We have been doing a number of e-mail campaigns for clients of late and always hear the same question. "We have over 800 or 1000 click throughs but don't see anyone responding. Why?" The answer is mulitfaceted but has two fundamental answers.
First, prospects are used to seeing a message more than once, particularly for something that is time intensive or potentially expensive. They need an incentive to take the next step and give you their information for follow-up. Basically, what this means is that you don't just want to send a message out using e-mail and hope for the best, but you need to give some incentive to complete the form with their name and contact information for follow-up. Remember, you want THEM to select you to be their school of choice to complete their education.
What this means is, multiple deployments should be considered for the maximum response. Give them a STRONG reason to contact you and register, which means a discount on the first semester's tuition, discount on books (don't give them a sweatshirt, or travel coffee mug), it's insulting considering what you are asking them to spend on their further education. Give them something of substance to convince them to learn from you.
Second, and most importantly, use a unique code or process to identify who is applying. If you offer a discount on tuition, use a discount code (for example, AE1020 may reference Adult Education 10/20/10 campaign. That way you know the source of the new student. Make this unique for EVERY campaign.So, if you do three deployments over 2.5 weeks, the first may be AE102010, the second AE102610 and the third AE103110. That way you will be able to track performance by deployment.
As an example, here are some actual numbers from a client who did a campaign like the one described above.
Each of these deployed 75,000 e-mails, spread over six days.
Deployment 1
Opens 13,471 or 17.9%
Click Throughs 1015 or 7.53% of the opens
Confirmed registrations 4
Deployment 2 - 2 days later
Opens 16,004 or 21.3%
Click Throughs 1855 or 11.59% of opens
Confirmed registrations 33 new students
Deployment 3 - 4 days later
Opens 17855 or 23.8%
Click Throughs 2280 or 12.76% of opens
Confirmed registrations 75
They used a unique registration/discount code for each deployment and offered a discount on tuition for this campaign. The acheived 112 new students from this campaign and are now rolling out this program for every recruitment semester.
Learn how a program like that can assist YOUR institution. Contact us today for a count and quote.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
E-mail guidelines
The Cold Hard Fact of E-mail Marketing
Every campaign that goes out to over 1000 recipients will be filtered to some extent. No one is able to guarantee 100% delivery and if they are, you need to challenge them as to how and why.
Deliverability- Filters and Settings
There are several reasons why an E-mail may end up in a recipients junk mailbox. The 3 main filtering protocols that can stop your e-mail are (1) E-mail client filters, (2) ISP filtering, (3) blacklisting.
End users may set filters to automatically sort incoming messages to different folders. Wording can be filtered so that certain "from" and "subject" lines go directly to bulk mail folders. Users may set filters to block E-mail addresses or domains from which they don't want to receive. They may create lists to allow only trusted E-mail addresses. Some ISP's give you an option to block images on all incoming messages, which gives the end user the option of viewing images based on their preference.
Deliverability- Trigger Words
Unfortunately, spam filters can be set to block some of direct marketing's most powerful words like "free", "satisfaction guaranteed" and "click here". Use these words sparingly or find alternatives. Always test your messages with an up-to-date spam trigger database before sending. Frequently, more sophisticated anti-spam methods used by ISP's use a "point system" that identifies trigger phrases commonly used in spam. If an E-mail goes over the "points", it is filtered out and is never delivered.
Some of the more commonly used phrases that ISP's and mail clients filter out include:
Free! Eliminate Debt Removes Hidden
50% Off Double your Income Collect Information you requested
Click Here You're a winner! Amazing "Stop" or "Stops"
Call Now! Multi Level Marketing Cash Bonus Lose Weight
Subscribe Million Dollars Promise You Loans
Earn $ Opportunity Credit Satisfaction Guarantee
Discount Compare Reverse Aging Hot
There are other problematic phrases that can trigger some spam filters or start adding "spam points" to E-mails sent out. These should be avoided, including:
Act Now Easy Terms Unsecured debt or credit
All New Get Paid Online Marketing
Avoid Bankruptcy Give it away, Giving it away Order Now
As Seen On... Join Millions Don't Delete
Buy Direct Meet Singles Save up to
Casino No Cost, No Fees Time Limited
Consolidate Your Debt Offer Vacation
Special Promotion One Time Viagra
The following guidelines are for companies who develop E-mail HTML design/creative and copy.
In today's E-mail environment it is imperative that mailers consider the limitations presented by E-mail readers (E-mail readers are used to render E-mails) and evaluate creative in each relevant reader. For example, an E-mail may look fine in Yahoo!, but in Outlook '07 images are not displayed due to the rendering limitations and the default is set to images "off".
One solution is to review E-mail creative in all possible different E-mail readers- but this can be time consuming and cumbersome.
Another thing that needs to be considered is that Internet Service Providers (ISP's) have a variety of Mail Options, Spam and Filter Settings ranging Low, Medium, High. An end user's settings can effect whether an E-mail campaign is delivered to the inbox or the bulk mail folder. End users can set filters to:
* Automatically sort incoming messages to different folders
* Block E-mail addresses or domains from which they don't want to receive mail
* Create lists that allow only trusted E-mail addresses
* Block images on all incoming messages
Overall, we would recommend designing your creative to retain integrity across the lowest common denominator of reader. This will ensure that your communication is received and viewed successfully by all intended recipients, regardless of the E-mail reader being used.
The following guidelines are meant to assist you in your design efforts to address deliverability and E-mail reader rendering issues.
Quick check list- Top Ten Do's and Don'ts.
* Do not use forms, flash animated GIF's, nested background colors, background images in DIV tags or TABLE cells.
* Do not use embedded images.
* Do create the HTML in an HTML editor in plain HTML. Do not use MS Word, layers CSS, PageMaker, DreamWeaver, or JavaScript.
