Why Growing Your Marketing Email List is Important
“Your email list is your most valuable asset,” said Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess. “Owning a list means you are not dependent on other companies.”The important part is to understand that growing it pays off royally.Think of growing it the way a farmer grows crops.This poem illustrates it:"Sow the List" A farmer knows to till the land, To plant with care, to work by hand. The field won't yield with hope alone— It needs each seed deliberately sown. So it is with names you grow, Each one
The Truth About Email Unsubscribes
It might surprise you to read this, but yes, email unsubscribes can actually be good for your business. When uninterested subscribers leave and opt out of your mailings, your engagement rates (opens, clicks) often improve, making your emails more effective and boosting deliverability. A smaller, more engaged list is more valuable than a large one full of inactive users—and usually cheaper to maintain. Unsubscribes also offer valuable feedback. If people are leaving after specific emails, it’s a
The Fortune is in the Follow Up
“I go to a lot of networking events - these days they are mostly Chamber of Commerce meetings,” said Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess. “It surprises me how many people are disappointed by the results they get from attending these events.”The reason is simple.Most businesses don't offer a product or service that's an "impulse buy" - whether a physical product or a service.What this means is that an initial contact - like meeting someone for the first time at an event - rarely results in a sale.And, of
The 2nd Most Important Part of an Email
The most important part of an email is the "from name".That's the first "gate" that the sender of an email must pass.The subject line, then, is arguably the 2nd most critical part of any email.The subject line determines whether your message gets opened or ignored.With inboxes flooded daily, recipients often scan subject lines to decide what’s worth their attention.A clear, compelling subject line can significantly increase open rates, while a vague or misleading one can lead to your message being deleted
The Most Important Part of an Email
“Most people think the #1 most important part of an email is the subject line, but it’s not,” said email marketing expert Ken Countess. Ken continued, “It's actually the ‘From’ name”. (The subject line ranks 2nd.) Why is that so? It's because consciously or subconsciously, when people open their inbox, the first thing that look at is: "Who sent me an email?" Emails coming from people or businesses they recognize get opened first. Businesses that send emails on a regular basis will find their
4 Ways AI Can Help You Energize Your Marketing
AI is weaved throughout almost every area of marketing. “It is revolutionizing marketing by enabling businesses to engage with customers more effectively and efficiently than ever before,” said certified marketing expert Ken Countess. Here are some key ways AI is being utilized in marketing: Personalized Customer Experiences: By analyzing data from previous interactions, AI can predict customer preferences and behaviors, enabling businesses to offer personalized recommendations, targeted content, and
Why Some Emails Always Get Opened and Others Never Get Opened
“This week, I had conversations with several people who check their inbox many times each day, but who weren't sure what it was that made them open some emails and not others,” said Certified Email Expert Ken Countess, a Constant Contact Authorized Local Expert. “It boils down to this,” Ken continued. “People who are ‘always selling’ consistently get low results, while those who sent mostly informative or educational emails consistently get great results.” The simple principle that can make a
Ken Countess of KEN IS EMAIL Honored As Local Business Person of 2025
Alignable, the largest online networking platform for small businesses, announces that Ken Countess of KEN IS EMAIL has been elected as an Alignable 2025 Business Person of the Year! Alignable’s 2025 Local Business Person of the Year Contest reached unparalleled participation levels, logging a whopping 333,000+ votes, 77,000+ recommendations, and 4,750 winners across the U.S. and Canada. The largest online networking platform for business owners, Alignable.com invited its 9 million+ members to
See How Videos in Your Emails Get You More Business
Over a recent weekend, email marketing expert Ken Countess helped a friend figure out how to use video in his email campaigns.“Adding a video to an email is one of the best things you can do,” Countess said.According to respected sources:Video can increase open rates by 19% and click rates by 65% while reducing unsubscribe rates by 26%. (Campaign Monitor)Over 90% of people who watch videos on their smartphones share them with their network. (Wordstream)Video marketing can grow revenue by almost 50% faster
Are You Stuck in Neutral?
