E-mail

In the ongoing struggle for e-mail marketers to have their messages land in consumers’ inboxes rather than in their spam filters, it’s been widely assumed that message content is the main reason ISPs filter legitimate e-mail marketing messages. But the findings from the recently released Lyris EmailAdvisor study may go a long way in changing the mind-sets of many e-mail marketers. Message content is not a major cause of deliverability challenges for most e-mail marketers, according to the Lyris EmailAdvisor ISP Deliverability Report Card for the first fiscal quarter of 2007. More than 1,705 unique e-mails were tested against the widely accepted Spam Assassin

While the sophistication of high-end e-mail marketing tools can be a bit daunting, virtually any cataloger can find an e-mail marketing package that will increase sales without breaking the bank. “Although it is often taken for granted, the power of e-mail derives from its ubiquity,” says David Hallerman, a senior analyst at market research firm eMarketer and author of “E-Mail and Word-of-Mouth: Connecting With Your Best Customers.” He notes that about 90 percent of U.S. Internet users are regular e-mail users, “clearly an audience that has attained critical mass. Although spam makes it harder to reach customers’ inboxes, e-mail’s personal impact is unmatched

E-mail is an important part of any marketing program worth its salt. But most aren’t taking full advantage, by overlooking important advancements that can make a huge difference — not only to the program, but to your bottom line. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your e-mail program. It boils down to four simple rules. I’ve chosen some examples that demonstrate how to fine-tune your e-mail program and sell effectively. 1. Grab recipients’ attention — and get them to open your e-mail. Consumers’ prior experience with you and their affinity to your brand certainly are factors in motivating them to open

Although many marketers have some sort of e-mail marketing program in place, not all of them are successful at it. A recent Direct Marketing Association study, “The Power of Direct Marketing,” showed that e-mail returned $57.25 for every dollar spent on it. Atlanta-based list firm Response Media believes there are a number of untapped, profitable e-mail marketing tactics. Below are seven easy-to-implement tips. 1. Add an “access your account” link to your subscription e-newsletter. This results in more visits to your site and more revenue per visit, Response Media says. 2. Convert offline customers to online. Invite customers who read your catalog, call your

By incorporating an e-mail loyalty program, picture frame cataloger Exposures has enjoyed sales gains from its catalogs, an increase in order sizes, decreased variable operating expenses and increased total contribution, according to Vicki Updike, vice president of merchandising and marketing for Miles Kimball Co., the parent unit of Exposures, who spoke in a session at last week’s Internet Retailer Conference in San Jose, Calif. She revealed the following results from the recent e-mail campaign: * the e-mailed group had a total increase in sales of 18 percent greater than those who only receive the Exposures catalog; * e-mail increased the number of overall orders

Marketers are turning to advanced strategies and technologies to ensure their e-mail messages are delivered properly and welcomed by their recipients. But many companies need outside help and decide to hire an e-mail service provider, or ESP. In a recent white paper, Atlanta-based e-mail service provider Silverpop Systems offers advice on choosing the right ESP for your needs. Here are some of the firm’s top tips. 1. Focus on your needs first. Assess the state of your e-mail marketing program and decide what you need to accomplish now and in the future. Establish a business case, goals, timeline and budget before starting the vendor search. 2. Decide

In a session I led on May 21 during the ACCM Conference in Boston on building an e-mail program, I emphasized the basics of e-mail. Below are three key takeways. 1. Can your readers really see your message? A quick audit I did showed that catalogers have fabulous e-mails. But the sad news is that many readers won’t be able to see them. Too many catalogers aren’t using the appropriate creative and design techniques. Many e-mails consist of a series of images. With many ISPs using image-blocking for e-mails that have any problems (authentication, too many bounces, too many spam complaints, content filters). So

Although far from new, polls are a greater part of the American fabric than ever before. Consumers have become more comfortable with polls conducted via e-mail, on Web sites and via text messages (as much as I loathe the show, two quick words come to mind here: “American Idol”). In fact, it’s pretty rare these days when we’re not subjected to some sort of poll at least once a week, sometimes even once a day. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Polls aren’t like those delightful 6:30 p.m. telemarketing calls we often have to answer with a mouthful of pasta. They’re there; you

At the turn of this century, cataloging — and all retailing for that matter — was revolutionized by the emergence of e-commerce. Shopping at home became easier than ever, and consumers warmed up to the concept of wielding their purchasing power with the click of a mouse. Today, so many orders are coming in online that it’s becoming difficult for some catalogers to recall the times when they were all but completely reliant on their call centers for order-taking. Your Web site, however, isn’t just a vehicle through which orders can be taken and processed more efficiently; it’s a powerful data-gathering tool that an

In the mid ’90s, Louis Stack, founder and president of Fitter International, was like many people — he’d never seen a Web site. Then a Web developer from Florida offered to create one for his Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based company that sells balance and fitness equipment around the world. By 1997 — the same year Stack’s catalog, Fitterfirst, was launched — the site was downloading orders. Today, Fitterfirst also sells products from a retail store attached to its headquarters, and through 2,500 international dealers and wholesalers. Like plenty of other multichannel marketers in North America, Stack’s challenge these days is in coordinating his company’s multichannel efforts.