Today I read an interesting article on the Email Experience Council website that prompted me to consider whether win back programs are "smart marketing or a failure of strategy". There are some interesting debates on both sides. I agree that... More

Today I read an interesting article on the Email Experience Council website that prompted me to consider whether win back programs are "smart marketing or a failure of strategy". There are some interesting debates on both sides. I agree that marketers should be more focused on early and sustained engagement tactics so they don't have to build strategies to win back lost customers, but the reality is that most email lists contain a significant portion of non-responders.
 
In my opinion, the right lifecycle marketing approach is a combination of consistently delivering relevant content in your ongoing communication, and then testing the introduction of periodic "win back" campaigns to re-engage dormant customers.
 
For me, the first step in understanding why customers go dormant is to evaluate general consumer buying behavior, and then build test strategies to learn how you can influence response. I'm an avid online shopper so I use my own buying behavior as a barometer for average customer behavior. Like most consumers, my online buying peaks around special events: Mother's Day, back to school, Christmas, birthdays and seasonal weather changes. But I'm also always looking for a good deal, and I frequently respond to well-timed win back promotions.
 
Here are some tactics that work for me:
 
1) Continue sending me offers even when I'm not actively shopping
I usually send flowers to my mother-in-law on her birthday every year, so I appreciate the annual reminders from ProFlowers to place my order. The rest of the year I'm not paying as much attention to their emails. That doesn't mean I don't want to shop with them anymore, it just means it's not relevant to me right now. The "3 day surprise" message ProFlowers sent this week caught my attention and is a good example of how to maintain engagement with customers even when they aren't actively shopping with you.

Note: You need to test frequency of messaging to your non-responders. You will probably find pockets of old non-responders that do not produce enough revenue to justify ongoing mailing costs. Well executed tests will help you find the right targeting balance to produce a positive ROI.


2) Tell me you miss and appreciate me
This win back message from Steven Madden gets right to the point. The subject line was "We miss you so here's a gift just for you." The offer is compelling, it feels sincere, and it gives me a great reason to shop again.











3) Give me some options
As part of their comprehensive lifecycle marketing approach, HP has implemented a multi-message revival program to win back old non-responders. One of the messages in the series addresses the subject of continued messaging and gives the consumer the prominent option to unsubscribe. This message series serves dual purposes. It re-engages some old non-responders and generates incremental revenue, but it also helps cleanse the list of subscribers who may no longer find the messages relevant. Personally, I'm more intrigued by the free gift offer than the unsubscribe link.

So my conclusion is that win back programs are smart marketing. Focus on sustaining subscriber engagement, but don't overlook the benefit of well-timed win back offers to re-engage with dormant customers.
 
You can read the full EEC article here:
Win Back Programs: Smart Marketing or Failure of Strategy?
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Last week I participated in a webinar with HiveFire sponsored by Online Marketing Connect. Our topic for discussion: Integrated Marketing & Communication. I specifically spoke about integrating email and social marketing to deliver on your marketing goals. Thanks to everyone who joined us! More

By Julie Valenti

Last week I participated in a webinar with HiveFire sponsored by Online Marketing Connect. Our topic for discussion: Integrated Marketing & Communication. I specifically spoke about integrating email and social marketing to deliver on your marketing goals. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

We had nearly 500 registrants and when polled, most folks indicated they hadn't started integrating social into their marketing mix and/or were in the planning stages. This is not surprising. As the channel solutions are shifting and evolving quickly, we're all trying to get a handle on how to harness it's power to help achieve our marketing goals. I mentioned the recent study by ForeSee Results, in which only 25% of the top 100 online retailers have a formal Facebook presence and of those, 25% have less than 10k fans. This is despite the fact that there are 400M+ Facebook users and more than half of all online shoppers use Facebook. So, if you feel behind, don't. But that said, it's time to get going!

I broke the discussion into three components: 1) Weaving social media tactics into your email marketing programs, 2) Feeding your email marketing programs via smart social initiatives and 3) Mapping your integrated digital communications plan. There were lots of good questions, and some we couldn't get to so I've provided some additional information here.

1. Social Media Policy - I recommended drafting a social policy so that the social media experts across your organization are on the same page and you can encourage employees to retweet and promote company happenings. Here's Coca Cola's 3-page social media policy (via viralblog). Andy Sernovitz, a personal favorite of mine, interviewed Adam Brown, head of Social Media at Coca Cola and imparts his own wisdom on SM policies.
   
