NewBase 19 April 2024 Energy News issue - 1717 by Khaled Al Awadi.pdf
Email Marketing Tips and Best Practices
1. Blue Sky Factory
Driving Email Marketing Performance
All You Ever Wanted To Know About Email Marketing
Presenters: Amy Hollomon & Joanna Lawson-Matthew
March 30, 2010 - 1:00 to 1:45 PM (ET)
Follow the webinar on Twitter at #bsfwebinar
Baltimore, Maryland
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2. Co-Hosted by The Cascade Highlands
The mission of The Cascade Highlands is to promote and
support the tourism sector across nine counties in Northwest
North Carolina and Southwest Virginia through innovative
marketing and partner programs that build lasting
relationships.
Join us for more free webinars at www.thecascadehighlands.com/education
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3. About Blue Sky Factory
Blue Sky Factory is both a full & self service ESP.
Design, execute, and track your email marketing
communications with Publicaster.
www.blueskyfactory.com
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
4. Why Do Email Marketing?
Because it works!
• Email marketing generated an ROI of $43.62 for
every dollar spent on it in 2009. The expected figure
for 2010 is $42.081.
• Email and e-newsletter marketing are considered
the second-most effective tool for generating
conversions, just behind SEO2.
1 Direct Marketing Association, http://directmag.com/magilla/1020-e-mail-roi-still-slipping/
2 Forbes Media, http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007131
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5. Why Does Email Marketing Work?
• Allows targeting
• Is data driven
• Drives direct sales
• Builds relationships, loyalty and trust
• Supports sales through other channels
1 “Why do email marketing?” by Mark Brownlow, Jan 2010 http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/basics/why.htm
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6. Agenda
1. Tips for getting started
2. Tried & true industry best practices
3. Key elements to a permission-based email strategy
4. Ways to use email & social media as complementary
channels
5. Real world examples
6. We answer YOUR questions!
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7. tips for getting started with
your email program
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8. Where Do I Start?
Prepare, plan and set objectives
• What are you trying to accomplish?
• How will you measure success?
• What do your customers want from you?
• How can you offer value to your subscribers?
Map out your email marketing plan
• Devise a schedule to help you reach your subscribers with
the right info at the right time
• Decide what types of email campaigns will be sent when, and
at what frequency
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9. In-House or ESP?
In-House or Email Service Provider?
Benefits to using an ESP
• Advanced reporting to help measure success
• Management of opt-outs, bounces and spam complaints
• Avoid delays on your own mail server
• Whitelisting and feedback loops
• Monitor blacklists
• Advanced features & tools
• Save time and leave it to the experts!
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10. Selecting an ESP
Things to consider when selecting an ESP:
• Dedicated or shared IP address
• Customer support and training
• Infrastructure and security
• Reporting capabilities
• CAN-SPAM compliance
• Segmentation capabilities
• A/B testing and other advanced features
• API integration
• Contract terms and cost
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
11. Growing Your Database
Start building your list
• Add an opt-in form to every page of your website
• Create a Facebook page and add your opt-in form
• Ask for opt-ins via offline channels
• Phone, direct mail, conferences
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
12. Email Design & Layout
Get creative!
• Design an attractive, easy-to-use template
• Ensure branding is consistent between campaigns
• Make sure the design is easy to follow and read
• Test your design to ensure it renders across all email clients
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13. First Impression
First impressions count!
Your first email should be a welcome email
• Introduce your company and benefits of
subscription
• Provide immediate value
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14. Content, Content, Content!
Content is King
• Map out content for your next few
campaigns
• Each email should provide value
• Meet the expectations you set
during opt-in
• Highlight one or two calls-to-action
• Relevant, timely, targeted and
valuable
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15. tried & true industry best practices
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16. Opt-in Form
• Easy to find opt-in form on every page of your website
• Short, sweet & easy to fill out
• No pre-checked boxes
• W.I.I.F.M. – What’s in it for me?
• Set expectations for content and frequency
• Show a sample email
• Confirm subscription immediately with a Thank You page
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
18. Welcome Email
• Immediate (within 15 minutes)
• Email should be consistent with future email campaigns branding
• Thank them for subscribing (with a gift?)
• Explain the benefits of subscription again
• Reiterate the content and frequency they can expect
• Prompt them to whitelist your From name/email
• Link back to your website and/or email archive
• Provide a link to opt-out and update preferences
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20. Subject Line
45.2% of consumers open an email
because of the subject line1
1 Return Path's Fourth Annual Holiday Email Consumer Survey, 2008
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21. Subject Line
• Keep it 35 characters or less
• Consider using your brand/company name
• Avoid “spammy” words
• Don’t use ALL CAPS
• Minimize or don’t use symbols (!!!)
• Per the CAN-SPAM Act, avoid deceptive subject lines
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
22. From Line
• Should be easily recognizable to your subscriber
• Use your company name versus a person’s name
• Avoid using donotreply@domain.com – that’s not very
friendly!
• Be consistent with the From name and From address
• Monitor potential replies to your From and Reply addresses
• Set up role accounts for your domain (e.g. admin@,
postmaster@, and info@domain.com)
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23. From Line
Used Company Name as From Name – simple, recognizable.
