Drastic cuts to tourism in the state’s proposed budget could prove to be disastrous, according to a local expert.Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed budget would cut the state’s spending on tourism marketing by more than 65 percent from last year and that could spell trouble for the region’s largest industry.“Advertising is an investment and that’s why larger corporations invest in advertising because it works. Other states are recognizing and [...]
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الجمعة، 9 فبراير 2018
Bartonsville eatery's comments draw ire
BARTONSVILLE — Food And Wings (formerly Cluck U) has apologized for online comments viewed as homophobic, but the target of those comments has rejected the apology. Toby Solstice-Allison, who's married to another man, and some of his co-workers recently bought lunch from the eatery located off Route 611. After hairs appeared in the food of one of the co-workers, Solstice-Allison visited the Food And Wings customer reviews page online Thursday."All I posted was a sentence [...]
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Why a Stock Market Correction Isn’t That Scary (and Can Even Be Good News!)
The stock market has been a fickle beast lately with a lot of ups and downs. The downs, however, have more than a few people freaking out. Monday’s 1,175-point drop in the Dow Jones industrial average was the largest point drop in history.
Now the talking heads are telling us we’re in a stock market correction.
Great. But what does that mean?
What’s a Stock Market Correction?
A stock market correction is basically a dip of 10% or more in the stock market from recent highs.
On Jan. 26, 2018, the Dow hit an all-time high of 26,616. On Feb. 8, it closed at 23,860, officially making it a correction period. The Dow Jones industrial average, Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 have all fallen 10% this week.
If the market reaches a 20% decline for at least two months, then we have a bear market. While a correction can be a short-term blip on the market radar, a bear market has a longer-term impact. We’d like to avoid that.
What Causes a Correction?
Oddly enough, a stock market correction can be a sign of a healthy economy. As the economy surges, it is expected that inflation will follow. The federal government combats inflation by raising interest rates.
When interest rates go up, it’s harder to borrow money. It’s also harder for businesses to make money. That means people lose faith and begin selling stocks. When people sell stocks, the market drops.
Is This a Recession?
Nope. While a market correction can be a sign of an upcoming recession, it’s by no means a sure thing. In fact, the S&P 500 has hit correction levels 36 times since 1950 — that’s nearly one every two years.
While the market is always unpredictable, our healthy economy suggests this could be a short-lived event. Cross your fingers, just in case.
What Should You Do During This Market Correction?
Make a pitcher of margaritas, sit back and relax. If you’re worried about your long-term investments, you shouldn’t be. Try to keep it all in perspective. When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the Dow Jones was at 7,949. Today, it’s approximately 200% higher.
Warren Buffett, who’s rumored to know a thing or two about investing, says tough times are great for investors. “During such scary periods, you should never forget two things: First, widespread fear is your friend as an investor, because it serves up bargain purchases. Second, personal fear is your enemy,” he wrote last year in a letter to Birkshire Hathaway investors.
Why is widespread fear your friend? Because when the nervous Nellies begin to sell, stock prices fall. It’s basically putting the stock market on sale. What do savvy shoppers do? They buy things when they go on sale. A dip in the stock market is an opportunity for those who want to get in or build on their portfolios.
If you’re not looking to buy like Warren Buffett, just chill out with that pitcher of margaritas like his faux cousin, Jimmy Buffett.
This article contains general information and explains options you may have, but it is not intended to be investment advice or a personal recommendation. We can’t personalize articles for our readers, so your situation may vary from the one discussed here. Please seek a licensed professional for tax advice, legal advice, financial planning advice or investment advice.
Tyler Omoth is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder who loves soaking up the sun and finding creative ways to help others. He lives by the mantra “WWJBD” or “What Would Jimmy Buffett Do?” Catch him on Twitter at @Tyomoth.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
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Why Dropping Over $1K/Year on Kids Activities Might Not Really Be Worth It
If you think tickets to the Olympics are expensive, you don’t even want to know how much parents spend to get their child trained to compete.
