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How to Improve Your Email Copywriting in 2019

Posted: 05 Apr 2019 10:30 AM PDT

Email marketing isn't going anywhere; it's still one of the most effective ways to directly reach your target audience. But are the emails you're sending to your subscribers and customers helping you reach your goals? You can't just email your audience and ask them to buy your products or services. You have to write your messages in a way that grabs their attention, builds a connection, and encourages them to take action.

Luckily though, you don't need to be a professional copywriter to write emails that increase engagement and drive sales. Here's how to improve your email copywriting efforts this year.

1. Craft a killer subject line

Most marketers spend all their time focusing on creating awesome body copy, but a great subject line is just as important as what you say in the "meat and potatoes" of your email message. A killer subject line is what gets users to open your email in the first place; 35 percent of email recipients open email based on the subject line alone. So, if you want to improve your email copywriting, work on creating killer subject lines too.

Keep your subject lines short and sweet, pique their curiosity with a teaser of what they'll get inside your email, make them personalized, use action-oriented words – these are just a few tips for creating a killer subject line for your emails. Remember though, don't create a subject line that has nothing to do with your email message. If they're completely unrelated, you'll leave your recipients feeling duped and you'll lose the trust you've been working so hard to build.

2. Write in a "scannable" way

When writing email copy, it's not just about what you write, but how you write it. You need to write your emails in a "scannable" way so that recipients can quickly consume your message.

You might think that writing in a scannable way encourages your readers to skim your content and that they'll miss important details. But readers are already skimming messages; they typically don't have the patience to read your entire email.

In fact, according to a study from the Microsoft Corp. a few years ago, people today generally lose concentration after eight seconds – that's less than a goldfish. Nobody wants to spend time reading a wall of text and it's not eye-catching either. So, write in a scannable way that encourages users to read your email.

How do you write in a scannable way? Here are some tips:

  • Follow a logical structure; don't jump around or make it confusing.

  • Keep paragraphs short and use plenty of whitespace.

  • Include bulleted lists and subheadings.

  • Highlight important words and sentences in bold.

  • Include one main idea per paragraph.

  • Add images and other visual features.

3. More "you," less "we"

Your email copywriting needs to be more for your customers and less about you, that's why you need to use more "you" and less "we." When writing email copy it's not the time or place for you to talk in length about your company, its history, product features, etc. Your email copywriting needs to be about the needs of your audience and the benefits they'll receive. For example, instead of writing "We provide the best lawn care service, our services...," write, "You'll get the best lawn care service. Not only will you enjoy a lush, green lawn, but you'll have peace of mind knowing your lawn is in good hands."  

While on the topic of writing for your audience, make sure your emails are conversational, like you're talking to a friend in a casual setting. Don't speak in marketing terms that your audience won't understand or won't relate to. Talk to them like a friend and they'll be more likely to enjoy your emails as well as have more trust in your business.

4. Use psychology

Did you know that you can use psychology in your email copywriting to better get into the minds of your audience? Using simple psychology in your email marketing is a great way to get your readers to act in the way you want them to.

For instance, you can use urgency, scarcity and FOMO (the fear of missing out) to get readers to act quickly. Offering a limited-time discount is a great way to use urgency and FOMO. You could even offer a free gift for the first 25 people who make a purchase, which plays on urgency, FOMO and scarcity all at once.

Personalization is another way to use psychology in your email copywriting too. Using the recipient's name in your email copy is a great way to grab their attention and sending them messages that are personalized to their interests and needs is highly effective as well.

Conclusion

Start writing more effective emails. These tips for how to improve your email copywriting efforts will allow your emails to really make an impact on your subscribers and your customers. Whatever the goal of your email is, whether it's to boost engagement or increase conversions, your recipients will read your message and want to take your desired action – as long as you remember to add a call-to-action in your emails, of course.

How 5G Will Change Your Small Business

Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:45 AM PDT

The promise of 5G is that it will finally usher in the era of gigabit speeds for everyone. While most of the consumer market thinks about being able to download games and movies in seconds, there are some big implications for small business as well.

We're still at the very beginning of the 5G era, with each wireless carrier laying out its own plans for what its network rollout will look like. The first cell phones with 5G capability just rolled out with the Motorola Moto Z3 and the 5G Moto Mod. Many more 5G devices will launch this year – an indication that it's time to start paying attention to what this new era of mobility will bring.

