Thanks to loyal readers Sharon Palma and Suzanne Engels, I found my missing fans. Last month I said,

"My 'likes' total 82, but I have no idea who my 'fans' are as Facebook no longer allows you to see the names of your followers."

It turns out that on the admin page, there's a column titled "New Likes." To the right of it is a link "See All." That does not mean see all new likes as you might imagine. It means, "see all likes." Sure enough, I clicked that and all my followers showed up. I could always use more, so please like Shawenon Communications' Facebook page.

Along with many others in the beautiful Berkshires, I'm enjoying the waning days of summer. By the end of this month, there will be no more symphony at Tanglewood or dance at  Jacob's Pillow. So I'm lapping up as much as I can before it's over.

Then it's time for the annual September Nantucket vacation. And as soon as I get back, another Web Words. I'm thinking of writing something radical about social media. Stand by.

In this issue, I take my own advice about finding newsletter content and share my preparations for meeting with a new client. Then there's a piece about robocalls that includes some amusing dialogue.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

I'm on Facebook and Twitter. Follow me.
 

It's that time of year again. Though you and I are not going back to high school or college, the fall is always a time for new beginnings in business. I'm showing a new client around Constant Contact next week and have selected a few tutorials on the product for them to review before our meeting. I thought you might be interested, too.

To Do's

There are a lot of details to consider when you start up an email marketing campaign, but these are the "big picture" issues you need to handle: 

• Getting your mailing list in order
• Determining your communication's mission and purpose
• Selecting your "look and feel"
• Picking a template
• Planning and writing content 

This is where I come in. I help my clients connect their email communications process to their overall goals and objectives.

Once your campaign is under way, you'll want to understand opens and click rates and build a social media marketing strategy.

Brief Education

If you want to tip your toe in the water before you jump in the pool, here are two Constant Contact video tutorials I recommend. Each takes less than five minutes.

• Getting Started with Email Marketing 
• Branding Your Email 

If you want to get your message out to your followers, friends and fans, September is a great time to begin. Email me or use the bright red phone in the article below to give me a call at 413-528-6494.  

I was having a lovely dream when the phone rang last Thursday at 5 AM. Worse still, it rang twice--once for me and once for my husband.

It turned out to be a reverse 911 call. There was a chemical fire in Ghent, NY, and since we're just over the border in Massachusetts, the possible release of PCB's into the atmosphere was of concern. It turned out not to be a big deal. But what if it had been?

In this age of mobile devices, we tend to forget about the old-fashioned phone. This particular marriage of computer technology and telephony is a good thing. But some other uses are an annoyance or worse.

Non-real Humans

I got a robocall last week from Google. Something about advertising. I decided to go along, so I said "yes" when it asked if I had a Web site and "no" when it asked if I advertised. I wasn't on hold long before a real voice said, "Good morning. How can I help you?"

I said, "I don't know. You called me." He hung up.

Later that day I answered my husband's phone. They were selling an IT seminar. I said, "He's not interested. He's retired." The voice on the other end said, "May I ask why?"

I shouldn't have, but I said, "It's none of your business why he's retired." The voice was apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't hear that part." No, of course not. Because even though you're a real human being, you're following a script. You're not listening.

In most of the country, robocalls are on the ascent during the political campaign season. We're pretty much immune as most candidates don't bother with this remote, rural region of our state. But I can imagine that people in swing states don't answer their phones without caller ID.

Golden Rule

Here's the bottom line. Any technology is only as good as the wisdom and decency of the user. Email marketing can be really effective, but not when it annoys readers into unsubscribing.  Remember the golden rule of business communication. Always ask "Who is the audience?" and "What is the purpose?" before you undertake any marketing effort. That should lead to picking the right medium, crafting a suitable message and getting good results.    

 

Sincerely,

You know those annoying things you wish the vendor would fix? Unlike many other companies, Constant Contact listens to its customers.

Three recent changes in the editing process provide:

Improved header and footer editing blocks

Easier customization of colors and fonts

Better preview options.

Remember I'm a Constant Contact business partner eager to help you with all their products and services.

Be in touch to learn more about how email marketing can boost your business with very little effort. 

 


 

 

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