Even when the Olympics aren’t the goal, parents are spending thousands each year for their kids to participate in sports or other extracurricular activities.
SunTrust Bank recently surveyed nearly 1,000 adults to find out how much they were spending — and exactly what they were sacrificing — in order for their kids to be involved in various after-school activities.
About 20% surveyed said they spent more than $2,500 each year on extracurriculars. Almost 40% spent over $1,000 annually.
Let’s break that down. Spending $1,000 a year equals $83.33 a month… which is fine if you can afford it or if you’re making reasonable financial sacrifices.
Forty-two percent of the respondents in SunTrust’s survey said they cut back on dining out in order to fund their children’s extracurricular activities. Thirty-five percent reduced their spending on shopping, 29% sacrificed vacations and 23% put off upgrading to a new car.
Many of those surveyed said the sacrifices were worth it. In return for the investment, parents said their children were building character, staying physically active, engaging in an activity they loved and making new friends.
It’s hard to put a price on that.
But when the cost of participating in extracurriculars is putting a crucial strain on the household budget, that may be the time to reconsider things.
Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed said they sacrificed paying off debt so their kids could be involved in activities like baseball or band. Twenty-one percent said they put off saving for retirement and 25% cut back on other savings.
Unlike forgoing restaurant meals or summer vacations, those sacrifices can negatively affect a family’s financial security. And let’s be real — not all of our children will wind up being the next Ryan Lochte or Gabby Douglas.
It’s been reported that 70% of child athletes will quit organized sports by age 13. Is ignoring major financial obligations worth it?
South African doctor Alastair McAlpine recently took to Twitter to share what the terminally ill children under his care said they really enjoyed in their lives. His Tweets went viral as he shared what gave the kids joy wasn’t competing in sports or taking piano lessons, but rather simple things like spending time with pets, reading books and eating ice cream.
So if paying for dance or karate lessons is keeping you from having an adequate amount of money in an emergency fund, don’t feel guilty about saying no or reducing the amount of participation in after-school activities.
Follow a couple of Penny Hoarder tips on earning, saving and managing money, and you could be in a better financial situation to bring back the extracurriculars in a year or two.
Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She enjoys writing about parenting and money.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
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UW-Madison Free Tuition Pledge Makes College More Accessible for All
A pro/con list is a great way to narrow down your college options.
Take, for example, the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Pro: I hear the cheese in Wisconsin is phenom.
Con: The whole “10 degrees and snowy” thing the state has going on right now.
Pro: Free tuition.
Con: Sushi in the Midwest is — wait, what?! Free tuition?
Yep.
“Bucky’s Tuition Promise”
On Thursday, the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced plans to make higher education more accessible to more people with what it’s calling “Bucky’s Tuition Promise.” (Named for Buckingham U. “Bucky” Badger, if you’re wondering.)
During the February meeting of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System held in Madison this week, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank explained the school’s new commitment.
The university plans to cover four years of tuition and segregated fees (charges for stuff like student activities and facilities) for incoming freshmen from Wisconsin whose family’s annual adjusted gross household income is at or below the median family income in Wisconsin — which is $56,000.
Transfer students from Wisconsin will receive two years of tuition and fees if they meet the same qualifications.
Incoming students can begin taking advantage of this sweet new deal this year, in the fall 2018 semester.
The school wanted the process to be as simple and straightforward as possible. So, if an accepted student has filled out FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and meets the income requirement, the award is automatic.
There’s no separate application and approval process. As long as a student has been admitted to the school, and the FAFSA reflects the family’s adjusted gross income on their federal income tax return as being at or below the $56,000 mark, the entirety of their tuition will be paid.
Eligible students can also be granted assistance for additional costs like food, housing and general living expenses, but those are not specifically included in this new tuition promise.
