Archive for February, 2012

The amount of information email marketers collect on their customers and their habits is ever growing. Simply sending a blanket email to the customers in our email list is no longer valid. The challenge now is to use email as a medium in which to build and grow a relationship with our customers. We want to nurture and educate them so that they are highly responsive and generate revenues on a consistent and ongoing basis. To do this, design email series that speaks to each subscriber while they are on the journey of your email marketing strategy.

Below is an example of an email lifecycle strategy for New Subscribers to your email list. Obviously, the timing, sequence and content will need to be adjusted to your individual business goals. You can always first try testing different series on small test segments to fully optimize your strategy.

Since the example series is very informational and provides a lot of content to your customers, you may consider adding all new email addresses to a suppression file once they’ve completed the series. Additionally, you may consider suppressing anyone who is in your welcome series from being pulled into your regular email stream.

Remember, the first interaction you have with your customers is the welcome email. This email serves as both an introduction to your company, but also establishes the pace, tone and value of being in your email stream. The opportunities to educate your new customers are endless, so start each new subscriber off with a welcome series of emails that explains everything they should need to know to get started. If your website needs instructions or you have a lot of content to offer your subscribers, design your welcome email strategy to send several emails in a short period of time starting immediately after sign up.

Another situation where using a series of emails is beneficial is when you are looking to re-engage lapsed customers. Most customers have a tendency to the most active immediately after they signed up for your email list. For those customers who have stopped engaging with your emails or your website, one strategy to try is a We Miss You or Winback campaign.

The purpose of a Win Back or We Miss You campaign is try to entice a user to come back and take an action that they previously have done before. Regardless of what the action was – an email open, an article viewed on the website, an item added to their shopping cart – certain customers are no longer doing it and you want them to start up again.

To get started, you might want to think about the different reasons why a customer in your email list would not continue engaging with you. Do you have delivery issues that would prevent them from ever receiving your email in the first place? Has your content or template become stale so they are longer interested? Were they incentivized to join your list and were never fully interested in receiving your emails? You will need to consider all options before laying out your strategy since each can result in a different series of emails. One other thing to consider while deciding upon your strategy is whether you want to offer an incentive to the user to re-engage. The incentive can be anything from a discount to a sweepstakes entry to a free gift with purchase. If you do decide on an incentive, keep in mind that customers are smart and can easily learn to take advantage of the system so suppress them from regular mailings while they are in a Win Back/We Miss You series.

The above example is just a simple representation of the steps to take in a Win Back/We Miss You campaign. There are an infinite number of emails, content and sequences you can incorporate during this type of email series, but remember the end goal – get users to re-engage.

If, at any time during the series, they open or click, feel free to add them back into your main mailing stream. If you get no response at all, move the inactives into a group that is not normally included in your regular emails. Instead, you can choose to include them only for major mailings, lower their frequency (ex. from a weekly email to monthly) or not email them at all. You can then repeat the Win Back/We Miss You series quarterly or as often as you deem fit.

All in all, using series of multiple emails to engage your customers is effective and can definitely increase both your email KPIs and revenue. Additionally, you can use series to hygiene your email list and remove those that would rather not be there. The number of situations where you can use a series of emails is endless; just remember to keep the subscribers out of your regular mailing streams to avoid confusion.

The days of bulk emailing your entire email list are over. Customers are demanding only those emails that pertain to them and their needs only. This has likely impacted your KPIs and revenue streams in the sense that customers are refusing to interact with your emails unless the content is tailored to them. So the next logical questions are: how do you give your customers the emails they want and only when they want them? The answer is both simple and complex…build an email preference center.

A preference center is an interface created for your email customers so that they can relay specific information about their email preferences to you. You may include a single option to choose from, or a completely customizable email solution. Either way, build your preference center with your customers in mind, making sure that they can quickly and easily make changes at any time.

Building a preference center can be fairly easy if it is managed through your Email Service Provider (ESP). The system will automatically create folders, segments or suppressions that continuously roll customers in and out of your mailing stream. It will still be up to the email marketing team to decide what messages your customers will receive though.

The first thing to keep in mind when building an email preference center is making sure that the instructions are incredibly clear. When a user lands on your preference center page, there should be a distinct explanation for each of the sections they can complete. Be sure that your customers have a solid understanding of what email subscriptions they are changing, keeping and losing. This will hopefully eliminate spam complaints that may arise from miscommunications. In addition to preference changes, be sure to include a global unsubscribe option that will remove a customer from your email list in entirety. This not only complies with CAN-SPAM regulations, but also assures your customers that you have their best interests in mind.

