Trends in Digital Marketing

10 Trends in Digital Marketing in 2020

10 Trends in Digital Marketing in 2020

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Ecom Youtube Challenge - Building a channel with 120 videos in 120 days

UPDATE with stats:
Current day: 30
Videos: 30
Subscribers: 154
Starting subscribers: 38
-------------------------------
Ok I've been planning this challenge for the last 3 weeks and I'm finally doing it. @Fox pointed me in the right direction with a course on Youtube SEO and now I'm taking the dive.

Here's a summary of it before I get into the details:

• Post a piece of content every single day for 120 days (in my case a Youtube video)
• Help as many people as...

Ecom Youtube Challenge - Building a channel with 120 videos in 120 days

from Ecom Youtube Challenge - Building a channel with 120 videos in 120 days

How would you spend $1 million dollars and get almost no value from it?

I know this is an odd question, but me and a few of my friends have been pondering this question for a while now.

Here’s why. I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be pretty hard for someone worth $5M+, who is responsible to squander their money.

For example, if I had to spend $300k today, I’d probably go buy a Lambo. But in buying a Lambo you didn’t really spend $300k. The Lambo is still worth $250k. So you’ve blown $50k.

However if I put a turbo on my 4Runner and give it a chrome...

How would you spend $1 million dollars and get almost no value from it?

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Mercury on-line bank refused to open me an account, any options?

Hi,
We are 3 non-us residents who own a LLC. We applied to open a bank account with Mercury bank but they refused our application without any explanations. Furthermore they stopped responding to our emails and there is no phone contact number anywhere.
So...we need to find another option for our upcoming business.
Ideally we would like a bank that would allow us to open an account from abroad.
I could potentially travel to the US and open a bank account but would prefer not to travel now...

Mercury on-line bank refused to open me an account, any options?

from Mercury on-line bank refused to open me an account, any options?

How to get feedback from page visitors?

Hi all... Am looking for a little advice if you would be so kind.

I have a content site that ranks well for basically one page in Google. I want to expand out the content and services for visitors, but want to get feedback from them as to what they would value.

Seeing as visitors don't tend to 'browse' around the site, how would you go about engaging them to find out their needs?

For example....
Chat window/bot
Email sign up
Survey popup
Engage elsewhere (eg start a social presence and...

How to get feedback from page visitors?

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I am quitting my 9-5 this week. I am scared.

Hello to all,

I wrote my resignation letter and about to print it out and give it to my supervisor this Friday.
I currently work at an employer in Texas as a mechanical engineer and they pay enough to get by with extra discretionary. They give benefits to me that take care of my health and I have a flex schedule. I was hired fresh out of college 2 years ago.

When I initially got the call that I was hired and they sent me the offer letter, I was ecstatic. My hard 4 rigorous years at...

I am quitting my 9-5 this week. I am scared.

from I am quitting my 9-5 this week. I am scared.

Building an online education business - How do I provide the most value?

Hello,
I am currently working on creating an online learning platform in a specific niche where I believe there is a need, and I am knowledgeable in.

It is within an industry where you need a lot of info to get started as a hobbyist or professional. So being able to have info collected and structured in one place would be very beneficial.

I have done the research and found what is already out there to be lacking. There is so much I could improve upon or add to as course material.

The...

Building an online education business - How do I provide the most value?

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If you were going to college/university today what would you major in?

18 y/o South Asian kid here. Because i have relatively good grades and a good enough SAT Score i am planning to go to college in the US if i get a scholarship or the university is affordable. The subjects i have in high school(known as college here) are economics , maths and accounts and i was hoping to pursue some economics/economics and math related major/bachelor , because i assumed i would be able to find high paying jobs if i majored in these subjects.

But upon discussion with some...

If you were going to college/university today what would you major in?

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Christmas in July: A Marketer’s Guide to Escapism Campaigns

Everyone knows—or should know— that the role of good marketing is to sell you a state of mind or a transformation, rather than a product or service itself.

And what is one of the most desirable states of mind for many people right now?

Escape.

But the drive-through piña coladas have run out and we’ve all been caught in the rain for a really really long time. And all the ads about tropical vacations just hit a little differently when we aren’t supposed to be traveling.

So some marketers are taking a different approach to building an escape this summer by looking ahead to the holiday season.

Christmas in July ran rampant over the last month, and if we are being honest, it’s left a lot of us wishing we had jumped on board as well. Because unlike years past, using Christmas in July for a marketing play in 2020 reads less like an overplayed cliché and more like a nostalgic look back to when things felt “normal.”

Take Hallmark for example.

The Hallmark channel knows their market intimately, and they know how passionate their fans get about Hallmark Christmas movies. These movies are a comfort zone—an emotional weighted blanket for their audience. They are predictable and warm and fuzzy: all things that have been sorely lacking this year.

So, it makes complete sense for the channel to have a Christmas in July campaign to boost views and foster positive engagement with their customers.

But what about the other brands?

What does a 2 for $5 sale from Burger King have to do with escapism and fuzzy feelings?

Everything.

Look at the comments in that post.

Burger king is hitting on a pain point: it just so happens that the pain point is simply existing in the present.

That’s the trick with escapism campaigns. You need to identify what it is about the current state that is so painful to be in, and then find a good “escape” to frame your sale or content around. When it’s done right, it works unbelievably well. But you have to find the right escape.

What works so well about the Christmas in July campaigns we are seeing is that they’ve found the perfect alternative to the present.

Christmas is all about togetherness: gatherings of friends and family to celebrate the season. And in today’s climate, gathering together is not safe, and so many people are isolated or separated from their loved ones.

So even just thinking about Christmas can create an escape for many. It’s a comforting respite from the chaos of this year.

But remember, escapism campaigns aren’t about solutions. Your goal is to take your customers to a different emotional state rather than solve their actual problem.

It’s the difference between putting Christmas baked goods on sale and selling a video chat software.

The latter solves the physical problem of isolation, while the former sends the customer back to the “good times” and simply makes them feel better.

There is a place for both types of campaigns, absolutely. But it’s important to understand their differences, so you know when to use one or the other.

