Email Marketing Manual Feb 09

EMM Feb 2009
super efficient landing pages, email content relevancy, how to avoid being a spammer, email design...

- -

“Nice email, what about the landing page?”...
Asks Jonathan Saipe, Email marketing consultant and trainer. Landing pages are the last point in the user journey prior to conversion but too often overlooked, so read this carefully.
read more

Apex Auctions Preference Centre Benefits
When you have a wide customer base, how do you keep them informed and up to date with your latest offers, whilst keeping content relevant?
Pure talks with Apex Auctions Marketing Manager Adam Taylor about preference centre benefits.
read more

How to avoid being labelled a spammer
We all get far more spam than mail we actually want to receive, so we protect ourselves with ever more complex spam filters. Content, IP reputation, domain reputation can contribute to your emails being junked.
Marc Munier Managing Director of Pure provides pointers to avoid your emails being labeled as spam.
read more

Watchfinder.co.uk check into email clinic They can run but they can't hide
When you have something beautiful to sell, you want people to see it. But what happens if the intended audience can't see what you want them to?
In this months Email Clinic we look at Watchfinder, who have found that their open and click through rates are not always as precise as their automatic chronograph movements.
read more

Training Event
Marketing TailorMade is a one-stop shop training day, featuring 16 Brand-Led Case Studies (each with their own interactive masterclass) on 8 topics.
One of the leading e-mail marketing experts at Pure, Robin Kennedy, will be presenting an informative seminar at this event.
31st March, Grange City Hotel London.
read more

A misleading article about SPF records

What is an SPF Record?



Paula Skaper

January 06th 2009


An SPF record is a small text file that tells ISPs who you are, and
what domains you will send legitimate email from. You publish this file
on your DNS server and more and more frequently, an incomplete or
inaccurate SPF Record will cause your emails to be blocked by the
recipients Internet Service Provider (ISP).


Your SPF record should include information about your domain and the
domains of any third-party e-mail service providers you use.


How does it work?

Any time an e-mail is sent, the receiver’s mail server checks the
domain name in the "From" field of the email message. If it matches any
of the domains listed in the sender’s SPF record, the mail is
authenticated and delivered to the receiver. If there is not a match
with the published SPF record or the SPF record doesn’t exist, the mail
fails authentication and is not delivered.

- - -

I have spoken at length on may occasion to System Administrators about SFP records and Sender-ID etc and this is not the explanation I got from people who actually use them and manage them as part of an ESP.

We know the net is often full of misleading information but for people who do not know any better it might be all you can find?


Some recent gems from Email Marketing Reports

Boosting clicks: new results and insights
16/02/2009 20:46 Mark Brownlow:

In a previous post
I noted how you might exploit the fact that not everybody opens every
email. Adding links to articles or offers from the previous email might
catch a few bonus clicks from those who missed the original.

The concept worked well in one newsletter issue, but there were still three outstanding questions:
  • is the CTR boost sustainable across multiple emails?
  • do "old" links cannibalize clicks from the rest of the email?
  • how can we get even more out of this tactic?
I looked at the results from my last three newsletter issues to help find answers.

Each
issue featured a "What you missed..." section down at the bottom of the
current issue with short links to the last issue's landing pages. (See an example.)

Does the CTR boost hold up?... read on

- - -

A simple answer to complex marketing questions
18/02/2009 13:21 Mark Brownlow:

An unspoken rule on this blog is to stick to the matter in hand. But
the occasional blogging milestone draws out something a little
different (this is the 2,250th post). So...

When
I was young(er), the online world was relatively simple. Now it's a
heaving mass of channels and technologies...all requiring their own
tactics, techniques and specialist knowledge.

Most days I feel like this.

My
first website went up in 1997 and I sold it four years later for enough
to put a downpayment on an apartment. Now it's about to go public. What might have been? Certainly a bigger apartment.

Despite
a few missed opportunities and failures, 12 years survival in online
business inevitably means I get regular questions on what works. For
example:
  • How do we get more people to open our email?
  • How do we get better rankings at Google?
  • How do we get more email subscribers?
  • How do we get more website visitors?
  • How do I improve my personal brand?
  • How do we get more incoming links?
  • How do I get more followers?
  • How do we get more blog subscribers?
  • How do we get a viral success?
I have no secret sauce or special experience. But the answer I give and follow myself is this.. read on...
- - -

Email marketing on a budget #3 Quick wins + simple targeting
19/02/2009 14:19 Mark Brownlow:

So you know why you want to do email marketing and you've grasped some basic requirements.

Now
let's explore some of the low-hanging fruit that doesn't require big
buck investment. In particular, can you target your message better
without getting into "advanced dynamic content" and expensive "database
solutions"?

Our panel of experts offers some answers... read on...

Permission Marketing: Seth Godin



Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.

It recognizes the new power of the best consumers to ignore marketing. It realizes that treating people with respect is the best way to earn their attention.

Pay attention is a key phrase here, because permission marketers understand that when someone chooses to pay attention they are actually paying you with something precious. And there's no way they can get their attention back if they change their mind. Attention becomes an important asset, something to be valued, not wasted. read on...

Spam Lawsuit Document for Email Marketing Projects (RT @mailchimp)

Posted by Ben Chestnut on February 15, 2009 at 6:59am in Experts for Hire : mailchimp first seen on twitter

Hi experts, have you ever started an email marketing project with a newbie client, and after warning them about email marketing best practices, they tell you something like, "We're not spammers, so we don't have to worry about CAN-SPAM." Or, "It's just an email. What's the worst that can happen?" I put together a document that links to high profile spam-related lawsuits that involve really big... read on...


