MindComet

Pick Your Words Wisely

One of my collagues was reviewing her email and exclaimed “Oh, My Gosh! You’ll never believe this subject line!“

She explained that she is subscribed to receive newsletters from eDiets and had gotten their Worst Foods newsletter.  The subject line:

10 Worst, 10 Best, Plus Porn-Watching

Definitely and eye-catching subject line that earned not only an open from my peer, but a forward too. 

The subject line in this case was a summary of articles in the newsletter.  As it turns out, the porn reference was referring to a letter to advice columnist Dear Dr. Abby.

Using certain words in your subject line and in the body of your message could have an effect on your deliverability and your reputation based on how your subscribers react to your message.

Choose your words carefully when crafting your subject line.  Was eDiets able to slip past junk folders and in to the inbox?  My colleague’s message was delivered to her inbox.  Although she thought the from address had been added to her address book.  I don’t see a request to be added in this message.  eDiets should consider adding a whitelist request, especially is they are going to use Porn in the subject line.

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Posted by MindComet on Jul. 11, 2007

How Much Does Free Cost?

A lot of retailers tout “Free Shipping” in their subject lines.  I am sure it helps to increase not only open rates but overall purchases.  But how many email subscribers feel bamboozled when they realize they have to spend a minimum amount to get that deal.

I am guilty of having $23.00 in my shopping cart at Amazon and end up with $45 of purchases just to get free shipping.  It would have been cheaper for me to pay the shipping on my intended purchase, yet psychologically I felt like I need to get that free shipping.

Does “Free Shipping” from Steve Madden mean that subscribers of their email marketing campaign who want to partake in this offer will buy two pair of shoes instead of one to reap the benefits of said “free shipping”?

And how does no minimum purchase from Nike, in the example below, affect their overall sales?  Are consumers likely to only purchase what they came for because there is no minimum purchase?

Free Shipping is a good tool to offer your subscribers an opportunity to “save”, and adding a minimum purchase amount to the pot is a great way to stir up extra revenue.

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Posted by MindComet on Jul. 10, 2007

Email 1977 Style

In this Honeywell print ad from 1977 Email is hailed as “high speed information transportation”.  A way to notify people immediately of a fast breaking development.  A lot has changed.

Personal email is not real-time communication.  I’m sure that in 1977 it was a close as it could be.  And no one could have even imagined text messages or instant messaging thirty years ago.

The Honeywell advertisement continues, “Electronic Mail is document distribution that’s more timely, accurate and flexible than traditional methods”. 

And while in this case I’m sure Honeywell wasn’t thinking about email being used for marketing purposes, it still holds true.  By segmenting subscriber lists for targeted messages and with the use of dynamic content, email marketing is one of the most efficient ways to spread your message.

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Posted by MindComet on Jul. 09, 2007

Pushing the Envelope

I really like black and white photography.  So, it should come as no surprise that I like the look of the black and white Abercrombie and Fitch email marketing messages. 

The images are clean and generally promote one product.  Yesterday’s message came with the subject line “It’s All About the Jeans.“  However, based on the creative, it’s about a little more than the jeans. 

Pushing the envelope is nothing new for Abercrombie’s overall marketing strategy and they have had dipped their toes in the pool of edgy messaging.  On April 12th, the following creative was sent with the subject line “Sexy Shorts at Abercrombie and Fitch.“

These messages are bold, and eye-catching.  And while I don’t have a problem with the design, I’m not sure how I would feel about these messages landing in the inbox of my digitally connected niece, who will be 15 in two months.  She is a big fan of Abercrombie and Fitch.  Does she receive these messages? 

Pushing the envelope with your email creative is a great way to generate buzz and awareness, but you want to be careful not to alienate your subscribers, customers and the parents of your younger subscribers, who have might have a say in purchasing decisions.

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Posted by MindComet on Jul. 06, 2007

If You Can’t See This Email

An email marketing best practice is to include a link to view a copy of your email in a web browser in case your design does not agree with your subscriber’s email client. 

However, how your invitation to click appears in your message might be equally as important as the link itself.

The NBA includes a link to view the message but the appearance is an eyesore.  By simply using a hyperlink instead of the entire address would clean up the look and make it easier to read

The way it looks now, it makes me think I need to click, because it almost looks broken.

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Posted by MindComet on Jul. 05, 2007

Hotels.com Has Got It Going On

Last week I took a short vacation.  It was a quick decision to go, I didn’t even plan it until four days before.  My first task was to book a hotel.  I went to hotels.com.  I have been to the site in the past, but I had never booked a room there before. 

I found a great deal at a great location and I booked it.  While I was at it, I signed up to receive email communication from them.  I know, I know, you’re shocked…

The transactional message I received had great information, more than just my reservation confirmation, there was a picture of the hotel, a link for driving directions, and the weather forecasted during our stay, which incidentally was dead on.

Yesterday I received a message from hotels.com with a request to complete a survey about my recent stay.  What I liked about this message was it wasn’t waiting for me when I returned.  I had 1,000 other messages that required attention and waiting a few days was a nice touch.  Following survey best practices, the message told me how many questions there were and how much time the survey should take (10 questions and 1 - 3 minutes). Perfect!

I have received three marketing messages from hotels.com.  Maybe a bit much, but the emails look really nice. The email messages are personalized, contain several offers including an “Expert Pick” that falls above the fold.  Search functionality, a link in case the functionality doesn’t work, and an inviting graphical forward to a friend link at the bottom of the message.

The only area for improvement I see is the Expert pick in the latest message.  I’m not sure how the pick is selected, but I was disappointed to see that the “Expert” selected a hotel that is roughly 30 miles from where I live, and about 100 miles or so from where I last booked with them. 

From what I see Hotels.com has a decently thought out messaging strategy. With a clean look and lots of places to click. 

Well done!

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Posted by MindComet on Jul. 03, 2007

Networking for Email Marketers

Tamara Gielen from the email marketing blog, Be Relevant has created a new site for email marketers to network with one another.  The Email Marketer’s Club is quickly growing with the who’s who in email marketing.  If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out and sign up.

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Posted by MindComet on Jul. 02, 2007