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GraphicMail South Africa - Digital marketing for everyone. Email, mobile, social marketing made easy and affordable! Email marketing tips, mobile and SMS marketing innovations, best practice digital marketing, email case studies and more!
Friday 25 November 2011
Thursday 24 November 2011
GraphicMail has a New Storage Space Box
Images are very effective for channeling people's attention in your email newsletters and at GraphicMail we make sure you have ample space to upload new images and save old ones.
We have now added an image storage space box to show you how much more space you have left to save images. This way you will know when it's time to spring clean your GraphicMail image library.
Remember that if you're a Free Account holder, you have 1MB of of storage space to store images and files.
And if you're on a paid account you'll have up to 20MB!
We have now added an image storage space box to show you how much more space you have left to save images. This way you will know when it's time to spring clean your GraphicMail image library.
Remember that if you're a Free Account holder, you have 1MB of of storage space to store images and files.
And if you're on a paid account you'll have up to 20MB!
This new feature is just one more way that GraphicMail is helping to make your email marketing experience as simple as possible.
6 Big Developments at GraphicMail in 2011 that you may have missed
So much has happened at GraphicMail this year.
Have you kept up to date with all of the new developments, or have a few of them slipped past unnoticed?
Here are some of our 6 most newsworthy announcements for 2011 that you really shouldn’t miss:
1) Free Email Marketing Account Launched by GraphicMail
GraphicMailers and potential GraphicMailers everywhere jumped for joy when we brought out our free email marketing account; enabling you to use our full range of email marketing features at no cost. You can list up to 500 subscribers in your free account and send up to 5000 free email newsletters per month. Also, for the first 60 days of sign-up, you're given full access to our advanced features and customer support desk.
2) GraphicMail Releases New Email Newsletter Editor to Simplify Email Marketing
We also released our powerful 2011 Editor, giving you new features such as in-image text editing, a simplified interface and about 300 new templates to choose from. Haven't you switched over yet? The new editor will help you get your email newsletters out faster and better looking than before. Even novice email marketers can now create studio-quality campaigns without any HTML knowledge or skills.
3) Mobile Innovation: GraphicMail Offers SMS + Link to Mobile Site Marketing
Halfway through the year we finished the development of an innovative new mobile marketing platform that marries mobile websites and push marketing by way of a personalized web-link send within bulk SMSs. With this, GraphicMail revolutionised the way businesses communicate with their clients - enabling messages to be delivered directly to subscribers’ phones with a simple click-through from an SMS, channeling viewers to an image-rich, personalised mobile site.
We also took the initiative to go cellular with our very own mobile site http://m.graphicmail.co.za/m/index.aspx, optimised for viewing on any internet-able phone.
4) GraphicMail Mobile Campaign Case Studies Prove Effectiveness of SMS / Text Messages with Links to Mobile Sites
Not long after the launch of our new mobile tools, we published 3 mobile campaign case studies as a proof-of-concept. To showcase the product's potential, GraphicMail selected two suitable candidates based on our call for non-profit organizations to submit mobile marketing proposals, as well as an enterprising student-run fashion start-up. Our case studies provided in-depth coverage about what the campaigns involved and how well they performed.
5) GraphicMail Partners with Social-Data fireball Janrain to enable Social-Email Marketing
In 2011 we tapped into the power of fusing email marketing and social media, making it possible for new clients to sign up to GraphicMail using their their social logins such as Facebook and Twitter. With the Janrain partnership, we expanded on the social widget selection that can be added to your newsletters and the social share tool; and it's all been so successful that we're planning to bring you new social-data mining and reporting features next year.
6) GraphicMail Launches Salesforce and OpenCart Integrations
This year GraphicMail made it an integral part of our strategy to integrate with other platforms to help our clients get the most out of their email and mobile marketing efforts. Some of our best email marketing integrations have included Salesforce; a cloud-based lead-generation platform and OpenCart; a powerful open source application that allows users to create their very own online store.
Do you have suggestions for any other integrations you would like to see at GraphicMail? Comment on this blog to let us know!
Have you kept up to date with all of the new developments, or have a few of them slipped past unnoticed?
Here are some of our 6 most newsworthy announcements for 2011 that you really shouldn’t miss:
1) Free Email Marketing Account Launched by GraphicMail
GraphicMailers and potential GraphicMailers everywhere jumped for joy when we brought out our free email marketing account; enabling you to use our full range of email marketing features at no cost. You can list up to 500 subscribers in your free account and send up to 5000 free email newsletters per month. Also, for the first 60 days of sign-up, you're given full access to our advanced features and customer support desk.
