Copyright: SKARtec Academy – Digital Marketing Training Centre - 2016

SKARtec Academy

Session – Email Marketing

Presented by: K. Suresh

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8-Dec-16 2

E-mail marketing

E-mails are the most preferred way of communicating on the Internet. But can e-mails be used as a means for

promoting products and services online?

Yes. With e-mail marketing you can promote your products and services and also conduct online marketing

campaigns.

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Session Objectives

• Understand benefits of e-mail marketing

• Explore permission marketing and spamming

• Identify technical requirements for e-mail marketing

• Learn how to increase open and click-through rates

• Follow steps for designing an effective e-mail campaign

• What is Mail Chimp & How we use it for e-mail marketing

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What is e-mail marketing?

• E-mail marketing is an activity wherein messages are sent to an audience by means of electronic mail.

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Why is e-mail marketing popular?

Following are factors that have made e-mail marketing extremely popular:

Email Marketing

Can be tracked

Unlimited reach

Cost Effective

Allows Targeting

Data Driven

Builds Loyalty

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Why is e-mail marketing popular?

• Can be tracked - You can easily track various e-mail related activities (number of e-mails sent, opened,

bounced etc.). Even links in e-mails that users click and products/services sold by clicking such links can

be traced without much effort.

• Unlimited Reach - This form of marketing allows you to reach innumerable users that too at the click of

a button.

• Cost Effective - As compared with other forms of communication sending e-mails is cheaper. E.g. you

can send as many as 10,00,000 (10 lac)e-mails for just Rs. 8000, which comes out to be a mere Rs.

0.008 per e-mail (statistics: www.easysoftindia.com)

• Allows Targeting - It is a form of push marketing that allows audience targeting since you can directly

deliver your marketing messages to your potential customers irrespective of whether they want to get

your messages or not.

• Data Driven - This form of marketing is data driven and also promotes direct sales of products/ services

you are offering to your target audience.

• Builds Loyalty - With the help of promotional e-mails, special offer e-mails, and newsletters, you can

build a strong bond with your customers and even instil a feeling of loyalty and trust in them for your

products/ services.

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Types of e-mail marketing

E-mail marketing can be done in the following ways:

E-mail Marketing

Direct E-mail Retention E-mail Newsletters

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Types of e-mail marketing

• Direct Email: Can take the form of promotional messages (e.g. special offers, discounts, rebates etc.) or

you can use lists of e-mail addresses rented/purchased from the open market to target your messages.

• Retention Email: Usually take the form of newsletters that carry promotional messages, advertisements,

etc. that provide value, benefits and entertainment to readers and also have a long-lasting impact on them.

• Newsletter: You can conduct your e-mail marketing activities by buying advertising space in newsletters

created by others so that your advertisement / message can reach their subscribers.

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Key parts of an e-mail message

An e-mail message can be divided into different parts each of which has its own significance. We will explore

eight important parts of an e-mail message namely:

• Sender

• Subject

• Context and design

• Content

• Links

• Header and footer

• Hosted version

• Image rendering

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Sender

• The sender of the e-mail will be mentioned usually as "From". The sender name must be relevant and

precise at the same time. Generic names (e.g. admin, new, sales, marketing etc.) must not be used. Make

sure you list your "From" name as the name of your website (e.g. flipkart.com, amazon.in etc.) only if you

are an online retailer.

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Subject

The following are the key players of the digital advertising world.

• The subject line is the first impression your e-mail makes on users; therefore it must be compelling enough

as a means to promote your product / service. Other than being compelling, the subject line must be

descriptive, personalized (only add user names if it is apt), professional (error free, contextual, etc.) and to

the point (better if it is less than 50 characters)

Tips:

• Since the subject line is critical in an e-mail message, and decides whether or not your message will be

opened, it is a good idea to test it on a small number of recipients before sending it to the entire list. This is

called A/B Split Testing.

• You can choose 10% of your recipient list and divide that into multiple smaller lists, depending on how many

different subject lines you would like to test.

• Say you have 3 different subject lines, send 33% of that 10% recipient list the same e-mail with a different

subject line. Depending on the open rate, click through rate or purchase behaviour, you can then decide

which is the winner and send that subject line to the remaining 90% of your list, increasing the overall

performance of that send.

