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...daily blog with email marketing advice, news and best practices
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February 27, 2004
The Jennings Report
The latest issue of Jeanne Jennings newsletter has pointers to several good articles for e-newsletter publishers. I briefly thought about reporting the articles as if I'd found them myself, but 1. I'm too lazy and 2. It would leave an unethical taste in my mouth. Goodness...email marketing and ethics - whatever next?
The latest issue of Jeanne Jennings newsletter has pointers to several good articles for e-newsletter publishers. I briefly thought about reporting the articles as if I'd found them myself, but 1. I'm too lazy and 2. It would leave an unethical taste in my mouth. Goodness...email marketing and ethics - whatever next?
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EmailTrend Reports
DoubleClick just released their report for Q4, 2003 - downloadable as a .pdf file. A review of aggregate data from their many clients shows that delivery, open and clickthrough rates all improved slightly over the same period last year.
Among the other stats in there is one suggesting that average revenues per email delivered were $0.26. Not bad.
DoubleClick just released their report for Q4, 2003 - downloadable as a .pdf file. A review of aggregate data from their many clients shows that delivery, open and clickthrough rates all improved slightly over the same period last year.
Among the other stats in there is one suggesting that average revenues per email delivered were $0.26. Not bad.
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February 26, 2004
IndustryBrains Offers Paid Listings Ads Via RSS
One of the reasons email content publishers have held back from switching to RSS is the lack of revenue models for that delivery vehicle. But that's about to change, as Janis Mara of ClickZ News reports.
One of the reasons email content publishers have held back from switching to RSS is the lack of revenue models for that delivery vehicle. But that's about to change, as Janis Mara of ClickZ News reports.
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How Ebates Converts 20-40% of Its First-time Visitors into Email Sign-ups
Another MarketingSherpa case study, this time covering the tactics used by eBates at its own site to build its house email list (using...gulp...pop-ups and popunders). Also includes some discussion of the whole pop-up blocking issue.
Another MarketingSherpa case study, this time covering the tactics used by eBates at its own site to build its house email list (using...gulp...pop-ups and popunders). Also includes some discussion of the whole pop-up blocking issue.
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February 25, 2004
How to Maximize Business-to-Business Email Newsletter Results
MarketingSherpa case study on Openwave's efforts, with much detail on the planning, development and editorial process, plus insights into how email factors and source of subscribers impacts on such metrics as open rates and CTR.
MarketingSherpa case study on Openwave's efforts, with much detail on the planning, development and editorial process, plus insights into how email factors and source of subscribers impacts on such metrics as open rates and CTR.
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E-Mail Authentication Inches Forward
Pamela Parker summarizes efforts by the likes of Microsoft to test standards and systems whereby incoming email would have to carry the appropriate authentication - letting the recipient system track the mail back to a source that confirms the email as "legitimate" (or something like that - I'm not a techie).
It seems this would put an end to those spam emails that forge headers to avoid any identification of their source.
Related stories:
Spoofer ID?
Yahoo, Sendmail to test antispam system
Microsoft Unveils Details on 'Magic Solution' to Spam
Gates rallies support for email authentication
Pamela Parker summarizes efforts by the likes of Microsoft to test standards and systems whereby incoming email would have to carry the appropriate authentication - letting the recipient system track the mail back to a source that confirms the email as "legitimate" (or something like that - I'm not a techie).
It seems this would put an end to those spam emails that forge headers to avoid any identification of their source.
Related stories:
Spoofer ID?
Yahoo, Sendmail to test antispam system
Microsoft Unveils Details on 'Magic Solution' to Spam
Gates rallies support for email authentication
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February 24, 2004
The Great CAN-SPAM Freak Out
Andy Sernovitz has some reassuring words for those worried about Can-Spam compliance - relax. Though there's some irony in his warnings about free advice...in an article offering free advice.
Andy Sernovitz has some reassuring words for those worried about Can-Spam compliance - relax. Though there's some irony in his warnings about free advice...in an article offering free advice.
Email Attitudes and Purchase Behaviors among Retail Consumers
This press release from Bigfoot Interactive highlights some results of a consumer survey completed over the 2003 holiday season.
It's good reading, though I would argue that the suggestion that value and relevancy are key to email marketing is not a new trend. Also, if customers who receive permission email are more satisfied with a retailer than those that don't, is that cause or effect (do the emails drive satisfaction, or does satisfaction drive email sign-ups?).
It's interesting to learn that consumers are also concerned about some legitimate commercial emails not getting through.
This press release from Bigfoot Interactive highlights some results of a consumer survey completed over the 2003 holiday season.