We also released our powerful 2011 Editor, giving you new features such as in-image text editing, a simplified interface and about 300 new templates to choose from. Haven't you switched over yet? The new editor will help you get your email newsletters out faster and better looking than before. Even novice email marketers can now create studio-quality campaigns without any HTML knowledge or skills.
3) Mobile Innovation: GraphicMail Offers SMS + Link to Mobile Site Marketing
Halfway through the year we finished the development of an innovative new mobile marketing platform that marries mobile websites and push marketing by way of a personalized web-link send within bulk SMSs. With this, GraphicMail revolutionised the way businesses communicate with their clients - enabling messages to be delivered directly to subscribers’ phones with a simple click-through from an SMS, channeling viewers to an image-rich, personalised mobile site.
We also took the initiative to go cellular with our very own mobile site http://m.graphicmail.co.za/m/index.aspx, optimised for viewing on any internet-able phone.
4) GraphicMail Mobile Campaign Case Studies Prove Effectiveness of SMS / Text Messages with Links to Mobile Sites
Not long after the launch of our new mobile tools, we published 3 mobile campaign case studies as a proof-of-concept. To showcase the product's potential, GraphicMail selected two suitable candidates based on our call for non-profit organizations to submit mobile marketing proposals, as well as an enterprising student-run fashion start-up. Our case studies provided in-depth coverage about what the campaigns involved and how well they performed.
5) GraphicMail Partners with Social-Data fireball Janrain to enable Social-Email Marketing
In 2011 we tapped into the power of fusing email marketing and social media, making it possible for new clients to sign up to GraphicMail using their their social logins such as Facebook and Twitter. With the Janrain partnership, we expanded on the social widget selection that can be added to your newsletters and the social share tool; and it's all been so successful that we're planning to bring you new social-data mining and reporting features next year.
This year GraphicMail made it an integral part of our strategy to integrate with other platforms to help our clients get the most out of their email and mobile marketing efforts. Some of our best email marketing integrations have included Salesforce; a cloud-based lead-generation platform and OpenCart; a powerful open source application that allows users to create their very own online store.
Do you have suggestions for any other integrations you would like to see at GraphicMail? Comment on this blog to let us know!
Tuesday 22 November 2011
How to Add Social Widgets to GraphicMail Newsletters
Pop-quiz…
A widget is:
a) A whatchamacallit
b) A device or control that is very useful for a particular job
c) (in some beer cans) a plastic device which introduces nitrogen into the beer, giving it a creamy head
Answer: According to various English language dictionaries, all of the above is correct. But in the case of GraphicMail, when we mention widgets, we are usually referring to powerful and mysterious objects called “social widgets”.
What are social widgets and what do they do?
Have you ever visited a website or read someone’s newsletter and seen those little icons for Facebook, Twitter and other social networking or content sharing platforms arranged somewhere around the header, footer or along the sidelines?
Those are social widgets and most websites, email newsletters and digital newspapers / magazines will usually have them.
The simple function of a social widget is to attract people to join, follow or sign up for your account or page on social platforms as a secondary point of contact to enhance your communcation efforts.
What does this mean for you?
The inbox has become more social. Email marketing — as a traditional online channel, with its ability to reach highly targeted groups of people — has melded comfortably with social media. Social websites have shifted the way people communicate, while giving companies wider exposure and a more authentic approach to personal one-to-one conversation.
Using social media tools is a great way to energise your email marketing. Melding email and social together improves you reach and impact. More of your content will be shared, meaning more people will see your messages - so it's really not something that any company should be trying to do without!
Adding Social Widgets to Newsletters in GraphicMail’s 2011 Editor
1) Log in to your GraphicMail account (or sign up for a free one), then either edit an old newsletter or create a new one by selecting a template and clicking "done".
2) Once you’re in the main newsletter editor screen, click on the “Links” section on the left menu. You’ll see a list of different types of links appear on the drop-down, but for now select “Social Links”.
3) Wait for the pop-up window to load. Now you’ll get to pick which social widget you want to add (you could add all of them if you wanted, but of course the easiest method is to insert them one at a time). You’ll get to choose form Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and a number of others.
4) For starters, select Facebook and click on “insert”.
5) A tiny Facebook icon will appear in the header of the email. You can drag this to wherever you want, but we suggest that you place it somewhere it will stand out – i.e. if it's next to a large image, bold headline or any element with sharp colours, people’s eyes will tend to skip over your widget.
6) Once you're satisfied with the location of the widget, double-click on it and a new screen will appear where you can enter alt text (in case the image for the icon is blocked by a subscriber's webmail service provider or desktop email software package – so that readers can still identify the widget) and add the link to your Facebook page which you copy and paste easily enough from your browser’s navigation bar.
