I find this an interesting topic. When I started Market Mapping plus back in 1990, one of my mantras over all these years has been "Track response". Why? If you don't track where your prospects and students are coming from, how do you know where to allocate resources?
Yes, 26 years later I keep asking clients "what gives you the best response?" and they have no idea. The opportunities for spending your marketing dollars are expanding significantly. In the past, you had direct mail (postal) as one of the only and primary methods of advertising. Since then the market has expanded to include Billboards, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, the CAS Devices (like the Amazon Echo) which are new technologies that dilute your marketing budget. But how do you decide which method to fund?
I had a client many years ago who hired me to evaluate their Adult Student marketing program. I evaluated all of the methods of advertising, told them to start keycoding ads/direct mail pieces to identify where a lead came from. After the first quarter of testing this new coding system I had a meeting with the VP of Enrollment Management and asked him which methods were the most effective? He gave me his top 3. Of his top 3, there were zero leads from the top two. The #1 method of advertising was direct mail postal postcards. Marriage mail and newspaper insert programs generated nothing in terms of response. So they reallocated their budget to become more effective in their marketing efforts.
The ultimate question is "How do we track all of these marketing programs?". The key is integrating some method of knowing where a lead came from. For printed marketing materials a user code to identify the source of the lead, and in some cases, the source of the name. Where did it come from? What list? For Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter use a unique code to identify where a lead got motivated to contact you and enroll.
There is an easier way to track campaign success. For every Adult Student who enrolls, give them a short survey. Ask them what got them to enroll to get their degree. This is the best and easiest method of finding out what's working.
If you need help setting up a quality tracking program give me a call. David Fant, Market Mapping plus Inc. at 616-956-7129, or write me at david@marketmappingplus.com.
Showing posts with label Effective E-mail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Effective E-mail. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Don't call us, We'll call you.
I saw a promotion for the above titled webinar. I looked back at the direct marketing field and started thinking about what response looked like in the past. Thirty years ago people got a mailing for a product or service, (postal only by the way) and either went to the store to make their purchase OR, made a phone call if it was for a catalog. Then, email became a household method of communication. Although visiting a store and calling a call center continued to be key, people got used to seeing an email, clicking on the link and ordering their product or service.
Life got easier, more streamlined, but as with all new methods of marketing it too had it's problems. People would load their cart, then abandon them. They would respond to an email, click through and discover that what they thought they wanted, wasn't really what they expected. Forms asked for too much information so people just left, or they found that there are many more interesting things to click on than fill out a form or order.
Fast forward to the current environment and phones are as complex as a home computer. Everything that used to require a printed catalog and call center are now in our hand, accessible 24/7. I believe we have become overwhelmed with information. Everyone wanting a part of our time, a piece of our life. To the point where people no longer want to give their information to companies without a compelling reason to do so. Why? They know that the followup inundation of mail, phone calls or email will be more than they wanted. Which, brings me to the title of this blog.
People have developed the attitude of "If I want what you're offering, I will call you". I admit, I do this a lot. I get more advertisements (mostly email) from list managers pushing their latest and greatest list. Are these valuable to me? Not really. It's just more junk to delete and not particularly relevant. There are two sources that list every direct marketing list on the market. SRDS and NextMark and primary search engines for direct mail/email/telemarketing lists. Why keep or respond to an email for a new, updated list, when I can type in a few keywords and get a complete list of all lists on the market? It turns out, I have been using the Don't call us, we'll call you approach for years! I just didn't realize it.
What else does this new attitude toward our marketing message mean? Tracking sales is more critical than ever. Where did an order come from? If you do an email campaign, get an order but not from on line, where did that customer get the information they needed to order or attend your school? I guarantee you that if you have been doing billboards, broadcast ads, direct mail and email campaigns you likely have NO idea where your leads are actually coming from.
I had a client who spent hundreds of dollars on inserts in coupon packets. I did an analysis (at their request) of performance, added a user code, tracked it for 3 months and discovered that what they thought was a fabulous lead generation tool, generated zero response. NO ONE used their coupons to call and attend their school. Instead, their direct mail program generated over 50,000 leads over a period of years. Enough for them to call and follow up to attract new students.
The key to all of these changes in customer response is to build a system to track where your customers are actually coming from. Ask them. If you're a school in Higher Education, go to your Adult Students and ask "What brought you to our school?" It's simple, Ask and you will find out so much about your prospects and how to reach them. BUT, remember they are likely calling YOU, not responding in a way that you expect or anticipate.
Life got easier, more streamlined, but as with all new methods of marketing it too had it's problems. People would load their cart, then abandon them. They would respond to an email, click through and discover that what they thought they wanted, wasn't really what they expected. Forms asked for too much information so people just left, or they found that there are many more interesting things to click on than fill out a form or order.
Fast forward to the current environment and phones are as complex as a home computer. Everything that used to require a printed catalog and call center are now in our hand, accessible 24/7. I believe we have become overwhelmed with information. Everyone wanting a part of our time, a piece of our life. To the point where people no longer want to give their information to companies without a compelling reason to do so. Why? They know that the followup inundation of mail, phone calls or email will be more than they wanted. Which, brings me to the title of this blog.
People have developed the attitude of "If I want what you're offering, I will call you". I admit, I do this a lot. I get more advertisements (mostly email) from list managers pushing their latest and greatest list. Are these valuable to me? Not really. It's just more junk to delete and not particularly relevant. There are two sources that list every direct marketing list on the market. SRDS and NextMark and primary search engines for direct mail/email/telemarketing lists. Why keep or respond to an email for a new, updated list, when I can type in a few keywords and get a complete list of all lists on the market? It turns out, I have been using the Don't call us, we'll call you approach for years! I just didn't realize it.