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Context and design

• Your e-mail should look professional as it will help users to gain faith in your company and its

products/services. The e-mail must have a consistent design and content that is a logical extension of your

company's brand and overall style.

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Content

• Your e-mail must have content that is relevant to your business and the end users. Readers will

continue to read your messages regularly only if you give them what they want. In this regards

users who do not make an immediate purchase will more likely stay on your e-mailing list, as

long as you continue to send them relevant information. Ensure your e-mail content complies

with CAN-SPAM requirements so that they reach the users and do not get blocked by e-mail

service providers.

• A spam is an unwanted or inappropriate e-mail received by a user. You can view the CAN-

SPAM requirement here: The CAN-SPAM Act: Requirements of Commercial Emailers.

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Links

• Add links in your e-mail message wherever they are required so that users can click them to

access the products/services offered on your site. It is a good practice to segment these links

as per the product/ service categories available on your site.

• This helps you to know what exactly users are looking for because when a user will click on a

particular link, your email software can generate reports and tell you about it. Also, when they

click on a particular link, let's say a link about a digital marketing course, the next e-mail you

send them, can actually be information about the digital marketing course, thereby increasing

the chances of conversion.

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Header and footer

• Prominently display the phone number in your message so users do not have difficulty in

contacting you. If possible, add a unique call tracking number to see how many users actually

call you via that particular message. Also display your site's URL, contact/company info and e-

mail address (in the header or footer).

• In most e-mail software, it is mandatory to provide users with the option to unsubscribe from

your email list otherwise e-mail service providers will block your messages from reaching their

subscribers thinking it is spam.

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Hosted Version

• It is a good practice to have a hosted version (duplicate version) of your e-mail message. This

is useful when your e-mail content does not display due to any reason that is beyond your

control.

• In such circumstances users get to see an alert message in the form of a link at the top of the

problematic e-mail message. When users click this alert message, they are taken to the

duplicate or hosted version of the e-mail..

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Image rendering

• Even if all the previous seven parts of your e-mail are perfect, you must remember that an

overwhelming majority of users will not be able to see your e-mail content as you had intended

them to see. This happens due to many reasons - privacy rules, filters or slow internet

connectivity. To get around this issue, ensure that your email has a lot of text so that users can

know what your message is all about even if the images do not render/display for any reason.

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Increase the CTR of an e-mail campaign

Keep these things in mind to improve the click-through-rate (CTR) of your email campaign:

Better CTR

Subject lines Day and time Format Stop

spamming Content Links

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Increase the CTR of an e-mail campaign

• Day and time: Email deliver day and time depends on the market you are catering to and the

end users of your product/ service. This day and time needs to be found out through a hit and

trial method. Send your users an e-mail message on different days and times during the day

and track their response. After a while, you can analyse this report and come to know what is

the best day and time for you to send your e-mail.

• Subject lines: It must be related to the e-mail content, personalized, and changed frequently

so it doesn't lose its effectiveness.

• Format: Plain text based e-mails have higher delivery rate than HTML based e-mails, so don't

always send HTML mailers, try a mix of both.

• Stop spamming: Conform to anti-spamming guidelines to prevent your e-mails from getting

blocked by e-mail service providers

• Content: Create copy that is good, relevant to the users and concise. Seek professional help

with design if required.

• Links: Must be appropriate, accessible, visible and interspersed with great content.

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Social media integration with email

• A marked increase in CTR is achieved in email messages that provide users with an option to

share content on various social media sites viz. Facebook, Twitter etc.

• A study conducted on 500 million e-mails that had options to share content on social media

sites produced a 30% higher CTR than e-mails without links to social media sites.

• Writing to your fans using Facebook e-mail vs. general e-mail is different. Learn to understand

your audience and send them communication that they would find relevant. E.g. Facebook

users may be more interested in updates of products, promotions, discounts etc. Whereas e-

mail subscribers may be interested in valuable tips or industry related information.

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What is permission marketing?

• A means of selling products/ services where likely customers openly agree in advance to

receive marketing messages/ads.

e.g. opt-in email ads where online users sign up in advance to get information regarding

specific products/ services of their choice.

• Permission marketing is very helpful as end users are more receptive to marketing messages

and even cost-effective as users are already targeted and identified.

e.g. while making a purchase, the user can be asked at that time whether they would like to

subscribe to the company newsletter.

