A PROVEN FORMULA TO OPTIMIZE
(AND REVOLUTIONIZE)
YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGNS
Which Email Performed Best?
(1) (2) (3)
Are Best Practices Enough?
-52% -19% -34%
MECLABS is the largest optimization institution in the world.
Copyright © MECLABS
1,500+ major experiments
Over 1 billion emails tested
10,000 sales-paths tested
500,000 “decision-maker”
interviews
5 million phone calls
100+ conferences/clinics
Copyright © MECLABS
7
Fundamental Theory
1. Email is a relational medium. People do not buy from
emails, people buy from people. We must
conceptualize an email as part of a sequenced
conversation containing a series of micro-yes(es)
leading to an ultimate macro yes.
FKey Principles
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
g=
9.8
1m
/s2
1. The funnel is often presented as one potentially useful analogy for marketing. It is in fact, the primary analogy. All marketing should influence a decision.
2. The funnel analogy distorts reality. People are not falling into your funnel, they are falling out. The funnel must be inverted.
3. People don’t travel down the center of the funnel. People are climbing up the sides.
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
(Mi)YES
(Ma)YES Y
Landing Page
Donation Experience
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
1. Email is a relational medium. People do not buy from
emails, people buy from people. We must
conceptualize an email as part of a sequenced
conversation containing a series of micro-yes(es)
leading to an ultimate macro yes.
2. The essence of marketing is the message. You cannot
control a prospect, but you can control the message.
And it is the message that attracts the prospect
towards the macro-yes.
FKey Principles
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
(Mi)YES
(Ma)YES Y
The
Mes
sage
Landing Page
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
Donation Experience
1. Email is a relational medium. People do not buy from emails,
people buy from people. We must conceptualize an email as
part of a sequenced conversation containing a series of
micro-yes(es) leading to an ultimate macro yes.
2. The essence of marketing is the message. You cannot
control a prospect, but you can control the message. And it
is the message that attracts the prospect towards the macro-
yes.
3. The essence of the message is the value proposition. At
each stage of the conversation, you are attempting to
optimize the message in such a way as to tip the balance of
cognitive perception from negative (cost) to positive (value).
FKey Principles
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
ValueForce
CostForce
VfAc - CfAc = Nf
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
(Mi)YES
(Ma)YES Y
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
Th
e M
es
sa
ge
Va
lue
Pro
po
sit
ion V
alu
e P
rop
ositio
n
CostForce
ValueForce
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
(Mi)YES
(Ma)YES Y
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
(Mi)YES
Th
e M
es
sa
ge
Va
lue
Pro
po
sit
ion V
alu
e P
rop
ositio
n
Value Force
Cost Force
Email Messaging Theory
Copyright © MECLABS
PRECEPT #1
“BEST PRACTICES ARE NOT
ENOUGH, YOU NEED A
RIGOROUS METHODOLOGY.”
Optimization Methodology
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a) ©
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
Copyright © MECLABS
Optimization Methodology
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a) ©
Value Factors (of + i)
Relevance (rv)
Offer (of)
Incentive (i)
Inhibitors (f + a)
Friction (f)
Anxiety (a)
Copyright © MECLABS
Optimizing Email Appeals
Version A - Control
139% Increase in Clickthrough Rate
42% Increase in Revenue
Version B - Test
Version A - Control
257% Increase in Clickthrough Rate
Version B - Test
Optimizing Email Appeals
Optimizing Email Appeals
118% Increase in Donations
50% Increase in Petition Signers
Version A - Test Version B - Control
Optimizing Email Appeals
Version A - Control
369% Increase in Clickthrough Rate
121% Increase in Revenue
Version B - Test
PRECEPT #2
“OPTIMIZATION DOESN’T
HAPPEN ON THE PAGE, IT
HAPPENS IN THE MIND.”
Email Messaging Sequence
ec < op < ct < lp©
ec = email capture
op = open
ct = clickthrough
lp = landing page
Copyright © MECLABS
Optimizing Email Thought Sequences
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a)
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
ec < op < ct < lp
Copyright © MECLABS
OPTIMIZING EMAIL CAPTURE
EC < OP < CT < LP
Copyright © MECLABS
Optimizing Email Capture
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a)
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
ec < op < ct < lp
Copyright © MECLABS
Marketing Experiments
Email Value Proposition Assessment
Copyright © MECLABS
Marketing Experiments
Email Value Proposition Assessment
Copyright © MECLABS
Marketing Experiments
Email Value Proposition Assessment
Copyright © MECLABS
Tipping the Value Exchange
Value of
Contact Info
Value
of Offer
Optimizing Email Capture
Optimizing Email Capture
Optimizing Email Capture
Optimizing Email Capture
Optimizing Email Capture
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a) ©
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
Copyright © MECLABS
Version B - Test
Optimizing Email RegistrationVersion A - Control
42% Increase in Registration Rate
What is the cost of submitting an email to this form?
