Inbox Placement Rates 2015: Detailed Analysis

Every year Return Path does the analysis of inbox placement rate.Related Articles

1. Email Marketing Services: Calculating Revenue per Email
2. ReturnPath Crowns Email Marketing the ROI King
3. New Feature: Inbox Checker

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2015 Recap: Court Saves Obamacare's Bacon

(MedPage Today) -- Court votes 6-3 to save all subsidies and coins a new buzzword: SCOTUScare

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Update: Will Republicans Up the Ante on ACA Repeal in 2016?

(MedPage Today) -- Rollback of the employer mandate may still be on the table

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2015 Recap: Court Saves Obamacare's Bacon

(MedPage Today) -- Court votes 6-3 to save all subsidies and coins a new buzzword: SCOTUScare

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Update: Will Republicans Up the Ante on ACA Repeal in 2016?

(MedPage Today) -- Rollback of the employer mandate may still be on the table

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10 Actionable Marketing Blog Posts You Missed in 2015

Marketing trends are always changing. Some take flight, some evolve and some die.

But, with each new marketing trend comes new important insights and tips.

If you love self-improvement (like we do), and enjoy keeping on top of trends, it’s likely that you’ve bookmarked hundreds of blog post and articles in the past year. Maybe you’ve opened up multiple tabs on your computer in hopes that one day you’ll get some time to read them — posts that you’ve maybe completely forgotten about. Let’s be honest, you may never read these marketing blog posts.

These actionable and information-heavy blog posts will get you get you ready for next year’s big projects. Via Startupstockphotos.com.

The Unbounce marketing team has both written and read tons of actionable, thought-provoking marketing blog posts this year. We’ve selected the crème de la crème — posts that are the exact remedy to get your brain stimulated and on track to produce smart marketing ideas for 2016.

Here are 10 of our favorites posts that will help you step up your marketing game in the new year.

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Handpicked: not-to-be-missed blog posts from 2015 that’ll prepare you for 2016.
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1.Quality vs. Quantity: A 6-Month Analysis of the Age-Old Blogging Debate by Ginny Soskey for Hubspot

This post by HubSpot’s blog editor, Ginny Soskey, discusses the age-old debate: quality versus quantity of content. If you’ve been thinking about revamping your editorial strategy or even running some experiments with your content, this post delivery all the nitty-gritty details you could have ever wanted.

“But that’s not how blogging works in real life. To grow a blog, you need to consistently publish content that your readers enjoy reading. Yet exactly how often to publish and what those posts should look like can vary tremendously […].”

Why did we love this post? Ginny’s post takes no prisoners. No details are left behind in Hubspot’s ambitious blog publishing experiment. Every detail is laid out and provides a roadmap for how other marketing teams can plan and execute a full-funnel, data-driven content strategy.

2. Are Podcasts the Next Big Thing for Sponsored Content? by Celine Roque for Contently

In this post, Celine Roque lays out how marketers can leverage this medium in order to produce sponsored content. As it turns out, podcast listeners are among the most highly engaged of any medium.

As Celine puts it:

“Podcast listeners are actually “super listeners,” consuming more than one hour and 45 minutes of audio per day than the average American, and they spend more than 25 percent of their total audio time listening to podcasts.”

With shows like Serial and This American Life gaining mainstream popularity, podcasting has moved beyond the niche and hobbyist world into something we should be taking notice of and experimenting with.

3. Growth Is Not A Hack by Phin Barnes for First Round Capital

The struggle (for growth) is real.

Sometimes, growth hacking is considered a “throw spaghetti on the wall” solution for attracting users, yet growth is a strategy based on observation of markets and understanding the consumer — it’s anything but a hack.

Phil Barnes has insider insight from First Round Capital’s portfolio of companies — companies that they fund at the seed level and that are dependent on growth to survive. Phil shares his expert advice and gives us an in-depth understanding into what growth actually means for a company.

Quote: “As you scale, you need to think about quality of users, not just quantity. Critically, growth is not just about adding net new users, but about developing a deep understanding of how to make your business grow.”

