The Insider Secrets to The Most Effective Form of Online Communication By Ryan P. Allis, CEO of...

The Insider Secrets to The Most Effective Form of Online CommunicationBy Ryan P. Allis, CEO of iContact

April 12, 2008HYATT REGENCY ORANGE COUNTY

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsSo, What’s The Most Effective Form of Online Communication?

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsThe Most Effective Form of Online Communication is…

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsEMAIL

Everybody uses it

It’s ubiquitous

It’s asynchronous

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsBut email gets a bad rap…

SPAM BUY NOW!!!CIALIS

WIRE FRAUD

NO MORE FREEDOM

CRACKBERRY ADDICTS

NO MORE TIME

I’M LONELY TONIGHT

LESSON: Thoughts become things

Used Because It’s Effective,

Since 1965

EMAILEMAIL


LET’S GIVE IT SOME LOVE

EMAIL

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsSo, email is the most effective form of online communication.

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsBut, what is the most effective form of online marketing???


HINT:EMAIL + MARKETING =

EMAIL MARKETING


When email is one-to-one it’s just email.

When email is one-to-many, it’s email marketing.

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsToday, I have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal

Mr. Gorilla, the Email Marketer

My BHAG is…

To create over 300 new Certified Expert Email

Marketers (CEEMs)

THE TWO TYPES OF EMAIL MARKETING

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsThere are two types of email marketing…

SPAM

GRRR!


OPT-IN

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsWhat’s the best way to turn your prospects into customers?

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsAND what’s the best way to turn those customers into lifetime evangelizers?


OPT-IN EMAIL MARKETING

THE AXIOM OF VALUE

THE 3 TYPES OF OPT-IN

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsOpt-in can only occur if there ispermission

THE KEY TO PERMISSION

There are different types of opt-in

THE KEY TO PERMISSION

1. Single Opt-In2. Notified Opt-in3. Confirmed Opt-in

THE 3 SACRED RULES OF PERMISSION

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsEven if there is permission, a message can still be spam


You must be clear about:

1. WHAT YOU’LL BE SENDING2. HOW OFTEN3. FROM WHOM

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsDisclose at the point of sign-up the content, frequency, and the sender


The 3 Sacred Rules…

LESSON: Thoughts become things1. Don’t send something different that what you said you would

LESSON: Thoughts become things2. Don’t send something more or less frequently than you said you would

LESSON: Thoughts become things3. Don’t let other people/brands send anything to your list (unless disclosed)

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsViolate any of these three sacred rules…

THE VALUE OF OPT-IN EMAIL MARKETING


So, opt-in email marketing is communicating to existing customers, members, and prospects


Opt-in email marketing pays back $15.50 in return for every $1 spent

Source: Winterberry Group, May 2006


What can opt-in email marketing do for your business?


Email Marketing…

• Drives repeat sales, referrals and customer lifetime value

• Increases prospect conversion, keeps your company at

top of mind

• Is easy to use and at a low cost, with measurable results

• Has the highest ROI on any online tool, $15.50 in return

for every dollar spent


Email marketing (done right) will greatly increase your:

1.Prospect-to-customer conversion2.Repeat visits3.Repeat orders4.Customer lifetime value

THE 8 USES OF OPT-IN EMAIL MARKETING


How can you use email marketing in your organization?


You can send:

1.Monthly newsletters2.Automatic e-courses3.Sale promotions4.Weekly coupons5.Customer surveys6.Group member updates7.Donor fundraisers8.Paid insider-only content

THE 5 STEPS TO GETTING STARTED QUICKLY


1. Determine if you want to manage your email list manually or automatically


2. Upload your existing list


3. Put a sign-up form on your home page (and all pages) with clear disclosure and value statement


4. Select your template and insert your content


5. Send on the schedule you set and track your results

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Key Features to Look ForKey Features to Look for in an Email Marketing Product

GETTING GREAT INBOX DELIVERABILITY

Getting Inbox Delivery1. Make sure your Email Service Provider is whitelisted with AOL,

Yahoo, Gmail, and Hotmail2. Make sure your ESP isn’t currently on any blacklists3. Make sure your ESP has feedback looks set up4. Ask your subscribers to add your email address to their

address book5. Use SpamCheck to ensure your message doesn’t have any

trigger words or trigger elements6. Don’t use trigger words in your subject lines7. Use consistent from names8. Use the same from address every time

Getting Inbox Delivery

Getting Inbox DeliveryWords to Avoid

Getting Inbox DeliveryElements to Avoid

1. Avoid CSS2. Avoid Javascript3. Avoid Forms4. Avoid using ALL CAPS5. Avoid using just an image with no

text

6. Avoid Big Red Lettering

Getting Inbox DeliveryThe Keys to CAN-SPAM

20 WAYS TO BUILD YOUR LIST


Build your list through:1.Trade Shows2.Seminars conferences3.Point-of-sale forms4.Squeeze pages and lightboxes5.Events6.Free report response ads7.Your email signature8.Co-registration


