Tricks of the E-mail Trade, Part 1; Webinar Speaker’s Tips & Guidelines

In a recent webinar presentation, “Top Ten Things You Need to Know About E-mail Creative,” Jordan Ayan, CEO of e-mail service provider SubscriberMail, offered an assortment of tips for creating e-mail marketing campaigns. This week, we bring you part one of his presentation, which focused on subject lines, speaking to the customer and copywriting. Next week, we’ll bring you the second part in which Ayan addresses links and calls to action; type, images and rich media; and viral opportunities.

Subject lines are part of the creative process. Providing tips for the audience to avoid the “Oh no, I didn’t read that, I thought it was spam” consumer response, Ayan stressed the importance of relevant, concise subject lines. He listed the following tips in creating subject lines:

* Use no more than 45 characters or five words;

* Never use all caps;

* Use punctuation only when necessary;

* Avoid “cute” headlines, but be creative;

* Make it relevant to your recipient;

* Test it three times;

* Think like a filter;

* One subject line doesn’t fit all;

* Think relationship, not message; and

* Avoid spam words.

He also gave the audience four rules to live by with subject lines:

1. Provide a clear indication why it should be opened and what to expect;

2. Make them content-focused vs. entity-focused;

3. Keep it simple; and

4. Ask a question of the recipient.

Relevancy to the consumer. Ayan rattled off six pointers to making e-mails relevant. He suggested they be

1. meaningful;

2. interesting;

3. rewarding;

4. timely;

5. nonintrusive; and

6. take into account the “What’s in it for me?” factor.

He then offered two examples of companies using relevant e-mail messages successfully. In an e-mail campaign by Brunswick Zone, the bowling company personalized its message down to the store level, providing the nearest Brunswick Zone to individual recipients. Further making the message relevant, it offered a promotion (99 cent bowling) focused around a relevant event (the 4th of July).

The redemption rate on the e-mail coupon was an outstanding 40 percent.

In another example, Dunkin Donuts, which sought to boost its coffee sales, Ayan cited the retailer’s newsletter, Coffee Chat News, which provides relevant information to coffee drinkers while offering them a product. The e-newsletter makes customers feel they’re getting something of value from the e-mail without even buying the product, Ayan pointed out. The audience then looks forward to receiving the newsletter, which Ayan advised works best when focused around specific events, such as sales, holidays and promotions.

Quick, clean copy, content and offers. Ayan gave the following copywriting-related tips:

* Direct consumers’ focus to the main message of the e-mail, whether it be price, availability, sale or other;

* Add a message for users and those having trouble accessing the e-mail (e.g. “click to view in browser”);

* Boost response with effective promotions, such as free shipping or other things of value, which increase relevancy for consumers;

* Incorporate within your design messages that prompt customers to add you to their address book;

* Include an invitation to upcoming special events;

* Send reminder e-mails, such as “Don’t forget,” time-sensitive sales and promotions;

* Provide helpful tips and how-to articles;

* Make effective use of color, testing its placement vs. an e-mail without color;

* Use contests; and

* Segment female vs. male audiences.

Ayan also produced a list of guidelines he follows.

1. Clean up clutter, summarize your content;

2. Use headlines that grab;

3. Incorporate a link strategy by including several places on the message for links, add calls to action above the message;

4. Optimize for more than one type of reader;

5. Optimize and test for hot spots (Ayan advised that the top-left quadrant is the best area for your logo and branding);

6. Use HTML no more than 65K;

7. Use Flash files of no more than 100K;

8. Avoid white text on dark background;

9. Avoid JavaScript because it sets off security alarms and often is stripped as spam; and

10. Use static background.

Ayan also gave the audience additional ideas for engaging content. For example, a special message for inactives, “We’ve missed you,” and a message for new customers, “Welcome to our family,” would be relevant and appropriate.