Blog entries

Two Important Tips for Getting Found On Google in Kansas City

Brian S. Pauls — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:34:16 +0100

Advertising (like everything else, it seems) has gone virtual. Marketing dollars that used to go into newspaper ads and the yellow-pages are now much better spent "getting found" online.

How do you make sure that prospects in Kansas City actually see your Website, and then become customers? Two elements are essential to implementing a successful online marketing strategy.

1. Build Search Engine Optimization into your Website from the beRead More...

Tell Your Kansas City Readers Stories...About Kansas City!

Brian S. Pauls — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:45:35 +0100

If you operate a local business, then you are interested in reaching out to local prospects and customers. Your email newsletter can help you do this in ways your readers will find engaging and interesting.

Just focusing on your business all the time can get boring for both you and your recipients. Boring isn't good for anyone! Instead, take the time to focus on others—such as your customers and their businesses! This will not only give you a chance to “mix itRead More...

Your Customers Are Experts, Too

Brian S. Pauls — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:42:48 +0100

Another great source of valuable content for your email newsletter is to share the expertise of your customers with the rest of your subscribers.

Everyone with whom you do business is an expert in something. Very likely, they are an expert on a topic that will interest your other customers. After all, your clients already have one thing in common--they all do business with you.

Eric Groves of Constant Contact, in his new book, The Constant Contact GRead More...

How To Become a Subject Matter Expert In Kansas City

Brian S. Pauls — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:02:58 +0100

An excellent way to engage the recipients of your email newsletter is to become a local expert on a topic which your readers find interesting.

There may be no shortage of people in the world who know about your industry--but there may be a shortage of such people in Kansas City. At the very least, there may be a shortage of such people who are willing to take the time to write down their expertise and share it with others for free.

In his new book, The CoRead More...

The Best Way to Engage Readers With Your Email Marketing Campaign

Brian S. Pauls — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:06:08 +0100

Great content is essential if you want to build the subscriber-base of your email newsletter--and if you want to turn those subscribers into repeat customers.

What is the key to great content? Tell your readers something they want to know!

In his new book, The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves with Constant Contact explains why sharing your expertise is the key to email marketing success:

"Great subjects resonate with Read More...

How To Develop a Successful Technology Plan for Your Business

Brian S. Pauls — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:52:33 +0100

What would happen if you suddenly could not get to your email, your customer database, or your accounting system? What affect would this have on your business?

No matter what industry you are in, you depend on one thing tRead More...

Three Great Ways to Learn What Your Customers Are Thinking

Brian S. Pauls — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Delivering relevant content is all about determining what your readers want, and then providing it.

How do you know what interests your customers and prospects? Email marketing offers some great sources of feedback that can help you figure this out...

In his new book, The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves of Constant Contact suggests effective ways to use several of these feedback mechanisms.

Read, analyze and save replies: This Read More...

Three Ways to Provide Value in Your Email Marketing Messages

Brian S. Pauls — Tue, 18 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

It's an adage as old as business--customer's don't buy for your reasons, they buy for their own reasons. The same goes for recipients who elect to stay on your email list--they stay for their own reasons, not for what you want their reasons to be...

So they key to maintaining a vibrant email marketing list is to provide content that will cause your recipients to want to stick around. What are you doing to make sure that someone who is on your list today will still be theRead More...

Write Emails Your Kansas City Customers Want to Read

Brian S. Pauls — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Your email marketing campaign will only be successful if you continually produce new content that will interest your recipients. You have an excellent opportunity to reach out and engage prospects and customers in Kansas City--but only if you talk about subjects that are important to them.

What are you doing to ensure that your readers are getting information they feel is worth their time?

You can find lots of suggestions online for creating relevant content. EriRead More...

Three Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Kansas City Email Marketing List

Brian S. Pauls — Sat, 15 May 2010 18:59:55 +0100

As you build an email marketing list, it is important to understand that you are collecting private information. Your friends, neighbors, customers and prospects from right here in Kansas City are trusting you with confidential details (such as their names and email addresses)--details they would not hand out to just anyone. Along with this trust comes an expectation that you will protect that data.