The next step to developing an email preference center is to identify which parts of your email stream is relevant to your customers. Such things as categories, frequency and day of the week are all options that a customer can choose to customize.

Categories – If you’re an e-commerce site that offers many different products or services for sale, have your customers choose only those that they are interested in. You may also want to provide further selections such as gender, price ranges, locations, discounts offered, free shipping, etc. Any of these options will produce completely customizable email content that is not only relevant, but also desired, by each of the customers in your email list.

Day(s) of the Week – Since customers are so bombarded by emails everyday, let them choose which day (or days) they’d like to receive your emails. By doing this, you’ll teach your customers when to expect your emails, who in turn will be more responsive and engaged.

Frequency – Many companies are still mass-emailing their entire email list, and to a customer, it can seem like they are receiving emails nonstop. For those customers who don’t check their email every day, this can be incredibly overwhelming and will cause them to engage with your email far less than you’d like them to. Letting the customers choose how often you email them will allow you to send your most important messages while reducing the number of emails in your customers’ inboxes.

There are many other options you can provide for the customers in your email list. But in the end, make sure you honor their wishes and send them only what they’ve asked for. It is likely that the number of emails sent will be reduced, but you shouldn’t worry about this. Your email strategy will likely change from static content to dynamic, customized emails. Since the email content is geared towards only those topics they are interested in, your customers will appreciate your emails and respond better. It is almost certain that you will experience better overall KPIs – such as open and click rates – and revenue since the email content is what specifically pertains to what your audience wants.

If your email system or ESP is not able to handle dynamic content, you can still use email preference centers to your advantage. Create the static content as you normally would, but instead send it to only those customers who would find it relevant based on the preferences they chose. Even though you won’t be sending emails to your entire list, targeting customers based on their preferences is still a smart strategy. Cycle through the preferences to ensure that the customers in your email list do still receive email from you in a timely manner (ex. once or twice a week). If you insist on mailing your entire email list, create several versions of the email creative that ‘speak’ to each preference and send accordingly.

If you do decide to use the preference center to target specific mailings, be sure to build a testing strategy into your email program. You can test concepts such as combining similar targets or correlated selling. For example, if you have an email that features computers, you may include the segments that have elected to receive emails about computers plus those that have elected to receive emails about electronics. Or, if you know that customers who buy apparel are likely to buy shoes in their next purchase, you can send an email that features both categories.

In addition to experiencing higher KPIs and email revenues, an email preference center can also help with deterring unsubscribes. Unless there is an email effort to drive customers to your preference center, they are most likely hitting it because they are trying to unsubscribe. Whatever the reason they got there – too many emails, not relevant content, no longer want to be on your email list – the preference center gives them options on how to adjust their subscription so that they might not globally opt out. You may be able to entice them to keep a portion of their subscription by simply reducing the frequency, changing the day or adjusting the content.

All in all, email preference centers are designed to enable marketers to give customers in their email list the content they want to receive combined with when they want to receive it. Designing your email strategy around this concept can significantly reduce the quantity of emails sent. But you will also experience greater open rates, click rates and revenues because your emails are just that to the customer now – significant.

Email has been the single most revolutionary communication device since the invention of the telephone. Even current texting technology is little more than an extension of basic email techniques. Unfortunately it is also a double edged sword…..from encouraging lackluster grammatical skills to being one of the producers of easily misconstrued messaging. As with any tool, it becomes important to know how to use it effectively, and wield it like the two edged sword it is, accomplishing your intended purpose without inadvertently causing injury.

Your email is a logical extension of your public image, which means you need to put forth your best foot when utilizing this technology. Getting lazy with your emails has the same impact as showing up for the staff meeting in a t-shirt and flip flops.

Let’s take a more in depth look at the do’s and don’ts of email usage, namely the ones that can make or break your good corporate image:

Dropping The Subject Line. Do you open emails with subject lines that read “no subject”? I didn’t think so. In an age where people have email messages piling up and clamoring for their attention, you have exactly one chance to grab their attention. The subject line is that chance. Make the most of it.

Give the Subject Line Some Substance. Like many of you, I have a bad habit of inserting useless things like “Hi” (or worse “howdy”) as opposed to anything remotely resembling the contents of the email. Take the few extra seconds and type in precisely what the e-mail is pertaining to. Again, you have one chance to grab their attention. Make it count.

Keep Your Header Corresponding With The Subject. We all get tired of wading through previous emails to try and nail down the specific one we’re looking for. Keeping your header adjusted to reflect the subject you are currently discussing will help you keep up with what is where, especially in cases where the exchange runs on for an extended length.

