Let’s be honest. When we’re creating an online entity, making money can be one of our main incentives. After all, we are trying to run a business. While it’s beneficial to ensure that you have an active presence on social media, you also need to ensure that other marketing funnels don’t fall by the wayside. One such funnel is that of e-mail marketing which acquires 40 percent more conversions than Facebook and Twitter combined, so it’s certainly an avenue worth investigating if you’re looking to improve your current turnover.

However, not any old email will do, so it’s important that you invest some time and effort into your marketing material before clicking that “send” button. The following five tips shine some light on the processes used to create that perfect marketing email so you can make use of them in future marketing endeavors.

1. Make Sure to Spend Time On Your Subject Line.

When it comes to creating marketing emails, it can be easy to assume that the bulk of the effort should be put into the content. While every effort should be made to ensure that the content is relevant and engaging, just as much effort should also be spent on the title.

The title can be seen as the “hook”, and while you shouldn’t resort to a clickbait title (they don’t often resonate well with audiences), you should ensure that the headline is punchy and to the point. It can help to have a set process in place such as the following:

• First, think of 20 possible subject lines.
• From these, select the best five.
• Pitch these five to friends or colleagues to see which they prefer.

Of course, you don’t have to conform to this particular process, but you should have something that allows you to really invest time into your headline rather than opting for the first thing that pops into your head.

2. Use Text for Your Headlines- not Images.

While many online users will state they prefer emails laden with pictures, the opposite is true. This was proven with a recent experiment that showed people prefer to receive plain-text emails.

This isn’t to say that those asked were telling any untruths, but what we think we prefer isn’t always the case. Those looking to construct marketing emails should rely on the stats and omit any images in favor of relevant text. This also portrays a more personal approach than images which can seem very corporate and off-putting for some.

3. Concentrate on the Timing of Your Email.

Just as the context and content of your email is important, so too is the time it is sent. Of course, we aren’t able to find out what time each and every person checks their email, but there are some stats that show sending an email between 8.00 a.m. and 9.00 a.m. or at 3.00 p.m. often yields the best results.

As well as the time, there’s also the day of the week to consider. As you would imagine, people are often catching up on Monday and spend less time in their inbox Friday through Sunday, so sending an email on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday generally generates the best results. Of course, there will be some of us who have demographics spanning numerous time zones. In this case you should look at the slew of online tools which ensure that you are able to send emails based on different locations.

4. Give Potential Customers a Reason to Buy.

Many customers will receive a series of emails asking them to part with their hard-earned cash, so it makes sense not to fade into the background when trying to gain their attention. Similarly, online consumers are less likely to be persuaded by some sales patter and would rather know what the product does and what benefits it can offer them.

Those looking to make an impact with their marketing emails should look to include information that is thorough, but not overwhelming. It can also be useful to ensure that any potential calls-to-action are listed clearly. This could be done by using a different font, be it the color, the size, or both.

You could also think of some additional incentives to get your subscribers clicking through more quickly, such as a limited-time special offer.

5. Ensure you Monitor Your Email Data.

If you’re sending marketing emails but are unable to see the impact they have made, you’re pretty much firing in the dark when it comes to determining what is yielding the best results. You should ensure that you have a reliable analytics solution such as Google Analytics or “the whole package” email marketing software like MailChimp that can help you monitor the percentage of material being interacted with, allowing you to implement changes when they are required.

Conclusion

The early days of email marketing can very much be a testing phase, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with this since it will hone your skills moving forward. It will allow you to highlight areas of success so these can be dealt with while omitting any elements that aren’t performing as desired.

As you can see, there can be a lot to consider when it comes to constructing a successful marketing email. However, knowing what to do in the early stages of email marketing can ensure that you’re not left behind when it comes to the ever-evolving online presence.

Of course, it could be that you simply don’t have the time to carry out such duties yourself, but this shouldn’t mean that they are left undone. Taking a bit more time and effort with your email marketing will mean that you create greater exposure and conversion.More Info:.lifehack.org

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Are Dietary Supplements Safe for You?

For all the talk lately about the lack of trust in government, people take it for granted that any product for sale in the U.S. is automatically safe to use – including supplements found in health stores, drug stores, and grocery stores.  After all, if they weren’t safe you’d either need a prescription or you couldn’t find them.  Right?