Last week Certified Marketing Expert attended (and had a display booth at) the Small Business Expo in Orlando.The show brings together like-minded people - many of whom have businesses on a great growth trajectory because they are actively marketing their business.“What's really surprising to me”, Ken said, “is how many attendees stop and speak to you, enthusiastic about their business at the show, but who then take little clear action to stimulate their own business growth. It's almost as if they're stuck
Surge
An analysis of email marketing released earlier this month by Digital Silk reveals 96% of consumers now check their email daily.The study further found that the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has increased the level of content quality - enhancing personalization and effectiveness.“This latest surge in email usage and effectiveness further emphasizes how important email is as an integral part of your company's marketing efforts,” said certified email marketing expert Ken Countess.Want to learn
Your Secret Sauce
Consistency is key in marketing, and a weekly email helps you stay top-of-mind with your audience.“That's why I send an email to my list every Tuesday,” said certified email marketing expert Ken Countess.Here’s why sending one email each week can have a lasting, positive impact on your business, according to Ken:Keeps Your Business Relevant – Regular communication ensures your audience remembers you, making them more likely to engage when they need your product or service.Builds Stronger Relationships –
Email Remains King Among Consumers
Email marketing continues to outperform social media by a wide margin. With a 36:1 ROI, email marketing trounces social media for return on investment. One of the foremost reasons for using email is that you own your list – you’re not handicapped by social media algorithms that determine who sees your campaign. To maximize effectiveness, follow these tips:Have a hook.Grab attention and get the audience invested in what you have to say.Include a (short) story.It enables you to build rapport.Have a
14 Day Free Trial
The nearly 100 international attendees of a recent online "Power of the Inbox" class were highly engaged, asking great questions about how to use email marketing. Their rave reviews prompted Certified Email Marketing Expert Ken Countess to offer a one-time only 14-day free trial of his Email Marketing Academy "Essentials" Starter Course. “It has been years since I have made any kind of an offer like this - and I may not do it again - so take advantage of it while you can,” Ken said. The Email
Free training for your members!
If you run a Chamber of Commerce or trade association, offering members additional value encourages them to stay involved and to renew their membership. With just a phone call to Certified Email Marketing Expert Ken Countess, you can do just that – offer a great member benefit, free of charge. For a limited time, Ken is offering free workshops to Chambers and trade associations in person or via Zoom. Ken has trained over 10,000 businesses how to generate more sales with his award-winning classes. He
Super Bowl or Super Bust?
Like many people, email marketing expert Ken Countess watches the big game each year mostly for the commercials.To him, this year's event was a big letdown. “Not only was the game unexciting, but (in my opinion) the commercials were uninspiring, too,” Ken said. “Truth be told, I switched off the game during the second half.” Ken continued: “But despite my disinterest in football, I watched to see which companies had the best ads. The ‘big spender’ brands made their presence known in ways that were
Ken Countess of KEN IS EMAIL Again Named a Constant Contact Certified Partner
Ken Countess, CEO of KEN IS EMAIL, has again been named a Certified Partner by Constant Contact, a digital marketing platform trusted by millions of small businesses. As a Certified Partner, Countess has demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the Constant Contact digital marketing platform and best practices. This ensures program participants and the clients they serve will realize meaningful results from their investments in email and online marketing. “Most people are not ‘born marketers’. I’ve been a
Free Workshops to Grow Your Business
Looking to grow your business or nonprofit? Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess offers live workshops nearly every week. Most are via Zoom. Some are in person. “I know how tough it is to run a business,” Ken said. “I offer these classes to help fellow business owners get more sales. Topics range from email marketing to social media to getting more customers to growing your influence online.” Find out which classes are available right now (and register to attend) by going
Is Email Still Relevant?
With so much online activity, many people wonder if email is still relevant. The answer is a resounding "yes". 88% check their email inboxes 3 or more times each day. Over 20% check their inboxes over 20 times per day. Here's the latest info on how often email inboxes are checked: “ZeroBounce's Email Statistics Report for 2024 says 81% of Gen Z members (people born after 1996) were found to check their email at least once a day - defusing the notion that this age group spends all of their time on
How to Eat an Elephant
People seem to be paralyzed by marketing.The paralysis always boils down to not knowing what to tackle first - there's always so much to do.Marketing Expert Ken Countess says: “Boil it down to the old adage of how to eat an elephant. If you haven't heard the ‘how’, it's to do it one bite at a time.”“Trying to do it all at one time can seem insurmountable”, he continued. “When it comes to marketing, start small. And if you don't want to divide your time between marketing, operations, sales, or other aspects
Make “Quitter’s Day” a Thing of the Past
Seminole County, FL – January 9, 2025 – Did you know the second Friday in January is nicknamed Quitter’s Day? It’s when most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions—only 10 days in! This might not come as a surprise, considering two of the most common resolutions are: Eating healthier Exercising more But let’s be real—these goals are usually the first to go when life gets hectic, challenges come up, or the changes start to feel overwhelming and just "too hard." Here’s the thing: Resolutions
Ready for a Fresh Start for 2025?
