What if each email you sent earned you a 2000% return on investment? Email marketing (yes, STILL) rocks the highest return on investment of any medium, garnering on average $28 for every $1 you invest. That is, if you do it right. Is your email program up to snuff?
Ok, be honest: Do you even *know* your email ROI? How much revenue do you make per email subscriber? From driving engagement to fine tuning your list and timing, Jessica Best, self-proclaimed email marketing dweeb, will help you get your current strategy in the best shape it can be and then how to grow it to the next level with a larger subscriber base and the trends that garnering a $20-to-$1 return on investement.
WARNING: Any data-phobes who hate measurable marketing, anyone who has perfect email marketing campaigns already, and those guys that send us pharmaceutical ads in Russian need *not* attend.
What you’ll learn:
Optimizing your email marketing lists, content, and strategies for guaranteed improvements to your ROI
Growing your list to grow your revenue
Common mistakes we (still) see savvy email marketers make
What’s working – and what’s pretty darn cool – in email marketing in 2016 and beyond
4. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Part I: Nailing the Basics
q What should I expect out of Email Marketing?
q Best practices (and common missteps)
q Applying the basics to your own campaigns
q Email Marketing metrics to watch
#ContentJam
5. @bestofjess
Why Email Marketing? What can it do for me?
Email can send direct:
ü At the time that it’s most relevant to the recipient
ü With the products/content that are personalized
ü Can track individual recipient engagement
ü … and automate your follow up
Email gets read:
ü Average email read rate: 25-30%
(compared to < 10% with social)
#ContentJam
6. @bestofjess
Why Email Marketing? What can it do for me?
Consumers prefer it.
(Yes, even millennials.)
(And Gen Z)
#ContentJam
Source: Adestra Consumer Adop2on & Usage Study (2016)
8. @bestofjess
Why Email Marketing? What can it do for me?
Email drives the highest return on investment (ROI) of any medium.
#ContentJam
$27.74
ROI
9. For every $1 you invest in email marketing,
on average, you can earn
$28 in return on investment…
IF you’re doing it right.
@bestofjess #ContentJam
- Direct Marketing
Association
18. @bestofjess
8 Email Marketing Basic Best Practices
Make it accessible on all devices: desktop, tablet, mobile
#ContentJam
3
Business-to-
Business
Desktop
75%
Mobile
25%
Business-to-
Consumer
Desktop
45%
Mobile
55%
Source: Adestra Consumer Adop2on & Usage Study
(2016)
19. @bestofjess
8 Email Marketing Basic Best Practices
Make it accessible on all devices: desktop, tablet, mobile
#ContentJam
3
20. @bestofjess
Mobile Design Cheat Sheet (for “Non-Designers”)
ü Lots of white space between
headlines, body copy, and
calls to action
ü At least 40px tall/wide buttons
ü Minimum 13pt font size
#ContentJam
26. The dirty, rotten secret of email marketing is:
Just because you sent it,
doesn’t mean it went anywhere.
#deliverability
@bestofjess #ContentJam
- @bestofjess
27. @bestofjess
8 Email Marketing Basic Best Practices
To help your email get to the inbox, avoid spammy mistakes like:
• Sloppy HTML code
• Typos
• All IMAGE, no text
• Spammy words
#ContentJam
7
• FREE FREE FREE
• Marketing, Pharma, Money
• $ % !!!
• ALL CAPS
28. @bestofjess
8 Email Marketing Basic Best Practices
TEST to see if your content will get you filtered as spam.
#ContentJam
7
31. @bestofjess
GRADING THE PROS
What grade would you give these email marketers?
Remember, email marketing should be:
ü Personalized, segmented
ü Accessible for all readers/devices
ü Brief, concise
ü Part of a content plan
#ContentJam
ü Strategic with subject line and
pre-header copy
ü Not spammy in content
ü Tells stories
39. @bestofjess
HANDS-ON ACTIVITY: Wireframe your next email
1. What does it look like on desktop? On mobile?
2. How long is it (words, paragraphs, “inches”)?
3. What's the subject line/pre-header?
4. Who will it go to?
5. What's the hook/WIIFM?
6. What data could make this email more relevant?
#ContentJam
3:00
40. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Metrics to Watch
ü Set goals that align with business goals.
Branding | Awareness | Sales
ü Define goals and how you’ll determine success
before you start creating.
#ContentJam
42. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Metrics to Watch 2.0
ü Open & click rates on
desktop vs. mobile
ü Active/Inactive %
ü Conversion rate
(and Revenue)
#ContentJam
43. Your brain can only procure
what your rear can endure.
@bestofjess #ContentJam
Don’t tweet this. This means it’s break time.
