EMAIL AND BLOGGING Ruth Milligan

EMAIL BEST PRACTICES Email communication to your clients and prospects is inexpensive and effective. Basic best practices are important when planning an email campaign.

Email communication to your clients and prospects is inexpensive and effective.

Basic best practices are important when planning an email campaign.

Email Uses Drive traffic to web site Follow up on a sales lead Newsletter Transmissions Blog Notices Event Promotions Research / Surveys

Drive traffic to web site

Follow up on a sales lead

Newsletter Transmissions

Blog Notices

Event Promotions

Research / Surveys

EMAIL BEST PRACTICES

Display the recipient's email address Helps boost the email's credibility Helps readers who may be receiving duplicate copies under several different email addresses unsubscribe from the correct address. Ensure that email is coming from either the name of your company or, better yet, the CEO Example:

Helps boost the email's credibility

Helps readers who may be receiving duplicate copies under several different email addresses unsubscribe from the correct address.

Ensure that email is coming from either the name of your company or, better yet, the CEO

Provide an email address for feedback or sender contact Gives subscribers a way to reach you to ask questions, send comments or alert you to a problem, such as an unsubscribe link that doesn't work.

Gives subscribers a way to reach you to ask questions, send comments or alert you to a problem, such as an unsubscribe link that doesn't work.

Provide a telephone contact number Email is fast, but a phone call is faster. Many respondents want to get in touch with you directly, this way you spare them the extra step of going to your Web site and hunting down your contact information. Recommendation: Provide a phone # and email address on each email to give users the option to contact you in the way they prefer especially when it’s a time-sensitive event.

Email is fast, but a phone call is faster. Many respondents want to get in touch with you directly, this way you spare them the extra step of going to your Web site and hunting down your contact information.

Recommendation: Provide a phone # and email address on each email to give users the option to contact you in the way they prefer especially when it’s a time-sensitive event.

Get serious about the subject line Helps you stand-out in crowded in-boxes. Look for phrases that clearly identify your organization in a unique way. April Newsletter or RSVP reminder are generic, don’t stick-out from the others and can be considered spam and deleted. Inspires action Does not inspire action

Helps you stand-out in crowded in-boxes.

Look for phrases that clearly identify your organization in a unique way.

April Newsletter or RSVP reminder are generic, don’t stick-out from the others and can be considered spam and deleted.

Provide a subscription-administration center in each message. Connects you with subscribers Distinguishes you from spam. Include email address used to subscribe an unsubscribe link a link to your privacy policy and preference page your contact information Additionally Add an area on your site where users sign-up for emails. Give them the ability to manage the email account

Connects you with subscribers

Distinguishes you from spam.

Include

email address used to subscribe

an unsubscribe link

a link to your privacy policy and preference page

your contact information

Additionally

Add an area on your site where users sign-up for emails.

Give them the ability to manage the email account

Provide a forward-to-a-friend link Proactive Link sends request through your server so you can track who's forwarding your message, how often and what actions result. Ensures the forwarded message will render properly, which may not happen when a recipient simply forwards through their email client.

Proactive

Link sends request through your server so you can track who's forwarding your message, how often and what actions result.

Ensures the forwarded message will render properly, which may not happen when a recipient simply forwards through their email client.

Provide navigation links within the email to the Web site Navigation links near the top of newsletters with multiple departments or articles help readers find information quickly and efficiently. Multiple site links help your readers move directly to the areas on your Web site they need or want, which adds value and strengthens your relationship with them.

Navigation links near the top of newsletters with multiple departments or articles help readers find information quickly and efficiently.

Multiple site links help your readers move directly to the areas on your Web site they need or want, which adds value and strengthens your relationship with them.

Make the most of the real estate More readers are using preview panes in their email programs Top few inches are most critical Avoid larger headers Insure that the top four inches has calls to action so that users know what to do in a blink.

More readers are using preview panes in their email programs

Top few inches are most critical

Avoid larger headers

Insure that the top four inches has calls to action so that users know what to do in a blink.

Insure that your audiences feel safe to sign-up online The #1 reason that keeps users from giving their email is their fear of too much email communication, or that you will sell, rent or exchange email lists with other organizations. Give users a choice of how they are communicated to Provide the needed copy to make users feel comfortable about providing their information.

The #1 reason that keeps users from giving their email is their fear of too much email communication, or that you will sell, rent or exchange email lists with other organizations.

Give users a choice of how they are communicated to

Provide the needed copy to make users feel comfortable about providing their information.

Inspire with relevant content Users are inundated with email communication It’s vital for the recipient to be inspired to read further and click over to the web site. Don’t waste the recipient’s time: Be sure that content is relevant and inspiring so that users are not bogged down by too much content or copy that doesn’t necessarily apply to them. Inspire them to read not delete.

Users are inundated with email communication

It’s vital for the recipient to be inspired to read further and click over to the web site.

Don’t waste the recipient’s time: Be sure that content is relevant and inspiring so that users are not bogged down by too much content or copy that doesn’t necessarily apply to them. Inspire them to read not delete.

Best Practices & Recommendations - Summary Best Practice Recommendation Provide a subscription – administration center in each message Add a subscription center to the site to make it easy for users to sign-up for email and build your database. Provide a Forward to a Friend Link Include on all email communication prominently at the top of each email. Display the recipient’s email address Insure that every email is from either your company or an individual within your company. Provide an email address for feedback or sender contact and provide telephone number Allow multiple ways for a user to contact you and display and a clear / prominent way. Get serious about the subject line Write actionable subject lines that inspire users to act on the email. Provide navigation links within the email to the web site Include the global navigation links within the email so links go to the appropriate places on your site. Make the most of the real estate Make sure the most important information is included within the top 4 inches of the email. Insure that your audience feels safe giving you their personal information Include copy in all email and on the site that conveys this feeling of safety that the user is looking for. Inspire with relevant content Stand out from the rest of a users inbox by providing content that is relevant and interesting to the user.

Email Services Mail Chimp Campaign Monitor (best for those who have access to a designed template) Constant Contact

Mail Chimp

Campaign Monitor (best for those who have access to a designed template)

Constant Contact

Parade of Homes

Email Tracking

BLOGS

What is a blog? A Blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

A Blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

Abundant Bloggers According to eMarketer (May 2008) 94.1 million US blog readers in 2007 (50% of Internet users) 22.6 million US bloggers in 2007 (12%) For a full report visit the State of the Blogosphere: http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/

According to eMarketer (May 2008)

94.1 million US blog readers in 2007 (50% of Internet users)

22.6 million US bloggers in 2007 (12%)

For a full report visit the State of the Blogosphere:

http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/

Collaborative / Political

Echo Chamber

Food

Mommy Bloggers

News

SO YOU WANT TO BLOG?

Build your blog strategy… Spread an idea Learn Build a podium Build authority Build a resume Build a legacy

Spread an idea

Learn

Build a podium

Build authority

Build a resume

Build a legacy

Then answer these questions. What is your tool? What is your name/ design / brand? What will be your content mix? What resources will you need to keep it fresh? And what behavior will you need to adapt?

What is your tool?

What is your name/ design / brand?

What will be your content mix?

What resources will you need to keep it fresh?

And what behavior will you need to adapt?

Tools Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad

Name / Design

Content Mix

Content Mix/ Resources Photography Videography Research / White Papers Watching news reports Original creation ideas Time Guest Bloggers

Photography

Videography

Research / White Papers

Watching news reports

Original creation ideas

Time

Guest Bloggers

Consistent Behavior

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS.