Subject Lines: 15 Rules to Write Them Right

Fifty characters could be all that stands between you and success in your next email campaign.

Fifty characters is all the space you have in a typical subject line to catch your reader's eye and entice him to open your email and take the action you want.

How could something so small make or break an email's success? Because many recipients use the subject line to decide whether to open or delete an email.

Subject lines are tricky devils, however. A good one can get your email opened in a flash, while a bad one could spell oblivion in the trash or junk file.

Because so much is riding on your subject line, we came up with 15 rules for crafting a good one. Be sure to review them before you send your next email campaign.

read on ...

How to make 2009 Your Best Year Ever

Did you know that online spending is predicted to INCREASE by 14% this year?



So despite what you're hearing about the current economy, this is still an EXCELLENT time to start or grow your Internet business!



And I've arranged to get you some FREE help doing it...



You've probably heard of Derek Gehl, right?



He's the Internet marketing guru that's made over $100 MILLION inonline sales as head of the Internet Marketing Center.



Derek's been hard at work, researching and identifying the BIGGEST online trends for 2009, and coming up with strategies that ANYONE can use to take advantage of these trends to make more money online this year than ever.



And now he's turned all of his research, predictions, and strategies into a two-hour online presentation...... and he's given me permission to give you unrestricted access to the whole thing for FREE!



But I know first-hand that, due to the time-sensitive nature of this information, Derek's only going to make it available for a short time, so if you want to find out how to not just survive in 2009, but actually THRIVE, you need to check it our right away:



http://www.internetmarketing.com/2009-goals/1087521



Best wishes for 2009

Leading transition - a new model for change

Change is nothing new to leaders, or their constituents. We understand by now that organizations cannot be just endlessly "managed," replicating yesterday's practices to achieve success. Business conditions change and yesterday's assumptions and practices no longer work. There must be innovation, and innovation means change.

Read on ....

Simply Solving the Puzzle

When most young children are given a puzzle to solve or put together that is especially challenging, most will make a good effort at solving it, but if unsuccessful will soon lose interest and abandon it. Some will even become angry at their failure to solve it and may throw a tantrum.
Contrast that with the experienced puzzle player who proceeds to put the puzzle together with an air of certain confidence that they will complete it. They know that they have all of the pieces of the puzzle before them so it is only a matter of finding out which pieces work where and once that's done the puzzle will be complete. Putting a piece in the wrong place is not a cause for concern; it's simply another step toward putting all of the pieces in their proper place.

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Hiring in the modern world

Video:

Malcolm Gladwell (author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point”) on the challenge of hiring in the modern world.

39 Resources To Launch a Business

- Most of Them Are Free! http://adjix.com/cgw9

Small business cost-cutting inspiration

In this economy, everyone’s looking for ways to cut down, and small businesses are no exception. One of the best ways to save money in business is to examine your annual expenses and consider how you can decrease those costs. Thankfully, there are some pretty amazing resources to help you figure out new ways to do just that. Check out what we consider to be the top 100 blogs for resources and inspiration to cutting your small business costs in 2009:



http://adjix.com/v4g7

7 Tips for leaving the office earlier

1. Stop participating in the cultural rules. Commit to getting out the door on time. Who decided that you should work until 7:00 p.m.? How much is the time "you're devoting because you're a salaried employee and obligated to do what it takes to get the job done" worth?

... more

Special Report: Marketing Wisdom 2009 - free download

Download Your Complimentary PDF of Real-Life Lessons Learned

This free copy of the Marketing Wisdom 2009 report comes from Sherpa who produce a constnt flow of marketing case-studies and practical know-how. It features a new collection of some of the best real-life lessons learned last year by marketers worldwide.

Click to download your PDF

Thanks to the hundreds of MarketingSherpa readers who contributed stories on email, search, social media and much more for this seventh annual report. The Editorial team pored over those stories to come up with the "best" test results and practical advice at big and small organizations alike.

And a big thank you to Omniture, which is covering the production costs for this report for the fifth year as a service to the marketing community.

That link again.

They do ask one thing with their reuse policy: Please do not cut, edit or otherwise alter the Wisdom Report in any way when you distribute it. Thanks - and enjoy the wisdom you will receive in this Special Report.

Book - Setting the table

Pivotal Book:

Setting the Table - the Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business


Is the customer always right? According to Danny Meyer, one of America's leading restaurateurs, the answer is no--but "they must always feel heard."

In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he's learned while developing the winning recipe for doing the business he calls "enlightened hospitality."

This innovative philosophy emphasizes putting the power of hospitality to work in a new and counterintuitive way: The first and most important application of hospitality is to the people who work for you, and then, in descending order of priority, to the guests, the community, the suppliers, and the investors.

This way of prioritizing stands the more traditional business model on their heads, but Danny considers it the foundation of every success that he and his restaurants have achieved. He hired "genuine, happy, optimistic" people.

They shared their good feelings with customers. And customers felt liked and valued. They became regulars --- and if the secret of a successful long-term enterprise is not Repeat Business, what is it?

more on Setting the Table