That choice really comes down to what you are actually selling. Providing a solution worked well for the Portal ad, because it could actually do something about the problem. Whereas the Easy Tiger ad never stood a chance to “solve the problem,” so they leaned into the escape angle.

The world’s problems feel insurmountable right now. And trying to frame your messaging around these issues is often just too broad to make an impact.

It’s why every insurance company’s ad copy about “standing together in the face of these hard times” falls flat. They aren’t solving anything, and they aren’t taking a real stand, and they aren’t giving their audience an escape. They are just reminding them about the bad things happening.

And that just doesn’t cut it.

Escapism campaigns can also be a solution to cut through the noise on the feed. Escapism inherently breaks expectations and will often look and feel different from all the other ads and posts (or they should… if your escape looks like every other post on Instagram, it’s not really much of an escape…).

For example, this regular ad for a bidet just doesn’t have the weight to carry impact when so much else is competing for attention, time, and money.

But when you put an escapism twist on it and advertise “Christmas Bundles” with the messaging of “get into the spirit,” you’ve changed your audience’s emotional state.

This ad is not only a break from everything else in their feed, i.e. stopping the scroll, it also scoops up the viewer and plops them squarely into the Christmas spirit.

All of these Christmas in July campaigns are about an emotional state change. The ads themselves—creative, copy, and all—are an escape from the bad news that surrounds them by leaning into a perfectly curated alternative.

So, when you get to creating your own escapism campaigns, remember to pick an escape that is a perfect juxtaposition to the current emotional state of your audience.

Oh, and while we are on the subject of Christmas ads, I’m here to remind you that you should probably be starting your holiday campaigns right now. You’ve got less than 6 months to come up with the perfect sale, so don’t leave it to the last minute.

The post Christmas in July: A Marketer’s Guide to Escapism Campaigns appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

from Christmas in July: A Marketer’s Guide to Escapism Campaigns

Where in the world is the best place to invest in real estate purely for rental income & capital growth?

From my limited experience with investing in real estate, what I'm looking at primarily is the rental yield % and the vacancy rate.
E.g. where I am, the vacancy rate is close to 0%, but the rental yield is just over 2%

To compress what I know is a very complex subject:
In your experience, where in the world is the best place to buy rental property assuming I purely want to use it for rental income & capital growth (with precedence given to rental yield?)

In your opinion, what other factors...

Where in the world is the best place to invest in real estate purely for rental income & capital growth?

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One step at a time.

I shared that I'm in a very jobby job at the moment where every second is monitored digitalky, you can't touch your phone for any reason unless you leave the building, and you can get written up for many things.

I'm happy to say that I just got a new job, in sales, which is what I need to shore up my entrepreneurial skill set. Now I just gotta get through these next two weeks with my joy and sanity intact! They're nice people here, I'm just on a different page.

from One step at a time.

How to find companies interested in outsourcing AI/ML?

Context, feel free to skip it, it's mostly me talking to the duck, it is here only because it might be relevant for someone:

1. I see many job offers in LinkedIn that are part of the SCRIPTED lifestyle, but I find it more and more challenging to deal with it. In particular, everything that is not remote immediately repels me. I will save you the rant on this, summarizing as...

How to find companies interested in outsourcing AI/ML?

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#1965 How Prevu turned home buying into an online shopping experience

Today’s guest looked at the offline experience of selling real estate and thought, “This should be modernized.” So he tried to bring the selling experience to the internet. But it didn’t work. We’ll find out why. He didn’t close the business though. Instead, he changed the model. We’ll talk about what he learned about his customers that allowed him to grow. Thomas Kutzman is the founder of Prevu, a modern, full-service brokerage offering 1.5% listing agent commission.

Thomas Kutzman is the founder of Prevu, a modern, full-service brokerage offering 1.5% listing agent commission.

Sponsored by

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Diploma da 6000 euro 18/19 anni.

Hi everyone, I am 26 years old and I live in Italy I was thinking of graduating as a protection in case my fastline plan fails.
I found this private online school that gives me the opportunity to graduate online by studying only 2 hours a day.
however its cost is 6000 euros.
What do you think?
is a state school better?

from Diploma da 6000 euro 18/19 anni.

Without diploma of 18/19 years

hello everyone, I'm a 26 year old boy, I really want to take the fast line but here in Italy for a boy without a high school diploma, what you take at 18/19 years old is complicated.
In your opinion, to take a fast line would it be better to at least have this diploma and then take it?

from Without diploma of 18/19 years

Switching lanes

Hello everyone,

While watching a youtube video on 'how self-help books can become an addiction with no actions', I stumbled across Unscripted. Unscripted was one of the books the YouTuber mentioned that did not follow the traditional and mundane self-help books. Most previous books I've read would agree with my slow lane lifestyle. MJ dropped a lot of gold nuggets on Unscripted that resonates with me. Now, I am reading the Millionaire Fastlane. I do not want my intro to simply be a book...

Switching lanes

from Switching lanes

Insights from the anti-trust case against Amazon

Did anybody follow the ant-trust case held against facebook, amazon and other online market places?

You can find it here:

Online Platforms and Market Power | U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee

judiciary.house.gov

TLDR;
Amazon is building their own online marketing agency by extracting as much data as possible from their consumer base.
Amazon has been actively pushing Chinese factories to start selling on Amazon since 2015 - see image below.

from Insights from the anti-trust case against Amazon

Desire for fashion

Hi, I'm a fashion consultant by profession and passion. What amazes me about fashion most not just fancy clothes or cool specs but the trend that you may see over the time whether inspired by some diva celebrity or either by an event. They brings me deep thoughts what more can I turn them into what more can I do with them that's what keeps me excited as well. I must say without fashion world would have nothing to admire.

from Desire for fashion

Fox's Web Design Guide: Earn $100K this year (Yes, 2020!) and Go Fastlane

This year has been quite crazy so far, and a lot of people have reached out to ask me if web design is still a good option. While this is a marketplace post about my coaching program, it will also be a good general guide of the web design opportunities that exist right now.

Is web design still a profitable business in 2020?

You may be thinking, “Sure, web design was great when...

