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Featured Article

Email Marketing That Delivers

The devil is in the deliverability

You're wasting time and resources creating an email message that doesn't reach your prospects. Make sure you thoroughly research the whitelisting process and deliverability rates of your email service provider. Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. were not created for mass emailing. Using them for this purpose will substantially diminish the impact of your efforts, as email servers will block your messages. As a final test, use a tool such as SpamAssassin to make sure your email will make it through spam filters.

Follow CAN SPAM best practices

Being a responsible e-marketer goes a long way. Before you even think of sending an email message, get comfortable with the FTC's guide to compliance. Most notably, you must have permission to email the recipient, provide a method for opt-out and include your business address. Alienating your prospects could mean much worse than losing a customer, including legal trouble and blacklisting.

Opt-in only

Use a list of contacts who want to receive your emails. When purchasing a list from a third party, make sure it's a reputable provider and that all addresses are double opt-in. Be wary of unscrupulous list dealers who try to sell you tens of thousands of emails for pennies on the dollar.

Build a better subject line

While there's no surefire science in crafting subject lines that convert, you must follow one critical guideline: keep it under 50 characters. Front-load with your most important words, be concise and avoid spam filter trigger words and phrases such as "FREE" or "GUARANTEE" (see a full list of checks here). As a general rule, the shorter the subject line, the higher the open rate. For other interesting insights, take a look at this research done by Epsilon.

Provide a user-friendly format

Creating a presentation that is overly fancy can kill the impact of your message. Construct the email in a manner that can be understood without images, as most programs require permission of the recipient before they are shown. Offer links to view the email as a web page and in text-only format—this is especially useful to those reading email on mobile phones.

Don't overload the inbox

Determine an email distribution schedule and frequency that is appropriate to your business. Your recipients will come to expect emails from you at certain times, so be consistent. If you are sending out product offers, ask your customers how often they wish to be contacted upon opting in.

Cater your content

If you're a business that offers multiple product lines or caters to unique types of customers, it may make sense to break down your list and write copy specific to each segment. Each customer group will receive relevant and engaging content, increasing loyalty to your brand.

Nicholas Creative offers fully managed email marketing programs so you can skip the "do-it-yourself" learning curve and focus on your business. For more information, visit www.emailnewsletterservice.net, email info@nicholascreative.com or call (517) 292-2950.

Congratulations to the speakers of Ignite Lansing 4. We are happy to sponsor such an inspiring and successful event in the community.

Nick Chilenko, Principal of Nicholas Creative shares his thoughts on a new endowment to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit of MSU students in a recent LSJ article.

CG Financial Services

CG Financial Services is a group of independent financial advisors who specialize in group benefits, estate planning, investments and portfolio management, accounting and tax preparation.

CG required an easy-to-use interface but complex backend technology. Nicholas Creative delivered by implementing the WordPress content management system and creating custom integrations with Yahoo! Finance.

The result: users can quickly pull stock quotes and market information and utilize advanced financial calculators to make informed decisions. CG can update content and add relevant articles in snap. For more information, visit CG Financial.

New Clients Highlights

• Fountain of Youth Church (Detroit, Mich.)
• Soup Spoon Cafe (Lansing, Mich.)
• MSU Marketing & Leadership Advisory Board (East Lansing, Mich.)
• Inspiring Learners (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Nicholas Creative is a boutique creative agency serving small- and medium-sized businesses to design and develop websites, deploy email marketing communications and optimize for search engines.

Nicholas Creative empowers you to:

• Create a consistent brand
• Generate sales leads
• Improve customer relationships
• Increase your return on investment

To learn more about our services, visit www.nicholascreative.com  or call
(888) 950-9955.