Once the program is in full swing, the school expects to spend about $3.3 million on the program annually, and estimates it will cover about 800 incoming freshmen and transfer students each year.
The school says this will be funded through private gifts and institutional resources, not through tax dollars.
When it comes down to it, the University of Wisconsin-Madison really just wants to make a college education more accessible to people who otherwise might miss out entirely.
“Many low- and middle-income families in Wisconsin are simply uncertain whether they can afford to send their child to UW–Madison,” Blank said while announcing the new tuition guarantee. “Our goal is to ensure that anyone who is admitted can afford to be a Badger.”
Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
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You Don’t Have to Be a Genius to Know That Free Einstein Bagels Are Amazing
I hope you’re sitting down for this, because I’m about to blow your mind: National Pizza Day and National Bagel Day (or Bagel and Lox Day) are both celebrated Feb. 9.
Sounds to me like a bagel pizza is in order, but it looks like that idea hasn’t hit bagel or pizza shops yet. So I guess I’ll settle for some Bagel Bites. Or maybe I’ll just take that free slice of pizza and shove it between my free bagel slices to make a pizza sandwich — I’m a little hungry.
Anyway, don’t worry if you get too full on pizza today, because Einstein Bros. Bagels will celebrate National Bagel Day over the next five days!
Get a Free Bagel With Spread for National Bagel Day
From Friday, Feb. 9 until Tuesday, Feb. 13, Einstein Bros. Bagels will give away a free bagel with spread to all existing and new Shmear Society members. Simply sign into your Shmear Society account to claim the offer or check your email inbox.
You can also become a “bagel hero” with the Baker’s Dozen Box, which comes with 13 bagels and two tubs of spread for $10. Just visit the bagel hero page, click on the button that says “Click for Coupon” and enter your email address to have the coupon emailed to you, or click “Print Coupon” to print it out.
Plus, if you share a photo of yourself rescuing the day with bagels via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you’ll be entered for a chance to win free bagels and spread for a year! Just be sure to use the hashtag #BagelHeroContest, and share your photo by Feb. 13.
You can also score a free egg sandwich by becoming a morning person with Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Jessica Gray is an editorial assistant at The Penny Hoarder. She really is making a pizza bagel sandwich for lunch.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
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Crushing on Your Co-worker? Read This Before You Ask Them Out
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you know what that means: You can’t take three steps into a supermarket without being bombarded by seemingly endless aisles of pink balloons, kissing stuffed animals and enough candy to give you a contact sugar high.
You might find yourself eyeing a heart-shaped box of chocolates and thinking, “Maybe I should get these for Jessica from the accounting department and ask her out…”
First, let me just say Valentine’s Day might not be the best choice for a first date, but if you do go for it, keep it low key.
Second, dating a co-worker isn’t all “Be Mine” candy hearts and sunshine — it can be tricky business.
I know what “The Office” fans are thinking: But Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly! Yes, we all wish we could be like Jim and Pam, but sadly we do not live in Scranton, Pennsylvania, nor do we work at Dunder Mifflin.
In fact, office romances seem to be taking a dip, with 36% of workers reporting dating a co-worker, down from 41% last year and 40% in 2008, according to CareerBuilder’s most recent Valentine’s Day Survey.
So before you dive in to an office romance, here are a few things to consider.
Always Be Upfront About Your Workplace Romance
If you’re seriously considering getting romantically involved with a co-worker, you need to share this information with your company’s HR department.
It’s tempting to keep your new relationship a secret, maybe because it isn’t that serious or you don’t want to share your personal information. In fact, out of the 809 full-time workers CareerBuilder polled for the Valentine’s Day Survey, 41% reported keeping their workplace romance a secret.
“It could create more potential problems down the road to not disclose it,” says Beth Zoller, a legal editor at XpertHR. She says that being upfront about the situation could serve as a way to protect both you and your employer from any potential harassment claims in the future.
Not only could keeping your relationship a secret cause problems down the line, it’s also going to be a chore to keep it hidden from your coworkers.