Fox's Web Design Guide: Earn $100K this year (Yes, 2020!) and Go Fastlane

from Fox's Web Design Guide: Earn $100K this year (Yes, 2020!) and Go Fastlane

What was your first "cash flow positive asset?"

I thought it would be cool to have a thread about the first steps people took to start getting their money working for them...

- Did you buy a rental property?
- Was it a small franchise or self managed business?
- Was it stocks?

Even if it was only cash flowing $10 or $100 a month I would love to see what people started with when it came to hands-off cash flow. Sometimes it can seem intimidating for people to know where to start but I am sure there are many great examples on here...

What was your first "cash flow positive asset?"

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How do you generate ideas?

Hi Everyone,

I'm on a mission to become an idea machine and I'm challenging myself to come up with 10 ideas everyday. I'm curious to see how you might come up with ideas.

Here's how I do it so far:

• Idea sex: mix two random products together = ?'s
• Problem based: Either through my own problems, or asking questions to friends and families about their problems
• "Wouldn't it be great if....".... finish the sentence with what product or service you think would be great...

How do you generate ideas?

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Growing a Youtube Channel as Part of My Personal Brand

YouTube is one of the platforms that I plan on building my personal brand on, but this is the one that I see as the most challenging.

I have been at it for four weeks now and my suspicions were correct.

It takes a lot of time to produce one video which means I can currently only commit to putting out one a week, which I think is fine in terms of frequency, but what it does mean is that the feedback loop is extremely long, leading to slower progress than on say Instagram.

That being said...

Growing a Youtube Channel as Part of My Personal Brand

from Growing a Youtube Channel as Part of My Personal Brand

Appreciate any Feedback on Smart Vending Machine Concept

Hello all,
We are a startup company called Travtail. Our mission is to merge travel and retail into one space to give customers immediate access to essential products in their moment of need.
Travtail has created a completely self-service intelligent vending machine that fits in any location, from cars to malls. These vending machine stores can help store owners make an additional supplemental income between $200-$1000 selling products.
Each store uses QR codes for quick and easy...

Appreciate any Feedback on Smart Vending Machine Concept

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CV19 Financial Survey: What has the last 2 months done to your financial situation?

Just like to gauge the temperature of the room, what has the last 2 months done to your financial situation? Your income and/or net worth?

My financial situation has not been impacted as I was one of the folks who actually had a financial benefit to the CV19 tragedy. If I speculate on the "why" I'm guessing because the forum benefits from home bound folks as does owning a publishing company as people read more books. Forum traffic and revenues up, publishing company revenues up, and...

CV19 Financial Survey: What has the last 2 months done to your financial situation?

from CV19 Financial Survey: What has the last 2 months done to your financial situation?

Building a 'teaching' business: From slowlane to fast(er) lane.

Hey there!

Thanks for opening this thread, I hope you are doing well.

With this thread I wish to track and share my progress in a new project of mine: Becoming an online teacher/information spreader.

What subject will you teach about? Who is your audience?
The broader topic can be best classified as 'social science': a collection of scientific disciplines that study humans. This includes psychology, organizational science, sociology etc.

Roughly, the info can be divided...

Building a 'teaching' business: From slowlane to fast(er) lane.

from Building a 'teaching' business: From slowlane to fast(er) lane.

Starting A FREE(Yes Free!) Consulting Project While My Other Business Is On COVID Hibernation

Hey all!

Long time lurker...rare poster but have followed this community for many years. In fact I attended the 2016 Fastlane Summit @ Talking Stick! Had this in the INSIDER group but wanted more feedback & I'm comfortable with this being more "public" so posted on the whole forum.

For the last 8 years I've built up a business in the secondary ticketing world.....ticket scalper/broker whatever you want to call it! Our little name for it was The Ticket Magician...

Starting A FREE(Yes Free!) Consulting Project While My Other Business Is On COVID Hibernation

from Starting A FREE(Yes Free!) Consulting Project While My Other Business Is On COVID Hibernation

From Idea to Reality: Progress Thread

Hey guys, newcomer to the site (intro HERE). Thought I would start with a progress thread to keep myself accountable and so anyone interested can track progress.

Where I started:
So I've been a flight instructor for a couple years now and was set up to fly for the airlines. It's been a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid. That was supposed to happen back at the end of...

From Idea to Reality: Progress Thread

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Great Book

The Millionaire Fastlane sat in my Kindle library for over a year before I actually read it. I suppose I couldn't take the title seriously -it looked like a get-rich-quick book. I am so happy that I've finally read it. It would have been excellent even if it were only MJ's entertaining first-hand account of how he worked his way to millions, but as it is, it contains a lot of sound arguments backed up with data and examples. I really enjoyed how he pokes fun at Tim Ferris' steaming pile of...

Great Book

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To Those Panicked/Discouraged by the PANDEMIC (or New to FLF)

Four months ago I graduated from college significantly depressed. My biggest life goal had been reached.

It 's ALWAYS been my dream to be a successful entrepreneur. Somewhere along my scripted life I put it on the back-burner. It became something to dream about, smiling to myself thinking "...someday." Then I'd wake up in the cold reality of bills and indentured servitude, jolting me out of bed scrambling to a job I couldn't wait be free from. Making enough money to stay in debt, driving...

To Those Panicked/Discouraged by the PANDEMIC (or New to FLF)

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How Hungry Are You?

You Gotta Be Hungry

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Building a Product Photography Portfolio

I've been reading the forum for some time now, and I'm terrified of posting this, but I'm at a point where I'm almost ready to show it to the world and I got a groove going on in terms of productivity and keeping focused. It also doesn't hurt to bounce ideas off of you guys in case my mind goes to 500 places at once.

Since the COVID outbreak, I've been studying nonstop on how to shoot commercial product photography. My background is in photojournalism, but aside from only using speedlites...

Building a Product Photography Portfolio

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12 Best Email Marketing Services for 2020 (100% Unbiased)

There’s no doubt email marketing is (very) effective, but choosing which of the many email marketing services to use can be just a tad overwhelming.

It seems like every company in the space claims theirs is the best email marketing software. And when you check Google for unbiased opinions, all you see are biased reviews, bought and paid for.

Want the truth?

