VerticalResponse Email Marketing Blog for Small Business

Entice Mobile Users to Open Your Emails: 3 Tips

This article by VerticalResponse CEO and founder Janine Popick originally appeared on Inc.com.

If you're using email marketing to keep in touch with customers and prospects, you probably spend a lot of time coming up with that perfect subject line to get as many people as possible to open your emails.

You probably also spend a lot of time trying to whittle the subject line down to around 50 characters, which is typically all that can fit in an email client's window before it gets cut off. I know, I know, there's so much you want to say!

Here's a little secret: You can say more in the pre-header of your email.

If you don't know what a pre-header is, you're not alone. We get this question a lot since email marketing is what we do. The pre-header area is nothing more than what you include in the very top of your email. Here's an example, using a recent VR Buzz marketing newsletter. The subject line is about 10 awesome events, but the pre-header tells the reader that the email also contains eight tips for creating a top-notch blog:

The pre-header has become increasingly important because of the growing number of people who are looking at their emails on their mobile devices. Many people have their mobile settings set so they can at least browse the first few lines of an email without actually clicking to open it. That's a huge opportunity for you to include something at the top of your email that gets your readers' attention and entices them to open it. Check out the same VR Buzz email on an iPhone:

Here are three pre-header ideas I can think of off the top of my head: 

1. Phone number. If your subject line had a killer offer and your pre-header said, "Call us at 800-555-1212 to get this offer," all your readers would have to do is click the phone number on their phone to call. Pretty cool, huh? I am on the email list of one of my favorite restaurants whose menu changes every day, and they fit their main course plus the reservation phone number in the pre-header of the email.
2. Newsletter article. If you've got an email newsletter and you include what you think is the catchiest article headline in the subject line, why not include the second catchiest one in the pre-header? If the first one didn't get subscribers to open your email, maybe the second one will!
3. Mobile site. If you've got a mobile version of a landing page that you want to send mobile users to, include the mobile link in the pre-header and the normal link in the rest of your email. You may find an increase in your overall conversions once people get to that page.

Using a pre-header in your email marketing is a no-brainer, in my opinion, and super-easy to include in your next campaign. Are you using pre-headers? How are they working to increase your response rates?

 

Posted by Janine Popick

Janine Popick is the CEO and founder of VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @janinepopick, and check out more of her Inc.com columns.

 

 

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• How Mobile is Your Marketing? 4 Tactics to Try Today
• Designing Your Email for Mobile Devices
• Email Delivery: How Your Email Looks in Different Clients

Mythbusters: Email and Social Marketing are Only for Retailers

Mythbusters: Email and Social Marketing are Only for Retailers is part of our blog series where we tackle and debunk common myths in email and social marketing.

I do a lot of webinars and one of the common questions I hear is, "But I work at a non-profit, how does this apply to me?" (you can replace non-profit with mechanic, insurance company, or really, any business). We feature different types of businesses or industries as examples when we do webinars (or blog posts!) but we certainly don't cover them all. We thought we'd create this post to help dispel the myth that email and social marketing is just for retail or similar businesses.

Here are 3 tips to bust this myth:

Social Media - Facebook and Twitter aren't just for teenagers or pictures of cats and babies, they're for businesses too. Even if you don't have a retail business the message here is the same: it's all about engagement. Get your customers/clients to follow you and make sure you have posts that keep them interested. Posting about what's going on behind the scenes is a fun way to keep people in the know about your company. Non-profits can include posts leading up to events, trivia questions about the organization, volunteers, behind the scenes at fundraisers, or even fun pictures. Not a non-profit? How about doing posts that include a spotlight on an employee that customers interact with, new services, tips on car maintenance, home security, summer safety, crazy weather facts (this summer has been full of record-breaking heat, it's Facebook gold!), fun or funny questions, and of course, pictures. The point is to include information about your company/organization plus interesting and useful information. Think of your posts in thirds: One-third about your company, one-third useful info you're sharing, one-third fun or interesting info that has nothing to do with your company or industry. We've even got a handy, time-saving tool - VerticalResponse Social - that enables you to schedule all your social posts for the month in about 20 minutes.