- Ruby Newell-Legner
45. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Part II: Grow Your List to Grow $$
q Being ready for list growth
q The WRONG way to “grow”
q Organic growth ideas (inexpensive)
q Paid and promotion-based growth ideas (fast)
q Match-Making: Brainstorm the right partners
q Offline tactics to boost online list growth
#ContentJam
46. @bestofjess
Be Sure You’re Ready for List Growth: Sign-up Form
ü Offer value in exchange for an email address
ü Set expectations on frequency and privacy
ü Keep it short and easy
ü Make fields long enough for long addresses
ü Use a clear call to action
#ContentJam
47. @bestofjess
Be Sure You’re Ready for List Growth: Sign-up Form
4 P’s of Email Sign-up Forms:
ü Prominence
ü Promise (value)
ü Proof (peers)
ü Progressive profiling
#ContentJam
48. @bestofjess
Be Sure You’re Ready for List Growth
What your email platform should do for you:
ü Clean out bounces regularly
(and automatically)
ü Remove unsubscribes and complaints
(immediately and automatically)
#ContentJam
49. @bestofjess
Be Sure You’re Ready for List Growth
What you should be doing:
ü Send regularly (at least 1x/month)
ü Deliver relevant, valuable, engaging content
ü Welcome and “warm up” new readers
#ContentJam
51. Before you invite more guests,
be sure to clean up your house.
#emailmarketing #listhealth
@bestofjess #ContentJam
- @bestofjess
52. @bestofjess
Be Sure You’re Ready for List Growth
#ContentJam
Up to 33% of your email list turns over
– becomes a bad address – each year.
Source: Marketing Sherpa
53. @bestofjess
Be Sure You’re Ready for List Growth
#ContentJam
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
High Medium Low Bad Rejected
54. @bestofjess
The WRONG Way to Grow Your List
ü Don’t buy, rent, trade, or borrow lists. Ask permission!
ü Don’t harvest addresses. Scraping or constructing addresses does
not equal permission (and is illegal).
#ContentJam
62. @bestofjess
Turn Up the Speed: Paid Acquisition
ü Create a strong offer, i.e. a cookie, BOGO, a free exclusive
report, a hefty ebook, etc.
ü Try Google, Facebook, etc.
ü Use your current email list to find look-alike audiences
and/or exclude your current readers
ü Target placement with relevant non-competitive sites
#ContentJam
63. @bestofjess
Turn Up the Speed: Paid Acquisition
ü Choose a relevant partner or vendor
ü Place content, don’t just swap lists!
ü Offer value that is relevant to the reader
(Swapping offers may not always be a fit)
ü Exclusivity matters
#ContentJam
64. @bestofjess
Turn Up the Speed: Paid Acquisition
ü Try results-driven placement in email
#ContentJam
65. @bestofjess
HANDS-ON ACTIVITY: Perfect Partner Match Making
1. Partner up with someone next to you.
2. Learn about their product/service & buyer.
3. Brainstorm partners for each other that:
1. Are compliments, not competitors
2. Have similar buyers or prospects
3. Have similar need states
#ContentJam
3:00
66. @bestofjess
HANDS-ON ACTIVITY: Perfect Partner Match Making
Who were some of your Perfect Partner ideas?
(Be sure to tell us who you are and who you’re targeting!)
#ContentJam
67. Almost everything will work again
if you unplug it for a few minutes…
including you.
@bestofjess #ContentJam
Don’t tweet this. This means it’s break time again.
- Anne Lamott
69. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Part III: Turbo-Boosting Your ROI
q 2 guaranteed ways to boost ROI (yes, really!)
q A few other proven winners
q Trends to try
q Campaigns that ROCKED their ROI (2000%+)
#ContentJam
70. @bestofjess
2 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Email ROI
#ContentJam
Campaign List Size Expenses Revenues ROI
Free Shipping Offer 100,000 $1450 $31,245 $20.55
Free Product With Purchase 100,000 $1450 $24,996 $16.24
New Customer Bounce Back 1,000 $85 $3,513 $40.33
revenue - expenses
ROI= expenses
To Increase ROI:
Increase revenue, or
Decrease expenses
72. @bestofjess
#1 Guaranteed Way to Improve Email ROI
#ContentJam
Only 73% of valid email marketing in the U.S. gets to the inbox.
