This week’s roundup includes best email subject lines from DigitalMarketer, defining inbound marketing, top books for marketers, best in SaaS from 2016, and more.
DigitalMarketer’s 101 best email subject lines of 2016
Digital Marketer
Email marketing can be where it’s at for your team, but only if it is done right. Inboxes are flooded daily, so standing out from the rest is crucial, otherwise you get sent directly to the trash. Half of the battle in email marketing is getting the recipient to open the email to see what you have to say, and that move is completely dependent on your subject line. (The ‘sender’ address and name have an effect as well, but a good subject line can trump the sender info, no problem!)
“Make sure you’re incorporating the value-first strategy into your email calendar, and not prioritizing promotions too highly over content. If your customers aren’t getting value, they aren’t opening your emails (and you’re missing tons of sales and relationship-building opportunities).”
Check out what worked best for Digital Marketer in 2016. [Read more here.]
The best SaaS articles of 2016 from around the web
Hitenism
Inbound Marketing Definition: what is it and how to implement it?
Growth Hackers
New terms are always surfacing in the marketing world and it can seem there is constantly something new you are supposed to be doing to have a leg up. Inbound marketing is definitely a term that is extremely popular for marketers, but do you understand what it is, how it works and why it works?
“Inbound marketing is about using marketing channels and tools to bring potential users or customers to you, rather than fighting for their attention.”
This article both defines inbound marketing and then breaks down the four-phase framework: attract, conversion, closing, delight. [Read more here.]
6 steps to align a winning digital strategy to your growth engine
JacobV
The further we head down the road of technology, the further we find the blessing and curse it can be. Marketing can be so much more powerful due to the tools now available; however, the vast number of options alone can easily cause loads of work with no results. You end up going in too many different directions to do any one thing effectively.
“To complicate things further, the executive suite is often conflicted in the results they wish to see from marketing efforts. It’s not unusual to see the executive team differ on the important business information like the target markets, target locations, main competitors etc.”
Check out this post on a process that cuts through the noise in order to solve business problems and meet objectives with a winning digital strategy, in short order. [Read details here.]
Holiday reading guide: 29 essential books for marketers as recommended by top CMOs
Marketing Mag
Your “down time” may be over since the holidays are over and you may be hitting it hard in the new year. Don’t forget, though, that quality reading can be work–and still be relaxing. Consider a new year’s resolution that involves more reading and you can start with this list of books for marketers. Don’t worry, they aren’t text books.
“The books in this list explore more interesting things like thinking about technology, thinking about people, thinking about culture and thinking about thinking.” [See the book list here.]
Video of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
#ContentMarketing is a commitment, not a campaign. John Buscall #marketingtips #onlinemarketing #socialmediamarketing pic.twitter.com/nmAvz5a83c
— Falco Republic MKTG (@falcorepublic) January 5, 2017