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Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Part 2: Building a List

November 8th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series email marketing

Even in this social media-crazy world we live in, email is still relevant. There is one big reason: Email is really the only way to get in front of your current and prospective clients on a regular basis.

No matter how much you and your audience use social media, your messages on those platforms can easily get lost. Will they see your tweet, read their status update in their Facebook news feed, or get your latest blog post in whatever eReader program they use to keep their reading organized? The great thing about an email boils down to this: Your prospects and custoemrs will have to at least glance at the subject line before deciding whether to read or delete it.

In this three-part series on email marketing, we are looking at putting together a strategy (that was part 1) and creating content (part 3) that will engage your target market. In this post, we are looking at how to build a list. Some of the information in this series is courtesy of the HubSpot eBook 7 Steps to Jump Start Your Email Marketing Strategy.

Here are three tips on building your list, and one on maintaining it:

Do Not Buy a List

I have always strongly cautioned my clients against buying lists. You don’t know how the information is collected or even how good it is til you send your first few emails. But worse, the people on the list have not opted in to receive your messages, and you could be viewed as an annoyance, or worse, a spammer, thus sullying your brand’s reputation.

Pull Leads from Directories

It is OK to pull leads from lead directories like LinkedIn, JigSaw, Lead411 and others. Put together a short email to send to these people, including a friendly introduction and an invite to join your enewsletter list, a link to a white paper, guide, tips and tricks list, eBook or other valuable content. Be sure to stress how your company, products, and services can benefit them.

Collect Business Cards

Wherever you are, collect contact information – and the easiest way to do this is via business cards. You could be at a conference, tradeshow, networking event, industry event or association event. If someone gives you their business card, it is OK to add them to your contact list; if they wanted nothing to do with you, they would not give you their business card in the first place.

Choose a CRM App

To keep your list organized, choose a customer relationship management (CRM) application that fits your needs. There are a lot of options out there: Batchbook, Xobni, Zoho, Gist. Play around with them to see which works best for you.

Segmented lists are super helpful, because all of your contacts do not need to get all of your messages – current and prospective clients have different needs, as well as those in different geographic areas, industries, with different business sizes, etc.

Keep your list as clean and updated as possible. When someone changes titles or companies, note that. When someone unsubscribes, remove them from your CRM. When someone becomes a client, note that.

Next up in this series: Creating Content.

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Tags: Branding, Email marketing, list building, Marketing
Posted in Email Marketing, Marketing | 9 Comments »

Email Marketing is Not Dead, Part 1: Putting Together a Strategy

November 3rd, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 2 of 6 in the series email marketing

Email is still a great way to keep in touch with your current and prospective clients – in fact, it is probably the best way to stay top of mind. No matter how social media-savvy your customers might be, email is really the only way to get in front of them on a regular basis.

Think about it: Will they see your tweet, one among probably hundreds they get every day? Will your status update show up in their Facebook news feed? Will they have time to read your latest blog post that comes through on their RSS feed?

With an email, they will have to at least glance at the subject line before deciding whether to read now, read later, save or delete. HubSpot published an eBook earlier this year called 7 Steps to Jump Start Your Email Marketing Strategy. They had some great information in there that I have used – as well as some information that was new to me.

In this three-part series on email marketing, we’ll take a look at building a list and creating content that will engage your target market – and keep them hungry for more. In part 1, we’ll start with strategy, including defining your goals and the different types of emails you should use.

Define your goals

As with any marketing program, you need to define where you are going before you even start down the road. Right now, I am working with a new client on putting together an email marketing campaign that will deliver results – and that is where you need to start too.

What results are you looking for? In other words, what are your goals? They could include, more leads, being a go-to source of industry information, enhancing your reputation, and/or more sales.

