Edition #119
Last night I had dinner in Washington DC with Tom Kulzer, the CEO of Aweber.
In case you didn’t know, Aweber is the company I use to manage my email lists (such as Eric’s Tips).
We talked about some of Aweber’s new features, several of which I was not even aware of. One of the cool things that I didn’t previously know about is their “geo-targeting” feature.
It allows you to segment your list by geographic location. It’s not perfect, but it gives a good estimate of most locations.
So if you received an email about this edition, please let me know: is the location in the subject line of the email close to where you live? If you’ve got a minute, I’d appreciate if you could post your location in the comments of my blog. I also think it will be neat just to see where everyone is from.
Aweber also has a mapping function. I’ve posted a map below which shows where all of my subscribers are located around the world:
According to Alexa.com, only about 50% of all visitors to the Eric’s Tips blog are from the US, and the map from Aweber seems to coincide with that number.
It’s a little mind-boggling for me to think about all of you reading this all over the world, and very humbling at the same time.
We also talked a lot about email strategies and statistics. Tom is fanatical about that type of stuff, and he gave me a lot of great information. He actually posts a lot of great tips on the Aweber company blog, which is a goldmine of information for their customers.
Since a lot of you have been asking me for “more tips” lately, I’ll share a couple of them with you here.
Best time of day:
Morning is by far and away the best time for emailing your list. Most emails are opened in the 9AM-10AM range. While I don’t always stick to it, I often send my emails just a little earlier than that, to make sure they arrive shortly prior to this hot zone.
Best day of the week:
While it seems that it might be getting a little overly-used in the internet marketing community, Tuesday is often the best day to send an email to your list.
Avoiding spam filters:
While you should avoid spammy keywords in your emails (to stay out of spam filters), you should NOT use special characters and weird spellings in an attempt to get around the spam filters. Doing so will only make you look more like a spammer (I need to go fix that on some of my older autoresponder messages).
I hope you found those helpful, and Aweber has many more helpful materials and tips for their customers. If you’re not already building a list, you NEED to be. And if you don’t already have a company that you’re using, I highly recommend Aweber.
Remember to post your location in the comments so we can see where everyone lives 🙂
Have a great day!
It was correct, I’m in Santa Fe. Pretty cool.
Dead on correct
Your email was close. I live in Sacramento, CA – Antelope is a suburb about 30 minutes away.
Yeah, I’m from Italy, but….
I’ m not from Milan that is in NorthWest of the country. I come from about 1000 Km to SouthEast.
My location is Foggia more close to Rome or Naples LOL LOL LOL
Here is somthing that will blow you away !! if I get your cell phone no# I can find you
http://www.sat-gps-locate.com 1984 !!!???? some of you may to yong to know what it means.
I’m in Reno Nevada and work at Cal Neva as an engineer I gust finished puting in a door in soft count ( the place they count all the MONEY before they send it to the bank) WOW fort nokx in minuture.app 10 million at all times to cover jack pots some one won 45,000 in keno 8 spot friday I dont gamble it is a wast of money. most of the employes put back 25% of there checks trying to get the Jack Pot, STUPID!
penney slots can take up to 37.50 a spin!!! I have seen 5000$ put in a slot !!! relley stupid!!!
Stephen
Yes, I am presently in San Antonio but my permanent home is in Colorado Springs.
saad from Egypt says
I have added to my knowledge some of good Tips
I really appritiate
thanks
Hi Eric
Spot on, I’m from London UK. I am one of your new subscribers and I added you website to my favorits.
Thanks
Joe
Hi,
yes – I live in Norway. The location in your mail (a place called Fornebu) is near our capital Oslo. I live in the Ostfold region somewhat south of Oslo. Guess aweber does not know all the local places here, so the Oslo region is OK to see in the mail.
I’m from Vancouver, BC, Canada. Port Coquitlam is about a 45 minute car ride from East Vancouver. So, you were pretty close enough? How did Aweber do that?
Greetings from Switzerland, Eric
I live about 50 miles away from Zürich. i.e. in Central Switzerland.
Warm regards,
Hans
Eric Tips;;; sounds like you have been busy. sounds like are doing better.
Hey Eric! Spot-on man! I’m located in Singapore and was surprised to receive a mail from you indicating my country.
