It’s an entirely new way to see the results of your email campaigns, it’s totally addictive, and you’re going to love it.

What is Worldview?

Do something enough times, no matter how amazing, and you become complacent (watch this if you don’t believe me). The same holds true when we send email campaigns.

You click the “Send” button, your reports start filling up with numbers and you move on to something else. But remember, those weren’t ten thousand email addresses you just sent to.

They were ten thousand real people.

Real people that were nice enough to give you permission to enter their home, their office or their phone and start a conversation.

Worldview reminds you these are real people you’re sending to, not email addresses.

Every time you send a campaign, we’ll show you who is opening it, clicking links, forwarding it to their friends, liking it on Facebook or mentioning it on Twitter.

Here’s the cool part—we’ll show you this on a map, in real-time, all wrapped in a gorgeous interface.

Go full-screen

Full-screen is the best way to experience Worldview. With a single-click we remove all distractions so you can watch the pins drop as your subscribers interact with your email.

We’ve been using Worldview live for a few months now, and it’s amazing how long you can sit there and stare at this thing.

Built to share

Once we saw Worldview in action, we knew it was something people would want to share. So, we decided to offer a public version that you can share with anyone.

While the private version in your account includes your subscribers’ details like name, email address and an avatar, the public version just shows what happened (such as an open, or a tweet) and where, without actually showing who was behind it.

Free for every campaign you send

Worldview is live and available now for every campaign you send. In fact, if you’ve sent a campaign in the last few weeks or so you’ll find a new Worldview link in the sidebar ready to roll.

We’re really excited about this feature, and can’t wait to hear what you think about this new way to meet your subscribers.

For everyone from freelancers to individuals to business owners, email newsletters create connections and strengthen relationships.

Here are 4 Benefits You Will Get by Sending Email Newsletters Today:

1. YOU WILL REMAIN PRESENT

How many times have you watched a good business relationship go from hot to cold? You met a business contact, they didn’t have work for you at the time and months later, when they finally did need your services, they didn’t remember you anymore.

By sending emails, you stay at the front of people’s minds.

If you report on what’s new every week, every two weeks or even once a month, you stay present. People become aware of what you’re doing. So when it’s time to hire someone or refer someone for your specialty, you are the first person they think of.

Corporations spend millions of dollars trying to be the first brand consumers think of by trying to be omnipresent – in front of customers all the time.

Email Marketing can help you achieve the same effect by placing your brand in the minds of your recipients. And you don’t have to spend millions either.

2. YOU WILL FORGE A PERSONAL BRAND OF EXPERTISE

What is an expert? Someone who knows their subject or field inside and out.

If you write authoritatively about a topic every week, you become an expert in the eyes of your recipients. That’s a powerful thing.

You can demonstrate your expertise by sharing useful tips, work you’ve done or news about your industry.

People value experts and will turn to you when they need someone they can trust.

Whether your goals are financial, creative, philanthropic or otherwise, a simple email newsletter can shape a brand for yourself that is distinct and powerful within your own social circle and beyond.

3. YOU WILL HAVE A PLATFORM TO SHARE WHEN IT’S IMPORTANT

Even if you have nothing specific to promote now, it’s worth sending steady emails just to stay in touch.

This way, when you do need people’s attention, you will already have a captive audience hanging on your every word.

If you come out of nowhere, it is less likely that people will be willing to listen.

A weekly email newsletter is an investment in your future.

4. YOU WILL RETAIN CONTACTS WITH AN EMAIL LIST

You meet new people every day. Get business cards. Visitors browse your website. Customers walk in your door.

How are you keeping in touch with them? If you don’t have an email list to capture their information, consider them wasted leads.

At the very least, even if you aren’t ready to send out an email newsletter yet, you should be getting people’s emails.

Write them down in a notebook, on your computer, anywhere – just don’t wait! Start collecting emails today!

Online, SpeedyMail makes it easy to add an email signup form to your site.

Don’t let all any more contacts slip through your fingers — never to be seen again.

PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

If you are doing something, anything at all: Don’t keep it all to yourself.

There is an audience out there who wants to hear from you!

Click here to Sign Up for a FREE SpeedyMail account + send your first email newsletter today!

The benefits are too great to ignore — no matter who you are.

It’s our job to write great subject lines that get our emails opened.

But what about those times when you have two great subject lines!? Who’s to say which is the better one?

Now you can find out definitively with SpeedyMail A/B testing!

A/B Testing takes out the guesswork.

