Just in case you haven’t heard, Dynamic Edge co-owner and resident fitness guru, TIM NEIMAN traveled to New Hampshire this past weekend to compete at the annual Timberman Triathlon Festival, named the #1 “Must-do Triathlon Adventure” by Triathlete Magazine.

But, not to be mistaken with the throng of international superstars-turned-triathletes, Neiman didn’t hire a former Olympian to coach him through this race, which was three times the distance and pain of his last competition. He trained solo, spending long hours after a full day’s work running, biking, swimming and (I would guess) wincing in pain.

The 70.3 mile race included 56 hilly miles of biking, a 1.2 mile swim in clear, blue Lake Winnipesaukee, and a 13.1 mile run along its shores… a trek that most of us would only hope to make over a series of days. His time was 5:36:1!

Congratulations and Admiration are due to Tim Neiman, Our Fearless Leader… who inspires us to go further, push harder, and curl up in the fetal position to cry like babies.

… Who would have thought (those of you who read my first couple of entries, that is) that you would ever be reading about me explaining something at least marginally technical to one of our clients?!?

We started testing out a new email program, called MyEmma, which allows us to generate and email newsletters to our subscribed clients at the end of June. Since then, we’ve really gotten the hang of this thing and are now implementing this email marketing for our clients. And who, do you think, is responsible for handling this all?? Exactly! Weird huh?

So far, I’ve learned that the biggest drawback to the utility is the initial startup cost. At $250, a number of our clients have shied away at first, but the benefits really outweigh the cost… for sure!

First, you can register as many of your clients/customers/contacts as you want, with as many different lists as you need. You can upload them from a spreadsheet program, and you can send out as many different mailings as you’d like. This is huge, considering most other services limit either the number of contacts you can set up or the number of  lists you have. It’s all spelled out very clearly on the service provider’s website, and best of all there are no hidden fees. You simply get billed for what you use. Here’s how it breaks down:

1,000 emails a month / $30
2,500 emails a month / $45
5,000 emails a month / $70
7,500 emails a month / $100
10,000 emails a month / $125
17,500 emails a month / $170
25,000 emails a month / $210
37,500 emails a month / $280
50,000 emails a month / $350
75,000 emails a month / $480
100,000 emails a month / $600
larger volumes/custom pricing

As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages for businesses who use email newsletters and blasts to stay in contact with their customers and friends. Recently, we had a seminar on SEO and we added in a little bit about just such a thing. So, without further adieu, here are Dynamic Edge Inc’s six steps to a successful email campaign!

1. Use Email to Relate – They need to know who it’s coming from. Every “from” sends a different message.
2. Come up with an attention-getting subject line.
3. Tell them a story. Everybody loves a good story, and pictures are worth 1,000 words!
4. Make your message memorable – it does you no good to email if they immediately forget it.
5. Be relevant. The quickest way to get flagged as spam is to send people messages that are totally unrelated to what you do. For example, if you run a shoe boutique, don’t e-blast your client list for cosmetic products, etc!
6. Make sure to incorporate a human touch. People are drawn to what they can relate to. A great photo can accomplish human touch, too.

If you have questions about writing an e-edition newsletter, building an email campaign, MyEmma or anything related give me a call at ext. 129 and I’ll try and help you out!

And there was much rejoicing…

Deb has been having a hard time seeing the videos on YouTube, which wouldn’t be a big deal except that on a somewhat regular basis, a rather hilarious YouTube will come around the office email system, and she’s just wondering what’s so funny.

We identified the problem: No Flash Player.
The solution to Deb’s little conundrum was clear and simple to me, as I’ve been immersed in Techland for nearly three months, we needed to download a Flash Player for Deb’s laptop.

Okay, so it wasn’t exactly rocket science. As Trevor pointed out, “You’d be amazed by how far you can get with technology by simply reading.” Not to burst my own bubble, but he was right. Alas! In the area where Deb’s YouTube video frame should be appearing, was black text that read “YOU NEED FLASH PLAYER TO WATCH THIS VIDEO” in not so explicit terms, of course.

Three clicks later and Voila! Deb’s YouTubing with the best of us! I helped somebody, life is good :)

ttyl, stormie