Why I left MailChimp for Mailerlite

When you make the decision to start a blog, your next move should be to start building your email list. An email list will allow you the opportunity to learn more about your audience’s needs so you can create content, products, etc. that will resolve their problems.

Building your mailing list is not an easy feat, so you need to make sure that the email service provider you choose works for you. MailChimp is the default email service provider bloggers choose because it’s free for the first 2K subscribers and relatively easy to use. Those were two of the main reasons why I chose MailChimp. In fact, that’s why I started creating MailChimp tutorials on automations and segments.

However, lately, I had been growing a bit frustrated with my most recent MailChimp email campaigns. I go into my reasoning more in the below video, but if you’re looking for the CliffsNotes version it’s because I noticed a dip in my open rates. I know there are a lot of factors that can go into this such as headlines, day and time of day sent, etc.

When you know you’re providing quality content, it’s extremely disheartening to see those types of results. Then I came across a couple posts on social media mentioning that MailChimp’s emails usually have low open rates because they tend to get stuck in spam or the promotion folder in Gmail.

Needless to say, I decided to “investigate” by taking a portion of my list and started to test MailerLite. I can honestly say that I’m upset that I didn’t switch to Mailerlite sooner! Not only were my open rates higher with Mailerlite, but there were a variety of other features that I feel Mailerlite does better than MailChimp.

Interface

Mailerlite’s interface has a much more modern user-friendly interface. The drag and drop builder and templates offer more aesthetically pleasing options that MailChimp (especially with the built-in photo editor). It’s a lot easier to locate features like creating segments, create forms, etc.

I can easily see how my email is going to look on a desktop or mobile. I’m able to schedule my emails to be delivered based on my subscriber’s time zone which is a feature that you have to pay extra for in MailChimp.

However, one of the features I’m most looking forward to is the tagging feature that Mailerlite literally just released the other day (I will be creating another follow up video regarding this feature very soon).

Reporting

I like the reporting features in Mailerlite better than MailChimp mainly due to the interface appearance. Again, it’s easier to quickly locate and gather the information that I need.

The Click map is one of my favorite Mailerlite reporting features. The click map is a visual representation of all the links that your subscribers clicked on in your email campaign.

Pricing

Even though MailChimp offers you the opportunity to have more subscribers on their free plan, you MailChimp is going to be much more expensive for you in the long run. Take a look at their pricing plan.

Mailerlite offers 24/7 email support for ALL of their plans. MailChimp only offers support for their paid plans.

I already know that Mailerlite is awesome, so now it’s your turn to see for yourself. Sign up for Mailerlite click on this link to get started and watch the complete Mailerlite tutorial below. Don’t forget to download your free Email Series Automation Guide by clicking right here.

Mailerlite Video Key markers

My email marketing provider journey 7:45
Mailerlite Dashboard Walkthru 8:49
Campaign Walkthru 12:55
Create a folder 13:24
Subscriber group 14:17 to 24:21
Segment 17:18 to 21:12
Forms 24:55 to 37:16
Install Forms and locate Form URL 37:16 to 41:09
Landing pages 41:21 to 46:26
Automation 46:38 to 1:03
Regular Campaign 1:04 to
Schedule the campaign 1:08
Choose campaign Schedule1:11
A/B Split Campaign 1:12
Auto Resend 1:12:08
RSS Campaign 1:13:35

I’m curious to hear your thoughts about Mailerlite. Be sure to join us in the Goal Slayers Facebook Group and our Pinterest Board.

Are You a Goal Slayer?

“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Albert Einstein

This quote always reminds me to dream big when I sit down to create my goals (I even wrote a post about it). I can’t help it because I’m a goal slayer.

It’s never too early to start planning for next year (especially since it’s right around the corner!). Why? Now is the perfect time to sit back and assess all of the “risks” that you didn’t tackle this year.

You don’t want to prolong going yet another year of asking yourself the following questions:

“Should I launch my blog?”
“I don’t feel confident enough to host a webinar/masterclass.”
“I can’t don’t have enough material to start a YouTube channel.”

Guess what? You will NEVER have all of your ducks lined up in a row. Life doesn’t work that way. There will NEVER be a perfect time to achieve your dreams until you take the initiative to create it.

I’ve been in the marketing industry for over 10 years. It’s been interesting to see how things have changed, but shaking free from the excuses of getting started has consistently remained the same for many people.

