The FWD: Thinking Show

What are your deepest and darkest fears? For years, independent author J. Thorn has been exploring the question through his fear and fantasy fiction writing. He's sold over 150,000 copies of his work and topped the Amazon charts - once landing at #5 in Horror, next to his childhood favorites, Dean Koontz and Stephen King. Through his work, Thorn has developed a strong, unique voice, both in his respected genres and in the independent writers community. And he's leveraged that connection to his fans through email marketing. In this episode, we discuss valuable strategies that anyone - not just authors - can apply, to attract the right kind of subscribers, offer immediate value, engage their readers. We talk about the ways to maintain a consistently above-average open rate and find your ideal subscriber persona. We even break down J.'s unique lead magnet and welcome message, and what makes them so successful. If you fantasize about having hundreds of loyal subscribers and fear ending up in the dark depths of the spam folder, you'll want to tune in, take notes, and take action! Episode Synopsis Listen in, as we discuss: How J. took the leap and finished his first novel The platforms and options for independent authors Ways to structure your lead magnet and welcome series The importance of writing to a persona ... and much more! Additional Resources Here are the links mentioned during the show: J. Thorn J. Thorn on Amazon The Intronaut Podcast Stephen King's 'On Writing' Amazon CreateSpace The Horror Writers Podcast The Dark Arts Theater Podcast Ask Us Anything Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Are you sending spam without even realizing it? In this episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, we talk with John Bonini, Growth Director at Litmus. In a blog post written earlier this year, John explored the nuances of selling and spamming. Email marketing is evolving, and it's crucial for marketers to reinforce the value they're providing, while redefining traditional views on spam. John shares his take on how to be relevant, be human, and tactfully write to convert. Check out the episode above, and you'll hear about: How email marketers define spam vs. how consumers are defining spam Different ways to consider personalization Why NOT selling your solution is selfish How to source great marketing copy The importance of manual outreach And much more... Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: John Bonini John's podcast, Louder Than Words To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink Give And Take by Adam Grant Joanna Wiebe - Copy Hackers We didn't get to cover it, but here is a fantastic series of articles Litmus put out regarding Single v. Double Opt-in: https://litmus.com/blog/single-opt-vs-double-opt-case-doi https://litmus.com/blog/single-opt-in-vs-double-opt-in-case-for-soi https://litmus.com/blog/single-vs-double-opt-in-public-opinion https://litmus.com/blog/single-opt-in-vs-double-opt-in-the-verdict-email-permission Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Are you using email marketing to generate an income? If not, do you want to? Writing to sell without feeling "salesy" or "sleazy" is a challenge. When it comes to selling via email, the autoresponder has made it possible to send a sequence of automated emails over time to ensure you get the right message to the right person when they need it most. Also known as "drip campaigns," marketers set up these automated emails to provide information about themselves, the problems they solve and the products they offer. You'll also find that many seasoned marketers teach their strategies and tactics for moving subscribers through the buyer "funnel" in a way that allows them to feel like they're "selling without selling." In fact, we've written a ton about mastering the autoresponder and creating sophisticated automated campaigns, too. (Not to mention, AWeber has been known for providing a great reliable email automation platform since 1998!) While drip campaigns can be effective, however, that's not the only way to influence people to buy your product or service. In this episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, we talk with expert email copywriter, Ben Settle. Forget all the conventions of email marketing that you've clung to over the years and listen to this episode. Ben sends one to two emails a day to his main list with very few spam complaints. Sure, he gets unsubscribes, but unlike a lot of email marketers, he welcomes them. His unique philosophies on daily emailing, unselfish selling and copywriting have helped email marketers find their niche, write with confidence and conquer their fears of selling. Listen above, and you'll hear about: How Ben got his start in copywriting and email marketing The benefits of sending daily Why NOT selling your solution is selfish The importance of mixing promotion with teaching How email marketing is like talk radio The importance of mixing promotion with teaching The #1 1990s television show that all email marketers must watch ... and much more! Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: Ben Settle Ben's Blog Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Pop quiz: What's the best way to generate a ton of qualified leads, while also providing a fun an engaging interactive experience? It's a pop quiz, of course! In this podcast episode, we discuss exciting and effective lead generation and list-building techniques with Josh Haynam, co-founder of Interact. The mantra at Interact is a simple one. They are a "lead generation platform for a content and social media driven world." With interactive personality quizzes, assessments, and giveaways, marketers are finding success in growing their email lists, but also learning about their subscribers interests, personalities, and needs. Listen above, and you'll hear about: Josh's entrepreneurial path to Interact The impact of personality quizzes and assessments on list growth How to segment your leads based on their answers and tailor your emails based on context Josh's least favorite type of subject lines ... and much more! Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: Interact AWeber Blog: Create Fun Quizzes and Grow Your Email List with Interact + AWeber Our "What's Your Marketing Super Power" Quiz (sorry, the giveaway is closed) Book: Solution Selling (Josh's recommendation) Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

