http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/business/marketing/new-year-email-marketing-resolutions.html http://www.articletrader.com/business/marketing/new-year-email-marketing-resolutions.html Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600
1 – Don’t steal (do not buy/rent/sell lists)
There’s no other way to look at it – buying, renting or selling lists is stealing other people’s time, and that’s just not nice. In the email world it will also wreck your reputation with ISP’s and subscribers, which will make it very difficult to get your emails delivered to the inbox. So, play nice and don’t steal. Instead…

2 – Work to make new friends (grow your opt-in lists)
It’s much better to make new friends instead. Make sure you’ve got an active acquisition program to get new people to opt-in to your mailing lists. You can start as simply as placing a form on your website and then build more involved programs from there.
3 – Re-acquaint yourself with old friends (re-activate inactive subscribers)
Sometimes, relationships fade – people stop responding to your emails and you lose their attention. Make a special effort to reconnect this year. Identify those people who haven’t opened or clicked on your emails in the last few months and send them an email to ask them to re-opt in. Remind them why you’re in contact in the first place and give them a reason to pay attention. Don’t be tempted to try and email people who’ve actively opted out though, that’s stealing time again.

4 – Be more interesting (work to create content that interests your subscribers)
With all these new friends, it’s important to have something interesting to say. Putting effort into creating interesting content that engages your audience will pay dividends. Not only will you get a better response from your current subscribers, you’ll also find you get more referrals.

5 – Be less lazy (make sure to test campaigns properly before pressing send)
It can be tempting to get your campaign created as quickly as possible and then just press send. However, haste leads to mistakes, which can be embarrassing. Take a few minutes to thoroughly test your campaigns before sending.

6 – Pay attention to other’s needs (target campaigns better)
Remember, friendship is about give and take. Make sure you pay attention to your subscribers’ needs. Identify what’s of most interest to different groups and target your campaigns accordingly. Your email statistics will provide you with invaluable information here, so use them wisely.

The New Year is here and you’ve probably made a few personal resolutions, but what about making some resolutions that will help you improve your email marketing? Here’s our guide to the 6 marketing resolutions that will make a difference to your business in 2008.

1 – Don’t steal (do not buy/rent/sell lists)
There’s no other way to look at it – buying, renting or selling lists is stealing other people’s time, and that’s just not nice. In the email world it will also wreck your reputation with ISP’s and subscribers, which will make it very difficult to get your emails delivered to the inbox. So, play nice and don’t steal. Instead…

2 – Work to make new friends (grow your opt-in lists)
It’s much better to make new friends instead. Make sure you’ve got an active acquisition program to get new people to opt-in to your mailing lists. You can start as simply as placing a form on your website and then build more involved programs from there.
3 – Re-acquaint yourself with old friends (re-activate inactive subscribers)
Sometimes, relationships fade – people stop responding to your emails and you lose their attention. Make a special effort to reconnect this year. Identify those people who haven’t opened or clicked on your emails in the last few months and send them an email to ask them to re-opt in. Remind them why you’re in contact in the first place and give them a reason to pay attention. Don’t be tempted to try and email people who’ve actively opted out though, that’s stealing time again.

4 – Be more interesting (work to create content that interests your subscribers)
With all these new friends, it’s important to have something interesting to say. Putting effort into creating interesting content that engages your audience will pay dividends. Not only will you get a better response from your current subscribers, you’ll also find you get more referrals.

5 – Be less lazy (make sure to test campaigns properly before pressing send)
It can be tempting to get your campaign created as quickly as possible and then just press send. However, haste leads to mistakes, which can be embarrassing. Take a few minutes to thoroughly test your campaigns before sending.

6 – Pay attention to other’s needs (target campaigns better)
Remember, friendship is about give and take. Make sure you pay attention to your subscribers’ needs. Identify what’s of most interest to different groups and target your campaigns accordingly. Your email statistics will provide you with invaluable information here, so use them wisely.

www.sign-up.to

Copyright Matt McNeill 2008. All rights reserved.

