MindComet

KISS: Email Marketing Tip # 2

Today’s topic is KISS: Sell Email Campaigns With Facts.
A sweet and simple statistic can put things into perspective for a potential client.  When pitching your services, use credible sources to demonstrate how the plan is in the client’s best interest.
Here are a couple examples:

Research from the Direct Marketing Association predicted email marketing to return $48.29 for every dollar spent in 2007.

A study by Datran Media found 89.4% of marketers surveyed will use email for customer acquisition this year.  Our post on Feb. 16 summarizes Datran’s study on competitor’s 2007 plans for email. 

Strategies well rooted in research will impress clients.  So do your homework.  Justify the value of email marketing by stating the facts.
Stay tuned for KISS Tips, coming soon.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Mar. 12, 2007

KISS: Email Marketing Tip #1

Welcome to the first edition of a new series of blog posts: Keep It Sweet and Simple.  The posts will offer tips and tools email marketers can use to simplify the technicalities. 

Today’s topic is KISS: The Best Guideline for Billing Clients.  In email marketing, we use billable hours and various fees.  But including too much detail—breaking down fees for each step of the process—may confuse the client.  It may even weaken client-vendor relationships. 

One step to take in moving toward a partnership—and overcoming vendor status—is simplifying communication between the two parties.  Bill hours in categories.  It’s an organized method that’s easy to understand.  That way,  there are no misconceptions that could make a client feel exploited. 

Fees and particulars can be grouped and labeled.  And clients will appreciate the streamlining.  Try billing categories such as template design, recipient delivery, evaluation and creative.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Mar. 09, 2007

Email Deliverability – Are You Making it to the Inbox?

You have a great creative design, a relevant message to send, and database of interested subscribers.  But what happens when you click send?

It would be nice to know ahead of time if your message is going to even make it into the inbox.  Most Email Software Providers offer affordably-priced deliverability tests that can give you a better understanding of how Internet Service Providers will treat your message.

By sending to a seed list of monitored inboxes before you send your message live, you will be able to see if your message will deliver as you expect it to.  You should be able to determine if any ISPs are not agreeable with your message.

If you find your message is not getting delivered, what can you do?

Review the content, including the subject line, copy and even the email address you are sending from.  When you scrutinize the copy, you may be surprised by an innocent phrase and the way it could be construed.

Planning for a deliverability test on the front end of your testing process could dramatically improve your other metrics.  Think about it, your subscribers can’t open a message they never received.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Mar. 07, 2007

Bell South Blocks HTML Emails

Marketing Sherpa uncovered that BellSouth’s ISP has recently been modified to block all HTML – designed emails.  Market Sherpa recently tested a batch of emails and only text emails were getting through to recipient’s inboxes.  To remedy this, make sure each Bell South address on your list(s) are receiving text versions of your email.  This will certainly help maximize your deliverability rates.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Mar. 06, 2007

Color Coordinate

People love themes.  Why else would Disney World be so popular?  (More people visit it than the nation’s capital.)  Color coordination and themes can be very visually appealing.  And that might mean more business for your company. Here are couple examples of email marketing pieces I just received that tap in to color schemes:

West Elm furniture:

Aldo shoes:

Email marketers: Test this technique and see if color coordinating your next message or e-Newsletter improves click-through rates.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Mar. 05, 2007

Email Marketing Headlines:  Getting Crafty

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Mar. 02, 2007

Child Protection from Emails :: Michigan & Utah

Back in July, 2005, legislation was passed in both Michigan and Utah to prevent minors from receiving emails with adult subject matter including gambling, pornography, firearms, alcohol, tobacco and both illegal and prescription drugs.  It may also apply to other typically insensitive subject matter such as car rentals, travel, hotels, automotives, credit cards or any other good or service not intended for minors.

Email marketers who send non-compliant messages to email addresses or domains on the child protection registries may face stiff penalties.  Senders in violation of Utah’s law may face up to three years in prison or up to $30,000 in fines.  This may also include civil penalties up to $1,000 per message.  According to Michigan law, violators will face similar consequences.  These include civil penalties up to $5,000 per message or $250,000 per day of violation.

The Child Protection Registry serves as a “do not send” list, much like anti-telemarketing lists.  The lists are comprised of schools and other children-oriented organizations.  They may also include entire domains.

To prevent an accidental send to a “do not send” address, check your lists against the registry every 30 days.  To scrub these registries, use Unspam.  The service appears to cost about a half penny for each email address you pass through.

For more information, visit the following sites:

• Official site for the Michigan Child Protection Registry


• Official site for the Utah Child Protection Registry

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Mar. 01, 2007