Good luck in your online endeavors!
http://www.myspace.com/kayceezharold
http://www.squidoo.com/success–university
Hi Eric,
You placed me in Cape Town. I actually live in Johannesburg, which is about 1200Km north-east of Cape Town, but nevertheless still in South Africa! What’s 1200Km between friends anyway!!!!
That’s correct – York, UK ………. the “OLD” York!!
Eric,
Thanks for the head’s up on Aweber’s “geo-targetingâ€. Very interesting 🙂
They were close. I’m about 15 miles from the neighboring city that they pinpointed.
Love your websites…. keep up the good work!
Always Victory,
Karen
I guess aweber has no idea where I am from. No location was listed. Lets just say I am from a verrry small town in southern middle Tennessee about 20 miles from Alabama State Line.
I read your “Snow” emails with interest and loved the pictures. We got up 3 mornings to just enough snow to see, then it melted. Very little during the day. I have always wanted to see a snow as deep as yours, then go home immediately. I can remember one year we had 17″ but we seldom get over an inch or two.
Great Tips,
Rose
Hi eric,
I am from clarendon,Arkansas which is
located 75 miles west of memphis,tenn.
I am a retired rice farmer and for the last
four years i have been hooked on the internet.
I have wasted alot of money with little
success.
I always look forward to your emails.
What a great marketing idea! Tom at aWeber is always on the top when it comes to yet another marketing innovation.
And YOU Eric – Brilliant! Obviously from the number of range of comments, you’ve found a way to involve your readers. Good going!
Jeanette
(and yes, I’m in Austin!)
Hi Eric,
Pretty close, the city in your subject is the next door nieghbour city to the one I live in.
Cheers,
Mark.
Coquitlam, BC Canada
Hi Eric,
Your email asked if I was in the Orlando, Florida area.
Yes, I am: I am about 1 hour away in Cocoa Beach.
RJ
yes, i am from canada.
you got it right in your email
Roland
I am in Clackamas, Oregon, which did not register. I got a how’s the weather in…? Sorry, maybe it’s the comcast.net address.
Hi Eric
Very fine your tips, it is my lot of thanks to you for your all tips, I hope more tips from you, all give me light in the field of internet, ok my residence is 50 Kilometer away from Calcutta, Capital city of province West Bengal, in the eastern part of country INDIA, I regularly read your e-mail, all are very interesting, OK thank you — Sujit
Aloha from the beautiful islands of Hawaii.
Aweber saying Kailua-Kona for me , is really quite good! If it just said Kailua it could be a same-named city on another island , calling it Kailua-Kona places me correctly on the island called Hawaii, which (to avoid confusion with the name of the state) we call simply Big Island.
Of course, to keep life simple the way we like it here, we never call the town Kailua-Kona. Just call it Kona. . It’s about 30 miles from my home and probably the location of my ISP. Of course, calling it just Kona sounds confusing to visitors, because Kona is also the name for this entire side of the island, and there are two small districts as well —(North Kona and South Kona) . Kona actually is a Hawaiian word meaning dry side of any island, so the word gets used for a variety of settings.
My zip actually is in Kamuela (also called Waimea….but then there’s also one of those on another island) and it is 20 miles from my home, in another direction from Kona town.
🙂
And, oh indeed, the weather is beautiful here.
Big mahalo (Hawaiian thank-you) for your useful and delightful newsletter.
Diane
I live about 45min. north of Chico. Everything is blooming here, a beautiful time of the year!
La Salle, Colorado Approx. 40 miles southeast of Ft. Collins on a farm. Six miles southeast of Greeley. I’m a newbe since October and still trying to get started. I like the TIP’S. Jerry
Hello Eric,
My location:
Mooreville, MS 38857
near Tupelo MS 38801
United States
Correct! Your email asks “are you in the Hamilton area?” And that’s exactly where I am, in beautiful Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 🙂
To the previous poster Garry?
Hey…my dad lives in Anchorage…
Just off East 6th Street.
Yo, Eric…
How’s the weather in …?
That’s what the email I got from you said.
Btw. . .for several years I’ve been using an
ecommerce company called Plimus that
has a cool geo-tracking feature, which allows
me to track where my buyers are coming from.
