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Just to bring ‘balance’ to all the Never-Trumpers in this forum.Top 10 Year 20171. The tax-cut billTrump capped off 2017 with his first major legislative victory — the passage of the Republicans’ tax-cut bill, which slashes the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and reduces individual rates as well as implements some key breaks.It’s the biggest tax legislation to be approved by Congress since 1986, and would be significant if that’s all it did.The fact that it also eliminated ObamaCare’s mandate that individuals buy insurance and opens the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling — something several GOP administrations had tried but failed to do — makes it truly historic.2. Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme CourtTrump’s biggest early victory came when the Senate, in April, confirmed Neil Gorsuch to succeed the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.Gorsuch’s appointment marked the end of a bitter struggle between Democrats and Republicans over the vacant seat. It was also a victory for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who for nearly a year blocked former President Obama’s pick to replace Scalia from getting even a hearing to sit on the court.The move also came as Trump aims to reshape the federal judiciary with a host of other conservative nominations. The Senate confirmed 12 of Trump’s federal appeals court judges in 2017, a record for a president’s first year in office.3. Roll-back of regulationsTrump signed an executive order cutting regulations for small businesses and moved forward with plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan, one of Obama’s signature acts as president. Trump has also overseen moves to expand oil drilling in the Arctic and Gulf of Mexico and granted a permit to the Keystone XL pipeline previously rejected by Obama.Trump vowed to reduce regulations he argued were strangling the economy, and he’s taken important strides to do so in the wake of opposition from congressional Democrats, who argue the president’s actions on climate are hurting America’s standing in the world. Local governments led by Democrats have acted to reverse Trump’s efforts on the Paris climate accords.4. The travel banTrump ran on a platform of tougher immigration enforcement, both to protect American jobs and national security. A week into his presidency, he took one of his most controversial steps, banning most travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States.The move triggered protests across the country and court fights, but, by the end of the year, a version of Trump’s ban was left standing.Trump also has taken steps to increase border security and has seen a drop in arrests on the border, a possible sign of reduced entries.He stepped up raids on immigrants in the country illegally and oversaw a surge in arrests across the country. The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement says the agency plans to take an even more aggressive approach next year.Trump hasn’t been able to make progress on building a wall on the Mexican border, however.5. Declaring Jerusalem the capital of IsraelIn a radical departure from decades of foreign policy, Trump announced that the U.S. would formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and begin the process of moving its embassy to the contested holy city. The move signified one of Trump’s boldest statements to the international community, and, specifically, the United Nations, which he has frequently criticized.6. Withdrawal from Paris climate dealTrump followed through on one of his major campaign promises when he announced in June that the U.S. would leave the Paris climate deal reached under Obama. While there have since been conflicting reports on the administration’s current stance on the agreement, the move fulfilled Trump’s pledge to tackle one of Obama’s signature achievements and take a tougher stance against the international community.7. Pulling out of the Trans-Pacific PartnershipTrump began his presidency by carrying out another key promise, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive trade deal with Asia he had called a “potential disaster for our country.” He has said his administration will secure new trade deals with America’s Asian allies, though firm details have yet to emerge.Meanwhile, the administration is at work trying to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. A new round of negotiations are slated to be held in January, and it’s possible Trump could decide to pull the U.S. from that deal as well.8. Roll-back of some of Obama’s Cuba policiesTrump followed up on his pledge to roll back Obama’s opening up of relations with Cuba, tightening travel and commercial ties with the communist island. He also placed new financial restrictions on Havana, amid concerns over a series of bizarre “sonic attacks” targeting U.S. diplomats in the country.While the moves were seen as a clear crackdown by Trump on rapprochement with Cuba, much of Obama’s policies toward Havana essentially remain intact.9. Moving to repeal Obama’s net neutrality rulesIn another blow to regulations enacted under Obama, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal its landmark net neutrality rules this month. The move drew ire from Democrats, consumer groups and tech companies, but was seen as a major win for advocates of less government oversight.10. Fighting — and further degrading — ISISLargely following Obama’s strategy, Trump dealt major blows to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, forcing the terrorist group to retreat from its two self-declared capitals: Mosul and Raqqa, located in Iraq and Syria, respectively. Trump also expanded the military’s authority to carry out air strikes in the Middle East, a factor some experts credit for his administration’s progress against terrorism in the region.Now, how about Year 2018?Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court – As messy and unfair as the process was, his confirmation secures another conservative jurist with an originalist constitutional approach and a restrained view of judicial power. The untimely death of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016 crystalized for many voters the danger of allowing Hillary Clinton to fill that seat. With Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh in place, Trump has kept his promise to remake the high court with young, conservative thinkers.Confronting China – Much of the heartland anxiety that vaulted Trump into the Oval Office emanates directly from the abusive economic warfare waged by China for decades against the United States. At long last, those workers find a champion in Donald Trump, who slapped serious tariffs upon Beijing and finally forced the regime to negotiate fairly. America now embraces its strong bargaining position and demands reciprocity in trade and an end to rampant industrial theft and piracy.Middle-Class Wages Rise – Incomes in general soared in 2018, with average hourly earnings finally eclipsing 3 percent growth for the first time since before the Great Recession. The news is even better for blue-collar workers, who now realize wage growth above that of white-collar workers for the first time in nearly a decade.U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Deal – Trump proved that America welcomes equitable global commerce by cementing a badly needed modernization of NAFTA. The USMCA provides a template for other such trade pacts and effectively isolates China’s increasingly untenable posture.Ending the Iran Nuclear Deal – Gone are the days of coddling the mullahs who have terrorized America and our allies for decades. Instead of counting the billions of dollars of cash sent via secret nighttime flights by the Obama administration, the Tehran regime now faces a U.S. leadership determined to thwart its tyranny and prevent its nuclearization.Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem – Trump proved once again how differently he governs compared to Washington norms. Past presidents promised for decades to make this move and U.S. law has required it since 1995, but only President Trump made good on his pledge, honored our ally, and recognized the obvious reality that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel.Smashing the ISIS Caliphate and Exiting Syria – Unlike his predecessor, who haughtily dismissed and ignored the ISIS threat as terrorists’ “JV team,” President Trump smartly dispatched limited U.S. troops to help our partners erase the territorial caliphate that had inflicted unspeakable human rights abuses. Just as importantly, Trump also announced the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, placing the primary burden for ongoing stability upon regional powers Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This president will not repeat the disastrous nation-building mistakes of Presidents Bush and Obama.Increasing Minority Jobs – If Trump is actually racist, as biased mainstream media “journalists” often claim, he’s remarkably bad at it, because people of color have thrived under the pro-growth policies of the Trump Boom. Black joblessness in 2018 reached the lowest levels ever recorded. For Hispanics, in history there have been a total of 14 months with a jobless rate under 5 percent -- and 13 of those months have unfolded under the leadership of President Trump. Small business dynamism is particularly crucial for minority advancement, and small business surveys report optimism among entrepreneurs at record highs in 2018.Holding the Line with Migrant Caravans – In the face of continual demagoguery from liberal politicians and their allies in the legacy media, President Trump took a tough and principled stance against would-be trespassers. Lawless caravans assault our sovereignty and abuse our generous asylum statutes. Such provocations validate the need for a border wall along with reforms to immigration laws.Record American Oil Production – In 2018, the U.S. surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of crude oil. Through aggressive regulatory relief and pro-energy moves like green-lighting the Keystone XL pipeline, President Trump paved the way for an independent energy future.And thank you for your interest in Real News.