Reducing the Cost Force
Name
Phone Number
Company
Title
Address
Social Security #
Nature of Information Cost Scale
High CostLow Cost
Reducing the Cost Force
Reducing Cost Force
Not this
But this
Reducing Cost Force
Not this
But this
Reducing Cost Force
Not thisBut this
OPTIMIZING OPEN AND
CLICKTHROUGH
EC < OP < CT < LP
Copyright © MECLABS
Optimizing Email Opens
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a)
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
ec < op < ct < lp
Copyright © MECLABS
Improving Email Open
Focus on Envelope:
– The “To” Line
– The “From” Line
– The “Subject” Line
Optimizing Email Clickthrough
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a)
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
Copyright 2011 MECLABS
ec < op < ct < lp
Copyright © MECLABS
Improving Clickthrough Rates
Focus on Email Message:
– Know the goal
– Internal Subject line
– Personalized Salutation
– Headline
– Value Proposition
– Call-to-Action
– Testimonials
– Relevance is the multiplier
Relevance
Internal Relevance:
– Personal interests
– Demographics
– Personality
– Communication Styles
– Level of Engagement
– Donor Lifecycle
External Relevance:
• Seasonality
• Special Events
• News
• Limited Time Offers
• Holidays
• Weather
February 1, 2011
Using External Relevance
Using External Relevance
Optimizing Email Appeals
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a) ©
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
Copyright © MECLABS
Optimizing Email Appeals
Version A - Control
139% Increase in Clickthrough Rate
42% Increase in Revenue
Version B - Test
Optimizing Email Appeals
Optimized
Original
139% Increase in Clickthrough
42% Increase in Revenue
Optimizing Email Appeals
118% Increase in Donations
50% Increase in Petition Signers
Version A - Test Version B - Control
Optimizing Email Appeals
Version A - Control
369% Increase in Clickthrough Rate
121% Increase in Revenue
Version B - Test
OPTIMIZING LANDING PAGES
EC < OP < CT < LP
Copyright © MECLABS
How Do We Measure Success?
Conversion Rate:
– Total number of goal completions / Total Unique Visits
– A measure of the effectiveness of complete thought
sequence
– NPO Avg: 2.72%
Optimizing Landing Pages
Focus on the Offer:– The Ask (Offer) is the impact that is promised in exchange
for a donation
Focus on the Incentive:– An Incentive is an appealing element introduced on the
landing page to achieve the desired action
Focus on Eliminating Friction:– Friction is anything that causes psychological resistance to
a given element on a web page
Top Offender: Online Giving Workflow
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
1
Top Offender: Online Giving Workflow
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
2
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
3
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
4
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
5
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
6
Top Offender: Online Giving Workflow Click Count:
7
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
8
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
9
Top Offender: Online Giving WorkflowClick Count:
10
Top Offender: Online Giving Workflow
Optimized Online Giving Experience
Optimized Online Giving Experience
Optimized Online Giving Experience
Optimized Online Giving Experience
Optimizing Landing Pages
eme = rv(of + i) – (f + a) ©
eme = email marketing effectiveness index
rv = relevance to the constituent
of = offer value
i = incentive to take action
f = friction elements of the process
a = anxiety elements of the process
Copyright © MECLABS
Version A
137.8% Increase in Donor Conversion
Version B
Version A
67% Increase in Donor Conversion
Version B
Version A
74% Increase in Donor Conversion
274% Increase in Revenue
Version B
PRECEPT #3
“TESTING TRUMPS MARKETING
INTUITION.”
Testing Against Best Practices
Testing Against Best Practices
Testing Against Best Practices
Testing Against Best Practices
The “One Thing”
“Adequacy is the
Enemy of Excellence”
Three Key Principles
1. Best Practices Are Not Enough– You Need a
Rigorous Methodology.
2. Optimization Doesn’t Happen On The Page, It
Happens In The Mind.
3. Testing Trumps Best Practices.
Thank You!
@DigitalDonor
linkedin.com/in/TimKachuriak
Blog: www.DigitalDonor.com