the power of email marketing

Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

Leveraging Social Media

2

Contact Information


April Heavens-WoodcockManaging Partner of Touching Clients & Authorized Local Expert of Constant Contact

Visit: www.constantcontact.com/learning-center

Insight Provided by KnowHow

[email protected]

facebook.com/touchingclients@touchingclients

http://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilwoodcock

mailto:[email protected]

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Introduction

This presentation has three parts…


1

2

Connecting to build customer relationships

Informing people who will buy in to your messageand share it with others

3 Growing your businesswith engagement marketing

1 CONNECTSection

Email Marketing Basics


Connecting with your customers

Engaging in profitablecustomer communications

Using email and social media as components of an engagement marketing strategy

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Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 5

Why Engage?

Q. Where will the majority of next month’s business come from?

A. Existing customers


Why Engage?

Q. What is your best source for new business?

A. Existing customers

Engagement Marketing is using technology to make “it” happen


Email marketing Trusting relationships Early relationships Encourage broader relationships

through SMM

Social media marketing New relationships New prospects Encourage deeper relationships

through EM

3 Steps to Building Relationships

Step 2:Connections that enable

ongoing dialog

Prospects

Customers

Step 1:Great customer

experience

You

Step 3:Content that engages

and spreads

Followers

Friends

Friends

Followers

Marketing Today = Building Relationships

Suspects

Five Types of People


Customers DisinterestedProspectsRaving Fans

$

Time… Money… Energy… Effort

Takes 7 touches, on average, for a sale to occur

Some buy right away

Others research and try

Some show interest but don’t trust you

Acquiring Customers


1 2 3 4 5 6 7


Keep Customers Coming Back

The value of a customer

You’ve already paid for them

It’s 6-7 times more expensive to gain a customer than to retain a customer 1

They spend more

Repeat customers spend 67 percent more 2

They are your referral engine

After 10 purchases, a customer has already referred up to 7 people 2

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Sources:

1. Flowtown, 2010

2. Bain and Company


Why Email?

Because almost everyone your business needs to reach reads it:

94% of Internet users between the ages of 18 and 64 send or read email

An even higher number of users ages 65 or older do the same

61% Use a social networking site

147 million people across the country use email, most use it every day

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Sources: Pew Internet and American Life Project 2010


Why Email?

It’s cost-effective: Direct mail vs. email

For the same response, direct mail costs 20 TIMES as much as email 1

Email ROI is the highest when compared to other internet marketing mediums 2

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1 Forrester Research, Inc.

2 Direct Marketing Association

Email Marketing Is Not…

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Junk email

Unsolicited and unwanted email

Email from an unknown sender

Dubious opt-out (if any)


SPAM

Email Marketing Is…

Delivering professional email communications

To an interested audience

Containing information they find valuable

15Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.


Basics of Email Marketing

Setting expectations How many emails sent

When are emails sent

What type of information

Delivering on promises Matching expectations

Providing relevant content

Abiding by CAN SPAM Act

Gaining permission Do they know me?

Do they care?

Utilizing professional services

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Regular Email vs. Email Service Provider

Standard email programs(e.g. Outlook, Hotmail)

Limited # of emails sent at one time

No formatting control

List break up more susceptible to filters

No cohesive branding

No tracking and reporting of email results

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Regular Email vs. Email Service Provider

Email marketing services automate best practices

Provide easy-to-use templates

Reinforce brand identity

Email addressed to recipient only

Manage lists – adding new subscribers, handling bounce-backs, removing unsubscribers

Improve email delivery, track results and obey the law

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Email Basics Checklist

Ask yourself before you begin email marketing…

Do repeat and referral customers help your business?

Do you have a plan for delivering multiple communications?

Is your audience interested in your message?

Is it valuable to them?

Can you make your emails look professional and reflect your brand?

Do you have an Email Service Provider to help manage your strategy?

19Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

1 CONNECTSection

Building a Quality Email List


The benefits of permission-based marketing

Building a valuable contact list

Keeping your list current


Consumers Define Spam

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Build Your List Where You Connect

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Customer & Prospect Database

1

2 3

4

Incoming or Outgoing Calls

Eventsand Meetings

Place of BusinessGuest Book

Guests

5

Online Presence

57% of consumers will fill out a card to receive email alerts when asked to by a clerk at a local small business.Source: Transact Media Group

Email Signature

K Smitheen


Integrate Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing

Make a Join My Mailing List available on all social media platforms.

Make social media buttons a consistent part of all emails.


