Email Marketing RulesCommon Marketing Outliers: Identifying & Managing Them
Posted on June 30, 2020
The chances are high that your audience across your various channels is diverse—made up of people with different needs, different values, different constraints, and more. That’s why smart marketers develop marketing personas to help them better cater to the various groups of people that their brand attracts.
However, sometimes one or more small groups is so extreme in their behavior that they skew the overall behavior of your channel audience in a way that’s detrimental. These groups are called outliers and they can cause a number of problems, including…
- Clouding overall performance data, making it appear that you’re doing much better or much worse than you actually are
- Obscuring how your core audience is performing
- Concealing trends in your customer data, causing you to miss opportunities or fail to address challenges
- Skewing A/B test results and leading you to implement the wrong changes or strategies
Let’s talk about some common outliers you might have in your various audiences, and then how to manage your outliers to avoid having issues.
>> Read the entire post on Oracle’s Modern Marketing Blog
Netcore Podcast: Strategies to Reduce Email Churn Rates
Posted on June 24, 2020
Since email has been the heart of marketing strategy, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, preventing email churn is the top priority for most email marketers. However, before you get to the task of retaining your email subscribers, it’s important for you to understand why your subscribers are churning, as well as which ones are worth retaining and which ones you must let go?
I join Netcore’s Chaitanya Chinta and Dennis Dayman on the Email Unplugged Podcast to shed light on the actionable items that can help reduce your email churn and retain quality subscribers.
We discuss:
- How big a problem email churn is for marketers
- Different kinds of subscriber churn, and how marketers can arrest those churns
- Actionable ways to increase email list growth, curb subscriber loss, and improve the quality of your email list
- Precautions for a marketer when running a win-back program
>> Listen to the podcast on the Netcore Blog
On-Demand Webinar: The Questions to Ask Instead about Email Frequency & List Building
Posted on June 23, 2020
Not achieving your email marketing goals is frustrating, but achieving your goals and then not achieving success is devastating. This happens when marketers and executives ask the wrong questions. When that happens, the answer almost doesn’t matter, because it’s likely to cause you to put the wrong strategies in place regardless. A solid email marketing strategy starts by asking the right questions.
In this series of free on-demand webinars, we’re discussing a number of common email marketing questions that brands ask themselves, and then posing some better questions that brands should ask instead. In this 27-minute webinar, we’re looking at common questions about email frequency and list building, including…
- How can we send our subscribers more email?
- How can we attract more subscribers?
- How much did we grow our email list?
In each case, we’ll explain why those questions aren’t likely to help you achieve the email marketing success that you want, and suggest one or more questions that are better. Along the way, we’ll share advice from some of our more than 500 digital marketing consultants, as well as some real-world experiences from our clients.
>> Watch the free on-demand webinar on Oracle’s Modern Marketing Blog
Email Evolution Conference 2020: The State of Email Marketing
Posted on June 22, 2020
Marketers are operating in turbulent times. The challenges are daunting:
- The worst health crisis since 1918
- The worst financial crisis since 1933
- The worst social unrest since 1968.
The shock to the system has been so great that marketers have largely scrapped their 2020 marketing plans. March marked the new start of the new year. And email marketers need a new plan to succeed going forward. Thankfully, each of the past 4 months have offered lessons that will serve you well as you navigate the rest of this chaotic year.
In this keynote for the ANA’s 2020 Email Evolution Conference, Wildbit Head of Marketing Justine Jordan and I discuss the key events of the past 4 months, what marketers can learn from those events, and how those lessons will inform your strategy this year and beyond.
View the slide presentation:
Netcore Podcast: There Is Opportunity in Disruption and Email Is the Key
Posted on June 17, 2020
Email marketing has changed in dramatic ways since March. I join Netcore’s Email Unplugged Podcast to speak with Dennis Dayman about these changes and how marketers have responded and what they should think about moving forward.
During our conversation, we talk about:
- Companies’ coronavirus crisis messaging in mid March and how consumers reacted to them
- How email engagement, unsubscribe rates, email revenue, and other metrics have been affected by the pandemic
- How open times have shifted
- Why personalization, segmentation, and automation will be extra valuable as the economy reopens
- Why you need to adapt your personas to reflect new behaviors
- How out-of-stocks are driving lots of new consumer behaviors
- How you can learn from past systemic shocks like the Great Recession of 2008-09
To hear us explore all of that…
>> Listen to the podcast on Netcore’s blog
On-Demand Webinar: The Questions to Ask Instead about Email Performance Measurement
Posted on June 16, 2020
Not achieving your email marketing goals is frustrating, but achieving your goals and then not achieving success is devastating. This happens when marketers and executives ask the wrong questions. When that happens, the answer almost doesn’t matter, because it’s likely to cause you to put the wrong strategies in place regardless. A solid email marketing strategy starts by asking the right questions.
