Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content and Jon Powell, Senior Manager of Research and Strategy, will walk through three common errors our research has identified as damaging to conversion. He will help you determine if you are making these errors, and how you can overcome them. During the webinar, Daniel will share a case study from our labs, showing how we fine-tuned an email offer. Making relatively small and easy changes, our research analysts overcame these common mistakes, and drove a three-digit increase in clickthroughs as a result. ***PLUS Live Optimization***

1. Join the conversation
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2. Email Messaging:
How overcoming 3 common errors increased clickthrough 104%
Daniel Burstein Jon Powell
Director of Editorial Content Sr. Manager, Research & Strategy
MECLABS MECLABS
Sponsored by:

3. Introductions
• Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content
MECLABS/MarketingSherpa
@DanielBurstein
• Jon Powell, Senior Manager of Research and Strategy
MECLABS/MarketingSherpa
@JonPowell31
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4. Join the conversation
#SherpaWebinar
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5. MarketingSherpa is a research and publishing
organization serving the marketing community
• MarketingSherpa’s annual
research cycle provides
knowledge for continuous
marketing improvement
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6. Research Background
• We surveyed over 3,000 marketers focused
on lead generation to uncover:
• Top challenges
• Best marketing tactics
• Lead scoring, nurturing and management
• Content strategies
• Marketing automation
• Marketing analysis
• Marketing operations and metrics
• Result of this research – MarketingSherpa’s FUEL methodology to power
marketing effectiveness from lead generation to sales conversion
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7. POLL: Which email element do you test most
often?
• Subject line (e.g. phrasing, length)
• Message (e.g. headline, body, closing)
• Layout and images
• Call-to-action
• Days of the week sent
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8. Most popular email elements to test
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9. Most effective elements to test
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10. Background and Test Design
 Experiment ID: Email Messaging Test
Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library
Research Notes:
Background: Largest physician-only social network which offers its knowledge
base to pharmaceutical companies.
Goal: To increase email clickthrough from rented list to landing page.
Primary research question: Which email will generate the highest
clickthrough rate?
Approach: Multifactor sequential (year-to-year) test.
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11. Experiment: Email control
Control Subject Line: Engage
physicians through social media
Company
Value is buried in second
paragraph and at top above the
eye-path.
Offer in email is for a 30-
minute demo.
Call-to-action requires a
relatively high commitment.
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12. Experiment: Email treatment
Treatment Subject Line: Reach 120,000 physicians through social media
Company Name Number
Value is clearly
communicated in headline Name
and first paragraph.
Name
Less commitment required Name
in offer and call-to-action.
Name
Name
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13. Experiment: Side-by-side
Control Treatment
Company Company Name Number
Nam
e
Name
Name
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14. Experiment: Results
104% increase in conversion
The treatment generated a 104% higher clickthrough rate.
Versions Clickthrough Rate Relative difference
Control 1.55% -
Treatment 3.16% 104%
 What you need to understand: By changing the messagingablethegenerate a
reflect the Research Partner’s value proposition, we were
of
to
email to
104% lift in clickthrough rate.
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15. 3 common errors in email messaging
Today, we will walk through THREE of the most common
errors in email messaging, and apply these key insights live
to audience-submitted campaigns.
