Email marketing is one of the most misunderstood and misused forms of marketing available to any business. Used right it can be a great benefit, linking you to your consumer in a personal, interesting and involving way. Used wrong it can be a complete pain in the neck, alienating your target audience, and causing annoyance and frustration. Most emails never arrive in the inbox, look wrong if they do arrive and are deleted quickly by the majority of people. Over 80% of all emails received in your inbox are probably spam, some are irritating, some are offensive, some are dangerous, and some are trying to steal your money. So how can you avoid, or at least minimise this for your emails? How can you make your work stand out and support your objectives? This presentation covers how to create emails which will generate results, what pitfalls to avoid and how to make sure you get the most from your efforts. It is not a masterclass in email technology, there will be no email systems presented or suppliers recommended. It is a review of how to ensure that you maximise the opportunity through, getting the right data, designing the right email, to putting in the right copy, directing customers to the right place and what to do with them when they get there. The intention is to allow you to take a critical look at your email marketing and make changes straight away which will improve your results. Martin Corlett-Moss is the MD of Mobious, a digital and direct agency based in Cheshire and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The agency runs email campaigns for businesses varying from Lloyds TSB Autolease, Sage and Carling, to Newcastle Race Course and Cholmondeley Estates. The agency was voted in the Top 100 outside of London this year and as the best agency in the North East for the 2nd year running.

4. Why use Email

5. At its best…. Email Database Customer / Prospect Website landing page It allows you to communicate with your customers in an interactive, involving and above all welcome way

7. What actually happens

10. What actually happens

12. What actually happens X X

17. But you have to stand out

20. Click through rates – average’s to existing customers – willing lists Source: EmailLabs 29.5% 6.4% 33.0% 21.2% 8.0% 30.5% Variance: Low-High 32.4% 10.9% 33.6% 25.0% 9.9% 39.6% Total 27.4% 11.2% 40.9% 24.9% 10.6% 42.5% All Other Domains 39.1% 9.2% 23.5% 27.4% 5.8% 21.2% Yahoo! 35.9% 8.9% 24.8% 25.0% 7.5% 30.0% Hotmail 30.8% 14.6% 47.4% 6.2% 2.6% 42.1% Earthlink 56.9% 8.2% 14.4% 26.7% 3.2% 12.0% AOL CTOR CTR Open CTOR CTR Open ISP/Domain Ecommerce Email B2B Newsletter Email Sample

21. So – what makes up an email

22. Email – key elements Who is it from? Subject line Size Navigation The offer If you can’t see this The sub offer / reinforcement Company name and registered office Add me to your safe senders Unsubscribe The fold Date and Time But, there is no – why you’ve got this email Call to action

23. Getting it right – three key parts Data. Who do I send it to and how do I make sure I don’t get fined? Email. What does it look like, is it written well, is it structured right? Landing Page. If they click through, where are they going to go?

24. Data

30. Data - What is required

35. Email – key elements Who is it from? Subject line Date and Time Navigation The offer If you can’t see this The sub offer / reinforcement Company name and registered office Add me to your safe senders Unsubscribe The fold Size Call to action

36. The Basics

42. Try mailchimp – if you send them out yourselves

43. Specifics

53. Examples - none web

56. Multi-Article Newsletter The versions tested showcased 5 articles, each with its own headline offset in bold and underlined. For this test the 2 versions varied only in the placement of the side rail which showcased titles and subtitles for the newsletter. One on the right and one on the left.

57. Multi-Article Newsletter The results show that the viewing patterns are similar. More people read the left title bar version whilst than read the right version, and there is greater attention on the areas next to the left hand version than on the right. It is important to note the lack of attention below the fold

58. Multi-Article Newsletter Also - people click anywhere they want to – particularly in an article like this

59. Multi-Article Newsletter In general readers focussed initially on the body of the 1st article. This is certainly an orienting scan of the page that gives readers their ‘bearings’. Immediately people looked to the title of the 1st section and to the date.

60. Multi-Article Newsletter Everyone glances at the key headers, but the majority of the group focus on the left half of the title. Most don’t even read to the end. So you need to keep titles short, 5- 6 words

61. Single Article Newsletter The differences with the single article newsletter are dramatic and underscore the power of the visual design to drive an audience towards your call to action. The 2 versions are exactly the same in every respect bar the picture element in version 2 and a blown up version of the title which is overlaid on the photo plus a. “Just Released” banned in the upper right corner.

62. Single Article Newsletter The differences in viewing are dramatic. Overall the group who read the version with no picture spent half the amount of time on the page and looked at the page half as many times as did the group who read the version with the picture.

63. Single Article Newsletter The version with the picture raises the interest and engagement level of the reader so that they come to care more about the content in the body itself. Without the picture the reader doesn't give the article a chance.

64. Single Article Newsletter A further indication that the audience with the picture is more interested in the article is the reduction in skimming. Proven by the fact that the article with bold text halfway down gets significantly higher concentrations of viewing.

65. Single Article Newsletter Importantly the call to action gets far more attention in the email with the image

67. Landing Pages

70. e.g. Videotile

71. e.g. My Fonts

72. e.g. M and S

80. Who gets it right?

81. Fold Good, relevant subject and personal Time, 9.11 am Clear header Tells me why Right level of formality Good standards of disclaimers Add to address book Link above the fold White text on black is a bit of a no no from DDA perspective Why its been sent Opt out Web version

82. Landing page which reflects the email. Black on white is not the best Key information above the fold Short Header Directional

83. Very Clear what we want you to do Who it is from And a clear call to action – why I need to act Clean straightforward design In keeping with a business communication Sent during work hours in time for me to attend Reg office, address etc