FDA’s Supplement Oversight Power

Believe it or not, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 states that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no power to “pre-approve” dietary supplements. They law does give them the power to remove or ban the sale of any product that is suspected of containing illegal ingredients, such as animal parts. The problem is that  this aftermarket action is very complicated to enforce.

1. It is up to consumers and health care providers to notify the FDA that there is a potential problem with a given product.
2. Manufacturers are required to submit a notice of new ingredients to the FDA but the definition of what constitutes “new” is vague and there is no way to ensure that a manufacturer is compliant with the law.
3. Dietary supplement firms are known to change the name of the product without the knowledge of the FDA after the supplement is banned by name.
4. There are too few agents to follow up on the more than 55,000 dietary supplements sold in stores across the U.S. and fewer still to monitor imported products sold online.

The FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs has recently put forth a revised guidance for the Notification of New Ingredients” that would empower the government to have the ability for the first time to identify unsafe ingredients before they hit the open market.  While this still wouldn’t prevent fraudulent supplements to be sold on the Internet, it would be a step forward in the protection of U.S. consumers.

The Importance of Supplement Safety

One of the most dangerous health issues related to dietary supplements is that ingredients are sometimes absent from the labeling, sometimes illegal in the U.S., and other times the name of an ingredient is changed when it has been outlawed.

Ingredients that are hidden or not reported on the labels include items that are laced with molds and known poisons. Illegal ingredients are often not listed. For instance, one product known as Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen has been flagged as it contains undeclared sibutramine and/or phenolphthalein. Other illegal ingredients include animal parts such as oxen and bull penis, and bovine eyes since these typically are contaminated with molds, mildews, and/or fecal matter.

An example of the latter is the ingredient called Oxilofrine. In 2004, this ingredient was outlawed as extremely dangerous and having caused thousands of deaths in the U.S. At that time, it was called ephedra. Manufacturers gave it a change in name and a subtle tweaking of the chemical composition. If Oxilofrine had been reported under the “new ingredient” regulation, it would have been caught before more people suffered death and permanent injury.

Oxilofrine is also marketed under the name Methylsynephrine, which many consumers believe is the same as Synephrine, which is a natural component of bitter oranges.  Unfortunately, there are many names on labels that are designed to deliberately mislead buyers.

Consumer Reports lists Lobelia and Green Tea Extract Powder among the top 15 ingredients to always avoid.  Both are known to potentially cause death while the other side effects are equally undesirable – some causing permanent health issues.

The FDA and Consumer Reports as well as multiple medical research and health organizations are sending out alarms about supplements sold for the purpose of increasing energy, assisting in weight loss, increasing muscle mass, and normalizing erectile function.  Additionally, they warn against taking anything marked or marketed as “100% Natural” as if an ingredient that is natural, such as Lobelia, is not deadly. The best protection available at this time is “Buyer Beware”.More Info:.lifehack.org

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3 Lifestyle Triggers that Relieve Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are a big problem for a lot of people. It feels like this problem becomes a part of who you are.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

I have seen people transform from being crippled by depression and anxiety, to a point where they get that feeling of serenity back in their lives. The dark cloud of depression begins to fade and the heavy weight of anxiety gets lighter. They used the 3 ‘lifestyle triggers’ to achieve this state.

The beauty of these particular lifestyle triggers is their simplicity. No side effects. Not emotionally draining. This makes it so easy to stay committed and consistent towards them.

So you probably have one big question right now…

What Is A ‘Lifestyle Trigger’?…

First, you need to understand what is actually going on with your body when you’re feeling depressed and anxious. Once you can understand the physical problem, you just need to know how to reverse it.

First, some science…

I want you to imagine you have 2 buckets in your body (ok, maybe not too science-y). One bucket is for stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline), the other is for feel-good neurotransmitters (these are messengers in the brain responsible for mood). Normally, there is a good balance between these two buckets and they complement each other, helping the body create a state of serenity. I call this balance your ‘Hormone Harmony’, remember this, it’s important for later.

When you’re depressed and anxious, the stress hormone bucket fills to level where it is unmanageable to the body. The feel-good neurotransmitter bucket empties to a level where they don’t work or receive correctly anymore. These imbalances your hormone harmony, therefore ending the serenity and creating all the nasty symptoms of depression and anxiety.

