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Email Marketing Today Prepared For
| Date post: | 25-Dec-2014 |
| Category: |
Technology |
| Upload: | robert-oberheide |
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Agenda• State of Email Marketing– Email in a Multichannel World– Deliverability– Inbox Placement – Legislation
• Successful Email Design– Email Recipient Behavior– Email Design Best Practices
• Email List Growth
State of Email Marketing
Email Usage Remains Strong
Email Use Today• Three-fourths of adults cite email as their
preferred method for commercial communication- Merkle: “View from the Digital Inbox 2011”
• “Search and email remain the two online activities that are nearly universal among adult internet users, as 92% of online adults use search engines to find information on the Web, and a similar number (92%) use email.”- Pew Internet: “Search and email still top the list of most popular online activities”
Youth and Email• “Email is similar to search (and many other
online activities) in that the youngest online adults, the college-educated, and those in the highest income categories are more likely than others to engage in the activity.”
• In 18-29 age group 94% use email and 64% use email at least once per day - Pew Internet: “Search and email still top the list of most popular online activities”
Email and Mobile
Mobile Phone Activities
Merkle: “View from the Digital Inbox 2011”
43% of mobile email users check 4+ times per day
Channel Offerings
Silverpop: “Silverpop Mocial Survey” 2011
Email Still Reigns in Subscribers
Silverpop: “Silverpop Mocial Survey” 2011
Growing Email Mocially
Silverpop: “Silverpop Mocial Survey” 2011
Challenges on a Message’s Journey to the Inbox
Filters and Other Tests
Most Common Cause of Deliverability Problems
AOL complaint threshold: 1 in 1000
Email Users Define Spam
Silverpop Survey of Email Recipients, 2009
Bounces• Maintain low bounce
rate• Accept inbound bounces
quickly• Remove bouncing
addresses– Hard bounces
immediately– Soft bounces after three
consecutive bounces over a period greater than 15 days
Hard Bounce: an email message returned to sender by ISP indicating the To address was invalid
Soft Bounce: an email message returned to sender by ISP for any reason other than a hard bounce including temporary reasons such as a full inbox or a busy server
Smarter Inboxes
Email Legislation
CAN-SPAM CASL
Utah & Michigan: Do Not Email List
CAN-SPAM Major Provisions• Pre-empts states’ private right of action• Provides for enforcement by the FTC,
State Attorneys General, ISPs
Silverpop does not provide legal guidance. Silverpop presents this document as a discussion of general legislation issues and not as legal advice. Please consult your attorney for legislation compliance guidance.
• Prohibits fraudulent email practices• Establishes fines up to $2MM and prison sentences up to 5
years• Segments transactional & relationship email from commercial
email• Prohibits sending additional commercial email more than 10
business days after opt-out is received.
Categorize the Message
• Transactional: – Post-transaction– Warranty, safety, recall– Change in subscription terms or account information– Directly related to employment relationship– Delivery updates or upgrades
• Commercial: primary purpose is to advertise or promote a commercial product or service, not Transactional
• Non-commercial: Does not advertise or promote a commercial product or service, not Transactional
Silverpop does not provide legal guidance. Silverpop presents this document as a discussion of general legislation issues and not as legal advice. Please consult your attorney for legislation compliance guidance.
Sender Obligations • Clear, conspicuous, Internet-based opt-out
mechanism that works for at least 30 days after the send
• Comply with opt-out within 10 business days• No deceptive subject lines• Without Permission:– Include notice that the message is an advertisement or
promotion– Include a physical address
Silverpop does not provide legal guidance. Silverpop presents this document as a discussion of general legislation issues and not as legal advice. Please consult your attorney for legislation compliance guidance.
CASL – Communication Channels• Governs use of:– Email– SMS– Instant Messaging– Social Networks
• Commercial Email Messages (CEM): Message with any commercial component
• Opt-In Required• Opt-Out option must be offered• No exception for transactional messages with
commercial content Silverpop does not provide legal guidance. Silverpop presents this document as a discussion of general legislation issues and not as legal advice. Please consult your attorney for legislation compliance guidance.
