1. On Being HUMAN:
The Importance of Writing More
Engaging Emails (and more!)
DJ Waldow
June 2014

2. 182.9 BILLIONSource: The Radicati Group

5. Flickr: thirteenthnile

10. SUBJECT LINE
Reminder: Please share your views with us about XXXX
FROM NAME
XXXX- DO NOT REPLY

12. Service Inquiry 77229: 775 LAKEVIEW WAY - RWC

13. NOT HUMAN

17. But, HOW (& where) do you
“speak more human?”

18. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

19. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

21. Some Creepy Dudes Said Some Creepy Things
To This Reporter. So She Is Calling Them Out.

22. Welcome To The Upworthiest.
Turn On Your Images And
Buckle Your Seatbelt.

28. Want to say hi back? Reply to this message!

29. Just saying hi. Holla back if you are human!

30. Just saying hi. Holla back if you are human!
Holla!

31. Just saying hi. Holla back if you are human!
Holla!
but of course. y'all are awesome. used this
email in a Marketo presentation the other day.
Will be using it in our Dreamforce deck too!

32. Just saying hi. Holla back if you are human!
Holla!
but of course. y'all are awesome. used this
email in a Marketo presentation the other day.
Will be using it in our Dreamforce deck too!
Aww, stop! We're blushing.

33. Online-Do-Not-Reply@dmv.ca.gov

34. Online-Do-Not-Reply@dmv.ca.gov

35. yes-please-reply@zemanta.com

36. Mo' Clicks, Mo' Customers

37. A video marketing
Infographic you say? Yes
puh-lease!

40. Gotcha! We know you're not tracking video metrics.

41. So I’ll pick you up at 7?

43. Creative or Deceptive?

48. Campaign Unknowns
• List type & age
• Day/time of send
• How metrics compare to averages

49. Key Campaign Metrics
• Open Rate: 24.4%
• Click Rate: 2.1%
• Click-to-Open Rate: 9%
• Opt-Out: 1.8%

50. Key Campaign Metrics
• Open Rate: 24.4%
• Click Rate: 2.1%
• Click-to-Open Rate: 9%
• Opt-Out: 1.8%
• Opportunities created (1st week): 7

51. Positive feedback
outweighed negative by 10x

52. Good email man. A little long but the best one I've received in
a long time!

53. Good subject line Jim…got me to open the email.
Good email man. A little long but the best one I've received in
a long time!

54. Your email is deceptive and you should never begin a
marketing email with a dishonest subject line. Do you really
expect to have a meaningful relationship that is started with a
lie?
Good email man. A little long but the best one I've received in
a long time!
Good subject line Jim…got me to open the email.

55. Ridiculous. Totally Deceptive. I had no idea what you were
talking about....
Good email man. A little long but the best one I've received in
a long time!
Your email is deceptive and you should never begin a
marketing email with a dishonest subject line. Do you really
expect to have a meaningful relationship that is started with a
lie?
Good subject line Jim…got me to open the email.

56. Ridiculous. Totally Deceptive. I had no idea what you were
talking about....but oh so effective! Excellent way to catch
my attn. You win. Tell me more.
Good email man. A little long but the best one I've received in
a long time!
Your email is deceptive and you should never begin a
marketing email with a dishonest subject line. Do you really
expect to have a meaningful relationship that is started with a
lie?
Good subject line Jim…got me to open the email.

57. Creative or Deceptive?

58. Don’t use deceptive subject
lines. The subject line must
accurately reflect the content
of the message.
CAN-SPAM ACT OF 2003

59. [Checklist] Take Stock of Your Document Imaging Solution

61. [Checklist] Take Stock of Your Document Imaging Solution
9.9% open rate
4.4% click-to-open rate

62. [Comic strip] The flimsy case for paper-based insurance

64. [Comic strip] The flimsy case for paper-based insurance
19.7% open rate
40.7% click-to-open rate

65. [Comic strip] The flimsy case for paper-based insurance
19.7% open rate (>2x)
40.7% click-to-open rate (~4x)
[Checklist] Take Stock of Your Document Imaging Solution
9.9% open rate
4.4% click-to-open rate

67. Aerial and sky-based marketing isn’t just the hottest marketing
trend of 2014, it’s also the only way to give your marketing
messages wings. Today's marketers should be allocating
resources to skywriting, blimps, paper airplanes, carrier pigeons,
and owls. If you aren’t investing big in aerial and sky-based
marketing, you may as well be marketing under a rock.

