The Hunt
We've all been there, standing in front of the sales person and completing your purchase when you get the question - what's your email address. I get that "deer in headlights" look and think, what am I getting my email inbox into?
The Skunk
Last weekend while doing a little retail therapy, I happened into my local Bath & Body Works. I wasn't looking to purchase anything in particular but started to sniff around anyway. A $30 impulse buy later, I'm giving the sales person my email address right after I forked over my credit card. Let me first start by saying that I'm impressed that my email made it to their distribution list in less than 5 days. With such a big retail footprint however, it would have been a really good idea to make "introductions" first. I’m sure that I am just one of thousands that made their way to their database and starting off on the right foot can be the difference between engaged and indifferent customers when it comes to engaging in their email program.
The Resolution
As retailer go, they get credit for striking while the iron is hot however, they missed an opportunity to welcome me to their email program and give me the lowdown on what and when to expect their marketing messages. In general, collecting email addresses at the point-of-purchase a sure-fire way to grow your database, you just need take a step back from the process and ensure that the customer experience is on track as well. Ask a quick question while checking out, "do you want to receive special offers from us via email?" Yes, I know, the fact that they asked me for my email address makes it kind of obvious that I might be getting a message from them soon but perhaps a better approach is to start off with a thank-you-for-your-purchase communication. Tell me what I’ll be getting from you and how often I can expect to receive messages as well as giving me an opportunity to actually opt-in to the communication.
Nowadays, rapidly growing your database with customers that haven't confirmed an expressed interest to receive messages from you can ultimately have a negative effect on your deliverability. What happens when the auto-enrolled recipient becomes indifferent to your messages? You run the risk of your messages being perceived as SPAM, increasing chance recipients are going to complain, sending your email reputation right down the toilet. Your big list is not so big if no one is actually receiving your messages.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Now's the time for Cold Weather Boots?
The Hunt
For those of us that live in climates with four seasons, the first time we have to fire up the furnace is about the time we start surveying our outerwear to ensure that we are prepared for the long and chilly road ahead. Retailers often start trying to move the merchandise even sooner. Cold weather gear starts hitting the shelves often times before I've stashed my flip-flops in the back of the closet. For email marketers, it’s all about timeliness, relevance and your approach.
The Skunk
So as the greater Chicago-land area is pushing nearly 50 inches of the white stuff so far this year, the message below with the subject line "Now's the time for Cold Weather Boots!" seems to have come a few months too late since I can already approximate the current month we are in by the size of the man-made snow piles in the mall parking lot.
Another missed opportunity in this message is the lack of actual images of boots. This retailer carries quite a few brands and boots are not something that I frequently purchase. Simply naming the brands within the message doesn't give me enough information to want to do any further digging. I don't particularly know all the brands but I can identify what styles I would prefer by looking at a selection of supporting product images.
The Resolution
Take note of the seasonality of your message. The subject line needs to be relevant to the consumer - at the time they are receiving it. A better approach would be to have acknowledged that those recipients living in colder climates are still "knee deep" in winter rather than "now’s the time to buy" those boots. You would also want to verify that the message is reaching the right customers as well - Milwaukee vs. Miami - there is bound to be a difference in what they would find of interest.
Don't forget the product! Use product images to entice your recipients. If you are featuring boots, make sure that your call-to-action and message content reflects it.
For those of us that live in climates with four seasons, the first time we have to fire up the furnace is about the time we start surveying our outerwear to ensure that we are prepared for the long and chilly road ahead. Retailers often start trying to move the merchandise even sooner. Cold weather gear starts hitting the shelves often times before I've stashed my flip-flops in the back of the closet. For email marketers, it’s all about timeliness, relevance and your approach.
The Skunk
So as the greater Chicago-land area is pushing nearly 50 inches of the white stuff so far this year, the message below with the subject line "Now's the time for Cold Weather Boots!" seems to have come a few months too late since I can already approximate the current month we are in by the size of the man-made snow piles in the mall parking lot.
Another missed opportunity in this message is the lack of actual images of boots. This retailer carries quite a few brands and boots are not something that I frequently purchase. Simply naming the brands within the message doesn't give me enough information to want to do any further digging. I don't particularly know all the brands but I can identify what styles I would prefer by looking at a selection of supporting product images.