Send emails - Just like with social media you want to think about engagement and keeping your company/organization top of mind. People may not need a plumber everyday, but when they do, you want them to think of your business. Your emails don't have to be about promotions or just a newsletter. Much like the rule of thirds for social, you want your emails to contain the same type of information: something about your business, tips or how-to's, interesting articles or stories, and something fun, like recipes or fun facts. Are you having a special event? Talk about that. Special sale on tune-ups? Include that as well. You don't have to include a sale to send an email, the point is to mail consistently and provide useful information that keeps your recipients' interest so that when they need your services you are the first business they call.

Call-to-action - I've separated this from email or social media to cover a couple of specific points. A call-to-action (CTA) is what you want people to do. In your emails you may want them to click and make a purchase, download a file, make a donation or sign up for an event. The same applies to social media: you may want your followers to do something, such as liking, retweeting, or repinning your post. And not to be too repetitive, this is not just for retailers selling something. Every email or social post should have some kind of call-to-action; you want your followers or recipients to engage and interact with you. Think about your social posts: I mentioned earlier that you want your followers to be engaged, and one of the ways to track that is if they like, comment or share. So your posts need to ask (or direct) them to do something that causes one of those actions. Your emails also should ask your recipient to do something: read more about an article you're sharing, make a donation, make an appointment, or volunteer. Keep them clear, easy to follow through on and include only one or two CTAs to keep your readers from getting confused.

These are just a few ideas to help you market your ____ (fill in the blank: non-profit, dental office, insurance company, school, or any other non-retail business). The thing to keep in mind when you're looking for marketing ideas is to take a step back and look at the big picture. You may not be selling a product like lamps or wine, but you are selling some kind of service, even if you don't charge for it. Remembering that your clients are your customers should help you apply some of the great marketing ideas and tips that you come across.

Posted by Jill Bastian.

Jill Bastian is the Training and Education Manager at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter @Jillieb3.

 

 

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• Mythbusters: Do Old Wives' Email Marketing Tales Hold True?

Symbols in Subject Lines... ♥ Them or ☹ Them?

As far as marketing best practices go, I'm a bit of a purist who subscribes to "playing by the rules" when it comes to subject lines. Lately, I've been surprised by how many emails I've received with symbols in the subject lines. I asked around the office and my coworkers concurred they were experiencing the same. Which begs the question: Does cute ✈ when it comes to email subject lines or should marketers ✂ them out of the mix? 

Here are a few things to consider before you try adding symbols to your email subject lines:

Do symbols make sense for your business?

Because of the novelty and cute factor that comes with using symbols, they aren't for everyone. If you own a flower shop, inserting a flower icon in your subject line may make total sense both to the subject matter and your audience. However, if you're a law firm, or a funeral home, you should most likely not use symbols in your subject lines.

Here's an example from my inbox that arrived from Pottery Barn Kids:

The symbol in this case perfectly fits a brand that sells children's clothing and furnishing items. Being playful and cute is totally appropriate. The heart symbol is also simple and makes sense in the subject line. In this case they've replaced the word 'love' with the heart so it still reads properly.

Hearts and stars are, not surprisingly, the most frequently used special characters. I can imagine as summer moves along we'll see more suns, and with back-to-school the addition of symbols like pencils and books. Fall will bring leaves and pumpkins, and maybe a few spiders or cats; and as winter rolls in, be on the lookout for an onslaught of snowmen and snowflakes on your inboxes' subject lines.

Another example comes from Sublime Stitching:

In this case, the symbols don't compliment the message as much, and start to feel a bit spammy in my honest opinion. If you're going to use symbols, remember the rule of less is more. Limit the use to 1 or 2 at most in your subject line or risk having your message feel less than professional.

Not all symbols are created (or render) the same.

Many email clients, such as Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo! support Unicode symbols. However, just like the email clients listed above, your messages may render differently on varying mobile devices including the Big 3: Android, BlackBerry and iPhone.

From the Pottery Barn Kids example above, here's how the subject line looked on my MacBook:

And here's how it appeared in my Gmail inbox on my iPhone:

See the subtle difference? Test your emails before you launch them and view in different email clients and devices. Try a service like Email on Acid which will show you 48 variations.

Use symbols for a reason. Not just to "use symbols." 

Special characters or symbols can be used in three different ways: 

1. As a separator or punctuation (i.e. Thanks for signing up! ★ Download your free guide)
2. To replace a word (like the heart in the Pottery Barn Kids example).
3. As a decorative or design element (as in the Sublime Stitching example)

Want to try using special characters or symbols in your own subject lines? I used these simple directions from wikiHow: How to Make Symbols on a Mac.

