Using Welcome Emails to Drive Increased Engagement and ROI Silverpop UK Webinar December 2008

Speakers & Agenda Loren McDonald VP, Industry Relations Silverpop Julie Joseph Senior Account Director Silverpop Agenda Why Welcome Emails? Elements of a Welcome Program Welcome Email Examples & Best Practices Questions & Answers

Loren McDonald

VP, Industry Relations

Silverpop

Julie Joseph

Senior Account Director

Silverpop

Agenda

Why Welcome Emails?

Elements of a Welcome Program

Welcome Email Examples & Best Practices

Questions & Answers

Why Welcome Emails? UK Attendee: +44 (0) 870 738 0742, access code 434-825-161 US Attendee: (712) 432-1399, access code 434-825-161 Germany Attendee: +49 (0) 180 5007 632, access code 434-825-161 Netherlands Attendee: +31 (0) 870 001 939, access code 434-825-161

List Churn and Inactives – The Good, Bad and So-So The bad news… A typical list will lose 1/3 of its members each year Bounces + spam complaints + unsubscribes = 2-4% / month 25% to 80% of your list is inactive Subscriber has not opened or clicked in specific time frame (e.g., 6, 12 months+) The good news… Churn can be reduced You control most of your destiny Some inactives can be reengaged The so-so news… Most are lost

The bad news…

A typical list will lose 1/3 of its members each year

Bounces + spam complaints + unsubscribes = 2-4% / month

25% to 80% of your list is inactive

Subscriber has not opened or clicked in specific time frame (e.g., 6, 12 months+)

The good news…

Churn can be reduced

You control most of your destiny

Some inactives can be reengaged

The so-so news…

Most are lost

The Honeymoon is over! Research by marketing publisher MarketingSherpa shows email subscriber interest begins to disintegrate as soon as two weeks after the opt-in, as measured by the open rate. Within two months, the open rate typically falls 20% to 25%.

Why Recipients Unsubscribe Too Frequent Irrelevant Content/Offers

Too Frequent

Irrelevant Content/Offers

Elements of a Welcome Email Programme

Subscriber Email Touch Progression Opt-in form DOI Confirmation Email Welcome Email or Series Regular Email Program

Engage and Delight…Every Step of the Way Dating Build trust with transparency Preferences on opt-in Engagement Welcome programmes Bring the flowers Marriage Deliver on expectations Preference updates Move to lifecycle, trigger and behavioral-based programs Divorce Provide alternatives to unsubscribing

Dating

Build trust with transparency

Preferences on opt-in

Engagement

Welcome programmes

Bring the flowers

Marriage

Deliver on expectations

Preference updates

Move to lifecycle, trigger and behavioral-based programs

Divorce

Provide alternatives to unsubscribing

Goals and Purpose Goals Speed up conversion Minimise list churn Strengthen brand perception Reduce inactivity Purpose Educate subscriber Reward/Incent Instill/reinforce trust Enable immediate “email experience” Provide administrative information

Goals

Speed up conversion

Minimise list churn

Strengthen brand perception

Reduce inactivity

Purpose

Educate subscriber

Reward/Incent

Instill/reinforce trust

Enable immediate “email experience”

Provide administrative information

Timing The Good News 61% of retailers deliver their welcome emails within 10 minutes of sign up, with most of those delivering within 3 minutes.* The Bad News 19% take more than 24 hours to deliver their welcome emails, with nearly a third of those taking more than a week to deliver.* *Email Experience Council’s second annual Retail Welcome Email Benchmark Study (2007)

The Good News

61% of retailers deliver their welcome emails within 10 minutes of sign up, with most of those delivering within 3 minutes.*

The Bad News

19% take more than 24 hours to deliver their welcome emails, with nearly a third of those taking more than a week to deliver.*

From Name/Address From Names: Use the same from name as regular emails Simple, logical and trusted brand From Name/Address: Again, use same as regular emails Avoid ugly, number-oriented if possible Good Examples: wagamama [offers@wagamama.com] La Redoute [helpline@redoute.co.uk] The Ecologist Magazine [newsletter@theecologist.org] Questionable Example: Penny at MarketingProfs [support@marketingprofs.com] donotreply@virginradio.co.uk; noreply@news.skype.com; support

From Names:

Use the same from name as regular emails

Simple, logical and trusted brand

From Name/Address:

Again, use same as regular emails

Avoid ugly, number-oriented if possible

Good Examples:

wagamama [offers@wagamama.com]

La Redoute [helpline@redoute.co.uk]

The Ecologist Magazine [newsletter@theecologist.org]

Questionable Example:

Penny at MarketingProfs [support@marketingprofs.com]

donotreply@virginradio.co.uk; noreply@news.skype.com; support

Subject Lines Good/OK Thanks for signing up to Debenhams email newsletters Welcome to Marks & Spencers eClub Welcome to Fresh Juice from Piperlime A big 20% OFF welcome from us Not so Good Opt-in confirmation Welcome Thank you for signing up!

Good/OK

Thanks for signing up to Debenhams email newsletters

Welcome to Marks & Spencers eClub

Welcome to Fresh Juice from Piperlime

A big 20% OFF welcome from us

Not so Good

Opt-in confirmation

Welcome

Thank you for signing up!

