Email Deliverability 101

     

For those of you interested in learning about email deliverability, check out this quick tutorial >> http://www.constantcontact.com/display_media.jsp?id=19t   

A few highlights include:

Return Path Deliverability Statistics:
- Average 20% blocking rate for those not using an Email Service Provider (ESP)
- Average < 3% blocking rate for those using an ESP* (like Constant Contact, which is what I’m using now; also used Eloqua in past)

*At leading ESP’s, there is usually a team dedicated to working with major ISPs to maintain low / no blocking rates

Note: Constant Contact provides consistently a 97% deliverability

TO AVOID SPAM FILTERS

WORDS TO AVOID: Sale, Free, No Charge, Click Here, Offer, Register Today, Must be 18…

DESIGN ELEMENTS TO AVOID: All Caps, Red Text, Excessive punctuation, Excessive use of symbols, Low ratio > text to images, white versus colored backgrounds

80% email recipients hit > Report Spam button > without even opening the message

Your audience will look at the “From Name” & “Subject Line” and decide to open the email, delete or report as SPAM

Use whatever is most recognizable to your audience (company name, acronym of company, or your name etc…)

Also use a clear subject line that’s to the point for improved open rates

Visual elements within (HTML emails) appeal to readers

Make sure you stay consistent with both your logo/branding and color palette/look & feel – people respond better to what they recognize

Bare minimum > communicate with email list on a quarterly basis

Regularly remove emails with hard bounces (non-existent, undeliverable) as well as consistent soft bounces (mailbox full, vacation, auto-reply)

ISPs DO notice this activity and flag you if persistent attempts are made

Hard bounces recommendations:
1. export emails to find out why bad (i.e. typos, etc…)
2. remove if non-valid emails (will hurt your deliverability)

Stick with a consistent “from” email address – so if added to safe sender list you are a recognized sender

Hope this information provides some value.  If you have other ideas, please share.

HubSpot is Cool!

Wow!  A friend of mine recently introduced me to HubSpot, an inbound marketing system that, in one centralized portal via an easy to use interface can help you quickly set-up, manage and get metrics on your online efforts including SEO, Blog, Landing pages and more… to ensure maximum ROI.

“HubSpot inbound marketing software helps your company get found by the qualified prospects that are looking for the products or services that you sell in search engines, blogs and the blogosphere, and social media.  Once these qualified visitors are on your website, HubSpot helps you convert more of them into leads and paying customers through landing pages, lead intelligence and marketing analytics.”

HubSpot has been featured in the Wall Street Journal Online, MarketingSherpa, PC Magazine, AdAge, and MarketingProfs.  I definitely think it’s something worth checking out www.hubspot.com >>

Search, Find, Qualify, Try and Buy (WebCentric Customer Lifecycle)

What is meant by a “Webcentric Customer Lifecycle”? 

Below I’d like to share with you an interesting exchange I had with Reed Overfelt, COO of a “very cool” Online Creative Agency (MuralVentures.com).  Thought it provides incredible insight…

Q. MarketingLAUNCH.com: Do you believe – or not believe – in web forms (i.e. complete form for white paper, pre-recorded demo, etc…)?  Sounds like you are against this method of lead capture.  Since marketing campaigns’ success are mostly based on how many qualified leads produced… how do you address that?  Or do you feel ROI on campaigns should strictly be focused on FREE trials, orders, etc…  Lot’s of debate on this – would love an “expert opinion”.
 
A. MuralVentures.com: Excellent question! The key challenges with white papers and pre-recorded demos is your customers don’t trust them.  The reality is USER generated content has fundamentally replaced company created content. 
 
A recent Universal McCann study found that only 14% of Users trust company created content, whereas 78% trust recommendations made by other consumers.  
 
So, what’s a marketer to do!?  

Our job is to drive qualified leads to the sales teams.   

1. You have to ensure your target customers can find you -using personas (defining target customers), custom URLs, and highly targeted landing pages.
2. You have to ensure you answer their burning questions in 12 words or less.
3. You have to give them the info they need to self-qualify; that you have a potential source/solution for solving their burning problem (i.e. super, super, super high quality, interactive demos supported by user generated feedback!)
4. You have to ensure when they are ready to raise their hand (i.e. buy!), they can do so immediately (i.e. click-2-chat or click-2-call > 24 hrs a day or at min. 6AM to 9PM in all 4 US time zones).   

These are the Search, Find, Qualify, Try (i.e. demo), and Buy steps of the MuralVentures WebCentric Customer Lifecycle.    