Anyway, I’m in downtown FuQuay-Varina North Carolina. . .
just outside Raleigh, NC-(the state capitol)
Gregory L. Lipscomb
http://www.GregoryLLipscomb.com/
StarSpangled Solitaire
http://www.StarSpangledSolitaire.com/
— GLIPS Entertainment, Inc.–
You’re right! I’m in Panama.
Regards,
Oscar
Hi Eric
I’m from Charlotte, NC, USA. Your email Subject Line asks “Are you from the Matthews area?”
Well, sort of. Matthews is 18 to 20 miles from Charlotte [to the South-east]. So’s Davidson [to the North]. So’s Gastonia [to the West]. Charlotte is bang in the middle of these. [Home of the Panthers and the Bobcats, for you sports fans.]
I grew up in Davidson. My grandfather [father’s side] and my great uncle [his brother] both taught at Davidson College. My grand dad was also at one time football coach there, as well, and head of the infirmary. But this was well before my time. When I was a kid there he was in private practice as a physician.
It was great fun reading the various comments and locations of some of your subscribers. Hello to all, by the way.
Thanks.
John MacConnell
Added note: My son is a Master Baker, and he and I have put together 2 cookbooks
[as downloadable pdf’s] – all ORIGINAL recipes, all Kitchen-Tested – one on Cupcakes, one on Brownies. And … because I teach cooking, complete instructions, as well.
Here are the links:
http://www.easygourmetcupcakerecipe.com
http://www.easygourmetbrownierecipe.com
Hi Eric,
You are correct. I am 3 miles from East Liverpool, Ohio.
Hi Eric,
Your email didn’t have an entry for my location, in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Thanks for the good tips and information. I look forward to your emails. They get read and filed.
J. R. (LadyJR)
http://www.ladyjr.com
We’re in Edmond, Okllahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City.
Thanks.
Hi,
Yes I’m close to St Petersburg Florida (3 mile) Amazing!
Howdy Eric, Really enjoy your newsletter 🙂 I’m in the United States, in the state of Texas. I live in a suburb of Houston, Tx.
Hi Eric,
Your email subject said are you in Maidenhead (which is a town in the south-east of England) while in the email it just said: United Kingdom. Actually I am in Edinburgh, Scotland so the narrow guess was the wrong town (and country!) but the broad guess was correct. 🙂 Cool map though.
Hello from Princeton, New Jersey!!
My mailing address is Princeton, New Jersey – but it is in the same County and Township as Belle Mead (in subject line) which is about a mile away – (the township expanded the Princeton mailing address across many counties- for marketing purposes!) Location Location Location!!
I liked how personable this email was! Seemed like you were speaking right to me!!
Impressive! 🙂
Hi Eric,
Yes I am on the north edge of Phoenix, A bedroom community named “Anthem”.
Best to you,
Gene
Hi Eric,
Yes..you are right on the money! I am from Dayton, Ohio USA!
That’s a pretty cool tool!
hi eric thanks for your interest in all of your readers.it is really cool to know there is people like you out that really care about people.most people are just all about themselves and taking advandage of people every chance they get. thanks for all your awesome tips i read everyone one you send me and save all of them. thanks tammy
Hey,
I am in your area. I live in Greeley, CO. Just discovered that Joel Comm lives in Loveland. I lived there for about 15 years before moving over here. It’s great to know some of you live so close. I get up
to Fort Collins quite often.
Thanks so much for all your great information and tips.
Hi Eric,
Yeah, I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina
I have aweber list too, and test with geo-targeting. It’s true is not 100% geo, but 90% maybe yes.
all the best,
Adrian
I’m in Huntington Beach, CA
Hi,
The location in the email is almost correct. I’m from Berlin, Germany.
Yep you were right on the money! I am in Los Angeles.
Good day to you Eric,
I live in Denver, Colorado in the United States.
The weather is fantastic, today anyway. Yesterday it was raining, all day.
That’s cool tho..they say here in Colorado, “If you don’t like the weather now, just wait a few minutes, It will change.”
I really appreciate your blog, you’ll never know how much you’ve helped me! (a very new newbie)
Nancy
Hi Eric, You are correct: Wickford, Essex, United Kingdom is very close (30 km) to where I live (Brentwood). Thanks for the tips, and I can also strongly recommend AWeber.
Regards,
Jannes
Hi Eric, The area was blank. I live in Maui, Hawaii