In this episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, I tackle three big listener questions. Do I need to use LeadPages to use AWeber? How do I create a compelling lead magnet? What's more effective for marketing, a short email or a long email? Learn how to grow your list and supercharge your account, the acronym I use whenever developing a new lead magnet, and the secret behind email length (spoiler: you may not like the answer.) Listen above and share your opinions in the comments. Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: LeadPages SumoMe (list-building app) Privy (list-building app) HelloBar (list-building app) AddThis (list-building app) No Website? No Problem! How to Create a Sign Up Form + Build Your Subscriber List Without a Website [VIDEO] How To Market Online - Tony Robbins and Frank Kern Have your own question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Ready to be a smarter marketer? With blogs, podcasts, videos, snaps, chats, and tweets coming at us from all directions, it's getting harder and harder to find the content that will truly level up your chops. One way to ensure your getting the proper marketing nutrition is to have a well-balanced content diet, including not only digital content, but also great marketing books. In this episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Douglas Burdett, expert marketer and host of the Marketing Book Podcast. Douglas shares with us his experience reading the best marketing books, and interviewing their authors. Books provide us with an opportunity to fully immerse ourselves into a topic, and as Douglas puts it "rewire your marketing brain." In this episode, you'll learn about: Douglas' personal book recommendations and journey into marketing and podcasting The benefits of a well-balanced content diet Ways to evaluate if a book's worth your time Books to read to level up your email marketing Some great marketing tips for email marketers of all levels ... and much more! Here is a list of all the books we mentioned on this episode: Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small by Nick Westergaard Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers by Jay Baer Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans and Followers by Jeffrey K. Rohrs The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results by Brent Adamson, Matthew Dixon, Pat Spenner, Nick Toman Here are a few other links that were mentioned on the show: Douglas Burdett The Marketing Book Podcast "How to Avoid the 19 Year-Old Dude Move" by Douglas Burdett Hubspot Academy's Email Marketing Course (Douglas' recommendation) "Why Marketing With Purchased Email Lists Is Like Unprotected Sex" by Douglas Burdett Study from McKinsey stating email marketing is 40 times more affective for customer acquisition than Twitter and Facebook. Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Thinking about starting a podcast? Today is your day! Starting a podcast is an exciting venture, and can lead to all sorts of fruitful happenings for you and your business. My fellow podcasters can attest to this. That's not to say picking up the mic is easy! Podcasting can be a challenge if your not equipped for success. Luckily, heroic individuals like Jerod Morris are out there serving as a digital mentor for newbies and pros alike. With Jonny Nastor, Jerod cohosts The Showrunner, a podcast about podcasting. Over the course of a few episodes, Jerod and Jonny discussed the importance and value of building an engaged email list. To discuss and reiterate some of those points, I've recruited Jerod to join the show. In this episode, you'll learn: How to develop a hypothesis for your show's concept How a strong email strategy can be your podcast differentiator The importance of crafting a strong lead magnet The impact of email marketing on your show Jerod's advice for forming strong relationships with listeners and subscribers ... and much more! Ready to rock the mic? Already a podcaster? Check out our Email Marketing for Podcaster's Guide to get start building your community today. Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: Jerod Morris The Assembly Call The Showrunner The War of Art (Jerod's recommendation) Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

