Title: The 10 Biggest Email Marketing Mistakes Companies Make and how to avoid them
1The 10 Biggest Email Marketing Mistakes
Companies Make(and how to avoid them)
- Presented by David Herscott
- 4-2-03
2Discussion Topics
- Special Thanks (The Cannon)
- What the Research is Telling Us
- Whats in it for You
- Why Me
- The 10 Mistakes (and the 10 remedies)
- Recap
- Take-aways
3Special Thanks
- The Cannon - Those who have gone before us
- Seth Godin (Permission Marketing)
- Kim Macpherson (Permission Email Marketing)
- Hans Peter Brondmo (Post Communications)
- Debbie Weil (B2B expert, Clickz)
- Clint Symons (opt-in-news publisher)
4The Research
- Industry Research (varies depending on
relationship) - Open rates 15-40
- Click rates 1-8
- Biggest issues SPAM, blacklists, data capture,
dynamic messaging, ROI - Email Fact Book 2002 opt-in-news
- MEA Digital Proprietary Study
- Biggest issues ROI, qualified list
5Whats In It For You
- Validate what youre doing right
- New strategies to consider
- New tactics to try
- Learn from others mistakes
- Specific take-aways
6Why Me
- Online Marketing Veteran since 1995
- (Modem Media, CDNow, MP3, Pointcast)
- UCSD Extension marketing instructor
- Columnist (www.optinnews.com)
- Managing Partner MEA Digital
7Mistake 1 No Email Plan
- Have you developed an email marketing strategy?
- Objectives
- Data management
- Message
- Implementation
- Measurement
8Remedy 1 Create a Dialog Map
Opt-in Subscribe eNewsletter
OPWV Central eMarketing database
Opt-in Newsletter
Unqualified Lists
Future mailings/ 3rd Quarterly Newsletter
Data Updates - unsubs bounce
Reports/ Key Findings
2nd Issue Auto- trigger
2nd eNewsletter
Links to Website 1st Issue
2nd Quarterly Newsletter Includes Forward to a
Friend
Qualified Lists
OPWV Central eMarketing database
9Mistake 2 No Clear Message Strategy
- Do you have a content plan?
- Informative/promotional
- Resources
- Communication frequency
10Remedy 2 Use a Creative Brief
Objectives
Relationship
Action
Think Now
New Perception
Ammo (Incentive)
Message
11Mistake 3 No Success Metrics
- Costs
- Cost per sale
- Cost per lead
- Cost per subscriber
- Feedback
- Surveys
- Content interaction (opens, clicks)
- Churn
12Remedy 3 Use Metrics As Benchmark
13Mistake 4 No Technology Criteria
- Currently over 2 dozen Email ASP eCRM
technology providers. - They have a wide range of functionality,
scalability and financial stability ?. - Know what you need. Do not buy more do not buy
less.
14Remedy 4 Technology Audit
15Mistake 5 No Test Plan
- Direct Marketing is about making incremental
improvements. - Test subject lines, offers and lists by sending
to a small sub-segment to identify the best
variables.
16Remedy 5 Use a Cell Matrix
OF1
OF2
OF3
O 29.3 C 4.1
O 31.2 C 4.5
O 34.6 C 5.2
L1
L2
O 42.1 C 6.3
O 47.4 C 6.7
O 33.5 C 5.5
OF Offer L List O Open Rate C Click Thru Rate
17Mistake 6 Complacency
- Use what you learn during cell testing to
optimize response. - Regarding offer and creative - Its not important
what you think of it its what your customers
and prospects think of it.
18Remedy 6 Respond to Feedback
BEFORE TESTING
AFTER TESTING
Increased click-through by over 20
19Mistake 7 No QA
- The email (client application) market is
extremely fractured not to mention version
control issues - Outlook
- AOL
- Yahoo
- Hotmail
- Eudora
- Lotus Notes
- Netscape mail
- Do not assume that the multi-part messaging
capability will address all these different
standards.
20Remedy 7 QA Lab
Eudora
Outlook
https//roomres.aladdincasino.com/CGI-BIN/LANSAWEB
?PROCFUNRAWRA16RESFUNCPARMSUP(A2560)seml?
21Mistake 8 No A/B Splits
- Any Email technology worth its salt provides
simple A/B split capabilities take advantage of
it. - Keep an archive of subject lines and
corresponding open rates.
22Remedy 8 A/B Splits
- Track subject line response
- The Healthy Alternative.
- It's not too late to say Happy Holidays.
- Premium quality last minute gift ideas.
- Holiday gift giving has never been so easy!
- Make it a fruitful affair for everyone.
- Great gift ideas are now ten percent off!
23Mistake 9 No Fulfillment
Email Promotion
Links to home page
24Remedy 9 Landing Pages/Micro Sites
1) Email
2) Dedicated (and pre-populated) landing page
25Mistake 10 No Data Analysis
- Go beyond open and click rate (the devil IS in
the details) - Churn rate
- Click-throughs by URL
- Click stream analysis
- Time spent per article
- Cross-tabs
- Cell-test results
- Industry standards
26Remedy 10 Analyze the Data
eNewsletter
Response by customer segments
27Recap Ten To Dos
- Dialog Map
- Message Strategy
- Success Metrics
- Technology Audit
- Cell Testing
- Creative/offer modifications
- QA Lab
- A/B Splits
- Landing Pages
- Data Analysis
28Take-Aways
- This process can (and should) be used for email
retention and email list rental as well as B2C
and B2B email programs. - Email Marketing IS Direct Marketing - with a
number of subtle nuances learn them. - Remember PTO (plan, test, optimize).