MARKETING
Tools To Consider When You Start Email Marketing
Email marketing is the use of email messages to market a product, service or event. Email Marketing has been around since the late 1990s. Almost everyone has “junk” mail in their inboxes and it’s not hard to start an email campaign that will reach a targeted audience, even if they don’t want it. With over two billion active email users worldwide, you have plenty of room for your message.
Why is it so popular?
Through advertising emails, marketers can reach consumers directly with promotions and offers without having to worry about advertising on multiple platforms in order to determine which medium works best for them. In addition, email marketing is cost-effective, as all you need to get started are an effective email distribution list and the right email marketing software.
Needs:
Email marketing is one of the easiest ways to reach a targeted audience, and it’s certainly the most efficient way for marketers to send out messages to consumers. Given how crowded online advertising can be, email marketing provides a “less is more” approach that boosts your message above the rest.
Email marketing works by collecting an email list of potential customers and sending them messages (newsletters) about what’s new with your product/service and possible offers tailored to their individual needs. Because you’re sending emails to a select audience of people who have chosen to receive your message, you can control the number of recipients who receive your email and the time when they do. In addition, your messages will always reach recipients in their inbox (as opposed to the trash bin), which is why email marketing is often considered more effective than other forms of online marketing.
There are three main methods for collecting an email address:
People may sign up for updates from your company on their own, or you can solicit names via giveaways, loyalty programs and more. Once you build a list, it’s important to segment it so that you can send targeted emails to specific groups.
The most popular email marketing program is Constant Contact, which was sold in the UK and the rest of Europe from 2001 to 2003. Another popular choice is MailChimp, which was acquired by Adobe Systems in 2007. Still others are Google’s Gmail, Yahoo! Mail and Outlook.com, all of which offer desktop and mobile versions as well as a handful of add-ons for third-party software (such as Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud) that can be used with their platform.
Email marketing can be extremely effective when used appropriately. However, there are many steps to follow in order to achieve a successful campaign.
Tools to use to channel email marketing:
1. AeroLeads
If you are going to do email marketing for your long or your short term business then nothing is better than AeroLeads. It helps you to check out different email marketing varieties and helps you to be on top of the trend. If you are looking forward to access to lead generation with the help of email marketing then nothing is better than AeroLeads to help you out with the same.
Here are some of the best known features of this tool:
- You can send emails easily to anyone!
- Gather as much as leads as you want with the help of AeroLeads.
- Easy to setup and integrate than most of the other tools.
2. Mailchimp
MailChimp is the world’s leading email marketing platform. They have a user-friendly interface and a great feature set, plus they’re the first (and so far only) email marketing provider to receive a perfect score on the Privacy and Security audits conducted by TRUSTe.
3. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is an American company that provides online services for small businesses including email marketing, website building and hosting, social networking, event planning and e-commerce.
4. Sendgrid
SendGrid is a fantastic email service provider that allows you to send up to 10,000 emails per month to your email list. There’s no limit to the number of email addresses you can send emails out to with SendGrid, and it also works great with websites that are built on WordPress.
5. Postmark
Postmark is one of the most popular web-based services for sending newsletters and emails . At Postmark, we provide an easy way for anyone involved in a project to stay in contact about what is going on and get updates when something significant happens.
6. Empatico
Empatico provides an easy way to build your own email marketing system by linking to your existing CRM (customer relationship management) or ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. You can use this software as a standalone app or add on to your existing system without any external APIs.
7. SendinBlue
SendinBlue is a simple, yet powerful email marketing solution that allows you to create and send professional emails to your subscribers. You will be able to add subscription forms, manage your contacts and create campaigns right from the interface. You don’t need any programming skills or technical knowledge in order to use this tool, just follow the step-by-step instructions provided by the company and you will be able to get started quickly.
8. Campaign Monitor
Campaign Monitor is a simple and easy to use email marketing software that allows you to create, manage and send bulk email newsletters. Once you have signed up for a Campaign Monitor account, you will be able to add your subscribers from your contact list, insert marketing content and improve the look of your emails.
9. Gravity Forms / Marketo
These two tools allow you to collect leads while allowing them to submit their information electronically. You can then reach out to those potential buyers with coupons or free samples by connecting them with a customer’s email address provided by Marketo or another third party like LeadPages.
10. SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is the world’s leading online survey software. It offers an easy-to-use service that allows you to create surveys, collect responses and generate reports on your surveys, all from one location. SurveyMonkey also allows you to easily share your results with others, collaborate or build teams and publish your survey findings directly on your company’s website.
11. Mail Genius
Mail Genius is a service that allows you to design professional-looking email newsletters and send them out to your contacts. Mail Genius also allows you to track opens, link clicks and even follow up with people that didn’t open your email for a second try.