Create an effective sign-up form by:1.Positioning it above the fold2.Having an overwhelming value proposition3.Offering an opt-in incentive4.Collecting whatever data you will want to segment by5.Minimizing fields for maximizing sign-ups

PERSONALIZE YOUR MESSAGES


Without Personalization…


With Personalization…

Standard FieldsThe standard mail-merge fields are usually along the lines of:

Prefix - [prefix]First Name - [fname]Last Name - [lname]Suffix - [suffix]Business Name - [business]Email - [email]Phone - [phone]Fax - [fax]Address 1 - [address1]Address 2 - [address2]City - [city]State - [state]Zip - [zip]List Name - [listname]

WRITE GOOD SUBJECT LINES


Write Compelling Subject Lines…1.Answer what’s it in for them2.Open with a benefit or curiosity3.Create a sense of urgency4.Personalize it5.Keep it under 35 characters


BAD

ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHRONICLE FOR AUGUST 2008

GOOD

[fname]’s Entrepreneurship Chronicle


BAD

Want to get out of the city this weekend?

GOOD

[fname], want to get out of [city] this weekend?


A good open rate is 20%

A great open rate is anything above 30%


A good CTR is 2%

A great CTR is anything above 4%

9 TIPS TO WRITE GREAT NEWSLETTERS


Write Compelling Newsletters…

1.Provide quality content and make the value to the reader clear2.Build a long term relationship and use a consistent voice3.Describe compelling benefits for your offering.4.Use credibility indicators5.Don’t use long copy, or sell directly in the email6.Use lots of links, drive traffic to the site7.Use the calendar to send date-relevant promotions8.Create urgency with limited time offers9.Have a clear call to action at the end

USE LIST SEGMENTATION

1. Target specific demographics2. Provide a discount to active customers3. Send separate messages to customers

who open or click more4. Create sub-groups based on survey

response data

You can use list segmentation to:

TRACK & OPTIMIZE YOUR RESULTS


You can use an ESP to track1.Opens2.Clicks3.Forwards4.Bounces5.Complaints6.Unsubscribes


Split test different subject lines, content, and days with subsets of your list


Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays mornings and early afternoons are generally best times to send emails

CREATE AN AUTORESPONDERECOURSE

MY TOP 8 EMAIL MARKETING TIPS

Top 8 Email Marketing Tips

1. Start Email Marketing Today :Email marketing is the most cost effective means of

reaching prospects, constituents, and customers.

2. Put a Sign-Up Form On Your Site: A big mistake of web site owners is sending out

an email newsletter but not putting a sign-up form on your web site.

3. Be Clear About What You Will Send and How Often: The biggest cause of spam

complaints is recipients not receiving what they expected to receive when they

opted-in. Send valuable content on a set schedule and be clear in your opt-in form.

4. Send During the Best Times: The best times to send an email to consumer

addresses are: Tuesday through Thursday 6pm to 8pm and Sunday 7pm to 9pm.

The best times to send an email to business addresses are: Tuesday through

Thursday 9am to 11am, 1pm to 3pm.

5. Maximize Deliverability: Add a message at the top of your emails that says "To ensure

receipt of our emails, please add [email protected] to your Address Book."

Make sure to use the SpamCheck feature.

6. Have a Consistent From Name: Use either your company name or the name of a person at

your company. Once you choose a From Name, keep it consistent.

7. Send HTML & Text: Include both a plain text and an HTML version of your newsletter. If you

don’t include a plain text message, around 5% of your recipients will see a message with

nothing in it.

8. Build Your List At Every Opportunity: If you have a retail location, add a point-of-sale sign

up form. At conferences or events, ask everyone you speak with if you may add them to

your list after you exchange business cards. Add your newsletter sign-up form to every

page on your web site.

Top 8 Email Marketing Tips Continued

THE ROLE OF EMAIL IN THE 3 TYPES OF MARKETING

Three Types of Marketing

There are three types of marketing:

• Acquisition marketing

• Conversion marketing

• Retention Marketing

1. Acquisition Marketing

Acquisition marketing acquires prospects via:

A. Display Advertising (Cost Per Impression)

B. Cost Per Click Advertising

C. Organic Search Optimization

D. Co-registration Deals

E. Affiliate/CPA Marketing

F. Social Media Marketing

A. Display AdvertisingAd Servers

• DoubleClick (Google), Atlas (Microsoft), Zedo, or Open Adstream• MediaVisor, RFPs, IOs

Ad Networks• Tribal Fusion• Advertising.com• Tacoda• AdBrite• 24/7 Real Media• aQuantive• Blue Lithium• Casale Media• Revenue Science• DrivePM• Value Click

B. Cost Per Click Advertising

Major Networks (90%)

• Google Adwords (65%)

• Yahoo Panama (17%)

• Microsoft AdCenter (8%)

All Other Networks (10%)• Kanoodle• Miva• Findwhat• 7Search• Zango

Acquisition Marketing

C. Organic Search Optimization

Basic Steps to Rank Well for Competitive Search Terms:

1. Determine Keyphrase: Determine which target keyphrase you want

to rank for.

