Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing Module 4: Email Marketing Version 5.0 Lecturer: David Maher David Maher Product & ecommerce Manager with Scope Ophthalmics 10+ Years experience in Digital Marketing Held Digital Marketing manager positions in Digital Agencies, Multinationals (MNC), Regulated Utilities and now Pharmaceuticals International experience working with the second largest eretailer in the world (Staples Inc.) Just completed an Executive MBA in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) 1
Email Marketing AGENDA Introduction Email Marketing Process Subscriber Management Newsletter Content & Design Delivery Management Reporting & Analysis Laws & Guidelines Program Structure Email Marketing PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA IN DIGITAL MARKETING 2
Program Structure Email Marketing: Related Topics PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA IN DIGITAL MARKETING Definition Email Marketing a structured, systematic process to deliver marketing messages to targeted subscribers Source: Digital Marketing Institute 3
Email Tactics (Globally) 4
Some Numbers Three times as many email accounts as Facebook and Twitter accounts combined Facebook reach down to 6.1% (as low as 2% for larger followings) Discuss this one! 66% of people have made a purchase as a result of a marketing message via Email vs. just 20% via Facebook Return On Investment Many new technologies claim they have killed email once and for all... 5
Definition: Email Service Provider Hosted, cloud-based Email Marketing system Source: Digital Marketing Institute Send.ie 6
Email Service Providers There are advantages to using an ESP No hardware required No mail server required No server upgrades No white list/ black list issues Low cost of entry High levels of functionality and reporting Email Marketing AGENDA Introduction Email Marketing Process Subscriber Management Newsletter Content & Design Delivery Management Reporting & Analysis Laws & Guidelines 7
Email Marketing Process Effective Email Marketing is a Process 1. Subscriber Management Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management 2. Design & Content Mail Clients Interaction Process Sender/ Subject/ Copy Images & Attachments Risks 4. Reporting & Analysis Interaction Scale Campaign Reports Subscriber Reports Split Testing 3. Delivery Systems Email Service Providers Scheduling Source: Digital Marketing Institute Email Marketing Process Effective Email Marketing is a Process 1. Subscriber Management Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management 2. Design & Content Mail Clients Interaction Process Sender/ Subject/ Copy Images & Attachments Risks 4. Reporting & Analysis Interaction Scale Campaign Reports Subscriber Reports Split Testing 3. Delivery Systems Email Service Providers Scheduling Source: Digital Marketing Institute 8
Definition: "SPAM" Receipt of unsolicited email communications Digital Marketing Institute What is Spam The word "Spam" as applied to Email means "Unsolicited Bulk Email" Unsolicited means that the recipient has not granted verifiable permission for the message to be sent Bulk means that the message is sent as part of a larger collection of messages, all having substantively identical content Unsolicited Email is normal email (examples: first contact inquiries, job inquiries, sales inquiries) Bulk Email is normal email (examples: subscriber newsletters, customer communications, discussion lists) A message is Spam only if it is both Unsolicited and Bulk 9
Spam Filters The following email characteristics can trigger Spam filters: Image/ text imbalance Use of all capitals Irregular font sizes All images Attachments Phrases like: click here, sale, offer, free, obscene terms etc. Marketers may send if... You have given them explicit consent to do so within the last twelve months or They have obtained your personal contact details in the course of a sale to you of a product or service within the last twelve months, and told you the purpose of gathering it and The direct marketing they are sending is in respect of their similar* products and services only and You were given a simple cost-free means of refusing the use of your contact details for direct marketing purposes: at the time your details were initially collected and where you did not initially refuse the use of those details, you are given a similar option at the time of each subsequent communication 10
Marketers may not send if... You have not given your prior consent to receiving such mail within the last twelve months in accordance with the options set out before The identity of the sender has been disguised or concealed or a valid address to which you can send an opt-out request has not been provided A valid physical address at which the sender may be contacted has not been provided Spam is in the eye of the beholder! The recipient decides if you re spamming Unfamiliarity with you, your business or brand They forget opting in Content is irrelevant An unpleasant experience They already opted out 11
Rules Never buy lists Never share lists Never Assume Have a process for unsubscribes (automate!) Don t mix your messages What if you get it wrong? First, it requires a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner Investigation Up to 2,000 per incident (email address!) Prove that you have a process 12
Email Marketing AGENDA Introduction Email Marketing Process Subscriber Management Newsletter Content & Design Delivery Management Reporting & Analysis Laws & Guidelines Data Three Elements of Data Management 1 Data Collection 2 3 Data Segmentation Data Management 13
Data Three Elements of Data Management 1 2 3 Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management Your Lists Bigger List = Greater Success Pay Attention to Subscriber Sources Segmentation: Business Systems Form Capture Focus on Quality - Not Quantity How Does Regulation Apply? 14
