annual scary episode on what's scaring us for 2016

It’s Sooooo Very Scary!Jenny Lassi, MarTech Manager

www.highroadsolution.com

Your Presenter:Jenny Lassi is a MarTech Consultant and MarTech Manager for HighRoad Solution and is the resident expert at email marketing deliverability best practices. @highroadjenny@jennylassi@zenworlds

#deliverability #emailchat #emailmarketing#emailforensics #emailengagement#authentication #emailpreferences#assnchat #abtest #emailstrategy


Today’s Content• Scary• Sort of Scary• Shouldn’t be Scary• Resources

“Email or do not email… there is no try.”-Yoda Puppy


What email zombies want to eat you all up?


• List Hygiene & Segmentation• Platform Authentication Configuration• Data Security• Email Reputation• Content Curation• Template Design & Rendering• Using Templates• Staff HTML Knowledge• Deliverability• Reporting Metrics• Behavioral Campaign Workflow


Did I lose you?


Do these email zombies make you want to close your eyes in fear or loathing and pretend they don’t exist?


List Hygiene & Segmentation• Scary: The average invalid rate at

point of collection is 6.7 percent.• Sort of Scary: Of invalid email

address lists analyzed, 50% were true invalids, 12% were role accounts, 29% were accept all accounts.

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Running your Invalid email addresses through an email validation tool


List Hygiene & Segmentation• If you haven’t used a list in a while

(>3mo) run it through an email validation tool before you send an email to it. It will pay for itself almost immediately.

• Segment your audience for best engagement/performance but at the very least, suppress non-engaged. Be restrictive in Q4 but also in Q3.


Feeling eMoody?Perhaps you suffer from EMS


Platform Authentication Configuration• Scary: In a representative sample of

associations 55.6% Use DKIM/SenderID and 44.6% DO NOT.

• Sort of Scary: ISP filters look at authentication first - Blacklists second

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Setting up all authentication methods.


Platform Authentication Configuration

• DKIM/SPF• DMARC



What about DMARC?


Platform Authentication ConfigurationCo-developed by Return Path and a consortium of mailbox providers and security vendors, the Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance — DMARC — specification aims to put an end to domain-based consumer email threats.

By leveraging existing email authentication technologies (SPF and DKIM), DMARC lets email senders work directly with mailbox providers to quarantine or reject any email that fails authentication.


Data Security• Scary: The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) defines a

data breach as an incident in which an individual name plus a Social Security number, driver’s license number, medical record or financial record (credit/debit cards included) is potentially put at risk because of exposure. 5,593 incidents since tracking began in 2005.

• Sort of Scary: The data inside your HighRoad account doesn’t contain this type of data, but other ESPs have been affected by a data breach which is why security has increased for all ESPs and will only become more restrictive in the future.

• Shouldn’t be Scary: 2-Factor Authentication – Many platforms that store data records have this option available to maximize security while giving end-user less login headaches.


Data Security• Sign of the times… Security will

continue to become more restrictive on any web-based platform that stores data.

• Use 2-Factor Authentication to bypass password resets if you travel or do not access the system from a consistent location.

• Do NOT share login credentials.


Logged into same account simultaneously from 172.26.541.14 and 172.28.541.18?

Go to Doggie Jail!


User Account Set-Up• When a new User Account is set up

for you or your password changed, you will get an email notification with that Temporary Password.

• DO NOT copy/paste password from that email notification

• Type in or first paste into Notepad


User Activity Log


I’m traveling and don’t see the full navigation bar…

ack!


Data Security• Authorized locations security protocol

tracks IP address of login attempt• Traveling? Beware of rotating IPs• Using HotSpot? Beware of rotating

IPs• Go to WhatIsMyIP.com to get IP

address• Call/Email HighRoad Support


Security is there for a reason.

It can cause headaches with logging in, but that is better than a breach.


Email Reputation• Scary: Worldwide, just 79% of commercial emails land in the

inbox. This means that one out of every five emails never reaches the intended recipient. Instead, it’s either sent to a spam folder or goes missing—most likely blocked by the mailbox provider.

• Sort of Scary: Engagement filters look at the ratio of active vs. inactive email accounts that receive promotional emails. In this case, engagement is defined as how frequently a user logs into their account, as well as how active they are when they log in. Mailing to a large number of addresses that appear to be nearing abandonment is a negative signal to mailbox providers and factors into their spam filtering algorithms.

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Creating a default exclusion list that suppresses non-opener/clickers beyond 180-days


Email Reputation• Know your Return Path Sender Score

and always try to improve it.• Segment versus Batch & Blast.• Clean lists quarterly.• Ask for permission, not forgiveness in

email or you WILL BE BLOCKED.


Content Curation• Scary: Curating content that contributes to a

complaint• Sort of Scary: Curating content that is not

relevant to recipient or not written to speak to the persona/demographic/segmentation of recipient

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Curating content that speaks to the persona directly or where they are in their journey with your organization


Content Curation• The role of email is to direct the

recipient somewhere to do something.

• Use teaser text and read more links. Don’t giveaway the kitchen sink in emails or the html file size may reach a threshold that nets you more bounces.

• Relevancy


Template Design & Rendering• Scary: Neglecting to first define what the

content requirements are BEFORE choosing an existing template or having one created to use in a campaign

• Sort of Scary: Using non-responsive standard templates

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Getting new responsive templates coded or making existing templates coded to be responsive


Template Design & Rendering• Know who you are designing for

(demographic, member status, age).• Know what email clients they are

using.• Always use Responsive HTML. • Know what performs best with your

audience.