If you’ve ever started the year saying, “This is it — I’m finally going to lose weight!” … only to see that excitement fade, you’re not alone.But guess what? This year can be different. “Imagine stepping into 2025 feeling lighter, more confident, and with a solid plan in place,” said certified Life and Weight Coach Vicky Countess. “That’s exactly what my 6-Week Kickstart Program is here to help you achieve! Here’s what you’ll get: Simple weight-loss tips and hacks—no more overcomplicating things. A
'Twas the Click Before Christmas
Typically at this time of year, opens and clicks tend to slow down, unless you're selling holiday gifts. But don't stop your marketing during the holidays. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that since many businesses take the holidays off, inboxes will be less cluttered. As a result, your message will be more easily seen. Use it as the time to educate your reader - show your value instead of selling, and you will likely be rewarded by higher loyalty - since they know you're not always trying
Tuesday: The Email & Social Media Power Play
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — December 11, 2024 – Social media platforms are powerful tools, but they are just one piece of the marketing puzzle. If you’re relying on social media or email alone, you’re missing out. Join Constant Contact Partner Ken Countess to learn how to make the most of email and social media to grow your business by attending “Engage & Convert: The Email & Social Media Power Play”, a free webinar. It’s on Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 from 12:00pm ET - 01:00pm ET Certified Marketing Expert Ken
Email Builds Loyalty To Your Brand
Social media is good for getting brand awareness.Email builds loyalty to the brandCertified Marketing Expert Ken Countess says: “I recommend using social media tools to first get attention to your brand and then to build a following with additional actions.”“The next action is to add those followers to your email list. Educate them (without selling) so they can learn how your business can help them live a healthier life, make more money and/or utilize your business more effectively,” he continued. “With
Black Friday
With Black Friday on the horizon, leveraging email marketing can significantly enhance your campaign effectiveness. Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess says: “Unlike social media, email allows for personalized messaging that resonates with your audience's preferences and purchase history.” “Targeted emails boost engagement and increase conversion rates,” he continued. “Additionally, email marketing is cost-effective, offering high ROI.” Learn more here: https://conta.cc/4ftfmYm #BlackFriday
Last Chance to Lose Weight During the Holidays
The holiday season is here — the lights in many neighborhoods are already up and stores are filled with festive decor.It is also a season for celebrations - maybe you’re travelling or hosting guests - and likely surrounded by all the tempting food.But what if this year, you could truly enjoy it and feel good about your choices and lose weight?“Yes, it can definitely happen,” said certified Life and Weight Coach Vicky Countess.Starting Monday, November 18, you can be a part of "Enjoy the Holiday and Lose
How to Handle Holiday Food Pushers (and Still Enjoy the Season)
As the holiday season gets into full swing (all the ads and lights have already sprung up), you might already be seeing the treats, big meals, and… yes, the food pushers.“It's the time of year where food traditions and family dynamics blend, making it even harder than usual to say no,” said Certified Weight and Life Coach Vicky Countess. Here are a couple of pro tips:Plan Ahead: Think about what foods you truly want to enjoy and which you’ll skip. Having a plan keeps you focused on your goals and helps you
Enjoy the Holidays and Lose Weight, Too
Interested in getting through the upcoming Holidays and actually losing some weight?If so, you’re in luck!Join an affordable online 8-week group program starting Monday, November 18 that will give you:Ongoing support and motivationAccountability to help you stay on trackPro tips for holiday indulgence without the weight gainThe cost is only $149.“I will show you how to lose weight while still being able to enjoy the holidays,” said Certified Weight and Life Coach Vicky Countess. Reserve your seat and
Pop Quiz
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — October 23, 2024 – Quick: What's the most important part of an email?Pick one:Your nameYour subject lineYour contentSomething else“The most important part of an email is actually who is sending it,” said Ken Countess, CEO of KEN IS EMAIL. “When you open up your email inbox, the first thing you're looking for is who sent you the email.” Not the subject line, not the content. It's who sent that email to you. And so for that reason, it's important not only to have a recognizable
How Not To Lose $1,000s Of Dollars Each Month
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — October 3, 2024 – Many small business owners love to attend networking meetings.What’s surprising is how many don’t use email marketing.It’s surprising because they are having to show up in person at each meeting to stay visible – that’s the only marketing they do.So once the networking meeting is over, they are quickly forgotten – which becomes lost business.Instead of losing business, using email marketing to stay “top of mind” keeps their brand visible.A simple email each month to
How To Get More Attendees At Your Events
Usually, the best measure of the success of an event is to get as many attendees as possible.More than any other tool, email is what makes that possible.It creates awareness, excitement and anticipation - and gives your readers a way to spread the word about the event by forwarding your email to people they know."Yes, social media may help get awareness, but email ‘cements’ participation,” said marketing expert Ken Countess. “Email keeps excitement high.”Here’s a "best practice" email calendar for virtual
Are You Unique Enough That You Have No Competitors?