* Do use ALT tags as component of <img src> tag when using images. This will ensure copy shows up in place of the images for those recipients who have their image reader turned off or the reader is set "off" as a default.
* Do save graphics with large blocks of flat color or plain text as GIF's.
* Do not make the layout one large graphic, instead slice it into several pieces and optimize each piece.
* Do ensure that the entire HTML including any graphics is under 30k in weight.
* Do use bullets as a good way to call attention to important details. But do not use images as bullets in unordered lists (UL).
* Do ensure that the physical mailing address and phone number of the sender are included at the bottom of the creative as required by DMA E-mail Best Practices and the Can Spam Act.
* Do include a link from the footer to the client's web page describing their privacy policies as recommended by DMA E-mail Best Practices. Major ISP's favor this practice because it shows the sender is a reputable company and not a spammer.
Copy
Keep it short:
* Catch the consumer's eye with short, easy-to-read, and relevant copy
* Using bullets is a good way to call attention to important details. Don't use images as bullets in lists.
* Avoid Spam trap words.
Subject Lines
* The first point of contact with potential clients is the subject line of your E-mails.
* The goal of the subject line is to reach an audience that is literally bombarded with E-mail advertising, and convince them to open your E-mail. Remember, it creates an initial impression about your business.
* The Subject line should be a maximum of 8 to 10 words to catch their immediate attention.
* The average E-mail viewer can display 60 characters in the subject line before it is cut off.
Headlines
* Headlines should contain the offer or saving message
* Include your brand name and/or logo in the headline.
Body Copy
* Restate the offer from your headline at the top of the body copy
* Include 1-2 short paragraphs with details of the offer and a brief description of your company, if necessary.
* Convey benefits succinctly
Call-to-Action
* Include a strong call-to-action that tells the recipient what you want them to do (i.e. sign up, join, buy, etc).
Address
* DMA E-mail Best Practices and the Can Spam Act require the physical mailing address and phone number of the sender of the message to be included at the bottom of the creative.
Privacy Policy
* DMA E-mail Best Practices highly recommend including a link from the footer to the client's web page describing their privacy policies.
HTML/Design & Creative
Design for quick viewing
* Keep layout above the fold- 250 to 300 pixels
* Design as half-page rather than a full-page ad. Do not force the recipient to scroll.
* Create the HTML in an HTML editor in plain HTML. Do not use MS Word, Layers, CSS, PageMaker or DreamWeaver.
Use of Graphics
* Use bold graphics and design. Lifestyle graphics work best.
* When using images, use ALT tags as component of <img src> tag. This will ensure copy shows up in place of the image for those recipients who have their image reader turned off or the reader is set "off" as a default.
* We do not recommend the use of forms, flash animated GIF's nested background colors, background images in DIV tags or TABLE cells.
* We do not recommend embedded images
* Avoid the temptation to build your messages using only images. Try to keep a 60 (text) to 40 (image) ratio.
Optimize Creative
* The entire HTML and graphics must be under 30k in weight.
* Save graphics with large blocks of flat color or plain text as GIF's.
* If the layout is one large graphic, slice it into smaller pieces and optimize different areas.
Design Format
* Do not use Cascading Style Sheets (CCS) or JavaScript.
* Use a banner or logo at the top of your creative to attract attention and quickly promote your product. Ensure the banner/logo links to a landing page with your offer, not your company home page.
* Add a text-based link to a web version of your design at the top of your creative. (Add a link to a landing page where you are hosting the marketing message so an individual can view the marketing message in its entirety).
* Test your design in a preview pane, full screen and with images turned on and off before you send it.
* Ask your subscriber to add your "from address" to their address book at the bottom of the creative.
Copy
Many marketers feel overwhelmed trying to write great copy for E-mail. And, in fact, there are a lot of elements that go into a responsive E-mail message. If you have to focus your efforts in just one place, there's no question: it has to be the call-to-action. In fact, this is by far the biggest missed opportunity we see when evaluating E-mail creative. If the call-to-actions isn't clear, compelling and prominent, you probably aren't going to be happy with the results of your campaign. E-mail readers don't have time to figure out what you want them to do. You need to tell them using strong action verbs.
The first step, of course, is knowing what you want to accomplish. Do you want to generate leads? Then the call-to-action is something like "sign up", "register", or "download". Are you looking to generate traffic to your site? In that case, you want "learn more", or "read more", "find out", and "check out". If sales are the aim, then you can't do better than "buy now". Notice, by the way, the absence of the word "click". Yes, it does still work, and no, it doesn't always trip a spam filter. It is certainly worth testing, but 90% of the time you can find a better, more specific verb that will really drive your recipients to, well, click!
The next step is to make that call-to-action prominent. It should come right after your headline and both should appear above the fold in a preview window. The copy that supports the benefits of the offer should come after that, and then the call-to-action should re-appear in key places throughout the message. Use both links and buttons or graphics for your call-to-action.
Another thing to consider is the "weight" of your images. E-mails with a lot of images take a longer time to download than simpler E-mails. Using GIF as opposed to JPEG's can help streamline the E-mail's size. Using HTML text wherever possible also reduces the size and allows for some of the E-mail to get through if the images are blocked.
Guidelines for HTML include:
1. Create the HTML in an HTML editor in plain HTML, not using MS Word, Layers, CCS, PageMaker, or DreamWeaver.
2. File size should not exceed 20k.
3. Pixel size for the E-mail should be kept to approximately 600 pixels wide by about 450 pixels high.
4. Keep the call-to-action in the top 400 pixels of the E-mail so it sits above the fold.
Every campaign that goes out to over 1000 recipients will be filtered to some extent. No one is able to guarantee 100% delivery and if they are, you need to challenge them as to how and why.
Deliverability- Filters and Settings
There are several reasons why an E-mail may end up in a recipients junk mailbox. The 3 main filtering protocols that can stop your e-mail are (1) E-mail client filters, (2) ISP filtering, (3) blacklisting.