His advice is valuable, but his insights on how to shape your growth efforts into a full-blown strategy are essential for any startup, marketing team or entrepreneur looking to move beyond top-of-the-funnel acquisition.

4. 3 Google Analytics Reports to Help You Find Blog Post Ideas Your Readers Will Love by Andy Crestodina for Unbounce

Content marketers often rely on their creativity and writing chops to create content that resonates with their audience. In other cases, content marketers may have a love of data and strategy. Andy Crestodina is the whole package.

His post runs through how to use Google Analytics to find blog post ideas when your creative well may have run dry. He also highlights that it’s important to use data alongside empathy to guide us:

“As a content marketer, you can take the guesswork out of the process by using data-driven empathy: using analytics to get into the heads of your visitors and find topics they care about most (and the topics that will convert).”

If you’re a content marketer working for yourself, a company or an agency, this post breaks down each step you’ll need to make data part of your content creation process. Take a walk on the wild side and make room for some Google Analytics data that will help your marketing ideas in 2016.

5. 7 Strategies to Make Your Lifecycle Emails Work Smarter For You by Janet Choi for Customer.io

Chances are that you’re currently using email marketing in one way or another. But if you’re sending out lifecycle emails and are considering revamping them to better suit your goals in 2016 — this post is for you.

Janet Choi’s post is a tactical yet fun approach to email marketing:

“Welcome emails are your chance to create a positive first impression and secure the trust that will fuel a long-term customer relationship. All you have to do is follow the lead of that fictionally famous swashbuckling swordsman Inigo Montoya.”

She breaks down what a healthy lifecycle email marketing strategy should look like and gives helpful tips on customer retention, conversion and engagement. If you’re in the market to improve your current lifecycle email strategy, this post has your name all over it.

6. The Superhuman Guide to Twitter Advanced Search by Ash Read For Buffer

If you’re past the “just trying this Twitter thing out” phase and you happen to be a marketer, this post is going to knock your socks off. Social platforms like Twitter have a ton of useful information, but it’s all in how you mine for it.

This is where Ash Read’s post comes to the rescue. Ash dives deep deep into Twitter’s Advanced Search and gives detailed, step-by-step instructions that will show you technical know-hows as well as how to leverage Advanced Search for marketing hacks and experiments.

The post reads almost like a manual and it’s sure to take your social media sleuth skills to a new level by arming you with all the necessary data you need to monitor tweets more in-depthly, come up with content ideas or even find new sales leads.

If you’re currently using Twitter every day, then taking advantage of the Advanced Search function should be a no brainer  in 2016.

7. We Analyzed 37,259 Facebook Ads and Here’s What We Learned by Andrew Tate for AdEspresso

What elements make a Facebook Ad convert? Does the text really matter? Is choosing eye-catching images really all you need?

If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions then this post by post by Andrew Tate has the answers. Andrew and the AdEspresso team have likely created the most comprehensive roundup of Facebook ads out there.

Whether you’re a performance marketer or interested in social ads and A/B testing, this post is full of information that gives you insight into what the big players are doing, what trends or words are most effective or even what tone works best.

This post goes beyond common best practices and dissects currents ads. The result is a post that is full of actionable information from top to bottom. Don’t make any more ads without reading this post.

8.Our 8 Biggest Conversion Optimization Wins of 2015 (So Far) by Alex Turnbull for Groove

Sometimes it’s hard to think of creative ways to increase conversions, places where some tweaking could lead to magical things. If you aren’t lucky enough to work with a CRO expert, there are many experiments you can run to help increase and optimize conversions in your business.

“No matter how high your conversion rates are, or your customer base, or your revenue… there’s room to grow. And holding steady is not an option. If you’re not doing more every single day to grow faster and stronger than the day before, then the hungrier company right behind you will. Conversion optimization is no different.”

Alex Turnbull’s post breaks down eight conversion experiments that Groove attempted this past year. Alex gives a step-by-step for each of these conversions experiments so that you, too, can run these experiments with your campaigns. From giveaways to autoresponders, this post will inspire you and your team to get testing in 2016.