The Resolution
Take note of the seasonality of your message. The subject line needs to be relevant to the consumer - at the time they are receiving it. A better approach would be to have acknowledged that those recipients living in colder climates are still "knee deep" in winter rather than "now’s the time to buy" those boots. You would also want to verify that the message is reaching the right customers as well - Milwaukee vs. Miami - there is bound to be a difference in what they would find of interest.
Don't forget the product! Use product images to entice your recipients. If you are featuring boots, make sure that your call-to-action and message content reflects it.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Don't Say the B-Word!
The Hunt
You don't have to talk to many marketers before you hear the word "blast" roll off the tongue - at which point my left eye starts to twitch, my leg starts to shake and expletives begin to fly from my mouth like a raunchy truck driver after too much coffee. Graphic? Yes. True? Pretty close. For those of you that have worked with me, clients, prospects and colleagues alike you know that it has been my personal mission to ban the word "blast" from the email industry forever (much like the hyphen in e-mail, which is gaining success as well). Call me an email snob, but if you are a legitimate marketer the word "blast" should never pass your lips unless you are using it to describe the fun networking event you attended last night. Nothing about your marketing efforts should convey that there is no forethought or planning to your marketing and "blast" does exactly that.
The Skunk
Clearly the skunk here is the awful, five-letter dirty word that has made its way in to the vocabulary of email marketers everywhere --- BLAST. A word that so inherently indicates that we are an industry that doesn't care where our messages land so long as we hit someone with an email address and at least one good eye. One colleague likened it to confetti cannons – blast the confetti cannon and you will be cleaning up the mess for months! It’s not too far from the truth really. Look at this industry, email marketers continue to exist today that believe this is the right approach. Call it what you want, "spray and pray," "batch and blast," it is the behavior that has caused so much consumer distrust in email marketing and years later, we are still cleaning up the mess. It is this same mentality that has caused your friends to call you a SPAMMER after you tell them what you do for a living.
The Resolution
Let’s keep "blast" in the past and move into a new, more intelligent era of email communication where we refer to our email communications as campaign launches or customer email distributions. As professional email marketers we are mindful about message content that contains email "dirty words or phrases" like "free" or "limited time offer." The same consideration needs to be given to how we as marketers refer to what we do on a daily basis. We need to "walk the walk" by removing the word "blast" from our daily vernacular starting now. This will also help educate those internal customers that have a stake in your email marketing as well as making it a little easier for sweet old aunt Margie to better understand what you do.
You don't have to talk to many marketers before you hear the word "blast" roll off the tongue - at which point my left eye starts to twitch, my leg starts to shake and expletives begin to fly from my mouth like a raunchy truck driver after too much coffee. Graphic? Yes. True? Pretty close. For those of you that have worked with me, clients, prospects and colleagues alike you know that it has been my personal mission to ban the word "blast" from the email industry forever (much like the hyphen in e-mail, which is gaining success as well). Call me an email snob, but if you are a legitimate marketer the word "blast" should never pass your lips unless you are using it to describe the fun networking event you attended last night. Nothing about your marketing efforts should convey that there is no forethought or planning to your marketing and "blast" does exactly that.
The Skunk
Clearly the skunk here is the awful, five-letter dirty word that has made its way in to the vocabulary of email marketers everywhere --- BLAST. A word that so inherently indicates that we are an industry that doesn't care where our messages land so long as we hit someone with an email address and at least one good eye. One colleague likened it to confetti cannons – blast the confetti cannon and you will be cleaning up the mess for months! It’s not too far from the truth really. Look at this industry, email marketers continue to exist today that believe this is the right approach. Call it what you want, "spray and pray," "batch and blast," it is the behavior that has caused so much consumer distrust in email marketing and years later, we are still cleaning up the mess. It is this same mentality that has caused your friends to call you a SPAMMER after you tell them what you do for a living.
