Email Message & Strategy 3 R’s of Message Strategy Engineering Calls to Action Determining When to Mail & Testing Q&A Email Messaging & Strategy Ross Kramer, Listrak

3 R’s of Message Strategy

Engineering Calls to Action

Determining When to Mail & Testing

Q&A

3 R’s of Messaging Strategy Rendering Reputation Relevancy

The 1 st R RELEVANCY

RELEVANCY

Email Marketers Dilemma People grow disinterested as you send them the same information over time.

Keys to Success Know your audience Know what your audience wants Know how to fulfill audience needs

Know your audience

Know what your audience wants

Know how to fulfill audience needs

Pathways to Relevancy Start with a Preference Center Personalization Dynamic Content Segmentation Interest / Preference Active vs. Non-Active Behavior (Purchase Path / Click Stream Data)

Start with a Preference Center

Personalization

Dynamic Content

Segmentation

Interest / Preference

Active vs. Non-Active

Behavior (Purchase Path / Click Stream Data)

Web Analytics Example

The 2 nd R RENDERING

Rendering Recent changes in email receivers’ technology are forcing email marketers to pay more attention to rendering in 2007.

Recent changes in email receivers’ technology are forcing email marketers to pay more attention to rendering in 2007.

Rendering Email Experience Council’s 2007 Rendering Report showed that out of 1,000 emails reviewed, 210 of them were completely blank with images turned on.

Email Experience Council’s 2007 Rendering Report showed that out of 1,000 emails reviewed, 210 of them were completely blank with images turned on.

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Other Challenges New Microsoft Live Mail New Yahoo Interface New Outlook 2007

New Microsoft Live Mail

New Yahoo Interface

New Outlook 2007

Rendering Tools are available to help you quickly test rendering of your message.

Tools are available to help you quickly test rendering of your message.

Rendering Tools

Rendering Tools

Accreditation Services Sender Score Certified (formerly Bonded Sender) Road Runner / Hotmail /MSN / Microsoft Live Goodmail AOL / Yahoo (transactional) Verizon / AT&T / Comcast / Road Runner /Cox Habeas SafeList 4 million email networks

Sender Score Certified (formerly Bonded Sender)

Road Runner / Hotmail /MSN / Microsoft Live

Goodmail

AOL / Yahoo (transactional)

Verizon / AT&T / Comcast / Road Runner /Cox

Habeas SafeList

4 million email networks

The 3 rd R REPUTATION

Reputation Your email reputation is formed through a symbiotic relationship between permission level, message relevancy and mailing practices.

Your email reputation is formed through a symbiotic relationship between permission level, message relevancy and mailing practices.

Reputation Other factors that affect reputation… Message Not Relevant? Can’t Read the Message? No Permission?

Other factors that affect reputation…

Reputation List Quality … Bounces! List Size … Connections! Measure your reputation at http://www.senderscore.org

List Quality … Bounces!

List Size … Connections!

Measure your reputation at

http://www.senderscore.org

Critical Performance Pieces Content List Quality Offer/ Call to Action

Content Strategy Focus on… Subject Lines Customer-centric Content (Think Relevancy!) Testing

Focus on…

Subject Lines

Customer-centric Content (Think Relevancy!)

Testing

Subject Lines Click-through rates for subject lines with 49 or fewer characters were 75 percent higher than for those with 50 or more. -Return Path (2006)

Click-through rates for subject lines with 49 or fewer characters were 75 percent higher than for those with 50 or more.

-Return Path (2006)

Subject Lines 69% of people studied said they make the decision to click on the "report spam" or "junk" button using the subject line . -Email Sender and Provider Coalition (2007)

69% of people studied said they make the decision to click on the "report spam" or "junk" button using the subject line .

-Email Sender and Provider Coalition (2007)

Four Subject Line Imperatives Personalization Adds the person’s first name in the subject line Include Your Company Name This will help with identifying who you are – think “report spam” Include the offer in the Subject Line This will boost your open/read rate Include a time limit or expiration This is a catalyst for “spur-of-the-moment” actions/purchases

Personalization Adds the person’s first name in the subject line

Include Your Company Name This will help with identifying who you are – think “report spam”

Include the offer in the Subject Line This will boost your open/read rate

Include a time limit or expiration This is a catalyst for “spur-of-the-moment” actions/purchases

Customer–centric Content Create email campaigns that work hard and deliver highest ROI Create relevant content tied to recipient preference Lifestyle messaging proving to be more lasting Think “preview pane” - Above the fold body copy must compel reader to click on relevant offers or calls to action!

Create email campaigns that work hard and deliver highest ROI

Create relevant content tied to recipient preference

Lifestyle messaging proving to be more lasting

Think “preview pane” - Above the fold body copy must compel reader to click on relevant offers or calls to action!

Content Strategy Copy Changes: Small changes can make an impact Example: “ Click Here” versus “Get” or “Receive” Test and track changes all the way to conversion as “Click Here” may receive higher CTR, but other copy alternatives might convert better.

Copy Changes: Small changes can make an impact

Example:

“ Click Here” versus “Get” or “Receive”

Test and track changes all the way to conversion as “Click Here” may receive higher CTR, but other copy alternatives might convert better.

Content Strategy Consider the Emotional Value of Your Subject Line http://www.aminstitute.com/headline/

Consider the Emotional Value of Your Subject Line

Content Strategy Creative Changes: Don’t feel that you need to always stick to your template Example: Email Postcards can be an effective way to re-invigorate sagging response rates.

Creative Changes: Don’t feel that you need to always stick to your template

Example:

Email Postcards can be an effective way to re-invigorate sagging response rates.

MarketingSherpa Email Awards 2007 – Best Consumer Postcard

20,000 messages delivered 6,500 messages forwarded to friends!

Heatmap Studies Source: MarketingSherpa

Source: MarketingSherpa

Heatmap Takeaway People scan, they don't read full sentences Front load your copy with the most important information People will scroll if you lead them to do so through imagery

People scan, they don't read full sentences

Front load your copy with the most important information

People will scroll if you lead them to do so through imagery

When to Mail Listrak ESP 28 million emails sent 3000 campaigns

When to Mail? Listrak ESP 240 million emails sent 26,000 campaigns

When to Mail When the inbox is clean Weekdays – After 9AM but before 4PM EST Geographical Segmentation Consider time zones Stay away from… Friday afternoons and weekends

When the inbox is clean

Weekdays – After 9AM but before 4PM EST

Geographical Segmentation Consider time zones

Stay away from… Friday afternoons and weekends

Testing You don’t know what you don’t know The only way to know what you don’t know …is to test!

You don’t know

what you don’t know

The only way to know

what you don’t know

…is to test!

Testing & Tuning Easy Idea: A/B Split Segment “x” of list as test group Split test group in half “a” & “b” Send separate test campaign to each split Actionable results should be available within 3 hours

Easy Idea: A/B Split

Segment “x” of list as test group

Split test group in half “a” & “b”

Send separate test campaign to each split

Actionable results should be available

within 3 hours

Determine Sample Size

Ideas for Testing Subject Lines Personalization Segmentation Offer Types Coupons Day Part / Week Part

Subject Lines

Personalization

Segmentation

Offer Types

Coupons

Day Part / Week Part

3 R’s of Messaging Strategy Rendering Reputation Relevancy

Q & A