Utah & Michigan Do Not Email to Minors Legislation
• Prohibits email marketing:– Products or services that
are illegal to sell to minors– Addresses that have been
listed on registry
• Provides criminal and civil penalties• Private right to action – individuals can bring civil action and
recover penalties• Addresses must be scrubbed against the ‘Do Not Send’ lists
prior to sending
The Perfect Email
Balance and Compromise
Desktop Display Mobile Display
Images Renderability
THE RECIPIENT’S VIEW
E-mail Recipient Behavior
E-mail Recipient Behavior
TEN MESSAGE DESIGN TIPS
Tip #1
Promotion begins in the email header; use friendly, consistent branding
and brief, but powerful, subject lines.
From Address•Friendly, Familiar•Consistent•Branded
Subject Lines
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•40 Char – Front load important content
•Can be longer•Branding•Offer•Urgency•Personalization
Tip #2
Quickly capture attention with the top of the message.
Above the Fold
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Outside400 x 600 pixels
Outside500pixels
•400 height x 500 width•Most important content•Scanable•Should encompass
•Offer•Call To Action•Urgency Indication•Brand
Above Fold Copy• Words: most 6 characters or less• Sentences: 1.5 – 2 lines• Paragraphs: most no more than 4 lines• Use bullets to reduce copy• Keep overall design succinct Keep as much of the text as possible “above
the fold” to avoid the need scroll
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Above the Fold – Pre-Header
Pre-Header can be displayed as “snippet
text” in the Inbox
Tip #3
Ensure images enhance and do not distract, but retain potency even when images are
blocked.
Images
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•30% Text/Image Ratio•Hosted not Embedded•Sight lines should guide readers eyes
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Image Blocking
Design to Survive Blocked Images
Use Alt-Tags as copy replacement for
images
Use text not text images
Structure survives blocked images
Tip #4
Command attention and keep reader focused with structure.
•Provide Visual Structure With•Color•Borders•White Space
•Color should agree with web site•Color variations can dramatically affect response - TEST
Structure
Defend Against Context-Sensitive Ads
Tip #5
Precisely define message goals then focus all content
on supporting your objectives.
Focus on Goals
Primary Goal: Update preferences
Secondary Goal: Promote product
Images & copy focused only on goals
Tip #6
Create messages that play well in mobile and full-screen displays.
Design for Touch
Large links are easier to finger-click
Provide adequate spacing for
fingertips between links
Functional design, well within 500 pixel width
Tip #7
Motivate response with a mix of text and image-based call to actions that encourage
response using active wording and directional graphics.
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Inline text link with active call to action
wordingButton with active call to
action wording and action encouraging
arrow
Inline text links in beginning copy
Offer/Call to Action
Tip #8
Entice recipient to a rich experience with links to active content.
Link to Active Content
Present static images that link to video, flash, forms, or other active
content
Tip #9
Increase recipient engagement and list growth with social media interaction.
Social Networks Expand Virally
Tip #10
Treat the footer as promotional copy not administrative housekeeping.
Sample Footer
Bottom nav-bar supports secondary
goals
Social Media integration
CAN-SPAM address requirement fulfilled
Text-based Preference update and
unsubscribe links Subscribe offer – good for forwards
List Growth
Growth Techniques – Relative Effectiveness2006 Email List Growth Survey, Silverpop 2006
Analyze by Subscription Source
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Location Based Marketing
Sign up and Sign in Locally
Social Sign In
Social Profile Data
Name
Location
Birth Date
Gender
Friends/Contacts
Profile Photo
Interests
Top Tools & Tips for List Growth• Use Preference Center• Use Welcome Series• Track Source• Optimize Web site subscription offer
Thank You
• Stephen Guerra– Principal Consultant, Silverpop
– Twitter: @StephenGuerra
As a recognized expert in the dynamic world of email marketing, Stephen Guerra, brings over ten years of experience to bear when advising clients; from small non-profits to multi-national, Fortune 500 companies; on best practices and innovative techniques to reach their marketing goals. Stephen has guided clients, in both B2C and B2B arenas, to email marketing success in a variety of industries including retail, financial, entertainment, and transportation.
