how to get better email engagement in 2015
TRANSCRIPT
HOW TO GET BETTER EMAIL ENGAGEMENT IN
2015
TWEET!
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Follow us on Twitter:
@WhatCounts
Today’s hashtag:
#BetterEmail2015
TODAY’S SPEAKERS
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Amy Garland
Senior Strategic Account Manager,
WhatCounts
Email: [email protected]
Erica Malick
Strategic Account Manager, WhatCounts
Email: [email protected]
THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBSCRIBER
ENGAGEMENT
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WHAT IS SUBSCRIBER ENGAGEMENT?
When a recipient takes action on your email:
opening, clicking, sharing, forwarding, etc.
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WHY DOES SUBSCRIBER ENGAGEMENT MATTER?
Greatly affects inbox placement.
(You need your emails to be seen!)
Indicates a successful email marketing program.
(If people aren’t acting on your emails, you’re not getting any benefits of sending email!)
Gives you a benchmark to measure against.
(How else will you know if you’re improving?)
Indicates you’re doing your job as a marketer.
(What would your boss think if your campaigns weren’t delivering conversions?)
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SUBSCRIBER ENGAGEMENT & INBOX PLACEMENT
Inbox Placement: The percentage of your email that is actually
delivered to your subscribers’ inboxes (vs. the spam folder)
• Many ISPs now include subscriber engagement as a factor in
determining where to deliver your mail (inbox vs. spam folder).
• Gmail, Yahoo!, etc., want to see that their users want your mail
before continuing to deliver to the inbox. If not, they’ll send it to
the spam folder.
• They gauge this with their users’ actions on your mail.
• The more opens and clicks, the more chance you have of
getting your message seen.
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IS IT REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?
Entice users to open. Force them to click.
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Flickr photo credit: reneerk
“We don’t need anyone to click through. The message is in the
body of the email. We just want people to read…”
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• Sender:
Banana Republic
• Subject line:
Solve the mystery-reveal your savings.
OPEN ME: TACTICS TO GET YOUR
EMAILS OPENED
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BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP
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5 ways to build trust:
1. Provide valuable content
2. Target your messages
3. Listen
4. Follow through
5. Respect their privacy
If your subscribers trust you they are much more likely to not only open
your email, but also click through, share, or convert.
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FROM NAME
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From name is what makes you recognizable to your subscribers.
TEST!:
Use A/B split testing to try out different
options, see what gets the best reaction,
then stick with it.
Consider using:
• Your company name
• A well known representative of your
company
• Anything else specifically recognizable
to your subscriber
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SUBJECT LINE
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A few pointers:
• Keep it short and simple
• Make your point clear
• Give a sense of urgency
• Steer clear of SPAM-like wording
• Consider personalization
• Be clever
• Always check your spelling and
grammar
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SUBJECT LINE - A/B SPLIT TESTING
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5 ideas for testing:
1. Specific versus general
– Attend our Open House on January 24th
– Picture your Future Success
2. Personalization
– Erica, get your Special Snow Day deal from Starbucks
– Get your special deal from Starbucks
3. Company/Branding
– Save 25% off Invitations!
– Save 25% off Wedding Diva invitations!
4. Negative versus Positive
– Winter blues? – Grab a coffee with us
– Get cozy! Grab a coffee with us
5. Urgency
– 2 Days Only – Get Half Off!
– Get Half Off!
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PREHEADER TEXT
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Effective ways to use preheader text:
• Finish your thought
• Give more detail
• Make an offer
• Highlight functional links
• Add personalization
Not only gives your subscriber alternate way to view your email
but complements the subject line and expands on your story
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PREHEADER TEXT
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9 WAYS TO GET MORE CLICKS
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1. PROVIDE VALUABLE CONTENT
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Content really is KEY in increasing engagement.
Follow through with what’s promised in the subject line – make it
valuable!
You don’t want your recipients asking themselves… WHO CARES?
Flickr photo credit: peppermintfoa
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1. PROVIDE VALUABLE CONTENT
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Ask yourself the following questions:
• Who is your audience?
• What kind of content interests your audience?
• Does the same content interest everyone in your audience?
• Why are you sending it?
• What do you want the recipients to do upon reading your email
newsletter?
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1. PROVIDE VALUABLE CONTENT
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Look at your click-through rates. Determine what was popular and
then tailor your future campaigns going forward.
Remember:
There is not a clear set of rules; you will only discover what appeals to
your subscribers through testing!
