Email Best Practices agency creative. Fall 2011
Email: The Most Successful 1:1 Marketing Platform Ever Created
Acxiom s Guide to Email Greatness Part 1: Maps See what the email landscape looks like now... and where it s going Part 2: Navigation Learn how to avoid potholes and take the fastest route to effective messaging Part 3: Landmarks Explore hot topics and check out our favorite examples of emails that work
Revenue Generated: US & Global The average email campaign drives $42 per $1 invested (The Power Of Direct Marketing, The DMA, 2009-2010 Edition)
Audience Growth By 2014, over half the world s adult population will be Internet enabled. (Gartner Predicts, Gartner, January 2010) 100% growth in the next 3 years, equal to the last 30 years.
Device Growth Mobile Market Share July 2011 (comscore, Inc., July 2011) 38.1% 26.6% 24.7%
What Makes a Successful Email? Relevance. Relevance. Relevance.
Relevance Means A two-way conversation One primary objective with a primary call to action The right person The right content The right time and frequency
The Game Has Changed Your email used to be primarily viewed in 20+ different email applications on 3 major operating systems, in desktop and web apps Now, it s primarily viewed in 30+ different applications on 8 major operating systems, in desktop, web and mobile apps
How Is Email Consumed? 50 50 emails Five-second per day / Half-second 5 subject line scan / 5 message scan
How Much Time Is Spent on Email? Office: 53% check email 6+ times a day 42% check while on vacation Home: 38% check once a day 29% check several times a day 9% hourly (Gartner Inc., 2010) 35 % on mobile devices before getting out of bed
Target Segments for Total Customer Value In a typical permission-based list, 60% of members become inactive over a 6-month period (Redeye, econsultancy, 2010) Develop strategies such as lifecycle e-mailings to minimize drop-off
Here s the Typical Dropoff Email subscribers are most responsive at beginning of relationship, then taper off Welcome and on-boarding strategies are imperative to brand building and ongoing communication
Know Your Audience Your customer base is derived from various lead and email acquisition sources Understand the characteristics of each source accordingly Respond to and learn from customers considering benefits and issues
Test, Learn & Refine Conduct testing and efforts Track measurements of customer value and engagement Compare results and adjust programs Some good measurement benchmarks to use: Increase revenue/profit per email Increase purchase frequency Increase average order value (AOV) Increase range of categories purchased Maximize lifetime value of list member
Test, Learn & Refine
Subject Line Realities The half-second subject line you either grab them or they re gone Short max. 49 characters Compelling, direct, relevant Front-load with critical brand and offer copy No special characters
Best Subject Lines
Preheaders & Footers Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam vestibulum sem non nisi semper sodales. Proin volutpat lacinia massa, in vulputate sapien posuere nec. Maecenas ut tellus tortor. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Pellentesque quis arcu at eros elementum tincidunt. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed semper auctor arcu quis porttitor. Nunc auctor bibendum libero, ut egestas diam iaculis et. Donec porttitor augue sit amet lacus commodo quis cursus massa ultrices. In id risus vitae risus posuere scelerisque. Praesent ut elit sem, vitae facilisis erat. Aenean consequat, nisl a gravida commodo, mauris turpis interdum sem, a cursus neque purus in ligula. Phasellus sapien justo, mollis nec sodales ut, vulputate vitae nunc. Suspendisse aliquet diam in dolor porta at tincidunt eros ullamcorper. Etiam placerat molestie nisi sit amet suscipit. In ac nibh sit amet est suscipit mattis.d vehicula aliquet tortor, a convallis risus faucibus id. Nam ut velit vitae lectus luctus dignissim nec et est. Optimize the preheader with key marketing message and link Add View in browser link Shave off unnecessary language in footer (add to address book) Legal (unsubscribe, privacy policy)
Words Are Really Pictures People don t read or scroll they scan Keep the message crisp and clear The CTA needs a mission Where does the click go? Does it fulfill the message? Tailor length of message to medium or channel: postcard vs. newsletter, mobile vs. desktop
Layout: Use a Grid, Lose the Clutter Design for images off Balanced text/images help avoid filtering and improve deliverability Optimize for mobile Leverage modules for cross-selling
Layout: Use a Grid, Lose the Clutter Design for images off Balanced text/images help avoid filtering and improve deliverability Optimize for mobile Leverage modules for cross-selling
The New Fold: 350 px
