Category: Newsletters

  • Why E-mail Still Matters – Part Two

    Why E-mail Still Matters – Part Two

    Hopefully you’ve read part 1 of this article, which is available here.  We’ve covered some of the benefits of E-Mail marketing, which I’ll quickly recap:

    • Email marketing is personalized
    • It avoids the toxicity associated with Social Media
    • You can offer free, automated incentives for new signups
    • You can offer discounts and other perks to existing clients and subscribers
    • It’s a great way to just generally keep in touch

    As we mentioned in Part 1, you’ll need to commit to two things: collecting emails in an ethical manner (no one likes spam), and to consistently putting together content.  Next, we get into the interesting part; finding the right solution.  We always like to offer our clients low-cost, easy solutions, so that’s why we recommend Sendfox.

    Sendfox is offered through Appsumo, and offers the lowest cost bulk email solution that we’ve seen.  Snedfox can literally save you hundreds, and even thousands of dollars each year.  To give you an idea, a one-time (yes, pay once and get it for life) payment of $49 gets you access to their great platform with a limit of 5,000 subscribers.  Five thousand might sound like a lot, but what if you need more? No problem; for additional one-time payments you can add subscribers in chunks of 5,000 up to 25,000 subscribers, which should be plenty for just about any business out there.  If you need more than 25,000, there are additional options with low monthly fees.

    So let’s suppose 25,000 is enough for your business.  That means that for a one-time payment of $245, you now have a great platform with lots of features that is fully paid up to do your E-Mail marketing.  To compare, Mailchimp would charge nearly that much per month as part of their standard plan.  If you want to add more features such as HTML newsletters (this let’s you make a pretty newsletter, like the ones we send out) it will only set you back $10 a month.  Overall you are getting a very cost effective solution.

    The features don’t stop there.  You’ll get a nice looking signup page (like this one) which will comply with GDPR, as well as a dashboard with some useful analytics.  Sendfox is easy to use, and works great on a variety of devices and web browsers.

    If E-mail marketing sounds scary or generating content each month seems challenging, get in touch.  We have affordable plans where we can write your content and keep your emails on schedule.  Either way, don’t neglect email, and don’t be afraid to use it as a marketing tool.

  • Is Zoom Overwhelming? Try Google Meet.

    COVID-19 has forced many of us to shift meetings to video conferencing and other virtual means (sure, some of us still use the phone, but that’s no fun!).  However, Zoom does have a few quirks that drive its users crazy, and is a big target for hackers.  Nonprofits and governments have been especially targeted, having important meetings interrupted with memes, and even lewd content.  All of this might be enough to get you to reconsider using Zoom, so maybe now is the time to consider Google Meet.

    Google Meet is a feaature included for all GSuite users, and provides a well perfoming, easy to use videoconference solution.  While not as popular as Zoom or MS Teams, Google Meet delivers on performance and ease of use. Here’s a few highlights:

    • easy invites and Google calendar integration
    • works great on a variety of devices
    • Internet down? No worries, just call in and go old school
    • Low learning curve
    • Screen sharing and presentation features

    Setting up an initial Google Meet is a piece of cake; just go to your Google Calendar (yes, you can use the app on your phone too) and add invitees. By default, Google Meet video conferencing is added.  Just create the event, if you receive a dialog box asking if you want to send invite details out, just say Yes and that’s it.  Your meeting is all set!

    Have you ever had to add multiple last minute guests to a Zoom meeting?  It happens to us all the time, and its not particularly fun, especially on a mobile device.  If you’re a GSuite user, its super simple; just go to your event in your calendar and invite more people.  It’s quick and easy, and the invitee does not require a Google account to join.  

    Hold enough meetings, or a large enough one, and you’ll inevitably run into someone who can’t hear you, whose microphone doesn’t work, etc… Just have the participant phone in.  In no time, they will be able to fully participate, and your meeting is free to continue.

    Google Meet. might not be for everyone, but its a great alternative to have in your back pocket, especially if you are as GSuite user, as it is already included in your fees.

    As always, if you have any questions about video conferencing, GSuite or other pandemic solutions, get in touch.

  • Why E-Mail Still Matters.

    With the global pandemic in full swing, many companies and digital marketers are flocking to their social media of choice, and often boosting facebook posts in hopes of generating more quality leads.  Even though our business reality has changed, some of the classic tools still work – and E-Mail is still important to any digital marketing strategy.

    For many users, social media has become toxic, contributing to anxiety and social isolation (yes, social media can make some us lonely!). Social Media can become a battleground for conflicting political and religious ideals, and generally is a place that is great for arguing or for attracting trolls. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a focused and personalized way to reach out to your customers without them stepping into a potential minefield?

    This is where E-Mail comes into play.  E-Mail newsletters still have great open rates, and if they are well crafted and genuine, should bypass most spam filters.  There are never guarantees, but the chance of a customer seeing your email is much higher than some random stranger clicking on a boosted facebook post.

    E-mail is more than just personalized communication; it is a great tool to entice new customers, or to reward loyal ones.  Here are a few ideas for E-Mail newsletter incentives.  Just remember that you should always have consent from whoever you are emailing, as being respectful of a contact’s privacy, as well as local anti-spam laws, is key.