Template Design & Rendering 2016Accordion Menus in Email -With native mobile app support, now more verbose emails can have an accordion menu for mobile so they don't get arthritis in their finger scrolling through all content to find what they want.

Scratch & Flip-Provides a cool way to allow email recipients to consume the email on their mobile device and using a scratch effect, they can scratch off offers/promotions.

Graphs-Interactive graphs increase engagement and this is a very cool option for lists that are primarily mobile as this doesn't work well for Outlook and Lotus users.

Rotating Banners-Don't be limited to 1 header graphic when there are so many ways you can visually grab the attention of email recipients. Again, native mobile apps work, Outlook probably doesn't.

Animated Gifs-The tried and true method of using gifs to imitate video in email. Outlook shows only 1 frame of gif but this is pretty universally supported at this point.


Template Design & Rendering 2016

www.highroadsolution.com32

Ugh… my responsive template isn’t being

responsive!!!


Template Design & Rendering• Proof the original HTML code to

ensure the tags are in the correct order

• Always use the correct workflow process when adding your content to the template Word>Notepad/Paste as Plain Text icon>Control C>control V before you delete placeholder content


Template Design & Rendering<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE><STYLE>Responsive CSS</STYLE><META></META></HEAD><BODY></BODY></HTML>


Using Templates - Workflow• Scary: Having all text/css styles stripped from

the HTML code without understanding why that is happening

• Sort of Scary: Deleting placeholder content first and not understanding that also deletes the code that controls the look/feel of that content

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Following a consistent workflow process when using responsive templates


Using Templates – Staff Knowledge

• Platforms don’t require HTML knowledge unless something doesn’t look right in your testing.

• If using a Responsive template with image placeholders and the images are programmed to scale up to 320 for mobile, don’t use editor to swap images, use Image Properties.


Using Templates - Workflow Process1. Messages>Create Message2. Pull in responsive template3. Put cursor just before the placeholder

text where you want to paste in your real text

4. Use ONLY the Paste as Plain Text icon in editor or copy text from Notepad

5. Control V to paste content into the Paste as Plain Text box or directly into template if using Notepad

6. Then highlight/delete placeholder text


Deliverability• Scary: Not setting up authentication

BEFORE you start sending email through any platform

• Sort of Scary: Not reviewing bounce logs within 48-hours of sending any campaign

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Communicating with abuse@ or postmaster@ blocking domains to request filter whitelisting


Deliverability• Monitor bounce logs within 48-hours

of the deployment to address issues.• Address platform authentication

config to make sure that is not the root of a deliverability issue.


I know our Members put in their correct email address

but they’re invalid now…pffft!


Deliverability - Invalids• Spot check the email address for

obvious mistakes• Use the system’s Invalid syntax

report during import process• Review the bounce logs routinely to

look for ISP issues that may have invalidated the record


People are on the opt-out list that never went to our

EPC…hmmmmm!

www.highroadsolution.comwww.highroadsolution.com


Deliverability – Opt Outs• Include an unsubscribe link in the

email pre-header area too• Make sure there is an easy to see

way to manage preferences or unsubscibe

• Always honor the unsubscribe when launching emails


Reporting Metrics• Scary: Increasing bounce rates &

decreasing open rates• Sort of Scary: Creating custom

reports• Shouldn’t be Scary: Addressing

delivery issues


Reporting Metrics• Poop in, poop out. I said poop and

now I have your attention. • Metrics are a direct result of the sum

of all parts we have discussed. If you don’t like the outcome, you must address everything and not point the finger at one thing.


I think my list is correct and all content in my email but having Send Live Message button anxiety! Mummy!


Reporting Metrics• Relax… it’s just email.• If there is a mistake, you can use

sent message metrics to segment out engaged subscribers and resend a revised email.

• You can verify your list prior to send by comparing AMS data to Segment data.


Behavioral Campaign Workflow• Scary: Figuring out what you would like to

accomplish and not knowing what features in your email platform you can leverage to create and automate your campaign workflow

• Sort of Scary: Creating a diagram of a campaign workflow you want to build out

• Shouldn’t be Scary: Creating your campaign workflow once you know what you are trying to accomplish


Behavioral Campaign Workflow


Behavioral Campaign Workflow• Automate campaign workflow using

out-of-the-box features of your platform.

• Automate campaign workflow using your integration combined with out-of-the-box features of your platform.


Behavioral Campaign Workflow


Thank you for participating in the “It’s Sooooo Very Scary” Webinar!

Did I Miss Anything Scary? Q&A Time!

Tweet me @highroadjenny using #scaryemail

#deliverability #emailchat #emailmarketing#emailforensics #emailengagement#authentication #emailpreferences#assnchat #abtest #emailstrategy


Thank you!Other questions for Jenny?

eMail = [email protected]

Twitter = @highroadjenny @jennylassi

mailto:[email protected]


Resourceshttp://www.leadspend.com/

http://www.emailstatcenter.com/Authentication.html

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/id-theft/data-breaches.html

https://senderscore.org/

http://www.dmarc.org/overview.html

https://www.lucidchart.com/

http://www.leadspend.com/

http://www.leadspend.com/













annual scary episode on what's scaring us for 2016

Marketing