2. Increase Keyphrase Frequency: Place keyphrase on your home

page 5-10 times, in image alt tags, in title tag, in H1 tag, in anchor

text.

3. Add Thematic Content: Add 20-30 articles to your web site about

topics related to your keyphrase.

4. Build Reputation: Get at least 20-30 other web sites and blogs to

link to your content. Number needed determined by authority of

sites (PR) and competitiveness of target keyphrase.

D. Co-Registration Deals

Co-Registration networks

• Opt-intelligence

• Q Interactive

• Lead Point

• CoregMedia

E. Affiliate/CPA MarketingAffiliate Networks/Programs

• CommissionJunction• LinkShare• Share A Sale• 1 ShoppingCart• MyAffiliateProgram

CPA Offer Networks (Primarily for Consumer Offers)• Primary Ads• AzoogleLeads• CPA Empire• HydraNetwork• ClickBooth• Value Click Media

F. Social Media MarketingSocial Networks

• Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, Hi5, Orkut, Multiply, Ning Content Aggregators

• Digg, Reddit, Propeller, NewsvineContent Networks

• SquidooBlogging Tools

• Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress, MyBlogLog, TechnoratiSocial Search/Bookmarking Tools

• StumbleUpon, Mahalo, FreeIQ, Wikimedia, Del.icio.usVideo Tools

• YouTube, MetaCafe, Vimeo, Viddler

2. Conversion Marketing

3. Retention Marketing

Retention marketing turns a customer into a lifetime evangelizer via:

• Email Marketing

• Newsletters

• Autoresponders & Ecourses

• Existing Customer-Base Promotions

• Surveys

• Blogs/RSS

The Cardinal Sin of Web Marketers

We focus WAY too much time

and money on acquiring new

customers and not nearly

enough on converting existing

prospects and getting our

existing customers to buy

more.

Three Methods of Increasing Revenue

There are only three ways to increase company revenue

1. Acquire more prospects (ACQUISITION MARKETING)

2. Increase conversion rate of prospects (CONVERSION MARKETING)

3. Increase re-orders from existing customers (RETENTION MARKETING)

We often focus almost all of our time and money on Method 1 and so little on Methods 2 and 3.

Two Key Questions

Key Questions to Ask Yourself

1. How much money do you spend on prospect acquisition? (Advertising and Sales Costs)

2. How much money do you spend on increasing conversions and LTV?(Landing Page Optimization, Email Newsletters, Email Promotions, Blogging)

The Three Types of MarketingAcquisition Marketing• Display Advertising• Cost Per Click Advertising• Organic Search Optimization• Co-registration Deals• Affiliate/CPA Marketing• Social Media Marketing

Retention Marketing• Email Marketing Newsletters• Autoresponders & Ecourses• Customer-Base Promotions & Sales• Surveys• Blogs/RSS

Conversion Marketing• Email Marketing Newsletters• Autoresponders & Ecourses• Prospect-Base Promotions & Sales• CPM Re-targeting• Landing Page Optimization

• Email Marketing• Autoresponders• Surveys• Blogs/RSS

Bringing It All Together

Introduction to iContact

• Over 22,000 customers and 180,000 users

• Currently send out 500 million emails per month

• 99.9% Verified Inbox Deliverability

• Web based, subscription solution

• Average customer pays $47 per month

• Based in North Carolina

• Founded in 2003, raised $5.8M to date

• 90 employees, scaling to 130 by end of 2008

• 2nd largest email marketing company

• Only company that provides email marketing, surveying, autoresponder, and blogs

Blogs, Autoresponders, & Surveys

iContact also allows small businesses to easily create surveys, autoresponders,

blogs, and RSS feeds

Easy to Create Blogs Automated Autoresponders Multi-question Surveys

iContact…“Last year, we did exhaustive

research to find an online email

service provider we could recommend

to our customers, and the service that

was the clear winner was iContact.”

– Derek Gehl

Internet Marketing Center

iContact…

For a free 15 day trial of iContact visit:

www.icontact.com

iContact Advantages

• Only tool to include surveys, autoresponders RSS feeds, and blogging capabilities

• Better inbox deliverability (99.9% deliverability verified by Pivotal Veracity)• Lower cost (starts at $9.95 per month)

• Easy to use, over 300 templates and e-postcards

• Scalable to millions of emails/month

• No technical skill required

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsWhat’s the best way to turn your prospects into customers?

LESSON: Thoughts become thingsAND what’s the best way to turn those customers into lifetime evangelizers?


OPT-IN EMAIL MARKETING

You’re Now A CEEM

WOO HOO!

For More Information

Contact Info:

Ryan P. Allis, CEO

iContact Corp

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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