Hat off to mail chimp for making it so easy to share! even though they tweet everything when their software goes pair-shaped?


Too Much Focus on Deliverability? (RT @berelevant)

Posted by Tamara Gielen on Feb 15, 2009 | b2bemailmarketing.com : from berelevant tweet

I was reading this post over on the Deliverability blog in which Andrew Kordek interviews Exact Target's Morgan Stewart. This particular paragraph got me thinking:

So what is wrong with email? I mean what are the biggest problems that are facing the email industry today? Morgan’s answer is simple and yet so relevant...read on...

Know the best practice of best practices.

Advise Me: Tip of the Week: theemailadvisor.com 13/02/2009
Know the best practice of best practices.

Let's face it, we as email marketers can often times get caught up in the application of best practices. While one might consider that a desirable outcome, it has never been the intention for marketers to just follow them blindly. Best practices are advice, information to heed when optimizing and enhancing the recipient experience with your email program.

At the Email Evolution Conference this week there was a panel called The Great Email Debate that argued two sides of common, conflicting best practice positions. And what we found was that best practices are situational - not sometimes, always! Yes, we can make the blanket statement that in general it is typically ideal to apply best practices to your email marketing plan - but not always! Here are three points that were discussed during the session, the general best practice identified and a situation where it does not apply:... read on....

As Recession Deepens, Top Performers Revamp Their Marketing Budgets

February 12, 2009: 11:00 AM ET: money.cnn.com

Tactics That Best-in-Class Companies Are Implementing in Order to Survive and Prosper in the Face of a Global Economic Downturn

As companies reel from the fallout from the worst financial crisis in recent history, chief marketing officers and other senior marketing practitioners are under more pressure than ever to minimize marketing waste and maximize return on marketing investment. How can marketers continue to attract, retain and increase the value of profitable customers even as these same customers become increasingly reluctant to spend money? To find out, Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), surveyed more than 250 diverse enterprises, resulting in the new benchmark report "Recessionary Marketing: How Best-in-Class Companies are Weathering the Storm." read on...

Email Preference Centres

emailmarketingmanual.com - Tue, 02/10/2009 - 11:19 - Sarah Whittington

When you have a wide customer base, how do you keep them informed and up to date with your latest offers, whilst not presenting them with irrelevant information?

How is it possible to reduce opt-outs and list attrition? These were the problems facing Apex Auctions Marketing Manager, Adam Taylor, he told us about his experience of overcoming them,

Andy Thorpe advised that setting up a preference centre would best tackle this problem. With this feature Apex subscribers would be able to choose the type of information they’d like to receive and how often. read on...

How to Avoid Being Labelled a Spammer

emailmarketingmanual.com - Thu, 02/12/2009 - 14:01 - Marc Munier

We all get far more spam than mail we actually want to receive, so we protect ourselves with ever more complex spam filters, in an attempt to stem the flow of dating offers, male genital improvers and get rich quick schemes into our inboxes.

These spam filters are of course an industry in themselves and as the vast majority of email is spam, they occasionally get it wrong. Here are some pointers to avoid this happening to your mailings, read on...

Top 15 articles from EMM in 2008

Email Marketing Manual - Fri, 12/12/2008 - 16:27 - Anne Collet

Highlighting what you the readers have been most interested in last year when it comes to email marketing matters.
Ranked by order of click throughs received, they are in effect the reader’s choice, the most visited and most read articles released through the Email Marketing Manual newsletter in 2008.

1. A ridiculously simple guide to SEO copywriting, by Anna Packham

2. Keeping on top of your design, by Andy Parker

3. Email HTML - What's possible, what's not (collective)

4. Email design - What you see is what you get, by Andy Parker

5. Teachers TV - Improving open and click through rates, by Andrew Seel

6. Six web 2.0 apps to love, by Alex Cowell

7. Stanton Marris - Standing out to a busy audience, by Andrew Seel

8. Great design that delivers results, by Susie Travers

9. Yukka.co.uk checks in to the email clinic , by Andrew Seel

10. Creative Leisure Systems - Delivering a benefit-led eshot, by Andrew Seel

11. Top ten tips for writing awesome articles , by Bev Osborne

12. RS Components' email makeover - Engaging a varied audience, by Andrew Seel

13. Focus on good practice for eshot design, by Andrew Seel

14. Writing to win business, by Bev Osborne

15. Earning trust with text, by Andy Thorpe



Are you a traffic waster?

Email Marketing Manual
Wed, 01/07/2009 - 14:26 - Marc Munier

If you are like most marketers you spend a lot of time "driving traffic", you review your ad words regularly, talk to your agency about SEO put your URL on every bit of literature that your company produces, and you may have even considered company tattoos in a bid to increase your exposure.

You manage to increase traffic by the required 20% what next? In most cases you want people to convert as soon as possible, be it making a purchase or picking up the phone to your sales team, but as we know life is rarely that easy.
Aim for the conversion - hit the email address

Instead of focusing 100% on the conversions why not take a look at the second best option? Getting their email address is an excellent way of gaining a return on your overall marketing spend, read on...

Open rates secrets and lies + brand loyalty

BtoB February 12, 2009

Open rates secrets and lies

By Karen Bannan

Open
rates aren’t changing very much these days, or so the research says.
Indeed, according to last month’s “Epsilon Q3 2008 U.S. E-mail Trends
and Benchmarks Results,” open rates remained constant in 2008, staying
in the 19% to 21% range. But just because the industry averages are
staying constant, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to improve your own
open rates. Eric S. Groves, senior VP-global market development at
e-mail service provider Constant Contact provides one secret and one
lie that...
READ MORE


Question: How can marketers best use e-mail marketing to build brand loyalty?


