all you ever wanted to know about email marketing

Baltimore, Maryland

Blue Sky FactoryDriving Email Marketing Performance

All You Ever Wanted To Know About Email Marketing

Presenters: Amy Hollomon & Joanna Lawson-Matthew

March 30, 2010 - 1:00 to 1:45 PM (ET)

Follow the webinar on Twitter at #bsfwebinar

Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010

Co-Hosted by The Cascade Highlands


Join us for more free webinars at www.thecascadehighlands.com/education

The mission of The Cascade Highlands is to promote and

support the tourism sector across nine counties in Northwest

North Carolina and Southwest Virginia through innovative

marketing and partner programs that build lasting

relationships.

http://www.thecascadehighlands.com/education.html


About Blue Sky Factory

Blue Sky Factory is both a full & self service ESP.

Design, execute, and track your email marketing

communications with Publicaster.

www.blueskyfactory.com


http://www.blueskyfactory.com/

Why Do Email Marketing?

Because it works!

• Email marketing generated an ROI of $43.62 for

every dollar spent on it in 2009. The expected figure

for 2010 is $42.081.

• Email and e-newsletter marketing are considered

the second-most effective tool for generating

conversions, just behind SEO2.

1 Direct Marketing Association, http://directmag.com/magilla/1020-e-mail-roi-still-slipping/

2 Forbes Media, http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007131


http://directmag.com/magilla/1020-e-mail-roi-still-slipping/











http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007131

Why Does Email Marketing Work?

1 “Why do email marketing?” by Mark Brownlow, Jan 2010 http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/basics/why.htm

• Allows targeting

• Is data driven

• Drives direct sales

• Builds relationships, loyalty and trust

• Supports sales through other channels


http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/basics/why.htm





Agenda

1. Tips for getting started

2. Tried & true industry best practices

3. Key elements to a permission-based email strategy

4. Ways to use email & social media as complementary

channels

5. Real world examples

6. We answer YOUR questions!


tips for getting started with

your email program


Where Do I Start?

Prepare, plan and set objectives

• What are you trying to accomplish?

• How will you measure success?

• What do your customers want from you?

• How can you offer value to your subscribers?

Map out your email marketing plan

• Devise a schedule to help you reach your subscribers with

the right info at the right time

• Decide what types of email campaigns will be sent when, and

at what frequency


In-House or ESP?

In-House or Email Service Provider?

Benefits to using an ESP

• Advanced reporting to help measure success

• Management of opt-outs, bounces and spam complaints

• Avoid delays on your own mail server

• Whitelisting and feedback loops

• Monitor blacklists

• Advanced features & tools

• Save time and leave it to the experts!


Selecting an ESP

Things to consider when selecting an ESP:

• Dedicated or shared IP address

• Customer support and training

• Infrastructure and security

• Reporting capabilities

• CAN-SPAM compliance

• Segmentation capabilities

• A/B testing and other advanced features

• API integration

• Contract terms and cost


Growing Your Database

Start building your list

• Add an opt-in form to every page of your website

• Create a Facebook page and add your opt-in form

• Ask for opt-ins via offline channels

• Phone, direct mail, conferences


Email Design & Layout

Get creative!

• Design an attractive, easy-to-use template

• Ensure branding is consistent between campaigns

• Make sure the design is easy to follow and read

• Test your design to ensure it renders across all email clients


First Impression


First impressions count!

Your first email should be a welcome email

• Introduce your company and benefits of

subscription

• Provide immediate value

Content, Content, Content!

Content is King

• Map out content for your next few

campaigns

• Each email should provide value

• Meet the expectations you set

during opt-in

• Highlight one or two calls-to-action

• Relevant, timely, targeted and

valuable


tried & true industry best practices


Opt-in Form

• Easy to find opt-in form on every page of your website

• Short, sweet & easy to fill out

• No pre-checked boxes

• W.I.I.F.M. – What’s in it for me?

• Set expectations for content and frequency

• Show a sample email

• Confirm subscription immediately with a Thank You page


Opt-in Form


Welcome Email

• Immediate (within 15 minutes)

• Email should be consistent with future email campaigns branding

• Thank them for subscribing (with a gift?)

• Explain the benefits of subscription again

• Reiterate the content and frequency they can expect

• Prompt them to whitelist your From name/email

• Link back to your website and/or email archive

• Provide a link to opt-out and update preferences


Welcome Email


Subject Line

45.2% of consumers open an email

because of the subject line1

1 Return Path's Fourth Annual Holiday Email Consumer Survey, 2008


Subject Line

• Keep it 35 characters or less

• Consider using your brand/company name

• Avoid “spammy” words

• Don’t use ALL CAPS

• Minimize or don’t use symbols (!!!)

• Per the CAN-SPAM Act, avoid deceptive subject lines


From Line

• Should be easily recognizable to your subscriber

• Use your company name versus a person’s name

• Avoid using [email protected] – that’s not very friendly!

• Be consistent with the From name and From address

• Monitor potential replies to your From and Reply addresses

• Set up role accounts for your domain (e.g. admin@, postmaster@, and [email protected])


mailto:[email protected]

From Line


Used Company Name as From Name – simple, recognizable.

