To stay on top of today’s market, you not only have to meet customer expectations—you have to exceed them. It all starts with a company culture designed to take service to the next level. Our client, Lexington Podiatry has mastered both internal and external culture, using surveys to gauge customer response and then measuring progress with a visual dashboard via Klipfolio.

You can read about the entire journey in our guest blog on Klipfolio.

via Klipfolio

The fact is, content marketing takes time—it doesn’t work overnight.

Two years ago, we began an earnest effort to step up our social media game for RootedElm. We started creating memes featuring design and content tips, like the ones below, using Canva and posting them on multiple social channels. At first, we noticed an uptick in audience engagement that inspired us to stay the course. Later, however, that engagement fell flat and we had to experiment with different types of social posts, incorporating links to our blog and reposting content from other experts.

One tool we employed that helped significantly was creating a content calendar. We made it a priority to pre-schedule at least one social media post per day using Buffer, with the option to add in an additional social post if we created something new, or if something relevant came up. If we notice an increase in a specific post’s engagement, we repost it a little more frequently. Our goal is to make sure our social media posts are authentic, make sense and relevant to our audience and when applicable, personal. For example, thanking a vendor for an amazing customer experience we received.

The payoff has taken time, but it’s starting to happen.

This effort to repost what RootedElm has already put out there, along with creating new content for posting has, over time and with consistency, gained more feedback on our posts. It also helps that each of us take time to share the post by RootedElm to expand our audience.

Website engagement is up.

Over the past 28 days, our multi-session users are up 50.3% and our organic traffic is up 2.17% on our website. More importantly, our goal completions increased by a minimum of 10% and as shown below, our social acquisition is growing, with the greatest amount coming from Twitter and LinkedIn.

Of course, a successful social media plan doesn’t happen without a little work and a little help.

And of course, the most important thing is perseverance. Remember: just keep swimming!

So, what’s your social goal? Share on @rootedelm your plans to turn the social tide in your favor and how you stay motivated to just keep posting.

To dive deeper into the big blue sea of social media, here’s a blog post from Buffer: Social Media Engagement is the New Social Media Marketing: How To Do It Well

Your subject line and preheader text are the first thing your audience sees and the deciding factor on whether your email is opened or deleted. So, how do you write subject lines and preheader text that make your subscriber want to open?

The Subject Line

Your subject line is the last thing you write and the first thing they see. Only once you’ve crafted your email message and identified a strong call-to-action, should you begin thinking about your subject line. Think of the subject line as a catchy headline that summarizes the main idea of your email. Start by writing down the key points from your email, and use that list to brainstorm.

When crafting subject lines be sure to:

• Include the most important information first
• Use no more than 50 characters
• Consider personalizing with a first name
• Use action words
• Test your ideas

Tip: test out your subject line and preheader in a social media post. If you obtain engagement there, you know you have a winner.  

The Preheader

Even if you’ve written the most compelling subject line in the world, you’re not finished yet. The Preheader is the text your subscribers see as a preview to opening the email. If you don’t provide an original preheader, it will default to the first line of your email—which works fine in some instances.  But usually, you want to use the preheader as another opportunity to hone your message. It’s essentially an extension of the subject line. Think of it as a “to be continued” on the story you’ve just introduced, or like the book jacket description to a great novel.

When writing your preheader text, here are a few tips:

• Offer a sneak peek at how the email benefits your subscriber
• Give a short summary of the contents
• Give context
• Ensure the first 50 characters make sense as a stand-alone, in case the reader is opening in mobile
• Include a call-to-action
• Provide an incentive to open

What do you think “WFH” means? At first glance, I thought they were cussing at me!  Work From Home. Clever don’t you think?

Be Mindful & Informed 

Below is an example of the need to be sensitive and aware of your external environment before you send an email. “Because the death of the First Lady Barbara Bush occurred on the same day I received this email, I was confused and a little bit annoyed when I first read the subject line and preheader,” said Lisa Wester. “Once opened, the subject line made sense, but my first impression was not a good one!”

Resources:

8 Embarrassing Preview Text Mistakes + 4 Tips on How to Avoid Them — Litmus Blog

Outstanding Email Marketing Examples of Subject Lines — Email Marketing Rules

18 Hacks for Improving Your Email Subject Lines — Campaign Monitor

As a marketer, you know that you can’t just throw up some amazing graphics and expect people to understand your message. You need words. But which words? How many words? In what order? The answer can be found by asking a professional content writer.