The best email marketing tool for you will depend on your budget, needs, and a variety of other factors. What works for someone else may not work for you, and vice versa.

Of course, most articles and reviews won’t admit such a thing. They’re too busy trying to get you to click their affiliate links.

That’s why we put together this resource.

There are no affiliate links in this guide. We’re not going to tell you which tool we use here at Smart Blogger, or which ones we typically recommend to our students.

Instead, we’re just going to give you the facts, details, and tidbits you need to know so you can find the email marketing software that best fits your needs.

Ready?

In no particular order, here are our picks for the 12 best email marketing services for 2020.

1. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is one of the leading email marketing platforms, with customers in over 175 countries. Their free plan (for up to 2,000 subscribers) makes them the preferred choice of many bloggers and small business owners.

Mailchimp is easy to use for beginners and has a great drag-and-drop email builder, but also offers advanced email marketing tools like segmentation, A/B testing, autoresponders, landing pages, etc.

How Much Does Mailchimp Cost?

Mailchimp’s pricing depends on the number of subscribers. Higher plans have more robust features.

• Free Plan with limited features: $0
• Essentials Plan: From $9.99/month
• Standard Plan: From $14.99/month

• Premium Plan: From $299/month

Pros of Mailchimp

• Free plan to get started, although not as generous as it used to be.
• Hundreds of integrations that make it easy to connect Mailchimp to your existing tools or website.
• New features are regularly available.
• Easily customizable email templates.
• Thorough insights.

Cons of Mailchimp

• The jump from Free Plan to paid plans is pretty steep.
• Paid plans are quite expensive, compared to the competition.
• Email automation and other features are limited for cheaper plans.
• The user interface can be confusing at times.

Who Should Use Mailchimp?

Mailchimp’s free plan is a great choice for people getting started with email marketing and those on a budget, like bloggers and small businesses. However, if you’re planning to grow your list fast and use more advanced features, make sure to look at prices beyond the free plan, because there are cheaper options.

2. Sendinblue

Sendinblue is an email service provider that distinguishes itself by charging per email, and not per contact.

They started specialising in transaction-based emails, but have now expanded and offer great email marketing solutions to all kinds of users, including SMS marketing and detailed email workflows.

How Much Does Sendinblue Cost?

Sendinblue has pricing based on email volume, and features depend on the plan. The number of contacts is unlimited for all plans.

• Free: $0 for 300 emails per day
• Lite: $25/month for 40,000 emails
• Essential: $39/month for 60,000 emails
• Premium: $66/month for 120,000 emails

Pros of Sendinblue

• One of the cheapest paid plans in the market, and it has a generous free plan.
• SMS marketing tool.
• Great landing page editor and sign-up forms.
• Many kinds of email automations and ability to test email workflows before sending.
• Phone support from Essential plan and up.

Cons of Sendinblue

• Doesn’t offer as many integrations as other email marketing providers.
• The daily limit of 300 emails for the free plan is quite restrictive.
• Limited email automation flows for cheaper plans.

Who Should Use Sendinblue?

Sendinblue is great for ecommerce businesses due to its variety of transactional emails. It’s also appealing to those on a budget or businesses that don’t send emails very regularly, in which case their Pay As You Go plan is a perfect solution.

3. GetResponse

GetResponse differentiates itself from its competitors with its webinar solutions. It’s available in over 20 different languages, and besides offering all the advanced features like list segmentation, autoresponders, A/B testing and integrations, it also offers a convenient landing page editor and a modern calendar interface to visualize your drip email marketing campaigns.

How Much Does GetResponse Cost?

The pricing depends on the plan and your list size, with more advanced features unlocking as you pay more.

• Basic Plan: from $15/month
• Plus Plan: from $49/month
• Professional Plan: from $99/month

Pros of GetResponse

• Ability to integrate a complete webinar solution with email marketing.
• Landing page editor.
• Hundreds of email templates and access to free stock photos.
• Discounts for paying upfront.
• Affordable price.

Cons of GetResponse

• Some emails currently not displaying as they should in the Gmail mobile app.
• The drag-and-drop editor for designing emails and landing pages is fiddly and needs improvement.

Who Should Use GetResponse?

GetResponse is the go-to option for businesses that want to integrate webinars into their email marketing.

Even if you’re not planning to use webinars in your online marketing strategy, GetResponse is a great fit for email-marketers that are looking for a modern interface with the latest features.

4. Constant Contact

Constant Contact has been around since 1995 and is one of the most popular email marketing service providers among small business owners. What stands out are their event marketing tool and their social media integrations. You’ll also find more than 270 integrations and a decent template library that includes niche-specific email templates for you to customize.

How Much Does Constant Contact Cost?

You can choose between the Email Plan and the Email Plus Plan. Pricing is based on the size of your email list.

• 0-500 subscribers
  • Email Plan: $20/month
  • Plus Plan: $45/month
• 501-2,500 subscribers
  • Email Plan: $45/month
  • Plus Plan: $70/month
• 2,501-5,000 subscribers
  • Email Plan: $65/month
  • Plus Plan: $95/month
• 5,001-10,000 subscribers
  • Email Plan: $95 per month
  • Plus Plan: $125/month
• For higher subscriber numbers, check out Constant Contact’s pricing page

Pros of Constant Contact

• Very good deliverability results.
• Interesting niche features like surveys, polls, coupons, and event marketing for the Plus plan. Event marketing is integrated with Eventbrite.
• Good social media integrations: Facebook and Instagram Ads & Insights and social media posting, inbox and monitoring.
• Email and phone support, and vast library of resources.

Cons of Constant Contact

• Their pricing isn’t competitive. At the moment, other providers offer more features for less money.
• Their email automations are limited, compared to other providers, and only available in the Plus Plan.

Who Should Use Constant Contact?

We recommend Constant Contact to small businesses that need event management tools, but if you don’t need that function, you may find it’s too expensive for what it offers.

5. Drip

Drip joined the email marketing market in 2013 and was later bought by LeadPages. They have specialized in email automations and ecommerce CRM. Their advanced automation features allow you to personalize your emails and other interactions with your clients to a high degree and you practically follow them the whole way from first visit to social media to suggestions based on past purchases, etc.

