Email Marketing + Social Proof:
The Perfect Formula to Convert
More Browsers Into Buyers
Speakers
Daniel Kohn
Founder SmartMail.io
Lauren Lowman
Marketing Director
Intro to SmartMail
Intro to Trustpilot
Let’s Talk About Email…
Behavioral Emails to the Rescue!
The 3 Highest Converting Emails
#Winning Email + Reviews Examples
Agenda
Social Proof in Emails FTW!
INTRO TO SMARTMAIL
Daniel Kohn
Founder SmartMail.io
SmartMail is a “done for you”
solution helping eCommerce
companies send highly
personalized, automated emails
to customers.
Company Milestones:
$27 million revenue generated for clients
531 million emails sent and A/B tested
25 million email addresses added to client lists
46% average open rate on emails
INTRO TO TRUSTPILOT
Who is Trustpilot?
Online community & business solution connecting consumers & businesses via reviews
140,000 reviewed websites
26,000 websites get new reviews/month
22 million online reviews
700,000 new reviews/month
Reviews from 120 countries
72 million visitors/year
7 million unique visits/month
Over 1 billion impressions/month
For Businesses:For Consumers:
Why does Trustpilot Exist?
Open online review community to read, write,
and engage with authentic reviews to provide
trustworthy customer experience information
and make better buying decisions.
Solution to implement an automated review
collection strategy, moderate and engage with
reviews, and leverage reviews to accelerate
business improvement and growth.
The Trustpilot Business Solution
BRAND BUILDER
Establish a trusted brand
MARKETING ACCELERATOR
Maximize digital ROI
INSIGHT GENERATOR
Improve customer experience
LET’S TALK ABOUT EMAIL…
Email = Highest Converting Channel
*MarketingLand.com 2015
Affiliate Social Email PPC
Broadcast vs Behavioral
• Spray and pray
• One to many
• No smarts or logic
• Nothing wrong with
these campaigns
• What shoppers do or
don’t do on your site
• Sent in relation to their
shopping journey
• Highly personalized
• Massive engagement
rates
The Behavioral Lifecycle
The Majority of Value Comes From:
Browser Segments:
• Cart abandoners
• Product page browsers
• Category browsers
• Homepage browsers
• Site search users
Forrester
Research 2015
Forrester
Research 2015
Behavioral Emails Work!
• Doesn’t matter what products you sell
• Doesn’t matter how much your products cost
• Doesn’t matter which country you’re selling in
• Doesn’t matter if you sell B2B or B2C
THE 3 HIGHEST CONVERTING EMAILS
Product Browse Email
• Views product page but didn’t
add anything to basket
• Gentle reminder
• Populate product details for
higher engagement and CTR’s
Product Browse Email
Benchmark Metrics:
Open Rate: 52%
Click Through Rate: 28%
Revenue Per Email Sent: $3.63
Category Browse Email
• Views category page but didn’t
view any products
• Gentle reminder
• Populate email with category
specific imagery and,
recommendations and text
Category Browse Email
Benchmark Metrics:
Open Rate: 43%
Click Through Rate: 21%
Revenue Per Email Sent: $1.82
Homepage Browse Email
• Viewed homepage but didn’t get
any further
• Idea is to stay top of mind
• Populate email with site-wide
top sellers over past 10 days
Homepage Browse Email
Benchmark Metrics
Open Rate: 26%
Click Through Rate: 19%
Revenue Per Email Sent: $0.84
Review: 3 Campaigns
Additional Browse Campaigns:
• Brand (specific) browse
• Site search campaign
• Wishlist campaign
• New visitor campaign
• Welcome campaign
How to get these
campaigns live in days
(not months)?
SOCIAL PROOF IN EMAILS FTW!
72% of people trust consumer opinions posted online
(2nd only to “Recommendations from people I know”)
-Neilson study
92% of consumers say buying
decisions are influenced by
online reviews - 87% use them
for both brick-and-mortar &
online purchases
The Impact of Reviews on
Buyer Journey
72% of consumers will take
action after reading a
positive review
Customers are likely to spend
31% more on a business with
“excellent” reviews
Need
recognition
Product
specification
Evaluation
of options
Purchase
decision
Post-purchase
Influenced
by reviews
“I need a
new
couch...”
One person,
influenced by
opinions
May ignore specs if
“like something
better”
How Consumers Purchase
Look for
reviews
Leave
reviews
Look for
reviews
“What kind
of couch
should I
get?”
“Where can I
buy this kind
of couch?”
“Should I buy
this couch from
this business?”
“Would I shop
again or
recommend to a
friend?”
Email Marketing + Reviews
UGC
New, fresh,
user-generated
content, that’s
totally free and
being created
on an on-going
basis (a
proactive
feedback
process is key!)