We’ve all received an email we immediately deleted, marked as spam, or ignored altogether. If this is happening to your emails, you need to understand why. Maybe you aren’t effectively grabbing your audience’s attention. Or perhaps your subject lines don’t reach out and say “Open me!” or your calls to action don’t scream “Click me!”As long as you aren’t heartlessly spamming your subscriber lists, email marketing is an incredibly powerful tool for getting messages directly to your clients and prospects. It strengthens client relationships and keeps reminding your prospects to reach out to you. So, let’s discuss how you can improve your email marketing efforts.First, let’s review the types of emails you might send:Marketing emailsThese are usually informational or promotional messages sent to people who asked you to keep them updated, such as prospects, clients, reporters, vendors, affiliates, etc. Marketing emails encompass a variety of content, but most are used to send newsletters, sales promotions, announcements, press releases, follow-ups, and surveys.Transactional emailsThis type of email is usually automated and triggered by your customers’ activities. Examples of transactional emails include welcome messages, order tracking, received payments, registration confirmations, etc.Don’t underestimate the potential of these messages. If you’ve sent a customer a transactional email, they’ve completed at least one action that indicates they’re very likely to engage with you again. These are trusted emails, which means they have higher open rates and provide plenty of opportunities for engagement and cross-selling.Operational emailsThese are emails with important information about your business, such as holiday closures, maintenance plans, or changes to your service availability. It’s tempting to skip an operational email if you think it won’t impact your sales, but it’s important to be consistent for the sake of trust, engagement, and thoroughness.Again, there’s also hidden value in these messages. Although they may seem strictly informative, they can be crafted to improve your sales and your image. For example, if your service will be down for maintenance, describing what kind of updates you’ll be performing is a great way to remind your clients of the value you provide.Whatever emails you're sending, it’s critical that you consider what you’re trying to accomplish and structure your message and strategy accordingly. Here a few tips that guarantee success:Try Sendinblue - All in One Marketing Platform for Free (No Credit Card Required)1. Build your subscriber listEven if you’ve already got a long list of emails for clients and prospects, you should never stop adding to it. Especially since it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds. For example, make sure your list is always growing passively with a signup feature on your website. Subscription forms should be on your home page, blog page and everywhere else you can fit it without taking away from more important content.Digital Fire does a great job of collecting email subscribers on their home page, which includes a sign-up box that hovers over the page and follows users as they scroll. It’s impossible to miss (without being annoying) and plainly explains the value of subscribing to their email list.You can also build your list through more traditional means. If you have a booth at an industry conference, provide an option for people to sign up for your newsletter. Even if you don’t end up closing at sale directly at the conference, getting someone to sign up for your email list can turn into a business opportunity down the road.2. Encourage readers to replyUnlike direct mail, email marketing opens the door for meaningful conversations with real people interested in your business. Just throwing information to leads and clients is a waste of time, so make sure you always focus on these three variables:Irresistible subject lines – Speak to readers directly and promise them something that stands out from the other emails in their inbox. The best way to go about this is with automated solutions that personalize your emails.An entertaining and distinctive voice – Just because readers open your email doesn’t mean they aren’t queued up to quickly delete it. Always make sure your message sounds like it came from a real person who cares, not some faceless marketing machine.Targeted content – Segmenting your email lists by reader demographics makes it easier to create a message that really resonates with your readers' needs and interests, which makes them more likely to take up an offer, engage with you, or even to pass it onto other prospective clients.The focus of these points is to encourage recipients to respond. Sometimes that means they click on a link in your message, but whenever possible, encourage them to actually respond to your emails. That's a surefire way to show you’re interested and responsive to what your subscribers have to say.3. Make it personalWhenever possible, add a personal element to your emails. Most email tools allow you to enter shortcodes that will be replaced with the recipient’s name when the email is sent out. Emails from Treehouse Co-Founder Ryan are always fun and personal. The subject lines are creative, messages are sent "from" Ryan's email address, and the content is personalized. If you reply to the mail, you'll even get a prompt response from Ryan himself!On top of this, you can segment your messages to particular portions of your audience. If you have a business that works with multiple industries, consider sending out different versions of your email with each one providing information specific to each industry.4. Keep your emails out of spam foldersIf your carefully constructed