Collecting Information and Permission

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Include your logo and brand identity

Describe your email content and how often you’ll be sending

Ask about your customers’ interests to stay relevant

Ask for additionalcontact informationwhen necessary

C o n s i d e r a s k i n g f o r y o u r a u d i e n c e ’ s p r e f e r r e d s o c i a l n e t w o r k .


Sending a Welcome Email

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Include your logoand brand identity

Personalize your message

Reinforce permission and ability to change preferences


Using a Permission Reminder

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Keeping Your List Current

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Include your logo and brand identity

Provide a link so subscribers can update contact info

Ask for feedback

Include links to your social sites


List Building and Permission Checklist

Ask yourself as you build your list…

Are you collecting contact information at every customertouch point, including social media?

Are you asking for permission as well as contact information?

Are you clearly describing your email frequency and content?

Are you sending a welcome email or a confirmation email, especially to those who have joined your list via social media?

Are you using permission and subscription reminders tostay current?

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2 INFORMSection

Creating Valuable Email Content


Determining what is valuableto your audience

Choosing an effectiveemail format

Deciding what day andtime to send


Content Has to Meet Your Objectives

“I want to…”

Promote Motivate purchases

Increase event attendance

Inform Inform potential customers

Differentiate my business

Relate Increase loyalty

Encourage more referrals

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Quality Knowledge

Savings

Content Has to Have Valueto Your Audience

Promotional Email

Discounts, coupons, offers, incentives.

Relational Email

Special privileges, acknowledgement

Informative Email

Advice, research, facts, opinions, tips


Coming Up With ValuableEmail and Social Content

Share your expertise

Use facts & testimonials

Give guidance & directions

Offer discounts & coupons

Exclusivity & VIP status

Hold contests & giveaways*

Acknowledge your audience

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* Check applicable regulations before deciding to hold a contest or giveaway


Keeping Email Content Concise

Host large bodies of content… On your website In a PDF document In a longer archived version

Email only essential information Use bullets or summaries Link directly to the information Give instructions if necessary

Repurpose content sound bytes for Social Media Drive social content back to

Email Archive or Website

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Come with Parker Travel Adventure Group and meet fellow travel enthusiasts near you. Join us for our annual rafting trip August 23 _ 26, starting at the base of Glen Canyon. There are still six spaces available for anyone interested in joining the group.

Complete package start $399 with flights from New York and Boston.


Determine Appropriate Format

Newsletters Frequency: Regular i.e. monthly / weekly Lots of educational content (typically non-promotional) Use bullets, summarize information, be concise

Promotions / Invitations / Surveys Frequency: Depends on your business and sales cycle Focus on promotion / limited content Use content to invite click-through or other action

Announcements Frequency: Event-driven Press releases, holiday greetings, thank you cards… Use content to build deeper relationships

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Branding Emails Consistently

Use different formats and similar designs…

Include your logo

Use consistent colors

Use meaningful graphics

Avoid drastic changes

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Calling Your Audience to Action

Calls to Action include… Links to click on

Information to print out

Phone numbers to call

Instructions for reading the email

Instructions for saving the email

Describe the immediate benefits… What’s in it for your audience?

Why should they do it now?

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Frequency & Delivery Time

How often to send Create a master schedule – be consistent! Include frequency in online sign-up “Monthly Newsletter” Keep content concise and relevant to planned frequency Invest time to repurpose content on social channels

When to send When is your audience most likely to read it?

Day of week (Tuesday & Wednesday) Time of day (10am to 3pm)

Test for timing Divide your list into equal parts Send at different times and compare results

Re-stimulate social conversations: repost, retweet

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Get the maximumImpact with

Minimum intrusion.


Use NutshellMail to Engage,on Your Time

Track your Page Insights

Reply from your Inbox

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Read Fan comments

Sign up for a Free

NutshellMail Account.

www.nutshellmail.com


Ask yourself as you create content…

Are you trying to promote, inform, or relate?

What is your audience interested in?

Is your email format branded and supportive of your message?

Is your email concise and does it include a strong call to action?

Does your content match your frequency and timing?

Are you consistently repurposing valuable content on social channels and investing time to engage and respond?

Email Content Checklist

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2 INFORMSection

Getting Email Delivered and Read


Email filters and otherdelivery challenges

Creating email from andsubject lines

Using technology to deliveryour email

Is Your Email Fabulous or Filtered?

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Filtering & Blocking (Avg 81% delivered –

CTCT 97%**)

ESP

Email Authenticated

**Return Path verified


AOL MSN Yahoo other ISPs

Image blocking Block-listing

Individual filters Friends-listing

Bouncing Reputation

Challenge responses Sender authentication

Blocking

Deliverability issues:

Email Spam


Matt Long

[email protected]

Joe Hahn

Nancy Feldman

Getting Email Opened

The “From” line – Do I know you?

