Greetings!
I love it when extraordinary individuals perform off the scale. But the Olympics and the Oscars are over now, and we'll have to turn to mere mortals for the unusual. One example is the unique combination of words in our first article, where we consider the challenge of writing motivating subject lines.
Also off the scale is the way in which social networking connects us all together. The second article this month offers some suggestions and a few cautions about online behavior.
Please join me on Wednesday, March 16 at 8 AM for a Webinar I'm leading through the Consulting Alliance. It's entitled "Boost Your Business through E-mail Marketing," and you can sign up here.
Following up on last month's article, my flirtation with Twitter is continuing. I'll address the subject again in a few months when I can distill my thoughts into a few hundred words. In the meantime, follow me here
You've only got until April 1 to cash in the coupon for a free 30-minute phone-consulting session. Send an email or pass the offer on to a colleague.
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Attention Grabber
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 A meteor crashed into my house and now my dog walks upright and speaks Japanese
This is an actual subject line from a LinkedIn discussion. And it garnered 73 responses and still counting. The post was on Ivy Groups--the Professional Network for Ivy League Alumni, so we aren't dealing with dummies here.
Luke Jaeger, who did the post, followed the subject line with this: "Does anybody read these discussions? I doubt it very much, but will be happy to be proven wrong." And he was.
The responses varied from carrying the joke further, to questioning whether it was a meteor or a meteorite to considering the value of a good subject line. That's why we're talking about it here.
Nemesis
Subject lines make me crazy. Creating one each month is the most difficult part of the newsletter process. It doesn't take the most time; it's just the most troublesome. To this day--after publishing nearly 50 newsletters--I can't be sure that my selection will lead to the desired result.
Assuming that opens rates correlate with subject lines (which is a huge assumption), my best recent subject lines were:
- We did it! (when Web Words subscription list went over 1,000)
- The winner is . . . .(which actually had to do with the Oscars)
- Nifty Technology (which was about buying a new computer)
Conventional wisdom in the email marketing business says that subject lines are the main reason people open emails. Is that true for you? Let me know what gets you to click open.
Suggestions
Here are some ideas I found online.
- Make the first few words powerful
- Put a number in your subject line
- Be mysterious (I like this one)
- Ask a question
- Keep it short (30 characters max)
- Offer to reveal a secret (be sure to keep your word)
- Solve a problem
- Make it actionable--use a verb
Now the squeeze is on. What will I use for a subject line this month?
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Best Behavior
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 Learning comportment is for children and adolescents. We figure as adults, we're done with that subject. But with today's social media, we all need to rethink how we show up.
Here are three important principles to keep in mind as you interact on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Fair Game
Back in the days of my youth when I did corporate communications for Fortune 500 companies, I had a saying: "Never publish anything that you wouldn't want on the front page of the New York Times." Since there was doubt about whether anyone even read what we wrote, people laughed when I said this. Now, all these years later, the concept has new currency.
The press has been having a field day with stories of young people who have crushed their chances for their dream job by posting inappropriate antics online. But we grownups need to watch our steps, too.
Even when you think you have a high level of privacy on your networks, you've got to guard against infidelity of friends. And some of those "friends" might be people you don't really know.
We can also shoot ourselves in the foot. Here's a post on Facebook that ended a business relationship. "I was supposed to have lunch with Charlie today, but I got a better offer so I cancelled." Imagine how Charlie felt when he saw this.
Watch your Back
In the real world, you can't know what people are saying behind your back, but online, you can. Our friends at Google have invented Google Alerts. With this free service, you can monitor where your company is mentioned online. And if you have a fairly unusual name, you can do the same personally.
Most of the time, you won't need to take action, but if something untrue or unkind is said, you can be proactive in dusting off your reputation.
Be Consistent
Be sure you have a photo on all your social networking profiles--ideally the same photo. That way your picture becomes a brand, and people will recognize you from one place to another. Even more importantly, use the same facts everywhere you show up online. Consistency may be the hobgoblin of small minds, but it's a good practice on the Internet.
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| Web Tips |
 While we're on the subject of Web 2.0, here's one to take on the road or use close to home. Yelp, founded in 2004, contains user reviews of everything from restaurants to car washes. You have to become a member to write a review, but you can read what others have to say without signing on.
Yelp includes an online community designed to make certain that reviews are written by trusted members. They even have a forum for online socialization. The community bit doesn't work outside of major metropolitan areas, but I found some mighty fine reviews of local restaurants. I would definitely trust the Yelp folks' recommendations when I'm away from home.
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And Finally . . .
Shawenon Communications collaborates with small businesses, solopreneurs, professionals and not-for-profits to get their messages across in the written word.
We specialize in electronic communications, including e-zines and other forms of email marketing, and Web site content. We also ghostwrite articles and other business communications. As a business partner, we resell Constant Contact's email marketing service.
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Sincerely, 
Susanna Opper
Shawenon Communications
413-528-6494
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Last Chance
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The deadline is April 1 for 30 minutes of phone consulting--no charge.
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Seeking some innovative ways to reach your market?
Want to brainstorm a novel business idea?
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If you want to know more, contact me.
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