Don’t Just Hit Send! Optimizing Email for Today’s Content Driven Marketing

Don’t Just Hit Send!Optimizing Email for Today’s Content

Driven Marketing

Presented by:

Brad Gustavesen/VP, Partnerbrad.gustavesen@ten24web.com

Anna Barcelos/Dir. Client Solutionsanna.barcelos@ten24web.com

ten24 Web Solutionswww.ten24web.com

What are we talking about today?

• B2B email marketing trends & stats1. Where is e-mail headed?2. Where are other marketers spending their time and money?

• Email as part of integrated marketing1. Email as a piece of online marketing strategy2. Implications and impact in social media

• Email best practices & optimization1. Optimizing and enhancing your messaging2. Tips and tricks to drive clickthrough and conversion

• Analytics and measurement1. How can you measure your success?2. What metrics are important?

Email is only one piece of the big picture

Email

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/toprankblog/4619284166/

Email marketing received the most digital investment

Source: Google 2011 B2B Marketing Outlook

Attitudes towards email are improving

B2B marketers’ priorities for email marketing

What’s changing?

• Social Media integrationSharing e-mail content across the social environment; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

• Deliverability Challenges• ISPs, e-mail clients and users • Impact of SPAM and deliverability challenges

continues• Priority Inbox

• MobileHow we read and reply to e-mail is changing.13% of e-mail is opened on a mobile device.

Optimize email for mobile – increasing email access on phones

You want to read my email where?!

January 2010 vs. January 2011*ComScore

• Growing User BaseYear over year growth for mobile users – 59%

• Mobile Only10% of your audience (and growing) is mobile only

• Combination Reader 40% of your audience is mobile & PC. Could be the same message.

• Analysis is KeyReview trends in how users are clicking and where there interests are.

• Key Adjustments• Use short subject lines• Sender “names” need to be smaller

PCs, Smartphones and Tablets…oh my!

320 pixels

600+ pixels

• Message flexibility.“Children’s Book” approach

• Design challenges • Good news and bad news• Old phones - don’t read e-mail

• Design Constraints• The width challenge... 600 vs.

340• Move to single column

• Changes In Interaction• My clumsy fingers• Links, downloads and forms

Biggest Campaign Challenges

• Where do I get content?

• How often can I develop content?

• What is my audience looking for and how much do they value what I’m sending?

So much valuable content can be repurposed

The most effective tactics for developing marketing content

Types of content to repurpose for emails

Presentations

Videos

Surveys

Case StudiesAds

Emails

Being social and connected

If You’re Social• If you’re social – design your messaging that

way.• Facebook, Twitter, YouTube links

Enhance What You’re Already Doing• Another method for tracking interest. What are

subscribers “like”-ing• What generates comments?

It All Integrates• Promote newsletter • Fans, followers can become subscribers• Facebook pages + forms

What happens when you’re social?

Source: GetResponse Email Marketing and Social Media Integration Report - 6/2010

• Allow subscribers to share the way they want.• Reduced risk for “sharer” of content

Rapidly changing trends… Oh no you didn’t?!

Forward to Friend• No one uses “forward to friend” features

anymore. They just “forward.”• Lack of trust. “Did you just spam me!?”

Where’s the web version?• Can subscribers link to your content?• How can they get around their own email client

/ technology?

Too Much Technology• Forms, videos are cutting edge, but…• Aren’t likely to work and damage your

credibility.

Connecting Your E-mail Campaign & Website

Source: http://www.instantevaluatereports.com/VisitorsDemo/index.html

Use e-mail to feature more valuable content that is best delivered on your website

Browser Appropriate Content• YouTube / video links• PDFs and file downloads

Gather More Data• Polls & Surveys• Registration and order forms

Analyzing• Review where subscribers

and what content theywant to consume

Let’s talk layout

The Pre-Header

• The “Movie Trailer” of your messaging• “So, why do I want to read this?”• Call-To-Action• Impact on clickthrough and conversion• A/B Test: 5% more conversions

Let’s talk layout

Above The Fold

• Designing for the preview pane• The most important content – the first 3”• Difficult to write and difficult to design

No call to action. Nothing to do.

Let’s talk layout

Website Integration

• Navigational consistency• Maintain design standards• Provide alternatives to main e-mail

content

Let’s talk layout

Contact Us

• E-mail looks great, how can I follow up?• Are the next steps clear?

Where’s the phone number?

So you got my attention?

• ObjectiveWhy are you sending this?What’s the most important thing you want a subscriber to do?Ex: whitepaper download, buy something

• Clean MessagingCluttered design is confusing, hard to measure and too easy to delete

• Filling the HopperDon’t cram the message - save for tomorrow.

Great Expectations

• Subscriber ExpectationsWhat expectations were set at subscription?

• Delivering The Right ContentWhere customers subscribe determines…• How much they know about your company?• Have you done business before?

• Comparing Profiles to Your Content SourcesAnalyze your subscriber data for insight into the type of content to generate

Most effective list growth tactics

Revitalize your list building efforts

1. Optimize Existing Subscription Channels• Review existing subscription channels.• Analytics and statistics from those channels.• Review trends over time.

2. Look for new opportunities online• Is your site fully optimized?• Are opt-in options placed on your web forms?• Do all pages include subscription form?

3. Look at offline opportunities• How are you dealing with leads from tradeshows? • Look at the data-funnel within your CRM / lead management chain? Are those

subscribers ending up in your list, if appropriate?

Doesn’t anyone love me?

• Tracking Who’s Who?• Do you know where everyone came from?

Easiest form of segmentation

• Large Database vs. Complete Database• Incorporating customer data and information into

your subscriber list

• Periodic Review & Maintenance• Reviewing what you have and how you can use it

Who are you people anyway?

• How many subscribers should I have?• How often should I send?• What’s the best time to send?• What’s a good open rate?

Answer: I have no idea. Let’s test it!

Most common questions – one answer

What metrics are most important to B2B marketers

Benchmark your own email campaigns…

• Keeping it simple.• One message. Two versions.• Worry about multi-variate when you get a pay raise.

Seriously.

• Measure and follow up.• Testing and not measuring = criminal• Take time to review before next mailing / campaign

• Follow trends• Helpful for unsubscribes, clickthroughs and conversions.

• Not sure? Test it.• Analytics and data is a great way to win arguments (and get

that raise!)

Talking testing…

• Follow the Competition• Subscribe to your competitors

newsletters using a web service• Subscriber to leading B2C and

content providers (ex: Groupon, Daily Candy)

• Images are so tempting• Let content lead – design should

follow• Beautifully designed messages look

great until you want to download them.

• Connect immediately• Follow Up is Huge• When someone subscribes say

“Thanks”.

Final tips and tricks

Yes, a real e-mail with no images

• Unsubscribes are ok! • Don’t worry - people still love you.

• I won’t forget that e-mail marketing works• Consistency is key to any e-mail marketing program.

Forget about using it as a tool and it can’t work.

• Simplicity = Good• Simplicity is easy to manage, analyze and drives

business.

Repeat after me…

Thank you!

Questions?

Brad Gustavesen/VP, Partnerbrad.gustavesen@ten24web.com

Anna Barcelos/Dir. Client Solutionsanna.barcelos@ten24web.com

ten24 Web Solutionswww.ten24web.com