Natural
Language
Language by
customers, for
customers
makes for more
effective
content and
better
customer
experience
Social
Proof
Social proof that
feels like rec’s
from ”friends”
(as opposed to
typical
marketing and
promotional
messaging)
Effective
Targeting
Targeted
content based
on specific
behaviors or
demographic
info, or to
promote
certain
products
Credibilty
Third-party
validated
reviews offer
credibility and
trust (so
prospective
customers
don’t have to
look for it
elsewhere)
Improved
engagement, click-
through & conversion
Create stronger email marketing campaigns, communicate more
effectively, get more from email.
ď‚§ Review content is great for new & returning customers
ď‚§ Use targeted review content based on:
- Demographic information
- Purchasing behavior/past purchases
- Steps of the purchase funnel completed
ď‚§ Reviews can be great content at many times in the buyer/customer journey:
- First introducing/pitching your company (in your customers words)
- Mid-way through purchase funnel to overcome objections encourage next steps/conversion
- After first-purchase, to encourage subsequent purchases/re-activation/upgrade
Email Marketing + Reviews
#WINNING EMAIL + REVIEWS EXAMPLES
Questions?
Daniel Kohn
Founder SmartMail.io
Daniel@smartmail.io
Lauren Lowman
Marketing Director
llo@trustpilot.com

Email Marketing + Social Proof = The Perfect Formula to Convert More Browsers Into Buyers!

  • 1.
    Email Marketing +Social Proof: The Perfect Formula to Convert More Browsers Into Buyers
  • 2.
  • 3.
    Intro to SmartMail Introto Trustpilot Let’s Talk About Email… Behavioral Emails to the Rescue! The 3 Highest Converting Emails #Winning Email + Reviews Examples Agenda Social Proof in Emails FTW!
  • 4.
  • 5.
    Daniel Kohn Founder SmartMail.io SmartMailis a “done for you” solution helping eCommerce companies send highly personalized, automated emails to customers.
  • 6.
    Company Milestones: $27 millionrevenue generated for clients 531 million emails sent and A/B tested 25 million email addresses added to client lists 46% average open rate on emails
  • 7.
  • 8.
    Who is Trustpilot? Onlinecommunity & business solution connecting consumers & businesses via reviews 140,000 reviewed websites 26,000 websites get new reviews/month 22 million online reviews 700,000 new reviews/month Reviews from 120 countries 72 million visitors/year 7 million unique visits/month Over 1 billion impressions/month
  • 9.
    For Businesses:For Consumers: Whydoes Trustpilot Exist? Open online review community to read, write, and engage with authentic reviews to provide trustworthy customer experience information and make better buying decisions. Solution to implement an automated review collection strategy, moderate and engage with reviews, and leverage reviews to accelerate business improvement and growth.
  • 10.
    The Trustpilot BusinessSolution BRAND BUILDER Establish a trusted brand MARKETING ACCELERATOR Maximize digital ROI INSIGHT GENERATOR Improve customer experience
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Email = HighestConverting Channel *MarketingLand.com 2015 Affiliate Social Email PPC
  • 13.
    Broadcast vs Behavioral •Spray and pray • One to many • No smarts or logic • Nothing wrong with these campaigns • What shoppers do or don’t do on your site • Sent in relation to their shopping journey • Highly personalized • Massive engagement rates
  • 14.
  • 15.
    The Majority ofValue Comes From: Browser Segments: • Cart abandoners • Product page browsers • Category browsers • Homepage browsers • Site search users
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
    Behavioral Emails Work! •Doesn’t matter what products you sell • Doesn’t matter how much your products cost • Doesn’t matter which country you’re selling in • Doesn’t matter if you sell B2B or B2C
  • 19.
    THE 3 HIGHESTCONVERTING EMAILS
  • 20.
    Product Browse Email •Views product page but didn’t add anything to basket • Gentle reminder • Populate product details for higher engagement and CTR’s
  • 21.
  • 22.
    Benchmark Metrics: Open Rate:52% Click Through Rate: 28% Revenue Per Email Sent: $3.63
  • 23.
    Category Browse Email •Views category page but didn’t view any products • Gentle reminder • Populate email with category specific imagery and, recommendations and text
  • 24.
  • 25.
    Benchmark Metrics: Open Rate:43% Click Through Rate: 21% Revenue Per Email Sent: $1.82
  • 26.
    Homepage Browse Email •Viewed homepage but didn’t get any further • Idea is to stay top of mind • Populate email with site-wide top sellers over past 10 days
  • 27.
  • 28.
    Benchmark Metrics Open Rate:26% Click Through Rate: 19% Revenue Per Email Sent: $0.84
  • 29.