Answer:
Marketers should view e-mail marketing as a valuable channel that can
help build a long-term, brand-loyal relationship with your customer (as
opposed to just reducing upfront marketing costs or driving immediate
revenue). As much as possible, attune your outreach to your
customers’...

READ MORE




Things once best practices are not best practices now

Are You Really, Really Sure?
By Bill McCloskey, ClickZ, Feb 12, 2009

This week, I'm attending the second annual Email Experience Council's
conference in Arizona. Before introducing the keynote speaker, industry
icon Stan Rapp, conference host
and organizer Jeanniey Mullen said, "The guide to e-mail best practices
written in 2006 is out of date. Things once best practices are not best
practices now. E-mail is evolving."




Today, we'll look at one of those outdated best practices: double opt-ins.


Customer acquisition 'an essential direct marketing function'

Wednesday 11th February 2009, businessstrata.com

Growing businesses have been urged by an expert to recognise the acquisition of customers as "an essential marketing function".

However,
Jamie Schissler, strategy director at Avenue A/Razorfish, has also
warned that in times of financial difficulty, looking after existing
customers should be a "priority" for many firms... read on...

Check Your Email Reputation to Improve Deliverability with Easy, No-Cost Tools

Feb 11, 2009 - marketingsherpa

Boosting your email reputation – one of the
most important factors in making sure your messages make it to inboxes
– is often overlooked when trying to improve deliverability. A first
step is to see how you score.



Here are three no-cost online scoring services to help you check up
on your email reputation. And running a check is relatively easy to do.
read on...

Timing Is Email's Trump Card

Timing Is Email's Trump Card
by Elie Ashery, Email Insider, Yesterday, 1:51 PM

I always get a chuckle when my email marketing colleagues push "relevance" as an industry best practice. If we as marketing experts have to remind the common practitioner to ensure their message matches their market, it proves email marketing is an institution with bottom-of-the-barrel admission standards.

Based on my experience, most email marketers fail not with relevance, but rather with the timeliness of their messages. Despite the advanced timing features ESPs offer, email is treated like other mass marketing mediums by marketing executives. If you don't believe me, just ask any CEO of an email service provider about the percentage of their clients who use their timing features. I can promise you an uncomfortable look on their face will emerge when you bring the subject up. read on...

SME email marketing advice

SMEs get email marketing advice

11/02/2009: bcs.org

Small-to-medium enterprises conducting email marketing campaigns should avoid bombarding their targets with endless messages, according to new advice.

email Insider's Jamie Schissler has warned that the practice could be counter-productive, leading recipients to unsubscribe from mailing lists.
read on...

How to Make E-mail Campaigns More Meaningful

How to Make E-mail Campaigns More Meaningful

By Stefan Pollard, ClickZ, Feb 11, 2009

So
often, when I'm talking with clients or speaking at conferences and
workshops about e-mail best practices, I feel as if I'm scolding my
kids and telling them they shouldn't do things they know will get them
into trouble.

Truth is, showing marketers how doing e-mail the right way -- with
permission, well-done creative, authentication, and reputation
management among other factors -- should build a stronger case than all
the finger-wagging about "desperation marketing."

Achieving Greater Relevance

If you're an e-mail marketer, your goals for 2009 probably include
driving greater revenue without spending a greater share of your
budget. As budgets get scrutinized or tightened, we must be careful not
to follow the old-school mantra: "Send more e-mail; make more money." ... read on...

RT: EMR - Should all email marketers become content publishers?

The one thing that really bugs me about email marketing is the NCTR.
The No Clickthrough Rate. Benchmarks tell us CTRs are typically 7%. So
the average NCTR is 93%.

93% of recipients are not clicking on an average marketing email. Think about that.

At
this point we all chime in with words like targeting, relevancy,
trigger email, segmentation, lifecycle campaigns...all great stuff
which can lift responses 50%, double them even. Let's say you even get
a threefold lift.

Now your NCTR is 79%.

Hang on, we have some fantastic targeting going on and still most people are not interested enough to click. read on...


Growing businesses urged to 'take a fresh look' at email marketing


Tuesday 10th February 2009: businessstrata.com



Companies that use email marketing to reach consumers should ensure they regularly "take a fresh look" at their campaigns.

According
to Nick Stamoulis of Brick Marketing, clients may become "sick" of
reading the same types of communications easily, so firms must consider
taking a new direction every so often.

He explained on the Email Marketing Journal blog what growing businesses should consider when using the channel.

The expert said:.. read on...

Most important marketing rule




February 10, 9:56 AM by Jennifer L. Taylor, Marketing Examiner

As I watch email blasts come in my email box, I am usually entertained
by the lack of professionalism in either the tone, the copy, or the
layout. Yesterday, I was shocked. To protect the innocent, all names
will be omitted. read on...


Tactics ‘can be adopted for improved opt-in email marketing’

Tactics ‘can be adopted for improved opt-in email marketing’
10th February 2009 | Published in Email Marketing

There are a number of tactics that people can adopt to improve their opt-in email marketing lists, it is claimed.

MarketingSherpa suggests providing an incentive to get customers to bring new opt-ins to email newsletters and messages, citing discount coupons as one example.

Assistant director of marketing at Diapers.com Matt Lindenberg told the publication that his organisation experienced a boost when the incentive they offered for referrals was doubled.. read on...

