Tip # 2009.017 - Benchmark and measure your subscriber's engagement with your email program.

Email is the easiest marketing communication channel to track and measure - so much so that all the metrics and information available can actually complicate the matter. Interpretation of the information may be different, calculations may vary and some can't even figure out where to start because the sheer volume of information available is more than they can comprehend.

One measurement that experts refer to is an Engagement Quotient. This is typically defined through a mathematical formula that results in attributing a score or rating to each individual recipient in your database allowing you to identify those that are most interested and engaged with your email program, those that are the least engaged and everyone in between. Depending on the number of recipients in your database, your access to database administrators and the amount of free time you have this could prove a daunting task.

You want to start measuring engagement but aren't able to execute on the individual level? Start by calculating a Segment Engagement Quotient (SEQ). This will give you a benchmark for success measurement when determining how programmatic changes or tests are impacting your recipients engagement. Here's the formula:

Segment Total - Unengaged Segment Total    X 10
Segment Total

• Segment Total:
  Total number of valid email addresses identified in the segment. This number excludes bounced addresses and unsubscribes.
  
  
• Unengaged Segment Total:
  Subscribers in the segment identified as unengaged. For monthly mailers we would recommend definition as anyone in the segment that has not opened or clicked a message in 6 months.
  

If the Segment total is 10,000 and the unengaged total is 2,000 the calculation would like this:

10,000-2,000   =     8,000   =   0.8   X   10   =   8
10,000                 10,000

So your Segment Engagement Quotient would be an 8/10.

Tip # 2009.016 - Be sure you are applying the five secrets of email creative.

Email marketers tend to get close and personal with all aspects of their email programs. So much so that it can be detrimental to the application of sensible and obvious best practices. It's like proof-reading your own work - what may be an obvious improvement to an outsider may have just escaped you during the creative process. Regardless of your email prowess, here are five creative tips to consider:

• Limit your use of font variations to no more than 5:
  Too many variations in font face, size, weight and color can distract from the message itself.
  
  
• Remember that white is the new black:
  Use white or light backgrounds for your email templates. Dark backgrounds with reversed out copy can be difficult to read on-screen.
  
  
• Images don't have to be static:
  Images are just another way to create relevance for your recipient, make them dynamic.
  
  
• The "Golden Rectangle" deserves special attention:
  Optimize the top 250 pixels of your email to include logo, site navigation, call-to-action, table of contents (when applicable) and a solid pre-header.
  
  
• Write at 60 MPH:
  Email recipients don't READ they scan. Write your message like you would write for a billboard. Keep it simple and succinct.
  

If you would like more detail around these points, check out our recent webinar with RealMagnet, Email Creative Secrets of the Pros - it is sure to entertain, I mean...inform. And we will be sure to include our answers in the coming weeks.

Tip # 2009.015 - Bring the conversation full circle when soliciting reader input.

As marketers, we do a pretty good job of asking questions at all levels. We ask questions of our producers, our management team, our recipient base and of ourselves to find out what we need to do to accomplish all of the goals and objectives placed upon us. But how good are we at summarizing the responses and putting it back out there for all to share? Some folks do a terrific job, for the rest of us, we need to get better at it.

Email once was a channel that allowed us to talk "at" our email recipients - why not, we were in control of the communication channel and could communicate the information we (or our management team) wanted. That isn't the case any longer. The consumer/recipient now dictates the relationship and as such, has explicit expectations on the information we share with them.

Which is why, this week, we will be answering the most frequently asked questions posed to us from our recent survey. If you are seeking the answers to additional questions, shoot them our way and we will be sure to include our answers in the coming weeks.

Tip # 2009.014 - Saying hello - simple greetings with big impact.

Email marketers with their busy schedules, deadlines and such, sometimes forget the importance of just saying hi. Simple greetings that acknowledge a holiday, change in season or heck, just an opportunity to say "we are thinking about you" are a great way to show your customers that your relationship with them really does mean more than the estimated value of their email address.

Seasonal or holiday greetings sent with the intent of only well wishes, help to build a closer relationship with you and your email recipient. At the end of the day it's really about being human and interacting with your recipients as you would a trusted friend.

So, with that said...

The Email Advisor would like to wish you a little "holiday hello." No matter what your reason for celebrating this time of year, we truly send you the best of wishes this spring and hope that you and yours are healthy, happy and content.

Tip # 2009.013 - Don't forget to share your survey results & how you plan to leverage them.

So last week we talked about surveying your recipient base and leveraging the information the share. To demonstrate, we conducted a brief survey to find out what you all really think about the Tip of the Week. And I have to say, I am a little bummed that more of you didn’t respond. I am going to give all you “non-responders” one more chance to tell us what you think because we really want to know what you are thinking.