   
2. Resources for Social Media - we discussed budgetary and resource restrictions when developing social strategies; most often, I'm talking with managers already responsible for email or online media, and social/mobile tactics are simply added responsibility (for now). Our research shows less than 10% of companies have dedicated staff. We see maybe 250 community managers employed today. Our strategic partner, R2i advises to be successful, you need a community manager who can handle online PR situations. Per Page Sands at R2i, "this field will remain small until there is a clear tie between community building/management and ROI." He further add that to build the business case for community, connect the role to the following:
   • Increase in Web traffic (page views, referrals, etc)
   • Reduced lead-to-conversion time
   • Increased distribution of your value prop
   • Higher quality, customer centric products, that get released faster
     
     
3. Targeting high-income, luxury via social - Jetsetter and Gilt Groupe are two examples of how luxury companies have used web, email, social and mobile to target luxury goods to the higher-income bracket. They use Facebook and mobile friendly apps/sites to target customers. Further Gilt Groupe offers a $25 credit for references and accepts members by invitation only (though anyone can obtain an invitation); they have taken the viral component to the next level, all while keeping their product line exclusive. Both heavily use email to target new deals, offering unique daily discounts on high-end goods.

NOTE: for the few of you finding proven success with your integrated digital strategies, I'd love to hear from you! The social mindset is all about sharing and I'd love to swap stories over a virtual beer.

If you'd like to learn more, contact me at interactive@yesmail.com and join the Online Marketing Summit's upcoming conference later this month.

PS - I'm working on a separate post regarding B2B companies and their approach to including social media in their digital communications. Check back soon!
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Last week thousands gathered via WOM to see Dave Chappelle in my own hometown at Pioneer Square. The Chappelle 'show' was a total success - by accident - purely by the instantanous word of mouth tools like text messaging, Twitter,... More

Last week thousands gathered via WOM to see Dave Chappelle in my own hometown at Pioneer Square. The Chappelle 'show' was a total success - by accident - purely by the instantanous word of mouth tools like text messaging, Twitter, and Facebook.

While Mashable has done a great How-To Article, and there's a good Slideshare presentation on how to do this, but here's my Social Media event planning playbook on how to create and market an event using social meda.

1. Create the killer event. Let's face it - in this economy, WOM won't work if it's just...blah. Create a topic that gives immediate answers that your audience is facing RIGHT now, or a unique challenge to traditional thinking, or bring in a speaker that is real buzz worthy is critical in stretching out that event message. Who is well... your Dave Chappelle? This is the most critical step in spreading WOM. Ensure you can spread the word- it's worth going!

2. Use your existing network - or find one. Whether you own your own business or market for one, where is your network? On Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter? Do you have Salesforce.com? Maybe your target audience isn't in your digital or social rolodex, - can you find that subgroup in an existing social network? Are they talking on Twitter? How can you reach them? Keep in mind - you want a wide net, not just to send your message to one network, but to many.

3. Prepare your message. Get a consistent message and brand it. That means putting the event out on Upcoming, Eventful, Facebook events, messaging in your blog and creating event ads and emails to reachout with your peers to spread awareness. A consistent memorable message about your event can really aide WOM marketing. Get ready with widgets and links including hashtags for tracking - all in a one page 'play book' for your sales team and collegues to link to the event.

4. Set up incentives. You can start messaging early with hashtags and twitter by offering free event for the first volunteers, discounts for early birds and exclusives for coming through particularly popular bloggers, and more. This will help you fill the event and gauge how effective your different social channels are doing at attracting attendees.

5. Align your players. By now you have brainstormed on all the ways you can build word-of-mouth about your event. That means you+at least a dozen people who will spread the word on our behalf- in multiple social channels. Match the players with the channels they are best at spreading the word (including blogging, email, and even phone). This may likely mean, you are doing old-school networking - sitting down and selling your event- to have them get the word out for you.

6. Spread the word. Communicate what the event is, why you should go, what the offers are and how to RSVP, and communicate go-live dates for invites and reminders to your network.

7. Show the play-by-play. At the event make sure you have asked people to live tweet and blog your events - in advance. Chances are you may be too busy in the AV details and event itself - and capturing the event details are great in creating buzz around the event.