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2. GIVE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO CLICK THROUGH
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Give plenty of opportunity for your subscribers to click through your
creative and allow for that conversion.
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2. GIVE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO CLICK THROUGH
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Link multiple areas of your email, including the headline, images,
actionable text, and buttons.
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3. DESIGN FOR ABOVE THE FOLD
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Above the fold:
• The section of the email visible to the subscriber without having to scroll
• Designing with this in mind gives your email a higher chance of getting more
click-throughs
The average email user:
• Receives between 50-100 emails
per day.
• Spends between 2-4 seconds with
each email they open.
• Scans your message instead of
reading word-for-word.
• 50% of users who open an email
do not scroll.
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3. DESIGN FOR ABOVE THE FOLD
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4. MAKE IT MOBILE-FRIENDLY
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The simplest and most effective ways to personalize the content you
are sending to the people on your list
Tips to follow:
• No more than 600 pixels wide
• Simplify navigation
• Stack
• Readable font
• Make button bigger
• Say “yes” to white space
• TEST
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4. MAKE IT MOBILE-FRIENDLY
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5. DESIGN FOR IMAGES OFF
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According to Litmus.com, about 43%
of Gmail users are viewing their email
with images turned off.
What can you do?
• Utilize alt text
• Use bulletproof buttons
• TEST!
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5. DESIGN FOR IMAGES OFF
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Images Off Images On
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5. DESIGN FOR IMAGES OFF
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Images Off Images On
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6. INTEGRATE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Give recipients the ability to interact with
your emails socially by:
1. Adding “Connect with Us” links
2. Including Social Sharing (Facebook
Like, Pin It, Tweet This)
3. Linking Forward to a Friend
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7. ADD WEBSITE NAVIGATION TO ALL EMAILS
• Gives recipients additional way to get to your website
• Offers consistent branding experience
• Audience may not want specific email offer, but this keeps brand top-of-
mind and reminds them of other offerings
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8. INCORPORATE VIDEO IN YOUR EMAILS
Break up the monotony of your messaging by offering a video experience
in your emails.
• General industry consensus is to avoid video played directly in email as very
few mail clients support this.
• Continue to link video screenshot to landing page.
Recommendations:
• Include video screenshot
with an overlaid play
button
• Use animated GIFs
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8. INCORPORATE VIDEO IN YOUR EMAILS
Best practices:
• Test the screenshot image
• Make the video the focus of your email
(minimal text)
• Video should include benefits to
recipients
• Be creative and engaging
• Keep videos short and sweet
• Tailor your video message and tone to
your audience
• Target / personalize the mailing
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9. TEST, TEST, TEST!
Narrow down exactly what your subscribers best respond to. Test
specific words, phrases, etc., for stronger future campaign performance.
• Increase subscriber engagement by testing call-to-action placement, creative
elements, and more.
• Test with your larger sends and use results to optimize triggered emails.
Winning criteria options:
Opens
Overall clicks/specific links
Conversions
Forwards
Social Sharing
Social Clicks
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4 Ways to Get More Out of Your A/B Split Testing:
1. Test two (or more) templates that are exactly the same with the exception of one
variable.
2. Do this same test at least three times to get a true representation of what your
audience thinks.
3. Test to 100% of your list. Send each version to 50% of your list (if you’re using two
versions). Testing to only 10% is also not going to be a true representation of how
your audience responds to your emails.
4. Learn from your testing. Use the “winning” results, but do so sparingly if need be. i.e.,
don’t use “exclusive” for every single email subject line. Only use this word when
something is truly exclusive and/or you really want your subscribers to take note.
9. TEST, TEST, TEST!
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9. TEST, TEST, TEST!
What to test:
• Language (headers, calls-to-action, opt-out, etc.)
• Content placement (one-column vs. two-columns)
• Call to action (button color, button placement, number of links/buttons,
etc.)
• Images (gender, action vs. stagnant, number of images)
• Placement of links (link up actionable text vs. not linking up text)
• Length of email (including all content vs. forcing subscribers to click to
view content)
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Virginia Tech Case
Study:
• Boosted click-to-
open rate by 6%
• Forced the click
through
After: 17% CTORBefore: 11% CTOR
HOW TO SHED UNWANTED “WEIGHT” IN
2015
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WHY A RE-ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN?
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Quality Over Quantity
1. Higher engagement rate (opens, clicks, conversions)
2. Better inbox placement
• ISPs place weight on your engagement metrics when determining where to deliver your mail
(inbox, spam, or blocking).
• They want to ensure you practice clean list management and are sending only to recipients
who want your mail.