I’ll chalk this one up to busy schedules and perhaps the notion that we (as consumers of email) are just a little jaded by the lack of response to input that we just feel responding to surveys is a moot point. In any case, it's a great exercise in learning from both the actions and non-actions of recipients.

Here are the results so far.

100% of responders were happy with the frequency of the message – they wouldn’t change a thing!
42% of responders find the content typically helpful but not always relevant to them.

What content do "you" want, you ask? Here's what you've told us so far:

• 75% Benchmarking and Metrics
  
• 67% Email design
  
• 58% Social Media Integration
• 58% Coding & Production Insights
• 42% Test Strategies
• 42% Research & Reports
• 42% Whitepapers & Surveys

What was interesting is that only a few of you give a rip about Achieving Relevance or Subject Line Strategies. Maybe there’s just enough content available on those topics – that’s what I am going to tell myself!

Next week we will do Q&A with The Email Advisor and address some of the questions submitted and the others that will come (ahem, that means you non-responders need to go fill out the survey...c’mon!) In the meantime, we will be working diligently at our offices to produce the content that yous guys (that’s the Chicagoan in me) want – and the only way we’ll know is if you tell us.

Thank you to all that have responded – you guys ROCK - for those that haven't, you rock too but we are asking one last time for you to
tell us what you want to hear about>>

Tip # 2009.012 - Find out what your recipients think about your email.

Email really is a relationship channel - and as such, should be conversational. To achieve true engagement from your audience you need to encourage some two-way communication streams outside of the ability to hit "reply" to your message - in the off chance that someone is on the other end of that email address.

• Keep it short: People are busy and they are doing you a favor by responding to the survey - so be considerate of their time. Keeping the survey short and sweet will be appreciated by the respondents and minimize abandoners for you.
  
  
• Be ready to deliver: The questions you ask will likely set some expectations for the respondents. Asking questions about points such as frequency or messaging language may cause recipients to believe they are setting a preferenc and not just providing a response.
  
  
• Share the responses: Bring the process full circle. Give recipients some insight in to what you learned from them and how you plan to leverage the insights gained. Getting customer input is just the beginning of the process - sharing responses and acting on it (openly with the respondent base) proves to the recipient time was not wasted.

So in true Email Advisor fashion - we are asking for your input about Tip of the Week. We don't send this out just because we can - we want to actually provide you with information you can use, and if we are missing the mark we need to know. So if you could take a quick, two-minute survey it would mean the world to us! We'll share our findings with you in next weeks Tip.

Proceed to Survey>>

Tip # 2009.011 - If you want to be found, send up a flare.

Let's face it, you're everywhere these days, or virtually everywhere. As companies scrutinize their marketing and event budgets more closely, you need to be able to rally a crowd for the events you are at - physically or virtually. So why not let your customers, prospects and subscribers know where they can find you and interact with you whether it's a trade show, industry event or even a webinar.

• Get some face time: Depending on the circumstance, your audience may be planning to attend an event you will be sponsoring or exhibiting at but may not know you are going to be there as well. Let them know where they can find you and what you will be doing while you are there. Closing deals over drinks is one of my favorite past-times.
  
  
• Make it valuable: When you are asking folks to take time out of their normal day, you better make sure it is worth their while. If what your offering your audience is something they can get from you any day of the week - then why would they bother?
  
  
• Demonstrate your expertise: Let folks know when you will be speaking or have been cited in an article as a subject matter expert. This validates existing customers' decision to do business with you and may motivate possible prospects to convert. This is no time to be humble. Brag a little!

Case in point, our founder, Kara Trivunovic will be presenting Email Design Best Practices with the webinar's host Real Magnet on Wednesday, March 25 at 2PM EST. She will be demystifying email design for the B2B marketer. And if you know Kara at all, you know it will be an action packed 45-minutes!

We really think you should register now!

Tip # 2009.010 - Don't be a Social leper.

While there is still healthy debate around marketers' presence on social sites and whether social media is the email killer - most agree that marketers will be on social sites and that the channels actually compliment each other well. So then promote your social presence via your email communications! Here are a few pointers:

• Enhance the content you are already publishing: Make sure the content you are posting on your social sites is not an exact duplicate of information you've published elsewhere online - for example in your email marketing communications or your blog. Instead, promote that information in a complimentary manner to bring attention to the other communication vehicles you leverage.


• Provide something unique: Be sure to provide information that is available only from your social site. This gives clients and customers a reason to seek interaction with you in a channel that is largely personal.
  
  
• Keep it interactive: Allow or promote the use of discussion boards and free-form communication between participants - social media is about being social afterall. Some of the best ideas come out of the ability to share and brainstorm amongst a group of peers.