    1. Incentives for new subscribers

    This is an easy, automated and powerful sales tool.  We’ve all seen it, and likely all given in at some point: sign up for our newsletter and receive a FREE ebook!  This is a great way to grow your email list, and collect consent in an automated manner.  It works quite well, and allows you to do a quick intro and thank you to. new subscribers automatically.  Want to see an example?  Check out the Lucha Comics E-Mail newsletter here, where you can receive a free digital comic book.

    1. Rewards for existing subscribers

    If you are running an ecommerce site and want to offer a discount, or want to offer a free service (such as a financial portfolio or IT services review) then your newsletter can be a great way to offer this bonus to your subscribers. For example, you could send out a Halloween coupon such as “OCT20 for 20% off your next order!” to existing subscribers.  Deals like these keep people reading your newsletters!

    1. Letting your clients know that you are stil out there and that you care

    E-Mail doesn’t always have to be about asking for a sale: letting your clients know that you are out there, still in business, and that you are taking the time to reach them is just as valuable.  Messages like these can help start new conversations, and are a valuable customer retention tool.

    So, now you’ve committed to ethically collecting email addresses, and to consistently write an E-Mail newsletter.  What’s next?  Setting up an E-Mail workflow and finding the right solution – which we’ll cover in Part 2 of this article.  Be sure to read it, and to reach out with any questions.

  • Why You Need to Get Rid of Windows 7 – NOW.

    Windows 7 is probably Microsoft’s best release ever.  After a few core updates, it was liked by consumers and IT managers alike. It provided stability, performance, a wide range of hardware and software support, and best of all – it just worked.  When Windows 10 was launched, one of its biggest detriments was that it wasn’t Windows 7.  It managed to hang on for awhile, causing both consumers and business to delay upgrade plans for Windows 10.  But, all good things must come to an end.

    In early 2019, Windows 7 reached end of life. This means that no security flaws,, no matter how serious or wide spread, will be patched.  And can you blame Microsoft? Windows 7 was released in 2009, so after 10 years it had to hit its expiry date.  

    So what does end of life mean for you?  Basically, continuing to run Windows 7 means the following for your home or business:

    • Severe Possibility of data breach
    • Severe possibility of ransomware
    • An unacceptable risk of general cyberattacks

    But don’t worry!  You still have plenty of options.  Some may require new hardware purchases, although if you purchased a PC towards the end of Windows 7’s lifespan, then it might be able to run an updated OS, although with recent security flaws found in Intel hardware, a new device might be in order.

    Now that you’ve decided to move past Windows 7, what comes next? Here’s our recommended options.

    If you are working in a Microsoft centric environment: 

    The obvious answer here is Windows 10.  A solid desktop from a major vendor (we prefer Lenovo, although offerings from HP and Dell are also solid choices) will run your new OS just fine, and Windows 10 is mature enough to integrate into your IT environment.  We recommend a device with at least 16GB of RAM ( 32GB or more if you will be creating media or carrying out heavy calculations), along with an SSD drive.  SSD drives provide a huge boost in performance, and really are a must these days.

    Estimated Cost: A new PC (~$500+)

    If you are working in a mixed environment, or as a solopreneur in a creative industry:

    If your budget allows for it, now would be a great time to consider migrating to macOS.  Stability performance, and a great selection of software are just some of the benefits that Apple users enjoy.  Like our recommendation above, an SSD drive is a must.  If you’ve never used a Mac before, their ill be a learning curve, and a few items might seem odd or unintuitive, but the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives. The only caveat here is that Apple is planning to release its own CPUs inside of refreshed hardware, so you may want to delay purchasing a Macbook or Mac Mini until late 2020/early 2021, so this may not be ideal since that Windows 7 machine really needs to go now.

    Estimated Cost: A new Apple device (~$700+)

    If you are in a mixed environment, solopreneur, or running mainly from the cloud and want a cost effective solution that will let you keep your existing hardware:

    This is an option that is met with initial resistance, but soon becomes a favourite: keep your hardware by using a Linux based OS – we highly recommend Ubuntu for first time Linux users.

    Haven’t heard of Linux before? Don’t feel bad – it is best known for its use in servers, and makes up only a tiny sliver of the desktop market.  However, it is secure, super stable, and FREE.  Yup, free. All you need is a USB drive to download the image to, and a bit of expertise (or a willingness to learn) to get it setup.  If you need to continue using, or to resurrect older hardware, Linux is the way to go. It supports a wide range of hardware, and thanks to the cloud and a modern browser like Google Chrome, you can access Google Docs, Gmail, Office 365 (via the web), Zoom, Skype and so much more.  Its biggest downside is the lack of native Office 365 support.  If you are a Google Docs user and can do without MS Office, Linux can likely meet alll of your everyday needs.

    Estimated cost: a USB drive, patience and some time.

    Hopefully you’ll find an option here that meets your needs, but either way it’s time to retire your Windows 7 PC.  Still having trouble deciding? Just drop us a line – we’re glad to help.