Latest from Vertical Response

vertical response newsletter 10/02/2009 16:34

Two Easy Steps To Smarter Email Marketing



Click here for step 2Are you tired of talk of the tough economy? As our new leadership says,
it's going to get tougher before it gets better. So now is actually the
time to "think outside the box," or at least think beyond what you
normally do, when it comes to getting your message out to your customers
and prospects. There are a few easy things you can do with your list
and messaging today to "push" people along the purchase cycle. And just
because you just might not be thinking about it now, don't worry -
you've got a million things to do to run your business. Besides, it's
my job to put ideas in front of you to help you market better!



Step One: Segment Your Lists



When you upload your list to send an email marketing campaign, why not break it up into Best Customers, those can be customers who previously purchased over a certain amount, or purchased a certain number of times; One Time Purchasers, those customers who bought from you only once; and Prospects, people who have never purchased from you but they've agreed to get emails from you.





Click here to read step two

- - - -

How Not To Write a Subject Line



Click here for more examples I was recently on an "email marketing resources" site and found some
horrifying information that was being given on how to write a great
subject line. We all know that one of THE most important parts of an
email campaign is the subject line and everyone is trying to come up
with the perfect one, but this resource for email marketing is wrong,
wrong, wrong!



Here are four subject lines that this website uses, but that you
should never use in your campaigns. Not only do they break best
practices, but in some cases they break the law. The CAN SPAM ruling
states that for any commercial email, you must have your subject line
relate to the content of the email.



Subject Line #1 - Hi, My name is Paul



This is a game to trick the recipient into opening an email. It may
raise curiosity, however, when the recipient opens the email they're
going to feel tricked and unsubscribe.




Click here for 3 more subject line examples


The unexpected email

The unexpected email
11Feb: wordtothewise blog

In almost every discussion of “how to stop spam” someone will come up with
the idea that if a recipient only allowed known people to send them
email then the spam problem would be solved. read on...

EMR: Building a list on more than deals and discounts

Mark Brownlow: 10/02/2009 13:28

There is some argument out there on whether sending deals, discounts,
free shipping, coupons etc. makes long-term sense for any email
marketing program.

One side says you're simply training
recipients to buy at discount rather than full price. The other side
says, yes, but if it brings more sales and profits, who cares? At this
point, arguments about price theory and branding break out.

But there's a bigger problem here: read on...

The 7 Deadly Email Marketing Sins

The 7 Deadly Email Marketing Sins
by PUPPET MASTER on FEBRUARY 10, 2009


Now, we’ve tried to compile a by-no-means-exhaustive list of 7 Common But Deadly ‘Sins’ that you can commit, all in the name of profitable email writing. read on...

The Resurgence Of Email Myths

by Jamie Schissler, Yesterday, 4:00 PM

Among the things hard economic times have brought us is the resurgence of some email marketing myths, as well as some new variations - or strains .. read on...

Bounce Parameters, Budgets, and Deliverability

Bounce Parameters, Budgets, and Deliverability
More E-MAIL MARKETING E-MAIL MARKETING

By Jeanne Jennings, ClickZ, Feb 9, 2009
Columns | Contact Jeanne


Do you know the specifics of your bounce parameters and if, or when, e-mail addresses are removed from your list for bouncing?

At a basic level, there are two kinds of bounces: hard and soft. In general terms, hard bounces suggest terminal inability to deliver, while soft bounces may reflect a temporary delivery problem. read on...

The law on email marketing: ComputerActive

The fight against junk email is tough but there are some steps you can take

Written by Dinah Greek, Computeract!ve

06 Feb 2009


The UK legislated for this under the Privacy and Electronic
Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. This legislation is
enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). It says that
all organisations in the UK that use electronic communications such as
email or text messages to send marketing material must obtain prior
consent from an individual. It has become known as the 'opt-in' rule in
the UK but it's a much misunderstood law. read on...

Email Marketing Don’ts

Writing by Brick Marketing on Thursday, 29 of January , 2009 at 11:22 am

Email marketing is probably one of the oldest online marketing methods to date but it is still a very effective tool if used correctly. I have seen some pretty poorly designed email campaigns and I have seen some really great campaigns as well. Here are some clearly defined don’t for your future email marketing campaigns.

read on...

Are you Getting Many Spam Complaints?

Writing by Brick Marketing on Friday, 6 of February , 2009 at 5:05 pm

Are you a business that seems to have many spam complaints recently with your email campaigns? If you have noticed many spam complaints lately you have to ask yourself a few import questions.

read on...

Budget email marketing #2 Before you start

Email Marketing Reports: 06/02/2009 12:35

business successOK, Part 1 of this series explained why email marketing is worth exploring even if you have a challenging financial situation (i.e. no cash for marketing).

But those looking to jump in and grab the benefits often fall victim to misplaced expectations and crucial knowledge gaps. Our panel of email experts identify four key points to grasp for the SME entering the path to email marketing success...

Be patient


The strong promise of email marketing is a double-edged sword. Although the good returns attract interest, they also tempt newcomers into setting their expectations way too high.

The message from our experts: be patient.

Justin Premick, Education Marketing Manager at AWeber, says that... "SMEs need to understand that email is a long-haul strategy, and that to make it work, they need to take a long-haul approach."

Steve Adams, Vice President Marketing for Campaigner, adds:

"Like anything, effective email marketing is a skill that you hone over time."

The first campaign report (and open rates in particular) often prove a shock to those expecting every outgoing email to be seen, read and responded to by every recipient.

Janine Popick, CEO of VerticalResponse notes that when reports show 40% of recipients 'open' the email...

"...small businesses are surprised at that low number. When we tell them that's a great open rate many are perplexed."

"I think what they need to understand is that just like them and all of us, we don't open everything. There's no time and sometimes no interest in the subject line."