Workshop 1 Email Acquisition For the next 10 minutes, I want you to think of ways to acquire email addresses Think both online and offline. If you really thought about it, how many could you acquire in one working day? Could you set KPIs against email acquisition??? Data Collection: Online Data collection may be carried out online Web signup form Contact form Competition Customer purchase Customer care touch points 15
Data Collection: Online Good attributes of sign up forms: Easy to find Easy to see On Every Page Non-intrusive Only seeking relevant information Think Segmentation Data Collection: Online Good attributes of sign up forms: Easy to find Easy to see On Every Page Non-intrusive Less than 10% of subscribes happen on the home page Only seeking relevant information Think Segmentation 16
Data Collection: Online Good attributes of sign up forms: Easy to find Easy to see On Every Page Non-intrusive Only seeking relevant information Think Segmentation Data Collection: Online Good attributes of sign up forms: Easy to find Easy to see On Every Page Non-intrusive Only seeking relevant information Think Segmentation 17
Data Collection: Online Contact Form Opt-in Web signup form Contact form Competition Customer purchase Customer care touch points Data Collection: Online Contact Form Opt-in Web signup form Contact form Competition Customer purchase Customer care touch points 18
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Data Collection: Offline Data can be collected at all customer touch points Sales department Marketing department Service department Conferences & events Any meeting point with potential or existing customers Data Three Elements of Data Management 1 2 3 Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management 20
Definition: "Segmentation" Defining and subdividing a market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants or characteristics Email Marketing What Is Audience Segmentation and How Do I Use It? 21
Segmentation Personalize communication based on specific characteristics of audience groups Demographic Geography History Relationship Stage in Life Cycle Dynamic Segmentation Segmentation can be based on information gathered throughout the relationship/ lifecycle and based on customer behavior Subscription Customer signs up on website after purchasing a product Visits Website Customer demonstrates current interests on website Likes on Facebook Customer Likes a product on Facebook Jan Feb March April May June July Clicks on Email Customer clicks on links in Email Shares Topic Customer shares new product with friend 22
Segmentation: Dynamic based on Interaction Link Activity provides details on how subscribers click within the email in terms of number of clicks, clicks per person, total clicks and no clicks Data Three Elements of Data Management 1 2 3 Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management 23
Data Management The subscriber database must be maintained regularly Clean old data regularly Focus on quality and not quantity A smaller amount of high quality interactions is better than a large amount of low quality interactions Apply Segmentation consistently Update with new information gathered through interactions with subscribers Every iteration of Email Marketing process is an opportunity to improve data quality Email Marketing AGENDA Introduction Email Marketing Process Subscriber Management Newsletter Content & Design Delivery Management Reporting & Analysis Laws & Guidelines 24
Email Marketing Process Effective Email Marketing is a Process 1. Subscriber Management Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management 2. Design & Content Mail Clients Interaction Process Sender/ Subject/ Copy Images & Attachments Risks 4. Reporting & Analysis Interaction Scale Campaign Reports Subscriber Reports Split Testing 3. Delivery Systems Email Service Providers Scheduling Source: Digital Marketing Institute Email Design Mailchimp 25
Communication Zones Depending on consumption channel, users apply personal preferences and etiquette and expect marketers to do likewise Website Social Media Email Mobile Phone User Public Zone Websites and Discussion forums where the accepted norm is public and open. Social Zone Social Media Networks where the interaction is governed by social norms Personal Zone Personal communications devices/ systems with a personal etiquette Source: Digital Marketing Institute User Prioritization Exercise The sequence with which subscribers often engage with their email client 1 From Name 2 3 Subject Line Message Preview 26
Risks Even with opt-in email marketing, there are risks with marketing directly to subscribers on email in their personal communications zone (Inbox) Relevance of the Message (Segmentation) Frequency of sending Interruption Factor Sender Key factors affecting email open rates: Cultural bias and gender bias depending on from name From name should be from real reply address: more likely to get opened if from a real person as opposed to generic sales@ or info@ Allow recipient to Reply. Never use noreply@ 27
Subscriber Prioritization Criteria Users scan their incoming mail and prioritize based on: Time of Day Location Sender Familiarity Work Priorities Personal Priorities Email Clients Email is consumed in an email client 28
Email Clients & Devices You are designing for an email client and a device Clients: Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail, etc. Devices: Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, PCs, TVs Email Clients Per Device Different devices use different mail clients 29
Subject Line Key factors affecting email open rates: First 2 or 3 words are crucial (truncated view) Make the subject line relevant to the recipient as opposed to the sender Subject lines are industry dependent. Price works in travel, but not in education Test Test Test (Split Testing) Email Copy Key factors affecting engagement: Relevant message targeted at specific audience (segmentation) Specific and clear call(s) to action Personalization: Email is used primarily as a person-to-person communications tool Structure for ease of consumption/ scanning: Headline Paragraph Headings Bullet points Bold text Text/ image balance Links Avoid too much text 30
