1. CCT356: Online Advertising and Marketing Class 3: Email Marketing

2. Administration Wiki signup Articles? First assignment (online ad critique)? Note terms at the beginning of every chapter – they are potentially testable.

3. Email Marketing Old, but still a key component of CRM Very cost effective Can be targeted and measurable Inbox is still a common access point to Internet Can adapt to mobile access

4. Again, some history Email still relatively new for mass market (again, less than 20 years) Interaction patterns change, as well as etiquette around unsolicited email Allows for direct marketing at a far cheaper cost than snail mail Also more viral – no one passes around pamphlets, but might forward/post email

5. Types of customer outreach Transaction emails – e.g., requesting quote, confirming purchase Newsletters – e.g., regular updates on corporate activities, or push reminders to posts on blogs (e.g., SheridanInsider) Promotional emails – new sales/services, for immediate action Retention – building long term relations/loyalty

6. Email Marketing KPIs What do you want users to do? Open email? Click links? Refer friends to grow customer database? Buy things? See if they’re still alive/interested? (30% email churn a year a good estimate.) How will you measure if this is successful? Some measures easier to trace than others Conversion and bounce/unsubscribe rates

7. Email Service Providers Manual email sending obviously not very efficient – doesn’t handle customer DBs well, often done poorly (e.g., 300+ cc’s, which is a privacy and info overload problem.) ESPs registered with certification authorities avoid automatic identification of email as spam Often based on ISP reputation – do not run email campaign through free ISP account. Ease of use, database integration, reporting built in Look at MailChimp later.

8. Establishing a Database Genuine, opt-in databases best Email important but other factors can be important for targeted marketing: e.g., name, nature of relationship, demographics, frequency of communication requested Take care to limit info request – too much info on signup = less signups What kind of targeting information would you include?

9. Best practices for signups Make sign-up location obvious Make privacy/anti-spam policy clear Make call for action and benefit clear Estimate frequency of communication (and stick to it!) Ideally link submissions directly to database (reduces manual entry/error) – an iPad/laptop on site would be better than a paper form.

10. Text vs. HTML? HTML – allows for richer content/branding Text – quicker download, more compatible with some mobile devices Allowing both options (and changing options) best practice

11. Email segments Preheaders – can be useful instructions (e.g., click here for mobile version) but also might be confusing (e.g., http://blog.mailchimp.com/time-to-reconsider- preheaders/)http://blog.mailchimp.com/time-to-reconsider- preheaders/ Header – standard to, from, reply – from should be personal (even if it’s really not.) Subject – most important part, and a target for spam filters (e.g., Sheridan’s banning “report”); consistent format/language builds rapport

12. Segments #2 Greeting – can be personalized if you have that information Body – finally, your message – where text/HTML issues are key, esp on mobile devices Footer – Further contact info, policy info – but most important part is unsubscribe. Making it hard to unsubscribe = junk status.

13. Template Design ESPs allow for design of emails (esp HTML emails). F-pattern: where should your key ask be?

14. Design #2 Email design != web page design – e.g., HTML5 or advanced CSS might not work as intended or at all Design for preview window – is your identity and ask obvious on quick view? Put logo/call for action early on (subject header or top left of body for preview panes…) Use alt text for images – some clients (esp. mobile) only load text unless requested Test, test, test – on as many platforms/devices as possible.

15. Design for mobile What technological/contextual limitations exist with mobile email access? How do you design around these issues? Consider email as a means of bridging to web page, blog, Facebook profile, Twitter account, video channel, etc. Effective CRM reaches customers through whatever medium they wish to use at the time

16. Email Analytics What’s delivered? What’s bounced (and why?) Unsubscribed? Pass on rate? Conversion? Test around subject lines, time/day of delivery, copy style, media use etc. – further segmentation

17. Avoiding being spam 80-85% of email identified as spam Spam filters imperfect but powerful What can you do to avoid being spam?

18. MailChimp hints 600px width for all devices Simple layout – consider email clients as bad web browsers, and KISS. Avoid background images – use solid colors –complex CSS, and interactive bits (e.g., Flash) Keep privacy, spam, and unsubscribe obvious to avoid being spam Design text emails as much as HTML – assume 60 char width, and don’t assume consistent wrapping

19. MailChimp hints #2 Avoid absolute URLs – use relative Be careful with sneak opt-in (e.g., random contacts at tradeshows, other people’s lists, fishbowls, etc.) – just because it’s in the fine print, doesn’t mean they like you. Tread carefully. Avoid spam filters – key spam phrases/words, colors, etc. (http://spamassassin.apache.org/tests_3_0_x.html) Be aware of corporate firewalls Avoid domain being blacklisted Test, test, test – in many clients/platforms

20. Sharing Tips from Mailchimp Links to FB, Twitter, Reddit, iTunes, Eventbrite, etc. prepped with proper tags, titles, URLs, etc. – easily customized in default interface Time sharing to days/times compatible with audience Track likes, tweets, retweets

21. Next week Affiliate Marketing