What 5G will do

Many focus on speed when it comes to 5G, and that is an important part of the equation. While the promise of gigabit speeds are exciting, one of the main transformative changes that 5G will bring is reduced communication delays.

Latency is how much time it takes for a data packet to get from one point to another. The more latency can be reduced, the better the many devices online can communicate. This will be important for businesses that rely on IoT (internet of things) technology, connecting multiple devices and sensors to provide insight into business operations and product placement and to communicate data about business operations. According to a report from Ericsson, there will be 18 billion IoT devices by 2022, with 1.5 billion of them operating on cellular connections.

Many in the industry are speaking of 5G as a significant leap forward for application types such as augmented reality and virtual reality, which will be able to operate with greater efficiency. These applications, along with gaming and rapid download of large files, are often reserved for a Wi-Fi connection currently, but 5G has the potential to make this technology work for many use cases and expand what businesses can do.

How to get 5G

Verizon recently launched a home 5G network in October with a limited rollout in a few cities that it will ramp up over time. It's the first go in what will be an expanding battle among the major service providers to build out a 5G network capable of handling bandwidth demands and servicing a wide enough area. The company promises that latency will drop into milliseconds so that lag times will be undetectable.

AT&T, meanwhile, has rolled out its own mobile 5G network, with similar promises about how this connectivity will be key for the business world. Both companies tout innovation and testing labs to further advance the networks' integrations with smart devices. T-Mobile also has its own 5G buildout, with a key part of its strategy being the planned merger with Sprint.

4G vs. 5G

Along with higher speeds, some underlying technology makes 5G unique. For example, regulators have opened up new, unused bands known as millimeter waves. The power and equipment constraints made it so transmissions at these bands weren't feasible with previous technology. Semiconductor and telecom company Qualcomm indicated that typical speed could be in the 1.4Gbps range, with the potential peak speed of 5Gbps.

Currently, the top broadband providers offer 1Gbps in select markets, although many home networks don't come close to those high speeds. By comparison, the latest industry report from OpenSignal found that the highest LTE speeds have plateaued at about 45Gbps. While that sounded fast a few years ago, it's a far cry from what 5G could bring.

State of the networks

All of the major wireless networks have chimed in with their plans for 5G.

Verizon is launching its first 5G rollout April 11 in Chicago and Minneapolis, with plans to expand to 30 markets by the end of the year. The company's business-focused 5G site plays up how the promise of low latency is a boost for the business world.

AT&T has plans as well, first with a supercharged 4G network that it has dubbed 5GE. This is already available in 12 markets, with plans for a proper 5G network later this year. Those in the supported cities can also access the Netgear NightHawk 5G Mobile Hotspot to take advantage of these speeds with different devices.

T-Mobile also has plans for 5G this year, saying that it will be 10 times faster than its current LTE network. The company also touts a combination of its 600MHz spectrum with Sprint's 2.5GHz spectrum, alluding to the wireless carrier's proposed merger with Sprint.

As for Sprint, it essentially mirrors T-Mobile's effort, with references to the planned merger. Expect to hear more details through the year as the different wireless providers compete to offer the more powerful or expansive 5G network. It will be a major play for customers, with each company projecting itself as the keeper of the future of mobile technology.

How 5G will change devices

Cristiano R. Amon, president of Qualcomm, predicted at CES 2018 that the flagship mobile phones would be introduced as early as this year. With more dependable connections, Amon theorized, there may be a reversal in the trend of devices with greater onboard memory to ones with less memory as we move data to cloud storage, which will be much more accessible with 5G. This may affect the prices of mobile devices positively, since there will be less need for physical storage.

AT&T recently announced it will release two Samsung 5G phones in 2019, the second of which will be able to access the sub-6GHz spectrum in addition to millimeter wave (mmWave). The mmWave spectrum offers speeds of up to 1Gbps and ultra-low latency for everyday use, but it has struggled with in-building penetration. The sub-6GHz band should help with that, even if it is a bit slower. The carrier also announced it will carry a Netgear 5G mobile hotspot.

Verizon has announced the Moto Z3 with a 5G Mod as the first device for the company's 5G network. The company promises you can download an entire movie within seconds. This is just the first device, so expect other original equipment manufacturers to make announcements about their own offerings.

The industries 5G will affect first

Beyond consumer electronics, low latency will be key for new innovations in the tech industry, including artificial intelligence and automation. 5G will enable tech services to perform mission-critical operations. Chinese tech giant Baidu recently announced its plans for self-driving vehicles, with 5G technology key to their success. In scenarios of constant connection to a network, such as digital maps and security, the self-driving vehicles of the near future will rely on strong 5G connections to work.

