Smart Blogger Weekly Newsletter #3

In this issue of the Smart Blogger Weekly Newsletter, we're mastering the art of observation, remembering action stars from the 80s, and literally learning the difference between literally and figuratively. Let's get to it. RECENTLY: FROM AROUND THE WEB The Art of Noticing: These 3 Practices Will Make You a Better Writer Why Social Shares That Refer Almost No Traffic Are Useful How Do You Balance Full-Time Employment with Freelancing? The Ultimate Guide to Boosting Visual Appeal Before You Hit Publish 18 Free Title Generator Tools for Writing Better Headlines RECENTLY: FROM SMART BLOGGER We published two new articles last week. Check them out: 10 Grant Writing Jobs for Beginners (& How to Get Started) What is Content Writing? 10 Essentials for Killer Content Creation NOT SO RECENTLY Writer's Block: 27 Ways to Crush it Forever (+ 4 Bonus Tips) 5 Simple Steps to Help You Overcome Impostor Syndrome 18 Writing Tips That'll Actually Make You a Better Writer "Weird Al" Yankovic - Word Crimes DEAL OF THE WEEK Many email marketing services offer free plans, but "you get what you pay for," as they say. They cap the number of subscribers you can have or (worse) disable the features you really care about and need. That makes Sendinblue a bit of a unicorn. Sendinblue focuses on the number of emails you send, not the number of contacts you have. Heck, Sendinblue doesn't care how many subscribers you have. Have a million. You're still eligible for their free plan. Not only that, but you still get most of the features you really need, like automation and advanced segmentation. To create a free account, all you need is your name and email address. STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Tara Malone is a Smart Blogger Certified Content Marketer who specializes in creating online content for software, cybersecurity, and digital marketing companies. Check out her blog, How to Win at Freelance Writing, where she helps aspiring freelance writers cultivate a healthy mindset, avoid the content mill traps, and improve their writing skills. And if you haven't already, be sure to read the recent article she wrote for Smart Blogger: What is a Freelancer? Getting Paid in the Gig Economy. THIS WEEK'S CONTEXT-FREE QUOTE "You can't go wrong bringing up Mr. T. It doesn't matter what the situation; if you bring up Mr. T, it's funny. I don't know why. It just is. If you don't agree, you are dead inside." "I pity the fool" who can't guess which Smart Blogger article this quote comes from. ("I pity the fool" is Mr. T's old catchphrase, by the way.) Click this link to find out. UNTIL NEXT TIME As always, thank you for letting me spend a few minutes with you in your inbox. Hope your week is off to a great start. On behalf of Jon, Kevin J. Duncan (aka Head of Content)

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[FREEBIE] An email service for beginners

Ask 50 entrepreneurs or bloggers for their biggest regret, and most will tell you they wish they'd started building their email list sooner. The lesson? If you're not already capturing the email addresses of your readers, you need to start immediately. Sounds good, but there's an 800-pound elephant in the room... When you're just starting out, it's hard to justify the monthly cost of email marketing platforms like AWeber and Constant Contact. And those "free" plans offered by MailChimp and others? They restrict you to a certain number of subscribers, disable their best features, or (usually) both. Wouldn't it be great if there was a free email marketing platform that didn't force you to compromise? One that could give you all the features you really need, but without restricting the number of subscribers you can have before being forced to upgrade to a paid plan? Thankfully, such a unicorn exists: It's called Sendinblue -- and you only need your name and email to get started. Sendinblue focuses on the number of emails you send, not the number of contacts you have. Heck, Sendinblue doesn't care how many subscribers you have. Have a million. You're still eligible for their free plan. And all the key features most people need -- marketing automation, advanced segmentation, transactional emails, templates, etc. -- are included. Want to know how good of a deal this is? I've been using AWeber for my personal email list since 2014. During that time, I've paid AWeber $2,377 (!) of my hard-earned money. Sendinblue could've given me 95% of what AWeber provided these past 7 years, and it could've done it for free. (That sound you're hearing right now? It's me banging my head against my desk.) I can't change the past, but here's what I can do: Cancel AWeber, and Make sure none of you repeat my mistake. If you haven't started building your email list… If you're on a "free" plan with an email platform that's too restrictive… Or if you're paying for a service and you simply don't send emails very often... Sign up for a free Sendinblue account. Your wallet (and your desk) will thank you. On behalf of Jon, Kevin J. Duncan, Chief Content Officer P.S. This email is part of a new series. Every week, I'll shine a spotlight on a course, tool, or product that I believe Smart Blogger's intelligent and attractive subscribers (such as yourself) will enjoy. Miss last week's deal? There's still time to grab AppSumo's exclusive flash sale for Depositphotos. The deal expires on Monday morning (8:00 AM Central). Just a friendly heads up. :-)

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