Getting a customer to this final step – particularly click-2-chat -  is the #1 priority for a good online marketing campaign.  

We did some research for Microsoft, 80% of their most qualified leads for their ERP and CRM business (i.e. complex product sale) now originate from Click to Chat!  Over 60% of these leads closed within 90 days.  60%!  That is HUGE! 

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We’d like to hear from you.  Share your thoughts on this idea!

Personas: Put a Face on Your Customer

Highlights

• Personas are developed to represent different user types within a targeted demographic that might use a specific product offering. 
• Personas are most often developed as part of a user-centered design process for creating software, online apps and interactive web sites.
• Personas include the goals, desires, and limitations of the user, which are considered when designing the product or web site. 
• Personas are useful in helping to guide decisions about a product, such as features, interactions, and visual design.
• A user persona is a representation of the goals and behavior of a real group of users extracted from actual data (see below). 

Benefits

• Provide a human “face” so as to focus empathy on the persons represented by the demographics.
• Help team members share a specific, consistent understanding of various audience groups.
• Abstract data about certain groups can be put in a proper context and can be understood and remembered in coherent stories.
• Team members’ solutions can be guided by how well they match the needs of individual user personas.
• Features can be prioritized based on how well they address the needs of one or more personas.

Advantages of Personas

Personas are said to be cognitively compelling because they put a personal human face on otherwise abstract data about customers. By thinking about the needs of a fictional persona, designers may be better able to presume what a real person might need. Such conclusions may assist with brainstorming, use case specifications, and feature definition.

• Personas are easy to communicate and help others absorb customer data in a palatable format.
• Defining personas helps various cross-functional teams have a shared vision and understanding of the real users in terms of their goals, capabilities and contexts.
• Personas also help prevent “self imposed design” when the designer or developer may unconsciously project their own mental models on the product design which may be very different from the actual target user population.
• Personas also provide a reality check by helping designers stay focused on the design of cases which are most likely to be encountered (i.e. frequent target users verses infrequent cases).

Include Actual Data 

In most cases, personas are synthesized from actual data collected from interviews with users. By feeding in real data, design teams avoid generating stereotypical users that may bear no relation to the actual user’s. 

For each product, more than one persona is usually created, but one persona should always be the primary focus for the design.  These persona users are captured in 1–2 page descriptions that include behavior patterns, goals, skills, attitudes, and environment, with a few fictional personal details to bring the persona to life.

7 Top Tips in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Interested in being in the top of search engine rankings when someone’s looking for your product or service? (Uh - yea!?!?)  Assuming you do, then you’ve got to use SEO strategies when designing your web site and posting content. It doesn’t happen naturally, it’s about planning and placement.  So what are a few of the key proven techniques you may ask? 

Sally Falkow has written an excellent post called, “How to Get on Page One of Google.” Below are many of the highpoints:

1. Get a domain name that contains a top search term for your product or service
2. Include a mix of rich content including video, text and images
3. Make sure your site architecture is bot-friendly (bots are the computers that search the Internet for content); a good start, be logical in your structure, use keywords in your headers, support your content with like content, make links relevant and more (note: no frames or tables in your page design).
4. Have a blog on your site
5. Generate keyword-rich inbound links (critical and challenging)
6. Have a database of content for people and search engines to search
7. Issue search-optimized press releases (using an affordable tool like www.prweb.com). A  well optimized press release can achieve page one placement in Google even though your website does not.  And if you add links to the release, when it gets picked up on other sites that link will add weight to your inbound links.
8. Include RSS feeds on your site (RSS feeds are a method of content syndication).  RSS provides fresh content -with links- and gets spread across the web, bringing new niche traffic and inbound links to your web site and if you’re lucky, page one visibility in Google. (Check out Press-Feed.com to create an RSS feed.)

This hits the highpoints, but read on for more on SEO Optimization >>

Remark-able Stuff Spreads (Seth Godin)

In a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to ignore the ordinary stuff. Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out – why, when it comes getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones. And “early adopters”, not the mainstream’s bell curve, are the new sweet spot of the market.  (View Video below to learn more)

15 Steps to Marketing Your Business

Below are 15 steps to creating a marketing plan around your business.  These are a few basics to get you started. 

Step 1: Target Market – Determine who your ideal target client (market segment) truly is.

Step 2: The Product Service Package – Develope your full suite of products and services that align with market demands from product, pricing, placement and promotion.

Step 3: Differentiate and Dominate – Develop and communicate your CORE marketing message.  Understand and communicate what your value is -and that which sets you apart from the rest.

