How to Design the Most Engaging and

Persuasive Emails

Loren McDonaldVP, Industry Relations@LorenMcDonald @Silverpop

Agenda

State of Email Marketing

Email Evolution

DesignContent

Automation

Q &A

The State of Email Marketing

#3

If they were countries…

#1

Email is the #1 way consumers want to be communicated to by

businesses.

Microsoft/Hotmail

Email Marketing ROI Still Tops

$ returned for every dollar spent

Commercial email: $43.62

Paid Search: $21.85

Non-catalog direct mail: $15.22

Catalogs: $7.32

Source: DMA Power of Direct economic-impact study, 2009

But, there are challenges

Free Shipping, 20% Off – “So What”

26th Anniversary…and I get This?

And 4 years as a subscriber

Too Much and Too Little

51% are mailing 5+/month

24% are mailing 11+/month

22% send NOemails

Silverpop Study of Internet Retailer 500 - 2009

Email is Competing for Mindshare

Inbox Snapshot – Nearly Half Are Alerts/Notifications

Email Access Via Multiple Devices

16

Chart: The Radicati Group, “Wireless Email Market, 2009 – 2013,” October 12, 2009, www.radicati.com.

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

139 234 392659

1,107

Mobile Phone Email Users (millions)“The day when more people

read and respond to email via their handhelds than any

other platform is approaching, underscoring how critical it is to build email campaigns

that are optimized for mobile devices.”

- Mobile Marketer, October 13, 2009

Mobile Internet adoption is outpacing desktop adoption

by 8X- Morgan Stanley, Web 2.0 Summit,

October 20, 2009

The Mobile Explosion

25% to 80% of your email subscribers

are inactive

One third

And Customers Have the Last Word

So what’s it all mean?

Marketers Must Deliver the

Right Message

at the

Right Time

Evolution of Email Marketing

3 Approaches to Email Marketing

The Knowledge Funnel

Chance

Experiment

Automate

The Design of Business, Roger Martin

3 Stages of Email

1 to Many

1 to Segments

1 to 1

Pray and Spray

Test & Target

Behavior/Triggered

Relevant Emails Rock!

Note: Metrics and salary costs based on JupiterResearch executive survey. Broadcast assumes $3 CPM, and all others assume $4.5 CPM. All assume $89 AOV, 50 percent product margin, and 2.8 million pieces of mail per month.

Relevant – Based on Purchase Data

Pinball, Earrings, Shredder…

Data Is the Foundation of Email Relevance

Relevance

Explicit Data

Implicit DataContent/

Offers

Frequency/Timing

NUDGE

NURTURE

ENGAGE

Key Roles of Email

Engagement – Design for Function

It Depends

Test It

Don’t make customers jump through hoops

Mobile Friendly – Header CTA

Help me Buy

- Use Bullets- Better

images- Cost?- Not clear

sidebar is coffee

- How do I get to $40?

- Deadline is hidden

• Select flights right from the

email

• Oakland is my preferred

departure airport

• “Book a flight” links

• Search link

• “Today, March 27”

• No minimum

• 4-7 Day Delivery

• More details below

Clean & Simple

Use Visual Cues

+ 23 %

+ 58%

39

Colors matter

+ 23 %

Product images work

+ 58 %

Multivariate test

Tell them what they will get

Visit our website

Click here to see the online demo

+ 72 %

+ 230 %

+ 44 %

42

Be descriptive

+ 72 %

+ 301 %

35% OFFEnter the Sale Now!

View the exclusive collection for sale now

Click and save online

43

Engagement - Content

not dead, but…

…content that educates and

solves problems is becoming more powerful..

Old Rule:Sell the sizzle, not the

steak.

New Rule:Educate with grilling tips, recipes and wine pairing.

Content that is Engaging is…

Can we talk?

• More than ever, we want to connect with brands via real people– Think Twitter

• We want a personal note, not a direct marketing promotion

Surprise & Delight

Sell by Educating

Inform first, sell second

The From LineIs the New

Subject Line

Creative subject lines that motivate people to take the action they (and you) want,

not just open the email

What’s a Good Subject Line?

I’m Too Sexy for My Subject Line

“We've got you covered - ash guaranteed holidays from £142

Duuuuude

Can You Say Mimes in Portland?

Let your customers do the talking

Leverage Reviews

Recommendations

“Doughboy” + Valentine = Shareworthy

Automate with Triggered Emails

“Set it and forget it”

Right Message, Right Time

Triggered Emails:

3-5% of email volume45% of profits

Orbitz

Low Volume, High ROI

59.8 %Batch Campaigns

40.2%TriggeredCampaigns

95.9 %Batch Campaigns

4.1%TriggeredCampaigns

Sales GeneratedVolume of Emails sent

Automated Email Program

Triggers based primarily on consumer behavior

Within two months of opt-in, the open rate typically

falls 20% to 25%.

Source: MarketingSherpa

Welcome emails may be the most important email

you will ever send.

Welcome to the Tafford Community

Three Reasons You Will Love Tafford + A Special

Offer

Personalize Your Tafford Experience

2009 Welcome Series Indexed Results…

Welcome #1 Performs 6X Better!

Samples of RemarketingCategory Views /

Abandonment

Product Views

Cart Abandonmen

t

Purchase History

Product Purchased

Following up with abandoners by email

yields

up to 50% conversion.

Cart Abandonment

A Special Offer To

Return To Tafford

Did You Forget

Something?

2009 Abandoned Cart Indexed Results…

25% conversion on cart abandoners.

Cart program accounts for almost 1/3 of TOTAL yearly email sales

Abandon Cart Emails

Key Takeaways

Design for function

Engage with personality / value-add content

Design automated programs for known behaviors

Questions / Thank You!

Loren McDonaldlmcdonald@silverpop.com @LorenMcDonald

www.silverpop.com@silverpop

From 4 Pages … … to 140 characters…

Attention Deficit Disorder

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