That’s why sometimes you might feel like you have no rational reason for feeling depressed or anxious, but you still feel like crap. You can’t just ‘Snap out of it’. You can’t just click your figures and fix a broken hormone harmony. So don’t be hard on yourself about it.

You need to reverse the damage done to your hormone harmony, therefore reducing your symptoms. The answer to this is something I call ‘Lifestyle Triggers’. This is a principle I have developed, working as the fitness coordinator at one of the UK’s leading mental health hospitals. The great thing is, they help improve general mental health (memory, energy, mood) as well as reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Basically, these are slight unique changes and factors in your lifestyle, you could look at them as small steps that reverse the damage to your hormone harmony. This is why they can give you quicker relief from symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with traditional psychotherapy. This is because they are fixing the physical root cause of the symptoms… your hormone harmony. I’m not for one moment suggesting you shouldn’t undergo psychotherapy, just pointing out that you’ll need an approach from both angles.

So, the 3 lifestyle triggers I’m going to share with you…

1. Create A Positive ‘Exercise-Stress Axis’

The exercise-stress axis is a principle I created and work by, which allows me to use exercise to relieve depression and anxiety. Let me explain… All exercise is a stress on the body. Your body can either adapt to this stress, thereby lowering your stress hormones at rest, or it can overload the body and actually increase stress hormones at rest. I call this balance your exercise-stress axis. The idea is to create a positive one so that over time your stress hormones reduce right down and improve your hormone harmony.

With me so far? Good, let’s keep going…

The key is to not use traditional exercise, instead use something I call ‘flexible exercise’. This is different from  traditional exercise as it’s far shorter, 10/20/30 minutes long. These short timely bursts of exercise give the body a chance to adapt to the stress of exercise, therefore emptying the body of stress hormones giving you an improved hormone harmony and relieving symptoms.

2. Avoid ‘Negative Trigger Foods’

The food we eat is constantly affecting our hormones, neurotransmitters and nervous system. I call these 3 systems your power 3 as they can all rebalance your hormone harmony when they are functioning correctly. I call this constant dynamic between the food you eat and the power 3 the ‘Food-Mood Constant’. The idea is to create a positive food-mood constant, therefore relieving symptoms through a better functioning power 3. So a simple way to get started with this is one crucial ‘lifestyle trigger’… Avoid ‘Negative Trigger Foods’, these are all the foods that inhibit the power 3 and trigger a negative response to your hormone harmony. Some of these foods are well known…

Big portions of simple carbohydrates and sugar- will create peaks and lows in blood sugar. This forces the body to increase stress hormones (adrenalin and cortisol) to try and rebalance it.

Over processed foods- will put pressure on the power 3 and stop them functioning properly. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of these negative trigger foods, some are hidden by clever marketing.

3. Have A Daily ‘Motivational Prompt’

The final lifestyle trigger brings it all together and just helps to ensure consistency and compliance to the first two. Simply create a ‘motivational prompt’ and write it down each day. This is something that instantly triggers motivation for the person that day.

This is usually a desired outcome of the first two lifestyle triggers like; improve my energy, feel less tired and fatigued, feel less stressed, reduce my anxiety. When motivation is feeling low and you feel like you might not bother doing your 10 minutes flexible exercise workout or you are going to binge on some negative trigger foods, look at the prompt and remind yourself why you are using the lifestyle triggers.

The Beauty Of Lifestyle Triggers…

The beauty of lifestyle triggers is that you are in control of them. Unlike therapy or medication where you may feel dependent on a therapist or pill, you get a real sense self-control which is really empowering and very important to someone depressed or anxious.

This means you are in control of the depression or anxiety, not the other way around. As I have already said, I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t do therapy or take medication, but you should be using things like lifestyle triggers along with them.

Remember, if you are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, always seek medical advice and talk to a doctor. These things are nothing to ashamed of. If you found this useful please like and share, as it might help someone else going through the same thing. We can beat depression and anxiety together.More Info:.lifehack.org

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8 Hacks to Get Your Tenancy Deposits Refunded

 Featured photo credit: javavida.com via cheapestironing.co.uk

Proper End of Tenancy Cleaning Guarantees Your Deposit Refunds

Many good property owners expect their property to be returned in the best hygienic state it was given out. Also, they understand that their property has been used for many years and is due for its tears and wears. However, there could be others who no matter how long their property has existed, they expect it remains ever brand new as it was when newly built and never agreeing to wears and tears. These property owners are ready to push little issues about wears and tears on their property to any length “legality and beyond” just to get you over billed. As if they expects you never to touch anything while using the property.