emails are flagged as spam, they’ll never see the light of day. Start off by making sure your recipients have opted into your emails so you aren't running afoul of any regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act.Beyond that, avoid using all caps, too many exclamation marks, and hyperbolic phrases ("ACT NOW BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT!!!!"). Poorly formatted HTML in your emails can also hurt how they’re handled. Every spam filter is different, so an email might pass through one filter but get flagged by another.5. Make sure your emails look clean and crispThis sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people send emails that look like amateur websites from the ’90s. If someone has opened your mail because of an engaging heading, you want to keep their interest. This means:Using short paragraphs and ensuring that keywords and phrases relevant to your readers stand out.Including bullet points to help people skim the content and take in the vital points.Inserting pictures sparingly. Images should illustrate your message rather than replace your content. Some email providers block images or consider them an indicator of spam.Here’s an example of what an email newsletter template might look like.6. Include interesting links and calls to actionThe aim of most email marketing campaigns is to increase traffic to a site, sometimes a specific landing page. No clicks means no customers -- it really is that simple. Always try to include visually striking buttons with text that give readers more than one opportunity to interact (e.g., Find out more! Download Now! etc.).Check out this example from one of Airbnb's event promotion email:In general, calls to action should be written as just that -- actions. The more exciting the action you describe, the more enticing it will be to your audience.7. Make it easy to unsubscribeIt may seem as though you are cutting off the "conversation" by giving clients the chance to opt out, but if a user wants to remove their name from your lists and can’t do so easily, they’ll flag emails as spam, which will cause you problems in the future.8. Make emails mobile-friendlyWhat’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Many people reach for their phone. In fact, 66% of email opens occur on smartphones or tablets. If your emails aren’t optimized for viewing on these devices, you’re potentially missing out on a huge number of clicks.9. Test, test, testNever send anything without making sure it’s working properly. Double-check that your messages look the way you want them to be by sending them to employee accounts. Ideally, you will view them on Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo, and on a variety of mobile devices before finalizing your drafts.For more robust testing, check out Litmus, a tool that tests and provides screenshots of your email in dozens of different email tools.Ensure that all your links work, and any personalization shortcodes aren’t failing. Sending mass emails without double-checking the content would be like turning up to a business meeting having chosen your outfit in the dark. If it goes wrong, you’ll look foolish and unprofessional.10. More testing!Beyond testing content on different platforms, you should also experiment with different subject lines, calls to action, and body text to see what is most engaging to your audience.Some email tools have built-in A/B testing modules that allow you to compare the results of different versions of your emails, but even if you don’t have access to these, you can run tests on your own. Try sending your emails on different days of the week or different times of the day to see when you get the best response rate.11. Track your dataSome results may have nothing to do with platforms and content. Keep a close eye on your data, like how many email addresses were undeliverable or what time of the day people opened your message. These tiny details will tell you a lot about your email’s performance.If you’re using Google Analytics on your website, tagging your emails with custom campaign tracking can show you how they are driving traffic to your landing pages and how those visitors behave once they arrive on your site. Equipped with this powerful information, you can now really tailor your marketing message to people who will use it.12. Don’t overwhelm your subscribersArmed with all these tips, you might be eager to start sending out as many emails as you can. But beware of how often you send messages to your list. You don’t want to flood their inbox with marketing messages about everything you offer -- they might get annoyed and unsubscribe.13. Above all else, provide valueGreat email marketing ultimately comes down to giving your audience something that sticks with them - something that keeps your business on their mind, whether that’s educational information about your industry, operational messages about your service, or marketing messages about the products you offer.Otherwise, that message is just going to end up in the trash.This is just the beginningLike most marketing efforts, becoming successful with email marketing is a process. It’s a combination of good planning and analyzing data to make improvements to your campaigns, but the only way to learn and improve is to get out there and start emailing!hop this helps.thanks for reading!