Continuing Education: Webinars, Seminars, and Resources

Learning about email marketing is an ongoing process. As a practicing marketer developing targeted, customized communications with your prospects and customers, you learn from experience every day (some days may seem easier than others!). New technologies are introduced all the time.

I’m curious, how do you learn about email marketing? Trial and error? Online reading? Do you buy books? Have you ever attended a Webinar on the subject? A seminar or a conference?

Learning by Webinar

Some of you may be wondering what a Webinar is. According to Dictionary.com, a “Webinar” (or “Webcast”) is “a broadcast of an event or a recording of an event over the World Wide Web.”

The Web (and phone conferencing services) make meetings efficient without the time and expense of travel. They can be more productive than a phone conversation because visual elements are present.

What Does This Have to Do With Email Marketing?

Many email marketing Webinars are surfacing. They could be a great way to continue our email marketing education. I find I learn at least one important thing when I participate in these. You can participate from the comfort and privacy of your office. You can even make faces at the presenters, and they won’t notice.

BoldFish recently hosted an email marketing Webinar and did a good job presenting the event, dealing with opt-in email best practices. About 70 people participated in the hour-long event. Even if you missed it, you can download the presentation.

Our agency is planning a Webinar series in conjunction with Raindance Communications. We’ll demonstrate how companies can boost marketing goals by harnessing the power of email. Kim MacPherson (who started this column on ClickZ) will present the series, along with Jackie and myself. Drop me an email if you’re interested in joining us. It should be informative and fun!

OK, What About Seminars?

Dictionary.com defines a “seminar” as “a meeting for an exchange of ideas; a conference.” I think the operative words here are “exchange of ideas.”

Seminars provide interpersonal elements you don’t get in a Webinar and a great opportunity for networking. This can strengthen the message and ultimately enhance your learning experience. You also get to meet others in the industry and can ask them during networking sessions about their own email marketing experiences. This type of networking can also add to your business base at some point, too. (Check out ClickZ’s upcoming email marketing seminar).

Given a choice, I’d go for the seminar.

Other Learning Resources for Email Marketing

Make sure you check out ClickZ’s new companion site, Email Strategies. It’s a useful and well-organized resource for email information.

Also, have you visited the AdMarketing Email Products Guide? It is free and will definitely help as you get more deeply involved with email marketing.

But Wait! There’s More!

There are so many email marketing resources available. I’d love to hear your feedback about what you’ve found is most helpful and why. Let me know and I’ll share the knowledge with you all in a future column.

That’s it for me — have a fun and productive week!

–Lynne