How Much Does Drip Cost?

Prices are based on subscribers. Each tier offers unlimited emails.

• Up to 500 subscribers: $19/month
• Up to 2,000 subscribers: $29/month
• Up to 2,500 subscribers: $39/month
• Up to 3,000 subscribers: $49/month
• Up to 3,500 subscribers: $59/month
• For more, check Drip’s pricing page

Pros of Drip

• Advanced and well designed email automations, especially relevant for ecommerce.
• Advanced segmentation based on customer behaviors like abandoned cart, new visitors, returning visitors, people clicking certain links, etc.
• Ability to follow up via text messages.
• Excellent support and documentation.
• Pre-built automations that get you started in no time.

Cons of Drip

• No free plan of any kind (though it does offer a free 14-day trial).
• The many options can be a bit overwhelming.
• Mostly focused on the needs of ecommerce businesses.
• A/B testing has limitations.

Who Should Use Drip?

Drip is great for ecommerce businesses, as it allows you to access all kinds of customer metrics and behaviors (and create workflows accordingly). If you want to use complex workflows, this may be the tool for you.

6. AWeber

AWeber is one of the most popular email marketing services in the market, and they even claim they invented the autoresponder, which is no small feat.

How Much Does AWeber Cost?

AWeber has a free plan and Pro plan, with pricing determined by the number of subscribers. Each Pro plan includes all features and unlimited emails.

• Free plan:
  • Up to 500 subscribers
  • 3,000 email sends per month
  • Limited features (but includes email automation)
• Pro plan:
  • 0-500 subscribers: $16.15/month
  • 501-2,500 subscribers: $26.15/month
  • 2,501-5,000 subscribers: $46.15/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $66.15/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $146.15/month

Pros of AWeber

• Excellent customer support via phone, email or live-chat.
• It’s one of the few who offer AMP for email, which allows you to, for example, book appointments or RSVP events directly in the email, and use dynamic content.
• Hundreds of responsive templates to choose from.
• Setting up simple time-based autoresponders is really easy.
• Free plan offers email automation, something most competitors do not offer.

Cons of AWeber

• Their automations are pretty basic compared to the competition.
• Quite expensive considering that other email marketing service providers offer more features for a similar price.
• It’s not possible to combine segments when sending emails.

Who Should Use AWeber?

AWeber is a good choice if good customer service is important to you. If you want to explore the possibilities of AMP for email, AWeber is also a good choice, as few others offer it. And if you have a small email list, but want automation features, AWeber is one of the free email marketing services to offer it on a free plan.

7. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one marketing platform with great focus in marketing automations that use complex if/when/then logic based on your website visitor’s behavior.

As they put it, they want to help you send fewer emails while getting better results. Their CRM is a great addition to their marketing tool.

How Much Does ActiveCampaign Cost?

ActiveCampaign’s pricing depends on the number of subscribers and the plan you’re using. Features increase along with the plans.

• Lite plan: from $9/month
• Plus plan: from $49/months
• Professional plan: from $129/month
• Enterprise plan: from $229/months

Pros of ActiveCampaign

• Outstanding automation tools that are some of the best in the market.
• Extensive reporting on all areas.
• Great deliverability rates.
• Excellent support by email or live chat, and extensive documentation.
• Marketing automations are available for all plans, as opposed to some competitors where they are only available in higher price plans.

Cons of ActiveCampaign

• It has so many features that it can be overwhelming for beginners and it may take some time to get familiar with all of them.
• The complexity of the tools requires more maintenance than simpler tools, as they will need regular adjustments to optimize results.

Who Should Use ActiveCampaign?

If your business requires complex automation tools along with advanced CRM features, then ActiveCampaign is a good choice. And if you just want to explore the power of marketing automations to boost your sales, ActiveCampaign is a solid option.

8. ConvertKit

ConvertKit has been around since 2013 and mainly targets creators, meaning bloggers on WordPress, YouTubers, vloggers, online course creators, etc. They’ve focused on a simple user interface with a visual automation builder and their philosophy when it comes to emails is “keep it simple”, so they don’t offer much in terms of templates and claim that simple emails convert best.

How Much Does ConvertKit Cost?

ConvertKit’s pricing depends on the number of subscribers, but all paid plans share the same features. They also have a free plan (up to 1,000 subscribers) that has limited features.

• 0-1,000 subscribers: Free (with limited features)
• 0-1,000 subscribers: $29/month (full features)
• 1,001-3,000 subscribers: $49/month (full features)
• 3,001-5,000 subscribers: $79/month (full features)
• 5,001-8,000 subscribers: $99/month (full features)
• 8,001-10,000 subscribers: $119/month (full features)
• 10,001-15,000 subscribers: $149/month (full features)
• For more, check ConvertKit’s pricing page

Pros of ConvertKit

• Generous free plan that’ll fit many beginners’ needs
• Landing page editor to gather leads even without a website.
• Really flexible tagging system that lets you create advanced segmentation.
• Easy-to-use visual automation builder.
• Ability to edit emails with HTML code and save as many personalized templates as you want.
• Excellent, responsive support via live chat.

Cons of ConvertKit

• Expensive compared to the competition.
• Simple email design, mostly based on text (they claim deliverability is better this way) and few templates.
• Reports are pretty basic and don’t cover things like bounce rate, social media tracking or ecommerce conversion.

Who Should Use ConvertKit?

ConvertKit is for people that don’t have complex marketing needs and want a simple email platform that will deliver what they need quickly and easily. It’s a bit pricey compared to some competitors, but if you appreciate simplicity and prefer to focus on your creative work instead, it may be what you need.

9. MailerLite

MailerLite is an email marketing platform that prides itself in the simplicity of its user interface. They are available in multiple languages and are one of the most popular providers for people on a budget. They may not have some of the advanced features of other companies, but not everybody needs that anyway, and they cater perfectly to those with simpler needs.

How Much Does MailerLite Cost?

MailerLite charges based on your list size, but all paid plans include all features and unlimited emails. They also have a pretty generous free plan.