I'd love to hear what you think about using symbols in subject lines. Share your feedback in the comments!

 

Posted by Kim Stiglitz.

Kim Stiglitz is the Director of Lifecycle Marketing at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @Stiggy1.

 

 

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•  9 Mistakes We Make with Our Email Marketing
• Yep, Subject Lines Are Still Crucial to a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

Capture Customers with Images

At this point in the world of email marketing, pretty much everyone uses images, or at the very least, a logo at the top. Unless there's some kind of emergency and you need to get information out quickly, you should always use images in your emails. But, do you know the purpose of including pictures in your email? Images are visually interesting and engaging to someone reading your email, they can induce them into making a purchase, a donation or signing up for a webinar. They help break up your text, making it easier to read and get to the great info you include. Also, using a logo near the top helps remind your recipient they are reading the correct email, especially important for the mobile users on your list. And, for reporting purposes, you'll want to send out graphical emails so you can get insight into your recipients' email-reading habits.

Now that you know the why, let's cover the important question: what are the rules for these images? Good question! Here are some best practice tips for using images in your emails.
 
Size - Image size is important for a number of reasons. First, you want your images to download quickly so that your recipient can see and enjoy them. If you are using large images, or a lot of images, it could take some time for them to download and your recipient may give up. And though you may think everyone has high speed internet available, the truth is that there are plenty of places that don't. Mobile users face a similar dilemma; the wifi that they use can sometimes be a bit slow. Second, if your recipients are reading the email on a desktop email client (or even on mobile), they can still run into problems with larger images causing side-to-side scrolling. To keep all your recipients happy keep these rules in mind:

• Always include a logo at the top
• Keep images under 25kb for easy loading
• Keep image sizes within these guidelines:
  • Banner along the top 500-550 px wide
  • Body of email -- 150-200 px wide
  • Social Media icons -- usually around 40 px square    
  • Mobile users clicking on a call-to-action button need around 40 px square

Alt Text - One of my favorite topics and, next to pre-header text, the one most people are confused by. Alt text is basically writing on the back of a photo. Remember when you used to get your pictures printed and then wrote info on the back? That's exactly what alt text is, but for the digital age. Your recipients will only see alt text if their email program is blocking the images. As this is now default for most email programs, you really need to consider what your recipients will see before they click the link to allow the images to display. A line or two about what's going on in your email, a call to action, or even a great description of the image is all that you need. And for your logo, add your company name and maybe your website, not a description of the banner you are using, i.e. VR_header_banner_bg_650. No one knows what that means, and it's not going to compel your recipients to turn on the images, or even read beyond that first image. I know you've all heard this before, but test your emails, even as far as what your alt text says. Trust me, the two minutes you take to do that will pay off down the line.

Link - Most people at this point know they can click on an image in an email and be taken somewhere. If your recipients know this, make sure you are giving them a link! Keep in mind that you want to link them where they expect to go, don't drop them on your main page and hope they find the right info - They won't, and you'll lose them. We'll track the clicks on links, text or images, so you'll know what your recipients like enough to click and can keep providing them that.

Balance - As I mentioned earlier, most email programs block images by default, so you'll want to include both text and images in your emails. If your recipient for some reason doesn't turn on the images, they still need to know the purpose of your email. For example, if you have an event coming up, you'll want all the pertinent information in the text portion of your email: where, when, and what all need to be written out. Plus, having a balance will help get your email to the inbox. No matter how tempting, or how often you see 'the big guys' do it, don't use just one or two images as the sole content of your email. With images blocked, your recipients won't know what's going on in the email, and if there isn't any alt text, the first line of text they see may be the unsubscribe - Yikes! We usually say to have 70-80% of the email be the text and 20-30% images. It depends on your content of course, but try to have a higher text content to image ratio.

 

We are in a very social age, you'll want to share your email on Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest, and images will help get more people looking at the email on social media. And, keeping your recipients engaged and reading your emails will keep your business growing!

 

Posted by Jill Bastian.

Jill Bastian is the Training and Education Manager at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter @Jillieb3.