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How does opt-in e-mail advertising work?

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What is spam?

• Spam is defined as the process of forcibly or intentionally sending a message repeatedly to a

large group of people who otherwise would not have opted to receive that particular message.

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More about spam

• Spam e-mail messages appear as ads that promote dubious products/services, as chain mails,

get-rich schemes, and they also carry computer viruses, spy programs.

• There are 3 key features of any spam namely: they are unsolicited (unwanted), they maintain

anonymity of the sender, and they are based on mass mailing (bulk and repeated e-mal

submission)

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Stay away from these words.....

A/B/C

D/E/F

G/I/L

M/N/O

P/R/S

U/W/1

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Stay away from these words.....

A/B/C

Accept credit cards,

act now!, additional

income, affordable,

all natural, all new,

amazing, apply now,

apply online,

bargain, best price,

card accepted, cash

bonus, click here,

congratulations, and

cost/ no cost.

D/E/F

Dear friend, do it

today, double your

income, earn extra

cash, eliminate debt,

extra income, for

free, fast cash, free

gift, free installation,

free membership,

free offer, free

preview and free

website.

G/I/L

Get it now, giving it

away, guarantee,

increase your sales,

incredible deal,

information you

requested,

insurance,

investment/no

investment, legal,

lose and limited time

offer.

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Stay away from these words.....

M/N/O

Message contains,

month trial offer, no

gimmicks, no hidden

costs, no investment,

no obligation, offer,

one time, online

marketing,

opportunity,

order/order now/

order status, and

orders shipped by

P/R/S

Please read,

potential earnings,

pre-approved,

profits, promise you,

real thing, risk free,

satisfaction

guaranteed, see for

yourself, serious

cash, special

promotion and

success

U/W/1

Urgent, weight loss,

win, work at home,

100% free, and

100% satisfied.

8-Dec-16 28

Can valid e-mails become spam?

Legitimate e-mails are treated as spam when:

• Users mark them as spam by mistake instead of

unsubscribing such mails.

• E-mail security vendors receive these spam submissions

from users and block them.

• Emails sent from dynamically allocated IP addresses

- that had previously sent spam.

- that are on the e-mail server's block list.

• When a company has previously sent spam messages to

online users?

Is this really spam?

8-Dec-16 29

Email Specifications 1/3

Keep these layout specifications in mind:

• Your HTML based e-mail template should not be

more than 700 pixels wide.

• Use basic HTML 4.0 tags and avoid using

scripts (JavaScript), image maps, attachments,

embedded media etc.

• Avoid using Flash/ other plug-ins. If you use

them, direct users to web pages where they can

view the plug-in content.

• Make the e-mail template visually appealing to

users.

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Email Specifications – 2/3

Adhere to these formatting specifications:

• Stick to the standard HTML font formatting procedures.

• Avoid adding forms, else keep them simple and avoid scripting.

• Image resolution should be at least 72dpi (dots per inch) for better image quality.

• For e-mails meant for text-only devices (PDAs, cell phones, etc.) wrap text after 65 characters

for better rendition.

8-Dec-16 31

Email Specifications – 3/3

These are key content related specifications:

• All important content (navigation bars, banners etc.) must appear in top 300 pixels of an e-mail.

• Featured content must also display "Above-the-fold" (area roughly 420 pixels in height starting from

the top of an e-mail)

• Enclose the template layout within a 1-pixel width border

• Do not keep important content matter only in images

• The message must provide the users with an unsubscribe link.

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Email marketing software

• Companies utilize software that has the ability to send bulk mails to targeted audiences (current/

prospective)

• Generally these applications send promotional content newsletters to lists of opt-in subscribers.

• The interface of these applications helps businesses manage all aspects of their email campaigns

• Such applications have a database where data relating to audiences, campaigns, message history etc.

is maintained.

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Benefits of e-mail marketing software

• Adds momentum to the overall process of direct

marketing as personalized messages are send to

targeted audiences.

• A scheduler sends e-mail automatically which

ensures marketing plans do not deviate.

• Has tracking features for observing processes such

as e-mail delivery, CTR, mails opened, bounce rate

etc.

• Assists businesses to comply with anti-spam

measures with features like "unsubscribe”.

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What makes an e-mail campaign successful?

