Think creative email_openrate_presentation_ap_2010

Improving Your Email Open Rate: When Clear & Concise is BETTER

thinkcreativegroup.comHeather S. Delphin, brand strategistheather@thinkcreativegroup.com

The Facts & Stats Email CompaniesIndustry AveragesGolden Rules for SuccessExamplesAction PlanQuestions

Overview

Facts & Stats

Marketers who plan to increase investments in digital marketing:

75.2% say their allocations will increase steadily as 2014 approaches

18.4% say their allocations will increase greatly

58.4% plan to reduce or keep their offline marketing budgets flat

39.4% Marketing executives cite email marketing as their company's

top-performing advertising channel in 2009

Which product should you use?

Email companies

Industry Averages

Financial Services 20.87% Healthcare/Medical 24.66% Hotel 27.50%Insurance 24.43% Internet/Web Svc. 20.34% Legal Services 25.48% Marketing 20.52%Music 27.94%Non-profit 27.66% Real Estate 22.84% Restaurant 26.17% Retail 27.61%Travel 24.97% Average Email Campaign Stats/ MailChimp

Industry Averages

Accounting 27.36%Advertising 23.79%Architecture 32.05%Art 26.12%Arts/ Music 16.22%Beauty/ Health 29.88%Church 32.95%Construction 23.86%Consulting 22.34%Creative Agency 20.97% Education 25.86%Entertainment 15.42%

Golden Rules

Golden Rules

Best Practices• Have an email strategy – stay inline with your overall marketing strategy

• Keep a marketing calendar

• Use a recognizable "from" name

• Send your emails between Tuesday – Thursday, 9:30am – 3:00pm

• Become a trusted sender – only use OPT in email addresses – offer a confirmed of opt in

• Send useful, helpful, relevant and compelling content

• Give tips and insight

• Keep an idea pad at hand

• Test your subject lines

• Spell check and have a co-worker proofread with a fresh set of eyes

• Test send the email to yourself or co-worker

Golden Rules

Best Practices• Keep navigation of your website on the top of all emails

• Clean and simple

• Easy to follow flow

• Show clear hierarchy of the importance of the content

• Add hyperlinks to related material on your website

• Check the plain text version to make sure it translated correctly

• Link to specific pages on your website

• Track your result and adjust where necessary

• Allow people to sign up for your e-newsletter through your website

Golden Rules

Don’t • Let the subject line be an after thought

• Wait till the last second to slap a subject line on before you send

• Use Red text

• USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

• Send incomplete information

• Use excessive punctuation

• Excessively use of "click here" especially in all capital letters

• Excessively use of $$, and other symbols

• Send a misleading (or missing) subject line

• Use Spam-like words: Guarantee, credit card, etc.

• Put all of the content directly into your e-newsletter

Best & Worst Subject Lines

Good Examples

• CLIENT: Kitchen Zinc• SUBJECT LINE: You're invited – Free Wine tasting at Kitchen ZINC• SENT: 159 • OPEN: 77 • OPEN RATE: 48.4%• STANDARD: 26.17%

! ! ! !!

Examples

Examples

• CLIENT: FUZION Medical Aesthetic Boutique • SUBJECT LINE: Dr. Goodkind on Ct Style this Thursday at 12:30• SENT: 1,092 • OPEN: 326 • OPEN RATE: 30.21% • STANDARD: 29.88%

! ! ! !!

• CLIENT: Santa Energy• SUBJECT LINE: Rebates available - for a limited time only • SENT: 5,741 • OPEN: 3,011 • OPEN RATE: 53.36%• STANDARD: 23.86%

! ! ! !!

Examples

• CLIENT: think creative group• SUBJECT LINE: think creative wins big [pencils] • SENT: 353 • OPEN: 158 • OPEN RATE: 50.64%• STANDARD: 20.52%

! ! ! !!

Examples

• CLIENT: think creative group• SUBJECT LINE: Are you using Facebook in your marketing plan? • SENT: 243 • OPEN: 107 • OPEN RATE: 44.03%• STANDARD: 20.52%

! ! ! !!

Examples

Action Plan

What you can do today

Take Action

• Get in the game • Review your marketing goals for 2010 • Review your current email template • Plot out an eblast marketing calendar • Use your assets • Decide what company is the best fit • Grow your email list

Heather S. Delphin, brand strategistheather@thinkcreativegroup.com