Email address added Add to address book Privacy assurance and link Link and instructions on how to change preferences How to get started When first email will arrive Resources, key links “ Your gift” incentive Unsubscribe link Reinforce value proposition Upsell Call to action/”offer” Welcome Content Checklist

Email address added

Add to address book

Privacy assurance and link

Link and instructions on how to change preferences

How to get started

When first email will arrive

Resources, key links

“ Your gift” incentive

Unsubscribe link

Reinforce value proposition

Upsell

Call to action/”offer”

Sample Welcome Emails & Best Practices

Confirmation Emails – Are Not “Welcome Emails” Primary Purpose is to confirm subscription They aren’t a subscriber yet Pre-selling; reminding of value proposition – but should not take the place of welcome email

Primary Purpose is to confirm subscription

They aren’t a subscriber yet

Pre-selling; reminding of value proposition –

but should not take the place of welcome email

Net a Porter: Sign Up Process Subscription confirmed from net – a-porter Clear consistent branding in confirmation email Double opt in best practice Further information collected on confirmation for additional targeting

Subscription confirmed from net – a-porter

Clear consistent branding in confirmation email

Double opt in best practice

Further information collected on confirmation for additional targeting

Sign Up (Schuh) Retail Sign up page manages expectations early on by telling you what you will get Confirmation page makes it clear there is a double opt in process with bold red typeface Provides other account management options Confirmation email Doesn’t need images (but looks great with) Secure sign up process including validation code and time limit Welcome email Sent after confirmation Tells you to expect free and fun stuff

Sign up page manages expectations early on by telling you what you will get

Confirmation page makes it clear there is a double opt in process with bold red typeface

Provides other account management options

Confirmation email

Doesn’t need images (but looks great with)

Secure sign up process including validation code and time limit

Welcome email

Sent after confirmation

Tells you to expect free and fun stuff

Make sure they can see your message

Make sure they can see your message

Testing is vital......Watches of Switzerland

Personalisation.. Have a default or choose copy wisely... Argos subject line as it appears!

Have a default or choose copy wisely...

Argos subject line as it appears!

M&S make me feel special M&S newsletter welcome I feel special “exclusive” They reiterate the value message “… simple, safe and convenient.” Clear service message Promotion of convenient services “reminder service” Manage expectations Drive me to the shop straight away

M&S newsletter welcome

I feel special “exclusive”

They reiterate the value message “… simple, safe and convenient.”

Clear service message

Promotion of convenient services “reminder service”

Manage expectations

Drive me to the shop straight away

Bravissimo Renders well without images Bullets make it easy to scan Manages expectations Contact information clearly laid out for additional information Web site navigation

Renders well without images

Bullets make it easy to scan

Manages expectations

Contact information clearly laid out for additional information

Web site navigation

LaRedoute

Debenhams RAF after newsletter sign up

Collecting Preferences (BBC Sport and Media) Multiple options for news Regional Mail format Delivery options including time Additional Sport options Sports themselves Team options for football Double opt in for additional security - they tell you it’s coming Option to sign up for additional emails after confirming subscription

Multiple options for news

Regional

Mail format

Delivery options including time

Additional Sport options

Sports themselves

Team options for football

Double opt in for additional security - they tell you it’s coming

Option to sign up for additional emails after confirming subscription

Enhancing Data Collection ( Eten and Genieten ) Eten and Genieten (Food and Drink) Incentivised and Quick sign up Explicit opt in check box with Confirmation email Same branding but lots of text too Invites you to do quick survey “ make sure we give you what you want” “max 3 minutes of your time” Survey Page 1: 3 questions on food / drink Page 2: asks more general questions:. Most relevant selections captured as on page 1 in case they don’t do pg 2 Other brands have same process Collect different generic information All data fed in to central database building up a more complete picture of recipients

Eten and Genieten (Food and Drink)

Incentivised and Quick sign up

Explicit opt in check box with

Confirmation email

Same branding but lots of text too

Invites you to do quick survey

“ make sure we give you what you want” “max 3 minutes of your time”

Survey

Page 1: 3 questions on food / drink

Page 2: asks more general questions:.

Most relevant selections captured as on page 1 in case they don’t do pg 2

Other brands have same process

Collect different generic information

All data fed in to central database building up a more complete picture of recipients

Welcome Series Think Welcome Series, Not Just a Single Email

HMV Welcome Series Subject lines: Welcome part 1/2/3

Takeaways Take baby steps Test subject lines Redesign for preview pane and blocked images Test layout, use of images, HTML Incorporate additional welcome content Monitor open, clicks and conversions for recipients of Welcome messages – impact on overall response rates Expand from a single welcome email to welcome program Continuously test

Take baby steps

Test subject lines

Redesign for preview pane and blocked images

Test layout, use of images, HTML

Incorporate additional welcome content

Monitor open, clicks and conversions for recipients of Welcome messages – impact on overall response rates

Expand from a single welcome email to welcome program

Continuously test

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Contact:

Loren McDonald

[email_address]

Twitter: @LorenMcDonald

Julie Joseph

[email_address]