Dynamic Personalization Build unique customer experiences based on profile and web behavior Use dynamic components to deliver the most customized content This incredibly dynamic HP Newsletter serves specialized content (3,000+ articles and offers) to fill 24 sections, based on 23 component attributes
Auto-Triggers Event, Purchase, Site Behavior, Expiration Review options for event-triggered emails Consider delivering contextual emails that align with customer lifecycle/behavior: Reminder email (perhaps with a more focused, refined offer encouraging action) Offline channel (phone call, direct mail piece)
Advanced Messages to Try Specific link/topic clicks (user engages with a particular feature of the email, e.g., special events, videos you then send tailored future communications) Customer birthday Anniversary of registration/first purchase Pre-renewal emails for subscription services
It s Still About the Relationship Take litmus readings at 60, 90, 180 or 365 days to understand engagement with your list Set hurdle rates to determine goals and track engagement Respond with offers and content
Multi-Channel Messaging Integrate other forms of direct e-messaging (including mobile + social) with email marketing as part of an overall communications strategy In a survey of 1,000+ respondents, 78% used two or more channels to browse/research/ purchase, while 30% used three or more (Consumer Survey, ATG, March 2010) Worldwide Internet users spend 4.6 hours on social media per week versus 4.4 hours on email (TNS, Digital Life, October 2010) 79% of households either read or scan direct mail sent to them (2011 DMA Statistical Fact Book)
The Evolving Deliverability Landscape Deliverability needs to be addressed holistically on numerous levels
Data Capture & Engagement Boost performance metrics and reduce overall complaints Ensure validated data capture Deploy a confirm or double opt-in (currently preferred method of permission capture) Conduct a thorough analysis of non-responders. Attempt to re-engage; if unsuccessful, purge all records Suppress inactives who fail to respond to re-engagement Engage new acquisitions in a timely manner
Emerging Trends: ISP Blocking Inbox placement is based on many factors: complaints, hard bounces, spam traps, frequency, volume, content... and engagement AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! are monitoring level of recipient engagement ISPs and email providers are listening to their members to deliver wanted mail Proprietary engagement algorithms help determine inbox placement (metrics fuzzy)
ISP Blocking: Gmail Priority Inbox Suggests an algorithm that contains a deep understanding of preferences/behaviors, plus analysis of various factors Relevant emails rise to top of inbox; all other messages drop down or automatically go to another folder
ISP Blocking: Google Smart Labels New feature, not default-enabled Automatically categorizes incoming Bulk, Notification, Promotion or Forum messages Learns user s inbox over time to prioritize Could result in lower opens/clicks if enabled
ISP Blocking: Hotmail, Facebook, AOL Hotmail s Sweep feature allows users to easily sweep large groups of emails into a folder/trash, with no feedback loop Facebook Messages Auto bulk filtering, delivery dependent on user s privacy settings Conversation-based organization Social network connections do not generally imply consent to mail AOL Project Phoenix (Beta) Aggregates multiple external email accounts, IM and SMS devices Adds vanity domains
Emerging Trends: All-in-One Messaging People don t want to wade through inboxes Many ISPs offering All-in-One Messaging with seamless transitions between email, SMS, IM and social networking New Yahoo! Mail Beta integrates web-based email, SMS and IM into a single client Facebook and AOL s new domain names may increase email address churn as people abandon old inboxes
Deliverability: The Future In the fight against spam, ISPs are looking beyond typical metrics of open rate, click rate, spam complaints, unsubscribes and spam trap hits Top ISPs are looking at building sender reputation based on domain rather than IP address
Hot Topics
Flash Flash: Only supported in Apple Mail, their desktop email client
Video in Email Currently supported only in Apple products, including mobile Support remains problematic, with spotty compatibility across email clients and ISPs Use a video frame within the email, which links to a website where the full video plays
HTML5 to the Rescue? The HTML5 <video> tag provides a viable method of displaying video within email clients As of July 2011, Yahoo!/Hotmail pilots will allow for HTML5 emails, which enable interaction, live polls, video and other features Consider HTML5 if a majority of your audience uses iphones or Macs
The Social Factor Basic: Generic social links add clutter without significant value Next-gen social promotions (Foursquare, Groupon, etc.) encourage engaged customers and incentivize sharing Advanced:
Mobile First in US by Xmas 2012 Get ready to get small!
Good Examples
Good Examples
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