Make It Personal. Personalize your messages. It doesn’t matter if you are sending the same message to multiple recipients, taking the time to personalize the greeting makes a great impression. Email by its very nature is a fairly cold means of communication. Get around that obstacle.

Choose Words Wisely. With email, you have some of the instantaneous nature of communication, but without the non-verbal, body language element. Email messages are often misconstrued. I’ve had more than one humorous message be received as sarcasm or even a personal attack, and you never see it coming. Second and third guess the tone of your message and make every effort to see that it is received in the spirit intended.

Check Your Grammar. With the advent of email came the idea that proper grammar was no longer important. This is a mistake. Sending a message full of errors (or worse, those lazy abbreviations such as “ur” in place of “you’re”) does nothing to make a decent impression, and may actually cause co-workers (or worse, superiors) to not take you very seriously. Take the time to compose your emails with the same due diligence that you would with a regular business letter.

Keep It Simple. Emails should never be very long. People usually skim through them so short messages that are easily grasped are preferable. If you find that you are suffering from an excessive case of literary bloat, then back off and arrange for a face to face meeting or phone conversation.

Unauthorized Forwarding. I don’t care how funny or inspirational the message is, never forward an email without the express consent of the person who wrote it. If the wrong thing gets out and you’re pegged as the responsible party then your credibility and integrity just went right out the window.

Think Of The Net As An Open Book. It can never be said often enough, don’t put anything in an email or other online message that you aren’t willing for anyone and everyone to see. Because chances are that anyone and everyone eventually will. Once you hit send, you effectively relinquish all control of the contents of that message.

Create A Signature. Most email programs offer the option of creating a signature that can be automatically generated for every message you send. Do this, and include your name, email address, phone number, whatever communication methods are best for reaching you directly. Never assume that the other party will simply hit respond…it doesn’t always work that way.

Don’t Be Impatient. This is one of my biggest goofs. I naively assume that the person I am sending the message to is sitting at the other end, and as a result I should get an immediate response. Email may be a way of getting a message out instantly, but don’t assume the same is true in reverse. Have some patience and wait for the other person to get back to you.

There are a lot of ways to run your career in the ground, but email doesn’t have to be one of them. Take your time and exercise some common sense and your email communication will prove to be a powerful and effective communication tool.

Okay, you blew it. Whether through no fault of your own or perhaps just a few ill advised words, the response from your clients to your most recent email blast has been overwhelmingly negative. You find yourself with visions of your business collapsing, your finances swirling down the drain, and for all you know, perhaps a good old fashioned tarring and feathering.

Or perhaps you misfired on quoting a price, and a $1000 table becomes a $100 table. Quite a difference, right?

It’s a well known fact that once you hit send, you should be prepared for whatever is in that chosen message to be out there forever and ever amen. You can’t get it back, and there is always the possibility that it can come back and bite you, usually at the most inopportune times.

So how do you respond? Is there anything you can say or do that will get you back in the good graces of your clients? Do you have a future with these people? Well, the answer is yes. People are usually very willing to forgive the occasional gaffe or misjudgment, but you may have to swallow your pride and go ask for it.

First thing, make it right. As soon as you discover your error, send out the corrected information. Most people realize that they aren’t going to purchase a new Lexus for $4500……so be upfront and tell them that you forgot the extra zero. Nobody in their right mind is going to try and hold you to an obvious mistake.

Be human. Be willing to admit that you make mistakes. A recent political statement was in fact exactly right… corporations are people, people are prone to errors in judgment and execution. Make sure your apology is properly worded and appropriately humble. Again, people are willing to forgive, but diminishing their importance or trying to act as though you are above them will do little to win friends and influence people.

Take one for the team. It doesn’t matter who dropped the ball, let the buck stop with you. Taking full responsibility (even if it wasn’t totally your fault) really raises you up in the eyes of your clients. So resist the urge to blame your ad agency, marketing department, or personal assistant or whoever, and let the buck stop on your company name.

In the case where product descriptions are bungled or items are mispriced, be sure that everyone knows that there was a mistake made. Some people may have already bought the item in question, but you should make sure that everyone who may have even laid eyes on it is properly informed of the error and made aware of the correction.

Take it to the top. If you are not the president or CEO of the company, have them be the ones who sign off on it. Having the top of the heap be the bearer of the message will carry far more weight than the same message coming from some low level exec.