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
24. Creative Design
• Design for the email inbox
• Ensure consistent branding and design across all campaigns
• Keep your email width under 650 pixels
• Make sure your main key elements are “above the fold”
• Use a balanced image-to-text ratio
• Run the “five second test” on your call-to-action
• Keep your email content brief, use teaser blurbs
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
25. Creative Design
Be sure to include:
• Snippet/pre-header text
• View in Browser and mobile version links
• Forward to a Friend and SWYN links
• Opt-out and/or subscriber preferences links
• Physical mailing address
Check out our Email Design Guidelines:
http://www.blueskyfactory.com/resources/BSFEmailDesignGuidelines.pdf
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
27. Creative Design
HTML coding tips
• Code by hand
• Simplicity is key
• Use inline style sheets
• Avoid using background images
• Also avoid using JavaScript and rich media
• Remember that each email client has its own HTML-rendering
quirks that you must be aware of
Check out the Email Standards Project site to learn more:
http://www.email-standards.org/
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28. Creative Design
Use a tool like Inbox Preview to ensure your email renders properly
across all email clients with images on and off
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29. A/B Testing
• Continually improve upon your email campaigns by performing A/B
split tests
• You can test various areas of your email program, including:
• Subject lines
• Date/time of send
• Email frequency
• Creative design, image placement
• Call-to-action variations (i.e. free shipping vs. % discount)
• Call-to-action placement
• Landing pages
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
31. Deliverability
• Work with your tech team and/or ESP to continually
monitor your email deliverability and IP address
reputation
• Ensure you are subscribed to all available Feedback
Loops (your ESP should do this for you)
• Set up authentication records (Sender ID, SPF,
Domain Keys)
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32. key elements to a
permission-based email strategy
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33. Permission-based Email
The key to email marketing:
Send relevant, timely, targeted and valuable
emails to subscribers who have asked to
receive them.
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34. Permission-based Email
Acceptable ways to build your list
• List append
• Opt-in
• Opt-in list rental
Unacceptable ways to build your list
• Harvesting
• Opt-out, unconfirmed appends
• List purchase
• Non opt-in list rental
• Directories
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35. Trust is Key
Six Core Elements of a
Trust-Based Approach:
1. Permission
2. Privacy
3. Reputation
4. Preferences
5. Expectations
6. Compliance
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
36. Compliance with the Law
Get To Know CAN-SPAM
The CAN-SPAM Act, enacted in January 2003, imposes
a series of requirements on commercial email.
For more information on CAN-SPAM and compliance with the law,
check out our Webinar entitled
Permission-Based Email Marketing: Privacy, Preferences & Best Practice
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37. ways to use email and social media
as complementary channels
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46. how real world organizations
are successfully using email
to reach their audience
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47. Client Example – Opt-in Form
Why this opt-in form works?
• Signup on multiple pages of site
• Form is easy to fill out with no pre-
checked boxes
• Subscribers must actively opt-in via
captcha & submit button
• Expectations are clearly stated in
introductory paragraph
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48. Client Example – Thank You Email
• Thank you email immediately follows subscriber submission
• Branding is consistent with what subscriber will be receiving in the future
• Benefits of subscription and frequency schedule reiterated again
• Link to Calendar of Events brings subscriber right back to main site
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49. Client Example – Welcome Email
• Confirmed subscription produces and
immediate thank you page
• Personalized Welcome Email immediately
follows
• Branding is consistent with future email
campaigns
• Subscriber is thanked and reminded of
subscription benefits and sending frequency
• A link back to client’s site is clearly present
as well as social media and follow us features
Copyright Blue Sky Factory 2010
50. Client Example – Creative Design
Visit Baltimore adheres to Email Best
Practice to obtain the best results
• Subject lines are short, sweet & consistent
• From line reflects the brand
• Pre-header offers a browser version and a
quick summary of the contents of the email
• Key creative elements (logo, call to action,
navigation & primary subject matter) are
located above the fold
• SWYN and Follow Us features are strong
and noticeable
• Physical mailing address and opt-out links
are present in all emails
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51. Client Example – Promotional Email
Why we like this email from
Cruise Specialists:
• Simple, actionable subject line: Fabulous
Offer – Book by March 31!
• Excellent balance of images and text
• Clear and simple call to action
• Subscriber benefit is clear
• Using email to drive social, and social to
drive email
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52. Client Example – Promotional email
Why we like this email from
Hilton Head Island:
• Beautiful, relatable imagery
• Good balance of images and text
• One clear call to action
• Strong Forward to a Friend link
• Suggestion: add a text backup link for the
call to action button
• Suggestion: add pre-header/snippet text
to top of email
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53. Client Example – Newsletter
Why we like this email from
Visit Vallejo:
• Fun, colorful header image to pull
reader into the email
• Great balance of images and text
• Encourage a dialogue with readers via
monthly trivia
• Prominent, clear Forward to a Friend link
• Suggestion: add a table of contents with
anchor links to articles
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54. Client Example – Event Email
Why we like this email from
Travel Leaders:
• Simple message
• Beautiful imagery, good text-image
balance
• Clear call to action
• Suggestion: add Forward to a Friend link
• Suggestion: add an email subscription link
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55. Thanks for Attending
Whether you’re an email
marketing beginner, a casual
mailer or a battle-hardened ninja,
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO EMAIL
provides proven strategies and
tactics you can apply to your
campaigns.
Download your free copy here:
http://www.blueskyfactory.com/ultimate/
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56. The Cascade Highlands
Web: www.thecascadehighlands.com
Phone: 1.888.9CASCADE
Join us for more free webinars at www.thecascadehighlands.com/education
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57. Please Contact Us
Please submit your questions now via the GoToWebinar dashboard
Amy Hollomon Joanna Lawson-Matthew
Client Services Manager Senior Client Services Manager
ahollomon@blueskyfactory.com joanna@blueskyfactory.com
www.blueskyfactory.com
Contact Blue Sky Factory: blog.blueskyfactory.com
Twitter: @blueskyfactory
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