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www.sign-up.to

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/music/amsterdam-dance-event-the-worlds-biggest-club-festival.html http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/music/amsterdam-dance-event-the-worlds-biggest-club-festival.html Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600
When arriving in Amsterdam from Schiphol airport on a big double-decker train, it was easy to slip into the relaxed rhythm of the city. A quick hop on the tram to our hotel for a for a quick freshen up and we were ready for action. The conference itself, is located in the historic Felix Meritis building, next to one of the many picturesque canals. Friendly staff were there to greet everyone as they registered and present the event guide, goodie bag and the all important wristband that gets you into all the clubs. Loose this at your peril as it’s your gateway to seeing the best DJ’s the electronic music scene has to offer. On exploring the 3 floors of the building, every room was buzzing with activity and it was hard to walk anywhere without bumping into someone you knew. “People in the industry see it more and more as essential to be here and the event has found its own dynamic and is growing every year.” Enthused ADE General Manager Richard Zijlma.

Each day was equally worthwhile with opportunities for networking and learning in the panels. The Artist Debate was the highlight of Thursday with an allstar lineup of Arthur Baker, Barbara Tucker, Judge Jules, Mason, President Bongo (Gus Gus), Tom Novy & Tommie Sunshine. The panellists discussed all aspects of being an artist and took questions from an eager audience. One of the main themes that came out of the debate was that being a DJ is not enough anymore, with Judge Jules commenting “In a crowded market place you have to everything to stand out”.

Friday was a day for learning about doing business in different territories including America, Eastern Europe and Ibiza. The main attraction however, was the arrival of Chuck D (Public Enemy), who joined the panel hosted by Dance4Life with Paul Van Dyk and Ferry Corsten and a keynote speech from Steve Schnur (EA Games).
“I found the entire event - and our panel in particular, to be a provocative exploration of the genre's future throughout the world.” said Steve. “ADE has quickly become a significant international conference, and I absolutely look forward to next year's event.”

Saturday was a bit thin on the ground to start with, after two nights of partying was beginning to take its toll. But things soon picked up with an impressive line up of Q & A panels featuring Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Kevin Saunderson with Dave Clarke’s infamous Demolition XII rounding things off.

The festival programme was equally impressive, if not a little daunting as there was so much to choose from. On Thursday we started the night at Mansion where Judge Jules was playing. We’d also heard the food was good and they were so right as we had double helpings of the hot chocolate pudding for dessert! As we hit the dancefloor Jules really got the party started, then it was off to Cineac for the Toolroom Knights party, with our final destination being the Tom Novy party at the Escape. “ADE was great!” Enthused Tom Novy. “We had to close the doors at 1.15 because we were totally sold out! Thank You ADE and Thank You Amsterdam!”

On Friday we were invited to the all new ADE Bowling championships, where 100 lucky delegates competed for the title of best bowler. It was a really great way to meet new people and there’s nothing like a bit of healthy competition to liven things up. Meanwhile at Cineac, Beatport and Prohibition were launching their new project Promo One, which will be a one stop shop for online promotion and distribution, where labels and can promote and sell their tracks all in one place. Next stop was Arthur Bakers party at Club 11, which had amazing views over the city. Then to Panama for the Cr2 Party with Dirty South and SOS, before squeezing into the packed out Melkweg for local favourites, Armin van Buurin, Fedde le Grande, Erick E and Rene Armesz. Phew! And if that wasn’t enough we finished off with a quick drink in Cineac for David Guetta’s F*ck me I’m Famous party, as it was just round the corner from the hotel.

By Saturday the tiredness was beginning to set in, but there were still so many parties to look forward too. First stop was BG, for the Stealth Records party. Stealth is one of the most successful record labels in Holland and they were showcasing new DJ talent such as Agent Greg from Greece and Muzzaik from Hungary. Meanwhile at Cineac, Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso were whipping the crowd up into a frenzy at the Swedish House Maffia party. But with an early flight on Sunday it was time to leave and get a few hours sleep, although many stayed and went straight from the club to the airport in true rockn’n’roll style.

