Email MarketingMaking It Work For You

Lars Helgeson

Co-Founder

                                                   

                        

Overview

• Define email marketing

• Why email marketing works

• Email and your marketing mix

• Design & sending tips

• Choosing a vendor

• Tracking & feedback

• Case studies

What is Email Marketing?

• Targeted, relevant communication

• Goals– Generate sales– Improve awareness– Provide valuable information– Strengthen your brand– Build relationship with clients

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

What is Spam?

• Opt-in Marketing vs Spam– Spam = Negative perception of spammer

• Comprises 8% of emails in 2001, 32% in 2002

• Estimated 50% in 2003

– Opt-in = Higher responses, builds relationship• 100-1000x ROI vs spam

• Spam is illegal in most states– Now a felony in Virginia

Courtesy Hormel Corporation

Spam ExampleCourtesy “Just For You Network” (Dirty SPAMMER)

Applications of Email

No relationshipNo permissionHarvesting

No relationship3rd party permission

Weak relationshipStale contact

Existing relationshipPermission to contact

Existing relationshipPermission to contactOpt-in record

SPAM COOL

Why Email Marketing is Effective

• Automation = low deployment costs– Design time (custom vs templates)

– Database management

– Email delivery

– Tracking and analysis

• Targeting = better responses– Reads = 30-60% (average is 38%*)

– Clicks = 2-10% (average is 7.1%*)

– Average online conversion rate is 4.3%*

* Source: DoubleClick Email Marketing Trend Report, 2Q2002

                                                 

                                                 

                                                 

Customer Acquisition Cost

• Example10,000 email recipients

– Build = 4 hours x $90/hr = $360

– Send = $100– Tracking & Analysis = 2

hours x $90/hr = $180– 5% click, 4% conversion

= 20 sales for $640

– Acquisition cost = $32

• Example10,000 direct mail recipients

– Build = 4 hours x $90/hr = $360

– Send = $6,000 (60 cents per mail piece)

– 2% action, 10% conversion = 20 sales for $6,360

– Acquisition cost = $318

Your Marketing Mix

• Develop brand, strategy (marketing is a means to an end => sales)

• Print (brochures, pamphlets)• Direct mail• Radio/TV• Networking• Event sponsorships• Email

Generate awarenessPositive perceptionOvercome risk of purchaseSatisfy the customerGet feedback

How do you Email Market?

• Decide in-house vs outsource

• Gather client / prospects list

• Develop strategy, combine with other efforts

• Build email

• Send email

• Track email

• Refine marketing strategy

Email Marketing Visually

Strategy

Content Master List

Distribution

Tracking

Clients Website

Lists

In-House vs Outsourcing

• In-House Infrastructure– Designers

– List management

– Email servers & ISP

– Tracking & analysis

• Do-It-Yourself Tools– Templates– Easy-to-use interface

• Managed Services– Experienced designers– Analysts to improve

marketing strategy

• MarketingSherpa.com• In all cases, look at

track record & clients!

                                                 

                                                 

Custom Design Template

Choose the Right Vendor

• Examine features– Building tools (templates, libraries, personalization)

– Integration (website, CRM, surveys)

– List management (segmenting)

– Sending (capacity, automatic bounce / unsubscribe)

– Tracking (detail and summary in realtime)

– Private labeling

– Account management (multiple users, access rights)

• Ease of use is important!

Choose the Right Vendor

• Time to set up account and send emails• Costs

– Setup– Cost-per-email or CPM vs Storage

• Customer support– Email, phone, business hours– Dedicated account manager?

• Reputation (Privacy/Anti-Spam Policy)– SenderBase.com, DNSstuff.com

Email Marketing Tips

• Do not rent lists from someone you don’t know and trust – high risk of spam

• Carefully choose subject line (call to action, targeted)• Recognizable to recipients (“From” line)• Make content relevant to audience & personalize• Don’t use spam-trap words• Time of day, day of week• Frequency of communication• Short, concise messages

Using Tracking & Feedback

• Watch your email campaigns– Read rates– Click-thru rates– What users click on– Follow post-click if possible

• Generate new lists based on recipient behavior– Send targeted follow-ups

Case Study #1Get Connected Breakfast

• Marketing goals– Create awareness about event– Who / What / Where / When / Why– Promote value in coming to event

• Focus on what customers want– Valuable information

Case Study #1Campaign 1 - Simple Design

Call toaction

Case Study #1Campaign 1 Results

4200 Recipients

40.8% Read

1.8% Clicked- 95 flyer downloads

2 Send-to-Friends

0.2% Unsubscribed

Case Study #1Campaign 2 – Improved Design

3 calls to action

Consistent branding{

Case Study #1Campaign 2 Results

                                                                                                            

  

4700 Recipients

42% (2000) read

1.8% (87) clicked- 51 registrations- 48 flyers- 10 maps

3 send-to-friends

Case Study #2Yahoo! Resumix

• Marketing goals– Increase attendance at seminar (Campaigns 1-3)– Increase awareness of Resumix services with

newsletter (Campaign 4)

• Campaign results– 11% total response rate (phone/email)– 42% response by company

Campaign 1

ColorfulSimple call to action in 2 places2% click-through

Campaign 2

Simpler formatSingle call to action4.6% click-through

Campaign 3

Attendance Interest via Email Survey4.3% confirmationUsed more successful design

Campaign 4

Newsletters generate interest3.5% click-through

The Bottom Line

• Email marketing works• Coordinate with marketing strategy• Use feedback from campaign performance• Stay current on marketing technology

– Anti-spam issues– Economic conditions– Networking groups (Chamber of Commerce,

Connect, SDiMarketers)

Thank You

Presentation online at:

http://www.cooleremail.com/emailoverview.ppt

Key Points

Email Marketing Tips IV- Learn from your tracking information- Segment your lists by recipient demographics

and behavior- Gather surveys from your recipients- Send follow-up emails

Email Marketing Tips III- Send during the week, during the day if

targeting businesses- Be conscious of your sending frequency- Test your lists (random sampling)

Vendor Selection III (Pricing)- Setup fees- Price per email sent vs stored- Long-term contracts, minimum billing- Consulting services

Email Marketing Tips II- Relevant, informational content- Clear call to action, if applicable- Don’t make email too long, or too busy

Vendor Selection II (Business)- Blacklist reputation (SenderBase.com and

DNSstuff.com) and anti-spam policy- Privacy policy and data protection- Client list- Customer service

Opt-In (GOOD) vs. Spam (BAD)- Established relationship with client- Permission to send to recipient- Honor unsubscribe requests- Maintain opt-in/opt-out records

Email Marketing Tips I

- Integrate email with overall strategy- Don’t rent suspicious lists- Carefully consider your subject line- Be honest with your “From” line- Don’t look like spam (avoid keyword traps)

Vendor Selection I (Technology)- Templates and/or upload your own HTML- List management & segmentation- Sending capacity- Summary and detail-level tracking

Goals of email marketing- Build relationships with clients- Improve brand awareness- Communicate valuable information- Generate revenues

© 2003 CoolerEmail Inc., http://www.cooleremail.com