End users may set filters to automatically sort incoming messages to different folders. Wording can be filtered so that certain "from" and "subject" lines go directly to bulk mail folders. Users may set filters to block E-mail addresses or domains from which they don't want to receive. They may create lists to allow only trusted E-mail addresses. Some ISP's give you an option to block images on all incoming messages, which gives the end user the option of viewing images based on their preference.
Deliverability- Trigger Words
Unfortunately, spam filters can be set to block some of direct marketing's most powerful words like "free", "satisfaction guaranteed" and "click here". Use these words sparingly or find alternatives. Always test your messages with an up-to-date spam trigger database before sending. Frequently, more sophisticated anti-spam methods used by ISP's use a "point system" that identifies trigger phrases commonly used in spam. If an E-mail goes over the "points", it is filtered out and is never delivered.
Some of the more commonly used phrases that ISP's and mail clients filter out include:
Free! Eliminate Debt Removes Hidden
50% Off Double your Income Collect Information you requested
Click Here You're a winner! Amazing "Stop" or "Stops"
Call Now! Multi Level Marketing Cash Bonus Lose Weight
Subscribe Million Dollars Promise You Loans
Earn $ Opportunity Credit Satisfaction Guarantee
Discount Compare Reverse Aging Hot
There are other problematic phrases that can trigger some spam filters or start adding "spam points" to E-mails sent out. These should be avoided, including:
Act Now Easy Terms Unsecured debt or credit
All New Get Paid Online Marketing
Avoid Bankruptcy Give it away, Giving it away Order Now
As Seen On... Join Millions Don't Delete
Buy Direct Meet Singles Save up to
Casino No Cost, No Fees Time Limited
Consolidate Your Debt Offer Vacation
Special Promotion One Time Viagra
The following guidelines are for companies who develop E-mail HTML design/creative and copy.
In today's E-mail environment it is imperative that mailers consider the limitations presented by E-mail readers (E-mail readers are used to render E-mails) and evaluate creative in each relevant reader. For example, an E-mail may look fine in Yahoo!, but in Outlook '07 images are not displayed due to the rendering limitations and the default is set to images "off".
One solution is to review E-mail creative in all possible different E-mail readers- but this can be time consuming and cumbersome.
Another thing that needs to be considered is that Internet Service Providers (ISP's) have a variety of Mail Options, Spam and Filter Settings ranging Low, Medium, High. An end user's settings can effect whether an E-mail campaign is delivered to the inbox or the bulk mail folder. End users can set filters to:
* Automatically sort incoming messages to different folders
* Block E-mail addresses or domains from which they don't want to receive mail
* Create lists that allow only trusted E-mail addresses
* Block images on all incoming messages
Overall, we would recommend designing your creative to retain integrity across the lowest common denominator of reader. This will ensure that your communication is received and viewed successfully by all intended recipients, regardless of the E-mail reader being used.
The following guidelines are meant to assist you in your design efforts to address deliverability and E-mail reader rendering issues.
Quick check list- Top Ten Do's and Don'ts.
* Do not use forms, flash animated GIF's, nested background colors, background images in DIV tags or TABLE cells.
* Do not use embedded images.
* Do create the HTML in an HTML editor in plain HTML. Do not use MS Word, layers CSS, PageMaker, DreamWeaver, or JavaScript.
* Do use ALT tags as component of <img src> tag when using images. This will ensure copy shows up in place of the images for those recipients who have their image reader turned off or the reader is set "off" as a default.
* Do save graphics with large blocks of flat color or plain text as GIF's.
* Do not make the layout one large graphic, instead slice it into several pieces and optimize each piece.
* Do ensure that the entire HTML including any graphics is under 30k in weight.
* Do use bullets as a good way to call attention to important details. But do not use images as bullets in unordered lists (UL).
* Do ensure that the physical mailing address and phone number of the sender are included at the bottom of the creative as required by DMA E-mail Best Practices and the Can Spam Act.
* Do include a link from the footer to the client's web page describing their privacy policies as recommended by DMA E-mail Best Practices. Major ISP's favor this practice because it shows the sender is a reputable company and not a spammer.
Copy
Keep it short:
* Catch the consumer's eye with short, easy-to-read, and relevant copy
* Using bullets is a good way to call attention to important details. Don't use images as bullets in lists.
* Avoid Spam trap words.
Subject Lines
* The first point of contact with potential clients is the subject line of your E-mails.
* The goal of the subject line is to reach an audience that is literally bombarded with E-mail advertising, and convince them to open your E-mail. Remember, it creates an initial impression about your business.
* The Subject line should be a maximum of 8 to 10 words to catch their immediate attention.
* The average E-mail viewer can display 60 characters in the subject line before it is cut off.
Headlines
* Headlines should contain the offer or saving message
* Include your brand name and/or logo in the headline.
Body Copy
* Restate the offer from your headline at the top of the body copy
* Include 1-2 short paragraphs with details of the offer and a brief description of your company, if necessary.
* Convey benefits succinctly
Call-to-Action
* Include a strong call-to-action that tells the recipient what you want them to do (i.e. sign up, join, buy, etc).
Address
* DMA E-mail Best Practices and the Can Spam Act require the physical mailing address and phone number of the sender of the message to be included at the bottom of the creative.
Privacy Policy
* DMA E-mail Best Practices highly recommend including a link from the footer to the client's web page describing their privacy policies.
HTML/Design & Creative
Design for quick viewing
* Keep layout above the fold- 250 to 300 pixels
* Design as half-page rather than a full-page ad. Do not force the recipient to scroll.
* Create the HTML in an HTML editor in plain HTML. Do not use MS Word, Layers, CSS, PageMaker or DreamWeaver.
Use of Graphics
* Use bold graphics and design. Lifestyle graphics work best.
* When using images, use ALT tags as component of <img src> tag. This will ensure copy shows up in place of the image for those recipients who have their image reader turned off or the reader is set "off" as a default.