The Resolution
Let’s keep "blast" in the past and move into a new, more intelligent era of email communication where we refer to our email communications as campaign launches or customer email distributions. As professional email marketers we are mindful about message content that contains email "dirty words or phrases" like "free" or "limited time offer." The same consideration needs to be given to how we as marketers refer to what we do on a daily basis. We need to "walk the walk" by removing the word "blast" from our daily vernacular starting now. This will also help educate those internal customers that have a stake in your email marketing as well as making it a little easier for sweet old aunt Margie to better understand what you do.
Monday, January 12, 2009
I LOVE NY...
The Hunt
When I sign-up for an email program I expect a few things based on the information that I provide to the marketer. If I am providing my address, personal preferences and the like, I assume that this information will be used to serve up email content that is more relevant than if I had only provided my email address. Savvy consumers today know that it is possible to really target the email you send, so if you are collecting personal information, you best be prepared to use it.
The Skunk
I recently enrolled in the American Express Entertainment Access email program available through my card membership. Although purists would say that Chicago is not New York when it comes to plethora of Broadway, Off-Broadway and other great shows and events, Chicago does a pretty darn good job of providing a full spectrum of rich events to choose from for your entertainment pleasure.
<<personal rant – I’ll keep it brief >> This is one of my pet peeves - when I register for emails that require me to further clarify personal preferences even after I've provided my selections especially when my location should have already been identified by previous information supplied.<</ personal rant>>
I've received a few of these entertainment emails over the last few weeks, all referencing the exciting events that are available for me to book with my Amex card. They were all based on events in the New York area. The two things that are troubling to me is that one; you already know that I live in the Chicago area and two; I have to search within the email to change my preferences so that I receive offers based in my local area. Although not a painful process, I find it a little odd (and time consuming based on the additional steps required) that they would make me scour through a message and take further actions to make the email more relevant to me. Email should be quick and painless and provide the information that is expected.
The Resolution
Knowing your customer means leveraging the data that you have on file; that you have previously asked for! In this case, my billing address reflects a Chicagoland zip code - what more do you need? If any additional selections are needed, these should be handled when I sign up for the communication, not after I realize that these events are not in my home city.
If you are managing user information across multiple databases for your email communications, ensure that these systems can reconcile before messages featuring conditional content are sent especially when content is driven by the data. Another, less integrated, stop-gap measure would be to include a user-friendly, easily identifiable action within the email communication to self report and self request geographically specific information.
Requiring your email recipient to click deeper within a communication to get more information about something that peeks their interest is great and is often a component for a successful message. Asking them to hunt for their relevant information can be extremely detrimental. If your call to action is not crystal clear, recipients will likely just move on…it's not like they don’t have another message (much like yours) awaiting them in their inbox.
When I sign-up for an email program I expect a few things based on the information that I provide to the marketer. If I am providing my address, personal preferences and the like, I assume that this information will be used to serve up email content that is more relevant than if I had only provided my email address. Savvy consumers today know that it is possible to really target the email you send, so if you are collecting personal information, you best be prepared to use it.
The Skunk
I recently enrolled in the American Express Entertainment Access email program available through my card membership. Although purists would say that Chicago is not New York when it comes to plethora of Broadway, Off-Broadway and other great shows and events, Chicago does a pretty darn good job of providing a full spectrum of rich events to choose from for your entertainment pleasure.
<<personal rant – I’ll keep it brief >> This is one of my pet peeves - when I register for emails that require me to further clarify personal preferences even after I've provided my selections especially when my location should have already been identified by previous information supplied.<</ personal rant>>
I've received a few of these entertainment emails over the last few weeks, all referencing the exciting events that are available for me to book with my Amex card. They were all based on events in the New York area. The two things that are troubling to me is that one; you already know that I live in the Chicago area and two; I have to search within the email to change my preferences so that I receive offers based in my local area. Although not a painful process, I find it a little odd (and time consuming based on the additional steps required) that they would make me scour through a message and take further actions to make the email more relevant to me. Email should be quick and painless and provide the information that is expected.
The Resolution
Knowing your customer means leveraging the data that you have on file; that you have previously asked for! In this case, my billing address reflects a Chicagoland zip code - what more do you need? If any additional selections are needed, these should be handled when I sign up for the communication, not after I realize that these events are not in my home city.