Raj Khera, CEO of MailerMailer continues:

"Do not expect all of your readers to open your message, even those you have a very good relationship with. Keep at it, sending your newsletter regularly."

This idea of consistency is echoed by Popick, who adds:

"Marketing shouldn't stop after the first email is sent."

This long-term approach also plays to the idea of email as a relationship builder, not (just) a one-off message seeking to gain a quick sale or three.

Many SMEs in the service sector, for example, use informational newsletters to keep in touch with clients and prospects over time, building a reputation and image through the quality and helpfulness of that information.

That process takes time and phones may not start ringing as a result for a few months.

Give as well as take


This brings us to the issue of value. Email marketing is often reduced to the idea of sending out an offer via email, watch sales pour in, send out another offer, watch sales pour in, etc.

This short-termism is eventually self-defeating.

Justin Premick explains:

"Some SMEs struggle with the concept that email is not a short-term sales lifter."

"They send out an email promotion, they see sales go up, and they get an 'email high' that they want to reproduce by sending out another promotion ASAP."

"Of course, like any other addiction, that high gets harder to reproduce as subscriber fatigue sets in."

Long-term success depends on recognizing that an email is a two-way exchange. If you want attention, loyalty and, yes, sales, then you have to offer value in return.

Dan Forootan, CEO of StreamSend confirms this, saying:

"...email marketing is a very effective tool when reaching out to an established customer base by sending email messages with true value."

As well as special offers, promotions or discounts, Dan suggests including industry news or trends, asking customers for feedback through surveys or adding their product reviews.

Steve Adams continues the theme, advising SMEs to provide value by...

"...engaging your audience with tips and information they can use. Email is great for special promotions, offers and sales, but you also want your readers to get something out of it - not just a hard sell."

"That's one of the biggest knowledge gaps all marketers face - how do I engage my audience and offer value while also letting them know about my products, services and expertise? Taking time to answer that question for yourself will help you execute winning campaigns."

Build a list respectfully


Of course, any benefits can only accrue if you have people to send your emails to. Not just any people, but those who explicitly asked to receive them (those who opt-in).

As Steve Adams puts it:

"The first step is building your email list and making sure everyone has opted-in."

Too many SMEs are seduced by ads selling thousands and millions of email addresses for a few dollars. Unfortunately, there is no quick route to building your address list.

Raj Khera has some particular warnings on this issue...

"Never buy an email list. There is no such thing as an opt-in list that you can buy. Think about it: would you ever put your name on a list and give someone permission to resell it over and over, thereby flooding your email address with unsolicited offers? No, and neither would anyone else."

(For more on this, see here.)

He also advises strongly against borrowing lists:

"What if you attended a trade show and the trade show management provided you with a list of all attendees, including their email address. Is it okay for you to email them? Not unless each recipient agreed that it was okay to pass their name on with the understanding that they would be receiving email offers. Most likely, the answer will be no."

His rule of thumb?

"...unless a recipient wanted to hear from you (or your company) specifically, do not email them."

As Dan Forootan reminds us...

"The key to success has always been in sending to a list with quality email addresses."

This means (again) patience as you build your list.

Get specialist help


Of course, all our experts would suggest you use specialist software or services to manage your list and emails (all sell such services). But they're absolutely right.

A temptation for those new to the field is to send out marketing emails using Outlook or similar email software. A mistake.

These were not built for that job, and for just a few dollars you can get specialist tools that take away the pain of managing address lists, help get your email delivered effectively and give you useful reports on just who clicked on what link in your emails.

(For more information on that, see this article.)

Next week, part 3 expands on some of these issues and looks at some simple things SMEs can do to make more of their email marketing.

Tags: ,

DMA Email Marketing Council Blog 2009-02-06




DMA Email Marketing Council Blog











Time to turn your attention to e-mail ‘acquitention’



Posted: 05 Feb 2009 07:49 AM CST


With
the recession putting marketing budgets under ever more pressure,
brands will inevitably be forced to be more creative with their e-mail
campaigns and distribution. Here are six tips for gathering new
customers without dropping your existing service levels.1. Look...





Welcome email can help retain subscribers



Posted: 05 Feb 2009 07:11 AM CST


In
this month's Infobox you can read the following articles: 'Welcome'
emails can help retain subscribers - by Loren McDonald of Silverpop
Think that soft bounces are caused by a full inbox? Then think again! -
by Dela Quist of...


Where and how do I get ‘white-listed’?

Where and how do I get ‘white-listed’?
05/02/2009 22:25 uk
There’s almost not a day that goes by where someone does not ask me about getting “white-listed.” The topic of white-listing often comes up with new mailers, who believe it is the answer to all our deliverability hopes and dreams.
READ MORE

4 shady list-building tactics to avoid

4 shady list-building tactics to avoid
Karen J. Bannan 05/02/2009 22:25 UK
In these times, when every e-mail signup counts, it might be tempting to take shortcuts to build your list. In fact, you may have already engaged in so-called “gray hat” tactics—practices that aren’t illegal, but certainly won’t win you any fans or new customers, and may even affect your deliverability. Here are four shady list-building approaches that Dave McCue, marketing manager for e-mail marketing service provider SubscriberMail, and Loren T. McDonald, VP-industry relations for Silverpop,...
READ MORE

Questions Matter More Than The Answer

by Morgan Stewart, 06/02/2009, 2:00 PM
Week before last I posted a blog venting some frustrations about our industry titled, "Your opinion is not 'Best Practice'! (and mine isn't either)."   Admittedly, I had some reservations declaring my exasperation publically, but the positive feedback I have received tells me I am not alone.
read on...