And don’t underestimate the power of the office gossip grapevine — it’s going to be a chore to keep your relationship hidden from your co-workers.
Social media alone makes keeping secrets in today’s world close to impossible. You’re probably going to be friends with some of your co-workers on Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. Keeping your work boo-thing a secret means no #mancrushmonday posts for you.
Know Your Workplace Policies
In the 2016 CareerBuilder Valentine’s Survey, over 45% reported they didn’t know if their company had a dating policy in place.
Say it with me, y’all: Knowledge is power!
If you really hit it off with Jessica in accounting, take a peek at your company’s handbook to make sure you aren’t breaking any rules. You can also reach out directly to someone in the HR department to clear up any confusion over dating policies.
This goes back to the earlier point about being upfront. Educating yourself on the rules surrounding office romances will protect you down the road.
Another thing to consider is signing a “love contract.” This is a document your employer would give to you and your significant other to sign to formally state that your relationship is consensual.
I know, the idea of involving paperwork in your relationship is basically the opposite of romance.
But these contracts can be helpful with laying out guidelines and policies surrounding your relationship and can ensure you and your employer are on the same page. They also serve as a level of protection against harassment claims for your employer.
Just know your employer can’t force you to sign a love contract, only encourage it.
Reconsider Dating Your Boss
Or as Zoller says, “Don’t date your boss.” Just don’t do it. And vice versa: Don’t get involved with your subordinate.
While most workplace policies don’t outright ban office relationships, the majority have pretty strict rules when it comes to supervisors and subordinates dating.
But such rules haven’t stopped everyone.
The 2018 Valentine’s Day Survey shows 22% of respondents have dated their boss, up from 15% last year.
Getting involved with your boss can be messy. If your company has a policy against such a relationship, you’re going to have to keep it a secret — that’s only going to add stress to your life and could negatively impact your work performance.
And even if your company doesn’t completely ban it, it could still create tension in the workplace. When a subordinate is dating a supervisor, concerns of favoritism are bound to arise.
A report on workplace romances by XpertHR says this situation can have a negative impact on office morale. It’s also likely that every time you receive a promotion or bonus, someone is going to cast doubt over whether or not it was actually deserved.
But if you’re REALLY hitting it off with your manager or a subordinate, Zoller says the smart thing to do is to approach your employer about changing the department you are involved in. That way you and your potential partner won’t be directly involved with one another.
Be Prepared for the Fallout
Workplace romances can get messy.
I’m not saying every single office romance is doomed. Some lucky couples actually do get that Pam-and-Jim happy ending. In fact, up to 31% of the survey respondents said dating their co-worker led to marriage!
But on the other end of the spectrum, you have all of the nasty and awkward business that comes with a breakup. And in this situation, you can’t just delete their number and forget they existed — you have to work with them.
For some, breakups in the workplace can lead to finding new jobs altogether. This seems to affect women more, with 9% leaving a job after things have gone south. Comparatively, only 3% of men reported changing jobs.
But the fallout after a bad breakup can lead to more serious concerns, such as harassment.
This past year has put a spotlight on sexual harassment in the workplace, serving as a grim reminder that harassment has many different forms and is found throughout every type of industry.
Zoller says the recent events highlighting sexual harassment in the workplace are causing employers to take a good, hard look at their current policies. The XpertHR report highlights important aspects of harassment policies, like ensuring that employees won’t receive any retaliation for reporting harassment.
If you have a romantic fall out with a co-worker that leads to harassment of any kind, don’t be afraid to speak up.
Remember, This Is Still a Place of Business
If I haven’t completely scared you away from getting involved with a co-worker, keep some of these guidelines in mind as you move forward.
Educate yourself on the rules your company enforces, and remember that while office romances aren’t inherently bad, this is still your job.
“I think it’s important for employees to be aware of these policies and remember that there’s a very big difference between work and social situations,” says Zoller.