 

 

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Customers We Admire - Grand Cafe's Marketing Revolution

"VerticalResponse Customers We Admire" is a series in which we highlight a customer and the things they're doing well with their email, social and event marketing. Below, we discuss a Bastille Day email promotion from Kimpton's Grand Cafe, including key lessons and take-aways.

Photo Courtesy of Grand Cafe

Grand Cafe is a modern French brasserie, Kimpton restaurant and VerticalResponse customer whose email and event promotion we admire! Their fresh take on traditional French cuisine is paired with an extensive wine list and handcrafted apértifs, located in a gilded Barbary Coast ballroom. Below is an example of an email promotion they created to announce their special Bastille Day events. Scroll through the awesome email campaign for five event promotion take-aways:

1. Get Creative - Buttons and links are awesome, but with this refreshing call-to-action (click the mustache for details) who wouldn't want to click for more details? Include images, colors and tactics that stand out to recipients and they'll be more likely to engage with your email.

2. Appeal to Everyone - Grand Cafe predicts Bastille Day might not resonate with all of their recipients (i.e., yours truly) and cleverly offers an alternative "Bastille Day not your thing? Our new misfit dinner starts July 19th...". By appealing to all their subscribers, they get the most from their campaign and avoid alienating certain readers.

3. Stay Relevant - Coordinating a holiday like Bastille Day with an event gives Grand Cafe the opportunity to remain current, timely and relevant. Stay up-to-date with upcoming holidays and current events and make sure they're reflected in your marketing. 

4. Make it Accessible - In layman's terms, a restaurant makes money when people visit their location and pay for their food. Grand Cafe makes sure to include their reservation phone number prominently at the top of their email. Lesson? Whether it's a link to sign up, purchase or a phone number to schedule a reservation or appointment, make it easy and accessible for your customers and prospects to reach you and your services.

5. Your Business + Technology = BFFs - Grand Cafe realizes the increasing rate of email being viewed on mobile devices, made evident by their link to "view a mobile version" of their email. They further embrace the power of social media by including social sharing icons and forward to a friend links. And, including access to a Google map of their location makes their restaurant even more accessible. Technology is ever evolving; Using it to your advantage as Grand Cafe does in the examples above makes promoting your event and company that much more powerful.

Posted by Savannah Stewart

Savannah Stewart is a Lifecycle Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @savannahstewart.

 

 

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How to Go for the Gold with Your Email & Social Media Marketing

The London 2012 Summer Olympics are right around the corner (beginning July 27 and running through August 12). The official Olympics Twitter account already has more than 660,000 followers (and counting) and the games haven't even begun. Suffice it to say, there's a lot of excitement.

Have you considered leveraging the Olympics theme for your email and social media marketing? Before you race off to get started, don't get tripped up on a hurdle, because there are many rules governing the use of Olympic terms, themes, etc.

Thanks to Tia Fisher from Social Media Today for authoring one of the most extensive posts I have seen on the legal rules, as well as the Marketing Donut. We've now got a list of restricted signs, images, terms and phrases associated with the Olympics that you should avoid including:

• The Olympic Symbol
• The Paralympic Symbol
• The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Emblems
• The London 2012 mascots
• The words 'London 2012'
• The words 'Olympic', 'Olympiad', 'Olympian' (plurals and similar words included, e.g., 'Olympix')
• The words 'Paralympic', 'Paralympiad', 'Paralympian' (plurals and similar words included, e.g., 'Paralympix')
• The words ‘games’, ‘two thousand and twelve’, ‘2012’ and ‘twenty twelve’ (list A) which may not be used in combination with each other or with ‘gold’, ‘silver’, ‘bronze’, ‘London’, ‘medals’, ‘sponsor’ or ‘summer’ (list B).
• The Olympic Motto: 'Citius Altius Fortius' / 'Faster Higher Stronger'
• The Paralympic Motto: 'Spirit in Motion'
• The Team GB logo
• The Paralympics GB logo
• The British Olympic Association logo
• The British Paralympic Association logo
• london2012.com (and various derivatives)
• The London 2012 sports pictograms

And our friends at Social Media Today covered the bases from a social media perspective here.

If following all these rules seems harder than qualifying to compete in the Olympics, you may be right, but we have a few ideas to leverage the hype and have some fun.