68. “Darn it! I just invested half of my Marketing budget into Cave-
based marketing! If only I had gotten your e-mail a little bit
sooner!!!!”

69. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

72. Welcome, footer-link clickers!
We’re glad you gave our logo a click. To fill you in, Ryan Solutions is the resort
industry leader in database marketing. That sounds great and all, but you are here
because you clicked on our footer link and likely aren’t a ski resort. So, what does
database marketing mean for you, the non-resort employee? It basically boils down to
one thing.
When resorts use information they know about a guest, they can stop sending so
much irrelevant “stuff” and send messages that are actually useful to you.
That’s one of our big goals, to help resorts know their guests better so they can send
relevant messages. You may not be interested in all of them, but at least you won’t
roll your eyes so much when you get a message that has nothing to do with you.
It doesn’t happen overnight and, frankly, we could use your help. First, be sure to keep
your profile up to date. Second, if you see something you like, take a second to let us
know. If you see something you hate, that’s stuff we want to hear about too. Really.
We’ve worked with over 50 resorts including some you’ve probably heard of:
So, thanks for stopping by. From here, you are welcome to poke around our site to learn
more. If you’ve got bigger fish to fry, we hope you have a great day.

73. Gregg Blanchard
Communications at RyanSolutions
95% of all RyanSolutions
marketing has human touch*
*95% is in person or on the phone
I realized how much traffic
came from footer. We
needed to speak differently
to that segment.

74. "If there are any tracks left to be had in your general vicinity, stop
reading this email.”
"Our fearless tech leader, Ben Zeeb, also happens to be a trail runner. If
you think he's crazy, you're not alone.”
"My pasty white skin and permanent chill has me craving some
sunshine, the beach and a cold drink.”
"Your guest data is as clean as behind your ears should be. Your mom
would be proud."
"...more than 50% open rates. Girl scouts selling Thin Mints door-
to-door don't even get those numbers.”
Some examples of “human” from RyanSolutions

75. Source: Social Fresh

76. Source: Social Fresh

77. Source: Social Fresh

79. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

80. Subject: An important message from Captain Obvious

82. [Hotels.com “Captain Obvious” Video]

85. • >1,000 visitors to the campaign
landing page (78% click through
rate on video)
• 72% completion rate of video
content (90% of viewers that
watched beyond 10 seconds
watched until the very end)
Stats after 7 Days …

86. • 24% conversion rate from watching
video to submitting data collection form
for access to the associated case study
• >200 new MQLs generated from
combination of form completions AND
updated lead scores from video viewing
engagement data
Stats after 7 Days …

87. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

88. Sent from my iPhone

89. DJ Waldow
Currently rediscovering my PASSION. Details
Find me using "djwaldow" on most social networks
#MacBookAir

90. Sent from my iPhone, which I've named George II.
DJ Waldow
Currently rediscovering my PASSION. Details
Find me using "djwaldow" on most social networks
#MacBookAir

91. Sent from my iPhone, which I've named George II.
This was sent from my iPhone. Please rest assured that any
typos, spellos, or other examples of fat finger syndrome are
due to the device and should in no way impact your perception
of the consideration that this message was given.
DJ Waldow
Currently rediscovering my PASSION. Details
Find me using "djwaldow" on most social networks
#MacBookAir

92. Sent from my iPhone, which I've named George II.
This was sent from my iPhone. Please rest assured that any
typos, spellos, or other examples of fat finger syndrome are
due to the device and should in no way impact your perception
of the consideration that this message was given.
my iPhern. Sory fer eny typeos.
Read more funny email signatures here
DJ Waldow
Currently rediscovering my PASSION. Details
Find me using "djwaldow" on most social networks
#MacBookAir

93. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

94. Hello. Thank you for your email. I am at [insert event name]
returning [insert date], my response will be delayed.
Thanks for your email. I am currently out of the office on
vacation. Responses to email will be limited until I return,
[insert date].
Hi, I am currently out on PTO with limited access to
email. If this is urgent, please contact XXX
(xxx@xxx.com) or YYY (yyy@yyy.com). Otherwise, I will
get back to your message when I return on Thursday,
March 13.