* We do not recommend the use of forms, flash animated GIF's nested background colors, background images in DIV tags or TABLE cells.
* We do not recommend embedded images
* Avoid the temptation to build your messages using only images. Try to keep a 60 (text) to 40 (image) ratio.
Optimize Creative
* The entire HTML and graphics must be under 30k in weight.
* Save graphics with large blocks of flat color or plain text as GIF's.
* If the layout is one large graphic, slice it into smaller pieces and optimize different areas.
Design Format
* Do not use Cascading Style Sheets (CCS) or JavaScript.
* Use a banner or logo at the top of your creative to attract attention and quickly promote your product. Ensure the banner/logo links to a landing page with your offer, not your company home page.
* Add a text-based link to a web version of your design at the top of your creative. (Add a link to a landing page where you are hosting the marketing message so an individual can view the marketing message in its entirety).
* Test your design in a preview pane, full screen and with images turned on and off before you send it.
* Ask your subscriber to add your "from address" to their address book at the bottom of the creative.
Copy
Many marketers feel overwhelmed trying to write great copy for E-mail. And, in fact, there are a lot of elements that go into a responsive E-mail message. If you have to focus your efforts in just one place, there's no question: it has to be the call-to-action. In fact, this is by far the biggest missed opportunity we see when evaluating E-mail creative. If the call-to-actions isn't clear, compelling and prominent, you probably aren't going to be happy with the results of your campaign. E-mail readers don't have time to figure out what you want them to do. You need to tell them using strong action verbs.
The first step, of course, is knowing what you want to accomplish. Do you want to generate leads? Then the call-to-action is something like "sign up", "register", or "download". Are you looking to generate traffic to your site? In that case, you want "learn more", or "read more", "find out", and "check out". If sales are the aim, then you can't do better than "buy now". Notice, by the way, the absence of the word "click". Yes, it does still work, and no, it doesn't always trip a spam filter. It is certainly worth testing, but 90% of the time you can find a better, more specific verb that will really drive your recipients to, well, click!
The next step is to make that call-to-action prominent. It should come right after your headline and both should appear above the fold in a preview window. The copy that supports the benefits of the offer should come after that, and then the call-to-action should re-appear in key places throughout the message. Use both links and buttons or graphics for your call-to-action.
Another thing to consider is the "weight" of your images. E-mails with a lot of images take a longer time to download than simpler E-mails. Using GIF as opposed to JPEG's can help streamline the E-mail's size. Using HTML text wherever possible also reduces the size and allows for some of the E-mail to get through if the images are blocked.
Guidelines for HTML include:
1. Create the HTML in an HTML editor in plain HTML, not using MS Word, Layers, CCS, PageMaker, or DreamWeaver.
2. File size should not exceed 20k.
3. Pixel size for the E-mail should be kept to approximately 600 pixels wide by about 450 pixels high.
4. Keep the call-to-action in the top 400 pixels of the E-mail so it sits above the fold.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Ideas from a Graduate Admissions Marketing Conference
I recently attended the Stamats Graduate Admissions Marketing Conference as one of their Corporate Sponsors. This was an enlightening conference that was filled with tips, techniques and ideas for targeting, reaching and communicating with graduate program prospects. Some of the most important ideas that I heard revolved around Web Analytics and the need for better, consistant tracking of your website, e-mails and social media.
HiPPO's- What they are and how do you deal with them?
One of the first items that struck me was the term HiPPO. NO, not an African animal, but a HiPPO is defined as the Highest Paid Person's Opinion. What this means is that when putting marketing plans together, the HiPPO will wield their power, not from knowledge but from their position of power. Whether it be the President, a Board member, a Dean, all of these people will influence your marketing decisions based on their perceptions, not based on fact. The most effective way to deflect a HiPPO is to develop quality analytics. Facts ALWAYS will take the power away from any detractor or power pusher since your facts trump anyone's opinion.
Hits- No, not the Soprano's or Elton John
This was an interesting topic. We always hear about how many "hits" your website has. Yet, most of us don't realize just what a "hit" is. Basically, if you have a home page with 14 graphics and text in it, when a visitor arrives, each picture will download. Suddenly you have 14 hits, yet, only one visitor. If 5 people visit you will then have 70 "hits". Not exactly what you wanted to know. You think you're doing great, but only had in reality 5 visitors.
When tracking website performance look at VISITORS, not hits. How many visitors did you have, how long did they stay on your website? What pages did they navigate to or did they abandon the site immediately. These are the telling statistics that you need to understand in order to build a case against your resident HiPPO.
Lifetime Value of a Student.
This was an interesting topic. I have used Lifetime Value of a Customer for many years with my retail and non-profit clients. Whenever I attempted to apply this idea to higher education I arrived at the conclusion that the lifetime value was while students are in school. Once they graduate, there is no value of a student. Boy, was I wrong! In reality while your student is attending your school, they have a great deal of value. But on graduation, that value changes from active student to Alumni. They join as an alumni, contribute to annual campaigns (I do this myself to the University of Minnesota), they create bequests and corporate giving programs. All events that can be quantified, evaluated and used to determine the true lifetime value of a student.
Google Analytics
There is nothing more powerful than being able to see results as they happen on the web. You send out an e-mail campaign, you will se a jump in web results. Send our Direct Mail, see a spike in visitors. You will see where people are coming from, or where they are going. You can determine if people are spending time on your website, only to abandon it when something isn't there or doesn't work. We have a local Community College with many broken links. My wife has been looking into this school, yet, whenever she tries to find more information she tends to find a broken link. Analytics can help you identify these problems but they require you to actively look at what is going on with your site.
Remember, knowledge is power. The more facts you can bring to the table, the more effective you will be in deflecting your HiPPO's and that Dean who feels his course with 5 students should be on the home page. Google analytics has become easier to use, and much more effective in what it tracks. Take a few minutes to learn how to make it work. I know I will be doing that for MY firm.