7) Finally, click on “done” at the bottom of the screen and your widget will be ready to direct readers to your Facebook fan page. If you’ve got an account on other social channels like Twitter, you can follow the same procedure to put widgets for them on your newsletter.
A widget is:
a) A whatchamacallit
b) A device or control that is very useful for a particular job
c) (in some beer cans) a plastic device which introduces nitrogen into the beer, giving it a creamy head
Answer: According to various English language dictionaries, all of the above is correct. But in the case of GraphicMail, when we mention widgets, we are usually referring to powerful and mysterious objects called “social widgets”.
What are social widgets and what do they do?
Have you ever visited a website or read someone’s newsletter and seen those little icons for Facebook, Twitter and other social networking or content sharing platforms arranged somewhere around the header, footer or along the sidelines?
Those are social widgets and most websites, email newsletters and digital newspapers / magazines will usually have them.
The simple function of a social widget is to attract people to join, follow or sign up for your account or page on social platforms as a secondary point of contact to enhance your communcation efforts.
What does this mean for you?
The inbox has become more social. Email marketing — as a traditional online channel, with its ability to reach highly targeted groups of people — has melded comfortably with social media. Social websites have shifted the way people communicate, while giving companies wider exposure and a more authentic approach to personal one-to-one conversation.
Want to know more about social sharing? Watch this video.
Using social media tools is a great way to energise your email marketing. Melding email and social together improves you reach and impact. More of your content will be shared, meaning more people will see your messages - so it's really not something that any company should be trying to do without!
Adding Social Widgets to Newsletters in GraphicMail’s 2011 Editor
1) Log in to your GraphicMail account (or sign up for a free one), then either edit an old newsletter or create a new one by selecting a template and clicking "done".
2) Once you’re in the main newsletter editor screen, click on the “Links” section on the left menu. You’ll see a list of different types of links appear on the drop-down, but for now select “Social Links”.
3) Wait for the pop-up window to load. Now you’ll get to pick which social widget you want to add (you could add all of them if you wanted, but of course the easiest method is to insert them one at a time). You’ll get to choose form Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and a number of others.
4) For starters, select Facebook and click on “insert”.
5) A tiny Facebook icon will appear in the header of the email. You can drag this to wherever you want, but we suggest that you place it somewhere it will stand out – i.e. if it's next to a large image, bold headline or any element with sharp colours, people’s eyes will tend to skip over your widget.
6) Once you're satisfied with the location of the widget, double-click on it and a new screen will appear where you can enter alt text (in case the image for the icon is blocked by a subscriber's webmail service provider or desktop email software package – so that readers can still identify the widget) and add the link to your Facebook page which you copy and paste easily enough from your browser’s navigation bar.
7) Finally, click on “done” at the bottom of the screen and your widget will be ready to direct readers to your Facebook fan page. If you’ve got an account on other social channels like Twitter, you can follow the same procedure to put widgets for them on your newsletter.
Monday 21 November 2011
OpenCart Integration rolls into GraphicMail!
At GraphicMail we've just finished integrating our software with OpenCart; a powerful open source application that allows users to create their very own online store.
Go ahead - grow your mailing list through OpenCart transactions!
Every time someone registers to buy from your online shop or service via OpenCart, ask them to opt in to your GraphicMail newsletter. This way, you can send them targeted newsletters; notifying them of new specials, good deals, new products and so on.
Also remember to check out some of our other latest add-ons on our new email marketing Integrations dashbard.
Small businesses have small budgets, and often having a custom e-commerce solution developed simply isn’t feasible. Fortunately, for the small retailer who wants to get online and start selling quickly - there is OpenCart:
Watch this quick video to see how it's done.
So what are you waiting for? Integrate your GraphicMail and OpenCart accounts today!
The OpenCart plug-in allows customers to sign up for email newsletter campaigns via the online shopping process; and can then be used as a segmentation tool to send targeted messages by grouping subscribers who share characteristics; such as product preferences and purchase history.
Go ahead - grow your mailing list through OpenCart transactions!
Every time someone registers to buy from your online shop or service via OpenCart, ask them to opt in to your GraphicMail newsletter. This way, you can send them targeted newsletters; notifying them of new specials, good deals, new products and so on.
Also remember to check out some of our other latest add-ons on our new email marketing Integrations dashbard.
Small businesses have small budgets, and often having a custom e-commerce solution developed simply isn’t feasible. Fortunately, for the small retailer who wants to get online and start selling quickly - there is OpenCart:
Watch this quick video to see how it's done.
OpenCart is feature-rich online sales solution that enables internet merchants to participate in e-commerce at a minimal cost. It’s suitable to sell goods (including digital products) for any business around the world.
So what are you waiting for? Integrate your GraphicMail and OpenCart accounts today!
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