5 keys to Email Marketing

Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

5 Keys to Email Marketing

Email Marketing Is…

Delivering professional email communications

To an interested audience

Containing information they find valuable

2Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc.

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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

Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc. 3

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One-time touch

Unlikely to ReturnInterested (Buy Later)

Not Now (Maybe Later)

No Interest

Immediate Purchaser Immediate Purchase

Communications Impact

Unlikely to ReturnNo Interest

Capture Interests

& Communicate Regularly

Interested (Buy Later)

Not Now (Maybe Later)

Follow-up Purchases

& introduce to other products/services

Immediate Purchaser

Ongoing Interaction

Converting Leads to Customers



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


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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1Key #

Build Your List

With Permission



Build Your List Where You Connect

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Customer & Prospect Database

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2 3

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Incoming or Outgoing Calls

Eventsand Meetings

Place of BusinessGuest Book

Guests

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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

Types of Permission

Types of permission Explicit: Opt in from your website or storefront

■ “Join our mailing list”■ Single vs. Double Opt-in

Implicit: Requests for information / registration forms, existing customer relationship

Note: Always make sure to ask for permission when collecting information

Copyright © 2011 Constant Contact, Inc


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.

2Key #

Set Your Objectives



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

3Key #

Choose the Appropriate

Format & Frequency



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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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

4Key #

Get Your Emails Opened



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


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

5Key #

Create Compelling Content



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


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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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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6BONUS - Key #

Track Your Results



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


Measure Increases in Overall Reach

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

Take the Next Step

Sign up for a free Email Marketing trial.Satisfaction guaranteed.

Arm yourself with the tools, playbook, and coaching to get your first campaign in front of your email subscribers and social networks. Watch your business grow!

Sign up today! Fill out a card at the registration deskor

Call toll-free: 866-876-8464

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Thank You & Questions


Steve RobinsonSenior Regional Development Director | Illinois

[email protected]

Search for Constant Contact Illinois

@ctctillinois

Search for Steve Robinson

www.constantcontact.com/illinois

Upcoming Seminars

Visit: www.constantcontact.com/learning-center

Insight Provided by KnowHow

Customer Spotlight: Basket Thyme

List Size: 5,179

Open Rate: 33.9%

Location: Highland Park, IL

Customer Since: April, 2006

Website: www.basketthyme.com

Sends frequent promotion campaigns as well as announcements, event invitations and holiday greetings.

Uses reports to analyze success of campaigns.

Professional look of templates helped establish business presence and credibility.

Sees immediate increase in business after sending a campaign — sometimes by as much as 20%.

“Because I’ve gotten in front of my customers, they remember me for their special occasions.”

Sue Monhait, owner


http://www.basketthyme.com/

Customer Spotlight: Chicago a cappella

List Size: 3,267

Open Rate: 29.40%

Location: Chicago, IL

Customer Since: April, 2004

Website: www.chicagoacappella.org

Sends out monthly newsletter with concert updates, behind-the-scenes info, and event notices.

Able to reach broader audience for less money.

Appreciates CTCT customer support responsiveness and Hints & Tips email marketing best practices newsletter

Enthusiastic response to special offer expanded audience.

“Like most organizations we couldn’t survive without effective email communications.“

Matt Greenberg, executive director


Customer Spotlight: Wesley Foundation

List Size: 291

Open Rate: 49%

Location: Urbana, IL

Customer Since: August 2006

Website: www.wesleyui.org

Announces new projects and services

Provides links to register for events

Links to areas of interest on website

“With our pre-established email list there was no database work that needed to be done and we knew we wouldn't miss any of the daily devotions. It is so nice letting our congregants decide what they do and do not want to receive.”

Robert Kirby,

Wesley Foundation

http://www.wesleyui.org/


Customer Spotlight: Big Jones

List Size: 3237

Open Rate: 32.1%

Location: Chicago, IL & Suburbs

Customer Since: 2008

Includes a mix of content in each email

Closely monitors opens for each email and compares to previous emails so they can determine how to keep emails interesting

All of our Constant Contact emails have links to our Twitter, Facebook, and blog channels

“The best way we know that our emails are effective is when customers talk to us in person and tell us that they are dining with us because of a special that we mentioned in a recent email!”

Mark Armantrout

Big Jones Restaurants


Customer Spotlight: Anchor Advisors

List Size: 713

Open Rate: 32.3%



Content is hard, and good content is really hard. The key to having high quality, consistent content is to get help

Being concise is critical. We post just a paragraph in the newsletter, then let them click through to the website to see the rest

My newsletter article is always content that I'm also sharing in those other channels

“The newsletter helps to keep us top of mind and to demonstrate expertise so that we can SHOW and not just tell people about what we do.”

Brad Farris

Anchor Advisors


Customer Spotlight: Friends of the Parks

List Size: 713

Open Rate: 32.3%



Friends of the Parks is a nonprofit park advocacy group dedicated to preserving, protecting, and improving Chicago’s parks and forest preserves for all citizens.

Using email tools to organize numerous volunteer work days, including many around Earth Day – tree plantings, clean-up days, etc.

When using Outlook to manage email lists and send basic text “newsletters” to members and volunteers she knew that she needed a better solution. After switching to Constant Contact, what used to take her 30 minutes to send, now takes her seconds.

“We switched to the smaller mailing, and are letting our email and event marketing tools do the heavy lifting at a fraction of the cost. We are saving a lot of money by using email.”

Amy Donatell

Friends of the Parks

Technology

5 keys to Email Marketing