Other fields where mission-critical connections will be essential are medicine, banking and automation. IT infrastructures are also expected to transition to the cloud, reducing the need for physical hardware and transforming the workforce. In the past, companies that have hesitated to pull the trigger on virtualization may re-evaluate when the benefits of 5G latency and speed become clear.

Bottom line

As telecom companies continue to build up the 5G network infrastructure, it's time for businesses to think about how 5G will impact them and how they can take advantage of it. 5G will be key to fields like automation, AI, machine learning, virtualization and cloud computing. It's important to start planning how these fields will affect your workforce and how you do business, because they will likely see a boom in the next few years.

Ultimately, 5G makes big promises for the types of devices and experiences that technology can deliver. Depending on the type of small business you have, this can make a big difference for how you work or connect with customers. No matter how the hype pans out, it's quite likely this will be a necessary improvement to mobile network latency and speed. So it's time to think about how to make this future work for you and your business.

How to Create a Feedback Loop on Cybersecurity

Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:30 AM PDT

Hyatt Hotels recently announced the launch of a new bug bounty program as part of an effort to keep customer data safe. The hotel chain has partnered with HackerOne to offer rewards to researchers who can spot vulnerabilities and security flaws in its digital properties and apps, with bounties of up to $4,000. The announcement comes on the heels of the massive security breach that rocked rival hotel chain Marriott International at the end of 2018, which means it's probably as much a marketing tactic as a cybersecurity measure.

Of course, big software and tech companies have conducted similar programs for years, and Apple has been known to dish out rewards of up to $200,000 to those who stumble upon security flaws within its products.

Hyatt's foray into the space is significant, however, because it is one of the first times a consumer-focused service company has made such a public commitment to cybersecurity.

Making cybersecurity a team effort

Crowdsourced security programs, the reasoning goes, bolster transparency. They create a partnership between brand and customer, and signal the company values the customer's input. Yes, it takes a certain type of courage to acknowledge that your company's security systems and protocols may not be perfect, but the rewards for doing so can be immense.

Not every company has the resources to pay out large bounties to professional hackers, but businesses large and small should still strive to get direct feedback from customers. After all, hearing directly from customers gives you far better insight into their needs than even the most educated guess.

Even when a bounty program isn't a viable option, there are plenty of ways small businesses can get feedback on their security efforts. Constructive criticism at every level fuels growth. When the assessments come from the people you're trying to serve, they're even more valuable.

To cultivate a helpful feedback loop, small business owners can take three simple steps:

1. Actively seek feedback

Paying customers may have the most to lose from bad security practices and will thus be most willing to provide feedback. To find out what they really think of your efforts to keep their data safe, reach out to them on social media, send out surveys via email, or make live chat available on your website.

Remember your customers aren't the only ones who can provide outside perspectives on your processes. For example, a construction firm that interacts with a big general contractor upstream, and a number of different subcontractors downstream, could look to any or all of these partners for feedback on workflow security. If an employee at a partner firm notices that your email isn't encrypted and takes the initiative to alert you or a member of your team, don't disregard that advice. Making security a group endeavor can strengthen your entire ecosystem of partners.

2. Find other ways to reward customers

Money isn't the only way to reward those who help improve your business. Oftentimes, simply thanking a customer who provides constructive criticism can go a long way toward making customers feel appreciated and strengthening your brand. In fact, 45 percent of customers are more likely to forgive a company that responds to their complaints with a thanks and an apology, while only 23 percent respond positively to compensation without the acknowledgement.

You can take it a step further by publicly recognizing customers who provide feedback on social media or in your local advertising. Show your customers that you value them – not just their wallets – and they will become your best ambassadors.

3. Take advantage of low-cost security tools

Customers are far likelier to give constructive feedback if they know you're taking every practical step to protect their data. The sheer number of free and inexpensive security options available means there's little excuse for not having basic precautions in place. Once you've done that, reach out to your customers and tell them specifically what measures you use to secure their data.

The financial investment it takes to encourage helpful outside feedback and ensure basic levels of security is a fraction of what a data breach would cost your company. If your business does fall victim to an attack, having communicated proactively will mean you get to keep your customers' trust.

