kinesis survey technologies kinesis webinar december 18 & 19, 2013 best practices in email...
TRANSCRIPT
Kinesis Survey Technologies
Kinesis Webinar
December 18 & 19, 2013
Best Practices in Email Sending
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Introduction
1. One-Time, Occasional, or Intermittent
Email Campaigns
2. Email Distribution for
Panels, or a Panel-like Approach
Email Sending Best Practices For:
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Security and Regulation
Take precautions when sending emails
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_spam_legislation_by_country
Always confirm in-country regulations
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Spam Triggers
• Removal phrase before a link, such as “Click here to be removed from future mailings”• As a best practice, always use the world “unsubscribe” rather than remove
• A high ratio of HTML to text
• Poorly formatted HTML
• Text that begins with “Dear”
• Excessive use of punctuation….
• Use of exclamation marks!!!
• Unusually large or brightly colored fonts
• Use of the word “survey” in an invitation
• Misspellings
• $$$ Dollar signs, mentions of sweepstakes, and anything that connotes financial offerings
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Lists
• Know the Source of the List• Emails sent directly by the original Opt-in Sources
have the best response, and typically the best completion rates
• Be aware of the frequency the list is used• Choosing lists that have less than a 4% bounce rate
each month will help avoid blacklisting
• Determine how the list has been Maintained• Bounce-backs and opt-outs must be purged
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Invitation Design
• Include a clear indication of the sender; name and address• Always provide an opt-out link• Verify the appearance and links• The subject should be well conceived
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Before You Send the Invitation
• Ensure that the invitation is thoughtful and well-designed
• Ensure that the survey is well-designed and tested thoroughly across all devices
• Make sure that the survey is not too lengthy and that incentive matches expectations / is reasonable for what is being asked
• Remember: Respondents can report you even after completing a project
• Always start with a soft launch. If the bounceback or opt-out rate is high, reevaluate your options.
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Reminder Emails
Kinesis removes opt-outs and bouncebacks from the original sender lists. When using other email solutions, you should confirm they are doing the same
There should be virtually no bouncebacks from a reminder email
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Be Kind to Your Community
Dedicated IP addresses do not ensure whitelisting
One sender’s bad practices
can blacklist an entire IP Range.
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Panels
• Panels automatically support and provide a legal mechanism for double opt-in
• Never transfer lists to third parties
• Automatically purge panels of bouncebacks and opt-outs
• Only ask for background details periodically
• Send emails from a recognizable domain
• Clearly state why the email is being sent
• Wrap emails in professional-looking HTML.
• Take advantage of tools that allow for uploading of existing HTML invitations.
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Targeting
• To invite relevant panelists, target with an appropriate query
• Use Sampling tools
• Carefully match projected quota targets
• Factor in the expected incidence rate
• Better targeting leads to a better panel health
• For larger panels, consider routing for sample optimization
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
A/B Testing
• Subject Lines• Invitation Text• Invitation design and background themes• Placement of the survey link• Placement of the opt-out link• Incentive levels• Incentive types
Consistent invitation design and text, from one project to the next, increases respondent
confidence that the invitation is legitimate
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Best Practices Conclusion
• Understand in-country regulations• Develop an outstanding invitation design, and maintain it• Consider your own preferences when sending invitations• Determine your own best practices through analyzing data• Always test your emails before sending
Contact the Kinesis Client Services team for advice!
© Kinesis Survey Technologies, 2013
Conclusion
Experience the research software platform that is future-proof.
For more information, or to schedule a customized demo, please contact Kinesis.
Email: [email protected]: www.kinesissurvey.com