8. Capture post-event highlights. You can also ensure you've captured the buzz with pics on Flicker, and video highlights on YouTube. These help keep the energy and momentum of your event going even after the guests are out the door. Less

No not a reference to a Kelly Clarkson song, but instead a really strong campaign from Timberland encouraging those that have not purchased and/or visited the site in a while to 'come back'. A great example of a marketer segmenting... More

No not a reference to a Kelly Clarkson song, but instead a really strong campaign from Timberland encouraging those that have not purchased and/or visited the site in a while to 'come back'. A great example of a marketer segmenting their audience and building assumingly automated programs targeted at users based on their respective activity level. These types of campaigns as we've seen with our clients can be instrumental in driving overall customer retention and incremental sales.

Do you have a 'win-back' program? You should!

Check out the email below:


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I love the Neiman Marcus email today creating a very meaningful sense of urgency to act now - e.g. 'buy now!'.The email promotes a 50% off and Free Shipping two-hour promotion that started today at 11:30AM CST and ended at... More

I love the Neiman Marcus email today creating a very meaningful sense of urgency to act now - e.g. 'buy now!'.

The email promotes a 50% off and Free Shipping two-hour promotion that started today at 11:30AM CST and ended at 1:29PM CST. Equally impressive was the send time for the campaign, a little more than an hour prior to the event occurring - plenty of time to be ready to take advantage of the offer.

While the campaign itself is impressive, the campaign should further reinforce and remind marketers of the opportunity to utilize email to drive a sense of urgency with their subscribers. Historically, campaigns that are positioned as 1-day or limited time have a much higher response. For an active audience a limited hour promotion likely will perform even better and can be used as a way to generate incremental sales.

Here's the creative:




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This morning CNET had an article on how Spam now accounts for 90.4% of all email sent. The report from Symantec is clearly reputable and I'm sure based on very scientific data. That being said, I was surprised by how... More

This morning CNET had an article on how Spam now accounts for 90.4% of all email sent. The report from Symantec is clearly reputable and I'm sure based on very scientific data. That being said, I was surprised by how 'un-surprised' and really un-phased I was by the percentage. Perhaps it is because I like most individuals have become numb to the daily exercise of upon login selecting the 'spam' that I see and deleting it. I've actually felt that my own percentage of spam has decreased over the past few months. Perhaps that is due to our corporate spam filters or simply due to my ability to delete the messages faster - thus paying less attention to them.

The overall point being that as individuals continue to become numb to spam -- real spam -- the spam that you know you did not subscribe to and that is unintelligible in its design and offer -- we as marketers need to heighten our own efforts to ensure that our email campaigns do not suffer the same fate; that of numbness to respond.

What are you doing to ensure your subscribers do not become numb?
- Have you re-designed the creative for your campaigns?
- Have you adjusted your overall strategy (targeting, content, subject lines, delivery times)?

Or are you in a rut of send on x day - same day, same time, same content, same subscribers, same generic offer, etc...

Beware the rut of numbness! If you need help getting out of the trap, let me know.

To see the full article from CNET, see below:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10249172-83.html  Less

Sometimes we hit the 'send' button before we intend to do so. One would assume that was the feeling generated at the Academy Awards today when they sent the email below with the subject line:"TEST HTML Email for Membership Mailing"To... More

Sometimes we hit the 'send' button before we intend to do so. One would assume that was the feeling generated at the Academy Awards today when they sent the email below with the subject line:

"TEST HTML Email for Membership Mailing"

To be quickly followed by a "Correction" email - sent very quickly, as in 24 minutes after the original send...

Below are both emails for posterity:

First email - note the broken images and incorrect subject line - don't forget to TEST!

Second email - "The Correction"

Of course there was a third email which featured the appropriate subject line and images that functioned; however, we'll leave that one out.




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CircuitCity.com sent a "re-launch" email today announcing the re-launch of their website under new ownership. The email campaign does a nice job of accomplishing several items facing a company coming out of bankruptcy under new ownership; including:Branding: Consistent use of... More

CircuitCity.com sent a "re-launch" email today announcing the re-launch of their website under new ownership. The email campaign does a nice job of accomplishing several items facing a company coming out of bankruptcy under new ownership; including:

• Branding: Consistent use of the Circuit City brand and a nice introduction of the new brand - Systemax. I also like the treatment of the "Re-launch Announcement" - it is descriptive and clear.
  