Have you given serious thought to how you will ensure this information does noRead More...

Is Windows 7 Good for Business?

Brian S. Pauls — Fri, 14 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

So, Windows 7 has been out for over six months, and there have been no reports of a Vista-style Microsoft misstep. You may be wondering if it's time to upgrade. Getting the latest and greatest is always fun, but the bottom line is will Windows Read More...

Ask for Permission Again...and Again...and Again...and Again...

Brian S. Pauls — Thu, 13 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Are you diligently pursuing a permission-based model for your email marketing campaign? Good for you!

When you say "permission," however, what exactly do you mean? Do you still have people on your list from three years ago, who may have never opened one of your messages? I hate to tell you this, but you can't really say you have their permission anymore.

As Eric Groves of Constant Contact says in his new book, The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, "PermRead More...

Establishing Stronger Connections With Your Email Recipients In Three Easy Steps

Brian S. Pauls — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:00:00 +0100

Focus on strengthening your relationship with your email recipients, and everyone will benefit.

Working on any relationship is a challenge--especially a relationship that may be conducted primarily through the Internet. The good news is that there are a number of great tools that can help you with this effort.

In his new book, The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves, the Vice President of Global Market Development with Constant ConRead More...

Two Keys to a Paperless Office

Brian S. Pauls — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:53:22 +0100

If you are like a lot of business owners, you have heard about the "paperless office"--but for you it's more of a dream than a reality. You would like to free up the space currently occupied by your filing cabinets. You would love to get ridRead More...

Use Auto-Responders to Build Relationships With Email Marketing Recipients in Kansas City

Brian S. Pauls — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:55:58 +0100

Kansas City is a very personal town. Everyone seems to know everyone else. It's essential, for the success of your business, to make your email marketing personal as well. Your friends and neighbors do not want to feel as though you are treating them like a number.

The good news? There are quite a few tools and techniques you can use to turn a faceless email newsletter into a valued source of information which your recipients will eagerly anticipate every week or every moRead More...

Four Great Ways to Welcome New Subscribers to Your Kansas City Email List

Brian S. Pauls — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:56:47 +0100

You are working hard to build a valuable email list of consumers, business owners, community connections, and other qualified prospects in Kansas City. Once a new contact has agreed to receive your email marketing communications, you should follow-up with a welcome message immediately.

All of the major Email Service Providers (such as Constant Contact) provide an automated method for sending such a message. This makes your job much easier.

Eric GroveRead More...

How to Collect Optional Information for Your Email List

Brian S. Pauls — Wed, 05 May 2010 02:38:14 +0100

Ideally, you would like to know everything you possibly can about your prospects--because this will help you better identify their needs.

Regrettably, not all prospects are excited about spending their valuable time answering a lot of questions when they sign up for an email list. Just signing up may be pushing the envelope for them!

In his new book, The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves with Constant Contact gives advice about hRead More...

What Details Should You Collect From Your Email List Recipients After Sign-Up?

Brian S. Pauls — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:59:39 +0100

When building your email list, you should only collect the most essential information at sign-up. This will allow you to maximize the number of subscribers. Requesting too much information will drive away new prospects.

Other information is important, however, and you should collect it as soon as is appropriate following the initial sign-up process.

In his new book, The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves with Constant Contact discussesRead More...

What Information Is Critical for Your Email Marketing List?

Brian S. Pauls — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:07:25 +0100

When collecting information from prospects for your email marketing list, you don't want to overwhelm them with so many requirements that they pass on signing up at all.

At the same time, there is certain basic information you should collect to make sure your list has value.

In his new book The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves of Constant Contact suggests three "non-negotiables":

"First Name: That way you can personalize the saRead More...

The Second Time is the Charm: Validate Those Email Addresses!

Brian S. Pauls — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:39:41 +0100

If you go to the effort of setting up an automated online form to capture email addresses, the last thing you want is to lose some of those addresses because they were entered incorrectly.

Fortunately, there is a simple fix for this problem, one you have most likely used online many times yourself--double entry.

In The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Vice President of Global Market Development for Constant Contact Eric Read More...