The From Line

Brand New Look and Feel for Dashboard

Larger icons, quick access to basic functions and easy navigation.

New Message Section Features

In the toolbar as shown below, it will default to the classic view display that you are used to. Feel free to uncheck the box to experience the enhancements we've made.
 

New Template Section featuring Easy-to-Use Templates

You requested, we delivered. Our new template section has easy-to-use, responsive templates for all your email needs.

Responsive Templates and Geo Targeting Reporting

Our responsive templates allow an optimized viewing experience for your audience.
Our new Geo-Location reporting allows you to learn more about your subscribers and get the right message to the right person at the right time.

New Template Section has in-line editing with floating
toolbars & lock-down features

Our enhanced in-line editor allows you to select any editable element on the page and edit it in-place. This is a great addition for users with basic HTML skills. 

I’m privy to a secret that I’m going to share with you. Publishers and media companies that are successful with their email programs don’t like to share this information for fear of passing on the opportunity for success. Personally, I feel there is enough success to go around and this is why I’m choosing to share it.

The secret is labeled “D.A.R.T.” and it directly affects their ability monetize their email newsletters.

D. Design:

A newsletter’s design is one of the main elements that determines a successful email monetization program.  Aside from mobile and multi-client rendering, advertising, both native and display, should FEEL part of the subscriber experience not relegated to the newsletter’s  margins.  Additionally, newsletters that include full stories instead of teasers are not conducive to monetization as an advertisement placed in these types of formats look awkward and out of place, disrupting the subscriber experience.

A. Amount:

If you plan to place one or two ads in your newsletter be prepared for very tepid results.  Effective monetization of a multi-story email newsletter requires the proper ad to content ratio which in some cases can be 50/50 or 60/40 depending on how well you’re able to integrate advertising into the subscriber experience.

R. Relevance:

To maximize revenue, it’s important to go beyond contextual ads and include personally targeted ads as well.  Ads targeted using a subscriber’s encrypted email address (MD5#) are usually based on a demographic and behavior profile by the advertiser or ad network helping to yield higher CPMs.  

P. Technology:

Advances in software automation and cloud computing has propelled mass email technology to new heights yet these advances have also democratized the channel where advanced features are now available to even the smallest publisher. The costs to automate email newsletter programs have dropped substantially. In fact, Gold Lasso offers FREE access and sending from its enterprise email software to highly qualified publishers. Now there is no excuse NOT to automate. 

So there you have it. Secret revealed. If you are a publisher or media company and you follow these four simple recommendations, you’ll be on your way to successful monetization!

Incentives are a great way to motivate new signups - and they often work. However, using incentives for the sole purpose of growing your email list can lead to problems. The quality of these addresses will likely suffer since many use fake addresses just to get their hands on the incentive.

Those fake addresses (whether made up or belonging to someone else), will lead to high bounce rates, complaint rates and have a negative impact on your sender reputation. Before you know it, you have a major deliverability problem on your hands.

You’ve got an untapped resource right at your fingertips – your audience. The wealth of knowledge and perspective your audience can offer is priceless. Email surveys are one of the fastest, most efficient ways to get to know what’s on their mind. You have questions, they’ve got answers. The feedback you generate can shed some light on things you’ve never considered.

1. Ask what they think of your organization, your products or services. You may not always get the answers you’d like, but you can use this information to learn more about what your audience is looking to get from your relationship.
2. Evaluate the competition. Do you know how to compete? What products or services have they used before and what did they like or dislike about them?
3. Learn from them. Ask for things they’d like to see in the future. Ask how you can do things better.

There are a few best practices to keep in mind while creating your survey.

• Keep it short – it shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes to complete
• Make it clear – have a third party read your questions to ensure they are concise.
• Tell them what to expect – let them know how many questions there are, how long it will take and if there is an incentive waiting for them at the end.

So there you have it, all the ins and outs of creating an effective survey. For instructions on how to use Gold Lasso’s survey module, please visit the Survey section in our Knowledge Base. It’s the perfect time – gather the information you need to start 2015 off right! For information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact your Account Manager.

There has been talk for years about the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and when and if it will come to fruition. Well, it looks like it finally has.

The Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) will take effect on July 1, 2014. This legislation applies to all email sent from or to Canada. Businesses have a three year grace period (July 1, 2017) to verify and confirm consent to send email to Canadian recipients but can still only communicate with recipients with whom they have an existing business relationship. Any opt-in information you have before CASL comes into force will be recognized as compliant with CASL. You can review the full details of the legislation here.

Given the looming deadline, it is essential for senders to assess their readiness and develop a compliance strategy for this new legislation. Here are some provisions that should be thoroughly investigated:

• Permission – CASL has an explicit permission provision. This means that implied consent is NOT acceptable for gathering permission. There are multiple exceptions to the rule, including existing business relationships. Purchases qualify for this exception and the 24-month clock resets with every purchase.

• Implied consent – There are multiple ways where a sender can obtain consent outside the required express consent. Personal or family relationships, inquiries, and several others.

• The law applies to email that is accessed on computers in Canada.

• Very different from CAN-SPAM, this is not an opt-out, but an opt-in law. Allowing people the opportunity to opt-out does NOT satisfy the requirements. A pre-checked box is an implied consent method that WILL NOT be allowed. Auto opting-in abandoned shopping carts and e-receipts for promotional mail will also be outlawed.

• Private right of action – One of the most talked about pieces of this legislation which allows individuals to bring suit, will not take effect until July 1, 2017.

• 3 year transition period – Senders have a 3 year grace period to gain consent of individuals. Implied consent is sufficient during this period, but express consent must be gained to go forward after that period.

• You should update your privacy policy, make sure you are recording consent for proof, and always have a working unsubscribe mechanism.

Ask your ESP to help you identify all Canadian subscribers so you can come up with a plan to re-permission them if needed.