email marketing 101
DESCRIPTION
The basics needed to begin an email marketing program, as discussed at the Atlanta Web Entrepreneurs Meet-up on July 17, 2008.TRANSCRIPT
Thinking of beginning an email marketing program?
What to keep in mind when getting started
Sandi Karchmer SolowI Send Your [email protected]
More about Sandi Solow…
I am a freelance email marketing manager for companies of all sizes – those that are either beginning an email marketing program or have an established program that needs additional resources. Work on an hourly- or project basis to help companies answer the following questions:
– Message: What do you want your emails to say? – Audience: Who do you want to receive your emails? – Format: What will your emails look like? – Measurement: How will we know the email was
successful?
My company: www.ISendYourEmail.com
?Why are you going to begin an email program?
Create an editorial calendar
Develop message content
Develop an audience list and/or decide who you’ll be emailing
Potential costs determined by knowing who and how often
Getting started process flow
Selecting an email service provider is a function of needs and budget
Why are you sending emails?
• “Because I think I should” – not the best answer
• Have a clear goal for your program– Sales– Brand awareness
• Can you sustain your idea/goal?
Now that you know who you’ll be emailing, what are you going to send
them?• A relationship built on trust
– You’ll live up to your promise of sending relevant content
• What does your audience want to receive?– Use email collection on site to ask for
demographics and set information preferences
Take the time to develop your list
• Market your subscription button• “Sell” the subscribe• Promote subscribing• Empower the Front Line
Article by Kimberly Snyder published on MarketingProfs.com on June 17, 2008
Don’t use ESP to pick an ESP
• ESP = Email Service Provider• Can help you avoid spam filters
– Message scanners review before blasting– May know of ISP issues
• Select your ESP carefully– Budget– How often you’ll be sending– How large your list size is/will be
You’ve developed an audience… now what?
• There’s more to it than just hitting the send button– Refer to editorial calendar – Factor in time to create a compelling
message– For each blast, carefully scan your recipient
list– Afterwards, look at your message stats
(opens, clicks, blocks, bounces)– Doesn’t include time for A/B testing
Workflow of a message blast
Write out the content
Decide email recipients
Design HTML and text emails
Test both versions of the emails in different formats; revise as necessary
Send the email
Post-blast analysis
Pitfalls of Poor Content
• Unsubscribe rates increase• Run the risk of being called a
Spammer• Damages your brand image
How to avoid being a spammer?
• No silver bullet answer• Only takes 0.1% to blacklist you• Don’t purchase lists• Never email someone who hasn’t
requested to hear from you • Develop a list that’s permission-
based
How to develop a permission-based list
What is this? Pros ConsOpt-in Collect via form on site Easy to sign-up Not guaranteed
permission; anyone can sign-up
Opt-out
Give visitors the chance to sign up for something else along with a pre-checked box that will subscribe them to your list.
It’s easy and legal
Not everyone reads the pre-checked box and is later annoyed when they get your email
Double Opt-In
Collect address on site and confirm via follow-up email
Gives you a database of very strong leads
Lose people who originally sign-up
Contact info
Sandi Karchmer SolowI Send Your [email protected]