If you are managing user information across multiple databases for your email communications, ensure that these systems can reconcile before messages featuring conditional content are sent especially when content is driven by the data. Another, less integrated, stop-gap measure would be to include a user-friendly, easily identifiable action within the email communication to self report and self request geographically specific information.
Requiring your email recipient to click deeper within a communication to get more information about something that peeks their interest is great and is often a component for a successful message. Asking them to hunt for their relevant information can be extremely detrimental. If your call to action is not crystal clear, recipients will likely just move on…it's not like they don’t have another message (much like yours) awaiting them in their inbox.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
This is not a TEST
The Hunt
One of the most critical components for a successful email is getting it out the door and in to your customer’s inbox in a quick and timely fashion. Last-minute sales, special offers or time sensitive deals don’t have a long shelf life. That old adage, "Haste Makes Waste" is often overlooked and your rush to get your next campaign launched could possibly leave your customers guessing on what exactly just landed in their inbox.
The Skunk
Virgin America's fresh looking website and emails are smart and cleverly written - heck, they don't even service my departure point here in the Windy City and I still add to their open and click through rate. As a somewhat recent addition to the domestic low-cost airline industry (August 2007), it didn't take long before I had subscribed to their email program.
I've been holding on to this email "goody" for a few weeks. Let's just say that I've created and launched my fair share of email communications over the years so when this one hit my inbox with the subject line TEST preceding the planned subject line content (note fancy arrow and highlight below), I couldn't help but cringe when I thought about the flurry of internal emails that must have been waiting in the sender's email the next day. The little skunk below is most likely a result moving too quickly and not having a proper quality assurance testing process in place. Once the email is out the door, little can be done after it lands in the inbox. Ouch.
The Resolution Even with the best testing and QA procedures, mistakes do happen. What I've found is that these types of mistakes are often a consequence of circumventing the process when time is short. Make time in the production and launch process to systematically review all parts of the message. Take note of the following nuggets before you click send.
One of the most critical components for a successful email is getting it out the door and in to your customer’s inbox in a quick and timely fashion. Last-minute sales, special offers or time sensitive deals don’t have a long shelf life. That old adage, "Haste Makes Waste" is often overlooked and your rush to get your next campaign launched could possibly leave your customers guessing on what exactly just landed in their inbox.
The Skunk
Virgin America's fresh looking website and emails are smart and cleverly written - heck, they don't even service my departure point here in the Windy City and I still add to their open and click through rate. As a somewhat recent addition to the domestic low-cost airline industry (August 2007), it didn't take long before I had subscribed to their email program.
I've been holding on to this email "goody" for a few weeks. Let's just say that I've created and launched my fair share of email communications over the years so when this one hit my inbox with the subject line TEST preceding the planned subject line content (note fancy arrow and highlight below), I couldn't help but cringe when I thought about the flurry of internal emails that must have been waiting in the sender's email the next day. The little skunk below is most likely a result moving too quickly and not having a proper quality assurance testing process in place. Once the email is out the door, little can be done after it lands in the inbox. Ouch.
The Resolution Even with the best testing and QA procedures, mistakes do happen. What I've found is that these types of mistakes are often a consequence of circumventing the process when time is short. Make time in the production and launch process to systematically review all parts of the message. Take note of the following nuggets before you click send. - Create, implement and adhere to a QA process/form. Reduce the risk of email errors by using a check list to proof your email messages. Whether you are an email team of one or of many, a QA form helps with tired eyes and can be your backup when there is a time crunch.
- Use a second set of eyes. Enlist the person in your office that is always correcting your internal correspondence. You know the one; they hit REPLY ALL and corrected your quick note letting everyone know that there was birthday cake in the break room. Seriously, a second set of fresh eyes can help catch a multitude of email errors. Find a backup stickler.
- Launch to an internal seed list first. Even after a thorough proofing round, there is bound to be someone who picks up on something that was overlooked. When possible, launch to your internal seed list and schedule your email to your recipient list only after some time for feedback and perhaps some good hearted ribbing.
- Don't push it – too much. We could all use another hour or two added to the day check off a few more of those to-do items. Set appropriate expectations for not only yourself but for others that have a say in your email program. Pushing back an email launch an hour or so to ensure that everything is correct can cause less grief than explaining why TEST was in your live subject line.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