95. You know, I've been preaching this "BE HUMAN" theme for email marketers
(and marketers in general) for some time now. So I guess it's a *bit* odd that
this "out of office email autoresponder" is ... well ... automated. HOWEVER, it
was written by a human (me).
Instead of the normal, "I am out of the office and will have limited access to
email while gone" blah blah blah ...
I created this video - just for you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5FI-yp7M4Q&feature=youtu.be
(hit reply)
Smile.
Laugh.
Dance.

96. [DJ Waldow’s “Out of Office” Video]

97. Oui, Oui
As you read this, I am eyeballs deep in
chocolate, baguettes, and museums. The family
and I are doing a little sightseeing in Amsterdam,
Antwerp, Paris, and the Dordogne region. I am
also speaking at Facebook Congress in The
Netherlands, as well as Content Marketing
Conference Europe (my cunning vacation
underwriting plan).
Note that my Mom is pet and house sitting, so
any thoughts you may have of robbing me will
be foiled. She's a tough old bird.

98. Oui, Oui
Getting ready for this trip, the biggest issues were
convincing a pre-teen jock that you can't just wear
basketball shorts and flip flops everywhere in
France. Also, sorting out the myriad options for
international voice, texting, and data coverage.
Thanks to ATT for making that as easy as
trigonometry.
I did successfully navigate that information thicket,
and I'll be checking email (ish).
For quicker responses not sullied by a keyboard
slick with foie gras, give these great folks a try:

99. North Pole
I am currently at the North Pole helping Santa and his elves
put together a social support program to answer all the good
little boys and girls who are tweeting their Christmas lists this
year!
I am out of the office until Monday, December 9. If Santa
allows it, I will respond to emails.
If it is an emergency, dial 911 and apply direct pressure.
Otherwise, contact my right hand man, Michael Hunter at
[email removed for this status].
Ho, ho, ho!"
Heather Dopson

100. No creativity at 4AM
I'm sitting here at 4 AM trying to compose this out-of-office message. That might
not seem like an impossible task to you early birds. But I'm allergic to mornings. (Is
4 AM morning? Or is it evening? I should go back to bed so I can drift off pondering
that...)
Since I'm coming up empty on crack-of-dawn creativity, I'll keep this simple. I'm up
early because I'm flying to San Francisco as I'll be at Dreamforce '13 this week.
(Are you here, too? I'm sure we'll see each other. (Ha! I kid! There's a mid-sized
village of people here. If you're here, let's be more intentional about meeting... ))
All that to say: I am reading email (of course), but I'll be slow on response.
So this is officially called an auto-responder. But unofficially, it's called setting
expectations.
Talk to you soon! -ish!
Your friend,
Ann

101. My Kayak doesn't get email
Hey there,
I'm currently kayaking in the Sea of Cortez and as such not
reading email - a kayak is unstable enough without the weight
of a sat phone!
I'll be back at it Jan 6th …
John Jantch

102. [DJ Waldow’s “Out of Office” Video – for Kate]

103. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

110. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

113. Watch video online

115. How about once a week? Let’s take is slow, Bonobos.
Once a month. I like you, Bonobos. LIKE.
It’s not you. It’s me, Bonobos. I need a 30-day break.
Unsubscribe. *Sniff*. It’s over, Bonobos.

116. “With the above form, however, Bonobos has
consistently saved 25% of these opt-out
bound subscribers, converting them into a
lower-cadence frequency option and keeping
them on the list. Combined with other efforts,
including frequency modeling, Bonobos was
able to reduce attrition by 86%.”
Source

117. 1. Email: Subject Lines & Copy
2. Landing Pages
3. Videos
4. Email Signatures
5. Out of Office Auto-Responders
6. LinkedIn Profiles
7. Email Opt-Out Landing Pages
8. Confirmation Emails

121. Does HUMAN work for every
company, every brand?

122. I think it does.

123. That being said, TEST IT. See if it works
for YOUR audience.
(Then report back)

124. DJ Waldow
socialbutterflyguy.com