It is a fact that unless your product or service is irreplaceable and there are no substitutes for what you offer, you need to market your business - otherwise, you'll be forgotten.Few, if any, products or services that have no substitute - there's always going to be a competitive product or service of some kind that can be a substitute."We have no competitors is a naive way of thinking,” said marketing expert Ken Countess. “Unless your product or service can not be substituted by anything else on the
Meet Vicky
Vicky is a life coach.While raising 3 sons, she started training women over 50 how to live healthier - first as a fitness coach, and now as a certified life coach.She started races about 20 years ago, and now has over 70 medals to her credit!One of Vicky's superpowers is teaching women how to lose weight and get more fit without drugs, without counting calories, and making it fun.“Her clients absolutely love her,” said Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess.About 2 years ago, she started sending out a
How to Sell Without Selling
Most people do not open their inbox looking for something to buy.Instead, they are looking for information.“The best email marketing campaigns are those that simply educate or inform,” says email marketing expert Ken Countess.“When you educate or inform, you are subtly positioning yourself as an expert in your field,” Countess continued. “You can become the ‘go to’ person when someone who needs your product or service will reach out to you - simply by finding a recent email from you and replying to it.”With
The Real Reason People Open Emails
Did you ever wonder why people open emails?Think about when you checked your email today.The very first thing you looked at was, who sent me an email?And which ones did you open?“I'll bet that it's from the senders whose name or business you recognized,” said certified email expert Ken Countess. “The #1 reason people open an email is: they recognize the sender's name.”It’s coming from someone they know - so “it must be good” - is what they’re thinking.Listen, when we're checking our inbox, human nature says
Try Constant Contact Free For 30 Days
More than just email, Constant Contact's powerful platform now allows you to post and respond to social media posts, advertise on Facebook and Instagram, automate your campaigns, and have them written for you using AI, powered by ChatGPT. Get your free trial by going to http://www.TheBestEmailOffer.com No credit card is required.About KENisEMAIL.com KENisEMAIL.com (KIE) is the marketing arm of The Countess Group (TCG), a marketing and coaching company which has been providing measurable results for
Best Podcast
With over 3,000,000 podcasts available, being recognized as “one of the best” is remarkable.Ken Countess’ “Everything Email” podcast is one such podcast.Recognized by Email on Acid, a highly respected email service provider, “Everything Email” is featured at https://www.emailonacid.com/blog/article/email-marketing/email-marketing-podcasts/“I’m honored!” said Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess.Ken’s podcast has over 120 episodes available.It can be found on all major podcast providers,
Email Olympics
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — July 30, 2024 – In the heart of the Summer Olympic season, think about where your email campaigns would place in an Olympic competition.Would your campaigns win a gold, silver, or bronze medal - or no medal at all?“This is a bit of a trick question,” said Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess.So how can your emails win a Gold medal?“When you send out an email campaign,” Countess continued, “you’re automatically a medal winner - because you’ve done what many businesses don’t do,
Be Memorable to Attract More Business
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — July 30, 2024 – In today’s digital world, things happen quickly. So quickly, that it’s easier than ever to be forgotten if you don’t show up on a regular basis. You want to be a memorable brand, so your customers don’t go elsewhere because they have forgotten your name (or your company/business name). In this week’s "Everything Email" podcast (episode 120), Certified Marketing Expert Ken Countess describes how this strategy can apply not just in business, but even in hobbies – in
Easily stand out
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — July 16, 2024 – How do you grab the spotlight and be top of mind in the inbox?A lot of people schedule their emails to go out at the very top of the hour, meaning 10:00 11:00 noon 01:00 p.m. 02:00 p.m. right at the top of the hour.Because there are so many other businesses doing the same thing, you wind up being among a clutter of emails that are being received at a given time.So how do you stand out?“It's simple,” said email marketing expert Ken Countess, owner of KEN IS EMAIL. “Don't
Recycling “Old” Emails
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — July 16, 2024 – “If you struggle to regularly come up with new content for your email marketing campaign, here are a few pointers,” said email marketing expert Ken Countess, owner of KEN IS EMAIL.Reusing "Old" Content is Totally AcceptableJust as TV shows air reruns to save on production costs and to work on new episodes, you can reuse your previous email content. This approach is not only practical but also strategic.Is it really "old" content?Who remembers what they read months ago?
