Here are some common problems to look out for:

1. Misspelled words - It’s a good idea to spell-check a document, but it’s not enough. A spell checker won’t catch every error.

2. Wrong word used - This is why a spell checker isn’t enough. A spell checker will only flag words it doesn’t recognize. It can’t tell if a legitimate word is used incorrectly. Some words commonly confused: accept, except; your, you’re; then, than; there, their, they’re; cite, site, sight; lay, lie; loose, loosen, lose. Also, look out for a missing “r” in the word “your.” It’s easy to overlook a sentence such as “Visit our Web site now to receive you free copy.”

3. Grammar error - Again, if you know you’re not a good writer, have someone else check your writing for grammatical errors. Mistakes make you look bad.

4. Punctuation error - This is another area where you’ll benefit from a review by someone who knows their stuff. If you’re determined to do it yourself, purchase a good grammar or style book. One of the most common punctuation problems: Too many stupid commas!

5. Vague or confusing statement - Make sure every sentence is crystal-clear. You don’t want your promotional message to raise more questions than it answers.

6. Illogical statement - Read over what you have written slowly. At the end of each paragraph, ask yourself: “Did that make sense?” Rewrite so that it does.

There are many investment instruments that are available in the world of finance. Economy had evolved and capital driven markets are the most popular in the recent years. Most of these investment instruments are usually co-related with the market data like certain sector indexes, currency prices and commodity prices.

Among all these investment opportunities, there are some very risky ones and two of the most risky of all, above bonds, stocks and funds are commodities trading and forex. As you know the current market are very volatile, more and more investors are moving their money else where and just tipping their toes into stocks in the hope for some form of diversification.

We believe that Forex or also known as foreign exchange is riskier as compared to commodities trading. In commodities trading, if you were to look at the moving averages and RSI movement, you would find that the moving range is not as large as how currencies move. However, it only applies to certain currencies which are more frequently traded like USD against major currencies.

Apart from the huge movement pips, currencies are more related to news. For example, a federal rate cut will affect USD almost definitely which brings your investment decision to a point. However, following news may not necessary be profitable as many of such news were made known to the institutional investors at an earlier time, so the position that you took may be the position that they dumped. Forex is hard to grasp, on one hand, it should be more predictable and on the other hand it is like almost an impossible chart to read due to the massive movements. That is different for commodities trading which is more largely due to demand and availability. Of course, if you were to invest in crude and gold, by now, you should be rewarded handsomely already. Major hike in commodities price had brought a new phase of investing opportunities. But if you were to look at the price movement, although similar to the movement of Forex, the level of risk is lower because it is less unpredictable.

Last but certainly not least, Forex is exposed to export and trade figures. If your currency is relatively controlled and lower, your export will be more viable and on the other side of the coin, if your currency is too low, it becomes worthless. A dedicate balance is needed for currency pricing and range. You may be buying something that already is going down or rather the opposite direction. Most of the time, Forex are more speculative in nature which is somewhat the same as commodities. But in terms of commodities, you are able to get the actual stuffs. That makes investing in commodities a more viable investing solutions for companies dealing in that specific commodities.

It is your choice at the end of the day, which is more riskier for you. It is always the old saying, ‘Caveat Emptor’.

How Often (Frequency) Should You Send Email for email marketing?

There’s no quick answer to the frequency question. It depends on the goals for your email and the type of content you send. Some rough guidelines:

1. Mail at least once a month. Mail less often than this, and you risk being forgotten by recipients. Monthly is the bare minimum if you want to keep your brand or company name top of mind (a common email goal).

2. Let content be your guide. Look at what you provide readers and you’ll get a feel for proper frequency. Analyze how often the information changes and how quickly readers must receive it to act on it.

3. Work within your resources. A daily email requires many more resources than a monthly. Better a well-done monthly email than shoddy weekly or daily. It’s recommended to start with a monthly. Once that’s going smoothly, they can think about moving to weekly. You need to walk before you can run!

4. Watch for trends. Declining response, open, and click-through rates can be signs of list fatigue. Though some decrease is normal, watch carefully and cut back frequency if you see a problem. Don’t assume if the unsubscribe rate is stable you’re OK. Many people prefer to forward email directly to their delete folder rather than unsubscribe.

The call-to-action is a determining factor of your click-through rate. It is an important component of your email copy because it answers three important questions for the recipient. They are:

1. What you want them to do

2. Why they should do it, and

3. How to take that next step.

Whatever action you want your recipients to take, you can make it happen more often with a good call-to-action. First, decide what you want them to do:

1. Buy something

2. Sign up for a service

3. Fill out a form

4. Read an article or get more information

5. Visit your website or store

6. Make an appointment

Etc…

Then, make sure you incorporate these 6 characteristics to get the results you’re looking for. Make your call-to action:

1. Visible - People read, react, make decisions and take action differently. Some make decisions right away (”You had me at hello.”) and some need more details (”I’m from Missouri.”). Place call-to-action links in the beginning, middle and end of the email so that recipients can click whenever they are ready.

2. Clear - Stick to simple words, short phrases, bulleted benefits and paragraphs of 1-3 short sentences. Include appropriate graphics and cut the clutter by making effective use of white space.

3. Compelling - Use action-oriented verbs and phrases: “buy now,” “call today,” “save” and so on.

4. Rewarding - Offer an incentive or reward for action. For example, “Act now and also receives…,” or “the First 100 respondents will be entered into a raffle to win…” The giveaway, or prize, you choose should be closely related to your product or service. That way, you will be targeting customers who are interested in what you have to offer, not just the latest gadget.

5. Urgent - The longer an email sits in an inbox, the less likely it is to be acted on. Create a sense of urgency to get a more immediate response. Try limiting the offer to a specific time period, to the “first 50 customers,” “while supplies last,” etc.

6. Direct - Your call-to-action links should go to the appropriate page on your website with more details on the specific product or service you’re promoting. If you don’t have a website, the call-to-action might be store locations to visit or a number to call for an appointment.

Keep in mind that, in addition to repeating your call-to-action, you can vary your call-to-action to appeal to different types of buyers (and to fit your sales cycle). For example: “Click here to buy now” will naturally work better with loyal customers. The softer, “Click here to learn more” may be better for newer prospects.