Better email marketing means more revenue per email campaign - better results for the same effort, provided you make the tips in this brief ebook part of your routine. We get "best in class" results for our clients - over double the results of others - just by using this quick cheat sheet. Enjoy!

1. Just a Few Email Marketing
Best Practices
how customers happen
Ed Alexander
Chief Digital Consultant
For those who desire more sales
for the same (or just slightly more) effort

2. Why “Best in Class” Results Matter
Why should you care that our email marketing gets
“Best in Class” results (Opens, Clicks, Converts) – across
all our client email marketing campaigns, not just key
Customer lists? Because our clients make more money.
As an example, let’s assume, using this chart’s data, that:
a) you too are getting “Best in Class” Click results
(around 5% ●)
b) your Conversion rate is as good as ours (nearly half of
all clicks convert (8% convert, 17% click), and
c) your average sales per email campaign are $20,000.
By following our practices outlined in this eBook, you
could have more than tripled your Click rate from 5% to
17%, increasing your email campaign sales results from
$20,000 to over $60,000. You’d make an extra $40K.
●
Despite the rise of Social,
90% of us use Email. A lot.
(Pew Research Center)
Client lists perform
better, of course:

3. So, what works?
NOT “e-blasts” (a cringeworthy term) & rented lists. Why?
• Very few opens (historical results: usually <15%) – unacceptably low
• Many unsubscribes (historical results: usually >20%) – unacceptably high
• SPAM blocking/reporting - email version of “Do not call”, BBB complaints
• Shortest path to bad reputation (recovery is difficult and expensive)
• Want a really bad reputation? Combine them! E-blast a rented list.
Tailored, segmented email
Your audience gave you info out of trust. Now, use it to serve them better.
• Even a single demographic criterion – gender, age, geo – works wonders
• Behavior on Email: Opens, Clicks, Converts
• Behavior on Web & landing pages: visits, navigation, flow, purchase
history
Want the recipe? Okay, let’s dig in.

4. This is how we do it (examples to follow)
1. Subject line: boost reader productivity, using “C.U.R.V.E.”:
Curiosity, Urgency, Relevance, Value, Emotion
2. Data & list quality
Behavior-linked, current, enriched (forms, surveys)
3. Leveraging technology
Integrate CRM, SFA, Email, Web, Mobile, Social
4. Compelling content - short, sweet, mobile-friendly
A terse burst of snackable motivation
5. Mobile-first formatting
Responsive design - re-sizes to fit any screen on the fly
6. Simple navigation
The “Golden triangle”: interest > validation > action
3 clicks to convert (2 is better)

5. Email : Let us count the ways…
To: David
From: Ed | fanfoundry
Subject: 3/28 preso, links, etc.
Date: March 28, 2012
David,
I look forward to meeting all of you at
Wednesday’s breakfast on “Trends With
Benefits”.
Here are the links:
•What’s Your Social Profile” (online poll)
•NSTC.org event registration page
•EatMedia.com event page
•Fanfoundry.com event page
5
Cheat Sheet - condensed
Header (From, Subject)
Text/Graphics
<alt> tags
Text layout / proofing
Call to Action (CTA)
Mobile friendly
Social links
Test it on yourself
x g79xq8.gif
❶ Using this “cheat sheet”…
Phone and finger are shown
in exact proportion

6. 6
PresoTitleLogo.gif
❸How many #FAILS did you find?
(Hint: check every Cheat Sheet box)
(see previous slide)

7. To: David
From: Ed | fanfoundry
Subject: 3/28 preso, links, etc.
Date: March 28, 2012
David,
I look forward to meeting all of you at
Wednesday’s breakfast on “Trends With
Benefits”.
Here are the links:
•What’s Your Social Profile” (online poll)
•NSTC.org event registration page
•EatMedia.com event page
•Fanfoundry.com event page
x g79xq8.gif
7
Self-test – probably not done.
Header – Subject is boring
Text/Graphics – message begins with
graphic placeholder. Confusing.
<alt> tag - useless
Text layout / proofing:
subjects do not agree –
“…meeting all of … David”
Call to action: “Here are the links:”
boring. Too many choices. Confusing.
Mobile friendly – links are on adjacent lines,
a frequent cause of “fat finger” misfires
Social links – none present

8. Now try this example
(custom template)

9. “Peekaboo”
sidebar
Identity
Pre-header
(WIFM)
1 – 2 screens
of content
Body text as
pre-header
Subject
(WIFM)
(personalization)
(validation)
Appears in your
Email list view
Clear CTA
How it looks live:
minimal scrolling
Boost brand value
without interrupting
readers’ “flow”

10. 1. INTEREST
2. VALIDATION
3. Call to Action (CTA)
The “Golden Triangle”
Of Conversion:
1. Interest (WIFM)
2. Validation
3. Call to Action
Another “flow” tip:
Especially necessary
on mobile handsets,
where competition
for attention is fierce

11. dead
zone
Did we mention mobile? The “mobile-first” imperative:
$
1984: 6.5B people, no mobile phones
2014: 7.1B people, 6B mobile phones

12. 1. INTEREST
2. VALIDATION
3. CALL TO ACTION (CTA)
1. The Golden Triangle of Conversion
2. The Cheat Sheet
Let’s review.

13. 3. Continually refine (this is how we do it.)
Your subscribers trust you, so thank them, with:
• Benefits-oriented, relevant messaging (WIFM)
• Data & list quality (behavior driven)
• Leverage technology (SFA, CRM etc.)
• Compelling content (terse, snackable)
• Mobile-first formatting
• Simple, "3-clicks to convert" navigation
4. Be the hero.
Don’t make people think, work or wait.
We’re not lazy, just busy. Make life easy.
For clues to improve:
(a) study user behavior
(b) A/B test to turbo-charge results.
Power tip: connecting
your email list results to
CRM records helps you
prioritize prospects,
nurture community,
detect usage patterns
and keep data clean.

14. 14
For further reading on mobile email, CRM and
other related topics, visit www.fanfoundry.com
Use the handy article search by topic / keyword .
Thank you!
Need help with any of this? Contact:
Ed Alexander, Chief Consultant
+1 (781) 492-8638 (USA East)
ed@fanfoundry.com@fanfoundry
how customers happen