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16. Error #1: Macro Distortion
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17. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Model is Broken
$
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18. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro-Decision Funnel
DVP
CVP
g = 9.81 m/s2
DVP
DVP
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19. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Macro Conversion
Compa
ny
Name
Num
ber
Company Name
Number
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
Nam
e
Email Landing Page
(CTR) (CVR)
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20. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Compa
ny
Name
Num
ber
Company Name
Number
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
N
a
m
e
Nam
e
Subject Line Headline
Headline Sub-headline
First Paragraph First Paragraph
Body Body
Call-to-action Call-to-action
Email Landing Page
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21. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Email
Subject Line Company Name Number
Name
Treatment Subject Line: Reach Name
120,000 Physicians through Name
Social Media
Name
Name
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22. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Email
Subject Line Company Name Number
Name
Headline
Name
Name
Name
Name
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23. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Email
Subject Line Company Name Number
Name
Headline
Name
Name
First Two
Inches
Name
Name
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24. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Email
Subject Line Company Name Number
Name
Headline
Name
Name
First Two
Inches
Body
Name
Name
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25. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Landing Page
Company
Name Number
Headline
Name
Name
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26. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Landing Page
Company
Name Number
Headline
Name
First Two
Inches
Name
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27. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Landing Page
Company
Name Number
Headline
Name
First Two
Inches
Name
Body
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28. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Landing Page
Company
Name Number
Headline
Name
First Two
Inches
Name
Body
CTA
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29. ERROR #1: Macro Distortion
The Micro Conversions
Email LP
Subject Line Headline
Headline Sub-headline
First First
Paragraph Paragraph
Body Body
CTA CTA
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30. Error #2: Conflated Objectives
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31. ERROR #2: Conflated Objectives
Conflated Objectives
Email
Subject Line LP
Headline
Headline
Note: At each stage in
First Two
the email journey, you
Inches
should only sell the next First Two
micro-conversion. Inches
Body
Body
CTA
CTA
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32. ERROR #2: Conflated Objectives
Conflated Objectives: Example
Not This But This
Email Email
Subject Line Landing Page Subject Line Landing Page
Headline Headline
Headline Headline
First Two First Two Inches
Inches
First Two First Two Inches
Inches
Body Body
Body
Body
CTA
CTA
CTA
CTA
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33. ERROR #2: Conflated Objectives
Conflated Objectives: Example
Not This
Instances of Conflation: Company
• IOC #1: Sells the 30-
minute demo in first
paragraph.
• IOC #2: Starts selling
“online tools” before
explaining benefits.
• IOC #3: Asks reader to
get started when they
may not be ready to
start.
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34. ERROR #2: Conflated Objectives
Conflated Objectives: Example
But This
Company Name Number
Name
• Each section of the
page guides the reader Name
through a logical series Name
of micro-conversions.
Name
Name
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35. ERROR #2: Conflated Objectives
Conflated Objectives: Example
Not This
• Little to no value in
headline and first two
inches.
• At least two competing
calls-to-action.
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36. ERROR #2: Conflated Objectives
Conflated Objectives: Example
But This
Re: The Research Results You Requested
Dear MarketingExperiments Subscriber,
As the Director of MECLABS Group, I felt it was important to personally
inform you regarding one of the most significant breakthroughs in the
history of our paid search experimentation.
• Each section of the In this study, we were able to reduce cost by 35% and yet increase
page guides the reader conversion by 300%. You can find out more by clicking here.
through a logical series Perhaps this breakthrough will help you improve your paid search ROI.
of micro-conversions.
Dr. Flint McGlaughlin
Director
MECLABS Group
P.S. This link will only be active for 24 hours; we are trying to get this
information to our subscribers before it reaches the media.
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37. ERROR #2: Conflated Objectives
Your Email Might Be Conflated If…
Your email says exactly what’s on the landing page.
Your email takes more than 30 seconds to read from beginning
to end.
Your email looks and feels just like a webpage.
Your email looks and feels like a magazine.
Your email has more than one central call-to-action.
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38. Error #3: Assumed Value
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39. ERROR #3: Assumed Value
The Value Exchange Fulcrum
Note: At each micro-
conversion in the email
journey, there is a value Perceived Cost
Perceived Value
exchange.
For each micro-
conversion, we must
calculate and deliver the
needed perceived value
for the prospect to move
to the next micro-
conversion.
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40. ERROR #3: Assumed Value
Derivative Value Propositions
The Value Proposition Spectrum
PROCESS-LEVEL
Question: Why should your ideal prospect buy
PRODUCT-LEVEL from you rather than any of your competitors?