It might seem odd to hear an email marketing podcast focus on Twitter, but rest assured there's tremendous opportunity to reach a wide audience with the little blue bird that could. Not only can you use Twitter to build your list, but you can also engage with your current subscribers by connecting on the social platform. Twitter can be a bit intimidating for most (it certainly was for me!), and it's easy to see why. You get a limited character count to post content, and there's just an endless flow of tweets to consume and keep up with. So what's a time-strapped, tweet-driven digital marketer to do? Call on the experts, of course! For this week's podcast, we teamed up with top ranked social media power influencer Madalyn Sklar to bring you all the latest tactics to tap into the power of Twitter. You'll be growing your list, and seeing boosts in engagement in no time. In this episode, you'll learn: The current state of Twitter marketing in 2016 and how to best use it How to leverage Twitter lists to attract attention Tips to engage your subscribers to follow you on Twitter What are Twitter Chats, and how can they help you grow your following How to 'pin' your lead magnet How Twitter Cards can help you get more leads – and at no cost! (Check out the example below) ... and much more! It's a jam-packed episode, and if you want to get started with Twitter or improve your strategy, you don't want to miss it. Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: Madalyn Sklar Madalyn on Twitter #TwitterSmarter Twitter Chat Social Media Examiner's Social Media Marketing Podcast (Madalyn's recommendation) Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Forming personal connections is one of the welcome benefits of email marketing. But so frequently, we end up sending emails to subscribers with little to no interaction back. We revert to pushing out content that may yield high open rates, but maybe not much else. What if there was a way to get to know our subscribers better, a way to form a true unified community? Well, there is. In this episode, we go beyond the inbox. Olivia Dello Buono, AWeber's Social Media Specialist and Community Manager, joins the show to explore how to find, build, and nurture your own communities. Here are a few topics we discussed: How and where to find 'your people' The value of building a public or private community The platforms available for marketers to build a community The role of a great community manager How to deal with trolls and trouble-makers ... and much more! Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: Olivia on Twitter A recent #EmailChat recap Kissmetrics Blog (Olivia's recommendation) Adweek (Olivia's recommendation) Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

On this episode of Ask Me About Email Marketing, we discuss starting, failing, monetization, driving traffic, staying accountable, growing businesses, connecting with people, and much more with Noah Kagan, the chief sumo at SumoMe.com. Whoa, that's a lot to talk about. In fact, Noah covers so much ground in our brief conversation, I'm convinced that this episode will be THE most downloaded episode to date. Let's make it happen. In this episode, you'll learn: Why quality of subscribers supersedes quantity How to commit to an email strategy and stay accountable The velocity to $1 principle, and value of selling early Ways feedback from subscribers can shape your strategy The importance of sticking with your business Some tactics for getting traffic, what to do with it, and why you might not need traffic at all ... and much more! Thanks to Noah for joining the show, dropping some knowledge, and providing marketers with a ton of valuable tools at SumoMe. Here are a few links that were mentioned on the show: SumoMe AppSumo Noah's site, OkDork Traffic1m Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

In this bonus content, I share three key lessons from our most popular episodes to date. To get access to all the bonus audio content for this show, be sure to sign up to the feed through iTunes, or your favorite podcast app.

