Email Marketing: 10 Tips to Success in 2012

Post on 13-Dec-2014

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Email ain't sexy. There's no up-coming email IPO for the press to write about. No genius, enigmatic CEO of email. Yet consider that over 90% of email users have opt-in relationships with a consumer brand, as opposed to 15% on Facebook. Email marketing works - and In fact is even better when combined with social media list building which is one of the topics we'll cover in this workshop. I'll also show you tips for avoiding spam filters, how to maximize your email for mobile, how to create viral emails, and how to test email subject lines.

Transcript of Email Marketing: 10 Tips to Success in 2012

Email Marketing:10 Tips to Success in 2012

1. Use an Email Service Provider2. Design3. Subject Lines4. Messaging5. Growing Lists6. Integrating Social Media7. Segmenting8. A/B Testing9. Mobile10.Measurement

Topics

1. Use an Email Service Provider

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An email service provider (ESP) offers email marketing or bulk email services

What is an Email Service Provider?

Why Send Direct Email?• Low cost• Measurable Results• Build and maintain customer relationships• Highly targeted

$1 Buy = $48 ROI

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Direct Marketing Association

Why use an Email Service Provider?

http://www.viperstrike.com

Email Service Providers (ESPs) have relationships with major Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

ESPs provide tools to create, manage, and measure your newsletter campaigns and contact lists.

Why Use an ESP?

2. Email Design

http://api.ning.com

Business-to-Consumer (CTR)• Mostly images = 7.1%• All text = 4.7%• Mostly text = 5.3%• Equal text/images = 6.3%

Business-to-Business (CTR)

• All text = 5.4%• Mostly text = 4.8%• Equal text/images = 3.5%

3. Subject Lines

roundroundworld http://media.photobucket.com

General Rules• Subject line should provide a clear indication

what’s inside the newsletter

• 50 characters or less

Examples of Good Subject Lines

• The following terms: “Help”, “Percent Off”, “Reminder”

• Repeating/Reminder subject lines

Things to Avoid

Examples of Poor Subject Lines

Effect of Repetitive Subject Lines

4. Messaging

Stranger Danger

Build a relationship, don’t assume it already exists

Use a Human ToneInclude user generated content in the form of• social media• reviews• testimonials

Avoid the “Buy Now” approach

5. List Growth

http://www.growingwell.co.uk

Growing your Contact ListYou’re an expert at something• Give your subscriber something of value in return. Write

about a helpful service or product that you are an expert at

and make it a PDF available upon newsletter subscription

(ie. 10-Step Guide to...).

Growing your Contact List

Advertise yourself Offline• through print advertising promote the value of your

newsletters and point the URL to your signup page.

http://www.yourdomain.com/newsletter-subscribe

Growing your Contact ListStrong Website Call-to-Actions• have prominent areas on your site that allow users to

either instantly provide their email address or link to a

newsletter signup page.

Opt-in in Contact

The Dreaded Pop-up

Buy Traffic not Lists

http://travel.webshots.com

Use Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

Use Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising to promote your offering and point it towards your newsletter signup page.

Judging Frequency

• Subscriber Feedback - ask “why” on unsubscribes

• Preference Center - on subscriptions ask people how much they would like to be contacted

• High Volume Number - be clear on the frequency

List Pruning

Subscriber Activity

Activity Scoring

6. Social Integration

Why Integrate Social Media?• Extend the reach of your emails

• Help identify key influencers

• Opportunity for List growth

Growing your Contact List

Extending Reach

original tweet of email campaign

retweet of email campaign

twitter profile of who (re)tweeted

Social Media Strategies• Include Social Icons in Emails• Ask Email Subscribers to Share and Connect• Provide Incentive• Promote Email Sign-up Via Social Networks• Include “Retweet This!” Snippet in Email• Build an Email Opt-In Form on Facebook• Don’t Forget SMS (text)• Promote Email Marketing on Your Blog

Providing Incentive

Include “Retweet This!”

SMS (text) Subscription

7. Segment

Dundee Golf ClubBell Bay Golf Club

Cape Breton Lifestyles

8. A/B Testing

options to focus onSubject Line

Delivery timeFrom who?

9. Mobile

Tips for Mobile Email

• Save it for Later - include a link in your newsletter for Instapaper

• Think about image size - don’t chew into people’s data plans

• Make CTA buttons big enough to touch correctly

• Use multi-column layout - people like to pinch/zoom

10. Measurement

Are the Numbers Telling the Truth?

Recipients who have images turned off in their email client will not count as an openUse “alt” tags on images to entice people to load images

Check the Clicks

Check Google Analytics

Check Google Analytics