Email marketing can be powerful -- but only if your readers know how to whitelist your email address so they receive your messages. In my blog "Do You Check Your Spam Folder?", I suggested that it's a good idea to periodically take a look at what your email system is reading as junk to be sure [...]
Recently Jerry and I were featured in an article about what happens to digital assets after we die. Orlando Sentinel writer Kate Santich was reporting on Florida State Sen. Dorothy Hukill’s proposed legislation to deal with digital life after death. Click here to read the article and see the video online; click here to see a [...]
If you share any type of files with anyone for any reason, you need an efficient file naming protocol. Okay, I confess I just re-read that, and it made me yawn. But even though this sounds like a boring, geeky topic, stay with me. It’s important. A file naming protocol is the system you use [...]
Most bloggers want comments on their posts, and for good reason. Comments are excellent gauges of reader engagement and great sources of future content ideas. They also have a positive impact on site ranking. So why make it hard for people to comment on your blog? Several years ago, I wrote a book, Words to [...]
What’s your reaction to a website that opens with images (and messages) that scroll across the top of the homepage? It’s a design element commonly known as sliders. I’ve never liked it, but I see so much of it, I assumed I was in the minority. Now I’m not so sure. I’ve been involved in [...]
You can’t make it through a day—or even a few hours—without hearing something about social media. A social media policy for your employees is essential. A social media strategy for your company is equally—if not more—important. Do you have one? Keep these issues in mind when developing your social media strategy: • Begin with developing [...]
Do you know who is receiving your text messages? Early this morning, I received a text from a client wishing me a happy Mother's Day. Yes, that's odd from a number of perspectives, but this is a quirky client and I appreciated the thought. Before I could respond, I heard another text come in. It [...]
If you use the "social media shares" feature of Constant Contact, here's a tip: Edit the announcement that will go out on your social media channels. The basic default message promotes Constant Contact (example: with a hash tag for Twitter and "check out my latest Constant Contact campaign" for Facebook). You can edit that language [...]
We all know the benefits of online advertising. The top ones that come to mind include: It's affordable. Online ads have one of the lowest CPM (cost per thousand reached) rates of any medium. It can be tightly targeted. You can define a very specific market and reach only those people. It's global -- or [...]
Is it possible to avoid spam? Sadly, I don't think so. One of the reasons I had my website redesigned recently was to integrated my blog with my primary site for greater search engine optimization. It worked. More people are finding and visiting my site--and more spammers are leaving comments filled with links on my [...]
