Greetings,
Don't you love vacations? But planning them can test your patience. The first article in this issue is an Internet travel tale about my latest vacation. If you have a story about the Internet and travel or some helpful hints for others, send them along. I'll share your experience with Web Words readers in the April issue.
"Opt-in"--the second article--addresses the number-one challenge for anyone publishing an e-zine. Getting the right names onto your mailing list and growing your subscribers are keys to success. We suggest some alternatives for you to consider. This is another place where patience pays.
The February issue generated a nice buzz about subject lines and this comment from a loyal reader.
"That was an excellent newsletter. Probably your best ever. I've always loved your writing style, but what surprises me is how interested I am in the subject matter...which normally wouldn't interest me...so that is most likely due to your writing style. It pulls me in against my will. I always learn something. : ) Thanks for that."
OK so the writer is my daughter-in-law, but still, high praise just because the subject matter isn't relevant to her. There are a few newsletters I read for the same reason. I've no interest in the subject matter, but I read the newsletter anyway just because the writing charms me.
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Blessed Be Vacations
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A good vacation erases the hard drive of your mind. When you come home, you can't remember how to turn on your computer or which buttons to push for the TiVo, much less what you do for a living.
A good vacation has flawless weather, scrumptious meals, comfy accommodations, terrific company and perfect plane connections. The one I just returned from had all of this and wonderful skiing to boot.
Traveling On-line
Nice, you say, but what's that got to do with the Internet? In today's world--everything. It's also got a lot to do with patience. First there's arranging the air travel. I remember when you spoke to a real agent at the airline. If you were using frequent flyer miles (we were), then you got a really nice person who would help you with the ideal connections. No more, of course.
If you have limited flexibility (which we did), you have to keep trying combinations until you get something that works. My first efforts produced layovers--overnight layovers, with notations in capital letters marking the total travel time of 22 hours! I gave up. But the next day, I tried again and found two pairs of flights that worked. I emailed our itinerary to our hosts in Santa Fe, NM and took the rest of the day off.
B&B
Then I started to research places to stay at the ski area in Taos. One Web site had a phone number! I called it and left a message. Nothing happened. Four days later someone called me back. "I'm sorry," she explained, "I'm a little behind in returning my phone calls." A little!
I told her what I wanted, and she emailed me condo choices. No, I didn't want a condo. If I wanted to cook and make beds, I would have stayed home. I wanted a lodge--a nice old-fashioned bed and breakfast. But the emails from the tardy lady had helped me get the lay of the land and discover Amizette. Once a booming mining town, this area is a mere 1 ½ miles from Taos Ski Valley and offers accommodations at half the price of places at the base of the mountain.
More late-night research produced a real lodge, but the reviews included phrases like "the worst travel experience of my life." Across the street was the Amizette Inn. No reviews at all--good or bad, but a real phone number that led to a lengthy conversation with the owner. Long story short, the place was amazing. We had a delightful three-level room overlooking a flowing river and transportation to the mountain that came as soon as they were called. A full breakfast and hot tub were included.
As soon as I got home I posted a few reviews on the Internet. People need to know about this place.
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Opt-in
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Have you ever attended a networking event and exchanged business cards with someone only to find yourself added to an unwanted mailing list? This naughty behavior is far too prevalent. It's an ill wind that blows nobody good. You've been spamed and the person who abused you has a black mark in your book.
If you want to add someone to your existing e-zine list, always ask first. That's always. You'll find more details on how to do this in the May 2007 Web Words.
I experimented with a new strategy recently. I met 14 new contacts at a Boston networking event. Although I got permission from each to send Web Words, the next mailing was two weeks away. I feared they would forget me by the time the mailing went out, so I sent a special Constant Contact email. Along with my photo, it reminded them of our meeting and that they had been added to my mailing list. I added a brief description of the services I offer. Most people opened the email and only two opted out.
Getting Started
Growing your list is relatively easy compared to getting the first issue out the door. New clients always ask me how to build a mailing list when launching a new e-zine. It's a thorny question and there are several options.
Let's look at the possibilities:
1) Use discretion. Send your first issue to people on your contact list who you know. But be sure you really know them. If you wonder who someone is, they will probably wonder who you are. Take a pass. Then send them a personal email asking if you can add them to your list.
2) Use a "soft confirm." In Constant Contact, check the permission reminder on your email template. This produces an optional message that appears in small print at the top of your email. The reminder can be used to:
- Refresh your contacts' memories about why they are receiving emails from you
- Remind your contacts to add your address to their email address book
- Encourage email address confirmation
The permission reminder offers contacts the option to confirm interest in the mailing or completely unsubscribe. If a contact clicks the "confirm" link, that email address becomes a double opt-in (see below) and all future email communications are sent to them through special confirmed servers that are very rarely blocked. The permission reminder is called a "soft" confirm because even if contacts don't click the "confirm" link, you can continue to mail to them.
3) Confirmed Opt-in (also known as double opt-in). This is the most rigorous method of obtaining permission to send email communications. It requires the contact to affirmatively respond to an email confirmation request in order to be added to an email list. If contacts don't affirmatively respond, they will not receive any further email communications from you.
What to Do
Usually, I lean toward the "less is better" philosophy--option 1. A few people will unsubscribe; some might even report your email as spam. But most people will either open your first missive or one of your subsequent issues. The Soft Confirm and the Confirmed Opt-in require people to take action. And, as you know from the size of your own inbox, it's easier to do nothing than to do something.
If you are planning a future e-zine, begin collecting email addresses right away. Have an email sign-in sheet at your location or collect opt-ins when you send emails for any other purpose. Then you'll have your list ready when it's time to hit the send button.
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| Web Tips |
 Perhaps you recognized the photo in the first article "Blessed Be Vacations" as St. Francis of Assisi, Ranchos De Taos, NM. It is one of the most photographed sites in the Southwest. The photo is my own.
If you have a PC, hover your mouse over the photo and left click. You'll be taken to a link that tells more about the church--its characteristics and history. Constant Contact and most other similar systems allow links to be added to photos and other graphics as well as to words and phrases. So if you're wondering what something is, try hovering over it for more information.
In some systems, you can hover your mouse over a photo and get what's called "alternative text" that describes the graphic in more detail. (See Web Words November 2006 for more information about this.) If you have Office 2007, you'll notice this lovely feature has disappeared. It may be hidden under Properties. Hover over the photo, right click and look at the last line in the Properties box--and the secret will be revealed.
I don't know how all this works in the Apple world, so if you use a Mac, send me the information, and I'll include it in the April Web Words.
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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 e-mail marketing, and Web site content. We also ghostwrite articles and other business communications. As a business partner, we resell Constant Contact's e-mail marketing service.
Thanks for reading. If you liked this issue, please click on the Forward email button below to share this newsletter with others.
You're also welcome to reprint material in this newsletter as long as it is unaltered and credited to the author. Be sure to send us a copy, too. If being reproduced electronically, the following link must also be included:
www.shawenon.com
Sincerely,
Susanna Opper
Shawenon Communications
413-528-6494
Copyright © 2008 Shawenon Communications.
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New Contest
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We're heading for 1,000 Web Words subscribers. Right now we're pushing 900.
You can help and win a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble at the same time.
Here's how. Be the first to bring in five new subscribers and you'll get the reward. You can forward this e-mail
 talk it up at your next networking meeting or pick up the phone. It's up to you.
Contact us for more information.
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