Sitting at the airport at 9am there was time to contemplate the 3 days and nights of the Amsterdam Dance Event, whilst trying to keep our eyes open. ADE is an event for both music industry professionals and electronic music fans. It offers the opportunity to meet international business partners in a friendly environment and enjoy some of the best DJ’s performing at Amsterdam’s best venues.

ADE’s Richard Zijlma sums things up “Looking back at this edition of ADE I can proudly say that we witnessed the best edition so far. Each year we strive to offer the best possible quality and service to our visitors, whom are all upgrading the value of ADE each and every year! We can only be grateful with all the support ADE is receiving from the industry”

Amsterdam Dance Event/a>

Copyright Nikki Wright 2007. All rights reserved.


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www.globalpublicity.co.uk

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/music/exit-festival-probably-the-best-festival-in-the-world.html http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/music/exit-festival-probably-the-best-festival-in-the-world.html Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Eager revealers arrived early and the campsite was overflowing by nightfall and as the first day of the festival arrived, the atmosphere in Novi Sad was buzzing with anticipation. Says EXIT’s Rajko Bozik “The English audience was great – friendly and in a good mood. There was a great atmosphere in the festival’s campsite and on the fortress, and many friendships were started among visitors from UK and Serbia/Balkans.”

As the sun began to set on the eve of the first night, the view from the terrace on the fortress was simply stunning. With the thousands of people walking in expectation across the bridge like an army of ants making the pilgrimage to the festival entrance. Tanya Stephens and Groove Armada began the proceedings on the main stage, but it was The Prodigy that shook the 18th Century fortress walls with their opening track Breathe. Revving up the crowd to insanity, Exit was left in a state of euphoria and the band’s car was totally mobbed when they tried to leave the site. “It was the best festival we played this year!” exclaimed Liam Howlett.

While all this was going on the crowd were treated to an amazing fireworks display before rock legend Robert Plant & The Strange Sensations took to the stage giving the crowd all the Led Zeppelin classics they had been waiting for and then culminating with the Stanton Warriors & Rodney P until sunrise.

Meanwhile on the Dance Arena the 25,000 strong crowd were treated to the delights of Aussie Deepchild, and then Trentemoller live, with one fan from Scotland saying “It’s so good it’s not right!” Next up was Green Velvet and Richie Hawtin who was took things tougher. “Exit was one of the most interesting gigs for me this year. The location was amazing and to feel the warmth of the people dancing and freaking out to my music was inspirational! Respect to the people of Exit for pushing the boundaries with their choice of lineup and bringing great new music one step further east!” enthused Richie Hawtin. Magda concluded the night with her selection of choice techno and her appreciation of the faithful crowd who showed her a true Serbian welcoming.

As the sun rose so did the temperature and the party people made their way back to their beds across the river in Novi Sad. But no time for rest as the beach party started at midday with Jo Mills bringing a slice of DC10 to the banks of the Danube. Pete Gooding and Alex Gold were also playing over the next few days for those who did not wish to sleep (or couldn’t).

Onto Day 2 and Friday was the turn of all girl group The Pipettes to kick things of on the Main Stage. “We were hit immediately by the enthusiasm of the crowd, we've never played a better party!” exclaimed Gwenno from the band. They were followed by the Brazilian band CSS with singer LoveFoxx modelling some very unique outfits including a sequined jumpsuit. Then it was the Beastie Boys turn to take command of the crowd with all their biggest hits and humorous stage antics. Followed by Zinc back to back with Friction and EXIT resident MC Dynamite bringing in the morning.

Cut to the Dance Arena where Ibiza’s We Love… crew played host, bringing with them the legendary Danny Tenaglia, 2020 Soundsystem live, Nic Fanciulli, Paul Woolford and Serge Santiago. Outstanding performances by all with a perfect ‘Exit moment’ when Danny Tenaglia donned a pair of large gold comedy sunglasses and busted some dance moves on the stage. Priceless - A true festival moment!

