Val Geisler

Could your email marketing use a major boost? Well, you’re in luck because that’s what we talked about in our latest #ContentWritingChat! If you want to learn how to get more subscribers, how to create amazing email content, and more, keep reading our recap. #ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating Amazing Content for Your Email Readers with Val Geisler of ConvertKit Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, November 15th at 10 AM Central Time with @lovevalgeisler from @ConvertKit! pic.twitter.com/k1BIybRfxd — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) November 8, 2016 Our guest host this week was Val Geisler. Val handles marketing content over at ConvertKit, an email marketing software we absolutely love! She’s also the host of the Reach podcast. As part of the ConvertKit team, Val has a lot of valuable tips on email marketing that she shared with us. Q1: What makes a quality newsletter? And how often should you send one? To kick off the chat, we asked our participants what they thought made a quality newsletter. After all, if you’re going to send a newsletter, you want to make sure it’s great! A1: a quality email newsletter is one your readers open and engage with – no matter the content. Send them consistently! #contentwritingchat — Val Geisler (@lovevalgeisler) November 15, 2016 Val said a quality email newsletter is one your readers open and engage with. You want to think about what your unique audience is interested in, which will help you create the content they enjoy. Once you’ve figured out what to write, be sure to send emails consistently to keep your list warm! A1: A quality newsletter is one that provides value to your recipient BEFORE you focus on what you want out of it. #contentwritingchat — Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 15, 2016 As Annaliese said, make sure you’re providing value to your subscribers. That should be your top priority before focusing on what you want out of the email. A1: Quality = sending out content your recipients find useful/helpful/relevant/timely. How often? As often as needed.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/lTVAXWF2V8 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) November 15, 2016 Sarah from ThinkSEM knows a great email newsletter is one that’s useful, helpful, relevant, and timely. It all goes back to giving your audience what they want. A1) A newsletter contains content that benefits your audience either through educating them, or offering them something. #ContentWritingChat — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 15, 2016 Exactly right, Jason! Your email newsletter should contain content that benefits your audience. You can educate them or offer them something you’re providing. Q1: RELEVANCE. If your email isn’t timely and full of targeted content your subscribers care about, don’t press send. #ContentWritingChat — McKenzie Gregory (@kenziegreg) November 15, 2016 Relevance is key! McKenzie said you shouldn’t bother sending emails that aren’t timely and aren’t filled with content your audience is interested in. A1 Always put your best foot forward. NEVER send out rushed or without proofreading! (speaking from knowledge ?) #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 15, 2016 Before you click send, always take the time to read through for errors. Be sure to check any links to make sure they’re working properly as well. It’s always worthwhile to double or even triple-check before pushing that send button. Q2: How can you write a subject line that increases open rates? Let’s face it. The subject line of your email can make or break the success of the emails you send. If you don’t have a subject line that grabs the attention of your audience, they just might click delete without ever opening it. Here are some tips on writing amazing subject lines: A2: The subject line could be the most important part of the email: https://t.co/Qn07vL0OJ8 #contentwritingchat — Val Geisler (@lovevalgeisler) November 15, 2016 A2: Under 60 characters if you want it read on mobile! #contentwritingchat — Val Geisler (@lovevalgeisler) November 15, 2016 For some great tips on subject lines, read the ConvertKit article Val shared with us. It’s filled with advice you need to know! You should also keep mobile users in mind when creating your email content. Val said to keep your subject line under 60 characters if you want people to read it on mobile. A2: Write a subject line that shares what subscribers will find in the body of the email. No clickbait, please! #ContentWritingChat — Rachel (@redheadrachel) November 15, 2016 My advice? Write a subject line that clearly states what subscribers will find in the body of the email. You want to let them know what they can expect to see if they open it. Don’t mislead subscribers either. Clickbait isn’t cool and if you do it too often, people will start unsubscribing. A2: When you want to hook them, don’t deceive. Your subject line hook should still be relevant to the email content. #contentwritingchat — Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) November 15, 2016 Annaliese agrees that deception isn’t cool when it comes to your subject lines. No matter what you choose for your subject line, it should be relevant to the contents of your email. A2: Ask a question to capture attention and leave them wanting to know the answer! #ContentWritingChat — Zola Creative (@ZolaCreative) November 15, 2016 One great idea is to pose a question in your subject line. It’ll leave them wanting to know the answer, so they take the time to open and read your email. A2 Emojis can make a BIG difference. I’ve seen more open rates w/ relevant emojis included. Example (using @ConvertKit) #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/ePLll5dP7D — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 15, 2016 Julia knows emojis are a great addition to any subject line. Not only do emojis add a little personality to your emails, but they also stand out in a crowded inbox. Q2: Test, test, test! Every audience is different, so it’s the best way to know what subject lines are right for yours. #ContentWritingChat — McKenzie Gregory (@kenziegreg) November 15, 2016 Test, test, test! McKenzie is absolutely right with this one. Everyone has a different audience and what works for one person … Read more