I spent this entire weekend imagining all of the goals that I desire to achieve next year. I started updating my content calendar, went through my goal setting formula exercise and reevaluated my routine to see if there were any changes that I needed to make.

However, I decided that I didn’t want to wait until next year to start one of my goals. I created a Facebook group called Goal Slayers. This group is dedicated to providing bloggers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to soar to new heights online together.

My goal is to create an atmosphere that will enable people to bring the dreams that they imagine to fruition. I plan on accomplishing this feat by doing the following:

Hosting Facebook Live and/or Workshops
A place where newbies and experienced folks can ask and answer questions.
Designated threads where folks can share their work with others. Below are the promotion threads:

Subscriber Sunday: Share your newsletter with us by creating a Pinterest pin that leads back to your newsletter sign up page.
Content Sunday: The struggle to create valuable content is real. If you’re struggling to stay motivated, then check out our blog post prompt.
Monday Motivation: Share your goals for the week.
Tech Tuesday: Share your favorite tech tool or resource.
Youtube Tuesday: Share your YouTube Channel.
Wednesday Wisdom: Share your blog post
Thursday Tweets: Share a link to your profile or a tweet
Facebook Friday: Share your Facebook page
Pinterest Saturdays: Share your latest Pinterest pin

I’ve been toying with this idea for a while but finally decided it was time to make it happen! If there is a project that has been on your to-do list, don’t wait another minute. It’s time to cross it off of your list.

Become a Goal Slayer so we can work it out (I love that song) in 2018 together!

How to Create a Segment with MailChimp

Creating valuable content is imperative if you wish to be successful in your email marketing endeavors. You’re clearly on the right track if you’re getting people to sign up for mailing list. However, in order to ensure that your subscribers remain engaged, you need to make sure that you segment your email list. It is essential to segment your list in order to ensure that the content that you created truly resonates with those on your list. Everyone is going to be at different stages in their online journey. They are either at start, drive or thrive and it’s up to you to ensure that the content you create uniquely addresses each of their needs. Once you have addressed the aforementioned, then you will have the parameters you need (i.e. categories, occasions, etc.) to effectively segment your mailing list. All of the major email providers offer this as a feature in their plans, but the one I decided to create a video for is MailChimp.MailChimp is one of the most cost effective companies you can use to build your email list. You can have an email list of up to 2k subscribers before you will be charged. MailChimp allows you to create lists, opt-in forms, email automations, email campaigns, etc. Enough rambling from me, check out the below video in order to learn how to segment your email list using MailChimp.Don’t forget to download our email series automation planning guide.

125 Ways to Promote Your Brand

If you build it, they will come,” is advice that only works in the movies. In the real world, savvy business owners are all too familiar with the fact that customers aren’t going to “magically” appear.If you want your business to grow, then you have to find them. Easier said than done, right? Save yourself countless hours of frustration by taking this shortcut so your business can get the attention that it deserves.

ONLINE

Depending on your email campaign provider, look to see if there is an option to “broadcast” option. This feature will allow your blog posts to be automatically released to various social networks. Be sure to release your posts on social networks most frequented by your target audience. Emphasis on where your audience is located. If you don’t advertise where your audience is located then you’re just talking to yourself. In other instances that may be cool, but this is not one of them.
Publish your content on Medium.
Be a guest on a podcast within your industry. You can discover podcasts by checking out the following:
- RadioGuestList
- iTunes
- Stitcher
- Google Play
- Anchor
Livestream is extremely popular right now so you might as well jump on that bandwagon. 😉
Answer questions on Quora, Facebook pages, Facebook Groups, industry forums, etc.
Create How To tutorials
Create a montage of people wearing or using your product/service. If you create T-shirts, then ask your followers to send in a picture or video of them wearing the T-shirt for a chance to be featured on your website and/or YouTube channel.
Partner with an influencer on a joint webinar
Run an Instagram Hashtag contest. Have your followers use a particular hashtag and have them tag a friend who could also benefit from your offering.
Testimonials will help strengthen your credibility. If you’re not sure how to get them, have people beta test your product so you can use their feedback, get recommendations on LinkedIn, etc.
Do NOT sleep on Pinterest. I will admit it. I thought it was going to be a waste of time. I haven’t been doing it that long and have noticed an improvement in my bounce rates and average session duration time.
- Create a pin. Make sure it’s vertical and professional. Infographic type of pins tend to get a lot of shares.
- Join group boards and Tailwind Tribes
- Join Facebook Pinterest groups like Pinning Pals, Bloggers Unite on Pinterest, etc.
Design a referral program
Cross promote with other businesses by doing a Loop Giveaway Contest. Honestly, this is a great idea if you keep the number of businesses down to a reasonable number. In my opinion, keep it down to 3 to 5 and TELL people upfront how many businesses are participating in the group. If you’re like me and see that a company has failed to meet the aforementioned criteria, you’re just going to roll your eyes and continue scrolling your feed.
Create an amazing lead magnet (hint, hint, like this one or this one). Email courses, ebooks, etc. are really great subtle ways to get your content into your audience’s hands.
Sign up to be a source on HARO and you also have the opportunity to advertise with them as well.