Exit festival has over 25 stages of all sizes and musical genres, a walk through the mystical fortress is like a magical wonderland…. Featuring the Café del Danube, the Elektrana Stage, Reggae Stage, Latino Stage, Urban Stage, Explosive Stage, Cinema, Happy Novi Sad Stage, Futureshock and trillions more. First up is the World Music Stage where the amazing group of percussionists from Novi Sad called Bateria SambaNsa were playing Brazilian rhythmic music.

Next up, the Reggae Stage hosted by Brixton’s Terratone crew who have been performing at the festival for 6 years and are considered residents of Exit! “The Serbian people are a joy to be amongst and treat everybody like royalty, the very little they have they openly share with you, it is truly touching” Wenti Coke enthuses. And this is a sentiment shared by many UK visitors to the festival. Said Mark, a punter from Manchester “The people of Serbia where so welcoming and friendly towards the festival goers to the point where we have made friends with many of them. The festival has a friendly atmosphere and is set in an excellent location.”




And there’s the MTV Movement stage – an intimate and rocking charity driven stage supporting social issues at EXIT. This year they launched the campaign ‘Movement’, promoting Tolerance and Diversity and encouraging people to free their minds from prejudice. Acts included The Loose Cannons, Kissy Sell Out, Rob Garza (Theivery Corporation), Bez (Happy Mondays) and Tayo, with surprise sets from Tom Finlay’s Groove Armada and Green Velvet doing an 80’s set no less. Diverse to say the least!

And onto the Fusion Stage where Serbian and regional bands perform. A group of Serbians explained that although the festival is a great party, it still means freedom to them. EXIT festival started as a student initiated project against the Milosevic regime in 1999 and although it has grown to into an internationally recognised event, EXIT still stays true to its roots and supports issues that effect the Serbian youth such as student mobility, youth activism and visa abolishment. Says EXIT’s Rajko Bozik “Because of visa regimes young people from Serbia and Balkan can’t travel easily, so having so many international visitors to EXIT was great opportunity for our local audience to find out more about festivals in UK and Europe. We hope very soon it would be easy for young Serbs to go to Glastonbury, just as it’s easy for young Brits to come to EXIT.”

And comparisons to Glastonbury are rife. With the variety of unique stages and performers, this year’s EXIT also featured Ms Lauryn Hill playing the diva, Basement Jaxx belting out their hits and the ultra smooth Snoop Dogg bringing the ‘bling’ to Main Stage, finishing with the delectable sounds of LTJ Bukem & MC Conrad.

Saturday also saw Roger Sanchez, the Godfather of house Frankie Knuckles, Buraka Som Sistema live, Justin Martin and Hannah Holland on the Dance Arena. "It’s great to see Serbia progressing in providing a place for people from all over the world to come together and enjoy electronic music. There were a lot more European attendees and for me it is very positive to see people like Frankie Knuckles on the line up. I really enjoyed playing this festival with a great crowd and wonderful organization" stated Roger Sanchez after rocking the 25,000 throng of revellers.

Sunday, the last night of the four day event featured the Audio Bullys, Pendulum DJ set, another amazing fireworks display and the mighty Wu-Tang Clan on Main Stage. With Wu Tang’s Masta Killah exclaiming after their performance "Man, they are crazy out there, crazy". Meanwhile in the Dance Arena, Sebastien Leger preceding John Digweed, both playing at EXIT for the first time before handing over the decks to Eric Prydz, another first time performance. Said John Digweed “One of the best festival gigs that I have ever done. Amazing venue, thumping sound system and great crowd”. And as the sun came up on the last morning, it was left, as tradition has it, to local hero Marko Nastic to end EXIT’s four day musical and magical fest.

EXIT is truly an amazing experience and although it gets bigger each year the sentiment is still the same. It is great to be part on an event that actually means something and makes a stand to make things better for the young people of Serbia.