Is there a possibility to know which one of these landlords understands the use of their property and its depreciation value with age? Well, I don’t think it’s worth the stress finding out which landlord is understanding or which is not. So, if you desire to have your tenancy deposit refunded, there is need to return the property in the best way possible as it was let out and just in case, get some evidence.

1. Keep check in records.

Just with time, it’s likely you will forget the status of the property when you moved in. It is very important that the wears and tears on the property like wall stains (scuff marks) before moving in are documented and signed by you and the property owner as fast as possible. With this, you won’t be charged for any existing property wears and tears when your tenancy period ends. also, keeping check-in records will help save many issues about electricity, waste disposal, if any surfaces need special cleaning and more.

2. Taking photographs.

It will be amazing that your camera is a strong a weapon when issues arises. While moving in or out, make sure to photograph the each you as you meet it or left it. In case any issue comes up, the photograph indeed can never be wrong unless it’s showing entirely another property. It’s also advisable to take dated photographs or labeled photographs immediately as you arrive at this property and never forget to send them along with the check in records. Keep your own copies, too.

3. Invite the property owner and walk him around.

While moving in, it’s sure your landlord will walk you around the property for inspection and records before signing the agreement documents. Still, it’s very important to ask the landlord around and walk him through the property both interior and exterior to attest the status of the property before finally moving out and if possible, he may come around with a potential tenant wishing to take the property over from you if there is already one. The landlord can use this as an opportunity to point out anything he is not OK with regarding the property status and you settle it the best way to avoid issues with your deposit refund. Use the check-in record as a guide. Interestingly, the potential tenant could act as a witness to this inspection.

4. End of tenancy cleaning.

At the most, this is where major issues arise and everything we have said this far all has a link to this. Interesting to know that over 55% of deposit issues comes from non-satisfactory cleaning by the tenant. Landlords often use this as opportunity to withhold your deposit and you have to be very careful how this is done. To be sure of your deposit refund, it’s advisable to contact an end of tenancy cleaning company for their service if you don’t have enough time left to do it or it appears too stressful for you.

However you chose to do this, either cleaning yourself or requiring the service of professional end of tenancy cleaning company is your choice and not the landlords’. The landlord can’t force you to use a particular cleaning company for the cleaning. It is good to let him know however you wish to do your cleaning, but know this well that it’s solely your decision. If you chose to do it yourself, this simple steps should guide your alongside your check-in records.

5. Remember the hidden areas.

This is especially important if you chose to do your cleaning yourself. It is very easy to become used to your environment and never noticing areas where dirt could accumulate but the landlord will be sure to notice these areas on inspection. To ensure you do this to its best, it’s helpful to assume it’s your first time in the environments and you’re making sure it’s safe for your habitation, so you have to make sure you look around properly.

Asking friends for help might be of great help while they act as the landlord passing judgment on your work if it’s satisfactory or not. Ask them to be fair and serious enough because it will be of great help. Inspect where normally you hardly look like on top the refrigerator, the top corners of the room, etc. Check and unblock all plugholes.

7. Be paranoid.

Just because your landlord seems nice to you or often compliment you on how great you keep this property, doesn’t mean they will keep that nice manly attitude at the end of the year of your tenancy period. If perhaps you are renting for the first time, ask those who have had such experience and they will have much to tell you about this.

8. Don’t forget the tenancy dispute service.

No matter how smart or careful you may be, chances may have it that issues arise. There could always be broken promises and a huge sum of completely illegal charges on the deposits at the end of the rental period or end of tenancy is demanded. No matter how right you are, there might be a need to settle issues with tenancy dispute service and both will be asked to submit all evidences at the moment. Remember, keeping records becomes very useful here and you certainly will be able to claim all your deposits back if evidences are in your favor.More Info:.lifehack.org

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3 Ways to Select the Best Zipper for your Travel Luggage

 Featured photo credit: www.eaglecreek.com via eaglecreek.com

When you check your travel bag before purchasing one, the Zipper is the most important component to look out for. Frequent travelers and Global trotters should pay attention to the quality of zipper on the luggage bag before buying one. If the zipper of your bag is broken, you can’t travel after all.

