Email Marketing RulesFall Edition of the Email Marketer’s Holiday Planning Checklist
Posted on October 1, 2014
Hopefully you spent your summer doing some big picture strategic planning for the holiday season. Now that we’re into October, it’s time to get more serious and more focused to the execution of holiday campaigns.
In the second of my 3-part Holiday Planning Checklist for Internet Retailer Magazine, I advise retailers to:
- Meet with your web and data teams
- Plan on wrapping up all website and other infrastructure improvements
- Perfect cross-channel insight sharing
- Launch or improve your wish list functionality
- Clean up your email list
- Develop a response plan should you get blacklisted
- Create a landing page template
- Draft an apology email
- Start planning and designing your holiday email template
- Re-skin your welcome emails for the holiday season
- Prepare your gift guides
- Optimize your transactional emails, including e-receipts
- Plan a progressive profiling campaign for mid-November
For the full details on each of these recommendations, which include a lot of tips and stats just for retailers…
>> Read the full article on InternetRetailer.com.
And for even more holiday planning advice, check out our 2014 Email Marketing Holiday Calendar.
Tweetables from Connections 2014
Posted on September 25, 2014
It was a great week at Connections and I found plenty of great content to tweet about. In case you missed them, here are all the tidbits, factoids, and stats that I shared this week from the conference. You can find all the tweets from Connections at #CNX14.
Watch the Digital Marketing Event of the Year from your desk! Sign up for #CNX14 Livestream! http://extg.co/1CSjIRO [Tweet]
Bringing together known customer data and anonymous customer data has been a big challenge. -Matt Smith of Best Buy #CNX14 [Tweet]
By paying attention to where customers are in the lifecycle of a product like smartphones, we can send relevant messages. -Best Buy #CNX14 [Tweet]
20% of donations to DonorsChoose.org come from email marketing. #CNX14 [Tweet]
The majority of @ExactTarget customers are using the Marketing Cloud for more than one channel now. #CNX14 [Tweet]
LiveNation tracks 4,000 attributes for each of their customers. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Thanks to everyone who attended my #CNX14 session. You can find the slides and resource list here >> http://www.emailmarketingrules.com/email-subscriber-lifecycle-strategies-swipe-file/ [Tweet]
RT @lauramaggie: Full, front & back, single-spaced page of notes coming out of @chadswhite’s Email Lifecycle Strategies #ohthetakeaways! #CNX14 [Tweet]
Lots of small, real-time interactions add up to a long, detailed customer journey. -Gabriel Stricker of Twitter #CNX14 [Tweet]
Innovation is now the mantle of every department within a company–marketing, accounting, legal… -Gabriel Stricker of Twitter [Tweet]
The ability to micro-target has totally changed how we do business. -Beth Comstock of GE #CNX14 [Tweet]
Mindshare before market share. -Beth Comstock of GE #CNX14 [Tweet]
Geeks are more “artists” than artists are. -@iamwill #CNX14 [Tweet]
Awesome! @thescript and @iamwill rocking out together at #CNX14 http://t.co/ntqANkR32c [Tweet]
RT @jkrohrs: Watch the #CNX14 CMO Conversations panel here: http://t.co/hpGROC9m71. Great insights from @gabrielstricker @bethcomstock & @nickbesbeas. [Tweet]
Simon malls trades free wifi access in exchange for an email opt-in. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Sirius XM radio manages hundreds of Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Mobile is where most of our customer interactions are taking place. -Mark Highland of Gannett #CNX14 [Tweet]
We are not loyal to a company because of a program. -Maggie Lang of Kimpton Hotels [Tweet]
Technology needs to map up to a culture. -Maggie Lang of Kimpton Hotels #CNX14 [Tweet]
McDonald’s has 14,500 Facebook pages–one for each local store to address local customers. #CNX14 [Tweet]
We have to connect and interact with our customers at the local level, not just the brand level. -David Martinelli of McDonald’s #CNX14 [Tweet]
They are not trying to read our emails. They are trying to delete them. We want to prevent that through relevance. -@JonPowell31 #CNX14 [Tweet]
Difficulty and length are impediments to action but are not as bad as unnecessary difficulty and length. -@JonPowell31 #CNX14 [Tweet]
RT @joshkimber: @lvojvodich @bradgressel @chadswhite @LudoRaedts @alexandani The Top 15 People at #CX14 and you’re one of them. http://j.mp/1xfW1l2 [Tweet]