• 1-1,000 subscribers: Free, includes 12,000 emails/month (but limited features)
• 1-1,000 subscribers: $10/month with all features
• 1,001-2,500 subscribers: $15/month with all features
• 2,501-5,000 subscribers: $30/month with all features
• 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $50/month with all features

Pros of MailerLite

• Generous free plan with most features, including automations, advanced segmentation and landing pages.
• Very user-friendly interface and minimalist design.
• All the essential features you need at a very affordable price.
• Ability to run surveys directly in your emails (also included in the free plan).

Cons of MailerLite

• It doesn’t include some pro features like complex automations, advanced reports or social media tracking.
• The free plan doesn’t include any templates, which can be annoying if you want to design emails fast.

Who Should Use MailerLite?

MailerLite is perfect for small businesses, bloggers, freelancers, and anybody else on a budget that needs a simple and affordable solution to grow their email list, but doesn’t need a marketing automation tool with advanced features that bigger companies require.

In short: if your idea of email marketing is sending out an email newsletter, with a few extras here and there, MailerLite is perfect.

10. HubSpot’s Free Marketing Tools

HubSpot is known for its full platform of marketing, sales, customer service, and CRM software. Their platform is very powerful, and one can get started with HubSpot with a free plan that lets you get a feel for what they have to offer.

This free plan also includes some email marketing tools, but to get a decent email marketing deal from HubSpot it will be necessary to upgrade to their paid plans.

How Much Does HubSpot Cost?

HubSpot offers some nice marketing tools for free, but you may eventually find them limiting. If you need to upgrade, they offer paid plans in their Marketing Hub.

• Free Marketing Plan: Free, max 2,000 emails per month
• Starter Plan: from $50/month, includes 1,000 contacts
• Professional Plan: from $800/month, includes 1,000 contacts
• Enterprise Plan: from $3,200/month, includes 10,000 contacts

Pros of HubSpot

• Includes free access to HubSpot’s CRM tools.
• HubSpot offers solutions that go beyond email marketing, so you can have all your marketing in one platform.
• Great marketing tools in the paid plans that can help you grow your leads and increase conversions.
• High deliverability rate.

Cons of HubSpot

• The free plan is limited, so if you’re serious about email marketing, you’ll need to upgrade.
• Email marketing is just “one more tool” in the vast HubSpot CRM and lacks some of the advanced features that other specialized email marketing platforms offer
• No A/B testing, automations or landing pages unless you opt for their Pro or Enterprise pricing.

Who Should Use HubSpot?

If you’re looking for a free solution that fits all of your needs, HubSpot is an option (but one you may quickly outgrow). If you’re looking for an all-in-one marketing platform and price isn’t an option, then HubSpot may be just what you need.

11. Infusionsoft by Keap

Keap (formerly known as simply Infusionsoft) is an all-in-one marketing platform that combines sales, marketing automations and CRM. Email marketing is just one of its many tools, and you can use advanced segmentation to target your leads at the right time, based on their interactions with you.

How Much Does Infusionsoft by Keap Cost?

Keap offers three plans that all include 500 contacts and 1 user. To add more contacts you have to pay extra, but the extra cost is the same for all plans ($30 for 1,000, $130 for 5,000, etc).

• Keap Grow: from $79/month, includes CRM and basic email marketing
• Keap Pro: from $149/ month, includes marketing automations and landing pages
• Infusionsoft: from $199/month, also includes advanced reporting and lead scoring

Pros of Infusionsoft by Keap

• Nice automations to guide new leads through the buyers’ journey with customizable pre-written texts and emails.
• Drag-and-drop automation builder.
• Phone and live-chat support.
• New users get “Expert Coaching” after purchasing a plan. Although that is not a free service, it’s great to start getting value from the beginning.

Cons of Infusionsoft by Keap

• Expensive if you’re only looking for email marketing features.
• No split testing.
• It can take some time to get familiar with the email software.
• The amount of fields in the CRM can be overwhelming for users who don’t need all of them.

Who Should Use Infusionsoft by Keap?

Keap is for e-commerce and service-based businesses who are looking for an all-in-one software to manage sales, marketing automations, email campaigns, and CRM.

12. Campaign Monitor

Campaign Monitor is an email marketing service that stands out for its personalization options and beautiful design. They have great-looking templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop email editor that makes creating emails a breeze. Dynamic content and segmentation allow you to tailor your emails to each individual subscriber.

How Much Does Campaign Monitor Cost?

The pricing depends on the plan and your list size, with more advanced features unlocking as you pay more. The Basic Plan is very simple, so you may have to consider the other two.

• Basic: from $9/month (up to 12,500 emails)
• Unlimited: from $29/month (unlimited emails)
• Premier: from $149/month (unlimited emails)

Pros of Campaign Monitor

• Good integration with Salesforce and many ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Woocommerce, or Magento.
• Their templates look good and are easy to use, and they have industry-specific ones.
• Powerful segmentation and ability to personalize emails with dynamic content.

Cons of Campaign Monitor

• Their Basic plan is very simple, which means that if you want to use the regular email marketing tools you have to pay for Unlimited, which isn’t exactly cheap if you’re just getting started.
• Support only by email unless you have the Premier plan.
• Automations and drip campaigns have room for improvement.

Who Should Use Campaign Monitor?

If you work with Salesforce, Campaign Monitor offers one of the best integrations in the market. Many appreciate their beautiful design, so if great-looking, responsive templates are important to you, make sure to check it out.

So, Which of These Email Marketing Services is Your Favorite?

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an email marketing pro, there are numerous email marketing services available to meet your needs.

And now, thanks to this guide, you know the highs and lows of each of them.

Which one is our favorite (and why)?

Let us know in a comment below.

The post 12 Best Email Marketing Services for 2020 (100% Unbiased) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

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What's the best way to generate cash flow in my situation?

For those of you who don't know, I'm a cosmetic doctor who's currently on no pay leave with no definite end in sight as covid-19 is on a rising trend where I am...
I don't want to quit and get another job cos I quite like this one and there's a three months resignation period, anyway.

I have a mortgage on my hands, but I'm not too worried about it cos 1) I'm collecting rent from the place 2) If worse comes to worse, my parents can pay it off. Despite the rent, I'll still need to come up...