Like many marketers, I can get overwhelmed when it comes to producing high-quality content on a consistent basis. That's why I find the idea of repurposing content so appealing. If you've been following our blog, you'll remember Monica's post on repurposing content. I was so inspired by the ideas she compiled, that I wanted to share them with you, our podcast listeners. In this week's episode, I discuss the value of repurposing your content - and, more importantly, ways you can start doing it today. In this episode, you'll learn: How to find your most successful content Why you should give new life to your high-performing content Where and how to repurpose content An illustrated example on how a single blog post can lead to a new project ... and much more! When you're a wearer of many hats within your business, creating compelling content often falls on the back burner. (And frankly, it can feel like a chore.) The next time you find yourself under pressure to get new content out the door, try repurposing something you already have. Take a listen above and let me know your thoughts in the comments. Here are a few links that were mentioned in the post: How to Get More Traffic from Every Post by Republishing on Medium Fiverr.com Teachable Zippy Courses Udemy Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Looking for ways to optimize and accelerate your email list growth? Look no further! In this episode, I discuss a recent study from the team at Privy.com, which evaluates the most effective ways to quickly grow your list. Ben Jabbawy, Privy's founder, joins me to reveal what is and isn't working for email marketers trying to build high-converting email capture campaigns. Privy is a list growth platform that empowers over 20,000 businesses to create banners, bars, popups, and embedded webforms on your website. You can also create landing pages, special offers, and a whole slew of other awesome things. In Privy's report, The State of Email List Growth 2016, they analyzed six months worth of data across 5,000 active users to discover and present email capture and list growth best practices. In this episode, you'll learn: The best types of offers to associate with your campaigns What performs better...popups, banners, or tabs? Quick and easy tests to optimize for mobile devices Effective ways to deliver offers for new and returning visitors And much more... This is a must-listen if you have a form on your site and aren't seeing the results you want. Listen above! Here are a few links that were mentioned in the post: The State of Email List Growth 2016 (Report) Privy Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Over the past few months, we've been working feverishly to develop and release our third mobile app, Curate. (Curious about it? Listen to this podcast episode and then check out our announcement post from earlier today.) Curate lets you to build an email newsletter using curated content. But what exactly is curated content? In this episode, I host a roundtable with our content marketing expert Kristen Dunleavy, user experience guru Grace Stoeckle, and iOS development team lead, Andy Obusek all about, you guessed it, curated content. At AWeber, we believe in the power of email to connect people in remarkable ways; to build strong relationships in the inbox– the kind of relationships that grow your business. If you are struggling with what to write in your emails, or finding ways to provide added value to your subscribers, this episode is a perfect introduction into an effective strategy that you can add to your email marketing repertoire. In this episode, you'll learn: What is content curation? Why curated newsletters are so effective? What are some tips and tricks for creating engaging curated content? What tools can help you find and publish curated content? And much more... This episode was recorded live on Blab.im. You can watch the recording here!. Here are a few links referenced in the episode: Our latest app, Curate Clean Swifter - Andy's tech blog What To Write In Your Emails - Free Course Paper.li Feedly Flipboard Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

In this episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, we're sharing our experience at AWeber in engaging subscribers and soliciting feedback. In a comment on the show notes for episode 13 with Jason Brubaker, Ilana Moss shared the following comment: "In 'real life' I have no trouble connecting with people but here in the virtual universe I don't know what to do. I have almost 5 thousand subscribers on various platforms, 1200 on Aweber, and I have a Facebook page with 3000 followers. I post things and get likes and shares but few if any comments. I've tried asking what they need or how I can help and I get no answer. Any idea what I might be doing wrong and how I can change that? How do I get to know my virtual audience? Thanks!" To answer Ilana's question, I've tapped Chris Vasquez, Creative Director, and Meghan Nesta, Product Manager, to share their expertise in soliciting feedback from customers. The resulting conversation is full of actionable tactics and knowledge drops. In this episode, you'll learn: Effective ways to engage disengaged subscribers How to start a conversation with your followers How to use Jonah Berger's STEPPS acronym to boost engagement How we can solicit feedback using micro-transactions This episode was especially fun because we recorded live on Blab.im. You can watch the recording here!. Here are a few links referenced in the episode: Chris' Email Sentiment Widget Jonah Berger's book Contagious How to integrate a Survey Gizmo survey into your emails Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast

We're back with another great episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast. In this episode, part two of our series with email consultant Chris Lang, we continue to discuss Gmail deliverability trends. Chris presents a unique 10-point list of ways to get your emails read in Gmail’s Primary inbox tab. If you are just tuning in, check out last week's episode to learn more about Chris and his 10-point list. As mentioned last week, being in the Promotions tab might be ideal for many marketers. Many subscribers use the Promotions tab to shop and make purchases, so being listed amongst big brands in a place where you can compete for someone’s buying attention might work for your business. For others, you may be trying to form more of a one-to-one relationship with subscribers, and appearing in the Primary tab is more appropriate for your brand and content. In this episode, we’ll take a look at Chris' recommendations. Here’s what you’ll learn in Part II: The 8 remaining points on Chris' list of recommendations The dangers of using code-heavy HTML templates The effects of using too many links and images The importance of white-listing instructions Last week, I shared this quick word of caution: please don’t try to use these tips to manipulate Google. That’s called spam, and AWeber hates spam (like, we really despise it). We pride ourselves in our deliverability and commitment to making the internet a better place, and we want you to do the same. So I encourage you to use the tips Chris shares to help you understand why some of your messages may end up in Promotions or Primary, so that you can better read your data and optimize your campaigns. Remember the golden rule: Be transparent, and send valuable content that your subscribers want to read and engage with. And of course, email responsibly. :) Here are a few links referenced in the episode: Chris Lang Chris' 10-point list summary on ClickFunnels Chris' Whitelisting Resource Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Email marketers spend a lot of time optimizing their open rates. Getting subscribers to open emails is almost a form of mad science – one that is predicated on first getting your emails seen. But that's easier said than done. Making sure your subscribers see your emails means staying out of the spam folder, and landing in your subscribers' Primary inbox. And because so many of our subscribers have Gmail accounts, it's important to be aware of how the various inbox tabs (Primary, Social, Promotions) work. Like Google's SEO algorithm changes, there are some aspects worth paying attention to and testing. To discuss Gmail deliverability trends and results from his many tests with clients, I've recruited consultant Chris Lang to share his unique 10-point list of ways to get your emails read in Gmail's Primary inbox. Now, for many businesses, being in the Promotions tab might be ideal. The Promotions tab is a place where subscribers go to shop and make purchases, so being listed amongst big brands in a place where you can compete for someone's buying attention might work in your favor. For others, you may be trying to form more of a one-to-one relationship with subscribers, and appearing in the Primary tab is more appropriate for your brand and content. In this two-part episode, we'll dive into some of the tactics that Chris recommends for each situation. Here's what you'll learn in Part I: Chris' observations on the Gmail tabs algorithm Chris' recommendations for what days of the week to send, and what to do with disengaged subscribers Why mobile is becoming increasingly important when considering email engagement The first two elements to consider when aiming for the Primary tab As you listen to this week's podcast, I need to share a word of caution: please don't try to use these tips to manipulate Google. That's called spam, and AWeber hates spam (like, we really despise it). We pride ourselves in our deliverability and commitment to making the internet a better place, and we want you to do the same. So I encourage you to use the tips Chris shares to help you understand why some of your messages may end up in Promotions or Primary, so that you can better read your data and optimize your campaigns. Remember the golden rule: Be transparent, and send valuable content that your subscribers want to read and engage with. And of course, email responsibly. :) As usual, here are a few links referenced in the episode: Chris Lang A great resource from KissMetrics to learn about UTM parameters Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast. Be sure to stay tuned for Part II next week!

Email marketing is an effective way to automate and scale your service-based or local business. The basic principles of acquiring and nurturing leads, developing top-of-mind awareness, and automating customer interactions are relevant for all businesses, not just digital. In this podcast episode, we pick the brain of Matthew Rodela of Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy. Matthew has built multiple computer repair, and consulting businesses, and also provides fantastic resources for anyone who is starting or maintaining their own computer business. He currently hosts the Computer Business Podcast. The tactics Matthew shares with his community are relevant for most service-based and local business, so whether you fix computers, walk dogs, plan weddings, chop down trees, or service mortgages, this episode is jam-packed with actionable insights. In this episode you'll learn: How to use email marketing to nuture leads from your website How to use email automation to build customer relationships How to increase referrals and repeat business with top-of-mind marketing Here are a few links referenced in the episode: Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy The Computer Business Podcast Matt on Twitter Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Video in email. It's a thing. You can't ignore it. Well, you can ignore it, but I wouldn't recommend that. :) Successfully implementing video in your email campaigns can yield higher open rates, and a ton more clicks from your subscribers. If you've been looking for a new way to stand out in the inbox, this is the episode for you. Producing video has become incredibly accessible and affordable these days. Do you have an iPhone? Great, you're equipped to record video! To dive deep into this topic, and help equip you with the tools you need to test and optimize video in email, I've recruited our in-house education guru, Jay Moore. Jay has been running a successful webinar series on this topic and shared a few key points. In this episode you'll learn: Why you should test video in your emails How to effectively use video in your emails What types of videos you should create Various tools and software for creating video on a budget You don't want to miss this. Here are a few links referenced in the episode: . AWeber's Video in Email webinar replay Screenflow Camtasia Skype Call Recorder Wistia's Blog Litmus' Blog Posts on Video Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Nurturing a relationship through email marketing is a lot like forming relationships in real life. Am I saying too much, or too little? Am I saying the right things? It’s been two days, should I text now, or wait? Okay, texted. Oh no, I can’t believe I did that! Am I texting too much?? The struggle is real. The age-old question of how many emails are too many emails, and what’s the appropriate frequency to send is relevant to marketers in any niche. In this latest episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, I’m joined by Content Marketing Specialist, Monica Montesa. We break down the various reasons for and against different send frequencies. If you are struggling with identifying the perfect sending cadence, this is the episode for you. In this episode you’ll learn: The magic number of how many emails you should send The pros and cons of sending more frequently The pros and cons of sending less frequently The importance of setting expectations How to use data and surveys to decide You don’t want to miss this. Here are a few links referenced in the episode: There’s No Magic Number for How Many Emails to Send – And That’s Okay SurveyGizmo Google Forms Typeform Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