Sent Opens Open % Clicks Click % Expenses Revenue ROI
Before 100,000 20,000 20% 5,000 5.0% $1,450 $35,000 $23.14
After 100,000 27,400 27% 6,850 6.9% $1,450 $48,000 $32.10
Your results could
show a 37% lift with
100% inbox placement
73. @bestofjess
Improve Deliverability to Improve Email ROI
#ContentJam
What your email platform does:
• Throttled sending
• Built-in CAN-SPAM compliant
physical address
• Automated/immediate unsubscribe
handling
• Feedback loop subscription &
automated complaint handling
What YOU should be doing:
• Send good content (that garners strong
engagement)
• Ask permission to send to subscribers
• Set clear expectations on value and
frequency
• Send regularly (at least 1x/month)
74. @bestofjess
#2 Guaranteed Way to Improve Email ROI
#ContentJam
40%
NEVER
open
40% didn’t
open this
3me
20%
Opened
20%
Open rate
What you
think your
results are
What yourresultsactually are
Up to 40% of your email list hasn’t opened, clicked or purchased in over a year.
75. @bestofjess
Re-engage (or Trim) Inactives to Improve Email ROI
#ContentJam
Sent Opens Open
%
Clicks Click
%
Expenses Revenue ROI
Pre-Cleanse 100,000 20,000 20% 5,000 5.0% $1,450 $35,000 $23.14
Post-Cleanse 60,000 20,000 33% 5,000 8.3% $1,200 $35,000 $29.17
What your results could
be if you trimmed your
inactive contacts
77. @bestofjess
2 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Email ROI
#ContentJam
Email 1 Email 2 Email 3
We Miss You!
Come back and
receive [ VALUE ]
Confirm now
to stay on the list or
miss out on
[ VALUE ]
Sorry to see you go.
Re-subscribe at any
time, here.
3-Part Re-Engagement Series
78. Automated emails earn 2x the open rate
of batched sends, and nearly 3x the
click-through rate.
@bestofjess #ContentJam
- @emfluence
83. @bestofjess
Turbo-Boost Your Email ROI by Testing
ü Content / Copy / Subject Lines
ü Design
ü Offers
ü Segmentation / Personalization
ü New potential partners
#ContentJam
84. @bestofjess
POP QUIZ: Which Subject Line Won?
a. Two chances to win
b. Two chances to WIN
c. Start a winning tradition
d. Start a winning tradition!
#ContentJam
85. @bestofjess
POP QUIZ: Which Subject Line Won?
a. I Spy a Winner
b. Be A Hallo-Winner
c. Trick or $5,000 Treat?
#ContentJam
86. @bestofjess
POP QUIZ: Which Subject Line Won?
a. Help us solve hunger.
b. Donating 1 million meals.
c. You can help solve hunger.
#ContentJam
Most Opens
Most Clicks
87. @bestofjess
Turbo-Boost Your Email ROI by Testing
How to test effectively?
Get scientific.
If you slept through stat
class in college, try this >>
#ContentJam
http://getdatadriven.com/ab-significance-test
88. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Trends to Try
ü Relevant motion can drive
up engagement 3x+!
ü What motion uniquely
represents your brand, product
or benefit?
#ContentJam
89. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Trends to Try
ü Relevant motion can drive
up engagement 3x+!
ü What motion uniquely
represents your brand, product
or benefit?
ü HINT: Spastic movement
isn’t relevant motion.
#ContentJam
90. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Trends to Try
ü “Video” in email can
drive response rates up
3-5x, especially when
mentioned in the subject line.
ü For compatibility, better to
“fake” the video.
#ContentJam
94. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Campaigns that Rocked $20+ ROI
ü Spirit Airlines Daily Deals
2.8% avg conversion rate =
$100+ ROI for every $1 spent
on email marketing!
#ContentJam
95. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Campaigns that Rocked $20+ ROI
ü CommunityAmerica Credit Union’s 90-day Onboarding
#ContentJam
Next day 2 weeks 6 weeks
10
weeks
12
weeks
97. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Campaigns that Rocked $20+ ROI
ü Time / day test shows
Cyber Monday’s true colors:
Sunday’s sneak peek drove
19% more action!
#ContentJam
98. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Campaigns that Rocked $20+ ROI
ü Coffee Roaster racks up sales with
a new product announcement
and by telling a good story.
#ContentJam
Over a $20 ROI
… without a coupon!
99. @bestofjess
Email Marketing Campaigns that Rocked $20+ ROI
ü An eCommerce site uses their best
deal of the year as a re-engagement
campaign for inactives.
ROI was $27.40
Re-engaged nearly 4% of inactives
#ContentJam
100. Go forth and make
great email marketing!
Thank you
Jessica Best
@bestofjess | #ContentJam
101. @bestofjess
GRADING THE PROS, PART II
What grade would you give these email marketers?
Remember, great email marketing:
ü Is permission-based
ü Garners a $20+ ROI
ü Gains new subscribers
faster than old ones fall off
#ContentJam
ü Uses automation to nurture, not blast
ü Integrates rich media
ü Supports and is supported by other
marketing channels