Creative Design

• Design for the email inbox

• Ensure consistent branding and design across all campaigns

• Keep your email width under 650 pixels

• Make sure your main key elements are “above the fold”

• Use a balanced image-to-text ratio

• Run the “five second test” on your call-to-action

• Keep your email content brief, use teaser blurbs


Creative Design

Be sure to include:

• Snippet/pre-header text

• View in Browser and mobile version links

• Forward to a Friend and SWYN links

• Opt-out and/or subscriber preferences links

• Physical mailing address

Check out our Email Design Guidelines:

http://www.blueskyfactory.com/resources/BSFEmailDesignGuidelines.pdf


http://www.blueskyfactory.com/resources/BSFEmailDesignGuidelines.pdf

Creative Design


Creative Design

HTML coding tips

• Code by hand

• Simplicity is key

• Use inline style sheets

• Avoid using background images

• Also avoid using JavaScript and rich media

• Remember that each email client has its own HTML-rendering

quirks that you must be aware of

Check out the Email Standards Project site to learn more:

http://www.email-standards.org/





Creative Design

Use a tool like Inbox Preview to ensure your email renders properly

across all email clients with images on and off


A/B Testing

• Continually improve upon your email campaigns by performing A/B

split tests

• You can test various areas of your email program, including:

• Subject lines

• Date/time of send

• Email frequency

• Creative design, image placement

• Call-to-action variations (i.e. free shipping vs. % discount)

• Call-to-action placement

• Landing pages


A/B Testing


Deliverability

• Work with your tech team and/or ESP to continually

monitor your email deliverability and IP address

reputation

• Ensure you are subscribed to all available Feedback

Loops (your ESP should do this for you)

• Set up authentication records (Sender ID, SPF,

Domain Keys)


key elements to a

permission-based email strategy


Permission-based Email

The key to email marketing:

Send relevant, timely, targeted and valuable

emails to subscribers who have asked to

receive them.


Permission-based Email

Acceptable ways to build your list

• List append

• Opt-in

• Opt-in list rental

Unacceptable ways to build your list

• Harvesting

• Opt-out, unconfirmed appends

• List purchase

• Non opt-in list rental

• Directories


Trust is Key

Six Core Elements of a

Trust-Based Approach:

1. Permission

2. Privacy

3. Reputation

4. Preferences

5. Expectations

6. Compliance


Compliance with the Law

The CAN-SPAM Act, enacted in January 2003, imposes

a series of requirements on commercial email.

Get To Know CAN-SPAM

For more information on CAN-SPAM and compliance with the law,

check out our Webinar entitled

Permission-Based Email Marketing: Privacy, Preferences & Best Practice


http://www.bsf01.com/creatives/AmyG/PermissionBasedEmailMarketingPresentation_BlueSkyFactory.WMV



ways to use email and social media

as complementary channels


Social Media Explosion


Is Email Dead?

No way!


Email + Social Media

Email is the

digital glue of

social media.



Use social media to build your email subscriber base



Encourage email sharing with Share With Your Network



Use your email list to build your social community


how real world organizations

are successfully using email

to reach their audience


Client Example – Opt-in Form

Why this opt-in form works?

• Signup on multiple pages of site

• Form is easy to fill out with no pre-

checked boxes

• Subscribers must actively opt-in via

captcha & submit button

• Expectations are clearly stated in

introductory paragraph


Client Example – Thank You Email

• Thank you email immediately follows subscriber submission

• Branding is consistent with what subscriber will be receiving in the future

• Benefits of subscription and frequency schedule reiterated again

• Link to Calendar of Events brings subscriber right back to main site


Client Example – Welcome Email

• Confirmed subscription produces and

immediate thank you page

• Personalized Welcome Email immediately

follows

• Branding is consistent with future email

campaigns

• Subscriber is thanked and reminded of

subscription benefits and sending frequency

• A link back to client’s site is clearly present

as well as social media and follow us features


Client Example – Creative Design

Visit Baltimore adheres to Email Best

Practice to obtain the best results

• Subject lines are short, sweet & consistent

• From line reflects the brand

• Pre-header offers a browser version and a

quick summary of the contents of the email

• Key creative elements (logo, call to action,

navigation & primary subject matter) are

located above the fold

• SWYN and Follow Us features are strong

and noticeable

• Physical mailing address and opt-out links

are present in all emails


Client Example – Promotional Email


Why we like this email from

Cruise Specialists:

• Simple, actionable subject line: Fabulous

Offer – Book by March 31!

• Excellent balance of images and text

• Clear and simple call to action

• Subscriber benefit is clear

• Using email to drive social, and social to

drive email

Client Example – Promotional email



Hilton Head Island:

• Beautiful, relatable imagery

• Good balance of images and text

• One clear call to action

• Strong Forward to a Friend link

• Suggestion: add a text backup link for the

call to action button

• Suggestion: add pre-header/snippet text

to top of email

Client Example – Newsletter



Visit Vallejo:

• Fun, colorful header image to pull

reader into the email

• Great balance of images and text

• Encourage a dialogue with readers via

monthly trivia

• Prominent, clear Forward to a Friend link

• Suggestion: add a table of contents with

anchor links to articles

Client Example – Event Email



Travel Leaders:

• Simple message

• Beautiful imagery, good text-image

balance

• Clear call to action

• Suggestion: add Forward to a Friend link

• Suggestion: add an email subscription link

Thanks for Attending

Whether you’re an email

marketing beginner, a casual

mailer or a battle-hardened ninja,

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EMAIL

provides proven strategies and

tactics you can apply to your

campaigns.

Download your free copy here:

http://www.blueskyfactory.com/ultimate/


http://www.blueskyfactory.com/ultimate/


The Cascade Highlands

Join us for more free webinars at www.thecascadehighlands.com/education

Web: www.thecascadehighlands.com

Phone: 1.888.9CASCADE



http://www.thecascadehighlands.com/

Please Contact Us

Please submit your questions now via the GoToWebinar dashboard

Amy HollomonClient Services Manager

[email protected]

Joanna Lawson-MatthewSenior Client Services Manager

[email protected]

www.blueskyfactory.com

blog.blueskyfactory.com

Twitter: @blueskyfactory

Contact Blue Sky Factory:


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