AI vs. Humans
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — July 5, 2024 – AI can be a lifesaver for someone who's got a minimal marketing budget.Or for someone who'd rather focus their energies on operations, not marketing and sales.But let's put things in perspective.AI is artificial intelligence.It doesn't really know anything.What it does know is how to generate content based on what you feed it.It'll do a good job synthesizing information that you, the human, provide it to create web copy, email copy, ad copy, subject lines, and more.AI
YouTube or Vimeo?
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — June 25, 2024 – It's been said that a picture is worth 1,000 words and that a minute of video is worth 1,000,000 words.So it makes sense to use video in your marketing.And using it in your email marketing can be powerful.But... since email service providers don't actually host the videos - the videos you see in emails are actually hosted somewhere else and are linked to by the email service provider - which service should host your video?YouTube is the world's second largest search
Guilty As Charged
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — June 18, 2024 – Many people starting out with email marketing make them too complicated.“If you're doing that in your emails, stop,” said email marketing expert Ken Countess. “You're guilty of what novices do when they start sending emails.”Novices try to cram tons of information, expecting the whole email will be read.But the average person only spends just a few seconds reading an email.Emails should be kept short:1 main point1 image (not a requirement)1 call to actionShort emails
The End of Frustration
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — June 11, 2024 – Many people get stuck getting their email campaigns started because they:can't figure out what to writecan't figure out how to write itare concerned they don't write well enoughdon't think they're "creative enough"“I've created a short video that demonstrates how you can overcome frustration using some new tools that are easy to use,” said certified email marketing expert Ken Countess, founder of KENisEMAIL.com.The video can be viewed
Maximizing Your Email Marketing Campaign: Five Proven Strategies
Email marketing remains one of the most potent tools for businesses to engage with their audience.But despite its potential, many businesses either haven't tapped into email marketing or are not seeing the desired results.Leading email marketing expert Ken Countess provides 5 proven, simple strategies that can help you see significant improvements in your email marketing campaign results:Personalization is a critical component of any successful email marketing strategy. It's no longer sufficient to address
How Summertime Helps Your Business
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — May 29, 2024 – A lot of people back down on their marketing during the summertime, and that is a missed opportunity.Why?Because many businesses think:“People are off for the summer.""Nobody's checking email.""Nobody's buying.""Nobody's paying attention.”But quite the opposite is happening, opening door for you.Businesses back down on their marketing because:The owners are go on vacation.They think that it's a good time to save some money.They decide not to spend time or money marketing
Why Your Business Needs “Omnichannel marketing” Now More Than Ever
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — May 22, 2024 – “Omnichannel marketing" refers to the strategy of engaging with customers across multiple channels, such as online, social media, email, physical locations, print, and more. By being present on different platforms, you ensure that your company (and brand) will stay top of mind and reach leads, customers and prospects wherever they are. Why use an omnichannel approach? Research shows that businesses implementing omnichannel marketing can generate much, much higher
How to Get Better Returns on Your Hard-Earned Money
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — May 15, 2024 – There are plenty of worthy investment advisors out there but few can consistently can deliver a 36x return on your money. Data from the ANA and Hubspot confirms that email - just on average - delivers a 36-to-1 return on your money. “By comparison, if you put your money into a CD, you're lucky if you're getting $0.06 back on the dollar,” said certified email marketing expert Ken Countess. “One client I work with gets an ROI of over $150 for every $1 she
Want To Consistently Make More Money? You Have To Show Up
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FL — May 8, 2024 – it is so easy to get distracted and forget to send an email out from time to time. “It’s critical for you to show up in the inbox on a regular basis,” said certified email marketing expert Ken Countess. It does a few things for you. It makes you stand out. It makes you visible. You want - need! - people to remember who you are, and staying visible helps make that happen. Let's say, for example, you're a plumber, an HVAC person, an attorney, an
