performance-driven design

Performance Driven Design

Director of Marketing at Litmus

@meladorri

Justine leads content marketing, customer education and research initiatives.

Justine Jordan

Senior Email Marketing Manager At CareerBuilder

@tsburdsall

Scott manages CareerBuilder's ESP relationship along with a team that oversees email marketing campaigns, testing, and best practices.

Scott Burdsall

Vice President of Strategic Services at BrightWave Marketing

@emailrocks

Jay keeps busy solving email marketing problems, declaring email’s centrality to digital marketing, eating great food and kickboxing

Jay Jhun

Got Performance Issues???

Who’s this guy?

@emailrocks

On my honor, I will do my bestTo do my duty as an email marketerto optimize performance whenever I can;

Performance-Driven Marketer’s Oath

To help deliver crazy ROI at all times;To keep my emails creatively strong,Intentionally relevant and totally awesome.

Performance-Driven Marketer’s Oath

Performance goals are inextricably tied to meaningful, measurable business outcomes

“Methods and techniques that have consistently shown results superior than those achieved with other means, and which are used as benchmarks to strive for. There is, however, no practice that is best for everyone or in every situation, and no best practice remains best for very long as people keep on finding better ways of doing things.”

BusinessDictionary.com

Best Practices Be Damned!

5 Misconceptions to Unthinkabout Performance Optimization

Industry Benchmarks Are Your Friend

#1

XX

Testing is difficult

#2

1. Ask yourself “What are we trying to learn and WHY?”• Be conversion-minded• Be specific about what you’re trying to improve

2. Identify a 'control' and a 'test' candidate• Control is often a default / incumbent state

3. Test should happen at the same time

3 Pillars for Testing

#2

Testing can happen ‘automagically’

#3

SMSOpt-in Form

It’s only about email

#4

Email

Mobile App

Landing Pages

Web / E-Comm

QR Codes

Print (FSI)

SEO/Display

Mobile optimization can happen with the same budget/effort as desktop

#5

Page 19BrightWave Marketing, Inc. | All Rights Reserved | © 2002-2012

3 Tips for Bridging the Gap1. Map your content to a measureable campaign goal

• The more content you have in each email, the more effort it will take to make it mobile-friendly (i.e., K.I.S.S.)

2. Consider Fluid or Single-column or Plain Text• Form needs to follow function; If you’re not sure, test it!

3. Pick and choose when you optimize for mobile • Based on the size of the mobile conversion opportunity per campaign

#5

• Performance optimization in email should be connected to your business goals – directly or indirectly

• Industry benchmarks and ‘best practices’ are like training wheels you need to eventually ditch

• Testing is not complicated but requires intentionality• Performance optimization in today’s mobile world requires

cross-channel collaboration• Solving for mobile optimization will absolutely require you to

recalibrate your approach to email and your resources

In Summary …

Director of Marketing at Litmus

@meladorri

Justine leads content marketing, customer education and research initiatives.

Justine Jordan

• Web-based subscription software• No sales team• B2B• Content focused approach• Small (tiny) marketing team• Marketing to marketers (must eat own dog food)• Lots of lessons learned…

A quick primer on Litmus

Best practices are those determined to work best for you

Lesson learned:

Test anything, you might be surprised

Best practice learned:

• Subject lines• Specific vs. vague• Buzzy vs. straightforward

• Button language / call-to-action• Product vs. content• Additional buttons (more click opportunities)

• Play buttons on videos• Static video imagery• Headline vs. no headline• Button colors

Things we’ve tested…

Doug Bowman

“…Google couldn’t decide between two blues, so they’re testing 41 shades between each blue to see which one performs better…”

Google doesn’t know everything

Best practice learned:

Version A: Green button Version B: Blue button

Version A: Green button Version B: Blue button

NOchange

Teach, don’t sellBest practice learned:

Version A: Start testing Version B: Read our overview

Version A: Start testing Version B: Read our overview

2xclicks

Risks occasionally pay off

Best practice learned:

Subject line A:

Don’t forward this…

Subject line B:

The best way to share emails

Subject line A:

Don’t forward this…

Subject line B:

The best way to share emails54%

more clicks

Progress, not perfection

Best practice learned:

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

28% opens11% clicks

Emphasis on product

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

29% opens15% clicks

New design rolls out

Less contentCTAs not

clear

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

28% opens27% clicks

InfographicsUseful/helpful

Bulletproof buttons

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

29% opens20% clicks

More product than

education opportunities

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

Double the amount of

content

Short, stats-focused

subject line

31% opens38% clicks

Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13

Open Rate 0.32 0.28 0.29 0.3 0.28 0.25 0.29 0.27 0.28 0.31 0.29 0.25

Click Rate 0.13 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.27 0.27 0.2 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.22 0.3

3%

8%

13%

18%

23%

28%

33%

38%

Open Rate Click Rate

Opens and clicks aren’t everything

Best practice learned:

• Twitter mentions• Unsolicited comments• Endorsements

• Web visits• Blog comments• Anecdotal evidence

• Interest from mainstream journalists

Embrace unique success metrics

Twitter Mentions

Site visits

Newsletter

Newsletter

Twitter Mentions

Site visits

Newsletter

Newsletter

Targeting and segmentation really does work

Best practice learned:

Boston: 1,200 subscribers

Boston agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

London: 2,500 subscribers

London agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

San Fran: 1,100 subscribers

San Francisco agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

General: 46,000 subscribers

See the agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

Boston: 1,200 subscribers

Boston agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

London: 2,500 subscribers

London agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

San Fran: 1,100 subscribers

San Francisco agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

General: 46,000 subscribers

See the agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

62% open rate

58 tickets sold

emails sent

Senior Email Marketing Manager At CareerBuilder

@tsburdsall

Scott manages CareerBuilder's ESP relationship along with a team that oversees email marketing campaigns, testing, and best practices.

Scott Burdsall

CareerBuilder: Mobile opens account for 50-62% of total opens depending on segment

Mobile Audience

• A/B template test• Same Subject Lines• Audience: 5 segments with different interaction levels

• New• In Market (active)• Recently In Market (recently active)• Passive• Off Market (unengaged)

• CTR as winning metric• Three weeks of testing

Testing Methodology

• TEST: Original Control Design vs. Responsive Design

CareerBuilder Mobile Optimization

Preview: Control Version

Preview: Test Version

• 21-24% increase in click-through rate• Unengaged users delivered the highest life in click-through

• Less motivated users seem more likely to respond to an uncluttered, aesthetically pleasing message

Results

Test 1 Test 2 Test 3

Segment Click Increase Open Increase Click Increase Open Increase Click Increase Open Increase

New 11% 10% 19% 21% 11% 13%Active 17% 17% 19% 23% 11% 17%Recent 17% 21% 19% 19% 22% 17%Passive 17% 13% 16% 12% 16% 12%Unengaged 22% 15% 26% 18% 23% 15%

Overall 21% 15% 24% 17% 21% 15%

• Also: 15-17% increase in open rate• Preheader basics:

• Located above the logo or header in the email code • Some email clients grab the first piece of code and display approximately 85

characters of the first HTML text next to the subject line.

Preheader

To

PreheaderFrom Name > Subject Line > Preheader

Control: Test:CareerBuilder.com CareerBuilder.comSunday Sunday

To ToTest Send – Tonya: We’ve got Ne… Test Send – Walter: We’ve got ne…To view this email as a web page, go here.<http://click.careerbuilder-email.com/?qs=309b4f8d88142b3b4b5b9e69cbc75f3

We’ve got new jobs in Hammond – Companies have just posted new jobs near…

Winner!

• Job Recommendation Emails • Similar test, but only testing

responsive design element• Mostly text – job descriptions

and apply button• 7.5% overall CTR increase• 15.2% mobile CTR increase• 12.3% increase in applications

per send

Responsive With Existing Templates

• Responsive Design gave CB quick wins and helps ensure long-term successes

• Improved mobile click-through rates

• Improved mobile apply rates

• Gives a more scalable and usable reading experience

• Regarding CB template redesign test, responsive showed that unengaged subscribers…

• …generated the highest lift in responsive design.

• …responded better to a more uncluttered, visually pleasing message.

• Less busy design highlights more critical sections

Performance-Driven Design

Questions?

Thank you!