I have other thoughts and they will follow shortly. These are some of the key ideas that I observed over the 2 day conference. If you have any questions or need any information about how Market Mapping Plus can help you effectively reach YOUR target audience, just let me know.
HiPPO's- What they are and how do you deal with them?
One of the first items that struck me was the term HiPPO. NO, not an African animal, but a HiPPO is defined as the Highest Paid Person's Opinion. What this means is that when putting marketing plans together, the HiPPO will wield their power, not from knowledge but from their position of power. Whether it be the President, a Board member, a Dean, all of these people will influence your marketing decisions based on their perceptions, not based on fact. The most effective way to deflect a HiPPO is to develop quality analytics. Facts ALWAYS will take the power away from any detractor or power pusher since your facts trump anyone's opinion.
Hits- No, not the Soprano's or Elton John
This was an interesting topic. We always hear about how many "hits" your website has. Yet, most of us don't realize just what a "hit" is. Basically, if you have a home page with 14 graphics and text in it, when a visitor arrives, each picture will download. Suddenly you have 14 hits, yet, only one visitor. If 5 people visit you will then have 70 "hits". Not exactly what you wanted to know. You think you're doing great, but only had in reality 5 visitors.
When tracking website performance look at VISITORS, not hits. How many visitors did you have, how long did they stay on your website? What pages did they navigate to or did they abandon the site immediately. These are the telling statistics that you need to understand in order to build a case against your resident HiPPO.
Lifetime Value of a Student.
This was an interesting topic. I have used Lifetime Value of a Customer for many years with my retail and non-profit clients. Whenever I attempted to apply this idea to higher education I arrived at the conclusion that the lifetime value was while students are in school. Once they graduate, there is no value of a student. Boy, was I wrong! In reality while your student is attending your school, they have a great deal of value. But on graduation, that value changes from active student to Alumni. They join as an alumni, contribute to annual campaigns (I do this myself to the University of Minnesota), they create bequests and corporate giving programs. All events that can be quantified, evaluated and used to determine the true lifetime value of a student.
Google Analytics
There is nothing more powerful than being able to see results as they happen on the web. You send out an e-mail campaign, you will se a jump in web results. Send our Direct Mail, see a spike in visitors. You will see where people are coming from, or where they are going. You can determine if people are spending time on your website, only to abandon it when something isn't there or doesn't work. We have a local Community College with many broken links. My wife has been looking into this school, yet, whenever she tries to find more information she tends to find a broken link. Analytics can help you identify these problems but they require you to actively look at what is going on with your site.
Remember, knowledge is power. The more facts you can bring to the table, the more effective you will be in deflecting your HiPPO's and that Dean who feels his course with 5 students should be on the home page. Google analytics has become easier to use, and much more effective in what it tracks. Take a few minutes to learn how to make it work. I know I will be doing that for MY firm.
I have other thoughts and they will follow shortly. These are some of the key ideas that I observed over the 2 day conference. If you have any questions or need any information about how Market Mapping Plus can help you effectively reach YOUR target audience, just let me know.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
E-mail campaign performance
In today's market, e-mail is becoming as viable a tool for prospecting as direct mail is. However, this comes with a caveat. The issue is, will you save money in the long run doing a large e-mail blast when compared to a more limited direct mail campaign.
As with direct mail there are three key components to any campaign. The bounce rate, the open rate and the click through rate. None of these, in reality are what you actually care about. What is important to YOU is how many prospects are actually interested in buying? Yet, in so many cases the campaign tracking breaks down at this point. Let me share with you an example of what I mean.
A recent campaign had the following response:
Total names in the e-mail blast 30,000
Open rate after 2 weeks 10,200 or around 34%
Click through rate after 2 weeks 663 or around 6.2% of the click opens
Requested further information 5 or around .75% response rate
The cost/lead for this campaign is currently $860.
The problem that occurred was that the client did not have a proper mechanism to track their click throughs. We had to match back these 5 names to the master blast database to make sure they were there. They showed significant activity increased in their web activity logs, yet didn't have a way to capture those names/addresses of people who may have been truly interested but didn't take the additional step to click on the "more information" link.
Create a landing page that forces the person to complete even basic information before they get to the master information page. Look to capture:
E-mail address
Name
Address
City, State Zip code
Phone
Or, to streamline the process, you can just go for the e-mail address and phone for follow up. This way, you have enough information to get back in touch with them, and most people who may be interested, even a little bit will offer that information to you.
If you compare this to a direct mail campaign the results can be similar. If we look at spending the exact same amount of money on a direct mail campaign we would have the following numbers to consider.
Pieces mailed 5,000
Cost of printing, postage, letter shop, design, and mailing list $4,160
Expected response rate .5%
Total responses 35.
The question becomes, for the same money, which is more effective? My guess is that the e-mail campaign listed above had more then 5 people who were interested, It's just that the tracking system for direct mail is more efficient and easier to use.
Set up an effective tracking system.
Don't think e-mail is cheaper than direct mail. It's not. They are comparable in cost.
Response is ALL you really care about. New students are what you need to focus on here, not click throughs or direct mail responses. You want STUDENTS.
Combining direct mail and e-mail campaigns can lift response but this is something you need to test in order to know if this will work for you. Market Mapping plus LLC can help you determine what type of campaign you can afford and will be most effective for you. We focus on YOUR PROSPECTS.
As with direct mail there are three key components to any campaign. The bounce rate, the open rate and the click through rate. None of these, in reality are what you actually care about. What is important to YOU is how many prospects are actually interested in buying? Yet, in so many cases the campaign tracking breaks down at this point. Let me share with you an example of what I mean.
A recent campaign had the following response:
Total names in the e-mail blast 30,000
Open rate after 2 weeks 10,200 or around 34%
Click through rate after 2 weeks 663 or around 6.2% of the click opens
Requested further information 5 or around .75% response rate
The cost/lead for this campaign is currently $860.