Balance the scales. No, you cannot sell a new Lexus for the aforementioned $4500, but you can compensate for the mistake by throwing in a few perks, such as free oil changes for the first year or a discount on accessories. Going the extra mile to try and make up for the mistake really polishes up the good old corporate image. Will it cost money? Yes, but it will pay off handsomely in the long run when it comes you customer satisfaction and retention.

Leave the lines of communication open. Nothing grinds my gears more than receiving an email from a company that cannot be responded to. Make sure your return email addy is one that gets delivered to a real person, preferably you, and make every effort to get back with anyone who contacts you.

Finally, how do you know when to send an apology? The common prevailing wisdom is that if something feels wrong, then it probably is and needs to be addressed. If you are genuinely unsure, however, ask yourself two questions:

1. Will my customers be inconvenienced if I do not send an apology?
2. Was the mistake serious enough to warrant a heartfelt apology?

If you answered yes to either of those questions (or both), then start writing. It’s time to make this thing right.

Finally, take the time to compose the apology carefully. Email is one of those forms of communication where, if it can be misconstrued, then it will be. Responding too quickly, in the heat of the moment, may actually produce counterproductive results. Compose your apology, walk away, and come back to it later. You can look at it with fresh eyes and gain a better perspective on what is working and what isn’t.

If you do email marketing long enough, you’re going to eventually screw up. Determine now just how you are going to deal with it, then go and do the right thing by your clients and by your company.

Transactional email messages are those that are triggered to customers in your email list based off of an action they took. Whether it is a welcome message to someone who is new to your email list or an order confirmation to someone who just purchased from your site, it is important to make sure that this type of email is both informative and engaging. Since the customer expectation is so high, it is even more important that you get this email to them in their inbox in a timely manner.

By their very nature, transactional messages should be short, sweet and to the point. They essentially should be an instantaneous response to an action your customer has just taken. For the most part, it is usually in your best interest to deliver an email response within just a few minutes or seconds. Since your customer is actually expecting this email, you are likely to experience incredibly high open and click rates. In addition, transactional emails are a great opportunity to easily cross-market other products to your customer.

One important factor to consider when sending transactional emails is their delivery. Some messages, such as order confirmations and credit card decline notices, are vital to e-commerce and must be delivered instantly. For this very reason, it is usually recommended that you set up all transactional emails on IP addresses separate from your marketing streams. Since transactional emails are sent as one-offs instead of large batches, they tend to be under the radar of ISPs. This then results in better delivery rates, and are also not affected by the bounces and complaints that may coincide with your email marketing efforts.

Although it may require some tech resources, make sure that your transactional emails are built on a system of well-developed API calls. It is crucial that you time your emails properly according to their type. When customers will be expecting an email immediately, make sure that they are not waiting around for long. For these cases, be sure to design your email response to be as close to real time as possible.

You may also consider having a significant waiting period before an email is triggered. An abandoned cart email, for example, would be best received a couple of days to a week after the event occurred. Sending this type of email any sooner would probably not be well received by the customers in your email list since it may come off as hounding them for not purchasing.

Once you have the timing down on any of the emails you send, be sure to have creative that succinctly conveys the message you intend it to. Transactional emails serve a specific purpose that is usually built on dynamic information that is API-driven. Because of this, nearly every transactional email you send can be unique and might contain data that is different for every user. If you have content management systems designed to handle exactly this, it might be a good idea to leverage this functionality to monetize your transactional emails. Whether your business model is built around e-commerce or page views, use extra space in your transactional emails to make product recommendations or link users to other articles and/or landing pages. Since the engagement in transactional emails is so high, use this space wisely. Don’t bombard the user with too much information or ads that could distract from the email’s original intention.

In addition to having triggered single messages in response to a user’s action, consider developing a series of transactional emails. Welcome emails are a great opportunity for this. If you have a lot of content on your website or program, create an email program that slowly educates your customers. For example, you can have one email that is fired off instantly after the address is added to your email list. Perhaps 24 hours later, your system would send a second email and 24 hours after that, a third. In each of these emails, you could focus on the benefits of being in your email list or of different website features.

One last thing to consider about transactional messages is the users who may take advantage of your strategy. There are many smart customers out there who realize that they can easily get discounts or special offers through transactional emails. Since so many companies are trying to win their customers’ dollars, many will include coupons or promotions simply for signing up or leaving a product in their shopping cart. If you do choose to include a discount, make sure to properly suppress those who have received your emails before.

In the end, transactional emails are a very important means of communicating with your customers in real time. If you make sure that they contain relevant information and are delivered in a timely manner, customers will be highly responsive and you can easily rely on transactional messages to be a solid source of revenue.