I’m a content writer, but what does that really mean?

To start, it means I have a background specifically focused on honing the craft of writing well. My education and degree are in writing. My experience includes years of writing creative messages in every form–essays, billboards, radio and television commercials, print advertisements, blogs, brochures, websites, magazines, email marketing….and on and on.

It means that I approach every potential message with the goal to first learn everything I can about the subject matter. Sometimes the subject is root beer floats, sometimes it’s neurosurgery and sometimes it’s an inspiring young person who’s changing the world. After I learn everything I can about the subject, I turn it around and around in my brain and then it comes pouring back out through my fingertips, hopefully in a way that is more engaging and more understandable to the reader.

Sometimes the process is effortless–the creativity pours out on the page and the headline or email or blog post seems to write itself. And sometimes it’s more painful. My colleagues and I have mapped out the goals of the message, but the right words elude me. Or I have the right words but they aren’t coming together cohesively. That’s when I have to exercise my writing muscle; or follow my own advice to walk away and return to the process later, more refreshed. Either way, easy or difficult, in the end, the only thing that matters is creating a message that resonates.

My typical writing spot—weather permitting

But everyone writes….right?

What’s the value in hiring a professional content writer if I can just write it myself?

Every time you google something, every time you read an email from a company, every time you see a billboard on your drive home, someone put those words together on purpose. Of course, you can write your own content–we certainly encourage it and that’s why we continue to share writing tips on our blog. But when you hire a content writer, you are hiring an expert at putting words together “on purpose.”

Here are 3 more reasons it pays to hire a professional:

Experience: A professional content writer has years of experience in bringing together the right words, in the right way, to ensure a message is on target. Plus, we are also unusually creative!

It saves time: Whether you need to focus on other aspects of a project, or simply need to get something finished quickly in a crunch, an experienced content writer can execute creative, on-target messaging quickly.

Background: A content writer is immersed in content all day, every day. We read blogs about developing the best content and we have our finger on the pulse of what other companies and industries are putting out there, content-wise. So when you hire a professional content writer, you not only get writing expertise, you get all the hours and hours of background knowledge on content marketing that the average professional does not have time–or let’s face it, the desire– to track.

ABOUT CHRISTINA

Christina Noll is a content marketing specialist with 20 years experience telling stories about brands, products, companies—and most importantly, people—through creative and engaging email marketing, content marketing and strategic content planning. You can find her on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Want to ensure your content is engaging and relevant this year? Here are 5 quick tips to help make your email content easy to write and stand out in the inbox:

Draft a Keyword Bank

The first step is to do your research to identify your main message. What content will your audience find useful? What are the key phrases you want to share with the reader? Write them down. These don’t have to be complete thoughts—think of it more as a word and phrase “bank” to work from.

A blank space can be intimidating and creating a word bank gives you a solid start. Ultimately, you’ll hone your final content from these ideas.

“We all need to make sure that our content meets one or more of these three criteria”

1. The reader can DO something
2. The reader LEARNS something
3. The reader FEELS something

Paraphrased, and although Andy Crestodina is talking about blog posts here, we can directly apply this criteria to email content. Check out pages 113 – 115 in his book Content Chemistry.*

Use a Thesaurus

Even the best ideas may not impart your message the way you imagined. Sometimes you just need a different word.  I frequently pull out my trusty thesaurus (okay, thesaurus.com) to identify other ways to impart the same message in a more fresh or relevant way.

Look back at your word bank and use the thesaurus to find stronger words, action words or friction-free words for each of your key messages.

Draft and Then Walk Away

My number one tip for generating the best possible content involves taking a big step back. Create a very rough draft of what you want to say, and then step away. When you come back to it later, you’ll be looking at it with fresh eyes, and undoubtedly, fresh ideas.

When it comes to voice and tone, think about your email as a person-to-person conversation you are having with the reader. It doesn’t need to be perfect the first time. It needs to be genuine.

Another huge part of this equation: Collaboration is key.  Ask for input from another colleague—they may be able to point out where your intentions are unclear. Lisa and I frequently find that our best work is a result of direct collaboration during the refining process. Revise until the content clearly meets your original goals.