What's the best way to generate cash flow in my situation?

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13 Tips for Promoting Yourself Without Sounding like a Jerk

The post 13 Tips for Promoting Yourself Without Sounding like a Jerk appeared first on ProBlogger.

This post is based on episode 55 of the ProBlogger podcast.

So you’ve been blogging in your niche for a while now. And the more you’ve written about it, the more you’ve learned. You’re now considered somewhat of an expert in your field. And your archive backs that up, with lots of great content that can really help those looking for answers.

But how do you spread the word about your content (and your expertise) without sounding like a jerk?

This is a question I’ve been asked a lot, particularly by  Australians. (I think it has a lot to do with ‘tall poppy syndrome’, where people don’t like to boast about their achievements.) And I’ve asked myself the same question a lot over the years.

So this week I’d like to offer you tips for promoting yourself without sounding like a jerk.

1. Do good stuff

This may seem pretty obvious, but it needs to be said: make sure your content is worth finding. If you’re a blogger, you need to be blogging well. If you’re blogging on a specific niche, you need to understand it and have something worthwhile to say about it.

Promoting content that fails to deliver may do more harm than good. Because even if you build up a solid archive content down the track, people may never bother coming back a second time.

2. Don’t think of it as self-promotion

As I mentioned earlier, some people (particularly Australians) don’t like to boast about their achievements. And that’s exactly what self-promotion can feel like.

So don’t think of it as promoting yourself. Instead, think of it as promoting ways you can use your talent, knowledge and expertise to help other people.

My passion is helping other people improve their blogs. I’ve been blogging for quite a while now, and in that time I’ve learned a lot and developed some skills and expertise. But I can’t just sit and wait for people to come to me. I need to get myself out there, find people with questions and issues, and let them know how I can help.

And that’s what you should do too.

3. Start with passion

How often have you seen the word ‘expert’ or ‘guru’ on someone’s Twitter profile? It’s become such a cliché these days that most people either ignore the claim or laugh at it.

But when someone says they’re passionate about something you react differently. You feel compelled to read their content just so you can find out more about who they are and what they’ve done.

Passion is infectious. It stimulates conversation, which then gives you a way to talk about what you can do for people.

So start with your passions, because people will find them much more interesting. And they’ll find you much more interesting as well. There will be plenty of time to talk about your achievements later.

4. Be a learner, and share what you’re learning

Another reason to avoid words like ‘expert’ and ‘guru’ is people might think you’ve stopped learning, and are no longer open to new ideas or new ways thinking.

I’m not interested in hearing from people who think they know everything there is to know about a topic. I want to hear from people who are still learning by gathering knowledge and asking questions.

And then sharing what they’ve learned with others.

So don’t be afraid to let people know you’re still learning. Share what you’ve learned. Share the things you’ve tried that haven’t worked as well as those that have. And never stop, because you will never know everything.

And that’s okay, as long as you’re honest about it.

5. Tell stories

When you get the opportunity to talk about your skills, achievements and qualifications, don’t just rattle them off as if you’re reading a list.

Tell a story.

Not only will it seem more natural, it will also put your achievements and qualifications in context. And your reader will feel a connection rather than just an admiration.

But don’t try to manipulate the conversation you’re having just so you can tell your story. Just have them ready for when the time is right.

6. Let people interpret the facts for themselves

As I mentioned earlier, a lot of people have the word ‘expert’ or ‘guru’ in their profile. And what puts a lot of people off about these claims is that it’s all open to debate. What makes someone an expert? And who decides whether someone is one or not?

But facts are much less open to interpretation. So rather than claiming to be an expert on something, talk about the number of followers you have, or the number of books you’ve written about the topic.

And then let them make up their own minds about you.

Ideally, you’d include these facts in a story rather than lead with them. But if people ask you point blank about your credentials, feel free to use the facts on their own.

7. Don’t compare yourself to others

The only time you should ever compare yourself to someone else is to point out why they are better than you. Don’t ever talk about how much more you know, or that your skills are better than theirs. Because you’ll be seen only as someone who puts other people down to make yourself look superior.

And that can seriously affect your reputation.

Instead, compare yourself to what you were like previously. Show them how much better you are now than when you first started.

When I talk about my blogging journey, I often mention that I had no credentials when I started out. I talk about having 20 jobs in ten years, about my average English marks at school, and how it took me three months to learn how to make text bold.

Of course, later on I’ll talk about the number of readers I’m now getting every month, and how I got to travel the world.

People like to see other people succeed. It makes them feel that they can do it too. And using these before-and-after snapshots is a great way to show you have succeeded.

But your success doesn’t need to have anyone else failing.

8. Give credit where it’s due

You’ve probably achieved some great things over the years. And while you may have accomplished a lot of these achievements on your own, there’s a good chance you had someone helping you with some of them.

And if that’s the case, you should acknowledge those who gave you that help.

In my final year of high school, I received the third-highest mark for my year level. It’s an achievement I was very proud of. But I also know it had a lot to do with being part of an amazing group of students.

That year I was in a small politics class with eight or nine other students who were amazing. We worked together, and spurred each other on. And so whenever people congratulated me on my marks I would always point out the other people in the group, and how much they helped. Yes, I worked hard. But I’m not sure I would have worked as hard if I didn’t have them supporting and encouraging me.

It’s the same with the ProBlogger events. People often compliment me for organizing and running such a great event, but most of the work is actually done by my team. So I make a point of thanking them publicly for all their hard work, and let people know who most of the credit should be going to.

This isn’t about putting yourself down. It’s about telling it like it is, and giving credit where credit is due.

9. Don’t go too far with modesty

I think we’ve established that no-one likes a bragger. But a lot of people don’t like excessive modesty either. Not only can it come across as false modesty, it can also make it seem like you don’t believe in yourself.

So you need to strike a balance. By all means point out your flaws. After all, no-one is perfect. But don’t be afraid to talk about your achievements and celebrate your successes.

10. Let other people promote you

Letting other people talk about you is often far more effective than anything you could say about yourself. People will pay far more attention to what other people say about you than what you say about yourself.