We frequently talk about the impact of email marketing on our lives. Email saves us time, helps us grow our businesses, and empowers us to form relationships with people we value. But what about the industries we work in? How is email evolving the way we work? Digital marketing has the power to disrupt traditional industries. Content creators, entrepreneurs and small businesses can now find and communicate directly with their audiences through engaging new channels. In this latest episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, we take a look into how pro-marketer, successful entrepreneur, and film distributor Jason Brubaker adapts and optimizes his campaigns in an ever-changing industry. With his website, filmmakingstuff.com, Jason provides a valuable resource for professional and independent filmmakers. He uses email marketing to provide content on topics ranging from screenwriting and producing, to marketing and distribution. In this episode you'll learn: How to determine and test the best incentive to attract quality subscribers How to avoid making your "Thank You" page a dead-end page How to segment your most qualified subscribers into potential buyers How to increase engagement with your first followup and promote whitelisting Ways to maintain and clean your list What stats Jason analyzes to optimize his email campaigns Get the pencil and pad out, there's a lot of interesting tactics to consider testing here. Here are a few links referenced in the episode: Jason on Twitter Filmmakingstuff.com Leadpages Jason's latest resource - Info Marketing 101 Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

In December of 2015, we kicked off our podcast with our CMO, our Creative Director, and a single question: How could I use email marketing to support my book launch? In episode 12, we take that question to another level with an engaging Q&A session with Honorée Corder, a speaker, coach, and authorpreneur. What makes Honorée qualified to talk to us about publishing and tribe-building? She's released 19 unique self-published books! Honorée and I chat about publishing, email personalization, content tips for small businesses, and much more. There is actionable advice in this episode for writers and non-writers alike. You'll learn: The importance of developing an avatar, or persona The value of writing conversational and personal emails using personalization How email marketing can support your book marketing – from conception to completion Why double opt-in isn't such a bad idea A simple way to develop a 12-month editorial calendar Here are a few referenced links: Honoree Corder Hack the Entrepreneur: How to Become an Expert, Love What You Do, and Find Happiness The Miracle Morning Honoree on Twitter Have a question about email marketing? Ask us anything at aweber.com/podcast.

Growing your list is crucial to scaling your business or brand. On this episode of Ask Me About Email Marketing, I interview Amy Schmittauer from SavvySexySocial.com to learn how she managed to grow her list of email subscribers by tapping into her 2.3 million views on YouTube. Amy shares her social and email marketing expertise, letting us know how to form lasting relationships through the inbox. In this episode, you'll learn: The importance of clarity, and the value of simply asking How to use specific YouTube tools to help drive traffic back to your site How contextual lead magnets can captivate a casual audience How to optimize content from your archive for list building A few emerging social media networks to keep an eye on Here are a few links referenced in the show: Amy Schmittauer Amy's YouTube Channel 4 Types of AutoResponder Series and the One You Should Absolutely Avoid - Pat Flynn LeadPages Anchor.fm Amy's Guide To Snapchat Have a question about email marketing? Ask us at aweber.com/podcast

