19 things you can do to improve
your email marketing results
Web seminar Presented by Michael Leander
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Is email marketing really dead?
Invest 1 US$ get 43, 40, 39 US$ back
This is what is happening
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2000 2004 2007 2010
OpenRate
CTR
Main barriers to effective email marketing
Key problems for email marketers across the board
One size fits all Inconsistency Irrelevant content
Whats wrong in MEA + APAC + CIS ?
• JPG blasts
• Show examples
The purpose of email marketing is to acquire,
convert, sustain and grow customers whom then in
turn will attract other customers’ through
referrals
Poll 1: How many hours do you spend on email marketing each week?
Success in email marketing requires focus and experimentation
Time spent, investments & commitment to succeed is essential for email marketing
Some of the focus areas for successful email marketing
Focus areas - general • Content match target audience • Desktop rendering • Mobile & tablet rendering • Timing & frequency • Understand recipient behavior
Clean database of subscribers • Inactive audience revival • Clean up bounce, soft&hard • Profiling match targeting
requirements • etc
Check your database/list frequently !
Never active
Seldom active
Active frequently
Always active
40-60%
2-5%
Understand thy list !
• Measure health of your list regularly
• Act on your findings – it is important
Measure Period Number of Subscribers
% of list total
Never Open All time 48,000 16.0%
Last 6 Months 168,000 56.0%
Never Click All time 96,000 32.0%
Last 6 Months 144,000 48.0%
Never Bought All time 48,000 16.0%
Last 6 Months 192,000 64.0%
Never Bought Online
All time 96,000 32.0%
Last 6 Months 216,000 72.0%
Lufthansa – reactivate case
Experimentation in email marketing
• Test frequency, timing
• Test sender name & structure
• Test subject lines
• Test template designs
• Test pre-headers
”Failure is a huge part of your success in email marketing”
Which generated the best result in terms of CTR = Click Through Rate?
A = 4,7% CTR vs. B = 4,2% CTR
19 | Creative ways to construct
winning e-mails
Look and tell me which is most likely to sell more magazines ?
20 | Creative ways to construct
winning e-mails
Learn from magazine covers
2 key message + a few supporting 6 equal visual messages
Design supporting the message One-size-fits-all design
What’s in it for me? = answer at a glance What’s in it for me?= not appealing
21 | Creative ways to construct
winning e-mails
Before & after, which won?
22 |
Creative ways to construct winning e-mails
Did you learn anything yet?
4,4% CTR
2,8% UNIQUE CTR
ROMI = 4,7
9,9% CTR
6,5% UNIQUE CTR
ROMI = 10,8
Test your way to success
Test version A
Send Volume: 10,000
Sample criteria: Random
Click through rate: 6.1%
Test version B
Send Volume: 10,000
Sample criteria: Random
Click through rate: 4.5%
Main Broadcast
Send Volume: 180,000
Click through rate: 5.8%
Germany
Italy
A/B split test LIVE – find winner in 1 hour
Short summary
Take away format & style for email marketing
– Techies usually favor text messages
– Youngsters usually favor image heavy messages
– But you really don’t know until you have tested
– If your ESP (Email Marketing Service Provider) cannot offer you easy A/B split testing – ditch them & get someone else. Seriously!
– Testing is a tedious process – takes time and has to be done properly in order to bring desired benefits
Email Marketing Audit Components 1. Email Marketing Purpose & Objectives
2. Email Marketing Content Concept
3. Email Marketing Value Proposition
4. Permission Marketing and Privacy
5. Frequency and channels
6. Profiling, segmentation and subscription center tactics
7. Subscriber acquisition conversion ecosystem
8. Messaging tactics including welcome flow
9. Design in templates and design consistencies
10. Response tactics / inbound marketing
11. Data management including bounce management procedures
12. Use of behavioral data
13. Email Marketing Service Provider alignment with objectives
14. Triggers & events + transactional emails.
15. Deliverability and ISP issues
Incorporate social sharing
-> Link opens message in social network -> Default text to share -> Track # of shares -> Track # of conversions
Think the whole process through!
Email Subject line becomes “Title”
and “Mailing Notes” become the description
teaser-text to be displayed.
Email recipients can add their
own comments or endorsements
Users can select a
thumbnail from some of the
images in email, or opt to
not include a picture
33 |
Construct winning e-mails
> ATTENTION
> DESIRE
> ACTION
> INTEREST
TOP TIP Zoom of preheader
New screens means new challenges
• Design for touch image here
• > create your own if you have a smart phone
The desktop in decline…? Share of device page traffic for News category (weekday)
Source: comScore Custom Analytics, U.S., August 2011
Mobile Email Design Best Practices
• A narrow email width
• Single column layout
• Super subject line
• Large headlines & CTAs
• Bullet proof buttons
• Graceful Degradation
http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing-ecrm-alerts/email-creative-best-practice-2011-style/
http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing-ecrm-alerts/email-creative-best-practice-2011-style/
http://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing-ecrm-alerts/email-creative-best-practice-2011-style/
Mobile is about TOUCH
Remails & OTS
Send Tuesday Send Friday
Understand OTS and what has changed in buying behavior
OTS
Eyeballs on your message many times over a longer period
of time
Deadline
OTS by the time you ultimately want your audience to make a
decision = 5-15
Show DMA India communication
What is more important?
Sender Subject line
What says the consumers?