Over the past year, @ExactTarget customers have sent 237 billion emails, including 8.5 billion triggered emails. #CNX14 [Tweet]
To get our Spark newsletter, send a blank email to spark@sendmespark.com. New functionally announced at #CNX14 [Tweet]
This new “blank email opt-in” functionality is a cool new flavor of confirmed opt-in. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Hulu uses behavior analytics to determine when is the best time to approach users about upgrading to Hulu Plus. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Real-time data collection is absolutely critical to powering personalization and triggered emails. -Dasha Gastol of Diesel #CNX14 [Tweet]
Sales conversions increased 15% to 25% by adding personalized recommendations to cart abandonment emails. -Dasha Gastol of Diesel #CNX14 [Tweet]
Lee’s number one source of subscribers is the lightbox signup form on their website. #CNX14 [Tweet]
The email signup confirmation page on Lee.com asks new subscribers to take a style quiz for profiling purposes. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Dollar Bank’s welcome emails have 60%+ open rates versus roughly 30% for their other emails. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Lee’s emails with promotional CTAs do better in morning and those with social and other non-promo CTAs do better in evening. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Lee sends a birthday email, a half-birthday email, and a birthday wish list email a few weeks before a b-day. -@EmailGirl #CNX14 [Tweet]
Lee gives subscribers the opportunity to opt up to receive extra special emails during the holiday season. -@EmailGirl #CNX14 [Tweet]
RT @mikeramo: ‘OPT UP’ I have heard this term 100 this week and plan to take it home and use it Thanks @chadswhite @andreasmith77 @EmailGirl #CNX14 [Tweet]
Webroot ran into deliverability issues because of a free trial offer that was attracting poor quality addresses. #CNX14 [Tweet]
Webroot uses different sending strategies for inactives at different ISPs. #CNX14 [Tweet]
RT @NancyWeaver: “@jkrohrs: #CNX14 friends, get seats early for @realjohngreen’s 9am keynote. Stellar. #dftba http://t.co/SaoYcxbfAQ” Can’t wait! [Tweet]
Great catching up with @swerdtoyourmom @jacaldwell @jcohen808 @mostew @DerekBHarding at #CNX14 [Tweet]
Cedar Point theme parks have 3 journeys they focus on: pre-visit, time in park, and post-visit. #CNX14 [Tweet]
You don’t become authentic. You become yourself over and over again. -John Green #CNX14 [Tweet]
Sometimes the really important metrics aren’t the apparent ones. -John Green #CNX14 [Tweet]
Feeling good about myself. My 1st book outsold John Green’s. “Email Marketing Rules” the Movie? #CNX14 [Tweet]
What’s bad for your community is ways bad for your business. -John Green #CNX14 [Tweet]
The problem with selling a long-term relationship is you don’t have it anymore. -John Green about monetizing relationships #CNX14 [Tweet]
If you allow a good community to guide you, they will show you yourself again and again. -John Green #CNX14 [Tweet]
About 27% of time spent on mobile devices is spent on Facebook or Instagram. #CNX14 [Tweet]
RT @kyleplacy: Download all the #CNX14 breakout session slides on @Slideshare – http://www.slideshare.net/exacttarget [Tweet]
We like to think about the next best action, because it is not always the next best offer. -Rob Davis of Accenture #CNX14 [Tweet]
It used to take Xcel Energy 4-6 weeks to create an audience list for an email send. #CNX14 [Tweet]
40% of Xcel Energy’s customers have made a selection in their preference center. #CNX14 [Tweet]
RT @swerdtoyourmom: Famous #emailmarketing author, @chadswhite meeting & greeting one of his biggest fans, @jacaldwell #CNX14 http://t.co/CSwdv3B1FK [Tweet]
Loving the dancers/cameramen here at #CNX14 [Tweet]
If you have to force yourself to tweet, then you shouldn’t be tweeting. -@mindykaling #CNX14 [Tweet]
When you are trying to come up, it is all about putting in the time. -@mindykaling #CNX14 [Tweet]
It has been a great #CNX14. See everyone at #CNX15 in NYC June 15-17, 2015. [Tweet]
Email Subscriber Lifecycle Strategies from the Swipe File
Posted on September 23, 2014
To maximize the value of an email relationship, you need to cater to your subscribers’ needs and wants throughout their entire subscriber lifecycle. My presentation at Connections today talked about the six stages of the subscriber lifestyle and shared research, advice, and examples pertaining to each stage.