E-mail Inbox Blues

E-mail Inbox Blues
By Karen Gedney, ClickZ, Feb 4, 2009

A while back I wrote a column about how I had conducted inbox feng shui to clean out my e-mail clutter.



Well, like Oprah, I had a relapse. Toward the end of December, I saw
that I had slowly gotten myself into to an ungainly situation --
weighed down by more than 5,600 e-mail messages in my inbox... read on...


Email Advisor: Tip #2009.005 - Pre-existing business relationship isn't enough

Advise Me: Tip of the Week
Forget pre-existing business relationship - its permission you seek!

You don't have to talk to very many email marketers about permission practices before you come across one that defines permission as anyone that has done business with them in the past. When pressed for an explanation they will often times site the CAN-SPAM requirement of a pre-existing business relationship – the easy way out. But put yourself in the shoes of the consumer... read on...

Life Story or just an email address?


Life Story or just an email address?



Posted: 02 Feb 2009 02:18 AM CST fromDMA Marketing Blog


Having
spent more time than is healthy thinking about how much or how little
data is the "right" amount to collect, here are my tips on how to gauge
what is right for you. 1. Why am I collecting data... read on...

Hot Fudge on Meatballs!? New Marketing Trends in Email

by Alex Madison and Lisa Harmon, Yesterday, 11:47 AM

Seth Godin's book "Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?" tackles
the challenges presented by "New Marketing." He defines New Marketing
as having its basis in "a combination of more than a dozen trends, each
of which is changing the way ideas are perceived and spread." (page 5).
Godin argues that the hasty adoption of newfangled marketing tools by
unprepared brands could go as badly as adding whipped cream and hot
fudge to a bowl of meatballs -- yuck!

read on...

Email marketing manual Jan 2009

**View the html version in new tab**

**January 2009**

Visit www.emailmarketingmanual.com for a new look website packed with even more
email marketing advice, guides, design, html tutorials, news events.

Do you have an ecommerce event you would like to advertise on
emailmarketingmanual.com? Contact us for more information.
email editor@emailmarketingmanual.com


**Moda in Pelle Stepping into HTML Design**
Ash Richards, head of the design team at Pure360.com talks us through the
design process behind Moda in Pelle's email newsletter.

From design proofing to finished template we get the full insight into what
goes on during the creative process of html email design.

http://www.emailmarketingmanual.com/node/76


**The Pure View Are You Wasting Traffic?**
You manage to increase traffic by the required 20% what next? In most cases you
want people to convert as soon as possible.

Be it making a purchase or picking up the phone to your sales team, but as we
know life is rarely that easy.

http://www.emailmarketingmanual.com/node/77


**Best Practice 5 Ways To Increase Response**
Think about it. There’s only ONE reason you’re sending out your email and
that’s to get a response.

Here are 5 sure-fire ways to ensure people start clicking on those emails – all
of which are so easy, a child could do it!

http://www.emailmarketingmanual.com/node/78


**TFM&A Exhibition 2009**
The UK's only integrated marketing solutions event for marketing, media and
advertising professionals.

Are your direct marketing & online advertising campaigns stealing the show from
the competition?

They will with the help of the UK's largest integrated marketing solutions
event, Technology for Marketing & Advertising 2009. A growing show which
promises to be even better in 2009!

http://www.emailmarketingmanual.com/node/75

The Benefits of Email Marketing Software

Many companies struggle with email marketing. Fortunately,
SubscriberMail has email marketing software designed to make the
process much easier.


PRLog (Press Release)

Dec 05, 2008 – Lisle, IL,  – Email marketing is a tricky
proposition. Companies relying on email campaigns or initiatives must
deal with many different factors if they wish to succeed. The email
marketing software developed by SubscriberMail has taken some of the
guesswork out of formulating a successful campaign, making it easier to
efficiently deliver messages. read on...

Expert emphasises importance of clean email marketing lists

Marketing News
Expert emphasises importance of clean email marketing lists
Friday 5th December 2008

Growing businesses that use email marketing should ensure their data lists are up-to-date, an expert has claimed.

Chris Nagele, a digital marketing expert, told yourBusinessChannel that the issue is more important than many companies probably realise, as potential consequences can arise from not doing so. read on...

Email marketing is king if you want to engage with your customers

4th December 2008: econsultancy.com



Email marketing is king if you want to engage with your customers



The latest report from E-consultancy shows that 7 in 10 companies
use email marketing as the most powerful way to engage with their
customers. read on...

BtoB email marketer insight

BtoB  email marketer insight December 4 , 2008

Bell Micro uses rich media to get results

Bell
Micro sells hard drives, servers and storage products to businesses via
value-added reseller (VAR) partners. It’s a smaller company in a
relatively large industry; its major competitors wield a lot of name
recognition and have the market share to back it up.
READ MORE


 





 

ADVERTISEMENT


How do you Score?
Download the Silverpop Vtrenz benchmark study of Lead Management
practices so you can compare your lead management program results with
industry averages. Silverpop analyzed data from 250
business-to-business companies to uncover key measurements of
successful campaigns. Download today!

 





 

 










ASK THE EXPERT


 

What should I consider when testing the best time to send my e-mail newsletter?

While
there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of best time to
send e-mail, there is some compelling new information available to help
marketers understand what they should look for in a test.

READ MORE






 






 

ADVERTISEMENT


A Profitable Connection To a Network of Leading Professionals



The EDGAR Online Registered Users Masterfile
is the most comprehensive source of SEC filing information for
financial professionals. Target over 405k postal names, 343K email
addresses, and 343K phones of global companies, financial, corporate,
and advisory professionals. For more info contact MeritDirect: Pat Bishop at 914-368-1133.


