small business email marketing campaigns...maximizing the inbox

HBIF Meeting 12-09

Maximizing the Inbox!

A Webinar By:

Key Speaker

Nicole RoachMarketing Coordinator

BizCentral USA

Welcome!

• BizCentral USA: A “One-stop” resource center for startup, small & midsized businesses nationwide!

• Key Speaker: Nicole Roach

• Questions

• Recorded Webinar Available At:

– http://vimeo.com/channels/smallbusinesswebinars

Agenda

I. Email Marketing Fundamentals

II. Format and Layout Best Practices

III. Building your Email Lists

IV. Complying with Regulations

What Is Email Marketing?

• The Promotion of Products or Services via Email

• Why Does is Work?

Email Marketing Vs. Direct Mail

• Many business have replaced or supplemented their direct mail efforts with email marketing.

• Email marketing campaigns are less expensive and easier to track.

Basic Fundamentals

• Relevancy

• Consistency

• Tracking

Relevancy

• Relevant email marketing means your email marketing subscribers get emails from you when they want, how they want and with information they want.

• Don’t get mixed up with what is only relevant to you.

Relevancy

• Do you give people to option to:

– Choose how often and when they hear from you?

– Choose between html and text?

– Choose topics or categories or types of email marketing messages?

Consistency

• Make sure you keep the look and feel consistent.

• By keeping the look and feel consistent, you help to maintain and reinforce your brand image.

Consistency

• When you send out an email campaign, are you:• Maintaining similar color schemes?

• Always including your logo?

• Standard “From Line”?

• Using a template?

• Sending messages on a schedule?

Tracking

• Tracking the results of your campaigns will enable you to determine what's working and what's not.

Tracking

• After each campaign expires you should analyze the results, including:

• How many people were sent the email

• How many emails were delivered

• How many people clicked through

• How many people opted-out

Format & Layout Best Practices

• The Format

• The Body

• Subject Line

• From Line

• Frequency

Email Format & Layout

Practices!

Newsletter

•Timing = On a Set Schedule:•Monthly, Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Quarterly

•Variety of Content:• Educational• Blog• Social Media, • Promotion• Call-to- Action•Have Fun!

Promotion

• Timing = Promo Driven

• Content should include an “urgent” tone:

• Limited

• Last Days

• Don’t Wait

• Call to Action Must be Clear

•Timing = Based on Events Planned

•1 primary message and goal:

• Leave them on the edge of their seat.

•Will focus on:

•Who, What, Where, When & Why

The body

• Your content must be clear and relevant. �• Use appropriate graphics & white space

• Include “Call to Action”links

• Create sense of urgency

• Pay attention to spelling & grammar… Always have someone proofread

• Design for the preview pane�

Golden Content Ideas

• How-To’s

• Opinion

• Case Study

• Seasonal

• Best Of

• Reviews

• Educational

• News

Subject Line

• Keep it short and simple�• 35-50 characters including spaces

• Incorporate a specific benefit

• Include your brand�• Capitalize and punctuate carefully�• If possible, personalize it

• Use different subject lines for different segments.

From Line

• Use a name the recipient will recognize:

• Include your company name or brand

• The clearer the better

• The shorter the better

• Be consistent

Frequency

• How often to send

• Create a master schedule

• Coordinate timing for maximum impact

• Keep in mind the format type

• When to send

• When is your audience most likely to read it?

• Utilize surveys and ask questions when they first subscribe.

Building Your Opt-In Email List

• Single Opt-In Vs. Double Opt-In

• Single opt-in means that actions were taken to sign up for the email in question.

• Double opt-in means that the subscriber has actively confirmed their subscription, typically by responding to an automatically-generated message sent to the email address.

List Building Tactics

•Website Placement: • Place the sign-up form prominently on your

homepage, "above the fold“.

• Provide Incentive:• Offer a white paper, free e-books, entry in

a contest to win an iPhone, discount coupons.

• Forward to a Friend:• Encourage subscribers to share with their

friends.

• Ask Customers When Purchasing: • Provide a registration card or

the option to leave their business card.

•Display Your Website On Everything: • On sales collateral, fliers,

bags, business cards, advertising, etc.

• Use Social Media: • Post links to your email subscription page.

Additionally offer benefits to subscribing.

Can-Spam & Permission

•No Relationship = No Permission• Ask Yourself:• Do they know you?• Do they want your email?

• There is a direct relationship between Spam & Permission:• �SPAM complaints will increase as your

email contact list gets older• Scrub your list regularly to avoid

complaints

Can-Spam Compliance

• Visible Opt-Out/Unsubscribe Link

• Opt-Outs Honored within 10 Days

• Accurate From Lines

• Relevant Subject Lines

• Physical Address

• Adult Content Labeled

• Non-Harvested Lists

Email Marketing Summary

• Email Marketing is Extremely Low-cost

• Valuable Demographic Data can be Gathered

• Email Marketing is Highly Automated

• You have Rapid Send and Response Time

• Email will help you Build a Relationship of Trust is Executed Correctly

• Contact Us• Nicole Roach: [email protected]

• Michael Miller: [email protected]

• Visit www.BizCentralUSA.com

www.twitter.com/bizcentralusa Facebook Fan Page:

BizCentral USA/CharityNet USA

Find Us On:

• BizCentral Small Business Services

• Business Plan Writing• Business Certifications• Incorporation• Website Development• Graphic Design• Marketing• Bookkeeping & Accounting• Nonprofit Services

Upcoming Webinar• 3/30/2010 3pm ESTSocial Media Extravaganza: Getting your Small Business Started with Social Media!

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