So don't just sit there - become a fan of The Email Advisor on Facebook or follow our founder, Kara Trivunovic, on Twitter, you never know what is going to come out of her mouth. Really.

Tip # 2009.009 - Know how engaged your email audience is.

Identifying email recipient engagement and acting upon it is always a hot topic of conversation. There are two schools of thought in the industry today: one believes that you keep an email address in your database until they unsubscribe, bounce or complain. The other believes that you should segment out, and ultimately suppress, those that have not engaged with an email communication during a defined period of time. The time definition typically varies based on the frequency of communication and the determination of suppression is either interpreted as “completely remove” from the database or “suppress” from all future messages. Regardless of who you side with on this debate, it is irrelevant unless this is something you actually track.

• Testing alternate content for inactives: Tired messages can lead to customer indifference. Try mixing it up a bit and occasionally test an alternate message by using different content or images to those that have not interacted with previous message.


• Re-confirm subscriptions: If your subscriber isn’t opening your message or opening infrequently, ask them if they want to continue receiving your communications. In an "image-off" email world, it is difficult to accurately assess who is actually opening so you may want also factor in click-activity.
  
  
• Invite them to update their profile: If users can update their personal profile on your website, invite them to keept their inforamtion up-to-date. As message content becomes more data-driven, zeroing in on that which makes your subscribers unique and add to the relevancy of your message.
  

You can lead a horse to water, but at the end of the day you can’t make them open their email. Focus on the quality of your database. If you consistently have an inactive subset of your database that isn’t opening up your communications, you need to ask yourself the question “what is the value of keeping them on the distribution list. The answer is different for each email marketer out there. You just need to find the right one for your organization.

Tip # 2009.008 - Give your recipients a glimpse of the past.

As email marketers, we spend a lot of time developing content that serves two masters - first and foremost our clientele. If our client base isn't appreciative of the information we are popping in their inbox - we won't be long for communicating with them. The other is our brand. Clearly we have a goal in mind when sending email: brand building, product announcement, sales information - whatever the goal is we need to marry it nicely to the expectations of our recipient base and our management team. But what happens to your content after you hit send? If it doesn't live on - then read on!

Your recipients’ engagement with email programs is constantly changing. You may have new subscribers that could benefit from previous tips or other subscribers may have missed last week's edition because of travel - whatever the reason may be for missing them doesn't mean your recipients don't want to see that information. They likely do - so the content that you've worked so hard to develop, can live on in perpetuity!

Tip # 2009.007 - Enhance relevance leveraging dynamic imagery.

When email marketers start talking about dynamic content the first thing that comes to mind is typically that, content. Most of us immediately associate content with copy – and we all know that writing the perfect copy, for the perfect segment of an audience, at just the right time can be a daunting idea to formulate, let alone execute. But what if, instead, we defined content as assets; different input items that come together to build out the email that ultimately gets received? This allows for the ability to create relevance by leveraging assets beyond copy – how about images?

Leveraging imagery that speaks to the recipient subtly is not as difficult to identify as some think, here are three examples of dynamic imagery applications – leveraging basic data points that may be collected during the subscription process:

• Salutation: Helps in identifying the gender of the recipient. So if "Mr." is the salutation associated with a record use a lifestyle shot that would appeal to a male.
  
  
• Marital Status: Identifies the recipient as “married" or "single." Again, leveraging lifestyle shots that would appeal appropriately to a recipient falling in to each category could greatly enhance the interest taken in the message.
  
  
• Number of kids: Identifies if your recipient has a family or not – allowing you to feature images of families or those that may appeal to recipients with no children.

It is just a matter of looking at your data a little differently and identifying what it tells you about your recipient. Email marketers should always be striving to accomplish the truly relevant email marketing message. As you do, don’t forget the images!

Tip # 2009.006 - 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:

• Pre-checked vs. Un-checked Subscribe Box(es): Generally, it is the best practice to not present a subscribe box that has all ready been checked. However, what if you have a link on your website that says, "Sign up to receive email"? The recipient clicks the link, is taken to a page and is then required to check the subscribe box again? There is only one intention that can be surmised when that link is clicked - and that is that the web browser intends on subscribing to receive email. Don't make them tell you twice. Pre-check that box!
  
  
• Single vs. Double Opt-in: It was pretty unanimous that single opt-in was the general best practice when converting subscribers. But, what if you have a third-party registration source? Sending a double opt-in message, properly formatted, could help alleviate false subscriptions and bad email addresses - while further validating the interest of the third-party subscriber and keeping your database clean. See this topic and the flurry of comments it has insighted.
  