EXIT’s General Manager Bojan Boskovic sums things up “Every year we aim to out-do the previous year and this year is no exception. We, as the State of EXIT, wish to bring various people together, mainly inviting international and regional bands, artists and performers to Serbia in order to promote the interaction of different cultures, traditions and beliefs through music and social activities. EXIT has become a social force that is a symbol of togetherness and cultural diversity, that every year brings more and more people from various backgrounds and cultures, together.”

Long may the State of EXIT reign!

Copyright Nikki Wright 2007. All rights reserved.


--
Global Publicity.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/exit-festival-probably-the-best-festival-in-the-world.html http://www.articletrader.com/entertainment/exit-festival-probably-the-best-festival-in-the-world.html Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Eager revealers arrived early and the campsite was overflowing by nightfall and as the first day of the festival arrived, the atmosphere in Novi Sad was buzzing with anticipation. Says EXIT’s Rajko Bozik “The English audience was great – friendly and in a good mood. There was a great atmosphere in the festival’s campsite and on the fortress, and many friendships were started among visitors from UK and Serbia/Balkans.”

As the sun began to set on the eve of the first night, the view from the terrace on the fortress was simply stunning. With the thousands of people walking in expectation across the bridge like an army of ants making the pilgrimage to the festival entrance. Tanya Stephens and Groove Armada began the proceedings on the main stage, but it was The Prodigy that shook the 18th Century fortress walls with their opening track Breathe. Revving up the crowd to insanity, Exit was left in a state of euphoria and the band’s car was totally mobbed when they tried to leave the site. “It was the best festival we played this year!” exclaimed Liam Howlett.

While all this was going on the crowd were treated to an amazing fireworks display before rock legend Robert Plant & The Strange Sensations took to the stage giving the crowd all the Led Zeppelin classics they had been waiting for and then culminating with the Stanton Warriors & Rodney P until sunrise.

Meanwhile on the Dance Arena the 25,000 strong crowd were treated to the delights of Aussie Deepchild, and then Trentemoller live, with one fan from Scotland saying “It’s so good it’s not right!” Next up was Green Velvet and Richie Hawtin who was took things tougher. “Exit was one of the most interesting gigs for me this year. The location was amazing and to feel the warmth of the people dancing and freaking out to my music was inspirational! Respect to the people of Exit for pushing the boundaries with their choice of lineup and bringing great new music one step further east!” enthused Richie Hawtin. Magda concluded the night with her selection of choice techno and her appreciation of the faithful crowd who showed her a true Serbian welcoming.

As the sun rose so did the temperature and the party people made their way back to their beds across the river in Novi Sad. But no time for rest as the beach party started at midday with Jo Mills bringing a slice of DC10 to the banks of the Danube. Pete Gooding and Alex Gold were also playing over the next few days for those who did not wish to sleep (or couldn’t).

Onto Day 2 and Friday was the turn of all girl group The Pipettes to kick things of on the Main Stage. “We were hit immediately by the enthusiasm of the crowd, we've never played a better party!” exclaimed Gwenno from the band. They were followed by the Brazilian band CSS with singer LoveFoxx modelling some very unique outfits including a sequined jumpsuit. Then it was the Beastie Boys turn to take command of the crowd with all their biggest hits and humorous stage antics. Followed by Zinc back to back with Friction and EXIT resident MC Dynamite bringing in the morning.

Cut to the Dance Arena where Ibiza’s We Love… crew played host, bringing with them the legendary Danny Tenaglia, 2020 Soundsystem live, Nic Fanciulli, Paul Woolford and Serge Santiago. Outstanding performances by all with a perfect ‘Exit moment’ when Danny Tenaglia donned a pair of large gold comedy sunglasses and busted some dance moves on the stage. Priceless - A true festival moment!

Exit festival has over 25 stages of all sizes and musical genres, a walk through the mystical fortress is like a magical wonderland…. Featuring the Café del Danube, the Elektrana Stage, Reggae Stage, Latino Stage, Urban Stage, Explosive Stage, Cinema, Happy Novi Sad Stage, Futureshock and trillions more. First up is the World Music Stage where the amazing group of percussionists from Novi Sad called Bateria SambaNsa were playing Brazilian rhythmic music.