Medal Sale - Do: Create a summer sale and create price tiers based on Bronze, Silver and Gold. Don't: Call it an Olympics Sale or refer to the Medals as Olympic Medals.

Beat the Clock - Do: Put a countdown clock in your shop and/or incorporate one on your website. Only run your sale until the clock stops to provide a sense of urgency. You can find fun countdown timers for your site here thanks to Movable Ink. Don't: Call it an Olympics Countdown.

Score! - Do: Offer a mystery sale in which a customer clicks on your offer and a "judge" holds up a score - the score determines the % off. Don't: Have the sale refer to the Olympics.

Opening Ceremony - Do: Host a party or event for the opening ceremony. This year's theme is Isles of Wonder. Give everyone a special discount that day if they mention the theme. Don't: Sponsor London 2012 broadcasts or reports.

Sports Theme - Do: If your business is tied to a specific summer sport, you've got an easy theme. Promote summer sport products or activities if applicable, as they'll be top of mind and in the spotlight. Don't: (Per our friends at Social Media Today) "Mention a specific product or service in connection with the Olympics."

Get Social - Do: "Use your social media strategies to enjoy the events. Use Facebook, your business blog or Twitter to share enjoyment of the Games with your customers. Use polls, ask fun questions, get your followers to post pictures of themselves doing sports, or jumping hurdles — anything that’s fun and engaging." - Marketing Donut

Social Media Today adds:

You can (if it's not completely out of context for your brand to make a comment on a sporting event):

• Give relevant, accurate, factual information.
• Report on the facts of an event (e.g., The Olympics starts today!!).
• State when an event is taking place (e.g., 100m race in 5 minutes). 
  

You should:

• Moderate pictures, video or audio from events to be posted on your social media sites by applying the special rules applying to participants and attendees, as you would any other potentially copyright infringing content (see Part III of this blog [to be published soon]).
• Update moderation guidelines to cater for the Olympics legislation.
• Consider re-tweets in the same way as your own tweets when applying these restrictions.
• Be cautious, moderate and appropriate when linking to any content that refers to the Olympics. Linking rules to London2012.com have been published by LOCOG [the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games] in section 5 of their terms of use. 

You shouldn't (unless an exemption or defense applies (see Part I) or one of the 'can do' list above):

• Use the Olympic symbols, the words 'Olympics', 'Paralympics' or any derivation of those words.
• Use the Listed Expressions (2 from List A or one from each list [lists A and B mentioned above] - for details, see Part I).

Never:

• Run a marketing campaign to get your brand associated with the Olympics.
• Encourage Olympics themed-responses from your community.
• Run a competition for Olympics tickets.
• Give specific expressions of support (e.g., "Go Team GB in London 2012!") or excitement/enthusiasm suggesting a connection with the brand (e.g.,  "everyone here at Brand X is so excited about the Olympics!")
• Mention a specific product or service in connection with the Games (e.g.,  "London 2012 athletes should drink Brand X for energy")
• Sponsor London 2012 broadcasts or reports

 

So, if you play by the rules you can create a summer games-inspired sale or event that will have your business going for the gold. If you were already planning one, or know of any rule/restriction that we forgot to mention, feel free to share in the comments!

 

Posted by Kim Stiglitz.

Kim Stiglitz is the Director of Lifecycle Marketing at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @Stiggy1. 

 

 

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The Importance of Using Links, A Not So Trivial Tip for Serious Marketers.

Here on the VerticalResponse Blog we've never had a problem using puns or a play on words in our posts, and this title follows that glorious history (with apologies to Oscar Wilde). Funny title, sure, but the subject is pretty important for email marketers: Links. You have links in your email... everyone does, right? Wait, not everyone? Good thing we have this blog post then! Here are 5 tips to get you linking:

1. Link images - Most people know they can click an image to go somewhere, so be sure to link your images and let them do just that. VerticalResponse will track the clicks for you (as we do all links in your email), so you can see what images are being clicked and who is clicking them. Just make sure you're linking to a destination your customer is expecting. For example, link an image of a product in your email to a page with more information on that product, not just your homepage. Your customer may lose interest fast if they need to hunt around your website looking for the right page.

2. Use call-to-action buttons - Links are great, but to ensure you get engagement, use call-to-action buttons. Someone thinking about visiting to your website will feel even more compelled to click on a button to do just that. 