PRODUCT
PRODUCT
#1 #1
Question: Why should [PROSPECT A] buy from
PRODUCT PRODUCT
#2 #2 you rather than any of your competitors?
PROSPECT-LEVEL
Question: Why should [PROSPECT A] buy this
PRODUCT
PRODUCT
#3 product rather than any other product?
#3
Central
Value
Proposition Question: Why should [PROSPECT A] click
PRODUCT
PRODUCT this PPC ad rather than any other PPC ad?
#4
#4
Prospect B
PRODUCT
PRODUCT #4
#1
1
PRODUCT PRODUCT
#2 #3
2
3 Conversion steps
associated with a
specific product.
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41. ERROR #3: Assumed Value
Assumed Value: Example
Not This
Company
• Where’s the value?
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42. ERROR #3: Assumed Value
Assumed Value: Example
But This
Company Name Number
Name
• Each micro-conversion
Name
step provides just
Name
enough value to move
the prospect to the
next one.
Name
Name
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43. #sherpawebinar

45. Live Optimization
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46. Live Optimization
US Dish
Primary Objective: Call in and sign up for
DISH service
Target Audience: Homepage opt-ins
Value Proposition Submitted: $50 gift card
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47. Live Optimization
US Dish
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48. Live Optimization
US Dish
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49. Live Optimization
nextdocs
Primary Objective: Drive webinar
registration for new product
Target Audience: Clinical operations & IT
executives
Value Proposition Submitted: Reduce time
and cost of clinical trial management
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50. Live Optimization
nextdocs
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51. Live Optimization
nextdocs
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52. Live Optimization
Direct365
Primary Objective: Lead Generation and
Cross-Selling
Target Audience: Current Direct365
customers from any service
Value Proposition Submitted: 2 weeks free
servicing when a contract is taken out
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53. Live Optimization
Direct365
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54. Live Optimization
Direct365
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55. Live Optimization
Cuddletunes
Primary Objective: Inform subscribers
about Easter sale
Target Audience: Families
Value Proposition Submitted: Price,
customization and providing comfort
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56. Live Optimization
Cuddletunes
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57. Live Optimization
Cuddletunes
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58. Live Optimization
Atis Primary Objective: To get people to
register and attend this webinar on rural
call completion issues
Target Audience: Telecom Engineers,
Service Providers, Government Official
Value Proposition Submitted: To listen to
the experts involved with creating the
handbook discuss their findings of best
practices for dealing with rural call
completion issues
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59. Live Optimization
Atis
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60. Live Optimization
Atis
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61. Live Optimization
A Place for
Mom
Primary Objective: Re-engagement,
lead-gen, generating website traffic and
ad revenue
Target Audience: People (mostly women)
caring for an elderly loved one
Value Proposition Submitted: Quality
information and chance to get our free
assistance
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62. Live Optimization
A Place for Mom
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63. Live Optimization
A Place for Mom
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64. Live Optimization
National Instruments
Primary Objective: Software Service
Contract Notification
Target Audience: Software customer with
active service contract
Value Proposition Submitted: Inform
customers of software download option
and new training benefit
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65. Live Optimization
National Instruments
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66. Live Optimization
National Instruments
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67. Live Optimization
Reliance Staffing
Primary Objective: For recipients who
are hiring to call/email about the
featured job candidates
Target Audience: Hiring managers or small
business owners
Value Proposition Submitted: Saving
time/money/energy by introducing
recipients to our best candidates
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68. Live Optimization
Reliance Staffing
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69. Live Optimization
Reliance Staffing
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70. Live Optimization
PWC
Primary Objective: Download
publication highlighting PwC expertise
Target Audience: Deal professionals
Value Proposition Submitted: Insights to
improve deal ROI
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71. Live Optimization
PWC
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72. Live Optimization
PWC
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73. Thank You
• Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content
MECLABS/MarketingSherpa
@DanielBurstein
• Jon Powell, Senior Manager of Research and Strategy
MECLABS/MarketingSherpa
@JonPowell31
#sherpawebinar