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Effective Email Marketing
Dave ArcherPresident and CEO
(775) 315-7635
[email protected] / www.NCET.org
NCET
• Northern Nevada-based 501(c)3
• Helps Nevadans start and grow businesses
• Monthly and annual educational events
• Serves as a clearinghouse and marketing arm for nonprofit and gov’t resources
Why Use Email Marketing
• Effective• Relatively inexpensive• Timely• Flexible
The Key to Successful
Email Marketing is…
Your List
Email Goals• Build and maintain quality list• Maximize open rates• Maximize conversion rates:
– Purchases– Downloads– Click-thru – Other
• Minimize unsubscribes / spam reports
NCET Email• Email service: Constant Contact
• Email list ~10,000 Nevada business, community and educational leaders– Built one email address at a time
• 1.7 million emails per year– From 1 to 7 email each week
– Event / Program Promotion, Newsletters
• Open rate ~ 14%
List Maintenance• Lists need TLC - and lots of it
– Unsubscribes and address changes erode lists fast
• Beware of list fatigue– Conversion rate vs unsubscribe rate
• Bounces– Contact individuals to verify correct email address or for
updates
• Blocks– Contact individuals / IT departments about spam filters,
white lists, etc.
• Buying or Renting Lists– Friends don’t let friends buy lists.
• Creating lists– Customers– New contacts / business cards– Webpage sign up form
• Unsubscribes / spam reports
List Maintenance
Effective
Emails
Email Addresses
• Your email address is as important as your brand
– Carefully consider your name and domain
– Should be consistent with your brand
• Selecting a name and a domain name
– .com, .edu, .gov, .net, .org
– Be careful with .biz
– Gmail, Yahoo, AOL?
Developing Effective E-Mails
• Format• Subject Line• Call to Action• Email Length• Frequency• Graphic and Image
• Background• Fonts• Colors• Dimensions• Compatibility• Attachments
Format: HTML vs Text
Subject Line
• Grab reader’s attention• Don’t mislead - deliver what you promise• A-B testing of different subject lines• Avoid spam filter traps
– http://spamassassin.apache.org
Call to Action
• What do you want your reader to do?– Call now– Buy– RSVP– Click-thru– Save-the-date– Image advertising
Email Length
• Need to capture attention in first sentence• Unless it’s a newsletter, keep it “above the
fold”
Above the fold
Frequency• Know your audience
– Weekly? Monthly?• Recipients will accept emails that deliver
something new, interesting or important• Will be irritated by emails containing
“useless” or repetitive information and will unsubscribe
Graphic and Images
• Too many images can distract• Too many images can increase download
times• Test by sending to yourself• How does it look on your phone?
Backgrounds• Avoid busy backgrounds• White is good…
Colors• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read? • Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?
Fonts
• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read? • Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?• Which is easiest to read?
Colors
Dimensions
• 600 – 720 pixels wide– Avoid requiring reader to scroll across email
to read• Above the fold is ideal
– Give reader a reason to scroll down
Compatibility
• HTML• Non-HTML/Text• Mac• iOS / Android
• Test your emails on different Macs/PCs, phones, etc.
Attachments
• People hesitate to open them because of possible viruses, worms etc.
• Creates yet another barrier to communicating your message
BREAKING NEWS: Bugs in your food
“The High Notes, revised”
Festive finds
Measuring Success
• Spam reports• Unsubscribes• Bounces
• Open Rates• Click-Throughs
Email Vendors
Database Software - $150 - $300
Email Editing Software
$100 - $500
Spam
• Don’t send spam– Use built-in spam checker or 3rd party service
such as http://spamassassin.apache.org• Don’t be perceived as spam
– Frequency– Content
• “Opt-in” is the best policy