• Letter of Introduction: Nicely embedded letter explaining to the subscribers why they are receiving the message, what happened, and what to expect moving forward.
  

• Subscription Info: Clear language depicting why the new brand is mailing the subscriber and what they can do if they'd like to be taken off of the list.
  

• Promotions: As a part of the announcement, they included a few promotions encouraging the subscriber to give the new company a chance.
  
  

Overall - a great a message and great learning for other brands to follow if they are in a similar situation.

Below is the message:


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I really love the Kodak Gallery email creative. Kodak Gallery is promoting their 'Mini Photo Book' and the design does an amazing job of highlighting the photo book in use. Additionally the four call-out boxes do a great job of... More

I really love the Kodak Gallery email creative.

Kodak Gallery is promoting their 'Mini Photo Book' and the design does an amazing job of highlighting the photo book in use. Additionally the four call-out boxes do a great job of jumping off the page and highlighting the critical value points tied to the book.

In respect to the creative itself, note that you too can utilize these best practices:

• Call-out boxes/bullets that break the linear structure of the design
• Sharpness of images contrasted against fuzzy images - the contrast is key
• Clear, consistent action buttons (e.g. "Start Your Book" & "Order Prints")

Great, great design!

See for yourself:


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The Susan G. Komen for the Cure has a great email today promoting their fundraising application within Facebook. It is essentially a nice way for users to extend their fundraising efforts through their network of friends. As many marketers start... More

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure has a great email today promoting their fundraising application within Facebook. It is essentially a nice way for users to extend their fundraising efforts through their network of friends.

As many marketers start to adopt additional integration points with the leading social media sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc), they will also start to utilize email as a way of driving channel adoption. From adoption, marketers will turn to utilizing email for promotion usage and analyzing performance to fine-tune and improve their program through segmentation, personalization, and sophistication.

Today many marketers are simply focused on presence and adoption; however, it will serve them well to be thinking broader in terms of ultimately how to monetize these social media applications. This example by Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a testament to a marketer thinking several steps ahead.

See for yourself:



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I love the email from Kodak that comes out monthly. The email campaign selects a customer submitted picture as the "Kodak Moment of the Month". In this example, a photo from Kodak customer Ellen S. Whittle shows a high school... More

I love the email from Kodak that comes out monthly. The email campaign selects a customer submitted picture as the "Kodak Moment of the Month". In this example, a photo from Kodak customer Ellen S. Whittle shows a high school JV football game tackle in the rain. The picture captures the essence of high school football and has an amazing splash of water from the field.

Many marketers have been using customer reviews - another form of customer generated content on their web site and more recently in emails. Not too many marketers though have created a way for customers to submit content that can be re-purposed and used for their marketing needs.

Kudos to Kodak for taking it a step further! And be on the look-out for next month's "moment" featuring a 'spectacular travel photo'.

Here's the campaign:


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Another good reminder to test your email campaigns prior to sending them out... As an example, Old Navy recently sent an email that had two prominently displayed broken images near the top. I would highly recommend a "QA Checklist" for... More

Another good reminder to test your email campaigns prior to sending them out... As an example, Old Navy recently sent an email that had two prominently displayed broken images near the top.

I would highly recommend a "QA Checklist" for any email marketer to ensure the email campaigns they are sending have the highest quality.

A quick starting point:

• Ensure all links are clickable and arrive at the intended destination
• Ensure all images render
• Ensure overall message format appears appropriate in different email clients and browsers
• Ensure overall rendering speed for the message is good for high-bandwidth and low-bandwidth subscribers
• Ensure appropriate footer including CAN-Spam language is included

Below is a screen shot of the broken images:


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Love the creative from Finish Line!What makes the creative jump out is the use of a hand-written font and the leg drawings. Further, the shoe laces appearing tied together creates a nice visual separation that draws the eye. Love it!... More

Love the creative from Finish Line!

What makes the creative jump out is the use of a hand-written font and the leg drawings. Further, the shoe laces appearing tied together creates a nice visual separation that draws the eye.

Love it!