What else does this new attitude toward our marketing message mean? Tracking sales is more critical than ever. Where did an order come from? If you do an email campaign, get an order but not from on line, where did that customer get the information they needed to order or attend your school? I guarantee you that if you have been doing billboards, broadcast ads, direct mail and email campaigns you likely have NO idea where your leads are actually coming from.
I had a client who spent hundreds of dollars on inserts in coupon packets. I did an analysis (at their request) of performance, added a user code, tracked it for 3 months and discovered that what they thought was a fabulous lead generation tool, generated zero response. NO ONE used their coupons to call and attend their school. Instead, their direct mail program generated over 50,000 leads over a period of years. Enough for them to call and follow up to attract new students.
The key to all of these changes in customer response is to build a system to track where your customers are actually coming from. Ask them. If you're a school in Higher Education, go to your Adult Students and ask "What brought you to our school?" It's simple, Ask and you will find out so much about your prospects and how to reach them. BUT, remember they are likely calling YOU, not responding in a way that you expect or anticipate.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Baseball has 3 outs, how many outs do you have?
I am constantly being asked to review email creatives and landing pages for my clients. What surprises me is the number of clients who fail to understand what their ultimate goal is. Let's look at this from the end result to the beginning.
First, the goal of any campaign is new students. So, consider your landing page. What should it contain? A list of benefits! A matching message from the email that they got. A form for them to fill out to indicate interest. A phone number in case they want to call. That's it! NOTHING ELSE.
Why nothing else. The reason is simple, if you give them any other options such as links to Facebook, LinkedIn, your website, even a program related portion of your website they are gone. They leave your landing page, never fill out the information, you never hear from them again UNLESS they decide to contact you in some other way other than the landing page. I constantly see reports where people click through to the landing page and then disappear in to the outs that you gave them. Why give them ANY choice but to fill out the form, or call you? It's self defeating and it dooms any campaign to the failure category. This is a sample email I sent in 2014, Notice that even I didn't know the best practices back then. Now, there are key Call to Action (CTA's) through out the email and NO outs other than to the relevant landing page.
Next, let's move backwards to the email. You craft a perfect message, benefit laden for a prospective student to want to attend your school. The CTA button is below the fold. Will they find it? Very possibly not. Above the fold? Yes, they will click on it if they are motivated. BUT, included in your email are OUTS. Why would you give a prospect the option to leave your email and go anywhere other than your landing page? You need their information. You have peaked their interest. Yet, you let them get away to YouTube, Facebook, or anywhere else.
I recently had a client who had a landing page with 18 outs. And they wondered why no one clicked through. Well, they did, they clicked everywhere but to their landing page to fill out the form! Understand the purpose of your campaign and then design ALL elements to focus on that goal.
Outs are never good. They distract from the purpose of the campaign and offer the prospect a way to go places that you don't want them to go. As an example, say you want to show a video. Most people will put a link to the video, the prospect clicks on it and goes to YouTube. Guess what? You just lost them. They go there, see other opportunities to click on or think about that new video that's out from Beyonce and poof, they are no longer thinking education, but are instead being entertained. The solution? All videos should be put in a shadow box. Click on the link, it opens a box over the landing page or email, runs and then stops, closes and they are back to where they started, your email or landing page. No interruption in thought process and they AREN'T watching a music video!
Keep all of these thoughts in mind,
First, the goal of any campaign is new students. So, consider your landing page. What should it contain? A list of benefits! A matching message from the email that they got. A form for them to fill out to indicate interest. A phone number in case they want to call. That's it! NOTHING ELSE.
Why nothing else. The reason is simple, if you give them any other options such as links to Facebook, LinkedIn, your website, even a program related portion of your website they are gone. They leave your landing page, never fill out the information, you never hear from them again UNLESS they decide to contact you in some other way other than the landing page. I constantly see reports where people click through to the landing page and then disappear in to the outs that you gave them. Why give them ANY choice but to fill out the form, or call you? It's self defeating and it dooms any campaign to the failure category. This is a sample email I sent in 2014, Notice that even I didn't know the best practices back then. Now, there are key Call to Action (CTA's) through out the email and NO outs other than to the relevant landing page.
Next, let's move backwards to the email. You craft a perfect message, benefit laden for a prospective student to want to attend your school. The CTA button is below the fold. Will they find it? Very possibly not. Above the fold? Yes, they will click on it if they are motivated. BUT, included in your email are OUTS. Why would you give a prospect the option to leave your email and go anywhere other than your landing page? You need their information. You have peaked their interest. Yet, you let them get away to YouTube, Facebook, or anywhere else.
 |
| 2014 Email with over 14 outs |
 |
| 2017 Email with zero outs |
I recently had a client who had a landing page with 18 outs. And they wondered why no one clicked through. Well, they did, they clicked everywhere but to their landing page to fill out the form! Understand the purpose of your campaign and then design ALL elements to focus on that goal.
Outs are never good. They distract from the purpose of the campaign and offer the prospect a way to go places that you don't want them to go. As an example, say you want to show a video. Most people will put a link to the video, the prospect clicks on it and goes to YouTube. Guess what? You just lost them. They go there, see other opportunities to click on or think about that new video that's out from Beyonce and poof, they are no longer thinking education, but are instead being entertained. The solution? All videos should be put in a shadow box. Click on the link, it opens a box over the landing page or email, runs and then stops, closes and they are back to where they started, your email or landing page. No interruption in thought process and they AREN'T watching a music video!
Keep all of these thoughts in mind,
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.
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