Here’s my slide deck, followed by links to the resources that I refer to in it.
Email Marketing Rules (2nd Ed.)
>> Get details about the book on Amazon.com
The Swipe File
>> View the pinboards on Pinterest
Retail Touchpoints Optimized
>> Download the report via ExactTarget.com
Zillow acquisition example: mobile app
>> View in the Audience Growth Swipe File
Krispy Kreme acquisition example: Product packaging
>> View in the Audience Growth Swipe File
Olive Garden acquisition examples: Signup opportunities in restaurants
>> View example #1 in the Audience Growth Swipe File
>> View example #2 in the Audience Growth Swipe File
Home Depot acquisition example: Opt-in via e-receipt
>> View in the Audience Growth Swipe File
Noun Project acquisition example: Opt-in confirmation email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
State of Marketing 2014
>> Download the report via ExactTarget.com
Pinterest onboarding example: Welcome series
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Walmart onboarding example: Holiday-themed welcome email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
At the Tipping Point for Mobile-Friendly Email Design
>> Read on the ExactTarget blog
The Growing Adoption of Mobile-Friendly Email Design #Infographic
>> Read on the ExactTarget blog
Reliant engagement example: Personalized weekly summary email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Hipmunk engagement example: Infographic email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
2014 Email Marketing Holiday Calendar
>> Download the guide via ExactTarget.com
American Apparel reengagement example: Reengagement email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Pinkberry reengagement example: Mobile app reengagement email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Lowe’s super-engagement example: Progressive profiling email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
ModCloth super-engagement example: Signup anniversary email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Crate & Barrel super-engagement example: Post-purchase care instructions email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Starbucks super-engagement example: Loyalty program milestone email
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Staples transition example: Unsubscribe page
>> View in the Email Swipe File
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee transition example: Opt-out confirmation page
>> View in the Audience Growth Swipe File
Mini USA transition example: Re-permission email
Getting Email Out of the Friend Zone
Posted on September 17, 2014
Email may be a fairly mature channel, but it still outshines other newer, sexier channels like mobile and social. In the fact, the emergence of those channels has only strengthened email, cementing it as the power retention marketing channel.
In this interview with Elyse Dupre of DM News, I make the case that email marketing has lost none of its luster and share some advice on how to get the most out of your program.
>> Read the interview on DMNews.com
5 New Email Marketing Terms
Posted on September 16, 2014
As a former journalist, I love how email marketing is always changing. As an English major, I love language. At the intersection of those is the creation of new terms to describe emerging and existing practices, tactics, and tools in email marketing.
Over the past decade, I was in the right place at the right time to coin the terms share with your network (SWYN) and video gif, among others. Giving things a name is extremely powerful, as it facilitates conversations and raises awareness. For instance, the explosion of activity around content marketing is due in large part to it being giving the name content marketing, as this practice has certainly been around for a very long time.