Getting to see your significant other at work would be awesome, but don’t let it affect your performance or your co-workers.
If you think you’re up to taking on the challenges that come with an office romance, then good luck, and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Kaitlyn Blount is a junior staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She just passed you a note: Do you like the idea of office romances? Circle yes or no.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
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US stocks struggle to stabilize after entering 'correction'
The up-and-down swings came a day after the market entered a correction, or a drop of 10 percent from a recent peak. Major U.S. indexes set their latest record highs just two weeks ago.
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How to Increase Open Rates with These 7 Email Subject Lines
How long does it take you to write marketing emails?
If you’re anything like me, you put lots of thought, effort, and time into each and every word in the message. That’s what it takes to write actionable email newsletters.
Your message is full of great content. You might even have some discounts, coupons, or other promotional offers there as well.
Maybe you’re promoting a new product, service, or trying to drive traffic to a landing page. Regardless of the goal of your marketing emails, all of your campaigns have one thing in common:
subscribers need to open them to see your message.
Sounds simple, right? But all too often I see marketers come up with a subject line in two seconds and send out the message.
The subject line is the first thing the recipient sees when they get your email. Just how important is it?
Well, 35% of people open emails based solely on the subject line. Furthermore, 69% of people mark messages as spam based on the subject line.
Basically, your subject line will make or break the success of your marketing campaigns.
To increase your open rates, you’ve got to come up with subject lines that stimulate interactivity, which I identified as one of my top marketing trends of 2018.
But you can’t use the same subject line over and over. That gets boring, and your subscribers will catch on.
That’s why I created this list of the top 7 subject lines that increase open rates. Now you have a reference guide for every message you send.
Let’s dive in.
1. Personalized subject lines
Adding a personal touch to your subject lines can help increase open rates.
In fact, the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) identified these as the top benefits of personalized emails:
As you can see from their data, increase in open rates was the first benefit of personalized subject lines.
Personalized subjects can have a larger impact on your campaign as well. You’ll also get more clicks, fewer unsubscribes, higher customer satisfaction, and more sales.
What kind of information can you use to personalize a subject line? You can use your customer’s:
- name
- postal location
- birthday
- current location
- info related to their transaction history
- content related to browsing history
- product recommendations
- social media accounts
If you’re on the fence about what’s appropriate to use, start off by addressing the recipients by their first name in the subject. See how much of an impact that has on your open rates.
How much of a difference will it make?
Well, research shows that personalized email messages improve clicks by 14% and increase conversions by 10%.
Studies also show that personalized promotional emails result in 29% higher open rates.
The reason why this strategy works is because it helps you establish a more intimate connection with your subscribers. They’ll see that the content was created specifically for them as opposed to a mass audience.
I’m much more likely to open a message that says “Hey Neil!” than the one that begins with “Dear Valued Customer.” The first one makes it seem like I personally know the sender.
Give this method a try next time you’re sending out an email.
2. Subjects that create a sense of urgency
Are you familiar with the concept of FOMO? It stands for the “fear of missing out” on something.
Social media websites today make FOMO more prevalent. Take a look at these numbers:
FOMO has become such a problem for people that it’s impacting the way they live their lives. You can stimulate this powerful emotion in your email subject lines.
How can you create a sense of urgency?
Offer a sale with an expiration date.
If someone is on your subscriber list, they’ve probably bought something from your company in the past. Even if they haven’t, they’re interested enough to probably buy something soon.
While your coupon might be available in the body of the message, you need to make it obvious in the subject line.
Let’s compare two hypothetical subject lines. Which one do you think is more effective?
“New weekly coupon inside!”
or
“25% off sale ends tonight!”
I promise you that the second example will get more opens than the first one. That’s because the deadline of “ends tonight” gives people a reason to act fast.
If they don’t open the message now, they’ll fear they will be missing out on a great deal—FOMO.