Change Mediums

Another way to get fresh eyes on email content is to print it out. We live in a digital world but printing out an email or template forces you to process it differently. You’ll be surprised with the quickness you can catch errors and edits just by changing the medium you’re using.

Jason Meeker,
RootedELM Strategic Partner

Write Your Subject Line Last

The last thing you should write is the first thing your audience will see—the subject line. Think of it as a catchy headline that summarizes your email. Write down the key points from your email, then brainstorm ideas based on that list.

Subject lines can be fun—this is where you can use puns, rhyming and play on words. Using emoji’s in subject lines is another trend that can increase open rates and provide a captivating visual when used correctly.

Remember to include the most important information first in your subject line and keep it to no more than 50 characters. It also must be meaningful to the email content. Finally, run your subject line by a few peers to be sure any wordplay is instantly recognizable and not too corny.

CUE-DIVE Method

Subject line and preview text content can be Contextual, Urgent, Emotional, Detailed, Intriguing, Visual and Earned.

Email Marketing Rules
by Chad S. White — pg. 374*

Call in Reinforcements 

Finally, if you’re still struggling to create content that hits the mark, consider using a ghostwriter. Content development is not always easy—you may be short on time or creativity. A professional content developer (like me!) can help or even just provide a much needed second set of eyes.

Stuck and need a little inspiration? We frequently read books, blogs and listen to podcasts for ideas on producing better (and easier!) content.

A few of our favorites:

• Content Marketing Institute Blog
• Everybody Writes by Ann Handley*
• Unthinkable (podcast) by Jay Acunzo
• Litmus Blog

And from our own blog:

• Learn How to Curate Content for Your Email Campaigns. 
• For long form content that goes beyond an email—such as a newsletter, blog or website text-—follow these 5 Steps to Developing Longer Content

*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You’ll want to enjoy a cup of coffee with this post.

The weather may not have turned crisp and cool yet, but it’s officially the first day of Fall so we can’t resist breaking out the pumpkin recipes. There’s always time to bake pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars—really all things pumpkin. And there’s something so therapeutic and calming about baking.

With the holidays close and a calendar filled with email campaigns to develop, Fall tends to be the busiest time of year for email marketers. Listening to a podcast while working on a secondary task will keep your professional development on track, ensuring you’re on target for your holiday campaigns and 2018 planning.

Multitasking doesn’t have to mean juggling three complicated tasks at once. The best multitasking allows you to accomplish goals while being more efficient so you can enjoy more personal time.

Sample some of this pumpkin bread below and while you’re baking, use your wandering mind to your advantage. It’s a recipe we’ve taste tested multiple times and shared on numerous occasions. The mini-loaves make the perfect gift — giving you the benefit of crossing off another task during the holiday season.

We talk a lot about content development as a component of email marketing—subject lines, previews, headlines and calls to action all require creativity and strong writing skills. But what about when you need to provide a longer form of content? Whether you’re developing a blog post, an informational sheet or re-designing your website, you need a plan to develop solid long form content.

Start With An Outline:

It may sound like something your 5th-grade teacher would say, but in my 20+ years of professional writing, I’ve found the key to great long form content starts with your outline. Here are five steps to creating an outline that will lend itself to filling with great content:

Write down your goals for the content.

For example, if you are creating a website page about your pie baking shop, your goals might include: explaining the types of pie you bake, increasing customer interest in a specific type of pie (Apple, of course!), letting customers know how to contact you, providing helpful insight to new and existing pie aficionados. These goals will form the main components for your outline (and for a website, this is essentially your site map).

Fill in the details under each stated goal.

What are the components, descriptions, and information needed under each section? In our pie baking website example, under “Types of Pie,” you would add a list of the pies offered and provide a brief description of each. Under “Apple Pie,” you might provide a brief history of how apple pie became an American classic. Under “Helpful Insight,” you might provide recipes so that followers can bake a favorite pie at home.

Now you start to write!

It may seem daunting but writing long form content is just expanding on the mini descriptors you already have written in your outline. Once you’ve gotten down all the information you want to include, shape the content into readable paragraphs. At this point, you may decide you want to move things around or combine pieces.

Add headlines and subheads.

