Email marketing themes and trend in 2014. Predictions for 2015

1. 10 Latest Trends in Email Marketing
Twitter: @gwdbis3
George DiGuido
Head of Email Marketing
About.com
10/28/2014

2. WHO IS ABOUT.COM?
Twitter: @gwdbis3

3. About.com
Twitter: @gwdbis3

4. About.com
About.com (an IAC company) is one of the biggest sites
on the Internet that helps people discover, learn about,
and be inspired by 1,000 different topics
• 14th biggest site on the Internet.
• 100 million monthly intent-driven visitors
• 3.5 million pieces of original content
• Attracts more men than ESPN, more women than HGTV
and InStyle and more teens than MTV
Twitter: @gwdbis3

5. So who am I?
Twitter: @gwdbis3
5

6. 10 TRENDS IN EMAIL MARKETING
Twitter: @gwdbis3

7. Mobile & Email
How many of you know your percentage of mobile
opens?
How many of you know your percentage of mobile
clicks?
How many of you know your conversion rate from
mobile?
How many of your think your mobile web experience is
a good one?
Twitter: @gwdbis3

8. Mobile & Email
Twitter: @gwdbis3
• End of 2014, 1.76B own
& use smartphones
monthly worldwide
• Penetration of
smartphone uses in US &
Canada will reach 50%

9. Mobile & Email
• According to ReturnPath, 43% of emails are opened on a
mobile device.
• According to Litmus, 66% of Gmail opens occur on a
mobile device (2013)
So what do we do?
Twitter: @gwdbis3

10. Mobile & Email
Twitter: @gwdbis3

11. Mobile & Email
• Gather information
• Figure out what your numbers look like
• Opens
• Clicks
• Conversions
• Figure out what your emails look like
• Litmus
• ReturnPath
• Strategize
• Test
• Partner
Twitter: @gwdbis3

12. RESPONSIVE DESIGN
Twitter: @gwdbis3

13. Responsive Design
“Context and the smartphone paradox” – Loren McDonald
Email readership is very high
• Executive management knows this
• Mobile is everywhere
INSERT HUGE RESPONSIVE DESIGN STAT HERE
But where are your conversions happening?
Twitter: @gwdbis3

14. Responsive Design
Twitter: @gwdbis3

15. Responsive Design
Twitter: @gwdbis3
Key Takeaways:
• Mobile conversion rates
are still low
• Smartphones account for a
smaller percentage than
tablet
• Consumers haven’t bought
into mobile conversion
• 90% of users switch
between devices to
complete a goal**
*Internet Retailer **Google Think (CA)

16. Responsive Design
Twitter: @gwdbis3

17. GMAIL TABS
Twitter: @gwdbis3

18. Gmail Tabs
Twitter: @gwdbis3

19. Gmail Tabs
Launched May 2013
The sky isn’t falling – Image caching had a bigger impact
• Images are cached by Google in Mountain view
• Real-time email impacted
But my email ends up in the “promotions” tab?
• Tabs has not has a large of an impact on the email marketing
landscape as originally feared
Test
• Litmus – Gmail Test Tool
Twitter: @gwdbis3

20. GMAIL IMAGE CACHING
Twitter: @gwdbis3

21. Gmail Image Caching
Image caching hit desktop inboxes in early December ’13
• Images stored on servers in Mountain View
• Includes tracking pixels
• Multiple open tracking impacted
• Turned images on by default
Another change hit in March ‘14
• Cache control
• Benefits real-time email personalization
• Still no IP, user agent, and referrer string data
Twitter: @gwdbis3

22. Gmail Image Caching
So why did Google do this?
• Privacy
• Performance
• Another way to mess with marketers
Twitter: @gwdbis3

23. GOOGLE INBOX
Twitter: @gwdbis3

24. Google Inbox
Twitter: @gwdbis3

25. Google Inbox – What does it do?
Its an inbox!
Twitter: @gwdbis3

26. Google Inbox – What does it do?
It reminds…
Twitter: @gwdbis3

27. Google Inbox – What does it do?
It snoozes?
Twitter: @gwdbis3

28. Inbox another Wave?
From Google:
• Can I still use Inbox & Gmail?
• Of course. All of your email is still in Gmail and always will be,
but Inbox works best if you go all in.
• Is Inbox going to replace Gmail?
• Don’t worry, Gmail isn’t going anywhere. Inbox is a new
experience designed and developed alongside
Twitter: @gwdbis3