In this series of free on-demand webinars, we’re discussing a number of common email marketing questions that brands ask themselves, and then posing some better questions that brands should ask instead. In this 25-minute webinar, we’re looking at common questions about email performance measurement, including…
- How many subscribers opened our email?
- How many subscribers clicked my email content?
- How many email recipients clicked through and converted?
- How much revenue did we generate from that email?
In each case, we’ll explain why those questions aren’t likely to help you achieve the email marketing success that you want, and suggest one or more questions that are better. Along the way, we’ll share advice from some of our more than 500 digital marketing consultants, as well as some real-world experiences from our clients.
>> Watch the free on-demand webinar on Oracle’s Modern Marketing Blog
LiveIntent Podcast: What Does the Change in Email Behavior Mean for Marketers?
Posted on June 15, 2020
I join Kerel Cooper and Nick Dujnic, co-hosts of LiveIntent’s Real Time Banter podcast, to talk about how email behavior has changed during the coronavirus pandemic and what those changes mean for marketers.
Watch to hear insights on:
- How content consumption has changed during the pandemic
- How email behaviors like open times have changed
- Where some brands have gone wrong with mobile-friendliness
- How email has once again silenced the “email is dead” crowd
- How consumer product loyalties are up for grabs
- Why CPG brands need to build their owned audiences
- The need for product-maker and retailers to inspire and educate their audiences
- How list grown has been challenged during the pandemic
- The need to regularly audit your automated emails
- The concerns about ad adjacencies
>> Listen to the podcast on LiveIntent’s blog
The Last Word on May 2020
Posted on June 12, 2020
A roundup of email marketing articles, posts, and tweets you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & reports
The Old Reliable: Salesforce Study Shows Email Still Ranks High In Marketing Use (MediaPost)
How to create a BIMI-compatible logo using SVG images (ValiMail)
Insightful & entertaining tweets
Opting-in is something someone does, not something that is done to them. Active, not passive.
Consent is something someone gives, or withholds, it’s not something you take from them or assume.
— Steve Atkins (@wise_steve) May 12, 2020
You may be wondering, how did this email get here? https://t.co/ljqUPI3PU1
— The Kristin Bond Virtual Experience (@EmailSnarketing) May 22, 2020
Hey @PSEGNews: Tell your marketing team their subject line/preheader game is on point! 💯💌#emailgeeks #emailmarketing pic.twitter.com/G8mzopLbOV
— Jen Capstraw (@jencapstraw) May 27, 2020
How you handle your business in the next 6 months will have a big impact on your success over the next 6 years. Make it happen. #AgencyChat
— Jay Baer (@jaybaer) May 28, 2020
Noteworthy subject lines
CVS, 5/4 – You Don’t Have to Leave Home for Your Rx.
Target, 5/29 – We’ve enhanced our non-contact shopping options.
Big Lots, 5/14 – Essential supplies. Curbside convenience.
Panera Bread, 5/19 – Chad, save $5 when you order Curbside.
Best Buy Top Deals, 5/4 – Shop these new tech deals, available for Curbside Pickup or fast and free delivery.
Walmart, 5/5 – Our new app is your one-stop shop
Staples, 5/30 – Today’s list: ✔️ Sanitizer ✔️ Masks ✔️ Savings
Office Depot, 5/14 – We’re ready when you are, helping you get back to work
Wegmans, 5/4 – Face coverings required in MA
Gap, 5/1 – We’ve got you covered: masks are here!
VS PINK, 5/9 – PINK Masks are here!
Michaels, 5/25 – Presenting DIY face masks for yourself, an essential worker or a friend.
Uncommon Goods, 5/12 – A kid-friendly handwashing how-to you’ll love, too
Bed Bath & Beyond, 5/4 – ***EXCLUSIVE: TWO coupons are here for you! Raise a glass for your virtual happy hour! 🍸
Express, 5/4 – Need new tops and shirts? They’re all 40% off.
UncommonGoods, 5/6 – Still need a gift for Mom? We can fix that.
Dollar General, 5/6 – Why not make something for Mom?
Wegmans, 5/10 – Show Mom How Special She Is Today
Big Lots, 5/5 – Rock your Cinco de Mayo at home!
Williams Sonoma, 5/5 – This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on Taco Tuesday! Recipe inside…
Staples, 5/5 – Say thanks this Teacher Appreciation Day. They deserve it!
Dollar General, 5/12 – Homeschooling? Stay supplied starting at $1
Uncommon Goods, 5/15 – Dear Class of 2020: grad gifts are on the way
Office Depot, 5/6 – Restock and upgrade on your scholastic essentials
Michaels, 5/19 – This email contains U.S.A. décor and DIYs.
Burlington, 5/25 – This Memorial Day, we honor all who sacrificed for our country
Home Depot, 5/25 – Remembering the Fallen. Serving Their Families.