Today, on the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, we're covering a hot topic in Digital Marketing – influencers. It seems like 2016 is the year of content curation and influencer marketing. Most annual predictions posts claimed these two areas of focus as important trends to watch. There are many ways that brands, businesses, and entrepreneurs are using influencers to help grow their subscriber base and capture the attention of new prospects. To get to the bottom of this concept of influencer marketing, which honestly is not very new, I roped our CMO, Erik Harbison, into the recording booth for a conversation. In this episode, we discussed influencer, advocate, and referral marketing, and how you can leverage these to expand your reach and enhance your email marketing. Here are a few things you'll learn in this episode: What is influencer marketing? What's the difference between influencers and advocates? How do you find influencers and advocates? How can you activate influencers and advocates? Here are the links mentioned in this episode: Yelp Quora Extole Influitive What do you think about influencer and advocate marketing? Ready to ask a question? Visit aweber.com/podcast to drop us a line!

What's the future of digital marketing? Over 3000 like-minded marketers convened in San Diego last week at the Traffic and Conversion Summit to discover the answer. The host of the summit, Digital Marketer, educated the crowd on what's working today, and where they believe the industry is heading. The content was enlightening and inspiring. Luckily, podcast hosting service Buzzsprout had a mobile recording studio on hand to capture some audio. I took to the booth with my colleague Meghan Nesta to dish out the main themes that we knew email marketers could benefit from hearing. Check out the episode below: In this episode, you'll learn: Why you shouldn't propose to cold traffic on your first date. How to build relational equity with your subscribers. How generic lead magnets could be hurting your lead quality. Why its not always about you (but always about your customer.) Special shout outs to Buzzsprout and Digital Marketer, keep being awesome! Want to be on the podcast? Visit aweber.com/podcast to learn more.

Back again with another fresh episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, the show where we're talking about all things email marketing and no questions are off limits. For today's episode, we're stepping into the world of Jay Moore, one of our email marketing experts who has been working at AWeber for 8 years! Jay has seen the industry evolve quite a bit over the past decade and is has plenty of knowledge to drop. In this episode you'll learn: What major changes have impacted email marketing over the years. How to convert casual subscribers into loyal paying customers? Here are a few tips that Jay mentioned: Set solid expectations for subscribers. Let them know what types of messages you'll be sending. People are more likely to invest in people and brands that they trust. Use email marketing as a way to establish a strong rapport with subscribers, and work to build trust before blindly pushing what you are selling. Subscribers are going to be asking, "What's in it for me?" If your emails are not providing value, they'll catch on. Not all subscribers are likely to convert from an email. Rather than drive subscribes directly to checkout, offer them other opportunities to learn more about your products and services. This could be done by directing subscribers to videos, live webinars, or more detailed content, like a guide. Want to be on the show? Visit http://aweber.com/podcast to record your question, and we'll match the best questions with the best experts.

Today's episode answers a question we receive quite frequently: "What do I write in my emails?" Our answer to this question comes in the form of a new 7-day email course: What to Write in Your Emails. In addition to the course lessons, you'll receive 20+ email content templates that you can customize with your own content. These templates will help you overcome that inevitable writer's block! We've been running this course for a few weeks, and so far the team has received some great feedback from participants. Want to check out a sample of the course? Check out this blog post. Ready to dive right in: Sign up for free here. Have a question about email marketing? Record your question at http://www.aweber.com/podcast.htm

And we're back with another episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast! This week’s question comes from a blog reader's comment on our podcast announcement post. Eliseo asked a great question about email templates. Specifically, Eliseo writes that he knows he needs to use email templates, but he's unsure how to master them. Where can one go to learn more about email templates, and maximize the value of using them? To answer the question, I've recruited Mike Smith, a visual designer at AWeber. In this episode, you'll learn: Who should use a pre-designed template, and who shouldn't What elements to adjust, or tweak when working with a template How to test your emails, especially when using templates Where to get inspiration, advice, and actual templates for your email marketing campaigns Here are a few notable links from the show: Litmus Really Good Emails Envato Market Here are some additional posts on the subject: How To Care For Your Email Template 11 Email Ideas to Inspire Your Next Campaign 5-Minute Email Tips: Using Color and Content in Your Emails 5 Essential Design Tips for the Non-Designer And a shameless plug...did you know that we offer custom designed templates? Want to be on the show? Visit AWeber.com/podcast.

