash
Image via Flickr by jon smith.

Every writer wants their story to stand out. In many ways, this means your characters need to make an impact on the reader. Making a character stand out can be difficult. Think about the characters you know and love the best. What common traits do they have? If you love them, they stood out to you for some reason.

However, there are some basics that will help your characters along. Tragedy helps readers feel more sympathetic to the character. However, this needs to be balanced. Too much tragedy and the reader may feel overwhelmed or get frustrated with the character.  Triumph in the face of bad odds is similar. When your characters are relatable, even if they are nothing like the reader, they are more likely to be remembered.

Creating truly three dimensional characters can be difficult. They need to have the perfect balance of strength and weakness. Distinguishing personal traits help your reader distinguish one character from the next. Names and personalities need to fit with the rest of the story. Once you have found a good balance with your characters, you will find that they simply click. Knowing how the character should react before they are tossed into a difficult situation will help you write the story that much easier.