It simply sends both potential subject lines to a random test-group of your overall email list – measures the results by open rate – and then sends the most successful subject line to the rest of your list.

Here’s How to Use SpeedMail A/B Testing:

1. Create a New Campaign and Select the A/B Testing Tab.

2. Enter Your Subject Line A and Subject Line B

3. Proceed as Usual with Composing Your Message, Adding Images and Choose a Subscriber List.

Right Before Sending You’ll be taken to an A/B Test Settings Page.

4. Select the Size of Your Test Group

5. Decide How a Winner is Selected

6. Set the Time Frame for the Test to Take Place

7. Send and Wait for the Winner!

SpeedyMail will send you an email alerting you of the winning Subject Line and will send the most opened Subject Line to the remainder of your list – automatically!

With SpeedyMail A/B testing EVERY subject line you send is a winner!

A Call to Action!

But what is it? The Call to Action is the part of your email, where you actually instruct your readers to move on to the next step. Most effective sales copy includes one such statement.

How do you figure out what your call to action should be?

Just think about why you’re writing this email in the first place: What do you want your readers to do?

Whether it’s coming to your business, buying your product online, sharing an article with friends or simply clicking a link, at some point you will have to state what you want. And when you do, you need to TELL, not ASK.

Imagine if instead of rallying his troops with “Charge!” the general instead said “Here’s a path that the enemy is down – maybe go if you’re interested, if you’re not, that’s okay too.”

Most soldiers probably wouldn’t be too keen to follow the general.

SPECIFIC, CLEAR and FIRM.

People don’t respond to weak requests. This is why your Call to Action must be specific, clear and firm.

Need readers to visit a link? Tell them to “Click Here.”
Want someone to buy from your online store? Tell them to “Buy Now from Our Online Store.”
Have an event people should attend? Tell them to “Come to our Event this Weekend” or “Make Your Reservation Now.”

DON’T BE BASHFUL.

It may feel forced at first or like you’re being pushy. You need to get over that feeling.

Your readers are adults and can decide whether or not to listen, but if you don’t provide a firm directive, odds are no one will know what you want them to do and you won’t get what you want. Your reader won’t get to enjoy the benefit of your products or services either. Trying to be too subtle is lose-lose.

TAKE ACTION!

Include at least one Call to Action in your next email – it will make all the difference.

While there are many ways to increase the size of your email list, the easiest and best way still remains a newsletter signup form on your website.

Where you place that form, however, can have a big impact on its effectiveness.

We recommend placing your signup form in 2 spots:

ABOVE THE FOLD

What does ‘above the fold’ mean?

Think of a newspaper. When you fold a newspaper in half, some of the information is hidden from view – but the main headlines are all still ABOVE the FOLD.

This term applies to the web as well. You want your most important information in the part of the screen that does not require visitors to scroll down. For the technically-minded, the top 600-700 pixels or so on average.

On the web, anything you want to GUARANTEE will be seen by visitors should be placed Above the Fold. This is where your email signup form should go.

We recommend placing it in either the top right or top left of the page below your header and navigation.

REMEMBER: the higher up your signup form is on your web page, the more signups you will receive!

BENEATH YOUR ARTICLES

For those readers with blogs, we’ve found an auxilary placement that rakes in additional subscribers.

This is not meant to replace the form in the upper part of your screen, but to work in conjunction with it. Place a section below each article saying something to the effect of:

‘Enjoy this article? Get more weekly email newsletter!
Signup here for specials and updates direct to your Inbox — Available Free!
(Insert Form Here)’

This encourages people that are currently enjoying your valuable content to join your email list and receive more from you.

BONUS TIP: A FORM ON EVERY PAGE OF YOUR SITE

Don’t make the mistake of only placing your sign up form on one page of your site. You never know when or where someone might want to sign up. Put a signup form on every single page of your site.

To receive your Free Trial of SpeedyMail – click here.

To send or not to send, that is the question!

Email marketing experts have done much research and analysis on the best day of the week to send email campaigns.

The overall results from oodles of studies come to the same conclusions: Emails sent on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays have the highest chance of being opened.

While these findings are useful, the actual answer may depend on your particular market.

Let’s take a look at the days of the week to examine this further:

MONDAY

Many people check their email first thing on Monday after a long weekend. However, with 2 days of backlogged messages, there is an increased chance that your email will get lost in the shuffle.

Also lots of people are considerably more grumpy on Mondays. So unless your email newsletter is all about puppies, they might not be in the receptive mood your hoping for.

Monday is probably the worst day of the week to send email campaigns.