 




 

 










E-MAIL MARKETING NEWS


 


Survey: E-mail remains top Internet activity

New
York—E-mail is the most popular online activity, according to a survey
from Mediamark Research and Intelligence, with almost three-quarters
(74.2%) of all U.S. adults using e-mail, up 5.2% compared with the fall
of 2007.
READ MORE




 







 

ADVERTISEMENT


10 Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Response

BtoB Webcast: Thursday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT


Direct Mail is an effective way to generate qualified leads and
increase business and loyalty from your existing customers. Attend this
Webcast to learn tips that are guaranteed to improve response. You’ll
learn the three most important elements of a successful direct mail
program and proven formats you can put to use right away. Register Now.

Anti-Phishing Filters and the Legitimate Sender


Anti-Phishing Filters and the Legitimate Sender



Posted: 04 Dec 2008 10:52 AM CST


Recently I
have had several discussions about Anti-phishing measures being
deployed by ISPs and the type of things that Legitimate Marketers need
to be aware of.  It appears that several ISPs are deploying a anti-spam
and anti-phishing service that evaluate the URLs embedded in your HTML
code against those links in the readable text.  

While
this is not really anything new, some of these behaviours have been
modified recently at a number of ISPs and are causing changes in the
way bounces are being generated. read on...

Online marketing 'keeping to guidelines'

Online marketing 'keeping to guidelines'
News Article - Wednesday, December 3, 2008 09:21
Filed under: Industry News
Digital WorldOnline marketing campaigns are broadly sticking to industry guidelines, but a large portion of the industry is not regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), read on...

Constant Contact CEO Gail Goodman: Marketing in a Down Economy

Constant Contact CEO Gail Goodman: Marketing in a Down Economy
Many ecommerce merchants rely on email marketing to
communicate with their customers. Constant Contact is, perhaps, the
largest self-service email marketing firm and Practical eCommerce
recently spoke with Constant Contact’s CEO, Gail Goodman, about the
slow economy, email marketing, and how merchants should respond to it.

MyCustomer.com logo Jump to navigation Email marketing leads customer engagement efforts

MyCustomer.com: 03-Dec-2008
Email marketing leads customer engagement efforts

What role is there for customer engagement within the current economic climate? The latest Online Customer Engagement Report provides insights into how firms are targeting and segmenting customers, and working to learn how they are changing in the new environment.

By Stuart Lauchlan, news and analysis editor

In the economic downturn, customer engagement is set to become even more important, but too many firms are behaving like ostriches and burying their corporate heads in the sand in denial at the seriousness of the recession. read on...

Address-Book Additions Boost Inbox Arrivals

Address-Book Additions Boost Inbox Arrivals
By Stefan Pollard, ClickZ, Dec 3, 2008


Whenever we talk about improving e-mail deliverability, we usually cover the big issues: getting rid of spam elements, ISP whitelisting, permission, list hygiene, and so forth.

One simple tactic gets short shrift: getting into your subscribers' address books or contact lists. read on...

E-retailers seek more data at e-mail sign-up


E-retailers seek more data at e-mail sign-up

Tuesday, December 2, 2008
internetretailer.com


Major online retailers are seeking more
information from consumers signing up to receive e-mail, but in some
cases making that sign-up option less prominent, says a study from the
Email Experience Council of the Direct Marketing Association.


51% of online retailers studied offered only a one-click sign-up from the home page, down from 63% last year, read on...

VR: Is Your Data All Over The Place? Take Control!

VerticalResponse
Newsletter
December 2, 2008

**********************************************
Is Your Data All Over The Place? Take Control!
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/bb4d4d62cb/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%201

**********************************************

With the economy in the dumpster, it's more important than ever to
take control of all of your lists. It could be the thing that gets
your business through any tough time. Plus, you might miss out on
sending email campaigns to certain recipients just because you forgot
about them, which means less revenue to you in the long run.

Do you have your lists in more than one of these places?

* VerticalResponse
* ACT, FileMaker, Salesforce or any other contact manager QuickBooks
or your accounting system
* POS Systems
* Shoeboxes and fishbowls of business cards
* Spreadsheets
* Sign Up Book

For tips on how to manage your data click here.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/4c2cff88d8/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%202


ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

10% Off Postcards
Great Internet Retailer Survey
Governor's Conference in California
New Features: List Management
Vote for VR at Small Business Computing!
Live Demo: How to Use VR
Did You Know?
What's the Topic Popick?
Find VR on Facebook & Twitter

***************************************
Vote for VR at Small Business Computing
***************************************

SmallBusinessComputing.com wants to know what products and services
have helped your business the most in the past year.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/ccd3631cac


We'd love it if you'd let them know it's been VerticalResponse! If you
like the new templates, survey tools, pricing model, or other
product upgrades of the past year, we would really appreciate you
letting them know!

Vote in the category of e-commerce under online marketing.

**************************************
Live Demo: How to Use VerticalResponse
**************************************

Join us for a VerticalResponse product demo. This demo will provide
you with a solid understanding of how to use our service.

* Tuesday, Dec 9th
* 10am PST

Register Now!
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/3728eca1e3


(If you miss this one we hold them every Tuesday, check out the events
calendar for more info)
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/a8dafdade0/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%205


*************
Did You Know?
*************

The VerticalResponse Marketing Lounge is a community of small
businesses interacting with each other. Join today and you can network
with the Lounge's over 2,000 members and gain access to over 90 free
business forms.

Join Today!
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/1a920983d1


************************
What's The Topic Popick?
************************

Listen to the latest podcast from CEO, Janine Popick!