The problem that occurred was that the client did not have a proper mechanism to track their click throughs. We had to match back these 5 names to the master blast database to make sure they were there. They showed significant activity increased in their web activity logs, yet didn't have a way to capture those names/addresses of people who may have been truly interested but didn't take the additional step to click on the "more information" link.
Create a landing page that forces the person to complete even basic information before they get to the master information page. Look to capture:
E-mail address
Name
Address
City, State Zip code
Phone
Or, to streamline the process, you can just go for the e-mail address and phone for follow up. This way, you have enough information to get back in touch with them, and most people who may be interested, even a little bit will offer that information to you.
If you compare this to a direct mail campaign the results can be similar. If we look at spending the exact same amount of money on a direct mail campaign we would have the following numbers to consider.
Pieces mailed 5,000
Cost of printing, postage, letter shop, design, and mailing list $4,160
Expected response rate .5%
Total responses 35.
The question becomes, for the same money, which is more effective? My guess is that the e-mail campaign listed above had more then 5 people who were interested, It's just that the tracking system for direct mail is more efficient and easier to use.
Set up an effective tracking system.
Don't think e-mail is cheaper than direct mail. It's not. They are comparable in cost.
Response is ALL you really care about. New students are what you need to focus on here, not click throughs or direct mail responses. You want STUDENTS.
Combining direct mail and e-mail campaigns can lift response but this is something you need to test in order to know if this will work for you. Market Mapping plus LLC can help you determine what type of campaign you can afford and will be most effective for you. We focus on YOUR PROSPECTS.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Response is a two way street!
I read that statement the other day in one of my trade publications and realized that for many of us this is not necessarily true. The statement speaks for itself. If you build an advertising/marketing program in an attempt to attract new students, is the method of advertising being handled properly? Are these prospects being acknowledged? Processed? Invited to participate? \And most importantly, are they told EXACTLY how easy it can be to become a student and earn a degree?
So many institutions create a system that is focused on THEIR needs, not the students'. The hoops they have to jump through are many, and the end results are elusive at best. A constant review of your marketing process, looking at what you are using to generate response, coupled with building a program that responds appropriately to the prospect and gives them what they need is critical to a successful campaign.
Response IS a two way street. You send something out expecting a response. But what, does that response look like and is it "student prospect" friendly?
So many institutions create a system that is focused on THEIR needs, not the students'. The hoops they have to jump through are many, and the end results are elusive at best. A constant review of your marketing process, looking at what you are using to generate response, coupled with building a program that responds appropriately to the prospect and gives them what they need is critical to a successful campaign.
Response IS a two way street. You send something out expecting a response. But what, does that response look like and is it "student prospect" friendly?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Why? A critical question before using new media.
Why? A simple question that is rarely considered when jumping into something new. It's a simple question, yet the answer can be very telling and more important, will give you direction to your use of (or choice NOT to use) a new medium for prospecting.
Why use Twitter?
Why use Facebook?
Why use direct mail?
Why use billboards?
The answer to these will dictate how to use each medium AND will guide you to create tracking/performance strategies to show that the medium that you select is effective and meeting your needs. How can you determine if your use of a given media choice is effective if you don't know why you are using it? What do you hope to get from your use and most importantly, how can you track whether or not your use is effective?
Let's look at an example. The President of your institution announces "This Twitter thing is huge, we need to use Twitter to reach new prospects!". Not an uncommon event where the word for action comes down from on high. Yet, even though Twitter IS huge, can it be used for his intended purpose? I would state, without hesitation, that the answer is no. Twitter has no way of identifying people who want a degree or who want to return to school to finish their degree. Twitter is a highly effective way of communicating with people who ARE interested in what you are selling, but is a very poor tool for raw recruitment. The question has to be asked, WHY?
Everyone at the institution needs to understand the answer to the question "WHY?"! Use this question to do the following:
The greatest failure in most systems is not asking Why? It's determining the answer to this question that will drive it's success or failure.
Looking back at the President's edict to use Twitter, ask them Why? Ask them what they want/think Twitter will do for them or their institution. Then, go do your research and see if it's possible to get more followers than Ashton Kutchner!
I picked up this idea at the STAMATS Adult Student Conference I'm attending as a sponsor. for more information, don't hesitate to contact David Fant, Owner Market Mapping plus LLC
Why use Twitter?
Why use Facebook?
Why use direct mail?
Why use billboards?
The answer to these will dictate how to use each medium AND will guide you to create tracking/performance strategies to show that the medium that you select is effective and meeting your needs. How can you determine if your use of a given media choice is effective if you don't know why you are using it? What do you hope to get from your use and most importantly, how can you track whether or not your use is effective?
Let's look at an example. The President of your institution announces "This Twitter thing is huge, we need to use Twitter to reach new prospects!". Not an uncommon event where the word for action comes down from on high. Yet, even though Twitter IS huge, can it be used for his intended purpose? I would state, without hesitation, that the answer is no. Twitter has no way of identifying people who want a degree or who want to return to school to finish their degree. Twitter is a highly effective way of communicating with people who ARE interested in what you are selling, but is a very poor tool for raw recruitment. The question has to be asked, WHY?
Everyone at the institution needs to understand the answer to the question "WHY?"! Use this question to do the following:
- Determine what you want to accomplish.
- Evaluate how a given medium can help you meet that goal.
- If your goal can't be met OR measured, move to another medium.
- Moving forward create and implement tracking methods to determine if your goals are being met.
- Have everyone involved buy into the goals that you hope to accomplish and on the measurements that will be used to reach those goals.
- Be prepared that if the goals aren't met, abandon this medium (for the given use only) and try something else.
The greatest failure in most systems is not asking Why? It's determining the answer to this question that will drive it's success or failure.