The Types of Digital Banks and What They Mean For Business

Posted: 05 Apr 2019 07:30 AM PDT

The terms "challenger bank" and "neo bank" emerged a few years ago with the rise of a new type of digital bank aimed at providing tech-savvy customers mobile-first, branchless banking services. UK-based Monzo and Atom Bank were some of the first digital banks on the scene. Today, Monzo has more than 1 million customers, a billion-dollar valuation, and plans to launch in the U.S. soon. Meanwhile, Atom Bank is gearing up for a potential exit with Spanish banking giant BBVA.

The digital banking market is accelerating around the world, largely because of recent regulatory changes that make it easier for new startups to provide financial services to consumers. For instance, across the EU and EEA, the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) requires banks to open up their data to third parties. The legislation not only gives bank customers complete control of their financial data, but it also makes it easier for them to perform payment services across borders. In other words, consumers will be able to share their data, verify their identity, and make payments throughout the EU and EEA far more easily.

The new open banking reform is the UK version of PSD2 and requires banks to share customer financial data with other financial institutions securely and in a standard format should a customer request them to do so.

According to the latest Global Market Insights, Inc. report, the global digital banking market is set to reach $9 trillion by 2024. Though similar regulatory changes are taking longer to reach emerging markets like Latin America, many countries, such as Mexico, are also taking a step in the right direction with the introduction of new fintech laws.

The different types of digital banks

The terms "challenger bank'' and "neo bank" are often used interchangeably, and these banks can offer everything from simple transaction services to lending services for small businesses. As a result, it can be difficult to understand the difference between all the digital banks that now exist.

Here's one way to classify the current digital challenger banks based on their business models and the services they provide.

New banks

New banks have full banking licenses and are direct competitors of the "big four," offering the same services as traditional banks. Examples include Monzo, N26, MyBank, Starling Bank, and Revolut.

Neo banks

Neo banks do not have a banking license, but partner with financial institutions to offer bank-licensed services. Typically, neo banks still require customers to have an account at an existing licensed bank, and then they offer more user-friendly interfaces and fee-free services. WeBank by Tencent, Yolt, Lunarway, and Moven are examples of neo banks.

Beta banks

Beta banks are joint ventures or subsidiaries of existing banks that offer financial services through the parent company's license. Beta banks are often set up as a way to enter new markets, offering limited services, but to a broader consumer base. Examples of beta banks include AiBank (a joint venture between China's CITIC Bank Corp and search giant Baidu) and Simple (a partnership between Bancorp and BBVA).

Non banks

Non banks have no connections to traditional banking licenses. Instead, they provide financial services by other means. This unique model allows the company to operate independently of existing banks. For instance, Monese operates on an electronic money license.

The consumer benefits of digital banks

These different business models demonstrate just how diverse the digital banking industry is becoming. And while each type of challenger bank tailors its services to their target customers, they all provide similar benefits.

Easy setup – Creating an account with a challenger bank is a paperless and straightforward process. Most accounts can be set up entirely from a mobile device as well.

Lower fees – With fewer operational costs, challenger banks can price their services more competitively.

Greater financial inclusion – Branchless banks have lower operational costs and can therefore afford to accept customers who are unable to attain traditional financial services due to a lack of credit history or poor credit ratings.

Focus on security – Traditional banks are known for being slow to adapt to the demand for more flexible yet secure banking services. Not only are digital banks easy-to-use but many are security-driven and react quickly to the latest security threats.

Added Features – In addition to providing digital banking accounts, many challenger banking apps offer their customers built-in payment, budgeting, and savings tools.

The future of banking

As banking laws continue to evolve and consumer trust in digital banking continues to rise, there's no doubt the digital banking market will become even more saturated. More challenger banks will emerge, and legacy financial organizations will shift their focus to offer more friendly, flexible, and digital services. It remains to be seen which model consumers will adopt the fastest and how the digital banking industry will mature.

What You Need to Know About the Federal Overtime Rules

Posted: 05 Apr 2019 05:00 AM PDT

Which employees in your organization are entitled to overtime protections? It's a critical question for employers to answer, because failure to extend overtime pay to all eligible workers could land a business in hot water quickly.

Understanding which employees in your organization are entitled to overtime protections is a key requirement under federal law. Failure to extend overtime pay to all eligible workers could result in lawsuits, fines, and possibly even criminal penalties for repeated and willful violations.

Further complicating the overtime picture, however, is a series of proposed rule changes that have been raised, scrapped and then raised again. In 2016, the rules governing overtime protections seemed like they were about to change, but the rule change was scrapped at the eleventh hour. Now the Trump Administration has proposed a rule change that would change the rule again.