For even bigger points, use a colorful button to help your recipients understand what they need to do. And we can help you with this: check out our free button-building site at buttons.verticalresponse.com.

3. Include "read more" links - Does your email contain news or content articles? Give your readers teaser copy to catch their interest, then provide a link to read the rest of the article. This makes it much easier for your recipients to find what they want in your email, and you get more data on their engagement with a click.

4. Provide social links - Don't forget to include social media links. Your recipients want to find you on social sites, so make it easy for them. Allow them to share your email through social sharing and follow you on whatever social platforms you are using.

5. Get them to your website - Ultimately your goal is to get customers to your website. Give them lots of opportunities to do so with links. Sprinkle links throughout your email so when your recipients are ready to visit your site, they can and easily. Is there a certain number of links you should use? No. The important thing about links is that they go to a good site with a good reputation. If not, you could find your email getting flagged as spam.

Once you send out your email, use our reporting tool to see what links were important to your recipients. You'll be able to see which links are clicked the most and where in the email they're clicking, allowing you to continue to give them what they need. While it may be important to be earnest, it’s even more important to link!

 

Posted by Jill Bastian.

Jill Bastian is the Training and Education Manager at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter @Jillieb3.

 

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Small Biz Social Secrets - Episode 3: Chris Brogan [VIDEO]

We are back for our third installment of Small Biz Social Secrets. This time around we had the distinct pleasure of sharing a few moments with Chris Brogan, President of Human Business Works. Chris shares insight into how he's looking at the digital landscape in today's world. One of the most respected social media strategists today, Chris also shares his feelings on email as a vital communication tool within any community. 

 

 

Posted by Derek Overbey

Derek Overbey is the Senior Social Media Manager at VerticalResponse. Connect with him on Twitter at @doverbey.

 

 

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Mythbusters: Do Old Wives' Email Marketing Tales Hold True?

Mythbusters: Do Old Wives' Email Marketing Tales Hold True? is the first in a new blog series where we tackle and debunk common myths in email and social marketing.

Email marketing is an ever-evolving practice affected by everything from advances in technology to changes in consumer behavior. Many of the dos and don’ts that held true in the past are no longer applicable. Read below to see 5 email marketing myths exposed. What you learn may surprise you!

Myth 1: Using words like 'free', 'dear' or 'save' in the subject line will cause your email to be marked as spam and blocked from inboxes.

Spam filters are sophisticated enough to consider many variables. Using words like ‘free’ and ‘save’ in the subject line alone will not cause your email to be marked as spam. Spam filters scan emails to look at multiple aspects including content, unnecessary capitalization and punctuation. If your email contains many spam-flagging characteristics, then it will most likely be blocked. However, if you have an inkling to use the occasional 'save' in the subject line, feel free!

Myth 2: Test everything!

I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you it's not essential that you test everything and anything when it comes to email marketing. Some variables are more important to test than others. Will a green vs. a blue call-to-action button really make or break an email campaign? The answer is, probably not. However, the context with which you place a button (contrasting vs. matching) and the location of the button (top, middle or end of an email) will be more likely to make an impact. Leave some tactics to experience, instinct and common sense while you test and refine others.

 

Myth 3: Send email only during the week.

More and more individuals are checking email on their mobile phones. The Nielsen Company suggests that e-mail represents 41.6% of mobile Internet time. As a result, recipients are able to check email more readily on nights and weekends. Sending email on a strict weekday-only schedule may not be as critical as it once was. You may even face less competition in the inbox on nights and weekends, as most companies send email during the week and in the morning. Perform an A/B split test on a few email campaigns to see how your weekend sends compare to those made during the week - You may be shocked by what you find.

 

Myth 4: All unsubscribes are bad.

Most sent email will result in unsubscribes, but not all unsubscribes are a bad thing. Removing uninterested and disengaged individuals from your list will improve delivery rates and make your reporting more indicative of your engaged recipients' response to your marketing. You can also improve delivery rates by occasionally purging your list of inactive individuals.

 

Myth 5: Sending too many emails too often will make you to look like spam.

