Email Marketing Success

1. Email Marketing Success Dan Belhassen greatBIGnews.com Modernearth.net

2. Introductions Modern Earth Inc. an Internet marketing company Dan Belhassen Founder & President Susan HurrellDirector of Marketing

3. IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

4. Important Definitions Open Rate Rate at which your messages are opened Important! “opened” does not mean read!

5. Important Definitions Click Through Rate (CTR) Rate at which recipients are clicking on links. Number of recipients that clicked ------ divided by ------ total number of recipients

6. Important Definitions Bounce Rate Unable to deliver an email to a recipient. Soft Bounce Temporarily undeliverable Hard Bounce Permanently undeliverable

7. Important Definitions Subscribe Rate • Rate at which your list is growing • Based on “personal best”

8. Important Definitions Subscribe Rate • Rate at which your list is growing • Based on “personal best” Active Subscriber • Subscriber who is either opening or clicking • 50% active / 24% nappers / 26% dormant

9. Important Definitions Subscribe Rate • Rate at which your list is growing • Based on “personal best” Active Subscriber • Subscriber who is either opening or clicking • 50% active / 24% nappers / 26% dormant Unsubscribe Rate • Rate at which subscribers are “opting out” • .1% - .2% across industries (per send)

10. Important Definitions Subscribe Rate • Rate at which your list is growing • Based on “personal best” Active Subscriber • Subscriber who is either opening or clicking • 50% active / 24% nappers / 26% dormant Unsubscribe Rate • Rate at which subscribers are “opting out” • .1% - .2% across industries (per send) Conversion Rate • Multiple definitions… • Most important: Rate at which subscribers are ultimately “taking action”

11. Identifying your Segments

12. Identifying your Segments

13. One Large List • Easiest / Quickest • Typical starting point • Better than nothing • Hard to target Segmented Lists • Many ways to segment • More effort / thought

14. One Large List • Easiest / Quickest • Typical starting point • Better than nothing • Hard to target Segmented Lists • Many ways to segment • More effort / thought 15% better opens and clicks!

15. Why does Segmentation Help? Language • Customize your language based on who they are, or your relationship • Thank a subscriber for attending sessions in the last 3 years • Welcome them back since they haven’t taken a session in 1 year

16. Why does Segmentation Help? Content • Customize your content based on their interest areas • Last year you took a digital camera secrets course, now learn even more techniques with a Photoshop secrets class!

17. Why does Segmentation Help? Motivation • Do they register at a last minute? • Do they register for only classes Tuesday evening? • Do they register for “exotic” classes? • Only a few seats left! • Announcing Terrific Tuesday Training sessions! • Heard of neural reprogramming theory? This class will ….

18. Segmentation Strategies Frequency • Best (repeat) Registrants • Recent Registrants Content Category • Computer skills • Health & Fitness • Family activities • Personal Development • Business skills Age Demographic • Small Kids (parents) • Youth (co-marketed) • Young Adults • Established Adults • Golden Adults Geography • Zip code

19. Obtaining Segments LERN • Follow Best Practices • Identify 7 Segments Self Identifying Based on History Based on Age Based on Location

20. Growing your List Universal Capture! • Brochure • Website • Email Footers • Social Media • Print Posters • Phone Calls • In person • Post-class Surveys • Contests/Incentives

21. Growing your List Buying Lists Consider co-marketing • Associations • Trading Groups • Media • Chambers of Commerce • Targeted Bloggers

22. Growing your List Privacy & Anti Spam Canada (CASL) • US requirements, plus: • Fresh opt-In consent • Time limits • Track how obtained • Potential liability for officers and directors • $10M per violation (company) • $1M per violation (individual) United States (CAN-SPAM) • No deceptive subject lines or headers • Provide opt-out method • Clearly identify as commercial • Include physical mailing • Recipient expressly consented

23. Content is king

24. Components • Subject line • From address/name • Email body

25. “55.9% of respondents cited knowing and trusting the sender as the primary reason for opening an email.” “64% of people say they open an email based on subject line” “79% of the respondents said they hit the "report spam" button when they don't know who the sender is” “Including the company name in the subject line can increase open rates by up to 32 percent to 60 percent over a subject line without branding. “

26. subject from

27. Clarity is best! • The subject line should describe what the body content is about • Make it clear enough to help the receiver delete it • WHAT? Yes! • They should be trained that the subject line is directly related to content • Overall open rates will improve over time • But what makes a good subject line?

28. Length Matters • 15-20 words / 120 characters • In some tests 115% increase in open rates

29. Use “timely” and “key” words • 'Report' (-23.7% opens, -54.8% CTR) • ‘Webinar' (-16.6%, -70.7%.) • 'News' (+34.8%, +47.7%) • 'Bulletin' (+15.8%, +12.7%) • 'Video' (+18.5%, +64.8%)

30. Content is King • Money Talks • 'Sale' delivers +23.2% opens • 'Save' delivers only +3.4% opens • Test “% off” for B2B • Avoid “Free” and “half price”

31. Sticks and Stones • Focus on key benefits • Speakers • Experiences • Results • Instead of features • “Conference” • “seminar” • “workshop”

32. Creativity vs Clarity Creative • “Off the couch and into the action!” • “Tools for design professionals” • “Beyond Zumba – freaky fitness” Clear • Saturday Mountain Biking Tour • Photoshop – 9 FX House Design Secrets • Wall Climbing – You’ve always wanted to try it! Average 19% Lift for “Clarity”

33. From Address & Name Make sure your name is visible • From Address • Name

34. From Address & Name Body Content • Layout & Structure • Call to Action

35. Templated Segmentation • Sample “General” template

36. Sample “GenX” template

37. Sample “GenY” template

38. Headlines • Your headlines must: • Grab attention in a matter of seconds • Earn or regain the trust of your relationship with the recipient • “make sense” to someone outside your internal world (no insider jargon) • Make them want to open (or quickly delete) • Tell the recipient what is in it for THEM!

39. Calls to Action • Clearly communicate the next action they should take • Tell your recipient what to do!

40. Use “calls to action”

41. Use “calls to action”

42. Use “calls to action” Classy art Everything on one page 1 2 3

43. Targeted Follow ups • Most email marketing systems will provide • Everyone who opens a promo • Everyone who clicks on a link • Create a follow up list based on opens and clicks • Send a targeted follow up

44. Sample initial promo

45. Targeted Follow ups • Sample follow up

46. Maximize Opens • But, why guess when you can measure? • Take 25% of your list and divide into A/B groups • Send subject 1 to group A • Send subject 2 to group B • Send the “winning” subject line to the remaining group

47. Maximize Opens • But, why guess when you can measure? • Take 25% of your list and divide into A/B groups • Send subject 1 to group A • Send subject 2 to group B • Send the “winning” subject line to the remaining group • GRAPHIC: MAKE IT BIGGER! • Use your statistics to improve your success

48. Maximize Opens • But, why guess when you can measure? • Take 25% of your list and divide into A/B groups • Send subject 1 to group A • Send subject 2 to group B • Send the “winning” subject line to the remaining group • Use your statistics to improve your success 17% 23%

49. Maximize Opens • Which are better for your audience? • Specific deadlines • Price (eg: discounts) • Urgency • Don’t miss out on great fall courses! OR • Fall course calender now available

50. Moving to… Responsive Design • 50% emails opened on mobile devices in 2013