Uncommon Goods, 5/19 – Care packages for pretty much every one you know
CVS, 5/5 – We’ll Help Keep Your Fridge & Pantry Stocked.
Williams Sonoma, 5/25 – Make ice cream anytime at home with Cuisinart!
Walmart, 5/30 – Hungry? Cook up something yummy. 👩🍳
Banana Republic, 5/5 – Not Cancelled: Floral Styles
Nordstrom, 5/30 – Go hard at home in Nike
AutoZone, 5/12 – Escape to your garage
West Elm, 5/9 – Create a space you need with our FREE Design Crew
Dick’s Sporting Goods, 5/6 – Create a Fun Escape with Up to 40% Off Backyard Deals
Crate & Barrel, 5/24 – Free local furniture delivery makes patio setup a breeze.
Bass Pro Shops, 5/11 – Spend some quality time around the campfire with family
Target, 5/22 – Grow your garden 🌷
ModCloth, 5/6 – Sunning, swimming, and stunning.
Banana Republic, 5/18 – Optimistic Dresses Made for You
Walmart, 5/6 – Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard’s date night tips
Walmart, 5/12 – Introducing Chrissy Metz’s most-loved styles
REI, 5/26 – Introducing our West Elm Collaboration!
Lowe’s Home Improvement, 5/18 – Lowe’s and ABC’s American Idol team up for a huge hit.
Bass Pro Shops, 5/20 – NASCAR is back! Watch tonight and tomorrow
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
CCPA vs. GDPR: Social Listening and Sentiment Learnings
Speeding Up Email Production Workflows & the Potential Consequences
Speeding Up Email Production Workflows & the Potential Consequences
As Coronavirus Restrictions Ease, How to Adjust Your Email Strategy
As Coronavirus Restrictions Ease, How to Adjust Your Email Strategy
8 Email Marketing Improvements to Make During Slow Periods
The Last Word on April 2020
How Coronavirus Has Shifted Consumer Preferences
Posted on June 11, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly drove some new consumer behaviors: 28% of online grocery shoppers surveyed in March, for example, had made their first online grocery order ever that month because of coronavirus concerns, according to CPG marketing agency Acosta.
The unknown is whether those behaviors will stick. Human behavior is incredibly elastic after all. However, some consumer behaviors have already permanently shifted because of the impact of health and safety concerns, stay-at-home orders, the shutdown of non-essential businesses, remote working, travel restrictions, social distancing, supply chain disruptions, and other aspects of COVID-19 pandemic. And the longer these conditions last, the sticker all of these consumer changes will become.
Consultants and analysts at Oracle CX Marketing Consulting and Oracle Data Cloud see significant shifts in consumer preferences around:
- Consumer products brands
- Retail store brands
- Shopping channels
- Work environments
For all the details on how each of those have been affected…
>> Read the entire post on Oracle’s Modern Marketing Blog
On-Demand Webinar: Understanding Email Deliverability
Posted on June 10, 2020
Email deliverability can feel out of your control, like your emails are hot air balloons being blown whichever way the inbox provider winds blow. However, this isn’t really true. Businesses actually have a lot of control over whether their emails reach the inboxes of their subscribers, but they have to understand the factors that affect deliverability as well as how to track key performance indicators.
During this 49-minute on-demand webinar, Daniel Deneweth and I dispel the myths and give marketers a true picture of how deliverability works and how to measure it. We begin by talking about the seven factors that determine inbox placement:
- Your email service provider’s infrastructure and your authentication
- Your overall email volume and send patterns
- The content of your emails
- How often you’re sending to unknown email addresses and hitting spam traps
- Your spam complaint rate
- How many of your subscribers are opening and engaging with your emails
- The sender reputation associated with your sender IP addresses and domains
After explaining how inbox providers determine whether to block, junk, or deliver your emails to your subscribers’ inboxes, we discuss the six deliverability KPIs that you should track and the appropriate benchmarks for each:
- Hard bounce rate
- Soft bounce rate
- Spam complaint rate
- Unique open rate
- Unsubscribe rate
- Inbox placement rate
We wrap up the webinar by advising you on how to avoid spam traps and discussing the current state of email deliverability, including concerns related to the coronavirus. Watch the on-demand webinar to better understand how email deliverability works and how you can take control of your inbox placement.
>> Watch the free on-demand webinar on Oracle’s Modern Marketing Blog
Welcome! Email Marketing Rules is your guide to understanding the best practices of this complex, often misunderstood channel as you craft the best executions for your brand. Every week, we’ll explore strategies and tactics, discuss tips and inspiration, and dig into industry news and trends.
Chad S. White
Head of Research
Oracle Digital Experience Agency
Author of Email Marketing Rules and nearly 4,000 articles about digital and email marketing
