Email Marketing - The 2-Year Story

Email Marketing in 2008 Taking Your Email Marketing Pulse: Organization Readiness What Every Company Should Know December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Tell’em what you’re gonna tell’em

Establish a Baseline

understand your own methods

Listen to the Doctor

learn your audiences’ needs

Get Healthier

maximize current processes & tools

Undergo a Makeover

sell next steps to management

Prepare to Show Results

demonstrate success & the future

December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Background Story December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

My Personal Background

Personal Experience

previous employer

2 year email marketing performance study

current employer

beginning the process again

1. Establish a Baseline December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Understand your own madness

target audiences

5 distinct audience segments

BASE = 2 chosen as base to improve

internal production process

track from creation to broadcast

origin and review of all content

email assembly process

BASE = 2 WEEKS!!

inventory content of messages

length of message and the pieces

language and calls to action

purpose and fundamentals

BASE = long text, no links, info pushed

method of delivery

system of choice – internal or external

complexity and professionalism

BASE = internal email system, 6 hours

format of message

text-based and code-base

BASE = text email to HTML webpage

measurable activity

click throughs, open rates, etc

BASE =

only data collectible from webpage analytics

primary performance indicator

click-through rate percentage = started at 2.7%

Baseline Performance Analysis December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

2. Listen to the Doctor December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Learn your audiences’ needs

What does the audience value

What does the audience want to do

What do you want the audience to do

2. Listen to the Doctor December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Learn your audiences’ needs

Frequency of touch points

Centralization of efforts

Timing of broadcast by day and hour

Opt-in collection methods

Projected Touchpoints December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing 453,000 Total TBD 1,200 12 100 1.0 Audience e-News 6 Random 1,800 6 300 1.0 Audience e-News 5 Random 18,000 12 500 3.0 Audience e-News 4 1st of month 24,000 12 2,000 1.0 Audience e-News 3 15th of month 48,000 12 4,000 1.0 Audience e-News 2 1st of month 360,000 12 20,000 1.5 Audience e-News 1 Time of Month Sent Send Per Year Months Sent Per Month # of sends Source Email Marketing Email Forecast

3. Get Healthier December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Maximize current processes

Must understand how to get the most out of current tools and gather data to support advanced decisions

3. Get Healthier December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Content & Format

Who creates content

Who reviews content

Gear messaging to audience

Provide a service through action

Results of Improving Current Systems December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

14 day process down to 8 days

Reduced redundancy

Gave more authority

Time invested = 14 months

Process improvement results

30.10% unknown unknown Open Rate 22.40% 4.30% 2.70% Click-through 6 minutes 5 hours 6 hours Broadcast 5 days 8 days 2 weeks Content Now Improvement Base

Performance Analysis Continued December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

4. Undergo a Makeover December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Sell next steps to management

Discuss performance data

Monetize the performance for both time and process

Stress on current systems

Show strengths of current processes

Demonstrate additional improvement requires additional investment

Connect with organization

Mission and vision

Marketing strategy and goals

Web/digital strategy and goals

Connect with organization

Key is…

planned integration of tactics

accountability

compliance with standards and laws

Identify champions & stakeholders

Understand the new organizational processes from the data collected

Define requirements and look for a solution that aligns with the processes and culture

Comparison of Improved vs. New December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing Old version focusing on content and getting the messaging effective. New version building off of tweaks focusing on look and feel.

Font size: 12pt Font Color: #006983 Photo Size 185w x 94h Article Photo 137 max w x vary h Link Image Valign = Left Halign = 10 Insert image above text – Title will appear above image Article Title will auto format using the text in the “Title” Field Journalist Feature Article Tool Font size: 12pt Font Color: #1F344C Macros can be used Side Article Photo Sizes 150w x 94h Image can be less than 150 Main/Side Articles Make sure to delete all “<p>” and “</p>” tags in each article to ensure spacing Font size: 11pt Font Color: #1F344C NO BOLD Main Article Photo 137w x varied h Link image Image Properties: Valign = left Side Header Font size: 14pt Color: 006983 BOLD LOGO Preparing Instructions for Content December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing Footer Operates as two columns: “Footer Left” and “Footer Right” ; Footer Left = Arial size 10pt

5. Prepare to Show Results December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Share the results!

Perform comparison analysis

show the cost savings

show the recipient actions

connect results to organizational goals and the bottom line

Results of the 2-year Study December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Understood how we do business before taking the leap to new system

Justified recommendations with data and use of current tools

Results of the 2-year Study December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing A drastic improvement! 30.10% unknown unknown Open Rate 22.40% 4.30% 2.70% Click-through 6 minutes 5 hours 6 hours Broadcast 5 days 8 days 2 weeks Content Now Improvement Base

New Performance Results December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Example Report to Management December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing Started using the system in October 2007 Data is now centralized!

The Future December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Focus on email list growth

opt-in opportunities

clean up current lists

The Future December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Continuously adjust messages

review analytics

perform segmentation analysis

follow-up with response by behavior

change mentality of organization

Establish a New Baseline December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Adjust marketing strategy

learn from the audiences

take action

share results with the sales team

Establish a New Baseline December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Be creative with approach

expand functionality and media

inspect deliverability

Tell’em what you told’em December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing

Understand your own methods

Understand your audience needs

Maximize current processes & tools

Sell next steps to management

Demonstrate success & the future

Thank You! Taking Your Email Marketing Pulse: Organization Readiness Questions and Discussion December 11, 2008 | Shaun Holloway | Association of Strategic Marketing