Looking back at the President's edict to use Twitter, ask them Why? Ask them what they want/think Twitter will do for them or their institution. Then, go do your research and see if it's possible to get more followers than Ashton Kutchner!
I picked up this idea at the STAMATS Adult Student Conference I'm attending as a sponsor. for more information, don't hesitate to contact David Fant, Owner Market Mapping plus LLC
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Comments on Stamats Adult Education Conference
I'm attending the Stamats Adult Education conference in San Antonio this week as one of their conference sponsors. Yesterday we had a presentation on Integrated Marketing Plans. It was interesting and quite insightful and unfortunately I can't post the entire presentation here. I do have a few observations/ideas that came from the presentation.
Don't Over Promise - Always remember when developing ALL forms of marketing...What you promise you MUST produce! More students leave an institution when they realize that the promises made in advertising, campus meetings have not been kept.
Tracking Performance - When doing different types of marketing tracking performance is critical. (More on this in a later blog.) When you are measuring your marketing program you are an investment, without measurement on performance and success you are an expense.
Strategy - The purpose of strategy is to differentiate your institution from your competitors in ways that target audiences value.
Commodity vs Brand - Which are you? A commodity is something people select using cost and convenience as the primary decision point. A Brand is selected based on the institutions Brand/Quality/Reputation.
Competitors - Identify the 5 or 6 key competitors in your market area. DON'T market or do what they do, be different. Set yourself apart.
How you think about your performance. - Marketing people tend to look at what they did. I produced 20 brochures, 15 events. Don't fall into this trap. focus on OUTCOMES. I got 200 people to attend an open house. We received 400 leads for Admissions to sell.
Brand Marketing - Who you are, what you are. Basically your brand or what I call institutional promotional marketing/advertising.
Direct Marketing - Designed to create a response. Use this to drive admissions, participation in institutional events.
I found this final comment to be SOOOO insightful. Direct Marketing has never changed, The PROCESS has changed. Don't let the internet, social media, or more traditional methods of marketing shift your focus. Find a way to integrate these new media into your media mix but the new methods of direct marketing are just that NEW. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I will write more. Time for day 2.
Don't Over Promise - Always remember when developing ALL forms of marketing...What you promise you MUST produce! More students leave an institution when they realize that the promises made in advertising, campus meetings have not been kept.
Tracking Performance - When doing different types of marketing tracking performance is critical. (More on this in a later blog.) When you are measuring your marketing program you are an investment, without measurement on performance and success you are an expense.
Strategy - The purpose of strategy is to differentiate your institution from your competitors in ways that target audiences value.
Commodity vs Brand - Which are you? A commodity is something people select using cost and convenience as the primary decision point. A Brand is selected based on the institutions Brand/Quality/Reputation.
Competitors - Identify the 5 or 6 key competitors in your market area. DON'T market or do what they do, be different. Set yourself apart.
How you think about your performance. - Marketing people tend to look at what they did. I produced 20 brochures, 15 events. Don't fall into this trap. focus on OUTCOMES. I got 200 people to attend an open house. We received 400 leads for Admissions to sell.
Brand Marketing - Who you are, what you are. Basically your brand or what I call institutional promotional marketing/advertising.
Direct Marketing - Designed to create a response. Use this to drive admissions, participation in institutional events.
I found this final comment to be SOOOO insightful. Direct Marketing has never changed, The PROCESS has changed. Don't let the internet, social media, or more traditional methods of marketing shift your focus. Find a way to integrate these new media into your media mix but the new methods of direct marketing are just that NEW. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I will write more. Time for day 2.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Why use a list broker?
As with virtually every industry there are generalists and specialists. People who work in some industries have knowledge about fringe or related businesses, but their primary job may not be what you need for your project. As an example, if you have a plumbing problem you wouldn't call an electritian to do the work. Even though he may have knowledge of plumbing, his training and experience are definitely NOT in the area that you need.
List Brokers fall into the same classification. If you are looking for a mailing list why go to a printer, ad agency, or search the web? Although these may give you what you are looking for, are they specifically trained to make sure you are getting EXACTLY what you want in a format that you need it in? When was the list last cleaned or updated? Does it include marginal addresses that may not be deliverable according to the United States Postal Service? How is the list compiled? Who is the contact name ( if any) on the mailing list? Also, you have to keep in mind that printers and agencies tend to mark up their lists. So you are paying more than retail for your list. Something that will never (or should never) happen when dealing with a list broker.
All of these questions and hundreds more are what List Brokers do for their clients. Many people assume that they are saving money by letting their printer or ad agency purchase their list, but list brokers work in a unique environment where they are paid by the list owner to order their list for clients. The amount you pay is exactly what it would cost if you went directly to the list owner BUT the List Broker will do all of the leg work for you. They will prequalify the list, find out when it was updated last, if it is CASS Certified which will allow you to get the lowest postage discount possible, and if the list can be segmented by the demographics you need for your marketing efforts.
All of this work is done for you at NO extra charge. I recently did a search for a client and came up with six list recommendations for their direct mail project. My client only needed to evaluate each list, the source of the information, when it was last updated and the price. From there, they selected the lists that best met their needs.
In addition, List Brokers can help you understand that it's not just the list your buying, but if you are purchasing multiple lists, merge/purge them against each other, and the multi hits (names that fall into more than one list) are ideal for future mailings. Afterall, you paid for the name, use it!
As a List Broker of over 20 years I value the relationship with my clients. Finding more information and better lists for my clients makes them more effective AND brings them back for more. Don't look at your broker as a vendor, but rather a partner. Someone who is as interested in your success as you are. And, someone who can save you money by doing all of your research for free and NOT marking up your list costs.
