a creative approach to email marketing

Thinking creatively about email

Mike Teasdale

mike@harvestdigital.com

@miketeasdale

Joined up digital thinking…

But paid search is getting more expensive

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Wireless email users

Worldwide IM users

Worldwide email users

131 261434

603

816

1008

12421411

15811739

2191

2375

2555

2741

2916

While email is still growing fast

Source: radicati.com, Email Statistics Report, 2009-2013

20092010

20112012

2013

IT’S TIME WE TOOK EMAIL MORE SERIOUSLY

AND RECOGNISED HOW HARD IT IS TO GET IT RIGHT

HERE’S THE MAIN REASON IT’S HARD…

Do we even know what spam is?

Marketing Sherpa, November 2007

Spam is whatever your customers think it is.

Consumer research – known versus unknown sender

Spam = boring stuff

Perhaps we need to learn email etiquette?

RULE ONE:MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

Subject line

From field Auto-preview screen

Email’s golden triangle

Subject lines

Subject line tests - uplift in CTR

Astropop: space is yours (100) Play Astropop for EUR19.95 (122)

Discover the perfect taste (100) Don’t forget to buy a present for yourself (105) Win a case of your favourite tipple (146)

All the reader wants to know is…

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

You can put Free in a subject line!

From field – well worth testing

Testing uplift in CTR

From: PriceMinister (100) From: Alexandra at Priceminister (135)

From: Wanadoo (100) From: Caroline at Wanadoo (188)

RULE TWO:MAKE IT PERSONAL

Relevance comes from…

Triggers, like registrations

Understanding the customer’s life cycle

Personalisation

Following behavioural cues, like web browsing

I Choose

I Need

I Become Aware

I Buy

I Use

I Enjoy

I Want

Sony Welcome programme

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Survey information said:

Within the 1st 30 days of ownership Digital Still Camera users want added memory, camera accessories, batteries, shooting kits, advice etc.

Within the 2nd 30 days of ownership Digital Still Camera users are more likely to be interested in PRINTING their photos

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Messages or Programmes?

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Welcome programme

• Thank you• How was it for you?• How’s the new camera?• Want some help?• Need some memory?• How about printing?

Welcome Message

• Thank you

Untargeted broadcast emails

User-triggered campaigns Lifecycle messaging campaigns

Clickstream based campaigns

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

20.0%

27.0%26.0%

33.0%

9.5% 9.3% 9.3%

14.0%

1.1%2.3% 2.3%

3.9%

Open rate Avg. CTR Avg. conversion rate

It pays to be relevant

Source: David Daniels, Jupiter Research

And personalisation also improves CTRs

RULE THREE:ASK QUESTIONS(IT’S A CONVERSATION!)

contents Personalised intro

Switch statement delivers a relevant message to each

group

Lead story #2

Cross-sell

Member get member

User generated content

unsubscribe

masthead

Switch statements make relevance easy to achieve

Segment one: Customers –Here’s stuff about your local restaurant

Segment two: Prospects – Here’s a generic offer

£4m revenue in 2006

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RULE FOUR:BEING PERSUASIVE DOESN’T MEAN BEING ‘SALESY’

‘The psychology of persuasion’, Robert Cialdini

Six principles of persuasion

Consensus

Authority

Commitment / consistency

Scarcity

Likeability

Reciprocation

What’s the value of a mint?

One mint with bill: tip rises 3.3%

Two mints with bill: tip rises 14%

One mint + personal mint: tip rises 23%

No mints = control

RULE FOUR:LEARN WHEN TO SHUT UP

(Thanks to Catherine Toole from Sticky Content for this)

RULE FIVE:KEEP IT SIMPLE

Assemble the creative assets

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Craft the copy

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“We literally made the decision to go to sale on the Thursday morning,

and by Friday lunchtime, it looked like we were on for the biggest single day

in Howies history!”

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www.nonlineblogging.com

RULE SIX:KEEP IT EVEN SIMPLER

Who likes this book?