This week’s question comes from Nick Jervis, from Your Website Genie who is curious what pop up styles are most effective, according to our data. Despite my promise to seek out email marketing experts for each question, I decided to answer this question myself! I couldn't help it, as conversion rate optimization is an area of interest for me. In this episode, you'll learn: Why I'm reluctant to answer this question with just data Different styles of popups, how to trigger them, and when to use them Two popup alternatives to test, which may create a more welcome user experience The importance of testing your forms and site Here are a few notable links from the show: AddThis SumoMe Rapidology Hello Bar ConversionXL - In Defense of the Popup We've also written some great content on the subject: Download Our Pop Up Optimization Guide 8 Ways to Improve Your Call-to-Action Copy to Get More Subscribers 4 Easy Tips for Turning Your Sign Up Form Into a Subscriber Magnet Quick Tips Video: 3 Tips for Building a Sign Up Form that Gets Subscribers

Everyone here at AWeber and the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast wish you a very happy new year. We hope to answer many valuable questions about email marketing in the weeks and months to come. Let's do this! This week’s question comes from Easter Alexander, a shamanic practitioner who is hoping to send larger files to her email subscribers. To answer her question, we’ve recruited Josh Smith, Email Best Practices Manager at AWeber. In this episode, you'll learn: Why most email service providers, including AWeber, put limits on file attachments. Free solutions to share self-hosted files. How an integration with Digioh can provide assist in file sharing. Here are a few notable links mentioned in the show: Google Drive Dropbox Soundcloud Youtube Vimeo Digioh How to integrate with Digioh To submit a question about email marketing, visit http://aweber.com/podcast.

We are quickly approaching the new year, and with each new year comes new beginnings. If you are planning to start a new business venture in 2016, then you have to check out this packed-to-the-brim episode of Ask Me About Email Marketing. This week’s question comes from a life coach, Dr. Wasi Saleem, who recently launched his brand and is looking to attract more email subscribers. To answer his question, we’ve recruited Brandon Olson, Content Marketing Manager at AWeber. In this episode, you'll learn: How to optimize your website by determining your primary goal. What elements to split test to boost conversion rates. Common mistakes that can sabotage conversions. How to use email automation to deliver valuable content. The importance of optin form consistency. Ways to integrate email marketing with social media. To submit a question about email marketing, visit http://aweber.com/podcast.

We're back with another great episode of our official podcast, Ask Me About Email Marketing.Our next question comes from Deonne Kahler, a photographer who sees a large amount of shares on social media, but is looking to convert that traffic to loyal email subscribers. Deonne's website and photography is stellar, and you can check it out at http://deonnekahler.com/.To answer this question, I've recruited Scott Richardson, Motion Graphic Designer.In this episode, you'll learn: Ways to best ask for more subscribers without being too pushy. Some experiments to run with your optin forms. Tips for getting more subscribers via Instagram. To submit a question about email marketing, visit http://aweber.com/podcast.

Welcome to the first official episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast. Our first question comes from Simon Kadwill, a book marketer who is preparing for his upcoming book launch.Simon asks us how he can use email marketing to support his campaign.To answer this question, I've tapped two of our in-house experts: Erik Harbison, our CMO, and Chris Vasquez, Creative Director.

In this episode, I introduce myself and the show before we dig into our user-submitted questions about email marketing. Put simply, our team at AWeber is super passionate about all things email marketing. We field a lot of great questions each day and do our best to help small businesses and entrepreneurs send the best emails. We figured we'd take our best questions and create a show. To submit a question, visit http://www.aweber.com/podcast. New to podcasts? Subscribe via iTunes and you'll never miss an episode.