TUESDAY

Probably the Sweet Spot of Email Marketing Days. The clutter has been cleared away from Monday and the weekend allowing your message to arrive free and clear of distractions.

However, if you are marketing an upcoming weekend event or special, Tuesday may be a little too far off. Tuesday messages are better for calls to action for the current week or are not time-specific.

WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY

Also, a bit easier to catch inbox attention. Many subscribers are beginning to think about the weekend as well, so this may be the time to strike while the iron is hot.

Keep your marketing messages friendly and less aggressive as subscribers plan their time off work.

FRIDAY

A bit of a mixed bag. People tend to receive less email on Friday so your message is likely to get seen. However, most people are in a rush to finish up tasks before the weekend and spend less time checking email. Friday messages are often trashed on sight or put off and forgotten.

If you must send on Friday, aim for earlier in the day to give your reader time to take action.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Many people casually check their email on the weekends so it is a prime time to send offers. However, you run the risk of coming across as intrusive and alienating your readers. In this case, the cons outweigh the pros.

Our advice: Avoid the weekends if you can or only send highly targeted messages to users you know will be receptive.

CONCLUSIONS

Tuesday is best followed by Wednesday then Thursday.

To test for your own market, simply send your messages on a few different days and use SpeedyMail’s powerful analytics to compare and see which gets the highest response rates.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Whatever day you eventually decide is best, always remember: CONSISTENCY IS KEY.

If you send a weekly newsletter, make sure to send it the same time day after day. Readers appreciate reliability. You can easily schedule your emails in advance to achieve this with SpeedyMail’s awesome scheduling features.

BONUS: BEST TIME OF DAY TO SEND!

Schedule your emails to be sent late in the morning between 10am and 11:30am – just before lunch. This is when readers are most likely to have time to check their inboxes.

I think of him a lot when I’m writing email copy because his name is an acronym for my most important rule: Always Be Useful.

Every email I write, I ask myself whether I’m sharing something of value with my reader. If not, I imagine Abu throwing apples at me, jumping up and down and generally raising little monkey havoc. And with good reason.

If you want your subscribers to read your emails and keep reading them time and time again, you have to establish unfailing credibility. That starts with always providing something that will benefit them – whether it be a special offer, an engaging idea, a piece of research or a solution to a problem they might be having.

Clearly, this is easier said than done. It might help us to first consider:

WHAT IS USEFUL?

- Something the reader can apply.
- Something the reader can share.
- Something the reader can benefit from directly. (A Coupon or Relevant Promotion)

Here are some Guidelines for writing useful email messages:

STAY ON TOPIC.

Make sure that all your emails relate specifically to the larger idea of what your email list is promoting. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many business owners lose sight of their primary topic.

For instance, if you offer a newsletter for your jewelry business, don’t send an email about women’s shoe styles this season.

The article on shoes may seem relevant because it also relates to fashion, but if you only sell jewelry, it is off-topic.
Be vigilant. It is easy to think something is related, when it really isn’t.

FOCUS ON ONE IDEA AT A TIME.

Think of another thought half-way through your email? It relates to your primary topic, but is an off-shoot from the focus of this particular message. What to do?

It’s tempting to include it, but save it for another email. I keep a scrap file full of ideas for later.

You can always send another email, but if you load up your current message with too many ideas, you’ll overwhelm your reader.

FILL IN THE DETAILS.

Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. What are they looking for from your emails? Ask yourself why they signed up? Try your best to answer those questions and meet their expectations. Odds are they want substance, not just fluff.

If you are sending an email for your gardening shop, don’t just tell your readers you’re offering a new product. Describe the product, how it works and when they might need to take advantage of it.

Details are the difference between basic information and useful information.

Readers might not know why a new service is useful to them and you can’t assume they’ll just figure it out.
It is your job to bridge the gap and make the connection clear.

RESPECT YOUR READER’S TIME.

It’s a busy world and for every second spent reading your email, your reader is not doing something else they have to do.

I always consider this an obligation to deliver something that they can walk away with and feel they gained from the interaction. It’s a matter of respect.

I want my readers to know I respect their time and that they can come to trust and look forward to my emails amidst the other junk that crowds their inbox.

Consistently delivering quality, useful content puts you above all the all the other messages out there.

MAKE EVERY EMAIL COUNT.

In email marketing, there are no second chances.

We each get a pile of email a day and when we skim our inboxes, we do a mental sort into junk mail and mail of value. Most times, you have only ONE chance to establish in which pile your messages belong. And because you never know which email they’ll receive first, every email counts.