9.The Step-By-Step Guide to Launching a Top-Ranking Podcast in iTunes by Stephanie Saretsky for Unbounce

If you’ve caught the podcasting bug, this post by Stephanie Saretsky is one of the few comprehensive how-to podcast blog posts out there. In fact, we dare you to find another one like it.

“No one is teaching how to actually podcast effectively – in a way that engages prospects and actually gets them to convert.”

With many marketing brands jumping on the podcasting bandwagon, why not take a stab at reaching customers or potential leads in a more direct way by using Unbounce’s personal experience as a starting point?

This post goes beyond just editing your podcast and uploading it to iTunes. Stephanie guides you from the ideation phase all the way to dissemination via social platforms to even setting up possible partnerships.

With such a detailed step-by-step guide, it’s hard to miss a beat.

10.Why an Instagram Tweak Spells the Beginning of a Multibillion-Dollar Industry by Ryan Holmes for Recode

Instagram’s previous ad offerings used to set you back a whopping $200,000! Luckily, Instagram’s API has now opened up a new world for marketers in the mobile advertising space. With this new access comes endless possibilities for advertisers like us to experiment. Let the race begin!

Ryan Holmes rounds out the importance of Instagram’s API offering and encourages digital marketers to jump to it. Like Ryan says:

“With Instagram’s new API offering, ads can now be purchased by just about anyone, using online ad-buying tools offered by official Instagram partners. The move has been called “one of the most anticipated moments in the evolution of advertising.”

Gaining access to a new ad platform is great news for performance marketers and content marketers, and surely something fun to test drive and generate new marketing ideas in 2016.

Make 2016 a year full of testing and experimentation and growth

We’ve specifically chosen blog posts with actionable marketing tips, interesting case studies and important trends. Each post touches on different aspects of digital marketing, including conversion optimization, growth marketing and even social media strategy in order to give the best tips out there.

With these posts covering the full spectrum of marketing, we hope you’ve got some new tools in your toolbox to help you become a better marketer in 2016.

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Become a better marketer in 2016 by catching up on the posts you missed in 2015.
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Did we miss any key posts from 2015? Share some of the posts that inspired you this past year in the comments below.

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Science we're excited to see in 2016

When it comes to incredible science, 2015 will be hard to top. Among a number of notable events, we got our first, thrilling look at Pluto, found evidence that liquid water still flows on Mars and began facing the reality that human gene editing is closer than ever thanks to the CRISPR system....

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A Year In Review: Search Engine Land’s Top 10 Columns Of 2015

Which columns truly captivated our readers this year? We conclude our year-in-review series by highlighting our most widely read columns of 2015. The post A Year In Review: Search Engine Land’s Top 10 Columns Of 2015 appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.

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Definitive Guide To Duplicate Research For Local SEO

Wondering how to identify and clean up your duplicate map listings? Columnist Joy Hawkins has you covered. The post Definitive Guide To Duplicate Research For Local SEO appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.

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What Will Hatch Tomorrow In Google’s New Year’s Eve Doodle

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Years and have some fun by checking out the Google Doodle as it hatches. The post What Will Hatch Tomorrow In Google’s New Year’s Eve Doodle appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.

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16 Posts That’ll Make You Excited to Be a Writer in 2016

Let me guess…

At least one of your New Year’s resolutions relates to your writing.

Am I right?

Maybe you’ve decided to commit to a daily writing practice.

Or set your sights on a specific writing goal, to be achieved no matter what.

Or committed to launching a blog to showcase your writing to a waiting world.

Even if making resolutions isn’t your style, making some kind of plan for your writing in 2016 is a smart idea.

But there’s a problem. And it comes down to human nature.

Most resolutions slide before January ends. And most plans crumble at the first sign of trouble.

That’s because even our best intentions soon stall without the right fuel…

Inspiration.

The “Serious Bloggers Only” Winter Contest 2015

During 2015 we’ve run four contests for members of our Serious Bloggers Only membership program.

And while the winning posts have been as diverse as the blogosphere itself, they’ve all had one thing in common.

The ability to inspire other writers.

How they do it varies, of course.

Some remind us of the power of effective writing.

Some lend us models of successful writing to emulate.

And some reassure us that taking action brings rewards.