Another way to generate urgency is by alluding to a limited quantity of something remaining. Here’s a great example from GetResponse:
GetResponse is an email marketing software. So it’s no surprise they have a great email subject line to promote their services.
The idea is to get people to act fast.
If your subject line says the deal is valid until the end of the month, the recipient has no reason to open it now. They may never end up opening it.
But that can change if you generate urgency.
3. Breaking news subject lines
Your content needs to be highly relevant.
If your company isn’t in the news reporting or media industries, you’ll have to get creative here. Here’s what I mean.
You don’t need to send emails reporting a local robbery or car accident. But you can link recent news to your business.
For example, let’s say you have an ecommerce company that sells clothing. You’ve got your email subscribers segmented by location based on their zip codes.
It’s February, and a winter snowstorm is approaching the states in New England.
You could send an email with a breaking news subject line about the storm and say that you’re selling winter coats, hats, and gloves at a discounted rate.
MailChimp conducted a study in which they analyzed 24 billion emails. These subject lines had roughly 22,000 unique words.
Their data showed that people opened messages with keywords that were related to breaking news.
If you can’t think of create ways to link recent news to your email campaigns, create some news of your own. Share recent news about your company.
Talk about things like:
- a new product release
- an approaching event
- new member of your staff
And make them sound like news headlines in your subject lines.
4. Subject lines that tell a story
You can get more sales by mastering the art of storytelling. But you can also increase your email open rates with the same tactic.
Everyone loves to hear a good story.
That’s why we read books, watch movies, and sit for hours watching our favorite television shows on Netflix. The stories keep us captivated.
You should tell stories in your emails to capture the attention of your subscribers. Then you can include CTAs within the story or have the general theme of your story prompt an action.
But the key here is to use the subject line as a teaser for the story.
If you’re trying to drive traffic to a new post you wrote, consider using its title as your subject line—if it tells a story.
Here’s an example of an old post I wrote about spending money on clothes and being able to generate a profit:
That’s a headline that grabs a reader’s attention.
If I wanted to promote this post via email, I could use its title as the subject line. Both of those numbers, spent and earned, are too high for people to ignore.
They might ask themselves, “How could you make that much money just by spending money on clothes?”
Then they would click to read the story or, in this case, open your email.
5. Stimulate curiosity with a subject line
People are curious by nature.
Refer back to our last example about storytelling. The reason why someone would want to click on that message is because they are curious.
Your subject line should try to pique the curiosity of your subscribers.
Don’t give it all away in the subject line. Instead, hint at something that they’ll find out if they open your message.
Rather than saying, “here’s 30% off your next purchase,” you can create a mystery sale instead. If you just tell the subscriber their discount, they don’t have a reason to open the message unless they are ready to use it.
Here’s an example from Forever 21 of an email that employs this technique:
Apply the same concept to your subject line.
It doesn’t have to be applied to sales only. You can hint at a mystery event or maybe even a special guest on your next podcast.
Just make sure you’re not giving away all the information in the subject line.
Here’s another example. Let’s say you’re in the food industry. You want to send out an email about the most popular foods in America.
Potatoes are the most commonly consumed vegetable in the United States.
But you wouldn’t write that in your subject line.
Instead, you would write something like, “What’s America’s favorite vegetable? We’ve got the answer.”
This subject makes the recipient wonder, whereas just stating the answer gives them no reason to actually open the message.
6. Short subject lines
No matter what type of content your subject line contains, it needs to be short. Avoid using really long sentences and unnecessary characters.
To optimize the length of your subject lines, I recommend writing out several drafts before deciding on one. Then you can pick and choose pieces of each draft so you can get your message across as short as possible.
So how long is too long? Studies show that email subjects lines that have between 1 and 20 characters have the highest open rates.
As you can see, this statement holds true across the board, regardless of what the email entails.
This could be due to the fact if the subject line is too long, the recipient may not be able to see all of the words in their inbox.
