I feel sorry for all you who had to panic over this past weekend making last minute Valentine’s Day plans. Last weekend, I got a head start on cupid by packing a bag, hopping in the car, and charging south with my wife for a weekend getaway in San Antonio.

It was our first trip to the Alamo City, and by the time we left, I had a fresh understanding of why it is such a popular location for vacations and events. At work this week, I had another first time experience: dealing with Email templates for newsletters. LevelTen is contemplating a switch in the near future, and I have been considering all the options.

After a dive into both Email templates and San Antone, here are five things I learned about each:

#5:

• SA: The Palm Restaurant has a giant face mural and a tasty swordfish.

  Located off the River walk, the “best steak house in San Antonio” (Critics Choice, 2007) serves up a large and savory Swordfish Steak dinner for $34. It also belongs to the 837 Diner’s Club where frequent patrons rack up points and after a certain level, get their faces painted on the wall. We spent dinner gazing at Jerry Seinfeld, Tom Cruise, and George W. Bush.

• Email: Thorough testing is crucial to an effective campaign.

  With so many browsers and versions out there, testing is crucial to formulating an effective Email newsletter. Before sending out emails to your subscribers you must test both the HTML email and the text version. Also, it’s important to test links within the email to ensure that images appear both in the preview pane and full page view. Troubleshooting and solving problems will result in more actual views for the email campaign.

#4

• SA: The Alamo is small.

  “Where was it?” That’s the question I asked as we drove by the legendary Texas establishment. The events that happened at Alamo were dynamic, the building is not.

• Email: Placing key messages prominently will boost views and responses.

  If you are like me, many emails never make it past the first cut. It takes a trusted user or outstanding subject to avoid the delete button and jump to the actual content of the message. This practice can produce unwanted results, as the main message of your email never actually gets opened. To improve on this, place a textual statement that presents the key message of the email in the subject line, and again at the very top of the page.

#3

• SA: The NBA’s Spurs own the sports scene.

  I am accustomed to Dallas-Fort Worth, where fan’s gear and attention is spread out between all the major sports teams and various collegiate affiliations. In San Antonio, the Spurs are the only major professional team and it shows. I have an ongoing distaste for the team, but I can’t hate on the fans for their energetic support.

• Email: Using an Email Management Service is smart and produces results.

  There are many services out there, and picking the right one to design and deliver professional HTML email communications can pay dividends. The services are designed to ensure compatibility with the greatest number of email clients and provide reporting metrics about clicked links, subscribers and the like.

#2

• SA: For a date, a boat ride on the River walk still tops the list.

  I realize that this is old news to some, but the simple charm of a slow boat ride can get overlooked. Even with other more advanced and thrilling experiences available, the historic tour holds its own as a must-do for the checklist. It was a fun and intimate way to experience the whole downtown area and get to know the city.

• Email: Always, always use the BCC option when sending emails to multiple recipients.

  I thought this was a given, but then I read a blog this week from someone who was offended by a blatant CC mail out with hundreds of listed addresses. There is no problem with sending out mass emails, but people still want to feel like they are not lumped into the crowd. Making this simple commitment to connect with individual users will help add a touch of personal service to your email campaigns.

#1

• SA: The Stock Show and Rodeo is by far the best in Texas.

  With all due respect to my friends in Fort Worth, no one competes with the show put on by San Antonio. The AT&T Center is packed with over 20,000 viewers each night to take in rodeo action and some of the biggest music performers in the world. An opening laser lights show, outdoor carnival, delicious food spread and unique cultural components make the Stock Show and Rodeo something to experience.

• Email: No business is too big or too small for an Email Marketing Campaign.

  According to Blue Sky Factory marketing, there is a path to follow for any company that wants to launch an effective marketing campaign. Following this outline will eliminate some of the intimidation that comes with such a task.

1. Build a proper website
2. Create an HTML-designed Email template.
3. Don’t sleep on content flow.
4. Build thorough subscription lists.
5. Measure success and make adjustments as needed.

Good luck and go Alamo!