It's good reading, though I would argue that the suggestion that value and relevancy are key to email marketing is not a new trend. Also, if customers who receive permission email are more satisfied with a retailer than those that don't, is that cause or effect (do the emails drive satisfaction, or does satisfaction drive email sign-ups?).
It's interesting to learn that consumers are also concerned about some legitimate commercial emails not getting through.
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February 23, 2004
Global 'Do Not Spam' Registry Launches
The International Anti-Spam Council is trying its hand at a do-not-email list, starting in China. Janis Mara reports and also gets the reaction from the FTC.
The International Anti-Spam Council is trying its hand at a do-not-email list, starting in China. Janis Mara reports and also gets the reaction from the FTC.
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Infatuation, Maturation or Saturation?
Michael Mayor writes about the product cycle for items/services sold via direct email. His well-argued theory is that saturation eventually deadens the market for a particular item or service, and all the creative and marketing genius in the world won't fix the problem. He calls it the "missed" cycle. And, of course, suggests you need to know where you are in that cycle (easier said than done). Good stuff.
Michael Mayor writes about the product cycle for items/services sold via direct email. His well-argued theory is that saturation eventually deadens the market for a particular item or service, and all the creative and marketing genius in the world won't fix the problem. He calls it the "missed" cycle. And, of course, suggests you need to know where you are in that cycle (easier said than done). Good stuff.
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Creating Opt-in Email Lists: Just Say Yes
A bit spartan for the experienced practitioner but it's interesting to see an article on the theory and practice of "opt-in" written more for techies than marketers.
A bit spartan for the experienced practitioner but it's interesting to see an article on the theory and practice of "opt-in" written more for techies than marketers.
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February 20, 2004
Could E-Mail Postage Produce Pick-Pockets?
Rebecca Lieb of ClickZ weighs in on the pay for email postage debate, raising some potential technical problems and other issues. Also includes some responses from various players in the field, such as Goodmail Systems and the Email Service Provider Coalition.
Rebecca Lieb of ClickZ weighs in on the pay for email postage debate, raising some potential technical problems and other issues. Also includes some responses from various players in the field, such as Goodmail Systems and the Email Service Provider Coalition.
Telewest nose best with smelly email
It's not April 1st so this report must be for real. If you were concerned with email visual and text creative, maybe you need to think about olfactory creative now. This UK broadband provider is testing a device (the scent dome) which generates smells around the PC in response to appropriate emails. Here's the official press release.
If nothing else, it's great PR.
It's not April 1st so this report must be for real. If you were concerned with email visual and text creative, maybe you need to think about olfactory creative now. This UK broadband provider is testing a device (the scent dome) which generates smells around the PC in response to appropriate emails. Here's the official press release.
If nothing else, it's great PR.
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February 19, 2004
RSS 101 Useful Links
Janet Roberts at MarketingSherpa has a summary of RSS for marketers - what is it? Is it suited to marketing purposes? Are you and your readers ready to use RSS? And should you now abandon your email efforts?
Janet Roberts at MarketingSherpa has a summary of RSS for marketers - what is it? Is it suited to marketing purposes? Are you and your readers ready to use RSS? And should you now abandon your email efforts?
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Bill McCloskey with an (only partly) tongue-in-cheek look at newsletter sign-up practices and how they're either turning people away or failing to generate the right marketing data for the companies involved. Only laugh once you've checked your own sign-up page.
P.S. Found this via The Jennings Report.
P.S. Found this via The Jennings Report.
AOL, EarthLink File Spam Suits
DMNews reports on some heavy-duty legal action against spammers from two of the biggest ISPs out there. This is good news for email marketers. A few high profile Can-Spam enforcement cases wouldn't go amiss either.
DMNews reports on some heavy-duty legal action against spammers from two of the biggest ISPs out there. This is good news for email marketers. A few high profile Can-Spam enforcement cases wouldn't go amiss either.
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February 18, 2004
Bigfoot Offers More Info on Reception E-Mails Get
It seems more and more participants in the email delivery chain are adding deliverability metrics to their offerings. In this article, Janis Mara explains how Bigfoot are starting to provide their email marketer clients with info on how many recipients are hitting the "report spam" button when they get an e-newsletter or mailout.
It seems more and more participants in the email delivery chain are adding deliverability metrics to their offerings. In this article, Janis Mara explains how Bigfoot are starting to provide their email marketer clients with info on how many recipients are hitting the "report spam" button when they get an e-newsletter or mailout.
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Email Marketing Know-How Exchange
If you've a burning question to ask on email marketing, here's a place you can try - it's the relevant sub-category over at the MarketingProfs.com discussion forum.