55% of emails get opened on a mobile device.
You’ve got to take this into consideration when you’re crafting a subject line. While it may look fine on your computer, this changes when it’s being looked at on a smaller screen.
Here’s an example to show you what I’m talking about.
While most businesses realize that their emails need to optimized for mobile devices, they forget about the subject line.
Overall, if your subject line is short, you’ll get higher open rates.
7. Subject lines with free stuff
It’s OK to give things away for free. Some companies avoid this because they think it’s not profitable, which I completely understand.
Look, I’m not saying you need to give away your most expensive products for nothing. But it doesn’t hurt to give away a free gift with a purchase every now and then.
This is especially true if you’re using an email campaign to promote the free offer.
Why?
Take a look at these numbers.
Email marketing campaigns generate a 4,300% return on your investment. That’s because it’s not expensive to send emails.
You’re likely only paying a marginal monthly or annual fee for your software.
Plus you get so many benefits like an increase in sales, more website traffic, and new leads. So it’s OK to use this platform to promote a free offer.
Include the word “FREE” in your subject line to get more subscribers to open your messages.
Conclusion
Your email campaigns might be great, but if you can’t get people to open up the messages then it’s pointless.
I know how much time you spend writing your emails, so you need to put just as much effort into the subject lines.
Used personalized subjects that generate curiosity. You can also use your subject line to tell a story or talk about some kind of breaking news event.
Stimulate curiosity. Make the reader want to find out more information by clicking the message.
Give away free stuff and tell people about it in your subject line.
No matter which tactic you use, just try to keep your subject lines short. Make sure that they can be read on mobile devices.
If you follow these tips, you’ll get significantly higher open rates.
What types of subject lines are you using to get subscribers to open your messages?
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A Cupid-Approved Way to Save Money on Your Valentine’s Day Celebrations
I’m going to break your brain a little here. Did you know you don’t have to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14?
In fact, you can probably celebrate it a little early or late and save considerable coin. Plus, staying home on Valentine’s Day means you can skip the lines and wrestling other diners for your server’s attention.
Here’s How Much We Spend on Valentine’s Day
Consumers are expected to spend a near-record $19.6 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2018, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This breaks down to an average of $143.56 per person for the 55% of people in the U.S. who will celebrate the holiday. These projected numbers are the second highest in the survey’s 15-year history.
In 2017, consumers spent $136.57 per person on the day of love, which resulted in $18.2 billion in nationwide Valentine’s Day spending.
Where will these billions go? That $19.6 billion includes:
- $4.7 billion on jewelry.
- $3.7 billion on an evening out.
- $2 billion on flowers.
- $1.9 billion on clothing.
- $1.8 billion on candy.
- $1.5 billion on gift certificates or gift cards.
- $894 million on greeting cards.
That’s a lot of money for love.
Supply and Demand: The Economics of Valentine’s Day
We want the best for our sweethearts, but we also want the best for our pockets.
The law of supply and demand says when there’s huge demand for a few very specific items, the price naturally goes up. Take surge pricing for Uber at 2 a.m., for example. Not that I would know anything about that.
The popularity of staple Valentine’s Day gifts, such as chocolates, cards, roses, romantic getaways and jewelry, cause businesses and manufacturers to increase prices to cover the added costs of production, labor and transportation for this one very special day. Some refer to this added cost as a Valentine’s Day love tax.
In 2017, even though Valentine’s Day fell on a Tuesday, the average daily hotel rate in San Francisco increased dramatically each day leading up to the holiday, according to data and analytics firm STR. Here’s how much rates changed each day:
- Saturday, Feb. 11 to Sunday, Feb. 12: 37% increase
- Sunday, Feb. 12 to Monday, Feb. 13: 39% increase
- Monday, Feb. 13 to Tuesday, Feb. 14: 5% increase
- Wednesday, Feb. 15 to Thursday, Feb. 16: 26% decrease
- Thursday, Feb. 16 to Friday, Feb. 17: 30% decrease
The San Francisco average daily room rate of $352.98 on Valentine’s Day was 37% higher than the previous Tuesday. (Rates varied by city, though; similar data from New York City and Miami didn’t show significant increases, so choosing your romantic rendezvous wisely can make a big difference.)