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Many marketers have a standard 'welcome' message that is sent shortly after a subscriber signs-up. adidas has a nice twist on the classic welcome that I wanted to share with everyone.Two great twists:Utilizing 'Personalities' - from the images of today's... More

Many marketers have a standard 'welcome' message that is sent shortly after a subscriber signs-up. adidas has a nice twist on the classic welcome that I wanted to share with everyone.

Two great twists:

1. Utilizing 'Personalities' - from the images of today's leading athletes to the call-out in the text to "Follow football star Reggie Bush, to NBA All-Star Dwight Howard", adidas has it down with leveraging the star personalities at their disposal to create a stronger connection with their subscribers.
2. The "Insider" Club - a great call-out to join 'adidas Insiders'. The special community allows subscribers to:

"Share your ideas and thoughts with key people at adidas and see it play a direct role in new adidas products and marketing."
"Get a sneak peek into what adidas is going to do next."
"Get to know other like-minded members and network with them."
"Have an impact on the future of adidas."

When you click-through on the link you are prompted to take a quick survey which indicates whether you are qualified to be an 'Insider'. Unfortunately I was not, however, I love the concept.






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I love the email campaign from the Tyler Place today that shares their decision to join the Facebook and Twitter revolution. The Tyler Place, a family vacation spot in Vermont that is incidentally an amazing time, shuns TV, electronics, mass... More

I love the email campaign from the Tyler Place today that shares their decision to join the Facebook and Twitter revolution. The Tyler Place, a family vacation spot in Vermont that is incidentally an amazing time, shuns TV, electronics, mass media, etc, but is fully embracing the world of Facebook and Twitter. Despite the skepticism of "Ted" one of the original owners...

And why not? If you are an amazing summer retreat, what better than to have a Facebook page where previous visitors can interact, share stories, share pictures, etc. I can also envision the Tweet regarding a sing-along by the campfire or climbing the rock wall...

Here's a real tweet from them:
"The osprey is back on her towering nest in Fairfield Swamp. Phoebes are trying to nest under the eaves. Swallows have returned. Spring!"

Last week Yesmail hosted a webinar on social media integration in your email program that was attended by over 150 of our clients - a turnout that was further affirming of the interest and desire to understand and embrace the social world we live in.

If a small business like the Tyler Place can take the leap - so can you!

And of course, if you need any help - give us a call.

In the meantime, check out the Tyler Place's great email:


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I really like today's Kodak email campaign highlighting their Mother's Day specials.A few subtle items that might not jump out at everyone, but really make this email effective:Offer Tag: By including a text offer tag at the very top of... More

I really like today's Kodak email campaign highlighting their Mother's Day specials.

A few subtle items that might not jump out at everyone, but really make this email effective:

Offer Tag: By including a text offer tag at the very top of the email Kodak is ensuring that everyone viewing the email on a non-HTML rendering mobile device first views the offer. Smart.

Viral 'Share This' Icon: By including 'Share This' functionality, Kodak is encouraging their subscribers to share the offer and actual email content via the social media community of their choice (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc).

Imagery: Great re-use of the 'mother' in the main image, the image in the picture frame, the image in the pocket video camera, and on the landing page you click-through to.

Overall a great email. See for yourself:


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It is hard to pass up Ben & Jerry's 'Free Cone Day' - this year held Tuesday, April 21st at a Ben & Jerry's near you. That being said the email creative below leaves a lot to be desired...A few... More

It is hard to pass up Ben & Jerry's 'Free Cone Day' - this year held Tuesday, April 21st at a Ben & Jerry's near you. That being said the email creative below leaves a lot to be desired...

A few small suggestions:

• Branding: The lack of Ben & Jerry's logo is appalling.
• Imagery: You would think a nice photo of an 'ice cream cone' for 'Free Cone Day' would have been very appealing.
• Template: Ben & Jerry's could easily invest in a nice re-usable creative template that would address branding, imagery, font sizes, etc vs. the current floating boxes of text.

What do you think?



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I'm super excited about our announcement today launching our partnership with ShareThis. This is the first of many capabilities focused on the power of social media that Yesmail will be providing our clients.We'll have much more to 'share' soon, but... More

I'm super excited about our announcement today launching our partnership with ShareThis. This is the first of many capabilities focused on the power of social media that Yesmail will be providing our clients.

We'll have much more to 'share' soon, but for now check out the press release. Less