Choose a mix of messages

Keep it interesting by mixing up the types of messages you send out to your list. Here are some to choose from:

Product announcement – stress the benefits, not the features, of a new product or service you are offering. Link to a white paper that demonstrates the need for your new product or service, or a free demo on your website.
eNewsletter – Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry with informative articles that your target audience can use. It need not be long, just interesting, and it needs to be delivered on a consistent basis – your audience will end up expecting it. Be sure to include social media sharing icons, too, so they can spread the love.
Incentives – These emails seek to do one thing: boost sales. They can include coupons, special offers, sneak peeks at new products/services with special preview pricing, etc. Use discounts sparingly to avoid cheapening your brand.
Event invites – These are short and straightforward and can be used when exhibiting at a trade show, attending a conference, hosting a webinar, or speaking somewhere. Include the benefit to them of RSVPing.

Next up in this series: Building a List.

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Tags: Branding, Email marketing, Marketing, strategy
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The Definitive Guide to Retaining Email Subscribers

February 18th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series email marketing

In my previous blog post in this series, I wrote about how to build an email list; the post is based on what I learned from an eBook called the Bionic List Building Guide, which was published last summer by Lyris, a provider of integrated online marketing products (email marketing, Web analytics, search marketing, mobile marketing, etc.). I forgot about it for six months and just stumbled upon it recently.

According to Lyris, legally acquiring new email addresses is the first component of building a list. The second component is to provide valuable content to retain and build trust with subscribers, which I will focus on in this blog post. (The third component is allowing each new subscriber to manage their opt-in preferences, which I am not going to cover because it’s standard practice.)

Once you get a new subscriber, you need to cement the relationship, begin building trust right away, and make them as happy as the people in the photo. Here are Lyris’ tips, intermingled with my tips:

Keep your opt-in form short. When people subscribe, ask for minimal information: email address, first name and last name. Company name and industry would be OK, too, but keep in mind that the more information you ask for, the lower your conversion rate will be.

Add trust-building statements to the opt-in page. Explicitly state that you will be providing valuable content on a regular basis. Explain what your emails will contain (industry news, tips and tricks, how-tos, guides, etc.) and how often they will be sent.

Follow up with a thank you page. As soon as someone submits a subscription, a thank-you page should load immediately. Here’s what to include in the message: a thank you for joining the list, of course; confirmation of both the information the subscriber just supplied and any steps needed to complete the subscription, such as replying to a confirmation email; and a reminder of the benefits of subscribing to your list. If you provided an incentive to entice people to subscribe, such as a coupon or eBook, add that it will be arriving via email shortly.

Send a “welcome” email. In your message, provide more details on subscription benefits, link to a “preference page” where subscribers can provide more detailed contact information, and include any special subscriber-only offers, coupons, ebooks, white papers, or special reports. This should go without saying, but be sure to label your email as a welcome message in the subject line.

Make their subscription worthwhile! To retain your subscribers, send them information and promotions they can’t get elsewhere. Your emails should include valuable content that your readers can use, such as industry insights, reports, eBooks, white papers, guides, how-tos, product tips and tricks, etc. You also want them to feel special, so give them access to new products or services before they launch, whether it’s beta-testing, sneak peeks, surveys to gauge interest on possible new features, etc.

Don’t bore them. Keep your emails interesting by adding graphics, images, screen shots, video, and audio. Humanize your company with photos of staff, events, and parties; employee profiles; short articles written by key employees; and success stories that customers either wrote or relayed to an employee.

Image by Flickr user Douglas Duffield (Creative Commons)

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Tags: content, email, Email marketing, email marketing subscriptions, Marketing, opt-in forms
Posted in Email marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, Small Business | No Comments »

The Definitive Guide to Building an Awesome Email Marketing List

February 16th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series email marketing

Last summer I downloaded an e-book called the Bionic List Building Guide. It was published by Lyris, a provider of integrated online marketing products (e-mail marketing, Web analytics, search marketing, mobile marketing, etc.). I tucked it away and promptly forgot about it. I am very glad I stumbled upon it a couple of weeks ago, because it is full of great information on building an e-mail marketing list.

