Greenery is Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year

I love to read about Pantone’s Color of the Year every year because they choose a color that is an expression of the mood and attitude of the world around us.

For 2017, Pantone has chosen Greenery as their color of the year. It’s a refreshing and revitalizing shade of green that symbolizes new beginnings.

What do you think of this year’s Color of the Year?

Today is National Wear Red Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!

How to Start a Conversation with Customers on Facebook

Most every business has a Facebook page. Do you? It’s a great way to let your customers know about your business, who you are and what you do.

But remember it’s social media and you have to be social. So, how do you start a conversation with customers on social media like Facebook?

Here are some foolproof ways to get that conversation started.

Ask questions

One of the best ways to start a conversation with your fans is to post a question.

Questions are a great way to promote your business and find out what your customers are thinking.

Asking a question can also give your social media a great boost. Every fan that engages with your post (likes, shares or comments on your post) boosts the number of people who also see your content because the engagement is shared in their newsfeed to all their friends.

What type of question should you post? Your question can be anything from asking for feedback on your latest product to a short survey.

Share tips and tricks

You’re the expert in your field, right? So share some of your knowledge with your fans. Post a short video or blog with some information that you think your readers would find helpful.

Are you a chef? Share a great recipe that you’ve found or a great kitchen shortcut that would save your readers time in the kitchen. Are you a hair stylist? Post a video of a great color that you just did for a customer. 

Be yourself

Your fans want to get to know you and your company. If they know you and trust you, they will do business with you.

Use your Facebook page to show the behind the scenes parts of your company. 

Highlight new (and old) employees. Post about charities that your business participates in.

Post testimonials from happy customers. Testimonials aren’t just for your website!

Inspire

Do you have some great quotes that inspire you? Share them with your fans. Sometimes a great quote will resonate with your fans and increase your engagement.

Remember the social part of social media. If your fans are commenting, you need to follow up and continue the conversation.

Are you ready to start having conversations with your customers?

Don’t let being a woman hold you back from the leader that you’re destined to be. – Jamie Farsnel

6 Tips For Writing Catchy Email Subject Lines

Fact: 33% of email recipients decide whether or not to open an email based on the subject line alone.

That’s why it is so important to craft a compelling subject line…..so people will open and read your email.

Here are some tips to write email subject lines that people will actually click.

Keep it short

Email subject lines will get cut off if they are too long, especially on mobile devices. And 40% of emails are being opened on mobile devices first.

You need to keep your email subject line to fewer than 50 characters. This will allow people to see the entire subject line when they’re scanning their email.

Use a recognizable sender name

If the sender is unknown, most people do aren’t want to chance opening spam. It might contain a virus.

Also, emails from ‘info@” or “customerservice@” are unlikely to get opened. They don’t sound friendly.

If you need to have emails coming from a generic email account, set one up using a name, such as ‘Sue@”. You’ve just increased the likelihood of the email being opened by having it come from a person.

Use action verbs

Similar to the Call-to-Action on your website, you need to let people know what to do and express the urgency to open the email. An action verb used at the beginning of the subject line can entice readers to open your email.

Make them feel special

Give your readers a sense of exclusivity; that they are on the inside. This can help build loyalty by creating a sense of belonging.

For example, your subject line could be ‘You’re Invited’ or ‘Exclusively for our favorite customers’. This will make them feel special.

Keep it concise

Since people quickly scan their inbox, you need a clear and concise subject line that will grab their attention.

Think about how your email will benefit the reader. Make that benefit clear in the subject line.

Don’t use all caps

People will feel yelled at if your subject line is all caps. And no one likes to get yelled at!

Also, overusing exclamation points can be a big turn off too.

Using all caps or too many exclamation points can make an email look like spam.

If you have something exciting to share with your mailing list, remember to craft a compelling subject line and your email will get opened.

It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. – J.K. Rowling