Why Email Marketing is Still so Important
and How to Reap the Benefits
Thank you to our sponsors

Overview
• Introduction
• Planning
– Developing a strategy
– List segmentation
– Campaigns
– Choosing a provider
• Acquiring Subscribers
• Design, layout, and content
– Getting through the spam filters
– Increasing click-through
– Optimizing campaigns
• Tracking and Follow-up
• Easing the pain

Creating Your Marketing System

The Stats
From Brightwave Marketing Webcast 6/26/08

Benefits of Email Marketing
1. Cost effective
2. Measurable
3. Develops relationships

Your Email Strategy
• Get to know your customers (market research)
– Frequency
– What are their interests?
• Content versus promotion
• Leverage contributors
• How will you connect email to offline
techniques?

Choosing Your Provider
• Multiple providers out there!
– Constant Contact
– iContact
– MailChimp
– OnMarketer
– Vertical Response

Building Your List
1. Sign up forms throughout your website
2. Beware of too many form fields
– More form fields = less likely to fill out
3. Offer an incentive
– White paper / eBook / Download
4. Ask for email when they buy
– Make it a requirement
5. Display a sample
– Give them a taste!
6. Networking Networking Networking
– Ask when you receive their business card

Segmenting Your Lists

Email Campaigns
1. Monthly email newsletter
– Multiple segments
2. Targeted email blasts
– New products, upcoming events and webinars
3. Auto-responders
– What do they get when they sign up?
4. Drip campaigns
– What they receive over a period of time

Email Design, Content and Layout
1. Focus on content not promotion
– 80%/20%
2. Make sure there is a clear call-to-action
– Above the fold (above the scroll)
3. Use ‘click here’ and bright colors sparingly
– Alerts spam filters (run spam checker)
4. Take advantage of the F pattern
– Use headlines and a columned layout

Best Practices
• Look for innovative ideas and experts
• Decide which of our mailing lists will benefit
• Develop a comprehensive eMarketing strategy

The Email

The Headline

The Landing Page
http://tinyurl.com/cmoo89

Analytics

Who’s Interested?

Information is Gold!

Campaign Strategy
• Opens • Post Card, 2nd email
• Clicks • Phone Call, Letter
• Bounce • Call, post card
• Do not mail • Acknowledge

The ‘Subject’
• Study of Best and Worst Open Rates from MailChimp.com

Examples of Awesome Newsletters

Examples of Awesome Newsletters

Examples of Awesome Newsletters

Tracking Results
• How do you measure success?
1. CTR (Click through rate)
2. OR (Open rate)
3. Conversions
4. Subscriber list growth
5. Opt-out

Tracking Results

Tracking and Follow-Up
• Develop Protocol
• What do you do with clickers?
• How are you improving your
campaigns?
• Are you connecting your
campaigns to Google Analytics?

Track Your Relationships
• Track each customer as closely as possible
– Contact Log (below)
– VIPs/Tiers

Use Split Testing
• Use statistical analysis to optimize results
• Change various aspects of the email
1. Subject line
2. Sender from name
3. Layout
4. Content VS Promotion ratio
5. Call to action

Try Split Testing

Connect to Google Analytics

Easing the pain
1. Calendarize Calendarize Calendarize
– Place monthly blast campaigns in your calendar
2. Assign topics to team members
– Focus on content not promotion
3. Leverage your community
– Have them write blog posts - use blurbs for emails
4. Test Test Test
– Try different formats, subject lines, copy

Creating Your Marketing System

Thank you
Thank you to our sponsors