Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Email Marketing

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About

Email Marketing

(in 180 minutes)

July 9, 2011

Your Hosts

Carley Knobloch

Your Hosts

Joyce Shulman

Your Hosts

Our Time Together Today

•  Getting to know YOU •  What’s the best Email Service Provider (ESP)?   •  Sign up process

•  How to grow your email list (Part I) •  BREAK •  How to grow your email list (Part II)

•  Anatomy of an email •  BREAK •  Ninja stuff

Flickr Photo: a2gemma

The Best Email Service Provider (ESP)

It Depends!

Baseline Features

•  Manage your list of subscribers (allow multiple lists, and segmentation

•  Create campaigns using a WYSIWYG interface •  Send email campaigns now or schedule for later •  Track campaign performance (Opens, Clickthroughs,

Bounces) •  Double and single opt-in

•  CAN-SPAM compliant •  Deliverability guarantees

Emma (myemma.com)

•  Who they’re great for: Companies with small lists, or who send infrequently

•  What they’re great at: Beautiful, custom template, easy interface, surveys and forms included

•  PROS: Discounts for NPs, lots of personal attention, list segmenting, autoresponders.

•  CONS: Not cost-effective for big lists, set-up fee required •  Price: Set-up design $99; $30/month for 1000 (10% off for

yearly pre-pay)

Constant Contact (constantcontact.com)

•  Who they’re great for: Everyone •  What they’re great at: Event management, surveys, custom

services

•  PROS: Discounts for NPs, social media integration, good CS, tons of tutorials, local seminars, compare by industry, anti-SPAM checker, API integration, pre-fab templates are tested for multiple formats, autoresponders.

•  CONS: Costs extra to host more than 5 images, one opt-in for entire account, email archiving (costs extra)

•  Price: 60-day free trial; $15/month for up to 500 subscribers, save with pre-pay

Vertical Response (verticalresponse.com)

•  Who they’re great for: Everyone AND less frequent senders •  What they’re great at: Detailed reporting, different methods

for email creation (for every level of geek)

•  PROS: Create print postcards for direct mail, segmentation, surveys, API integration, partnering companies, great CS, lots of image storage, archiving.

•  CONS: Interface less attractive and intuitive than others •  Price: $10/month for 500 subscribers OR pay-as-you-go (1.5

cents/email or less, in bulk)

AWeber (aweber.com)

•  Who they’re great for: Affiliate marketers, using email to drive sales

•  What they’re great at: Sophisticated tracking for email performance and ROI

•  PROS: Sophisticated list segmenting, create blog posts from emails (archives), affiliate link tracking, great CS

•  CONS: Tougher to customize templates, no image hosting, clunky autoresponders

•  Price: $19/month for 500 subscribers; first month for $1; NP, student and pre-pay discounts

MailChimp (mailchimp.com)

•  Who they’re great for: Everyone AND less frequent senders •  What they’re great at: Easy (and comprehensive) list

management/import, design freedom

•  PROS: API integration, Google analytics plug-ins •  CONS: Vague tracking data, no affiliate marketing, no live CS

•  Price: FREE for 12,000 emails/month; pay-as-you-go pricing (starts at 3 cents/email).

Email Sign Up Process

•  Single vs. Double Opt-In •  Designing Opt-In Process

Single Opt-In

Sign-up Box Confirmation Page Welcome Email

Double Opt-In

Sign-up Box “Check Your

Inbox” Page

Confirm Email

Confirmation Page Welcome Email

Single vs. Double

•  Both are legal under CAN-SPAM act •  Some ESPs only allow double (Aweber) •  Anytime you give your email address to a

store, considered SOI

Single Opt-In

CONS: •  Tougher to prove in court if accused of SPAMMING

•  People may not remember that they signed up •  People may sign up others that don’t want to receive your

email, or don’t know what it is (SPAM!!)

PROS:

•  Quickly build your list (conversion rate is higher, could be up to 50%)

Double Opt-In

CONS: •  Slower list building

•  Confirmation messages can get lost

PROS:

•  Reduces SPAM Complaints •  Builds a “quality” list (indicates dedicated, responsive

subscribers) •  Builds a “cleaner” list (no typos, no fake addresses)

•  Sometimes commands higher ad rates

Designing Sign Up Process

Sign-up Box “Check Your

Inbox” Page

Confirmation Email

Confirmation Page Welcome Email

Sign-up Box

•  What is this? •  Why should I sign up?

•  Mention it’s FREE (if it is) •  Mention frequency

•  Further incentive

•  Clear call to action •  Data fields (how much to ask for?)

•  Thanks for signing up •  When will I get next communication?

•  Other calls to action (ie. Social Media, Tell A Friend)

Confirmation page

•  You’re subscribed! Thanks again •  When will I get next communication?

•  Add us to your “whitelist” •  Links to incentive items

•  Unsubscribe Instructions

•  Other calls to action (ie. Social Media, Tell A Friend)

Welcome Email

Sign-up Box “Check Your

Inbox” Page

Confirmation Email

Double Opt-In

Confirmation Page Welcome Email

•  SHORT and CLEAR •  Instructions •  Reasoning •  You won’t be subscribed if you don’t!

“Check Your Inbox” page

•  Instructions •  You won’t be subscribed if you don’t! •  If you’ve received by mistake… •  Contact information

Confirm Email

How to grow your email list

Part I

List 5 companies off the top of your head

In Groups

• Timekeeper • Notetaker • Searcher(s) • Form filler-outer

Assign Roles

•  Go to the websites of your 5 companies.

•  Find the email subscription form and sign up.

•  Record time to find, then complete form –

Opt In!

•  Capture process. User-friendly? Easy? Hard?

In Groups

Flickr: jaxhouse

How to grow your email list

Part II

Download Google Doc (PDF)

Anatomy of an email

Flickr: patrlynch

Flickr: jaxhouse

Ninja Stuff

Flickr: financialaidpodcast

Ninja Stuff •  Freebies •  Drip campaigns •  Autoresponders  •  Segmentation •  A|B testing •  Squeeze pages •  Share With Your Network (SWYN)