Friday is here once again, and with it a cool weekend ahead. Not the shades-and-swagger kind of cool, but the make-sure-you-wear-a-jacket-or-you’ll-catch-a-cold kind.

Whatever your plans for the weekend (heyo, Mother’s Day!), we’ve got a solid roundup of articles to help you end your week right. This week, Our Favorite Headlines run the gamut – from an outline of the direct mail basics you should know to an explanation of how to tell a story, all the way to a powerful breathing technique you can try right away.

Without further ado, here are a few articles we think you need to see:

 

 

Five things you should know about direct mail (before your next mailing)

 

The Takeaway: We’re a little biased in sharing this one, since it comes from our own Josh Olszewski. Josh is a client services representative here at Reach and compiled this post to answer the most common questions he hears from clients. After all, there is a lot that goes into mail – from your mailing list, to format, to making sure your pieces get delivered (without costing an arm and a leg).  Check it out!

 

 

How to Tell a Story

 

The Takeaway: At this point, there should be no doubt in your mind that storytelling is a critically important skill for communicators, especially marketers. And while this article refers to storytelling in a public speaking setting, the principles for telling a good story can translate through whatever format you choose.

 

 

4 common reasons why emails get ignored

 

The Takeaway: Are you noticing that your marketing emails aren’t converting? Or, even worse, that they aren’t even being opened? If so, it’s probably time for some email marketing diagnostics. This article is a great place to start, helping us understand some of most common reasons your prospect may be ignoring your emails. Perhaps your subject lines are confusing or don’t tell the recipient what to expect – or maybe it’s as simple as a trick you’re trying is landing them in the spam folder.

 

 

The Impact of Saying Thanks in Email Subject Lines

 

The Takeaway: Speaking of upping your email performance, here’s a little something to make you think. It turns out your mother was right when she said that good manners will help you go far in life. That is, saying “thank-you” in your email subject lines can help boost open and click rates. Maybe the next study should look at adding “please” in the email body… What do you think?

 

 

Resonant Breathing Can Calm You Down In a Matter of Minutes

 

The Takeaway: As you may have noticed, we are totally on board with stress-reducing hacks. This one may be the most powerful of all, with the power to reduce the symptoms of major depressive disorder in study participants. Plus, it’s darn simple; no extra space, weird lighting, or turmeric needed.