Send frequency is relative to each business and the reaction your customers have with your email. You can send as often as you like as long as recipients find your content useful and remain engaged. If you’d like to send more often, build up to the frequency you desire. You wouldn’t want to suddenly go from sending one email a month to sending four emails a month without a transition period, as that may end up off-putting recipients. Instead, gradually build to your desired send schedule and measure your recipients’ response. It is also helpful to alert recipients you will be increasing send frequency. For example, include text within your email such as "Because we've had such positive feedback on our email, we will be increasing our sends to twice a month." As long as the content within your emails is valuable to your recipients and you don’t drastically change your send schedule, increasing the number of emails you send can positively impact your business. 

There you have it, myths busted. And, no one was harmed in the writing of this post. Stay tuned for the next post in this series.

 

Posted by Savannah Stewart

Savannah Stewart is a Lifecycle Marketing Coordinator at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @savannahstewart.

 

 

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How to Handle an Unsubscribe with Style, Class & a Little Sass

I work for an email marketing provider, so it's a given that I get a lot of email. Sometimes when enough is enough, or I just don't need to receive an email anymore, I click unsubscribe. Often, because I know how hard small businesses work to build their list, I feel guilty. It's important to remember though, that when someone unsubscribes, it's not personal.

I've been intrigued over the years by the different experiences I've encountered with a simple unsubscribe. The unsubscribe process has run the gamut from emails not even containing an unsubscribe link (which breaks the CAN-SPAM law and isn't legit) to those that make you take 5+ steps just to get off a mailing list. However, there are those that actually do a great job of dealing with an unsubscribe with a dash of wit, humor and some smarts.

Read on to see some top notch examples of what to avoid at all costs and what to start doing today:

Make it Easy, Fast and Flawless: When someone wants off your list, let them get off the list, period. Being able to unsubscribe should be as simple as clicking a link that says "unsubscribe" or replying to an email with unsubscribe in the subject line. Don't require users to re-enter their email address, passwords, log-ins or account numbers to unsubscribe. Making people jump through hoops will only irrate them further and it doesn't comply with CAN SPAM, which could then cause them to report your message as SPAM.

This example from Disney.com illustrates how to tick off your readers. They've buried the unsubscribe in a ton of small print text at the bottom of their email. I had to search for it just to find it.

 

Just. Do. It.: Unsubscribes should be processed immediately with no exceptions. In the eyes of the user, they've asked to be removed from your list now. If you wait two days and send them something in the meantime, you're going to be seen as a spammer which you want to avoid at all costs. The CAN-SPAM law permits you ten days to remove someone from your list, but this is the time to deliver immediately without delay.

Appeal to Their Senses: I've seen businesses try a last ditch effort to keep subscribers on their list here with a bit of humor, wit or even guilt (tread lightly) with messages such as this one from eBay:

I like how they make a bid (no pun intended) to get me to stay with the sniff sniff, but still make the unsubscribe process easy.

Here's another example from Fab.com. They do a great job branding their page and using a good balance of humor and efficiency. And, they give you a last chance to opt back in, if for some reason, you've unsubscribed by accident, or have regrets.

 

 

 

 

Taking it much farther is Groupon, as only Groupon can, with this:

 

This example (from 2009) is extreme, especially when a coworker in the background comes up behind and throws coffee at poor Derrick (the guy getting punished for your unsubscribe). I'm certainly not endorsing this as a best practice, and can't say I've ever seen a call to action to punish someone, but this just illustrates what's out there. Not good IMHO (in my honest opinion).

It Doesn't Have to be Ugly: You work hard to provide a flawless user experience and your unsubscribe process should also be on par. Just because your reader is leaving your list (for now), don't make it ugly. Make the effort to brand your unsubscribe confirmation pages (like the example from Fab.com above) and emails just like you would your opt-in form and other landing pages. You want this last impression to be a lasting impression in a good way. 

Remember, just because someone unsubscribes doesn't mean they're a lost cause. Make it easy for people to opt-in to your list on your website, your blog and social media channels like Twitter and Facebook because you never know when they'll change their minds. You can tweet a link to your opt-in form or have it on your business Facebook Timeline in just a few minutes.

You can expect to lose about 30% of your email list each year due to attrition, so keep in mind that growing your list is an on-going process. Then, living up to the promise you delivered when people opt-in is paramount. Give them what you promised and you've won half the battle.

  

Posted by Kim Stiglitz.

Kim Stiglitz is the Director of Lifecycle Marketing at VerticalResponse. Connect with her on Twitter at @Stiggy1.

 

 

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