Email re-engagement campaigns give you an email list that:
• Is far more engaged
• Yields a higher click-through rate
• Drives more conversions and customers
• Improves your email deliverability.
– Innovative Marketing Resources
WHY A RE-ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN?
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Return Path “Email Win-Back Program” Study
In email marketing, win-back email campaigns separate entirely inactive subscribers from less active or seasonally active subscribers, reducing the risk of low inbox placement across all campaigns. That risk is real, according to the findings:
1. The analysis of 300 million messages sent to 100 million subscribers showed a strong negative correlation between inbox placement and the volume of mail sent to inactive subscribers.
2. Brands sending the most mail to unresponsive subscribers had the most mail blocked or diverted to spam folders, especially at Gmail, whose inbox was the hardest for mailers included in the study to reach.
Read more on the 2014 study: http://blog.returnpath.com/blog/return-path-2/email-marketers-give-up-on-inactive-customers-too-soon-return-path-study-finds-v2
TYPES OF RE-ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGNS
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Frequency/Type of Campaign
1. Automated re-engagement campaign “set it and forget it”
• Set up a campaign that triggers an email when someone reaches a certain level of inactivity.
• Constantly clean your list with no work after initial setup.
2. Manual sends every 3-6 months (or other predetermined timeframe)
• More manual setup in account
• May allow for more testing and flexibility with send tactics
• Won’t be as accurate with timing to re-connect with subscribers
Consider a series of 2-3 emails for either option. It’s best to give people a second
or third chance to act.
The actual timeframe that you designate for a subscriber as inactive is what
makes the most sense for your email program. (e.g., If you send a daily email,
consider 30-60 days. If you send a monthly newsletter, consider 365 days.)
AUTOMATED RE-ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN EXAMPLE
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270 days: A soft touch to remind
subscribers what you have to offer.
360 days: Stronger, more obvious
calls-to-action to prompt
subscribers to take action either
way and providing a special offer.
450 days: Letting subscribers
know that their subscription has
expired but also reminding them to
stay in touch on social media.
WHAT ARE COMMON RE-ENGAGEMENT MESSAGES?
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What to say to subscribers? It depends on:
• Your brand & typical communication style
• Number of email in the series
• Subscriber’s level of inactivity
Consider:
1. Softer touch
• We miss you…
• We haven’t heard from you in a while…
• Don’t forget about the great things our emails have to offer…
• Visit our site now to catch up on the latest news…
2. More direct message
• Your subscription is ending. Activate now.
• Click to remain subscribed or click to unsubscribe.
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What Crocs does well:
Direct messaging
Reminding subscribers of
benefits of receiving emails
Require verification of
subscription – explicit action
Offers discount for
verification but you have to
take action first!
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What MIT Sloan Management
Review does well:
Uses first name personalization
Provides multiple ways to click
through, not just one chance
Lists benefits of subscription
Links to subscriber preferences
Includes opt-out link
Direct messaging
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REMOVING INACTIVE SUBSCRIBERS
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Options:
1. People must engage with your messages (open/click) to remain on your
list.
• Once they open/click, remove them from the re-engagement series.
• Everyone who does not take action is removed from your list after the final re-
engagement email.
2. Force subscribers to opt-in in order to remain on your list.
• If they do not click the “yes, keep me subscribed” link, they will be removed.
• Will severely cut down on the number of subscribers but will ensure a very engaged,
quality list.
• May miss interested subscribers if they’re on vacation, are busy at work, etc.
• Passive subscribers may or not remain on your list.
3. Ask subscribers to opt-out to stop hearing from you.
• Anyone who does not take the action to opt-out remains on your list.
• Will keep your list numbers high, but won’t ensure the most engaged list.
• Passive subscribers would remain on your list.
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ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Use a strong - very clear and direct - subject line.
2. Follow through with what the subject line promises in the message.
3. Prompt the click-through, even though they have already
opened/engaged with you.
• Will further increase engagement rates
• Gets the quiet subscribers to take additional action with you
4. Continue sending emails as the subscriber is going through the re-
engagement series.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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TOP 5 TAKEAWAYS
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1. Engagement matters. Use your own email program as a benchmark and
always work to improve your open and click rates.
2. Your emails should always benefit subscribers in some way. From the
subject line to the content provided, the experience should be valuable to
them.
3. Give subscribers many chances to click through your email.
4. Test everything, but be smart about it.
5. Remove the dead weight from your list, but give them a chance (or two) to
engage before doing so.
THANKS FOR ATTENDING!
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