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The FWD: Thinking Show

The FWD: Thinking Show is a podcast dedicated to sharing innovative email marketing strategies from the most successful, forward thinking marketing minds in the world (see what we did there?). From copywriting to email design, conversion optimization, and everything in between, we uncover the game changing tactics and strategies that enable small businesses and entrepreneurs to accomplish more with email marketing. The FWD: Thinking Show is brought to you by the team at AWeber, the powerfully-simple email marketing solution that helps small businesses build their audiences and grow their businesses.
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Now displaying: April, 2016
Apr 26, 2016

In this episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast, we're sharing our experience at AWeber in engaging subscribers and soliciting feedback.

In a comment on the show notes for episode 13 with Jason Brubaker, Ilana Moss shared the following comment:

"In 'real life' I have no trouble connecting with people but here in the virtual universe I don't know what to do. I have almost 5 thousand subscribers on various platforms, 1200 on Aweber, and I have a Facebook page with 3000 followers. I post things and get likes and shares but few if any comments. I've tried asking what they need or how I can help and I get no answer. Any idea what I might be doing wrong and how I can change that? How do I get to know my virtual audience? Thanks!"

To answer Ilana's question, I've tapped Chris Vasquez, Creative Director, and Meghan Nesta, Product Manager, to share their expertise in soliciting feedback from customers. The resulting conversation is full of actionable tactics and knowledge drops.

In this episode, you'll learn:

  • Effective ways to engage disengaged subscribers
  • How to start a conversation with your followers
  • How to use Jonah Berger's STEPPS acronym to boost engagement
  • How we can solicit feedback using micro-transactions

This episode was especially fun because we recorded live on Blab.im. You can watch the recording here!. Here are a few links referenced in the episode:

Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast

Apr 19, 2016

We're back with another great episode of the Ask Me About Email Marketing podcast.

In this episode, part two of our series with email consultant Chris Lang, we continue to discuss Gmail deliverability trends.

Chris presents a unique 10-point list of ways to get your emails read in Gmail’s Primary inbox tab.

If you are just tuning in, check out last week's episode to learn more about Chris and his 10-point list.

As mentioned last week, being in the Promotions tab might be ideal for many marketers. Many subscribers use the Promotions tab to shop and make purchases, so being listed amongst big brands in a place where you can compete for someone’s buying attention might work for your business.

For others, you may be trying to form more of a one-to-one relationship with subscribers, and appearing in the Primary tab is more appropriate for your brand and content. In this episode, we’ll take a look at Chris' recommendations.

Here’s what you’ll learn in Part II:

  • The 8 remaining points on Chris' list of recommendations
  • The dangers of using code-heavy HTML templates
  • The effects of using too many links and images
  • The importance of white-listing instructions

Last week, I shared this quick word of caution: please don’t try to use these tips to manipulate Google. That’s called spam, and AWeber hates spam (like, we really despise it). We pride ourselves in our deliverability and commitment to making the internet a better place, and we want you to do the same. So I encourage you to use the tips Chris shares to help you understand why some of your messages may end up in Promotions or Primary, so that you can better read your data and optimize your campaigns. Remember the golden rule: Be transparent, and send valuable content that your subscribers want to read and engage with. And of course, email responsibly. :)

Here are a few links referenced in the episode:

Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Apr 12, 2016

Email marketers spend a lot of time optimizing their open rates. Getting subscribers to open emails is almost a form of mad science – one that is predicated on first getting your emails seen.

But that's easier said than done. Making sure your subscribers see your emails means staying out of the spam folder, and landing in your subscribers' Primary inbox. And because so many of our subscribers have Gmail accounts, it's important to be aware of how the various inbox tabs (Primary, Social, Promotions) work.

Like Google's SEO algorithm changes, there are some aspects worth paying attention to and testing. To discuss Gmail deliverability trends and results from his many tests with clients, I've recruited consultant Chris Lang to share his unique 10-point list of ways to get your emails read in Gmail's Primary inbox.

Now, for many businesses, being in the Promotions tab might be ideal. The Promotions tab is a place where subscribers go to shop and make purchases, so being listed amongst big brands in a place where you can compete for someone's buying attention might work in your favor. For others, you may be trying to form more of a one-to-one relationship with subscribers, and appearing in the Primary tab is more appropriate for your brand and content.

In this two-part episode, we'll dive into some of the tactics that Chris recommends for each situation. Here's what you'll learn in Part I:

  • Chris' observations on the Gmail tabs algorithm
  • Chris' recommendations for what days of the week to send, and what to do with disengaged subscribers
  • Why mobile is becoming increasingly important when considering email engagement
  • The first two elements to consider when aiming for the Primary tab

As you listen to this week's podcast, I need to share a word of caution: please don't try to use these tips to manipulate Google. That's called spam, and AWeber hates spam (like, we really despise it). We pride ourselves in our deliverability and commitment to making the internet a better place, and we want you to do the same.

So I encourage you to use the tips Chris shares to help you understand why some of your messages may end up in Promotions or Primary, so that you can better read your data and optimize your campaigns.

Remember the golden rule: Be transparent, and send valuable content that your subscribers want to read and engage with. And of course, email responsibly. :)

As usual, here are a few links referenced in the episode:

Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

Be sure to stay tuned for Part II next week!

Apr 5, 2016

Email marketing is an effective way to automate and scale your service-based or local business.

The basic principles of acquiring and nurturing leads, developing top-of-mind awareness, and automating customer interactions are relevant for all businesses, not just digital.

In this podcast episode, we pick the brain of Matthew Rodela of Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy. Matthew has built multiple computer repair, and consulting businesses, and also provides fantastic resources for anyone who is starting or maintaining their own computer business. He currently hosts the Computer Business Podcast.

The tactics Matthew shares with his community are relevant for most service-based and local business, so whether you fix computers, walk dogs, plan weddings, chop down trees, or service mortgages, this episode is jam-packed with actionable insights.

In this episode you'll learn:

  • How to use email marketing to nuture leads from your website
  • How to use email automation to build customer relationships
  • How to increase referrals and repeat business with top-of-mind marketing

Here are a few links referenced in the episode:

Have a question about email marketing? Leave us a message at aweber.com/podcast.

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