12. Infusionsoft
Infusionsoft is a full marketing automation suite that can help you manage your entire business from sales and marketing leads, to customer service, online storefronts and more. It’s designed for medium-to-large businesses looking for powerful, yet affordable software.
13. Litmus
Litmus is a simple, yet powerful tool to help you track email deliverability and readability in real time. It also allows you to create HTML email previews for every single campaign that you’re sending out. Plus, Litmus offers a few other tools such as an email previewing tool and an email builder so you can design your own templates, set up frictionless unsubscribe options and more.
14. Mailjet
Mailjet is a SaaS-based service that offers all the features of an advanced email marketing platform. They claim to be “the world’s largest & most powerful transactional Email delivery platform.”
15. Target Hero
Target Hero is a marketing landing page plugin that allows you to create and integrate your lead generation forms on your website. The main benefit of using a plugin like this is that it allows you to keep all of your forms in one place and easily manage them from your WordPress dashboard.
16. LeadPages
LeadPages is another tool for creating landing pages for your marketing campaigns and driving people to specific offers or deals. It’s easy to use, allows you to import new leads from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more and provides some great templates to get started with.
17. Drip
Drip is the ultimate tool for email marketing, allowing you to create and send more than 1,000 emails per month. You’re not limited to 500 however and are able to manually update every email with contact details.
18. OptinMonster
OptinMonster is one of the most popular opt-in tools on the market right now. It allows you to create a free opt-in form for your website or blog and after people fill out the form, they will be instantly added to a list of your subscribers that you can contact with future emails or promotions.
19. Mad Mimi
Mad Mimi is a platform for sending and managing email newsletters, with an easy drag-and-drop interface. It allows you to easily collect email addresses from your website and then contact them by sending newsletters and offering special discounts or promotions.
20. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one marketing automation solution for small businesses, agencies, bloggers and entrepreneurs that helps manage their entire customer lifecycle through a single interface.
Conclusion
Sending an email newsletter is a great way to build trust, provide useful information and drive people to your website or blog. However, there are quite a few tools available for every budget that can help you with the process. There are also some free and paid tools that will suit your needs perfectly.
If you’re looking for a free tool, try AeroLeads if you want a no-frills solution or subscribe to Aweber for a more advanced service.
MARKETING
YouTube Ad Specs, Sizes, and Examples [2024 Update]
Introduction
With billions of users each month, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and top website for video content. This makes it a great place for advertising. To succeed, advertisers need to follow the correct YouTube ad specifications. These rules help your ad reach more viewers, increasing the chance of gaining new customers and boosting brand awareness.
Types of YouTube Ads
Video Ads
- Description: These play before, during, or after a YouTube video on computers or mobile devices.
- Types:
- In-stream ads: Can be skippable or non-skippable.
- Bumper ads: Non-skippable, short ads that play before, during, or after a video.
Display Ads
- Description: These appear in different spots on YouTube and usually use text or static images.
- Note: YouTube does not support display image ads directly on its app, but these can be targeted to YouTube.com through Google Display Network (GDN).
Companion Banners
- Description: Appears to the right of the YouTube player on desktop.
- Requirement: Must be purchased alongside In-stream ads, Bumper ads, or In-feed ads.
In-feed Ads
- Description: Resemble videos with images, headlines, and text. They link to a public or unlisted YouTube video.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that play outside of YouTube, on websites and apps within the Google video partner network.
Masthead Ads
- Description: Premium, high-visibility banner ads displayed at the top of the YouTube homepage for both desktop and mobile users.
YouTube Ad Specs by Type
Skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Placement: Before, during, or after a YouTube video.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Action: 15-20 seconds
Non-skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Description: Must be watched completely before the main video.
- Length: 15 seconds (or 20 seconds in certain markets).
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
Bumper Ads
- Length: Maximum 6 seconds.
- File Format: MP4, Quicktime, AVI, ASF, Windows Media, or MPEG.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 640 x 360px
- Vertical: 480 x 360px
In-feed Ads
- Description: Show alongside YouTube content, like search results or the Home feed.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Headline/Description:
- Headline: Up to 2 lines, 40 characters per line
- Description: Up to 2 lines, 35 characters per line
Display Ads
- Description: Static images or animated media that appear on YouTube next to video suggestions, in search results, or on the homepage.
- Image Size: 300×60 pixels.
- File Type: GIF, JPG, PNG.
- File Size: Max 150KB.
- Max Animation Length: 30 seconds.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that appear on websites and apps within the Google video partner network, not on YouTube itself.
- Logo Specs:
- Square: 1:1 (200 x 200px).
- File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
- Max Size: 200KB.
Masthead Ads
- Description: High-visibility ads at the top of the YouTube homepage.
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher.
- File Type: JPG or PNG (without transparency).