If you've a burning question to ask on email marketing, here's a place you can try - it's the relevant sub-category over at the MarketingProfs.com discussion forum.
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February 17, 2004
Targeted Email Newsletters Show Continued Strength
Jakob Nielsen offers some insight into what works with email newsletters, as a taster for his team's report on the subject. Perhaps the biggest news is that he's effectively reversed his pessimistic appraisal of the e-newsletter future from 2 years back. He's definitely on the bandwagon now. And it's good to have him on board.
Jakob Nielsen offers some insight into what works with email newsletters, as a taster for his team's report on the subject. Perhaps the biggest news is that he's effectively reversed his pessimistic appraisal of the e-newsletter future from 2 years back. He's definitely on the bandwagon now. And it's good to have him on board.
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February 16, 2004
HBO Rich Media Email
MarketingSherpa reports on the HBO email marketing campaign that won the AD:TECH award for Best Email Campaign of 2003. Not too much detail in there, but you can see copies of the email creative involved, which might be inspiring.
MarketingSherpa reports on the HBO email marketing campaign that won the AD:TECH award for Best Email Campaign of 2003. Not too much detail in there, but you can see copies of the email creative involved, which might be inspiring.
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February 13, 2004
Mailers and ISPs: Can't We All Just Get Along?
Interesting article at IAR, looking at the complicated relationship between the guardians of subscribers' inboxes (ISPs) and those who want to get into those inboxes (marketers). Includes some relevant quotes from the people behind the big ISP email teams.
Interesting article at IAR, looking at the complicated relationship between the guardians of subscribers' inboxes (ISPs) and those who want to get into those inboxes (marketers). Includes some relevant quotes from the people behind the big ISP email teams.
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People lie more on the phone than by email
News of a scientific study which attempted to match lying habits with the method of communication. Though talking with a friend, we can both find flaws in the methodology used (you can take the scientist out of the lab...), at least as it's presented here. Still, wonder if there are any implications for email marketing...?
News of a scientific study which attempted to match lying habits with the method of communication. Though talking with a friend, we can both find flaws in the methodology used (you can take the scientist out of the lab...), at least as it's presented here. Still, wonder if there are any implications for email marketing...?
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February 12, 2004
How to Handle Challenge Response Filters Affecting Up to 10% of Your List
Janet Roberts over at EmailSherpa outlines the steps you need to take to cope with the growth of challenge-response email services. That's where senders have to manually confirm their wish to have their email delivered to an individual email account. As you can imagine, that's a whole heap of work if these kinds of anti-spam accounts catch on (as they surely will).
Janet Roberts over at EmailSherpa outlines the steps you need to take to cope with the growth of challenge-response email services. That's where senders have to manually confirm their wish to have their email delivered to an individual email account. As you can imagine, that's a whole heap of work if these kinds of anti-spam accounts catch on (as they surely will).
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Businesses saying it by email
Some figures from a survey of New Zealand businesses. Although email is tops in terms of business communication, it looks like there's still plenty of room for growth in email marketing down there.
Some figures from a survey of New Zealand businesses. Although email is tops in terms of business communication, it looks like there's still plenty of room for growth in email marketing down there.
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February 11, 2004
Yesmail and Accela Communications webcast on CAN-SPAM legislation
Follow the link in the press release to view the presentation, which covers compliancy and other implications for email marketing. Yesmail is a vendor in the email marketing field by the way.
Follow the link in the press release to view the presentation, which covers compliancy and other implications for email marketing. Yesmail is a vendor in the email marketing field by the way.
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February 10, 2004
Is it time to charge for email?
It isn't going to happen yet (if ever), but it's worth keeping an eye on the "charge for sending email" issue, since Bill Gates and others have raised the possibility. The link takes you to a relevant commentary at ZDNet UK.
It isn't going to happen yet (if ever), but it's worth keeping an eye on the "charge for sending email" issue, since Bill Gates and others have raised the possibility. The link takes you to a relevant commentary at ZDNet UK.
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February 09, 2004
AOL Floats E-Mail Reports for Marketers
Internet Advertising Report has picked up indications that AOL is considering making available deliverability reports for large-volume email marketers. Whichever form these might take (if any), they would certainly help legitimate marketers understand how best to ensure their emails to AOL subscribers reach their destination.
Internet Advertising Report has picked up indications that AOL is considering making available deliverability reports for large-volume email marketers. Whichever form these might take (if any), they would certainly help legitimate marketers understand how best to ensure their emails to AOL subscribers reach their destination.
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February 06, 2004
Email Test Royalty Share Hard-won Test Results: joann.com
Segmenting insights from the email marketing team at joann.com, as reported by MarketingSherpa.