Testimonials are a great way to show what other people are saying about you. And a testimonial from the right person can give you a lot of kudos. But make sure they’re not too ‘gushy’, and don’t have too many or it may come across as boasting.

11. Build meaningful relationships

Some people attend networking events with one goal: to get their business card into the hands of as many people as possible. But I’d much rather make meaningful connections with four or five people during the event than leave with 200-odd people having only a vague idea of who I am.

Similarly, when promoting myself I try to go deep rather than wide. And I suggest you do the same.

Of course, if you find yourself speaking at a conference then going wide might work, Having a large audience hanging on your every word can be a great opportunity to spruik yourself a little. But when you have the opportunity for some one-on-one time with people, you should make the most of it. Engage with them, listen and respond to their questions, and be genuine.

And you should do the same when you’re online. Don’t just tell people about yourself in your tweets. Engage with them. You’re much better off making real connections with a few key people in your industry than having everyone know you a bit about you.

12. Read the mood of the moment

There are times when self-promotion is perfectly acceptable. Job interviews are on obvious example. If you don’t sell yourself there you’ll come across as someone who either doesn’t want the job or doesn’t believe in themselves.

But you wouldn’t want to try it at a dinner party. There you would need to show some restraint, because it’s a different type of interaction. You might be able to bring up your credentials and achievements as part of a story, but it won’t be anything like that job interview.

You also need to consider people’s cultures and even personality types. While some may find your self-promotion quite acceptable, others may not.

So how can you tell when it’s appropriate? By reading the signals and responding appropriately. If someone asks what you know, who you are, and what your experience is, by all means talk about your credentials and experience. But don’t force it on people if they don’t ask for it.

13. Be generous

Want to know the secret to being a great influencer? It’s pretty simple. Just use what you know to help those you influence.

What’s the point in developing all those skills, and all that knowledge and expertise, if you’re not going to share what you’ve learned? Being generous and sharing your expertise will not only help others, it will also help you by growing your influence. People will quickly discover who you are, what you know and what you can do.

And shout about you from the rooftops.

This is the best self-promotion because it’s not really self-promotion. You’re simply being generous and useful to those around you. Yes, some people will take everything you have and give nothing in return. But you’ll be amazed how many people will tell other people about you, what you know, and what you can do if you’re generous to them.

 

So there you have it: 13 tips for promoting yourself without sounding like a jerk.  And now that you know the best way to promote yourself (or not promote yourself as the case may be), I want you to give it a shot. Tell us one thing you’re going to do, and then let us know how it goes.

 

Photo by Ashes Sitoula on Unsplash

The post 13 Tips for Promoting Yourself Without Sounding like a Jerk appeared first on ProBlogger.

      

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Hold as cash or invest

If you had about $7 to $10k in cash, would you leave it in the bank or would you do a short term mutual fund or other investments? In the future, I would like to use it towards my business idea however I currently don't have one that I want to move forward with. (This is not my emergency fund).

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Understanding Interchange when taking Payments for your business

This is a Blog we wrote recently and I thought it was worth sharing with this group. If you take payments on your site or in person hopefully this post is of help to you.

The world of payments and payment processing can be a murky and confusing one. Most merchants are confused by ‘interchange’ settlement and its impact on the fees that they pay to accept credit and debit card payments. The card associations – Visa, MasterCard and Discover – assess other fees (assessments and dues) in...

Understanding Interchange when taking Payments for your business

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Hello from Poland, which way to fastlane?

Hi everyone,

my name is Tomek (Tom, 25). I'm happy to join the Fastlane forum, I know I'm in elite now, but I hope that I can help you somehow too.

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I think I have a big theoretical knowledge. I've read dozens, houndreds...

Hello from Poland, which way to fastlane?

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Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

INTRODUCTION.
Through my eBook on safe sourcing and easy importing I have helped hundreds of people in 35 countries learn how to enter the high profit world of importing. Their questions through my support channel provide the subject matter for all of what I plan on posting here.

There are myths and misinformation in abundance on forums everywhere. I am here to dispel those myths and correct the misinformation that I see being published daily in business forums.

A bold claim? Yes...

Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

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Producing a Board Game 0-100 (Product dev, Crowd sourcing, Ecommerce, Ads)

Hi guys, this is my first jab at ecommerce and product development. I'll be chronicling everything that goes into this project, success or failure.

The plan is pretty simple.
Step 1: Develop my prototype.
Step 2: Create a video and do copywriting.
Step 3: Publish it on a crowd sourcing platform.
Step 4: Throw some facebook, instagram, reddit ads towards it.
---Hit Goal---
Step 5: Find best supplier and fulfill orders.
Step 6: Get feedback and apply.
Step 7: Create a website.
Step 8...

Producing a Board Game 0-100 (Product dev, Crowd sourcing, Ecommerce, Ads)

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20yo from Poland looking to start something

Hello,

I’m 20 years old from Poland, recently joined the forum and introduced myself, but didn’t get many responses. So I decided to create my own execution thread and look for help here.

After about 2 years of inaction and faking action I’d like to finally start doing something, and maybe this forum will be my first step.

I’m looking for ideas to start my business/making money on my own. I’ve read lots of threads here and didn’t find anything for myself. Like I said in my introduction...

20yo from Poland looking to start something

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Buisness Slander (?death threats?)

So today was one of the most bizarre days of my life, I'll start off by saying I'm almost on a first name basis with my local police force, actually I think the whole squad knows me by now from some marketing videos that I've done for my social media pages, some higher government officials know of me and some organizations are talking of me aswell. All great and dandy, multiple people (I don't even know) have thanked me for my work blah blah blah.

Although today really broke my...

Buisness Slander (?death threats?)

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Making Solo Indie Game Developer A Viable And Lucrative Business

Hello everyone,

since I have put a lot of thought into this, it's probably going to become a long post. Actually, I'm writing this to sort my thoughts.

First thing you'll probably think when reading this is "Ooooh great, another gamer who has THE idea and now wants to become a video game rockstar". Hear me out. Here is the first thing you have to hear: I'm not a gamer. I do play games, indeed. But I actually thought about selling my XBOX One because it's collecting dust. Didn't play for...

Making Solo Indie Game Developer A Viable And Lucrative Business

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