Here’s what I learned:

E-mail addresses tend to churn 30 percent every year, so it is important to retain your e-mail marketing subscribers while continually adding new ones. According to Lyris, there are 3 components to effectively building a list:

Legally acquiring new e-mail addresses
Providing valuable content to retain subscribers
Allowing each new subscriber to manage their opt-in preferences—on an ongoing basis

I am going to focus on the first component in this blog post and the second component in my next blog post. The third component is an obvious one; every e-mail newsletter I subscribe to has an opt-out button. It’s just standard practice.

Now, here is something new that I learned: Just because you have an e-mail address doesn’t mean you can go ahead and add that person to your e-mail list. It’s actually illegal! You must obtain their permission by asking them to opt-in, or subscribe, to your e-mail list.

The e-mail addresses of people who are not subscribers are called raw names. If you just go ahead and add names to your e-mail list, you violate spam laws and risk damaging your relationship with those people.

Here’s how to convert raw names and website visitors into opt-ins:

Online

Make it easy to subscribe. Provide the opportunity to opt-in by posting a link to your registration page on every page of your website and in your (and your employees’) e-mail signatures. Make sure the opt-in is positioned prominently on your home page.

At checkout. If you have an e-commerce site, everyone who makes an online purchase should be asked to check a box to indicate his or her desire to receive e-mail updates or an e-newsletter.

Landing pages. Use paid search to have better visibility in search rankings and to attract new subscribers. Post a link to your opt-in on the landing page.

Use partner e-mail lists. I recently formed an informal but committed partnership with three other marketing-related companies, and we pooled our lists to launch a blog via e-newsletter. Just be sure your partner has specifically stated to subscribers that they will receive offers from affiliates.

Newsletters. This is an easy suggestion that I really like: consider reciprocal promotions in complementary newsletters. Start with the companies you partner with regularly, as you probably have similar target markets.

Incentives. Offer opt-in incentives such white papers, eBooks, guides, e-mail-only discounts, free shipping, and/or special reports to significantly increase opt-in rates. Remember, content is king! Do this via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other social media channels you use.

Offline

Events. When your company exhibits at trade shows or conferences, have sign up form or scanner available to add names from the show floor.

In print. Publish your opt-in link on all printed materials, especially sales brochures and direct mail pieces.

Just ask. Ask your sales team to ask potential and current customers if they’d like to opt-in.

Presentations. Add your opt-in link on the last slide of your presentation so attendees can jot it down while you’re taking questions.

Point-of-purchase. If you have a retail outlet, ask customers to subscribe as you ring up their orders. You can also provide a sign-up form or small bowl where customers can leave their business cards next to the cash register. So many businesses still do this that it must be effective!

Image by Flickr user Ninja M. (Creative Commons)

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Tags: email lists, Email marketing, email marketing subscriptions, list building, Marketing
Posted in Email marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, Small Business | No Comments »

The Science of Email Marketing

March 3rd, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series email marketing

In my previous two blog posts in this series, I wrote about how to build an email list and retain those email subscribers; both were based on an eBook from Lyris called the Bionic List Building Guide. This third and final blog post in the email marketing series is based on the outstanding HubSpot webinar I attended recently called The Science of Email Marketing, which was given by Dan Zarrella.

If you haven’t heard of Dan, check out his website. He’s a numbers guy and likes to conduct research, especially around social media, and report back on his findings, which usually includes a lot of myth-busting. For example, one big myth posits that B2B and B2C are different. In a survey he conducted, he asked “Do you use separate work and personal inboxes?” The answer might surprise you: 88 percent said no. The takeaway: Businesses are consumers.

Anyway, Dan collected data for this report on email marketing from 9.5 billion emails, focus groups and a survey. Here’s what I learned:

Timing really matters

Click-through rates double on weekends, while unsubscribe rates are highest on Tuesdays (and lowest on Thursdays). Emails that are sent between 5 and 7am have the highest click-through rates, while those sent after 10pm have the highest unsubscribe rates. The takeaway: Send emails early in the day and on weekends.

4 content tricks worth using

1. More than 80 percent of people read email on their smartphones, so make sure your emails are optimized for mobile.

2. The more links in your emails, the more clicks and fewer unsubscribes.

2. Include reference information, such as how-tos, cheat sheets, data, etc., so people will save your emails.

4. People love exclusivity. Continually remind them that the information they receive from you via email is special.

The more frequent, the better

This was a big surprise: The more emails you send, the lower your unsubscribe rates. I know, go figure!

Email is not dead

More than 70 percent of those surveyed said they read most or all of their email. However, most of them never forward emails, so, in your emails, ask people to follow you on Facebook or Twitter instead of asking them to share your emails.

Image by Flickr user Horia Varlan (Creative Commons)

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Tags: click-through rates, Dan Zarrella, Email marketing, Hubspot, Marketing, social media
Posted in Email Marketing, Marketing, Social Media | 1 Comment »

Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Part 3: Creating Content

November 10th, 2011 :: Monika Jansen

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series email marketing

Nope, email marketing is not dead; in fact it is still quite relevant, as it is the only way to get in front of your current and prospective clients on a regular basis.

The reason: Your messages on social media platforms can easily get lost in the noise. Will your target market see your tweet, status update in their Facebook news feed, or latest blog post in whatever eReader program they use to keep their reading organized? The great thing about an email boils down to this: Your prospects and customers will have to at least glance at the subject line before deciding whether to read or delete it.

In this three-part series on email marketing, we have looked at putting together a strategy (that was part 1) and building and maintaining a list (part 2). In this final post, we are looking at how to create engaging content that your target market will read and appreciate. Some of the information in this series is courtesy of the HubSpot eBook 7 Steps to Jump Start Your Email Marketing Strategy.

Here are four ways to create emails that will get opened:

1. Focus on the Subject Line

The only way anyone will open your email is if it has an eye-catching subject line that stands out from everything else in the inbox. It needs to be a bit of a teaser and include a hint of what is in your email. Clever, cheeky and funny subject lines are always welcome, no matter what your industry. After all, we all like to laugh.

If you’re in a fun industry – say, event planning – it is easy to come up with fun subject lines. Let’s choose a rather dry industry – accounting – and see what we can come up with. You are a CPA and your email contains an article on tax planning. How about “5 Easy Ways to Boost Your Income” or “5 IRS-Approved Ways to Save on Taxes”? While they are not funny, they are attention-getting.

Keep your subject line short, include your company name in the subject line, and make sure the same person sends out the email every time so your audience recognizes it as being from you.

2. Write Valuable Content

That’s easy to say – but really, it’s not so hard to do, either. Your enewsletter can contain short case studies, surveys, industry reports, your take on industry trends, information from webinars, excerpts from white papers, ebooks, guides and blog posts – the list is really endless.

Valuable content can be defined by two characteristics: it has to be 1) useful and 2) interesting for your target market. Keep your tone friendly and conversational, keep the content short and to the point, and include images to break up text and add visual interest.

3. Link Back to Your Website

Remember to link back to your website whenever possible. If you reference a product or service, pricing, someone on your team, a blog post, marketing collateral – link to it. You probably want people to end up on your website anyway, where they can fill out that contact form or buy from your ecommerce site.

4. Include a Strong Call to Action

A call to action should be included in your email, and this goes back to the goals of your email marketing campaign that we discussed in part 1.

What do you want your audience to do – download a white paper, subscribe to your blog, like you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, try out a demo, sign up for a new product’s beta testing, buy something?

Don’t just tell them what you want them to do, though – stress why it is beneficial for them to do that.

If you missed the previous two posts in this series, you can find part 1 on strategy here and part 2 on building your email list here.

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

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Tags: content, Email marketing, Marketing, writing
Posted in Email Marketing, Marketing | 3 Comments »