  
• Purge vs Keep Un-engaged Recipients: This was the one point where the convergence of both practices merged to become the best practice, which is to maintain the unengaged recipients, but segment them out from the general population and begin channeling them through a re-activation program driving them to active status with the brand and the email channel again. However, that best practice comes with a commitment of purging those that did not engage through the reactivation process once per year. While purging inactives annually can be viewed as a general best practice - let's consider the Halloween store where you get your costumes every year. You only buy once per year - should you be removed from the database for that? Nope - and in that case it may be better to purge every 18-24 months.

There are just three, very basic, industry best practices - imagine the debates that could ensue if we looked at more complicated topics. In the meantime, just be sure to consider published best practices from every angle. They are not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Tip # 2009.005 - 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, just because you’ve done business with a particular company once or thirty times doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to hear from them all the time. While you want to believe that your product or service is different, it may not be different enough.

When subscribing recipients to your email communications you should always seek clear and obvious permission. Here are a few things to consider: .

• If you send obviously different message types, for example an informative newsletter and a promotional communication – consider maintaining separate permission options allowing the recipient to control the types of messaging they receive
• If recipients can make purchases online, ask for their subscription to your email program(s) as part of the post check out process.
• Always include a subscribe option in the email you currently send – this provides a vehicle for subscription to those the message is forwarded to.
• Pre-existing business relationship be damned!

As an industry, it is our plight and our burden to make sure executive management understands that it is the quality of the email recipients in the database and not the quantity of email addresses that really matters! Foregoing pre-existing business relationship permission practices is a terrific place to start. Who’s ready?

Tip # 2009.004 - Don’t send email marketing messages from people at your company.

I recently received an email in my inbox that was from Deborah Needleman and I thought - who? Well, according to the subject line, she is the editor-in-chief of Domino magazine - hmmm. Who knew? Clearly not me. So here’s the thing, your email subscribers are expecting to receive email from your company – not necessarily from an individual at your company. While you may feel this personalizes your message some, it always gets lost in the “sort by sender” and if the name is not a household name, it may get overlooked entirely. So unless you have a personal or business relationship with the “sender” or you are Oprah or Martha Stewart, you should consider sending email from your company and be done with it.

Tip # 2009.003 - Offer mini email programs - year round.

You should try your hardest to make all of your content relevant to every recipient for every mailing – but let’s face it, that’s just not always realistic. People’s interests vary from one person to the next, one day to the next. But you can isolate and address a very specific topic for a short period of time. Enter the “email mini.” All of your email marketing programs don’t have to continue indefinitely. Try launching a mini program that’s main goal is to address a topic specific to a moment in time and structure the subscription to coincide with that defined moment. Some marketers have introduced the “email mini” during the holidays: 12 days of Christmas, Shopping Tips Countdown or even the 12 days of Holiday Baking Tips.

Allowing for a limited subscription on a concentrated topic:

• Simply conveys the content relevance
• Sets expectations on frequency of the messaging
• Establishes an end in sight for the subscription option
• Leverages top-of-mind mind customer interaction with less potential for attrition

There is no end to the “email mini” possibilities – just your imagination (and maybe your bandwidth).

Tip # 2009.002 - Email is not direct mail.

Many marketers need to find efficiencies in their processes – we are always looking to do more with less, otherwise we see our budgets dwindle, especially in today’s economy. But one thing you can count on is that direct mail post card you created doesn’t translate directly to email, period. This is not an exclusive issue for small businesses; this is an epidemic that is running rampant throughout our industry. By directly picking up your direct mail creative you are openly admitting that you have no email marketing strategy in place.

Your email messages should:

• Compliment and integrate with your direct mail, and other marketing efforts
• Leverage images contained within your direct mail to create a cohesive experience
• Include a web-based call-to-action
• Leverage a testing program to identify best performance
• Convey a relevant message to your email audience

So this year let’s vow to not copy our direct mail pieces and call them email, otherwise you may find yourself in the spotlight on the Email Skunk Hunt – and you don’t want that!

Tip # 2009.001 - Say "welcome" for all new email programs.

Email subscribers are valuable. These are folks that have willingly provided their email address and given you permission to mail to them (I hope). But what are doing upon receipt of that information? If you are not yet, you need to be sending a welcome message.

A welcome message is the perfect way to say thank you to the new subscriber for trusting you with a prized possesion - the email address. The welcome message is also an ideal tiime to set expectations for the recipient, including:

• When they can expect their fist communication
• How oftem the messages will come
• What the message is going to look like
• Add to address book details

Setting expectations appropriately - and then delivering on those promises - is imperative to providing a relevant experience for the recipient and to realizing a successful email program for you.

So - welcome! I know its been a bit since you subscribed, but the Advise Me: Tip of the Week is kicking in to full swing for 2009. You will begin receiving digestable, bite-size tips and tricks for improving your email markeitng programs - everything ranging from data management to creative strategy. Enjoy and Happy New Year!