Segmenting insights from the email marketing team at joann.com, as reported by MarketingSherpa.
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February 05, 2004
My Can-Spam worry
Since it's been almost 48 hours since a Can-Spam related post, here's a little worry I have. Now that everyone is so obsessed with compliance, isn't there a danger that marketers forget that permission issues and Can-Spam compliance are not one and the same?
Recipients don't judge spam on whether or not it complies with the Can-Spam legislation. Only lawmakers do that. Recipients judge email/spam according to its relevancy and their perception of whether or not you have permission to mail it to them. Can-Spam and formal permission requirements are irrelevant to that. And it's the recipients that clickthrough and buy, not lawmakers.
Since it's been almost 48 hours since a Can-Spam related post, here's a little worry I have. Now that everyone is so obsessed with compliance, isn't there a danger that marketers forget that permission issues and Can-Spam compliance are not one and the same?
Recipients don't judge spam on whether or not it complies with the Can-Spam legislation. Only lawmakers do that. Recipients judge email/spam according to its relevancy and their perception of whether or not you have permission to mail it to them. Can-Spam and formal permission requirements are irrelevant to that. And it's the recipients that clickthrough and buy, not lawmakers.
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Five Shocking Truths About Email Marketing
A long article by Mike Adams of Arial Software. I like this guy. His writing is lucid and pretty much promotion-free, even though he's CEO of a vendor company. In the report he questions some accepted truths about email marketing and highlights some of those issues that nobody wants to talk about, but really ought to. Well worth reading.
A long article by Mike Adams of Arial Software. I like this guy. His writing is lucid and pretty much promotion-free, even though he's CEO of a vendor company. In the report he questions some accepted truths about email marketing and highlights some of those issues that nobody wants to talk about, but really ought to. Well worth reading.
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How to Convert More of Your Tentative Prospects with Highly Targeted, Personal Emails
MarketingSherpa reports on how a B2B marketer used web and email reporting tools to identify and segment individual subscribers in terms of their likely interest in a workshop. And then followed up using one-to-one, individual, personalized email to swing the sale. Includes some advice on how to do the one-to-one bit properly, since a lot of people think that just means putting the recipient's name in a form letter.
MarketingSherpa reports on how a B2B marketer used web and email reporting tools to identify and segment individual subscribers in terms of their likely interest in a workshop. And then followed up using one-to-one, individual, personalized email to swing the sale. Includes some advice on how to do the one-to-one bit properly, since a lot of people think that just means putting the recipient's name in a form letter.
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February 04, 2004
TACD's online survey on spam, Oct - Dec 2003
Summary of a survey conducted by the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (representing 65 US and EU consumer organisations). They basically asked over 21,000 consumers for their opinion on spam and what to do about it. Needless to say, the results suggest they'll be lobbying for far stronger anti-spam laws. Some excerpts...
"82% said that governments should only allow commercial emails to be sent if the recipient has agreed in advance to receive them (opt-in)"
"52% said that they shop online less or not at all because they are worried about spam" (yet another reason why marketers need to support anti-spam efforts).
Summary of a survey conducted by the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (representing 65 US and EU consumer organisations). They basically asked over 21,000 consumers for their opinion on spam and what to do about it. Needless to say, the results suggest they'll be lobbying for far stronger anti-spam laws. Some excerpts...
"82% said that governments should only allow commercial emails to be sent if the recipient has agreed in advance to receive them (opt-in)"
"52% said that they shop online less or not at all because they are worried about spam" (yet another reason why marketers need to support anti-spam efforts).
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February 03, 2004
Finally got round to adding an XML/RSS/Whatever-you-want-to-call-it feed to this email marketing blog. You'll see the link to the right.
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February 02, 2004
The cross-channel pull of e-mail at Bombay
Another email marketing success story - "For every $1 e-mail drives in online sales, e-mail drives $10 in store sales." I'm not surprised - I've spoken to many retailers who see email primarily as a vehicle for driving traffic to their offline stores rather than their e-commerce site.
Another email marketing success story - "For every $1 e-mail drives in online sales, e-mail drives $10 in store sales." I'm not surprised - I've spoken to many retailers who see email primarily as a vehicle for driving traffic to their offline stores rather than their e-commerce site.
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Hachette Renewal Effort Centers on E-Mail
A detailed look at how one company is making good use of email marketing to boost subscription renewals to print magazines - both instead of, and in tandem with, normal direct mail renewal reminders.
A detailed look at how one company is making good use of email marketing to boost subscription renewals to print magazines - both instead of, and in tandem with, normal direct mail renewal reminders.
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