Here's a look at current overtime regulations, the consequences of noncompliance and what we know about the potential rule change on the horizon.

Current overtime regulations

Overtime laws are explained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL is responsible for interpreting the law and setting a precise set of rules that businesses are required to follow. These rules establish when employers are required to pay overtime to employees, the rate at which workers earn overtime pay and which types of employees are exempt from overtime protections. [Interested in time and attendance software to make sure you're compliant with the law? Check out our best picks.]

As the rules stand today, any employee who is not considered exempt under the law (more on exemptions below) must be paid overtime at a rate of 1.5 times their regular pay for every hour worked beyond 40 hours in one workweek. The U.S. DOL defines a workweek as any "fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours," which basically means seven full, consecutive days.

"Employers with employees earning less than the overtime threshold need to keep accurate time and attendance records. This is especially important for employers with remote employees who work from home," said Sally Baraka, senior vice president and general counsel for Paycor. "Other employers may choose to increase the compensation of its employees who are earning salaries close to the threshold. While there is some time before the rule takes effect, it's important that employers get out ahead of this issue, and review their employee classifications and wages to determine impact."

There is no limit to how many overtime hours an employee can work so long as they are compensated appropriately. Any time a nonexempt employee works beyond that 40-hour maximum, he or she must be paid at the overtime rate of 1.5 times, or the employer is in violation of the FLSA.

There are employee exemptions to this rule, however. If an employee falls into one of the below classifications, employers are not required to extend overtime pay:

  • Executive: Executive employees are defined as those who make a salary of no less than $455 per week and whose primary duties include managing the company or a recognized department or subdivision of the company. Executive employees regularly direct the work of at least two full-time employees and maintain the authority to hire or fire other employees, or at least influence the process. 
  • Administrative: Administrative employees are defined as those compensated on a salary or fee basis of $455 per week or more. Their primary duties must be the performance of office or nonmanual work related to the management of general business operations of the employer or clients. They must also exercise discretion and independent judgment in significant matters.  
  • Professional: Professional employees are defined as those compensated on a salary or fee basis at a rate no less than $455 per week and primarily focused on the performance of work requiring advanced knowledge, intellectual in character, and requiring the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment.  
  • Computer-related: Computer employees are those compensated either on a salary or fee basis at a rate no less than $455 per week or, if compensated on an hourly basis, no less than $27.63 an hour. Their primary duties must include the application of systems analysis techniques and procedures, or the design and development of computer systems or programs.  
  • Outside sales: An employee meets the outside sales exemption if their primary duty is making sales, obtaining orders or contracts for services. They must regularly work outside the employer's primary workplace.  

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There are two major consequences for employers that violate overtime laws. The first is being subject to employee lawsuits, which can quickly become expensive and generate negative publicity. For FLSA violations, employers are generally required to provide back pay to affected employees as well as liquidated damages equal to back pay owed. That immediately doubles the cost of complying upfront, without taking into consideration any legal fees employers would be required to cover.

The government could also act against noncompliant employers. The U.S. DOL's Wage and Hour Division can levy fines of up to $10,000 for willful FLSA violations the agency uncovers. If it finds employers repeatedly, willfully violated the law, penalties could involve imprisonment. In other words, it pays to comply with the overtime laws the first time.

Overtime rules are in flux

In 2016, the Obama administration's DOL appeared ready to change the rules governing employee exemptions. These changes would have tightened the definitions of each classification and raised the pay threshold to $913 per week, or a salary of $47,476. That change was expected to extend overtime protection to 4.2 million additional workers compared with the current regulations. Many businesses adjusted their policies in preparation for the change, including shifting salaried employees to an hourly wage, but the rule change was ultimately scrapped after the Trump administration took power.

Now, the Trump Administration is working on an overtime rule change that, if approved, would set the income cutoff at $679 per week starting in 2020. That would extend overtime protections to about one million more workers but leave the status of workers making more than $679 per week unchanged. The proposed rule change would not extend to first responders, nurses and construction workers, however.

"The proposed rule change is the first of its kind since 2004 and will increase the salary threshold for overtime compensation from $23,660 annually to $35,308 annually," Baraka said.

In addition to rule changes, employers should be aware of how state laws affect their policies. The federal overtime protection rules are just a minimum, and some states go above and beyond. Becoming acquainted with state law is as critical as federal law, and failure to do so could result in penalties assessed at the state level even if you're compliant with federal law.
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