Without inspiration, we struggle to produce any work, let alone our best.

So as 2015 draws to a close, I’m proud to announce the winners of our latest contest.

As you review these remarkable posts, consider what you can draw from them to fuel your own writing in 2016.

And The Winners Are . . .

Most Inspiring – Quinn Eurich – Aha!NOW (Guest Post)

How to Live a Meaningful Life Without Knowing Your Life’s Purpose

Countless personal development posts have been written about discovering your true purpose. Despite this, many people feel they’ve yet to find their right track in life. What’s refreshing about this post (and also so inspiring) is the central message that meaning can be found even in the absence of a clear purpose.

Visit Quinn’s blog here: Outsmarting Panic and Anxiety

Most Epic – Si Quan Ong – BreakDance Decoded

The Long-Ass Bboy Guide To Breaking For Your First Three Years

This post is organized into chapters and that’s a good thing, because it feels more like a short book than a blog post. At over 15,000 words, this post is staggeringly comprehensive.

I loved the author’s commitment to exploring his topic – breakdancing – to the fullest, and I thought the basic format – a detailed guide to the first three years of building a particular skill – was original and should inspire other bloggers to give their own topics the same treatment.

Most Practical – Meredith Blevins – Pro Writers Toolbox

Avoid an Outhouse Called the Slushpile

This post oozes authority borne out of the author’s hard-won experience. Meredith is a writer with a career spanning more than forty years. In her post, she tackles a common mistake of beginning writers head on – blindly sending manuscripts to publishers in the vain hope of being spotted.

Meredith cuts through the crap and tells her readers the tough truth – getting published is just as much about building relationships as it is about being a good writer.

Best Use of Details and Examples – Bryan Del Monte – Jeff Bullas (Guest Post)

Why Certain Pictures Make You Click On Awful Content

Bryan’s excellent guest post for Jeff Bullas explores how we can be manipulated by visual content. It’s packed with thought-provoking examples and a central analogy (that two forces are battling for control of our attention, personified as Felix and Oscar from the T.V. show The Odd Couple), which carries us entertainingly through the post.

Visit Bryan’s blog here: Blogs That Sell

Best Big Idea – Leon Altman – Freedom Business Cafe

How Having Your Own Online Business Can Save Your Life and Help You Live Longer

Most writing about entrepreneurship tends to focus on the “how to,” perhaps because the “why” seems obvious. But here Leon comes at the topic from a fresh and interesting angle – the health benefits of running an online business.

Many would-be entrepreneurs long for the flexibility a “freedom business” can offer without deeply considering what that freedom could mean.

Most Valuable – Rob Kornblum – Mirasee (Guest Post)

Why You Need a Blog Positioning Strategy

Starting a blog is tough. The sad truth is that many blogs are doomed from the get-go because their owners don’t have enough of an idea of the blog’s audience or what sets it apart from the blogs already serving that audience.

Rob borrows a positioning model from the business world and applies it so clearly to the blogging realm that any new blogger will improve the life expectancy of their blog by reading his post. Truly valuable to anyone launching a blog (or attempting to revive a failing one).

Visit Rob’s blog here: Start Launch Grow

Most Fearless – Tracy Gillett – Raised Good

Nursing Your Toddler? How to Ignore Judgmental Stares

This post courageously tackles a topic that will likely provoke some strong opinions, with many on the opposite side of the argument as Tracy. But she’s unafraid to challenge societal norms and presents a persuasive case, backed by evidence, for nursing your children into toddlerhood – even if that earns you the disapproval of many of those around you.

Best Storytelling – Vicky Cox – The Good Men Project (Guest Post)

How a Culture of Violence is Damaging Our Country Today

Vicky’s post opens with a powerful personal story that sets the scene for an exploration of a complex and divisive topic – gun violence. What’s remarkable is that the post maintains its cool despite her connection to a gun-related tragedy. By looking at the reasons why people – and young men in particular – might be driven to pick up a weapon, it makes us view a well-trodden topic from an unfamiliar angle.

