E-Newsletter best practices

Marie-Line GendronDigital Marketing and Social Media Community Manager

E-NEWSLETTER – GUIDE

Session Plan Relationship

beginning

Format

optimization

Content Look Relationship

ending KPIs Testing Pricing Questions

Relationship beginning

Subscription

method Timing is

everything

Relation beginning

General Format Content Look KPIs Pricing

Subscription Method Best practice: confirmed opt-in

E-newsletters must be sent only to confirmed subscribers

“Marketing email should only be sent to recipients who have provided their consent to receive such information.(…) If organizations have not obtained the express consent of recipients prior to sending these types of email messages, then they are sending spam. “ - PIPEDA

http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/LegislativeSummaries/bills_ls.asp?Language=E&ls=C28&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&source=library_prb#a6

Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents ActCame into full force throughout Canada in January 2004; establishes the obligations of those who collect, use and disclose personal electronic-mail addresses.

Beginning Format Content Look Ending KPIs Testing Pricing

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/eng/gv00330.html#bp2

http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/LegislativeSummaries/bills_ls.asp?Language=E&ls=C28&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&source=library_prb

http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/LegislativeSummaries/bills_ls.asp?Language=E&ls=C28&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3&source=library_prb

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-8.6/index.html

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-8.6/index.html

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/eng/gv00330.html

Subscription Method Best practice: Confirmed opt-in

Suscription

Confirmation sent by

mail to subscriber

Confirmation

accepted by

susbcriber

Excellent timing to ask for addition in subscriber’s contact list

Relation beginning


http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/email-newsletter-best-practices/ http://www.theemarketingblog.com/page/2/

http://www.brownbearmedia.com/blog/web-marketing-2/whento-send-email-newsletter

Relationship beginning Timing is everything

▪ Best practice: When members are ready to convert!

▪ All sources won’t agree but…▪ AVOID Monday mornings▪ Information retention lasts 48h

▪ Split of mailing list… test diff. hours / days▪ Find the sweet spot▪ Consistency, consistency, consistency!


http://mashable.com/2011/08/31/email-newsletter-best-practices/

http://www.theemarketingblog.com/page/2/

http://www.brownbearmedia.com/blog/web-marketing-2/whento-send-email-newsletter

Format Optimization Size Weight

Images or

text?

Format Optimization Size

Best practice: Optimize your design for: Optimal width: 600-700px Above fold pixels (200-300 px)

are crucial: let’s be strategic! Test (Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail,

Hotmail)

Weight Best practice: less than 30-40kb Actual: all around 15kb


http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/05/dos-and-donts-for-designing-email-newsletters/


Format Optimization Image or text?...or both?

Best practice: Multi-Part MIME format▪ 5% of readers can’t read HTML format▪ Sends an HTML email + a text format▪ 100% of recipients can read it▪ Most email clients turn images off by

default unless the recipient explicitly turns them on (i.e. Outlook, Gmail and others)


The Content Object Sender’s name Printable version Ressource person Links towards the Website

Link – Friend referal Link – Subscr. to newsletter Link – Confid. policy

The Content Object

Best practice: Simply reflect the content▪ Between 3-7 words▪ Between 20-50 characters▪ Let the reader know the intervals of

communication

Sender’s name Best practice: Name of the brand/Club

▪ No creativity contest!

https://www.washington.edu/externalaffairs/uwmarketing/bestpractices/ecomm/docs/DesignGuide.pdf



The Content Object and sender’s name


“ Every email marketing communication should clearly identify the sender of the email. The subject line and body text in the communication should accurately reflect the content, origin and purpose of the communication.” - PIPEDAExample:Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 07:32:02 -0400From: Bell Canada - Electronic bill <[email protected]>TO: JOE CONSUMER " <[email protected]>Subject: Your Bell e-bill is ready / Votre facture électronique est prête



The Content

Printable Version Just make it easier! Goal: help content sharing

Ressource person 53% of enterprises have a contact

person in their e-newsletters Reassuring to know you can

contact someone 24/7 about your e-newsletter

http://www.lyris.com/resources/email-marketing/articles/email-best-practices


Friends referral link Best practice:

insert friends referral link in e-newsletters

Based on the assomption that:

▪ New moms probably know a lot of new moms…

▪ Diabetics probably know a lot of diabetics…

▪ Moms with picky eaters probably know a lot of moms with picky eaters…

The Content


Links towards the Web site Create traffic to your Website Build your e-newsletter with a specific

goal Avoid "click here" links Use actionable language such as

"read more . . .", "donate", or "unsubscribe"

Link – Subscription to the newsletter If “share with a friend” link is

inserted

The Content


Link – Confidentiality Policy The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents

Act (PIPEDA) :

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/eng/h_gv00045.html

“ Every email should provide a link to the sender's privacy policy. The privacy policy should explain the intended use and disclosure of any personal information that might be gathered through "clickstream" means or other website monitoring techniques.” - PIPEDA

The Content


http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/eng/h_gv00045.html

The Look

F design Consistency Images Include a footer Branding What to bribe about

The Look F design : how the human eye reads online!


Consistency standard number of articles standard format for writing articles same colors and disposition of elements

within your e-newsletter

Benefits: Builds "brand identity" with your subscribers Makes it easier to scan and read your

e-newsletters Makes it easier for you to test and improve!

http://groundwire.org/resources/articles/writing-newsletters-best-practices

The Look



Images A few compelling pictures next to

text is just fine, so long as your design doesn't depend on them being there to look good

E-mail messages based mainly on graphic images often are caught or blocked by SPAM filters

Include a footer Helps establishing the end of

content.


The Look



Branding universe Recreate your branding universe Consistency!

What to bribe about? Keep it short! Grab people's attention: easily

digestible bits of information. Differenciate with added value:

▪ Articles▪ Videos (double the click rate)▪ Tone (same as website)▪ Exclusive offers


The Look



Opt-out method

Relationship ending

Relationship ending Opt-out method

Best practice: Confirmed opt-out“ In all email messages to current customers,

organizations must include an opportunity for the recipient to opt out. This opportunity should not be buried in the email message and must, at minimum, be website- and/or email-enabled. The language used should be as simple as: "If you no longer wish to receive marketing offers from this organization, please click here or email [email protected].“ - PIPEDA


Opt-out method Best practice: Confirmed

opt-out

Opt-outOpt-out

confirmation page

Confirmation

accepted by

subscribers

Confirm opt-out + ask why (1Q) and

build your understanding of

consumers’ behavior http://www.lyris.com/resources/email-marketing/articles/email-best-practices http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/fra/gv00330.html

Relationship ending


http://www.lyris.com/resources/email-marketing/articles/email-best-practices

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ecic-ceac.nsf/fra/gv00330.html

Relationship ending Opt-out method

Best practice: Confirmed opt-out


The KPIs What to measure? How often? What are the benchmarks?

"Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay."- Sherlock Holmes

The KPIsMeasures (provided by the service provider):• Nb of email sent• Nb of opened email• Nb of rejected email• Nb of opt-out (by segment: nb of years, email prompting opt-out)• Nb of clics per element (tracked) + total

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) :- Nb of delivered emails (email sent – rejected emails)- Delivery rate (delivered emails / sent emails)- Opt-out rate (nb of opt-out / delivered emails)- Open rate* (opened emails / delivered emails)- Attrition rate of the email base ( nb of unsubscribing / total number of bases’

emails)


http://www.renaud-bray.com/Livres_Produit.aspx?id=1039757&def=Web+analytics,MALO,+NICOLAS,WARREN,+JACQUES,9782212544817

http://www.renaud-bray.com/Livres_Produit.aspx?id=1039757&def=Web+analytics,MALO,+NICOLAS,WARREN,+JACQUES,9782212544817

The KPIs

Google Analytics integration (with tracking code):• % trafic generated by email• Bounce rate on landing page (for this particular trafic source)• Click rate on the landing page (for this particular trafic source)• Conversion generated (nb and %) (between 0,1% and 2%)


Testing

E-mail subject Format Content Date/hour of

sending Landing page Offers Trigger buttons

‘name’

Testing


What to test? E-newsletter’s components (subject,

images, copy, trigger buttons, etc.) E-newsletter’s look in major web-based

email services (i.e. Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook)

Timing of sending

How to test? Components: A/B testing (trackers through

G.A.) Look: by opening accounts

How often? Components: every e-newsletter is an

opportunity Look: once

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_A/B


http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_A/B


The Pricing-

Are you paying too

much…?

Période de questionsMerci de votre confiance !