48
CONTROL
From : PriceMinister Advice
Click-Through rate: Index100
TEST
From : Sophie at PriceMinister
Click-Through rate : Index 156
Test the sender name – and remember what your end objective is
Understand where your targets
are in the buying process
50
How do you
differentiate?
Anticipate needs < target offer
51
52
Targeted offer
based on search
(logged in)
Test subject lines
A. Get two brand new articles about branding
B. News in a flash – articles about branding
A -> 32% B -> 42%
Ideas for testing subject lines
• Personalize or not
– Personalization in beginning or end of sentence
• Symbols such as *
• Invert such so instead of
– Newsletter about petrol prices
– Newsletter about petrol prices
Distribute your focus properly !
Message/offer Target group
Creative Deliverability
100% 40%
10%
40%
10%
Design and content tips
• Write so that recipient will know that you are familiar with her – You have previously shown an interest in...
• Use emotional links effectively – ”Learn how to improve your ....” instead of ”Read
more”
• Link to stories from text, images, buttons
• Include functional links in your template – Opt-out, online version, Forward-to-a-friend etc
Design and content tips
• Test different size and color of headlines
• Test different size and color of copy and long/short copy
• When using link to video show playbutton
• Include ”what’s next” to keep reader from opt-out
Think like a publisher!
How much are you willing to invest?
The price of acquiring a permission depends on how much information you require
60
4
B2C – level of profiling B2B – level of profiling Acquisition cost
Email address only Email address only 1 to 75
+ First name, last name, gender
+ First name, last name, position
+ Postal address + Postal address
+ Telephone/mobile + Telephone/mobile
+ Info about buying intend + info about buying intend
+ Special interests / qualifying information
+ Special interests / qualifying information
5 and upwards
Capture only data you intend to use
2. Acquisition tips
Acquisition flow tactics
• What are you offering (content concept?)
• What is the incentive?
• Email only -> then to form with more fields
• Minimal # of fields and then profile later
• Full profile required
• A mix
Version B First page
Version B Second page
Version A - One page
Version A’s one-page form boosted sign-ups from total traffic 51% and sign-ups from PPC traffic 113%.
Creating your email value proposition
Your email value proposition is your
sales pitch to get subscribers to
register/opt-in
65
As a minimum you must address
these questions - relentlessly
66
1. What are
you offering?
2. ”What’s in
it for me?”
3. Frequency
– how often?
…but it is ”good taste” to include
67
4. Privacy policy / link
5. Opt-out instructions You can unsubscribe anytime you want by following
the link included in each email we send you
6. What happens next? You will receive an email confirming your subscription.
Your first newsletter/message will reach your inbox within
the next 5 days
7. Reference sample
emails/preview
Structure of your USP / Email
Value Proposition
68
• Benefit driven – precise – ask a question if possible Headline
• What’s in it for me? Benefits/value
• What do you want me to do? Call to action
• We don’t spam, sell /rent addresses etc Security
Structure - suggestion
69
What is wrong here?
Free web seminar alerts Get your alerts about free marketing
events once a week.
First name:___________________
Last name:___________________
Email:_______________________ You can unsubscribe anytime you want. Read
our privacy policy here. We do not spam. Security
Headline, USP, frequency
Free gift multiplies
conversion rates
Benefits + content concept
Re-confirm Value
proposition and USPs
Customize -> show care
about relevancy
Landing page Unique Email marketing Proposition
What to consider for your landing page and variations of sign-up form
• Headline
• Long Copy vs. Short Copy
• Credibility Logos
• Security Assurance
• Banner Present vs. Not Present
• Submit Button / Order Button Text
• Audio / Video Message
• Testimonials
• Urgency
• Price
Fact: You have 8 seconds to engage
(c) Michael Leander Nielsen, 2009
72
Cheapest acquisition channel
95% of visitors leave quickly
Give sign-up
a prominent
position
Does Size Really Matter When It Comes
to Email Opt-In Form Overlays?
74
A B
Got + 8,8% increase
Integrate call to actions on all pages
85%
15%
POLL 4: Which produced more sign-ups – the banner or the text link?
Banner and text links are on the same web-page
Acquiring permission through social media
BALANCE STREAM 27
18
22
21
0
39
29
14
34
41
3. Welcome message flow
First impressions last !
• What is so special about the first hour after somebody signs up to your email communcation?
• Where is your opportunity ?
You’ve got a new ”permission” – now treat her nice with a welcome program
• Use sequential auto-responder program
Welcome email with
offer
1 day later: Our most popular stories (offers,
videos etc)
5 days later e-mail
10 days later email
First newsletter
Satisfaction survey;
how are we doing, how
can we improve, is this for you
And so on
Reaffirm the value you offer
Push profile update – increase knowledge
Give a reason to respond now
Use your common sense to increase your results
Welcome Email
Time-limited offer
Offer Extension
What you can include
• What you promised at sign-up if anything
• Repeat the USP
• Include subscriber data and link to profiling
• Special welcome offer
• Safe-sender instructions
• Sign-up for other newsletters
• Opt-out instructions !
• Etc.
T: twitter.com/michaelleander M: +45 27 28 29 53 E: [email protected]
• Content concept -> sign-up process • Acquisition (8 out of 10) • Welcome flow • Video in email (play button/navigation) • Test header • Test format • ALT text • Timing / frequency • Sign-up form • Acquisition • Sharing in social networks • Optimize across email clients • Optimize for rendering in mobile