These should form naturally from your goal descriptors (outline headers) for the content, although it may take a little creative messaging. For example, you might change the outline header, “Types of Pie,” into the subhead, “A Pie for Every Taste” and you might change your outline header, “Apple Pie,” to the subhead, “A Piece of Pie History.”

Refine your draft.

Now that you have a workable first draft, with headlines, subheads and some content that addresses each of your content goals, go back and re-read your draft. Edit the content for readability and to better fit your purpose. Ask for input from another colleague—they may be able to point out where your intentions are unclear. Refine and revise until the content clearly meets your original goals.

Writing long form content is a bit like working a jigsaw puzzle—you’ll know when the pieces fit best and you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction at bringing it all together to form a clear picture. Need more help? We have years of experience in content marketing and are always ready to help outline, draft or edit your content. Simply contact us and we will be in touch shortly.

Are you looking for a way to be more relatable? Use email to give your audience a “peek behind the curtain” and a more personal view of your company.

That was Lexington Podiatry’s goal with their recent delivery of an email campaign titled, “Footnote Fridays.” The results were positive, with a 24.6% open rate, 2.5% click-through rate and a 10% click-to-open rate on the first email. The second email performed even better with a 27.6% open rate, a 5% click-through rate and an 18.2% click-to-open rate  — both greater than the industry standard*. We interviewed Elise Hinchman, Marketing Director at Lexington Podiatry to tap into her thoughts about how she found inspiration to test this new email format.

CN: What was your goal for the campaign? What results did you hope to see?

EH: I had hoped to give them some authenticity, and a peek behind the curtain with just a smattering of information that we needed to get across. Usually, our goal is to promote new services or provide education, to drive appointment requests with current patients. Our goal on this campaign was basic: Could we increase the open rate as well as the unique click-through rate? I didn’t care what they clicked on; I just wanted them to engage to see if this format worked.

CN: What was your inspiration for this “5 Footnotes” campaign?

EH: Tim Ferris’ weekly email called 5 Bullet Fridays. A total text-driven, personal email repurposing his content and using other’s content. It was very quick to put together.

CN: What kind of feedback are you getting from this campaign?

EH: Well, it was interesting. We had multiple people replied to say that they wanted an appointment, that they wanted to receive a reminder about the hammertoe procedure at the next visit, and that they wanted us to do a video about Vick’s Vapor Rub, etc. Normally we don’t get people replying at all, so it was kind of nice to hear a little more than just watching to see where they clicked-through.

CN: What are your plans for the future of this campaign?

EH: We will use this format around the holidays to break up the promotional push and then I think at least quarterly. I’m cautious to overuse it, so it doesn’t become stale. It’s clean, neat, easy to skim and experience-driven, so I think Millennials will appreciate it as well. With value based healthcare on the tip of everyone’s tongue, we have to make sure we’re messaging in the format that the patient wants because recent studies are showing how fickle the patient has become. Millennials especially jump around for medical care.

CN: What will you change the next time, if anything?

EH: We’ll surely add a “make an appointment” button at the bottom because now that we know the campaign works, we need to have our ultimate goal available.

Image: Campaign Monitors NEW Insights Tab

Although an exact comparison between the results of the two campaigns is unable to be made due to multiple variables, Elise can draw the following conclusions to continue testing:

– This email format improved subscriber engagement

– An image in the top left was visually more appealing and may have led to the 8% increase in the click to open rate

– Include a Make an Appointment  call to action (CTA) button

Thank you, Elise, for sharing your recent success. What do you think?  Would this type of personal profile email campaign work for your subscribers? What would you do differently?

Sometimes the answer to one person’s question can help the next person and so on. Consider this a FAQ of email marketing. We’ll post actual questions from our customers, along with the expert solutions so you can tuck them away in case you run into the same issue later.

Issue: Font changing in email when it’s sent
ESP:  Campaign Monitor

Ok, so apparently for some of the templates in Campaign Monitor they’ve hardcoded fallback fonts to be changed from the settings section. So since the hardcoded fallback was serif for when Merriweather was chosen, changing to Helvetica in the text block wasn’t changing the font-stack except for adding Helvetica to the front of the code.

I fixed it by going to the settings for the template and changed the Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 and Normal Text to Helvetica and it changed the font stacks accordingly. I’ve also alerted Campaign Monitor to the issue with this template (and potentially others as well).