As for flowers: ”The price of roses goes up greatly after the first week of February, from the farms to wholesalers, prices of roses and anything red increases,” said Frank Craft, owner of Green Bench Flowers in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Planning a dinner out? Many restaurants offer prix fixe menus for the special day, preventing you from ordering from their regular — and likely cheaper — menu. Despite these menu games, a 2017 OpenTable survey said 71% of Americans planned to dine out for Valentine’s Day last year, and 44% would splurge on pricier items.
Save Money and Celebrate Valentine’s Day When You Want
Fortunately, there’s no law that states you must celebrate Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, and my bank account and I are thankful for that. In light of the love tax, planning ahead or celebrating late are less stressful, cheaper options that can keep you out of the red.
How to Plan an Early Valentine’s Celebration
If you’re on a budget or don’t want to kill the mood by fighting crowds, consider getting your shopping done early.
Some local florists may offer early-bird specials. At Green Bench, for example, Craft offered a $30 off 18 long-stem red roses ordered more than a week before the holiday.
You can also avoid 1-800-Flowers’ surcharge for Valentine’s Day delivery by having flowers delivered the day before at no extra charge. Some florists will also discount or waive their delivery fees if you’ll accept delivery on a day other than Valentine’s Day.
Getting ahead of the game can also save you money on sweets. The cheapest day to buy chocolate leading up to the Valentine’s Day is Feb. 8. You’d better hurry!
What to Know if You’re Celebrating Late
Indulge your sweetheart but also get the most bang for your buck by delaying your celebration a bit. In the days following Valentine’s Day, eager grocers, drugstores and florists cut major deals to empty their shelves of outdated holiday goods.
The discounts begin on Feb. 15, when candy, chocolate and other Valentine’s Day goodies go on clearance. The discounts tend to start lower — around 25% — but they can get up to 75-90% as the days and weeks pass. Personally, I look forward to this deep discount every year and treat myself with the likes of Godiva and Lindt Lindor truffles. Ain’t no shame in my game.
You can also find discounted flowers after Valentine’s Day, but Craft says to be leery of the deals you pluck because the flowers you get a day or two after Valentine’s Day might be low-quality surplus that shops are trying to offload.
Craft said most florists restock their supplies shortly after Valentine’s Day, and prices could come down within a week. Keep in mind, though, it could take up to two weeks for prices to return to normal after demand has “flowered out.”
So, When Should We Celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Maybe your boo wouldn’t be thrilled with a belated Valentine’s Day, or maybe an early one could be a special surprise. Just be sure to choose wisely and talk to your partner, especially if you’re shooting for after, because no amount of money is worth renting a doghouse.
Celebrating early or late can happen out of necessity can turn into a fun annual tradition. Being a rebel can feel funny, but it’s totally acceptable to break tradition and save money for the bigger picture. You lovebirds might actually remain in love instead of falling into debt.
And if you’re a hopeless romantic or your love insists on celebrating on Valentine’s Day, go for it, but know you don’t have to break the bank.
I’ve always asked my significant other to skip the Valentine’s Day hype and surprise me on any other day of the year. This way it’s cheaper and a bigger surprise. Something about that seems more genuine to me than gas station roses, crowded restaurants and awkward romantic gestures. Just give me Chinese delivery and Netflix on Feb. 14!
Money can’t buy you love, but it can buy you some heart-shaped savings.
Stephanie Bolling is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s head over heels for skipping tradition and saving money.
Penny Hoarder data journalist Alex Mahadevan contributed to this article. When’s Valentine’s Day, again?
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
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