email marketing - how to stand out in a crowded inbox
TRANSCRIPT
EMAIL MARKETING – AN OVERVIEW What’s Your Why? Deliverability Why it matters The Deliverability Burger
Acquisition Growing Lists Online, Social, Physical, Mobile
Optimized Design Email Client Market Share Mobile design CTAs, Subject lines
Content Examples Welcome Sending Newsletters Sales / Retail Event-based
Measuring Results
Lisa Trifone | @LisaBeesa• Currently: Marketing & Publicity, Music
Box Films• Previously: Marketing Consultant,
ExactTarget• Clients: LiveNation, Scion, Driscoll’s
Berries
DELIVERABILITY ISPs (service provider) are keeping an eye on what you send, and to whom.
They know how much of it bounces, andhow many complaints it generates.
If you send unwanted mail, or send to bad lists…it will get blocked.
An undelivered email is business lost.
Me?
Email Marketing programs need a home. There are basic services & low-cost solutions – the white buns.
If you plan on a more robust program or high-volume sending, consider a service that’s more whole wheat or brioche.
Hamburger Bun
INFRASTRUCTURE
CheeseAn IP identifies a sender and builds trust in the inbox.
Once in place, it should stay where it is, keeping your email program together.
Try removing the cheese that’s melted onto the burger…
IP PERFORMANCE
TomatoesAn old, mushy tomato will ruin a burger!
Old, bad data is exactly the same. Gain permission – not everyone likes tomatoes – and keep lists healthy.
Scrap the old tomatoes!
LIST HYGIENE
SauceA high amount of spice (spam traps/spam words) won’t sit well with some people – spam filters are the same.
Thresholds and tolerance should be factored when creating your burger.
CONTENT
Pickles
There’s an optimal amount of on a hamburger -too many and it ruins the overall taste of the burger.
Likewise with Complaints, too many will lead to poor sender reputation.
COMPLAINTS
Meat
The meat of the burger – engagement with your program – is the single most important part.
Engagement is exactly the same, without it, deliverability suffers.
ENGAGEMENT
ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES
Sales Personnel
Transaction
Kiosk
In-Store
Text to Join
FB Custom Audiences
FB Social Pages
Twitter Lead-Gen Cards
Social
Cross-Channel Sweeps
Online
Partnerships / E-Comm Sites
Google Search
Simple Email Capture
PopoversSlide-up requests
Lightboxes
WEBSITE PLACEMENT• Make opt-in prominent,
compelling, and everywhere• Footer is OK, header is
better• Persistent on every page
• Eliminate friction in the opt-in process
• Provide an incentive to act• Briefly explain your why
POP-OVERS When done right, pop overs can be
extremely effective.
Key success factors:• Simple and easy forms• Compelling reasons to sign up• Smart interactive
coding/business rules
SOCIAL SIGN-UPFacebook email signup: • CTA on page• “Housekeeping” posts• Sponsored posts
Twitter email signup: • Test posts with and without images• Lead Gen cards• “Housekeeping” posts
HAVE LIST. WILL SEND. Design considerations Optimizing content through testing Subject Lines Email examples
CONSIDER THE AUDIENCE Design for your audience – for how they’ll experience your email and what you want them to do with it.
PERFORMANCE DRIVEN DESIGN
Guide the subscribers’ eyes through the email, and get the conversion with clickable link stylingPrimary call-to-
actionAdds prominence
withButton treatment
Secondary calls-to-action usingLinked text
Headlines using size and color
to create hierarchy
“Quick Bites” or summaries for
easy consumptionText wraps at
less than 400px wide for legibility
Social options
Preheader Teaser Text
Background coloroffsets content for legibility
MOBILE AWARE Plan the mobile experience without a specialized setup.
Highlights: single column hero, big images, text & buttons.
NAIL THE SUBJECT LINE• Pique curiosity. State the facts.
Don’t bury the lede. • Ideally a subject line would be
less than 50 characters, mobile truncates at 40 characters
• Vary subject lines to avoid fatigue• Use caps and symbols. Sparingly.• Consider your pre-header as an
extension of your subject line, especially for the mobile user Look at emails on
your phone for inspiration!
TESTS ARE YOUR FRIEND• Personalization • Short vs. Long• Symbol vs. No Symbol• Overt CTA vs. No CTA• Button Placement, Color, Language• Images / Video
WELCOME
Messaging Here's who I am, here's why you signed up, here's what you can expect from me, here's the ongoing value you'll receive from our relationship, and here's how to get more out of our interactions.
NEWSLETTERS Lots of information, organized and encapsulated.
Employs a hierarchy of content – determined by the sender.
MEASURING RESULTS• Remember the Why?
• Measure to THAT
• Comparison is the kiss of death.• Is your program meeting your goals?
• Plan the Review• Monthly, quarterly – put it on the calendar
• There is no “set it and forget it”• An email program takes ongoing maintenance