Email Subject Lines

35% of email users open messages because of what's contained in the subject line - Jupiter Research (2007)

Words that were identified as innocuous words that won't trigger a spam filter but will negatively affect your open rates: help, percent off and reminder. - MailChimp (2007)

So subject lines for your email messages are important. How do you write good ones?  Here are 3 articles to help you from experts at Constant Contact.

6 Tips for Writing Better Subject Lines
Subject Lines That Click
Subject Lines & Calls to Action

Finding Opportunity in a Down Economy

A Back-to-Basics Approach to Successful Marketing in Difficult Times.  This 14 page article from Constant Contact offers a lot of good suggestions for honing your marketing strategy and taking advantage of email marketing as a tool. Excellent read!

Finding Opportunity in a Down Economy Article

Word 2003 AutoText & AutoCorrect

Using Your Computer To Work Smarter

 “Like an ant on a stick both ends of which are burning, I go to and fro without knowing what to do,…”

All of us have days that just seem to get away from us.  But there is hope!  There are features or tools in most of our software programs that will help us be more productive.

AutoText – If you have a group of text that you type regularly – the signature block on your letters, a table you use for quoting new projects, the page you use for listing steps in a job – you can use AutoText to save the text and formatting then insert it whenever you need it.

To create the AutoText:

1. Type your text.
2. Format your text.
3. Select all of the text and formatting.
4. Go to Insert on the menubar > AutoText > New
5. In the window that opens, name your text group. EX: my signature block.
6. Click OK.

When you’re ready to insert the text in a document:

1. Place your cursor where you want the text group to go.
2. Start typing the NAME of the text. EX: my signat
3. A small box will pop up over your curser with a sample of the AutoText.
4. Hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
5. The entire AutoText that you created and named “my signature block” will type into the document with the same formatting you gave it.

AutoCorrect – If there is a long word or phrase you frequently type such as your full company name, a product you sell, a service you offer, you can list it in AutoCorrect so Word will type it for you! 

To create the AutoCorrect:

1. Type the text you want to insert and format it. EX: Your Computer Lady.
2. Select the text.
3. Go to Tools on the meubar > AutoCorrect Options
4. Click on the AutoCorrect tab
5. In the “Replace” field, type your abbreviation or short version. EX: “ycl”.
6. In the “With” field, you will see your selected text.
7. Above the “With” field, you can select to insert your corrected text as either “Plain text” or “Formatted text.” EX: Your Computer Lady (Plain text) or Your Computer Lady (Formatted text).
8. Click the Add button.
9. Click OK.

When you’re ready to insert the text in a document:

1. Place your curser where you want to insert the text.
2. Type your “Replace” text. EX: ycl.
3. Hit the space bar on your keyboard.
4. Word will type the whole text for you. EX: Your Computer Lady

AutoCorrect can also be used to automatically correct words that you spell wrong!  EX: Replace “Pheonix” With “Phoenix”  Every time I mis-spell the city, Word fixes it for me!

Word 2007 Building Blocks & AutoCorrect

Using Your Computer To Work Smarter

“Like an ant on a stick both ends of which are burning, I go to and fro without knowing what to do,…”

All of us have days that just seem to get away from us.  But there is hope!  There are features or tools in most of our software programs that will help us be more productive.

Microsoft Word 2007

Quick Parts / Building Blocks (AutoText in version 2003) – If you have a group of text that you type regularly – the signature block on your letters, a table you use for quoting new projects, the page you use for listing steps in a job – you can use AutoText to save the text and formatting then insert it whenever you need it.

To create the Building Block:

1. Type your text.
2. Format your text.
3. Select all of the text and formatting. Note that this can be used for headers and footers including those with graphics.
4. Go to the  Insert  tab on the ribbon
5. Click Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery
6. In the Create New Building block window that opens:
1. Name your text group. EX: my signature block.
2. Choose which Gallery you want the block to be saved in. Note that AutoText is one of the Galleries.
3. Choose a Category for the block. Optional.
4. Describe the block. Recommended.
5. Leave the Save in as Building Blocks.dotx
6. Choose your insert options. 
7. Click OK.

When you’re ready to insert the text in a document:

1. Place your cursor where you want the block to go.
2. Click the Quick Parts icon. The most recently used Building Block will be previewed in the window. Left click to use that block.
3. Select Building Blocks Organizer
4. A list of all of the blocks will open. You can sort the blocks by clicking any column heading (Name, Gallery, Category, etc.).
5. Left click to select the block you wish to use. You can see a preview of the block on the right side of the window.
6. Click the Insert button.

AutoCorrect – If there is a long word or phrase you frequently type such as your full company name, a product you sell, a service you offer, you can list it in AutoCorrect so Word will type it for you! 

To create the AutoCorrect:

1. Type the text you want to insert and format it. EX: Your Computer Lady.
2. Select the text.
3. Click the Office Button > Word Options in the bottom right corner
4. Click on Proofing on the left side navigation of the Word Options window.
5. Click on the AutoCorrect  Options button.
6. In the “Replace” field, type your abbreviation or short version. EX: “ycl”.
7. In the “With” field, you will see your selected text.
8. Above the “With” field, you can select to insert your corrected text as either “Plain text” or “Formatted text.” EX: Your Computer Lady (Plain text) or Your Computer Lady (Formatted text).
9. Click the Add button.
10. Click OK.
11. Click OK to close the Word Options window.

When you’re ready to insert the text in a document:

1. Place your curser where you want to insert the text.
2. Type your “Replace” text. EX: ycl.
3. Hit the space bar on your keyboard.
4. Word will type the whole text for you. EX: Your Computer Lady

AutoCorrect can also be used to automatically correct words that you spell wrong!  EX: Replace “Pheonix” With “Phoenix”  Every time I mis-spell the city, Word fixes it for me!

Pet DNA of Arizona Access Database

Dr. Michael Prochazka is the principal of Pet DNA Services of AZ. I met Michael at a class presented by the Maricopa County Small Business Development Center. Michael asked for assistance with building an Access database to replace the cumbersome Excel spreadsheet he had been using.

YCL created:

• Forms with drop-down menus to allow faster and more accurate input of data.
• Relational tables to tie together information about the owner, their horses, the tests they had    requested.
• Two versions of the test report that could be emailed or printed for the owner.

Challenges:

• Making the leap from the limitations of Excel to the many options of Access. Michael hadn't used Access previously so it was a new program for him. It took us several versions and updates to get to the final version.
• YCL had to learn quite a bit about genetic testing to put together the tables, forms and reports. This is an area where YCL excels, however. We really want to learn how your business operates. The first project is always the hardest. But as we learn your preferences and the facets of your business, the whole process gets easier.

The Social Media Bible

I attended the Social Media Symposium yesterday hosted by Arizona Small Business Association. The author of this book was the keynote speaker.  http://www.thesocialmediabible.com/

Rush to Social Media

eMarketer article about the phenomenal growth of social media.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1006910