RULE SEVEN:KEEP IT SHORT AND SCANNABLE

Don't Make Me Think!: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability 

Steve Krug, 2006 

Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what's left.

Body copy style – usability research

− “How people read on the web” - classic usability testing by Jakob Nielsen

− Same site written 4 different ways

− Each site then tested against basic usability principles

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How people read on the web

Results of usability research for Sun.com

Site Version Sample Paragraph Usability Improvement (relative to control condition)

Promotional writing (control condition) using the “marketese” found on many commercial website

Nebraska is filled with internationally recognised attractions that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 1996 some of the most popular places to visit were Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166), Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Museum (100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,466)

0%

Source: Neilsen/Morkes| 57

Get rid of half the words...

Site Version Sample Paragraph Usability Improvement (relative to control

condition)

Concise text with about half the word count as the control condition

In 1996, six of the best attended attractions in Nebraska were Fort Robinson State Park, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Museum, Carhenge, Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park

58%

Source: Neilsen/Morkes| 58

Scanability?

Site Version Sample Paragraph Usability Improvement (relative to control

condition)

Scannable layout using the same text as the control condition in a layout that facilitated scanning

Nebraska is filled with internationally recognised attractions that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In 1996 some of the most popular places to visit were:• Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors)• Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166)• Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Museum (100,000)• Carhenge (86,598)• Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002)• Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,466)

47%

Source: Neilsen/Morkes| 59

Don’t boast

Site Version Sample Paragraph Usability Improvement (relative to control

condition)

Objective language using neutral rather than subjective, boastful, or exaggerated language (otherwise the same as the control condition)

Nebraska has several attractions. In 1996, some of the most visited places were Fort Robinson State Park, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Museum, Carhenge, Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park

27%

Source: Neilsen/Morkes| 60

Best Combination

Site Version Sample Paragraph Usability Improvement (relative to control

condition)

Combined version using all three improvements in writing style together: concise, scannable and objective

In 1996, six of the most visited places in Nebraska were:• Fort Robinson State Park (355,000 visitors)• Scotts Bluff National Monument (132,166)• Arbor Lodge State Historical Park and Museum (100,000)• Carhenge (86,598)• Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer (60,002),• Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park (28,466)

124%

Source: Neilsen/Morkes| 61

In summary

Source: Neilsen/Morkes

Site Version Usability Improvement (relative to control condition)

Promotional writing (control condition) using the “marketese” found on many commercial websites

0%

Concise text with about half the word count as the control condition

58%

Scannable layout using the same text as the control condition in a layout that facilitated scanning

47%

Objective language using neutral rather than subjective, boastful, or exaggerated language (otherwise the same as the control condition)

27%

Combined version using all three improvements in writing style together: concise, scannable and objective

124%

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Eye tracking on emails

1. Heading and subhead copy critical• First 2-3 words most important• Make hyperlinked

2. Large fonts work well

3. Images often missed• Use text link calls-to-action

4. Readers scan down the left of an Email

5. First part of para important• F shape eyetrack

6. Email intros skipped • Use to personalise and engage

e.g. with hyperlinks

RULE EIGHT:DON’T MUMBLE

Auto-preview issues

Images switched off

Images on

Images off

RULE NINE:WATCH OUT FOR THE FOLD

Working around window sizes

http://browsersize.googlelabs.com/

http://browsersize.googlelabs.com/

Is this link below the fold?

Yes – for >60% of internet users

Designing for the fold

RULE TEN:THINK COMMUNITY, NOT CUSTOMERS

Icanhascheezeburger.com

The lolcats customer engagement funnel

Rate photo

Share/steal photo

Comment on photo

Submit photo

Re-caption photo

RULE ELEVEN:EVERYTHING IS STARTING TO JOIN UP

Email and social media are making friends

http://rapportive.com/ - plugin to Gmail via Firefox / Chrome

RULE ELEVEN:CONTENT IS STILL KING

Be interesting!

Just a stock cube?

- Recipes- Tips and tricks- Video demonstrations- Competitions

Thank you.

Mike Teasdale

mike@harvestdigital.com

@miketeasdale