List Brokers fall into the same classification. If you are looking for a mailing list why go to a printer, ad agency, or search the web? Although these may give you what you are looking for, are they specifically trained to make sure you are getting EXACTLY what you want in a format that you need it in? When was the list last cleaned or updated? Does it include marginal addresses that may not be deliverable according to the United States Postal Service? How is the list compiled? Who is the contact name ( if any) on the mailing list? Also, you have to keep in mind that printers and agencies tend to mark up their lists. So you are paying more than retail for your list. Something that will never (or should never) happen when dealing with a list broker.
All of these questions and hundreds more are what List Brokers do for their clients. Many people assume that they are saving money by letting their printer or ad agency purchase their list, but list brokers work in a unique environment where they are paid by the list owner to order their list for clients. The amount you pay is exactly what it would cost if you went directly to the list owner BUT the List Broker will do all of the leg work for you. They will prequalify the list, find out when it was updated last, if it is CASS Certified which will allow you to get the lowest postage discount possible, and if the list can be segmented by the demographics you need for your marketing efforts.
All of this work is done for you at NO extra charge. I recently did a search for a client and came up with six list recommendations for their direct mail project. My client only needed to evaluate each list, the source of the information, when it was last updated and the price. From there, they selected the lists that best met their needs.
In addition, List Brokers can help you understand that it's not just the list your buying, but if you are purchasing multiple lists, merge/purge them against each other, and the multi hits (names that fall into more than one list) are ideal for future mailings. Afterall, you paid for the name, use it!
As a List Broker of over 20 years I value the relationship with my clients. Finding more information and better lists for my clients makes them more effective AND brings them back for more. Don't look at your broker as a vendor, but rather a partner. Someone who is as interested in your success as you are. And, someone who can save you money by doing all of your research for free and NOT marking up your list costs.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Building an integrated marketing program
So many institutions rely on a number of different methods of reaching new students. Although the list of media is extensive, many institutions have NO idea what is really working for them. I had a client who used the following media to attract prospective students:
1) Direct Mail
2) Marriage Mail Inserts
3) Radio Ads
4) Television Ads
5) Cable Ads
6) Newspaper Inserts
7) Billboards
8) School Visits for HS School Students
They were very efficient at tracking SOME of the responses, but the problem was that their data entry was inconsistant and the field for source code was virtually empty. When you are spending the amount of money that this school was spending on advertising and marketing, tracking performance is ESSENTIAL to understanding where your students are coming from. Not only from a cost efficiency point of view, but also, when analyzing prospects to actual students, the method of advertising can make the difference between having 1000 prospects and few enrolled students and fewer prospects but more enrolled students.
This was a client who I worked with before the internet became so popular and social media became so pervasive which is why there are none of those on the above list. But in today's world you can add the following:
1) Website Referrals
2) Social Media
3) Texting
4) E-mail
What is the goal of tracking performance? The most important reason is to make sure that the dollars you allocate to each form of media are being used effectively. In my client's case above, they swore by marriage mail. They said that marriage mail was a great source of leads, however, after focusing on tracking leads from marriage mail coupons, we discovered that they generated zero leads from this source over a six month period of time. Needless to say, they eliminated this form of advertising and shifted it to methods that were more effective in getting prospects to request more information.
The problem is, most schools focus on LEADS not STUDENTS! A lead is worthless unless you can convert them into registered students. So, tracking lead to student conversion rates are essential to determining the effectiveness of any marketing campaign. If you get 100 prospective leads and close 3 of them, your lead to sale ratio is only about 3%. It's time to investigate what is going on with your internal lead handling process and find out why more prospects aren't becoming registered students.
All of this does require time, and effort. If you don't have the staff or time to do this, hire someone to help (we can do that for you if you need us to). Learn what's working and what isn't. Test new methods of advertising that are focused on reaching your BEST prospects. Then, make sure your internal operations are designed to convert those prospects into students. At times, outside consultants can help you identify areas that need change or improvement, but you can also do this yourself. If you have any questions or want to discuss how to track performance give me a call and we can discuss it in greater detail.
1) Direct Mail
2) Marriage Mail Inserts
3) Radio Ads
4) Television Ads
5) Cable Ads
6) Newspaper Inserts
7) Billboards
8) School Visits for HS School Students
They were very efficient at tracking SOME of the responses, but the problem was that their data entry was inconsistant and the field for source code was virtually empty. When you are spending the amount of money that this school was spending on advertising and marketing, tracking performance is ESSENTIAL to understanding where your students are coming from. Not only from a cost efficiency point of view, but also, when analyzing prospects to actual students, the method of advertising can make the difference between having 1000 prospects and few enrolled students and fewer prospects but more enrolled students.
This was a client who I worked with before the internet became so popular and social media became so pervasive which is why there are none of those on the above list. But in today's world you can add the following:
1) Website Referrals
2) Social Media
3) Texting
4) E-mail
What is the goal of tracking performance? The most important reason is to make sure that the dollars you allocate to each form of media are being used effectively. In my client's case above, they swore by marriage mail. They said that marriage mail was a great source of leads, however, after focusing on tracking leads from marriage mail coupons, we discovered that they generated zero leads from this source over a six month period of time. Needless to say, they eliminated this form of advertising and shifted it to methods that were more effective in getting prospects to request more information.
The problem is, most schools focus on LEADS not STUDENTS! A lead is worthless unless you can convert them into registered students. So, tracking lead to student conversion rates are essential to determining the effectiveness of any marketing campaign. If you get 100 prospective leads and close 3 of them, your lead to sale ratio is only about 3%. It's time to investigate what is going on with your internal lead handling process and find out why more prospects aren't becoming registered students.
All of this does require time, and effort. If you don't have the staff or time to do this, hire someone to help (we can do that for you if you need us to). Learn what's working and what isn't. Test new methods of advertising that are focused on reaching your BEST prospects. Then, make sure your internal operations are designed to convert those prospects into students. At times, outside consultants can help you identify areas that need change or improvement, but you can also do this yourself. If you have any questions or want to discuss how to track performance give me a call and we can discuss it in greater detail.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)