“SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio (such as SIRIUS XM), internet radio, cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings.  The Copyright Royalty Board, which is appointed by The U.S. Library of Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties on behalf of featured recording artists, master rights owners (like record labels), and independent artists who record and own their masters.”

We are thrilled to be working with SoundExchange and if you’re interested in learning more, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter @soundexchange, or on the web at; www.soundexchange.com.

General Assembly “provides the necessary support, infrastructure, and educational framework for aspiring entrepreneurs to start new ventures.”  In a campus setting and geared towards the growing community of entrepreneurs in multiple cities across the world, General Assembly’s community of educators and resources helps provide a place for learning and collaboration, a vital tool especially in addressing the technology and design aspects of a modern business.  We’re pretty excited about this new venture so please join us in welcoming General Assembly to the FanMail family!  You can check them out on Facebook, on the web at; generalassemb.ly, or give them a follow on Twitter @GA.

Time to sound off, what say you?

#1.  Remove “Dead” Subscribers

You’ve probably heard this a million times but have you actually done it!?  The success of a good email list is more about quality over quantity, it’s about engagement more then the number of emails you send, and it’s about ROI!  The standards of what is considered spam are changing.  No longer are “spammy” words the only reason to be blacklisted.  If you send to an email address a subscriber no longer uses, you can get caught in a spam trap.  Besides, what’s the point of sending an email to someone who never gets it, this only costs you money and hurts your reputation with the ISPs, especially if you’re sending large volumes.  And what about sending emails to people who never open them or take action, is it really a good idea to be trying to engage this type of person instead of focusing on those that do want and interact with your communication?  Both of these instances can lead to poor analysis of opens, click-through rates, and more importantly conversion rates.  So break out the metaphorical brush and get your scrub on!  This means address all hard bounces and get them off your list.  Take a look at your soft bounces and unengaged subscribers and with these look at creating an ‘inactive subscriber’ list instead of just removing them, this list can then be used for a re-engagement campaign…..

#2.  Run a Re-Engagement Campaign

The subscriber mentioned above decided to receive interactions from you for one reason or another, the fact that they aren’t engaging now doesn’t mean it’s time to drop them.  This is a good time to run a re-engagement campaign to see how many of these subs need to actually be dropped or moved back to a good list.  Send out a special offer, ask straight out if they want to continue receiving communication, and figure out new and creative ways to keep them engaged.  One important thing here to remember is that engagement most always drops over time, so keep your list and communication fresh and utilize schedules and drip campaigns to keep em around and active for years to come.

#3.  Get Updated & Better Data

Knowing your subscribers will go a long way.  Now I know you probably have no personal connection whatsoever with the subscribers on your email or newsletter list, but this doesn’t mean you can’t “know” them.  Something as simple as getting a subscribers zip code can greatly increase the effectiveness of your communication by geo-targeting specific campaigns to specific lists.  (On a side note, we actually have a pretty cool tool that can be used in the ExactTarget platform called GeoFreak).  Geo-Targeting is one example but knowing your sub’s likes and interestes, ‘real’ name, gender, etc.. are all valuable pieces of information.  By having this data, you now have the ability to dynamically create and send specific content to those that count.  Use surveys, a “single sign-up” or “social login” tool like Janrain or our GetMore, ask for profile updates, and get your data updated so you can better know who you’re communicating with!

#4.  Analyze your marketing program

After you’ve cleaned and updated your list this is a good time to analyze the effectiveness of the actual messages you are sending.  Now at first glance this might not sound like a simple task, but some basic questions to ask yourself is; how frequent are you sending emails, what type of content are you sending, what calls to actions are you including, are your subject lines attention grabbing, are your messages mobile optimized, and are your communications relevant to your subscribers?   The list here could go on an on but by taking a holistic view at your campaigns and how they are being implemented will go a long way in ensuring you are sending the right message to the right people.

Spring is the season of change so it’s time to embrace this change and make the best of it!  If you need any help, feel free to reach out to us or check out some of our applications that can help you maximize your engagement and effectiveness.

• Apparently Myspace still has some likes (pun intended), or the people responsible for this banner have a great sense of humor.  I’m going with option #2.

• 6th Street is like Mardi Gras for hipsters.  Evidence below.

• Front Gate Tickets knows how to throw a party, at noon, on a weekday.  Really like these folks, they’re good people.

• Apparently Austin needs a few more bike racks.  That, or this is some kind of super-hip art installation.

• This is the coolest thing you will see all weekend.  You’re welcome.