Conclusion
YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to reach audiences effectively in 2024. Whether you want to build brand awareness, drive conversions, or target specific demographics, YouTube provides a dynamic platform for your advertising needs. Always follow Google’s advertising policies and the technical ad specs to ensure your ads perform their best. Ready to start using YouTube ads? Contact us today to get started!
MARKETING
Why We Are Always ‘Clicking to Buy’, According to Psychologists
Amazon pillows.
MARKETING
A deeper dive into data, personalization and Copilots
Salesforce launched a collection of new, generative AI-related products at Connections in Chicago this week. They included new Einstein Copilots for marketers and merchants and Einstein Personalization.
To better understand, not only the potential impact of the new products, but the evolving Salesforce architecture, we sat down with Bobby Jania, CMO, Marketing Cloud.
Dig deeper: Salesforce piles on the Einstein Copilots
Salesforce’s evolving architecture
It’s hard to deny that Salesforce likes coming up with new names for platforms and products (what happened to Customer 360?) and this can sometimes make the observer wonder if something is brand new, or old but with a brand new name. In particular, what exactly is Einstein 1 and how is it related to Salesforce Data Cloud?
“Data Cloud is built on the Einstein 1 platform,” Jania explained. “The Einstein 1 platform is our entire Salesforce platform and that includes products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud — that it includes the original idea of Salesforce not just being in the cloud, but being multi-tenancy.”
Data Cloud — not an acquisition, of course — was built natively on that platform. It was the first product built on Hyperforce, Salesforce’s new cloud infrastructure architecture. “Since Data Cloud was on what we now call the Einstein 1 platform from Day One, it has always natively connected to, and been able to read anything in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud [and so on]. On top of that, we can now bring in, not only structured but unstructured data.”
That’s a significant progression from the position, several years ago, when Salesforce had stitched together a platform around various acquisitions (ExactTarget, for example) that didn’t necessarily talk to each other.
“At times, what we would do is have a kind of behind-the-scenes flow where data from one product could be moved into another product,” said Jania, “but in many of those cases the data would then be in both, whereas now the data is in Data Cloud. Tableau will run natively off Data Cloud; Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud — they’re all going to the same operational customer profile.” They’re not copying the data from Data Cloud, Jania confirmed.
Another thing to know is tit’s possible for Salesforce customers to import their own datasets into Data Cloud. “We wanted to create a federated data model,” said Jania. “If you’re using Snowflake, for example, we more or less virtually sit on your data lake. The value we add is that we will look at all your data and help you form these operational customer profiles.”
Let’s learn more about Einstein Copilot
“Copilot means that I have an assistant with me in the tool where I need to be working that contextually knows what I am trying to do and helps me at every step of the process,” Jania said.
For marketers, this might begin with a campaign brief developed with Copilot’s assistance, the identification of an audience based on the brief, and then the development of email or other content. “What’s really cool is the idea of Einstein Studio where our customers will create actions [for Copilot] that we hadn’t even thought about.”
Here’s a key insight (back to nomenclature). We reported on Copilot for markets, Copilot for merchants, Copilot for shoppers. It turns out, however, that there is just one Copilot, Einstein Copilot, and these are use cases. “There’s just one Copilot, we just add these for a little clarity; we’re going to talk about marketing use cases, about shoppers’ use cases. These are actions for the marketing use cases we built out of the box; you can build your own.”
It’s surely going to take a little time for marketers to learn to work easily with Copilot. “There’s always time for adoption,” Jania agreed. “What is directly connected with this is, this is my ninth Connections and this one has the most hands-on training that I’ve seen since 2014 — and a lot of that is getting people using Data Cloud, using these tools rather than just being given a demo.”
What’s new about Einstein Personalization
Salesforce Einstein has been around since 2016 and many of the use cases seem to have involved personalization in various forms. What’s new?
“Einstein Personalization is a real-time decision engine and it’s going to choose next-best-action, next-best-offer. What is new is that it’s a service now that runs natively on top of Data Cloud.” A lot of real-time decision engines need their own set of data that might actually be a subset of data. “Einstein Personalization is going to look holistically at a customer and recommend a next-best-action that could be natively surfaced in Service Cloud, Sales Cloud or Marketing Cloud.”
Finally, trust
One feature of the presentations at Connections was the reassurance that, although public LLMs like ChatGPT could be selected for application to customer data, none of that data would be retained by the LLMs. Is this just a matter of written agreements? No, not just that, said Jania.
“In the Einstein Trust Layer, all of the data, when it connects to an LLM, runs through our gateway. If there was a prompt that had personally identifiable information — a credit card number, an email address — at a mimum, all that is stripped out. The LLMs do not store the output; we store the output for auditing back in Salesforce. Any output that comes back through our gateway is logged in our system; it runs through a toxicity model; and only at the end do we put PII data back into the answer. There are real pieces beyond a handshake that this data is safe.”
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