If you fail, there’s the risk that your reader will never open another message from you again.

ASK WHAT WOULD ABU THINK?

Next time, before you hit send, do a quick read through and ask yourself if what you’ve written is actually useful. Would a monkey like it?

Finding the right photo to add some zest to your emails can feel a bit like being on safari.

You might be tempted to go photo-less or worse, grab an unlicensed pic from Google images that could cause you legal headaches down the road.

Don’t do it! If you know where to look, there are thousands of free (and legal) stock photos to choose from online.

To make your search a bit easier, I’ve compiled this list of quality photo resources I use personally:

Stock.XCHNG

One of the leading free stock photo sites. I find myself coming back here time and time again. Occasionally, it will take a bit of sifting and trying various keywords to get the images you want, but with over 400,000 photos, their selection can’t be beat. Visit here.

Every Stock Photo

A search engine for free photos. They come from many sources and are license-specific (meaning you’ll have to check whether they are available for personal or commercial use). Attribution with a link to the photographer may be necessary as well. Visit here.

Morgue File

A stunning collection of high-res digital photographs and reference images. Originally created to provide free reference material for illustrators, it has become a well-stocked stock resource. Visit here.

Stock Vault

With over 13,000 photos from over 3,600 photographers, stock vault is loaded with unique images. Browse by category or search. Visit here.

Creative Commons

Photographers on sites like Flickr often mark their images as open to multiple public uses. The creative commons website provides a set of criteria for use and attribution. A great resource to find more non-professional, natural-looking images. Visit here.

BONUS TIP:

Once you’ve found an photo you like, you may have to resize it for your email using a program like Photoshop.

Save yourself the trouble and use SpeedyMail’s automatic image upload and resizing features. SpeedyMail’s message composer will resize your stock photo to fit your email format and insert it into your template in seconds. Read more.

You’ve encountered a SCARY TEXT BLOCK MONSTER!

When readers see one in their email, their minds scream:

“AHHH! I don’t have time for this! I’ll never get through it all! Information Overload! AHHH! What’s on YouTube?”

Obviously, as email marketers we don’t want that. We want to engage readers, not frighten them off.

Here are some quick tactics to avoid creating scary text block monsters in your email campaigns:

KNOW YOUR READER.

No matter how good you are at writing essays, reports or articles, to write solid internet copy you have to learn to write all over again. This begins with understanding your reader.

• Your Reader Has No Time.
• Your Reader is Distractable.
• Your Reader is Not Reading for Leisure, but for Utility.

Most likely the person opening your email is squeezing you in – between other tasks, a crowded inbox, a full life.

No matter how useful your content is, if your format and style are a mess it will get lost in the shuffle.

SKIM CITY – THE ART OF SUBHEADLINES

Most readers will skim your email first. Maybe read the opening paragraph, then search for information that is relevant to them. You probably did that with this blog post.

Your goal is to make navigating your content easy on the skimmers. Subheadlines are a great way to do this.

Map out your main points and put them in bold to give the reader focal points as they read. This will show the substance of your message at a glance, inviting further reading.

SHORT AND SWEET SENTENCES

I LOVE long, looping complex sentences. Commas abound in my prose. But on the internet it turns into brain mush.

Take a look at each sentence you write. Go back and make it simpler. Shorter sentences are easier to absorb.

Wherever you can, break up long sentences into shorter ones.

Once you hit 20 words in a sentence, every additional word can lose up to 10% of your readers.

The goal is not showcase your prose prowess, but to be crisp and clear. Simplicity can be beautiful too.

Every sentence should say something. If it doesn’t push your main idea forward, cut it.

SHORT PARAGRAPHS

If your sentences are shorter, it only follows that your paragraphs should be as well. Use 2-3 sentences in a paragraph at MOST. We’re aiming for maximum readability.

Get your idea out. Hit the main points. Move on.

ISOLATE YOUR CENTRAL IDEAS

Have one point that you really want to hit home? Hit return and separate it from the bunch.

Isolating central points improves readability and impact.

Creating white space around an idea draws attention to it. Put it in italics and indent for more emphasis.

BLOCK QUOTES, BULLETS and NUMBERED LISTS

Even with shorter sentences and paragraphs, a long stretch of text can seem interminable to a reader.

Add a few block quotes, bulleted or numbered lists to:

• Break up space visually and dramatically.
• Present points in an easily digestible format.
• Destroy the scary text block monster!

BUT MY READER IS SMART!