Step 4: Give Them An Image – Communicate using a complete marketing package to ensure all messaging and visuals are in alignment.

Step 5: Develop Your Story – Create meaning by telling your story so that it resonates with your audience.

Step 6: Marketing Materials – Develop marketing materials that educate and stand out; simplicity is key.

Step 7: Web Site – Develop a content-based business web site; make sure it aligns with top search engine optimization guidelines. 

Step 8: Business Advertising – From web to print including free listings, paid advertising, sponsorships, partnerships and more, every sale starts with a lead.

Step 9: Direct Mail – A solid lead generation tool when your market segment is highly targeted and your messaging and offer resonates with your audience.

Step 10: Public Relations – Create news around key milestones within your business. Write and release PR messages via Blogs, online news wires (i.e. http://www.prweb.com) and more to gain media attention and expert status.  Look online for templates. Follow SEO guidelines.

Step 11: Referral Marketing – Building a systematic referral marketing machine such as an Affiliate Marketing Program or Agent Referral Program.

Step 12: Search Engine Initiatives - Generate leads from the Internet including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Pay-Per-Click (PPC), Search-friendly PR and more.

Step 13: Blogging for Business – Develop a Business Blog and communicate… with your customers, the media, prospects, partners and more.

Step 14: A Selling System – Turn prospects into clients and clients into partners; automate your sales process as much as possible with leading (and affordable) automation tools; be clear on how to manage each stage in the sales cycle.

Step 15: Marketing Automation – Automate and extend your marketing with technology tools.

5 Quick Tips for Effective eNewsletters

For companies large and small, an email newsletter is a great idea… IF you keep in mind, the key success factors in developing one.  Here are a few top tips for turning your e-newsletter into a powerful marketing tool.

         

1. Understand Your Readers: Newsletters are a time to build your relationshp with your customers and prospects. Be sure to discuss topics of interest and provide value for your audience. Of course, some self promotion is OK.  Consider the 80/20 rule – 80% of the content should be about them and 20% of the content mentions your company (and how it relates to them of course). 

        

2. Get Personal: Of the hundreds of communications the average business reader receives daily, you MUST find ways to seperate yourself from the pack. Be unique, be real… include your personality and connect via the human factor. Readers like to know there’s a real person on the other end.

             

3. Visually Appealing: The appearance of your e-newsletter is important.  As with everything on the web, keep it brief. From a few seconds to a few minutes, that’s all you have to capture their attention.  Use bullets, enticing headlines, fluid font treatments, relevant graphics and easy navigation.  Don’t clutter up your communications. Cut content & creative 1, 2 even 3 times.

     

4. Feedback is Key:  As with Blogs, forums and other communication mediums, in today’s online world feedback is part of a successful communication cycle. Don’t be shy.  Ask your readers to comment on the newsletter – both likes, dislikes and future ideas.  As with any communication, interaction draws you closer to your customer (and to a sale).

                 

5. Contact Information: Keep in mind, the ultimate purpose of email newsletters is to develop your brand, build relationships and provide top-of-mind awareness regarding your products or services (in turn make sales). Make sure your would-be customers know how to reach you (via click, call, email even fax). Always make it easy to communicate with you.

           

Create newsletters that provide value to your readers and just maybe they will thank you wtih a sale.  Keep it simple, keep it short, and take full advantage of the powerful communication tool that it is.

        

DeMystifing Common CAN SPAM Myths

Quick Overview : Webinar provided by Jigsaw

• Email continues to be the preferred method of communication in B2B
• 80% of marketers say email is strongest performing media buy
• 50% are now emailing prospects, not just customers
• Per the Direct Marketing Assoc, email produced the highest absolute response rates for those whose primary objective was to generate leads

Myth: CAN SPAM requires explicit permission or “opt-in”

Reality: CAN SPAM is about notice & consent – not “opt” anything

• Regardless of consent, there are certain requirements when sending unsolicited commercial email.
• It is the subject matter of the message and how you identify it that is the key.
• Again, Opt-in is NOT required however, Opt-in will help with deliverability, results, etc… so, you should try to convert “prospect” emails into opt-ins; but it is not required by law

CAN SPAM covers both emails you send to your customers (opt-in – to marketing emails) and your prospects (not opt-in)

CAN SPAM IS NOT: A Data Protection Act – only personally identifiable data – NOT business data

CAN SPAM does:

• Ban false or misleading header (origination) info – must be identifiable
• Prohibit deceptive subject lines
• Require your email gives recipients an easy / 1 click opt-out method
• Must stop sending within 10 days of receiving opt-out
• Must be able to process request at least 30 days after you send the email (live link)
• Requires that you identify as a solicitation or advertisement
• Clear & conspicuous – email intent, opt out, valid physical postal address

Additional fines for e-mailers who:

• Harvest email addresses
• Generate emails using a “dictionary attack”
• Use scripts or other automated methods
• Relay emails through a computer or network without permission

Recent Modifications

• 1 Click opt-out
• PO boxes are OK
• CAN SPAM applies to businesses and individuals

BEST PRACTICES: CAN SPAM Compliance

• Applies to Business Email – not PII (Personal Identifying Information)
• Requires no questions asked removal opt-out process
• Open-ness and transparency (i.e. header, subject line, etc…)
• Aggressively, continuous testing
• Use only reputable data vendors
• Stay away from manufacturing and/or harvesting emails
• Stay on top of change: 40% change rate per year – ensure list hygiene with quarterly updates
• Continue to utilize all best practices you’ve developed around opt-in
• Manage deployment of emails yourself / in-house or through a legitimate ESP… don’t send via 3rd party list providers

DMA Guidelines for Ethical Business Practices

• Clear communication
• Clear description on how you collect and use your data
• What type of data you keep and how you secure it
• Accountability and enforcement inside your organization
• Multi-channel opt-outs
• Easy access to policies
• Commercial solicitation online/including email

Marketers may send commercial solicitations online under the following circumstances:

• Can send solicitations to their own customers
• Individuals have given their affirmative consent to the marketer to receive solicitations online
• Individuals didn’t opt-out after opportunity was given to do so
• For third party lists: must receive assurance that individuals on list did provide consent to receive solicitations or have already received opportunity to opt-out but have not chosen to do so
• The individual is not the marketer’s in-house suppression list
• Within each email solicitation, marketers should furnish individuals with notice of automated mechanism to “opt-out” (EZ & Fast opt-out)

RE: Rent, sale or exchange of emails

• Assure that you do not rent, sell or exchange their email addresses for online solicitation purposed
• If individuals request that their names be removed from marketer’s in-house list, then marketers may not rent, sell or exchange their email addresses with 3rd parties for solicitation purposes
• Only marketers that rent, sell or exchange info need to provide notice of a mechanism to opt-out of information transfer to 3rd party marketers

Where do I find emails?

• Use reputable sources
• Scrutinize capture methods
• Test, test & test
• Datahouses once were the sole provider of data (i.e. D&B, Harte Hanks, InfoUSA, etc..)

In Web 2.0 world there are new ways to acquire data

• Web Crawling: Generate, Hoovers, ZoomInfo, Spoke
• Social Networking: LinkedIn, FaceBook, etc…
• Wiki/Community: Jigsaw, NetProspex (Strongest Data Quality)

What email issues do they Address?

 

Data Challenge	Traditional B2B Compilers	Crawling	Social Networking	Wiki / Community
Email compilation	W	M	W	S
Email Changes / Hygiene	W	M	W	S
Email Appends	M	W	W	S
Email Deployment / Mgmt	M	W	W	M
Email integration with CRM	M	M	W	S

(S)             Strong (M)  Medium     (W)    Weak

 

How do I keep them accurate?

Traditional technologies

• eCOA (Change of Address service)
• Hygiene/update services
• Deliverability reporting, management

Best new technologies

• Include the above, plus…
• Jigsaw-like real-time updates
• Generate-like frequent web crawling updates

In Summary …

• Email for Acquisition / Prospecting is a growing trend –make sure you’re not left behind
• Utilize CAN SPAM to DO responsible email for prospecting, not to PREVENT you from doing so.
• Utilize Best Practices at all times
• Choose your data providers, deployment providers, and hygiene/update providers carefully.

Communicate via Business Blogs

Blogging has become an important tool in every company’s communication arsenal. But there are new rules for this new medium. Forget about “positioning” and “one-size-fits-all” press release blasts. Think of Blogs as a way to participate in “intelligent conversations” with everyone who helps define your brand – including both a broad audience (like the media) and narrow audience (like your customers). 

To support your brand, distribute your story via a Blog in much the same way you’ve sought to distribute your story via print, radio and TV – using relevant stories with focused messages; however, being a 2-way channel, a Blog can provide insights into what customers, prospects and even the disenchanted are saying about your offerings. In turn, you must also use your Blog as a company and/or crisis communication tool to address questions and concerns in the market.