MindComet

Got Buzzworthy Email Marketing?

I just signed up to receive Got Milk? News. Its email marketing uses a double opt-in – email confirmation and welcome links – and overemphasizes the privacy policies and how to unsubscribe.  I’ve already gotten two emails, in a matter of minutes, for the sign-up process. 

First, I received this one:

And then, I got this one:

Got Milk? has a buzzworthy email marketing element—CowAbduction.com—featured as an image link on the homepage. Click on it and you’re redirected to—interstingly enough—all kinds of nutty news, facts and testimonials about alien cow abductions:

And you can email a warning—creative, and very viral—to your friends:

But there’s a problem.  The email looks like spam:

The recipient didn’t open this message until I informed them about it.  With today’s phishing epidemic, send-to-a-friend will become send-to-the-trash if it’s not executed right.

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Posted by MindComet on Feb. 19, 2007

What Are Your Competitors’ Plans for 2007-2008?

Datran Media’s research study explores how marketers will use email. Do you have big plans for email marketing this year? Your competition sure does. Check out some of their answers:

More Email + Bigger Budget = More customers. 

It’s overwhelming for anyone to try and devise a master email marketing plan all on their own.  That’s why more than half of competitors are using the genius and creativity of email marketing experts:

Ali Swerdlow, from the Email Experience Council, says vendors “live and die for effective email.  They are a great resource for innovative ideas, or ways to maximize their technology and investment in their services.“ 

So if you don’t already have an email marketing partner, consider getting one.

For more information on Datran Media’s recent study, click here.

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Posted by MindComet on Feb. 16, 2007

What’ll It Be Today?  Text or HTML?

When a new subscriber is signing up for your mailing list, do you ask them if they prefer text or html?  If you don’t, then you most certainly should start.  But what does that even mean exactly?  We can’t always assume that the end user knows the difference between the two.

When asking whether the user prefers html or text, include an example (ideally, a screenshot) of each.  It may be a good idea to take the extra step and additionally explain what each version includes.

On the other hand… this may be considered overkill for some of your (potential) users.  It really all depends on who your audience is.  If they’re savvy, technologically driven twenty-somethings, taking these extra steps may not be necessary.  If they’re new to the email signups and the Internet in general, you may want to take heed.

Inspired by a recent post at theemailwars.com

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Posted by MindComet on Feb. 15, 2007

Making the Basics Better

The Orlando Advertising Federation does a great job keeping in touch with local advertisers and brands.  They have an opportunity to deliver communication on their website, through email and a variety of other marketing mediums.

The OAF Update February 13, 2007 message had the potential to share interesting and poignant information with its members.  But the straight text and only a small logo isn’t enough to grab attention, especially from advertising professionals who expect quality.

A simple HTML template with the OAF logo integrated into the masthead and images related to each brief story, a simple look and feel, could have made an improvement.

The table of contents displayed at the top of the message is a great idea.  Subscribers can see what the newsletter is about in the preview pane.  While the entire table of contents may not be displayed in the preview pane, subscribers get the idea that there is a listing of what they can find in this issue.

A nice touch would have been to add links to each item in the table of contents to take readers directly to the article.  This coupled with anchor tags at the end of each article to return readers to the top of the page make the experience easier for the reader to manage.  Subscribers may only be interested in the sixth article, but if it requires scrolling through five other articles to find it, they may move on to something else.  A click of a link to go directly to the article can ensure more time spent on the message and with the brand.

OAF did a good job of making the ADDYS the lead article and provided a link to RSVP with only a few days remaining to RSVP for the ADDYS, the deadline was highlighted in red text above the fold.  Though, an additional call to action in the subject line might have helped increase attendance. 

The OAF has the basics down, but there is some room to improve.

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Posted by MindComet on Feb. 14, 2007

To Confirm Your Subscription, Click Here

There are conflicting reports on the benefits of using the double opt-in method for subscribers.  Some email specialists insist on making double opt-in mandatory for every email list they manage.  On the other hand, some specialists claim that it takes too much effort for subscribers to click on the link within the confirmation email and the drop off is too high to ignore.

The truth of the matter is double opt-in lists are much more valuable than regular ol’ opt-in lists.  If you do plan on going this route, make sure the time between the user’s initial opt-in and the opt-in confirmation is long enough for the user to react.  The standard length of time is usually 30 days.  Most people check their email once every 30 days, so you should be set.  Another advantage to utilizing double opt-in methods is the likelihood that someone confirms false emails is very doubtful.  You’ll also lower the chance that From Address / IP will be marked as SPAM.  Think about it… if your subscribers will go through the effort of double opting-in for your email, there’s no way they’ll mark it as SPAM.

If you’re simply looking for volume for your email list, double opt-in is not entirely necessary.  But if you want the strongest, most valuable list you can gather - with a higher chance of a good ROI - there is no doubt in my mind double opt-in is the way to go.

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Posted by MindComet on Feb. 13, 2007

Gone Phishin’

We’re not talking about wide-brimmed hats, sun-screened noses and insect repellent. This phishing we’re referring to is bogus email messages used to steal personal information. Think—identity theft. A new study shows email users open one in every six phishing email messages. Observing over 10,500 participants’ email behavior, the six-month study found the following phishing email open rates:

• social networks - 24.9%
• e-cards - 17.1%
• payment - 16.2%
• financial - 15.5%
• auction - 14.7%

Food for thought: It’s tax season and financial institutions are getting serious about their email marketing campaigns. But targeted phishing messages have a term: Spear phishing.

Naturally, phishing creates a lot of scrutiny. So it’s important to make it clear to recipients that your e-newsletter can be trusted. Include an icon or logo. Authenticate yourself. If your service is one that relays private information or messages, secure your sign-up and sign-in process. Consider using a two-factor user ID process. Whatever you do, email marketers, be sure to differentiate yourself from the bad guys.

Read more about the study by

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Posted by MindComet on Feb. 12, 2007

Brand Loyalty = Opportunities

I’m an avid user of kraftfoods.com — an enthusiast who’ll gladly refer friends – who likes receiving their direct email marketing pieces.  We have a loyal business-consumer relationship.  And how were we introduced?  About two years ago, I was looking to spice up (no pun intended) my life in the kitchen and I Googled “recipes”.  Here’s what I found, right on the first page of search results:

Nothing fancy-shmancy.  The blurb under the link doesn’t waste any time.  It showcases the site’s best features: a meal-planner, recipes by e-mail and your own on-site recipe box.  What’s that—a quadruple opt-in opportunity?  Impressive.  And now for the homepage:

Quadruple opt-in, indeed.  Remember our blog post, “How to Maximize Your Subscriber Quality”? It mentions iMedia’s post about including as many opt-in opportunities as possible.  Here is a classic example.

With so many tempting offers, cool online recipe searches and tools, and their free, full-color magazine with seasonal recipes, I’d found more than what I was looking for. 

The rewards for opting-in to their email far exceeded my expectations.  Kraftfoods offered services other recipe websites didn’t: personalization, incentives and coupons, free gifts, healthy living tips, and so much more.  That’s how kraftfood.com’s email marketing reached my inbox and won my heart.

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Posted by MindComet on Feb. 09, 2007