OFFLINE

1. Host a free workshop at the library or co-working space.

2. Create a loyalty program using companies like Belly, Perksville, etc.

3. Join a business association.

4. Offer a no strings attached 15 to 30-minute consultations that can be done via Skype or in-person.

5.Create a product/service with another business that complements your business.

6. Record a masterclass and then use it as a lead magnet or as a tripwire.

7. Get listed in relevant business directories (i.e. Angie’s List, Trustpilot, Upwork, etc.).

8. Run or sponsor an event in your community (i.e. 5K, art festival, etc.).

9. Create exclusive products or services and offer them solely to your existing customers.

10. How many times have you attended a conference, looked in the swag bag only to find a pen? If you’re able to do so donate branded travel chargers, USBs, etc. You will automatically be remembered! 🙂

If you have enjoyed the ideas that I have shared so far, please be sure to download the rest of this list right here.Don’t forget to pin and share this post!

How to Create an Automated Email Series using MailChimp

When you first launch your business, one of the first things that you want to start doing is collecting email address. MailChimp is a great email campaign provider that will enable you to accomplish this goal. It’s easy to use and best of all it is free (if you have an email list that is less than 2K subscribers). It’s important to build an email list because this will help you to further develop a relationship with your audience.

Once your audience gets to know you, they will feel more comfortable conducting business with you. One of the ways to reduce the time it takes to get acquainted with each other would be to create a welcome series or email course. Once you create your automated email series, be sure to add it to your

series or email course. Once you create your automated email series, be sure to add it to your content calendar. Check out the video below and download your Automation checklist along with various.

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How to Protect Yourself from Digital Content Thieves

Even when you use a content calendar, the struggle to create valuable content is REAL. Having a general sense of the topic you wish to discuss and actually taking the time to bring that content to fruition are two different things. My writing process goes a little something like this:

1. Ok, it’s time to write about (insert topic) so let’s get this party started.

1. I stare at the screen waiting for “inspiration” to take over.

1. After 15 minutes, I’m done waiting for “inspiration” to arrive, so I figure I might as well take an undeserved pomodoro break…

1. I work on other projects, run errands, etc.

1. “Inspiration” finally arrives and I’m nowhere near my laptop. However, this is the story of my life, so I’m well aware that this is going to happen. The recorder app on my phone always gets a workout.

1. I record my thoughts.

I get back in front of my laptop and start furiously typing until I’m done with the blog or video.

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How to create an amazing content calendar

Are you starting to feel like a jack of all trades, but master of none? As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate, so it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. The only way to spread awareness about your brand is through consistent promotion. You’re probably thinking,” I know, but there are only so many hours in a day, “or “I don’t know where to begin.”

The amazing content calendar that I created will help you to effectively manage your time for the entire year. Plus, you will experience relief from knowing that you have one less task to complete, so you can get back to the real reasons.

If you like what you see, be sure to purchase the calendar (it’s only $15). Don’t forget to download your FREE Content Calendar Bundle.

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Is Grammarly the best online grammar checker?

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” ~Nelson Mandela.

This quote is my favorite because it sums up why I enjoy learning different languages. I have a strong desire to communicate with people. It is essential to at least possess a basic understanding of grammar to get your point across.

If you are anything like me, when you hear the word ‘grammar’ you are probably having flashbacks to when you were a child and your teacher forced you to do all of those boring grammar exercises. It is because of memories like mine why people don’t enjoy learning about grammar.

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Email/Social Media

Interface

Reporting

Pricing

Mailerlite Video Key markers

“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

Albert Einstein

ONLINE

OFFLINE