Workshop 2 Email Design For the next 10 minutes, I want you to think of good versus bad email design Give reasons for each from what we have discussed Use your personal and work email to try and find examples of both Is there any reason why we should have bad email with the ESPs out there? 31
Failure to Test: 32
Attachments Key factors affecting engagement: Be aware of the risks with using attachments They may cause: Lower open rates Trigger spam blockers Create security concerns Those that send a large amount of emails on a regular basis that include attachments typically are spammers. Instead of using an attachment, use your email platform to link to templates, graphics, and links to content hosted on the server or the Internet. (Whatcounts.com) Subject Line: Cook Smarts' "Weekly Eats" Descriptive Factor-in/out Subject Line Call To Action Lots of links Scannable Headings Get the Message Across 33
Images Key factors affecting comprehension: Many email clients by default have images have turned off Images should never carry the meaning of the email, rather they should support the meaning of the email Balance images in Emails, to avoid triggering SPAM filters Use alt text in email messages - alt text is sometimes visible when images are turned off 34
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Some Mobile Stats 1) 74% of smartphone owners use their devices to check their email 2) Mobile now makes up the majority of email opens at 51% 3) 68% of Gmail and Yahoo opens are coming from mobile devices 4) By the end of 2018, worldwide mobile email users are expected to total over 2.2 billion. By this time, 80% of email users are expected to access their email accounts via a mobile device 41
Mobile Integration Mobile Integration 42
Email Clients: Design Testing Through testing it is possible to ensure deliverability across a broad range of email clients and devices Email Marketing AGENDA Introduction Email Marketing Process Subscriber Management Newsletter Content & Design Delivery Management Reporting & Analysis Laws & Guidelines 43
Email Marketing Process Effective Email Marketing is a Process 1. Subscriber Management Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management 2. Design & Content Mail Clients Interaction Process Sender/ Subject/ Copy Images & Attachments Risks 4. Reporting & Analysis Interaction Scale Campaign Reports Subscriber Reports Split Testing 3. Delivery Systems Email Service Providers Scheduling Source: Digital Marketing Institute Send.ie 44
Scheduling Times when recipients open email Time of Day 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Business to Business Tuesday to Thursday 10am 12 pm 2pm 4 pm Business to Consumer Open times vary by industry Test to confirm Split Testing Tuesday - Thursday is best. Friday: open rates typically 8% down. Test different days and times against your goals. Email Marketing AGENDA Introduction Email Marketing Process Subscriber Management Newsletter Content & Design Delivery Management Reporting & Analysis Laws & Guidelines 45
Email Marketing Process Effective Email Marketing is a Process 1. Subscriber Management Data Collection Data Segmentation Data Management 2. Design & Content Mail Clients Interaction Process Sender/ Subject/ Copy Images & Attachments Risks 4. Reporting & Analysis Interaction Scale Campaign Reports Subscriber Reports Split Testing 3. Delivery Systems Email Service Providers Scheduling Source: Digital Marketing Institute Reporting Key metrics for monitoring Email Marketing packages: Open rate Total opens Unique opens Clicks Unsubscribes Bounced Delivered 46
Reporting: Campaign Snapshot Standard reporting features with Email Marketing packages Reporting: Recipient Activity Recipient Activity provides details on activity of subscribers in terms of open rates, clicks, unsubscribe, marked as spam 47
Reporting: Link Activity Link Activity provides details on how subscribers click within the email in terms of number of clicks, clicks per person, total clicks and no clicks Reporting: Social Sharing & Forwards Social Sharing provides details on how subscribers interact through social networks with the Email Marketing campaign 48
Split Testing Factors to base split test upon & what you can learn: o Sender (The Name the Recipients respond best to) o Subject Line (Timeliness and Relevance of messaging) o Content (Concerns and Interests of Subscribers) Advantages of Split Testing: o Better open rates o More targeted and relevant content o Better engagement Split Testing Split testing can reveal a significant level of difference between campaigns Split Testing can greatly improve the success of email campaigns 49
Email Marketing AGENDA Introduction Email Marketing Process Subscriber Management Newsletter Content & Design Delivery Management Reporting & Analysis Laws & Guidelines Laws & Guidelines Issues to Consider Issues to consider: Be aware of Data Protection Regulations in your country. Understand how Data Protection Laws in your country inform what is considered as SPAM. Be aware of Privacy Regulations in your country. Know common characteristics of Electronic Privacy Regulations such as: opt out at collection point, subscriber told why information is being gathered, emails only about a similar product, option to opt-out / unsubscribe on every email, opt in only valid for 12 months. 50
Governing Bodies (International) UK US Recap Start Use a Service Build Your List Design - Respect Your Brand and Audience Always Look at Reports Integrate Iterate 51
We always welcome feedback We always welcome feedback, ideas, case studies and examples from your own personal experience. Do share! Send to: clairemonahan@digitalmarketinginstitute.com amples from your personal experience. Do share! Send to: clairemonahan@digitalmarketinginstitute.com Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing Module 4: Email Marketing Version 5.0 Lecturer: David Maher 52