Next up, the Reggae Stage hosted by Brixton’s Terratone crew who have been performing at the festival for 6 years and are considered residents of Exit! “The Serbian people are a joy to be amongst and treat everybody like royalty, the very little they have they openly share with you, it is truly touching” Wenti Coke enthuses. And this is a sentiment shared by many UK visitors to the festival. Said Mark, a punter from Manchester “The people of Serbia where so welcoming and friendly towards the festival goers to the point where we have made friends with many of them. The festival has a friendly atmosphere and is set in an excellent location.”

And there’s the MTV Movement stage – an intimate and rocking charity driven stage supporting social issues at EXIT. This year they launched the campaign ‘Movement’, promoting Tolerance and Diversity and encouraging people to free their minds from prejudice. Acts included The Loose Cannons, Kissy Sell Out, Rob Garza (Theivery Corporation), Bez (Happy Mondays) and Tayo, with surprise sets from Tom Finlay’s Groove Armada and Green Velvet doing an 80’s set no less. Diverse to say the least!

And onto the Fusion Stage where Serbian and regional bands perform. A group of Serbians explained that although the festival is a great party, it still means freedom to them. EXIT festival started as a student initiated project against the Milosevic regime in 1999 and although it has grown to into an internationally recognised event, EXIT still stays true to its roots and supports issues that effect the Serbian youth such as student mobility, youth activism and visa abolishment. Says EXIT’s Rajko Bozik “Because of visa regimes young people from Serbia and Balkan can’t travel easily, so having so many international visitors to EXIT was great opportunity for our local audience to find out more about festivals in UK and Europe. We hope very soon it would be easy for young Serbs to go to Glastonbury, just as it’s easy for young Brits to come to EXIT.”

And comparisons to Glastonbury are rife. With the variety of unique stages and performers, this year’s EXIT also featured Ms Lauryn Hill playing the diva, Basement Jaxx belting out their hits and the ultra smooth Snoop Dogg bringing the ‘bling’ to Main Stage, finishing with the delectable sounds of LTJ Bukem & MC Conrad.

Saturday also saw Roger Sanchez, the Godfather of house Frankie Knuckles, Buraka Som Sistema live, Justin Martin and Hannah Holland on the Dance Arena. "It’s great to see Serbia progressing in providing a place for people from all over the world to come together and enjoy electronic music. There were a lot more European attendees and for me it is very positive to see people like Frankie Knuckles on the line up. I really enjoyed playing this festival with a great crowd and wonderful organization" stated Roger Sanchez after rocking the 25,000 throng of revellers.

Sunday, the last night of the four day event featured the Audio Bullys, Pendulum DJ set, another amazing fireworks display and the mighty Wu-Tang Clan on Main Stage. With Wu Tang’s Masta Killah exclaiming after their performance "Man, they are crazy out there, crazy". Meanwhile in the Dance Arena, Sebastien Leger preceding John Digweed, both playing at EXIT for the first time before handing over the decks to Eric Prydz, another first time performance. Said John Digweed “One of the best festival gigs that I have ever done. Amazing venue, thumping sound system and great crowd”. And as the sun came up on the last morning, it was left, as tradition has it, to local hero Marko Nastic to end EXIT’s four day musical and magical fest.

EXIT is truly an amazing experience and although it gets bigger each year the sentiment is still the same. It is great to be part on an event that actually means something and makes a stand to make things better for the young people of Serbia.

EXIT’s General Manager Bojan Boskovic sums things up “Every year we aim to out-do the previous year and this year is no exception. We, as the State of EXIT, wish to bring various people together, mainly inviting international and regional bands, artists and performers to Serbia in order to promote the interaction of different cultures, traditions and beliefs through music and social activities. EXIT has become a social force that is a symbol of togetherness and cultural diversity, that every year brings more and more people from various backgrounds and cultures, together.”

Long may the State of EXIT reign!

Exit Festival

Copyright Nikki Wright 2007. All rights reserved.


--
Global Publicity

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>