In my first guest post for the Convince & Convert blog, I introduce five new email marketing terms you should know…
- Granted Media
- Super-Engagement
- Opt Up
- Real List Growth
- Confirmed Opt-In Lite (COIL)
>> Read the full article on the Convince & Convert blog
Acknowledgments & Quotes: Who to Follow and What to Read
Posted on September 15, 2014
On the Acknowledgments page of my book, I tip my hat to some of the folks that have influenced me most. And throughout my book, I quote people—many of them authors—who are great sources of additional information.
I highly recommend that you follow these people and learn from them. To make it easier, I’ve created a richer Acknowledgments page on my website that includes links to Twitter accounts, LinkedIn profiles, books published, and articles and posts written.
There’s also a slide deck on that page that highlights the epigraphs throughout Email Marketing Rules. These are profound and poignant quotes that provide additional perspective on various email marketing topics. I hope you find them as inspiring as I do.
Thanks again to everyone who has shaped, confirmed, and challenged my views over the years.
>> Visit the Acknowledgements & Quotes page
Crowd Favorites from the Swipe File: August 2014
Posted on September 11, 2014
We pin tons of inspiring digital marketing examples to our Swipe File pinboards on Pinterest every month. And each month you tell which ones most inspired you by repinning and liking them.
Here are your favorite pins among the ones we uploaded last month:
The Email Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…
Fab apologizes for cat-filled test email with cat-filled apology email >> View the pin
>> Browse the Email Swipe File
The Mobile Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…
Vine push message is aware of its context >> View the pin
The Social Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…
NBA Cares attracts followers with charity event pictures and details >> View the pin
The Audience Growth Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…
The Eiteljorg Museum turns a business card into a social calling card >> View the pin
Help determine this month’s crowd favorites by repinning and liking the pins that inspire you most.
The Email Marketing Rules for Measuring Success
Posted on September 9, 2014
In my latest Email Insider column for MediaPost, I discuss three poor email marketing success metrics and explain what a better alternative metric is in each case.
Instead of unqualified list growth, where every new subscriber is viewed as equally valuable, I recommend using “real list growth.” This metric adjusts for subscriber productivity, just like real GDP adjusts for inflation.
Instead of optimizing campaign metrics, I recommend optimizing subscriber lifetime value. If we do our jobs well, subscribers buy often and stay subscribed for a long time because we’ve engaged them in between purchases. If we do our jobs poorly, subscribers’ purchases and engagement fall off quickly.
Instead of writing subject lines that maximize open rates, I recommend writing them so that they maximize conversions. That’s because a good, descriptive subject line pre-selects openers who are likely to convert.
>> Read the entire column on MediaPost.com
August Review & September Preview for the 2014 Email Marketing Holiday Calendar
Posted on September 8, 2014
Every month through January, we’ll be reviewing our predictions from the 2014 Email Marketing Holiday Calendar for last month and discussing what to expect this month in terms of holiday messaging trends.
In August, we predicted that major retailers would send their active subscribers 18 promotional emails—and we were once again right on target. Our panel of more than 100 retailers sent their subscribers 18.1 emails on average last month.
In September, we’re expecting retailers to again send their active subscribers around 18 promotional emails each. The amount of holiday messaging will continue to be very low.
>> Read the entire post on the ExactTarget Blog
Q&A with Internet Retailer: My New Book, the Holiday Season, Mobile, and More
Posted on September 4, 2014
Following the release of the 2nd Edition of Email Marketing Rules this week, I spoke with Internet Retailer Editor in Chief Don Davis about what’s changed since the 1st Edition was published and how email marketing will be different this holiday season and in the more distant future.
Here are the questions that Don asked me:
- What are the most important changes in email marketing since the 1st Edition of “Email Marketing Rules”?
- Email inbox providers are making it easier for consumers to divert marketing email to a separate folder, which they may rarely if ever view. What can a retailer or brand do to maximize the number of consumers who see its messages?
- How is email marketing likely to be different this holiday season from last?
- Consumers now view most marketing emails on smartphones or tablets. How much marketers adapt their tactics to this shift?
- What’s likely to be the next big change in email marketing?
To read my answers, check out the entire interview on InternetRetailer.com.
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