Use a name your audience recognizes Include your organization

name or brand

Refer to your business in the same way your audience does

Be consistent

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60% of consumers say the "from" line most often determines whether they open an email or delete it. Source: DoubleClick


[email protected]

Katejohnsonl@verizon,net

Match “From” Line and“From” Email Address

The “From” line – use a familiar email address

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Some email programs display From name + email

Some email programs display only From email


Matt Long

[email protected]

Joe Hahn

Nancy Feldman

Create a Great Subject Line

The “Subject” line – do I care?

Keep it short and simple

30-40 characters including spaces (5-8 words) Incorporate the immediate benefit

of opening the email Capitalize and punctuate carefully

Avoid copying the techniquesinherent in spam emails

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30% of consumers say the “subject" line most often determines whether they open an email or delete it.Source: DoubleClick

Emails with shorter subject lines significantly outperformed emails with longer subject lines. - MailerMailer

Email messages that mention Facebook in the Subject Line will have a 32% higher open rate than those that don’t.-Worldata, 2011


Avoiding “Spam-speak”

The words: free, guarantee, spam, credit card etc.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Excessive punctuation !!!, ???

Excessive use of “click here”

$$, and other symbols

No “From:” address

Misleading subject lines

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SPAM

Example: Typical spam “From” and “Subject” lines


Extend the Reach of Your Email

Make your content shareable

Encourage readers to Like and Share your Email across their social networks

Use a sharebar to gain insights into your contacts’ preferred channels in order to repurpose and broadcast your content

Use a sharebar to collect contacts wherever your email is shared

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Tweet and Share your Email

Tweet a link to your email automatically


Email Delivery Checklist

Ask yourself before you send your message…

Are your images working together with text to identifyyour email?

Are you avoiding spam-like content in your emails?

Is your Email Service Provider authenticating your email?

Is your From line familiar and are you using a familiaremail address?

Does your Subject line include the immediate benefits ofyour email?

Have you extended the reach of your email by makingit sharable?

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3 GROWSection

Increasing Email Click-Through and Response Rates


Tracking and improvingemail delivery

Increasing opens, clicks,and forwards

Reducing unsubscribe requests


Tracking and Reporting

Email Client

Constant Contact Reporting Page


Measure Increases in Overall Reach

Social Stats shows “Shares” and “Likes” for Shared Email Campaigns


Deal with Bounced &Blocked Email

Non-existent address Check for obvious misspellings

Try to obtain a new address

Undeliverable/mailbox full/email blocked Try re-sending later

Correct temporary issues

Obtain a new address if arecurring issue is present

Bounce Management


Analyze “Open” Rates

Use open tracking to spot trendsOpen rates trending down

Fewer subscribers are enabling images

Fewer subscribers are clicking links

Steady open rates Assume email is being received

Check your ESP’s average delivery rate

Reporting Page


Capitalize on Click-Throughs

Use click tracking to determine: Audience interests

Clicks tell you what topics were interesting

Save clickers in an interest list for targeted follow up

Goal achievement Use links to drive traffic toward conversion

Compare clicks to conversions and improve

Reporting Page


Encourage and Reward Email Forwards and Online Reviews

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Forwards Use your forward report to:

Thank people who forward your emails

Learn about the value of your email content

Encourage online reviews by those who forward your emails

Help your most passionate customers spread the word Ask them to forward your

email and write online reviews


Understand Unsubscribe Requests

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An unsubscribe request happens when your subscriber no longer wants to receive your emails

Offer your subscriberspermanent list removal

Best practice is automatic removal with an unsubscribe link


Reduce Unsubscribe Requests

Why do people unsubscribe?

Over-communication

Irrelevant content

Poor targeting

Enable your audience to leave comments when unsubscribing from your list

Take action on feedback

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Email Tracking and Response Checklist

Ask yourself after you send…

Are there any bounced or blocked emails that require attention?

Is your open rate trending upward or downward?

Are you measuring your increase in overall reach, including social networks?

Did your audience take action on your email by clicking through or forwarding your email? What were they interested in? Are you encouraging online reviews by these customers?

Did anyone unsubscribe from your list? Did they give you actionable feedback?

Did you identify any areas for improvement so your next email is more targeted

and more effective?

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Visit: www.constantcontact.com/learning-center

Insight Provided by KnowHow

Thank You & Questions


April Heavens-WoodcockManaging Partner Touching Clients & Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact

[email protected]

facebook.com/kellyflint.constantcontact

@touchingclients

http://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilwoodcock

the power of email marketing

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