This has nothing to do with intelligence. It has to do with utility. Even smart people want information that is quickly processed – especially in an email.

If your core content has substance, it will show through in any style.

GIVE UP THE CLEVER FOR THE CLEAR.

Think Hemingway. The master of the concise sentence. No one can say he wasn’t descriptive or evocative. Hemingway chose his words with precision. For maximum impact.

Following this path, you will find a new purity in your writing. You will hone your ideas to their essence.

Your audience will understand you better. And with fewer words, each will carry more weight.

Most importantly, your email will be read.

We all want our email campaigns to be read. But with the volume of messages your subscribers receive, you need to make YOUR email stand out from the rest – shining like a lighthouse beacon in a storm.

No matter how great the content inside, if your email is never opened, it is almost not worth sending.

Your email subject line is your bait – it must hook your reader’s attention and reel them in.

Here are 5 Subject Line Writing Tricks to Get Your Emails Read:

1. USE THE MAGIC OF NUMBERS.

Have you ever seen a magazine headline that read something like this? 12 Summer Diet Tips from the Experts

How about: 15 New Movies You Absolutely, Positively Must See!

Or even: 7 Seductive Secrets to Sexier Sideburns

Of course you have! Numbered headlines are everywhere: in blog post titles, news articles and on magazine covers. Why? Because they work!

Stating the number of tips, ideas or thoughts grabs the reader’s attention and puts them at ease. They know what to expect from your email and are assured you won’t be wasting their time.

You are promising an easy, digestible format – a numbered list.

Try adding a number to your next Email Subject Line to heighten appeal.

2. ASK A QUESTION.

Think of a question that is so intriguing to your recipient, they can’t help but click on your email to find out the answer.

To do this, it is helpful to try to imagine what they most want to know – and then frame the question using creative, attractive language.

Consider the difference between these subject lines:

Basic Statement: We’re offering one Free Appetizer Today.

Question: How Can You Get Your Free Appetizer Today?

The question is intriguing – There’s a way to get a free appetizer!

It also promises an answer – This email will tell me “how” to get it!

Always make sure your email content provides the answer to the question you pose. Nothing will lose the trust of your reader faster than a subject line that offers something you fail to deliver.

3. SPARK THEIR INTEREST.

Offer a snippet of enticing information that will draw your reader in. When it’s done right, their curiosity will be aroused. They’ll want to know more — and they’ll open your email.

This is a fun opportunity to be creative.

A spa offering a new sauna package could write: “What’s making our guests feel steamy?”

Or a restaurant announcing a new menu might write: “You Won’t Believe Your Tastebuds!”

4. STICK TO THE FACTS.

Sometimes the best policy is to put your facts right up front. Even if subscribers don’t open your email, they’ll still see the key point in your subject line. Major companies do this all the time.

I received an email from the GAP last week that read: “STORES ONLY: Buy 2 Pairs of Jeans, Get the 2nd for Only $20”

I know exactly what their email is about and the next time I am at the GAP, I will remember this special without even having read the message.

If you can fit your main point into the headline, go for it. There’s a lot of value in knowing that your recipient could skim your email subject line and learn everything you need them to know.

5. GET PERSONAL.

This is an age-old marketing secret: Speak directly to your reader and make an instant connection. Whatever style of subject line you choose, you can make it personal simply by using the word “you.”

With this minor change of language, you are psychologically placing your reader in your subject line. It’s a subtle but important distinction.

Consider the difference between these two headlines:
“Save 50%” OR “You Can Save 50%.”

As in all advertising, specificity is key. With one little word, you can bridge the gap from an abstract concept of saving 50% to a clearer, personalized opportunity to save in your reader’s mind.

If you’re unsure which of these tricks works best for your email, try writing a couple variations or combinations of them all and testing them out on friends.

Even better, if you’re sending with SpeedyMail you can use A/B testing. This allows you to send 2 possible subject lines out to a fraction of your subscribers and measure which one leads to higher open rates. It will then automatically send the winning subject line to the rest of your email list.

A/B Testing is a great way to make sure your subject lines are effective as possible.

BONUS TIP:

Start paying attention to emails you receive from professional advertisers. If you haven’t already, do some market research and sign up for emails from some major retailers. You’ll start noticing the above tricks EVERYWHERE. With a bit of practice and observation, coming up with great subject lines will soon become second-nature.

While it seems like a little thing, spending time on a powerful, magnetic email subject line is well worth the effort. If readers don’t open your email, they’ll miss out on the great content you’ve included inside.

photo credit: Tony the Misfit (Back Soon)