Planning Design Test Delivery Tracking

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E-mail etiquette – 1/3

• Never send spam (unsolicited email) and value privacy of online users.

• Sending spam e-mails is unethical and gives a bad name to your brand.

• Update your e-mail lists frequently by removing non-existent and inactive addresses.

• Stick to opt-in advertising as customers anticipate and welcome it.

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E-mail etiquette – 2/3

• Send focused messages that appeal to your users.

• Subject-line should be engaging and not more than 40 characters long.

• Use Times or Arial fonts as they are universally accepted by online audiences.

• Know your target audiences before sending e-mails to them.

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E-mail etiquette – 3/3

• Target your audience on simple demographics, interest, geography etc.

• Your message should display the URL of your site in the beginning itself.

• Do not send attachments but provide links in your e-mails.

• Send replies to leads without wasting time.

8-Dec-16 38

Some definitions – 1/4

• Auto-responders: An application that sends an automatic reply to an e-mail and is used in e-

mail marketing to instantly give information to users. E.g. a confirmation of subscription, un-

subscription, receipt of message etc.

• Blacklist: List of known spammers that usually has details of their IP address or their ISP/

Internet Service Provider and utilized by spam filters to block e-mails originating from these

spammers.

• Bounce message: An automatic warning message that notifies the failure of an email message

delivery to it recipient

• Bounce rate: A ratio of the total number of undeliverable e-mails to the total number of email

sent (defined in percentage terms)

• Bulk e-mail: Also referred to as spam or junk-mail, which includes sending of identical/nearly

identical e-mail messages to numerous people.

8-Dec-16 39

Some definitions – 2/4

• Double opt-in: An e-mail subscription practice where subscribers/users are only added to the opt-in e-

mail distribution list only after users have confirmed their email address for subscription.

• Double opt-out: An e-mail subscription practice wherein subscribers/ users are removed from the opt-in

e-mail distribution list only after they confirm their e-mail address to unsubscribe. An e-mail subscription

practice wherein subscribers/ users are only added to the opt-in e-mail distribution list only after users

have confirmed their e-mail address for subscription.

• HTML e-mail: Is an e-mail format wherein images display along with textual content.

• ISP or IAP: Is a company that provides Internet access and related services to users.

ISP (Internet Service Provider) or IAP (Internet Access Provider)

• Mail bomb: The process of sending bulk e-mail messages to a particular e-mail server/ address with the

objective to disrupt the performance of the mail server and even cause its failure.

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Some definitions – 3/4

• Mailer-daemon: An e-mail server application that is responsible for message delivery and for sending

out the MAILER-DAEMON@somecompany.com message whenever there is an e-mail failure.

• Mailing list: This is a collection of e-mail addresses (this may or may not have additional details of

subscribers) to which messages are sent.

• MIME: This is an Internet standard for transferring files (as attachments) via e-mail.

• Open rate: The ratio of the number of times users opened e-mail messages in HTML format to the

number of e-mail messages that were delivered (defined in percentage terms)

• Opt-in: The act where by potential customers agree to receive e-mails from a particular organization,

which is confirmed by subscribing to a particular e-mail distribution list.

• Opt-out: This term defines an e-mail distribution list that sends messages to users who have not yet

subscribed to the mailing list and also the action where by existing subscribers can unsubscribe from

that list.

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Some definitions – 4/4

• SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol: This is the most commonly used standard for sending e-mails

across the Internet.

• Spam or UBE (Unsolicited Bulk E-mail): A term used for defining the sending of bulk unsolicited/

unwanted / junk e-mail for commercial or non-commercial purposes often with the help of an automated

e-mail marketing software.

• Spam filter: Is an application that filters e-mails received by the user and prevents spam/junk messages

from getting through to their mail inbox.

• Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (UCE): This is another terminology for defining spam e-mail

messages.

• Unsubscribe: The act where by subscribers can choose not to get any further messages from a

particular e-mail distribution list (this can be done by clicking the unsubscribe link displayed at the end of

an e-mail message)

8-Dec-16 42

Key Takeaways

• Target your message to the appropriate audience.

• Avoid sending mails to large and untargeted audiences (SPAM) - this weakens your brand in the eyes of

customers and potential customers

• Learn to let go - have unsubscribe links in your e-mail so people who are not interested in hearing from

you can choose not to receive any more communication from you.

Thank You