  • 30.
    Additional Browse Campaigns: •Brand (specific) browse • Site search campaign • Wishlist campaign • New visitor campaign • Welcome campaign
  • 31.
    How to getthese campaigns live in days (not months)?
  • 32.
    SOCIAL PROOF INEMAILS FTW!
  • 33.
    72% of peopletrust consumer opinions posted online (2nd only to “Recommendations from people I know”) -Neilson study
  • 34.
    92% of consumerssay buying decisions are influenced by online reviews - 87% use them for both brick-and-mortar & online purchases The Impact of Reviews on Buyer Journey 72% of consumers will take action after reading a positive review Customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with “excellent” reviews
  • 35.
    Need recognition Product specification Evaluation of options Purchase decision Post-purchase Influenced by reviews “Ineed a new couch...” One person, influenced by opinions May ignore specs if “like something better” How Consumers Purchase Look for reviews Leave reviews Look for reviews “What kind of couch should I get?” “Where can I buy this kind of couch?” “Should I buy this couch from this business?” “Would I shop again or recommend to a friend?”
  • 36.
    Email Marketing +Reviews UGC New, fresh, user-generated content, that’s totally free and being created on an on-going basis (a proactive feedback process is key!) Natural Language Language by customers, for customers makes for more effective content and better customer experience Social Proof Social proof that feels like rec’s from ”friends” (as opposed to typical marketing and promotional messaging) Effective Targeting Targeted content based on specific behaviors or demographic info, or to promote certain products Credibilty Third-party validated reviews offer credibility and trust (so prospective customers don’t have to look for it elsewhere) Improved engagement, click- through & conversion
  • 37.
    Create stronger emailmarketing campaigns, communicate more effectively, get more from email. ď‚§ Review content is great for new & returning customers ď‚§ Use targeted review content based on: - Demographic information - Purchasing behavior/past purchases - Steps of the purchase funnel completed ď‚§ Reviews can be great content at many times in the buyer/customer journey: - First introducing/pitching your company (in your customers words) - Mid-way through purchase funnel to overcome objections encourage next steps/conversion - After first-purchase, to encourage subsequent purchases/re-activation/upgrade Email Marketing + Reviews
  • 38.
    #WINNING EMAIL +REVIEWS EXAMPLES
  • 41.

Editor's Notes

  • #3 So what I’m about to take you through is all based on real live stuff. This isn’t information we’ve pulled from blogs….meaning – we actually do this stuff for a living.
  • #7 So what I’m about to take you through is all based on real live stuff. This isn’t information we’ve pulled from blogs….meaning – we actually do this stuff for a living.
  • #9 For those that aren’t familiar, Trustpilot is a review community that helps businesses collect and publish reviews from their customers. Consumers and businesses use Trusptilot to research brands in order to make informed buying decisions. Trustpilot was founded in 2007 in Copenhagen with over 17 million online reviews for 120,000 business in 65 different countries. One thing that we’re really proud of is that our Trustpilot widgets have over 1 billion impressions a month via our partners sites, sharing 3rd party validated reviews with the world.
  • #34 HINZ: According to Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising, it’s from people we know 92% of respondents said they trust recommendations of friends and family 83% say they trust consumer opinions posted online This means consumers trust people they’ve never met before almost twice as much as your advertisements. WHY? It’s because we need others to help validate our decisions And that’s why word of mouth marketing is so powerful Data Sources:http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2015/global-trust-in-advertising-2015.html)
  • #35 While its easy to see that reviews play a role in a consumers purchase decision, we wanted to share some market data to show just how big that role is. At this point, consumers have come to expect to find reviews about B2C brands and without reviews, consumer brands stand little chance of being considered at all. A survey conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Zendesk found that 90% of consumers feel that reviews influenced their buying decision, proving that reviews are not only helpful but crucial. Secondarily, 72% of consumers will take action after reading a positive reviews, showing how impactful reviews can be to driving conversions. And lastly, customers are likely to spend 31% more with a business after seeing an excellent review –which shows that displaying reviews where consumers can easily find them will increase your average order value and grow revenue.
  • #36 For those of you who work for B2C companies, hopefully this looks familiar. There’s typically 5 steps in the consumers purchase journey beginning with need recognition. Once a consumer has recongized a need, they move through the purchase funnel from product specification or figuring out what they want in a product, evaluation of options where they’ll research different brands online, to the stage we love to focus on – purchase decision, and last but not least – post purchase. Below the funnel we’ve pointed out some elements of the b2c purchase journey that make it unique but overall the consistent thing to take away here is that reviews play an important role in every step of the purchase funnel, whether its influencing what consumers think they want in a product to driving the ultimate purchase decision.