6 email marketing tips
DESCRIPTION
2009 Dave Chaffey Digital Marketing National B2B CentreTRANSCRIPT
Email Marketing Best PracticeSix BIG questions to improve results
presented to:
E-business 2009 Conference,The National B2B Centre
17th September 2009
Dave Chaffey, Marketing Insights Limited
www.davechaffey.com/presentationswww.twitter.com/DaveChaffey
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About Dave Chaffey
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Agenda – Email Marketing Best Practice:6 questions to improve your results
Email question Key theme
1 Are we maximising signup and profiling?
Run-of-site, Value-led call-to-action
2 Are our messages REALLY getting through?
Reputation
3 How engaged are our audiences?
Activity levels
4 Are our emails contextual? Event-triggers, dynamic content insertion
5 Is our creative effective? Image blocking, banner blindness
6 Are we tracking “after the click”? Google Analytics, Bounce rates
Question 1 Are we maximising signup and profiling?
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Use a run-of-site, above the fold sign-up
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Use a run-of-site, above the fold sign-up
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Capture key profile fields
Tips:
1. KISS
2. WIFM
3. Identify 2-3 key fields for lead
qualification and targeting. Make
mandatory.
4. Pre-tick sign-up – implied opt-in
under Privacy and Electronic
Communications Regulations
5. Use incentives or show value to
maximise signup.
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“Learn more through time”:“Watch or Ask”
Question 2 Are our messages REALLY getting through?
Not bounce rate, but Inbox deliverability
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Why don’t your messages get through
►According to a DMA UK National Benchmarking report (www.dma.org.uk) average hard bounce rates are around 3%. The typical breakdown for an email bounce is:►Address does not exist, c30%►Invalid address syntax, c15%►Invalid domain, c25%►Mailbox full, c15%►Message too large, c2%►Blocked as spam, c8%
www.returnpath.net for US and Canada
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Actions to help delivery1. Before you send email (Content)
A. Limit use of spam keyphrasesB. Test e-mail against spam checker, use: www.lyris.com/resources/contentchecker See www.spamassassin.org
C. Test delivery / renderability in ISPs/FirewallsD. Educate your list members to whitelist youE. Setup Email server with best practice: Use subdomain: http://email.domain.com, SPF, SenderID, etc
2. After you send Email (Reputation):A. Remove bounces after 3 times (automatic)B. Track complaints through ‘closed-looped systems’C. Track Opens and Clicks across web mail companies and main corporate clients
Question 3. How engaged are our audiences?
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3 advanced ways of measuringemail engagement
► How do you measure engagement with email?
► Open/clicks/CTOR is NOT good enough, instead…
► Measure % Activity = Opens/clicks/CTOR/sales:
► 1. At position in lifecycle
► 2. By segment
► 3. By offer / email type
► 4. Aggregated over a longer time period
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Measuring list activity – email engagement
Tip. Measure the overall health of your list
through activity / inactivity levels over time
► These “hurdle rates” are for whole list. Repeat:► By segment► By product categories purchased
18Source: http://www.slideshare.net/gamages/advertising-fireworks-social-bonfires
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E-newsletter success is all about relevant content► B2B
► Make my work easier► Help me develop► Make me look good► Give me a great deal
► B2C► Make my life easier► Help me learn / have fun► Make me look good► Give me a great deal
See http://snipurl.com/26g8j
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Integrating your email newsletter with social media: a virtuous circle
1 Blog
3. Company Twitter
5. EmailNewsletter
2. RSS Feed
4. FacebookFan page
Track with bit.lyTrack with bit.ly
Track with Google Analytics
Track with Feedburner
Track with GA or ESP system
Manual updateor automaticallywithTwitterfeed
Automatic feedwith Feedburner
Most populartopics selected
Auto UpdateWithApp
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Question 4 Are our emails contextual?
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The most famous touch
Why Right Touching?
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What is “Right Touching”?
Right Touching is:A Multi-channel Communications Strategy
Customised for IndividualsWhich…
Delivers the Right Value PropositionAccompanied by the Right Message
With the Right ToneAt the Right Time
With the Right Frequency and Interval Using the Right Media / Communications channels
To achieve…Right balance of value between both parties
Tip: Automate email touches, targeting and content where practical
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Examples of basic registration triggered e-mails
B2B registration follow-up B2C brand education
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BT - It’s all about past actions… “Recognition of activity” and dynamic content insertion
Purchase Dispatched +7d
+14d +21d
Recognition ofprevious purchase
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More Amazon triggered examplesRecognition of
previous category browsingRecognition of
previous category browsing
5 Is our creative effective?
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Using eyetracking research to inform Email design
1. Heading and subhead copy critical• First 2-3 words most important• Make hyperlinked
2. Large fonts work well
3. Images often missed• Use text link calls-to-action
4. Readers scan down the left of an E-mail
5. First part of para important• F shape eyetrack
6. Email intros skipped • Use to personalise and engage
e.g. with hyperlinks
Need to deliverScannability and Skimmability
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Test! Test! Test! “Data Trumps Intuition”
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%
Source:
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Which layouts do you use / work?
Source:
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Effective B2BEnewsletter template
layout
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Before After
Aims: Use left column Disrupt symmetry Use scannable headlines Introduce editorial
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Don’t give too much choice?!
► Six different jams. 40% of the customers stopped to taste. 30% of those bought.
► Twenty-four different jams. 60% of the customers stopped to taste. But only 3% bought! http://sivers.org/jam
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How many links should we have?
Source:
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Get seen! Beware image blocking
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What makes email recipients click?
6 Are we tracking “after the click”?
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Tip: Use conversion goals and bounce rate to assess effectiveness
Define standard email tracking codes – example:► Name: &utm_campaign=SBIT210809C► Source: &utm_source=ES_BITE_Email► Medium: &utm_medium=Internal_Email► Content: &utm_content=SBIT210809C_Cabaret_Image
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Thank you!
► Download this presentation from:► www.davechaffey.com/presentations
► Any questions, do e-mail me:► [email protected]
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