Low-quality luggage zipper could break easily and when this happens, the situation may be so awkward. Can you imagine how horrifying it would be seeing everything you are carrying spilled on the way?

Therefore, as a luggage manufacturer, the choice luggage zippers by travelers above should be a guide to selecting best zipper for your luggage bag project.

1. Know the Zipper type 

Know the Zipper type commonly used by manufacturing companies on luggage

There are many luggage zippers in the market from different zipper manufacturing companies. However, two of these are the most commonly used.

• Coil zippers

Since they are made from nylon or polyester, they are commonly called nylon zippers. These zippers are not only durable; they are also of a reasonable price. Also, these zippers possess self-healing abilities which make them retain their original when twisted or tampered with. Precisely, this is why they are preferred by luggage manufacturers.

• Chain zippers

When compared with the coil zipper, these zippers are made either of metal or molded plastic. They create a perfect zipper system highly secured and durable with the teeth interlocking perfectly. However, the metallic teeth nature makes them inflexible and more expensive than the coil zipper. Because of these two issues, the chain zippers rarely find admirers in the luggage manufacturing companies, however durable or secured they are.

2. Access the Luggage zipper

Having known the most commonly used luggage zippers, these few tips will guide you while accessing the zipper.

• Closed-end zippers are better compared to open-end zippers.

Closed end zipper is a better choice when it comes to travel luggage. The reason for this is because, since the zipper opens at opposite ends, even if one of the zippers pair breaks, the luggage bag is still useful with the other functioning zipper.

• The bigger the zipper the better for the luggage bag

This is very true that the bigger zippers are stronger and long-lasting than the smaller size zippers.

• Water resistant zippers are better for travel luggage with valuables

For someone who carries valuables like expensive watches, camera or whatever else, buying a travel luggage with water resistant zipper should be the best choice. This should be a zipper selection guide to luggage manufacturers.

• Chose zippers pulls with big holes.

While people who prefer being extra safe use locks for added safety, zipper pulls with very small holes may not let lock shackles through.  Ensure to buy a zipper pulls with lager holes that permit lock shackles for your project.

• Smart Zippers Are today’s choice.

Today, luggage manufacturing industries incorporate smart zippers in their travel luggage. These zippers have tampered resistant zipper pulls connected to hidden clips. This makes it impossible for thieves to make way with travel luggage without getting caught. If you often travel with valuable, getting a travel luggage with a smart zipper should be the best choice.

3. Know Zipper maintenance and care

It is not enough to know the zipper choice for your project or classification but also very important to know zipper maintenance tips for both the luggage manufacturer and the buyer.

Luggage zippers require proper care and maintenance if they must keep their functionality and increase their longevity.

Tips

• Never stuff the luggage bag.

Luggage zippers can break easily when you try to close an overly filled bag. If the longevity of the zipper must be kept, always fill your bags to their optimum holding capacity and never go beyond.

• Lubrication may be needed

Mostly, water-resistant zippers must be given careful attention. If these zippers are not lubricated with silicone grease, paraffin or Teflon spray for a long time, they could become distorted and difficult to operate.

• Do not attempt to open or close a slider if you can’t do it.

The first reactions of most people to sliders that refuse to open or close normally are to exert a force it. If you don’t have any idea on opening or closing a slider, it’s better to leave it and think of ways better to do it. Exerting for on it may cause more harm than good. The best way to make this open or close properly is to apply lubricating spray to the elements. With a short time, a little effort should make the slider work perfectly.

• Detached elements from tape

Putting pressure to zip up an overfilled luggage bag may cause the elements to detach from the tape. Once the elements are detached, there is no way you can fix them back. The only remedy is to replace the zipper. However, avoiding this is simple; never force to close the two elements when they are far from each other. If ever you succeed forcing them closed, they might force themselves detach from the center and that still cause the damage. The elements will sure close smoothly when they are near each other.

• Slider getting stuck on Fabric

If a slider gets stuck on fabric and it’s forced to open, it will get stuck even more especially if fabric threads have got stuck. Simply pull back the slider as gently as possible then remove the stuck fabric or thread carefully.

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