Visit Vicky’s blog here: Vicky L Cox

Most Personality – Lynn Hauka – A Daring Adventure (Guest Post)

Why You Still Want To Kick Someone’s Butt Even Though You Meditate (And Why It’s Okay)

You’re unlikely to land a guest post on Tim Brownson’s blog “A Daring Adventure” unless you can write with a healthy dose of attitude, and Lynn brings plenty to this post.

There’s a fun clash of ideas at the heart of the post – that someone practiced in the art of meditation can still be filled with rage, and that that’s normal. Notice how Lynn uses power words to fill each paragraph with emotion.

Visit Lynn’s blog here: Quit the Crazy

Most Engaging – Claire Wholam – The Change Blog (Guest Post)

Invisible Woman to Stage Performer: How I Dared to Live Courageously

This post reads as smoothly as slickly-written sales copy but still manages to maintain a rawness and authenticity. Claire blends storytelling with her tips for living courageously, and I loved her subtle distinction between fear and “afraidness.” Pay particular attention to the closing, which is an excellent example of the motivational style we favor here at BBT.

Visit Claire’s blog here: Still Standing!

Best Execution – Sonia Thompson – TRY Business School

Overcome Entrepreneur Mindset Barriers: 16 Successful Business Owners Share How They Did It

At one level, this is a familiar type of post – an expert roundup – but the execution lifts this example above most others. Sonia uses attractive graphics to highlight each expert’s main quote but also includes the full text of the extended response.

She also adds value by linking to three examples of each expert’s work for those readers who want to find out more. And her empathetic opening sets the scene perfectly.

Most Creative – Corey Willis – Hey There, Home

A Glass Hurricane Turned Awesome Geometric Pendant Light!

This wonderful craft project has just the right balance between written instruction and supporting images. This post could easily inspire a reader to embark upon their first home DIY project, and if the pictures are anything to go by the results are stunning. Creative and practical, this post shows “how to” blogging at its best.

Best Visuals – Tony Messer – Pickaweb

Which Web Hosting Should I Choose? Quick Guide

Choosing the right web host is difficult – particularly if you’re not very technical. Most people are confused by the options and overwhelmed by having to make the choice. But Tony’s comprehensive infographic-style flowchart breaks a complicated process down into a set of much simpler decisions. And you’ve got to love any flowchart that includes “I don’t understand the question” as an option.
 
 

My Favorite Contest Posts of 2015

In addition to selecting the winners above, I also wanted to round off 2015 by choosing a few of my favorite posts from each of the quarterly contests this year.

So here they are, my personal favorites:

July 2015 – Doug Hay – Rock Creek Runner

Ultrarunning as a Microcosm of Life: My Black Mountain Monster Report

Doug Hay’s gripping account of the physical and psychological challenges of participating in a 24-hour ultramarathon is hugely inspiring and easily one of my favorite contest entries of 2015.
 
 

April 2015 – John Yeoman – Writers’ Village

How To Find Your Perfect Writing Haven

John Yeoman’s personality-filled writing has been featured in every one of our contests so far this year and his inclusion on this list was a no-brainer. This short post, packed with humor and attitude, showcases John at his best.
 

October 2015 – Ashley Trexler – A Fine Parent (Guest Post)

How to Make Sure Your Kids Don’t Grow Up to Be Judgemental People

Ashley Trexler’s guest post for “A Fine Parent” has a big goal – that the next generation will grow up a little less close-minded than the last.

Visit Ashley’s blog here: Lies About Parenting
 
 
 

Resolve to Make 2016 Your Best Writing Year Yet

As most of us know from bitter experience, resolutions are far easier to make than to keep.

But if your scribbled list of good intentions has an entry or two about writing, do yourself a favor and bookmark your favorite posts from this list.

Return to them to fuel your writing efforts during the coming year.

And before you say goodbye to 2015, ask yourself the following question:

When your future self looks back on 2016, what achievements will you see?

Once you have an answer (and remember to think big), start sowing the seeds for those successes.

And in the meantime, have a very Happy New Year!

About the Author: Glen Long is the Managing Editor of Boost Blog Traffic (a.k.a. Chief Content Monkey). He lives in London and is dangerously addicted to Nordic Noir. Feeling social? Come and say Happy New Year on Facebook or Twitter.

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