29. Will it impact marketers?
I don’t think so…
• At least not yet.
• Will the everyday user actually use the snooze button?
• The Gmail app still exists
But it might if:
• Replace Gmail app in Android
• There is no other alternative
Twitter: @gwdbis3

30. CASL
Twitter: @gwdbis3

31. CASL
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation
• CASL’s primary requirement: “express consent”
• Must disclose:
• the email sender’s name
• contact information
• why consent is sought
• User can opt-out
• Implied consent is permitted for users who make
purchases
• Only good for 24 months since the last purchase
• 3 year grace period for existing subscribers
• A “due diligence” defense exists for non-compliant emails
inadvertently sent to Canadian users
Twitter: @gwdbis3

32. CASL
The CRTC has stated that CASL requires “a positive indication of
consent” and, therefore, “express consent cannot be obtained
through opt-out mechanisms”
Twitter: @gwdbis3
Source: CRTC Bulletin 2012-549, ¶ 4-8, Fig. 1-2

33. CASL
Things to look out for:
• Onsite sign-up pages and widgets
• Co-reg, sweepstakes, contests
• Existing Canadian subscribers
• 3 year grace period
Resources:
• CRTC - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/
• Fight Spam - http://fightspam.gc.ca/
• Matt Vernhout - http://emailkarma.net/
Twitter: @gwdbis3

34. EMAIL PERSONALIZATION
Twitter: @gwdbis3

35. Email Personalization
Everyone has heard about personalization
• Challenge: marketers have different needs
• Personalization is past first name, geo, and gender
True Personalization is based on a single customer view
• Data needs to be attributed to the user
• Implicit data leads to a more personalized experience
• Build a historical model of your recipients
Twitter: @gwdbis3

36. Email Personalization
Twitter: @gwdbis3

37. Email Personalization
Walk before you run
• Start with the easy stuff
• First name
• Gender
• Geo-targeting
Find tools to help
• ESPs
• Personalization engines
• Marketing Automation solutions
• In-house systems
Twitter: @gwdbis3

38. EMAIL MONETIZATION
Twitter: @gwdbis3

39. Email Monetization
More and more marketers are looking for additional
monetization options in email
• Sponsored emails
• Banners
• Videos
• Animated gifs
CTAs no longer seem to be enough
• Marketers looking to optimize ROI from opens & clicks
• Time and a place for ads
• Know your audience
Twitter: @gwdbis3

40. Email Monetization
Twitter: @gwdbis3

41. Email Monetization
Twitter: @gwdbis3

42. EMAIL ONBOARDING
Twitter: @gwdbis3

43. Email Onboarding
Who Wpehroso sneanldizse sa twhelicr owmeelc ommeses magees?sage?
With more than first name?
Twitter: @gwdbis3

44. Email Onboarding
A user signs up for your email program and you send
them this…
Twitter: @gwdbis3

45. New Sign-up Onboarding
Bring Personalization into your onboarding message
• Onsite activity
• Landing page
• Contest or sweepstakes
• Coupon/Offer
Be relevant
• Time matters
• Set expectations
• Reiterate value proposition
Twitter: @gwdbis3

46. EMAIL & SOCIAL
Twitter: @gwdbis3

47. Email & Social
Twitter: @gwdbis3

48. Email & Social
Are email and social mortal enemies?
• Social will eventually kill email marketing
• Brands are abandoning email for social
• Social is sexier than email
Is all of this true?
Takeaways:
• Test social buttons on email
• Twitter cards for email acquisition
• Email for social acquisition
Twitter: @gwdbis3

49. OTHER THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON…
Twitter: @gwdbis3

50. 4th Quarter 2014
Holiday campaign rush
• ESPs and other brand marketers start holidays early
• A lot of email sent in the 4th quarter
Deliverability still matters
• DMARC
• Domain authentication
• Inbox placement
Email is still dead
• No…it isn’t
Twitter: @gwdbis3

51. That is it…
Twitter: @gwdbis3
Whitsblog.com

52. QUESTIONS?
Twitter: @gwdbis3