Easy Ways to Start Word of Mouth!
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/d0960379b1/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%207


*****************************
Find VR on Facebook & Twitter
*****************************

Join the VerticalResponse Facebook group to discuss how you can use
online tools including email marketing to help grow your business.

Follow VerticalResponse on Twitter: VR4SmallBiz. Get up to date
information on when blogs are posted and other great marketing tips we
offer daily.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/1c6ca8601a


**********************************************
Sale - 10% Off All Postcards Sent By Dec. 12th
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/de489f8fae/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%209

**********************************************

Send holiday greetings to your customers and your family with
VerticalResponse printed postcards. We know you are extremely busy
running your business, why not use postcards to save time and money
this holiday
season?

* Order by December 12 for delivery before December 25! *

* Order by December 18 for delivery before January 1! *

Click here to find out more about postcards.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/7e6f00bee9/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%2010


******************************************
Retailers: Great Internet Retailer Survey
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/4ee7a43b15/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%2011

******************************************

Internet Retailer published their Holiday Sales Survey recently. It's
a pretty comprehensive survey that might give retailers out there some
ideas for the holiday season. It was surprising to me that most of the
retailers they surveyed had sales revenue of less than 1 million
annually. That really speaks to the smaller retailers weighing in
rather than Target or Walmart.

The top three take-aways were that you should start marketing early,
you
should include gifts with a purchase and include lower priced items in

the assortment you offer. Reducing prices across the board was also a
big one.

Click here to read more ideas for this season.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/66e495d905/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%2012


*****************************
New Features: List Management
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/bdc0088ea3/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%2013

*****************************

A quick note if you're a VerticalResponse customer - recently we
released a range of exciting new list features for customers who have
gone through our list consolidation process (it's free btw) . If
you're wondering what you need to do, login to your account and follow
the simple instructions there.

* Upload a list for mass action
* More search options
* Get set up to email unlimited

To find out more click here.
[http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/5675119aa0/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%2014]


************************************************************************

Governor's Conference on Small Business & Entrepreneurship in
California
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/1763489191/utm_campaign=Is%20Your%20Data%20All%20Over%20The%20Place%3F%20Take%20Control%21&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=Text%20Version%20-%20Link%2015

************************************************************************


Day 1 - at the Governor's Conference on Small Businesses &
Entrepreneurship. They launched Global Entrepreneurship Week in
conjunction with the Kauffman Foundation. From now on it will be the
third week in November. There are over 350 people attending, all
amazing businesses and stories, ranging from small businesses to
non-profits to policy makers from all over CA. The conference is meant
to put real policies forth to the Governor to get more small business
growth in the California economy.

Click here to read more about day 1.
[http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/b57f71b19e/VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/TEST/5484658e86]


Day 2 - I was lucky enough to participate on a panel with Google,
moderated by a fantastic young speaker Arel Moodie. Arel is also a
great motivational speaker on the college circuit, getting college
students excited about the possibility of being an entrepreneur.

Click here to read more about day 2.
[http://cts.vresp.com/c/?VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/b6b53cb3c6/868ff5107e/VerticalResponse/eedeb39fb7/TEST/7e7a598473]




Know someone who might be interested in receiving this newsletter?

Forward them a copy!
[http://oi.verticalresponse.com/f2af/v4/send_to_friend.html?ch=eedeb39fb7&lid=361291&ldh=b6b53cb3c6]




This newsletter was created and sent in minutes using VerticalResponse


Copyright © 2001 - 2008 VerticalResponse, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

______________________________________________________________________
This message was sent by VerticalResponse Blog using VerticalResponse

VerticalResponse
501 2nd St. Ste. 700
San Francisco, California 94107

Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy:
http://www.verticalresponse.com/content/pm_policy.html

Oops! How to Handle E-mail Mishaps

Oops! How to Handle E-mail Mishaps

More E-MAIL MARKETING E-MAIL MARKETING
By Jeanne Jennings, The ClickZ Network,
Dec 1, 2008

Mistakes
happen. It's a fact of life, even in e-mail. While it's best to avoid
them, once they occur the best you can do is deal with them. Here are
three recent examples of e-mail mistakes that companies big and small
had to deal with. We'll cover two even more serious mishaps in the next
column. read on...

Retailers use (cheaper) e-mail to send shoppers coupons

Retailers use (cheaper) e-mail to send shoppers coupons
11/28/2008 12:02 PM
By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY

E-marketing sounds so passé, but this year, retailers are checking their e-mail lists twice to try to juice up holiday sales, read on...

If You Build It, They Will Come... NOT! Hotel Website Design Ideas

If You Build It, They Will Come... NOT! Hotel Website Design Ideas.
By Keith Paulin.
Thursday, 4th December 2008

from 4hoteliers.com
About twice a week now I am contacted by a hotel General Manager or Marketing Director who has seen some of the recent research figures for hotel internet revenues.
The conversation very quickly gets to " I've just checked my on-line hotel revenues and they are nowhere near what I had hoped. What can we do?"

read on...

Internet Marketing: Top 10 Items to Budget For.

Internet Marketing: Top 10 Items to Budget For.
Anil Aggarwal, Milestone Internet Marketing.
Friday, 5th December 2008

Consider both traditional on-line channels and social media optimization in your up and coming budget.
from: 4hoteliers.com

1. Website Conversion Updates...
2. Organic Promotion Highest return on investment...
3. Pay-Per-Click...
4. Email Marketing...
5. Trip Advisor Review Feeds...
6. Blogs...
7. Online Video...
8. Photo Sharing...
9. Social Networking...
10. Online PR and Social Bookmarking...

read on for how...