Good Read on Getting It Right: Drake Morton

A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words

WE YOUTUBE OUR VIDEOS, FLICKR our photos and put both up on Facebook. The proliferation of image-based content meant that it was only a matter of time before images hit our search results pages. Currently, 15% of all searches on Google come from its image tab, and the rise of universal (also known as blended) search sees all the major engines integrating video and image results into their mainstream search results. Search engine results pages are becoming increasingly visual — and rightly so. After all, search results should all be about the relevance of the information; the format they come in should be inconsequential.
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Very Good Read: Drake Morton

Show Me The Love, And I’ll Show You The Money!

by Lisa Harmon , Tuesday, July 22, 2008

A colleague recently sent me a copy of Tim Sanders’ book ” Love is the Killer App,” which I promptly opened and devoured within hours. For those of you who haven’t read it yet, (A) you should and (B) it’s modern day Dale Carnegie: a prescription for advancement in business by — quite simply — being nice and smart. (more…)

Building a Case: Great Read, Drake Morton

The Right Moment To Send An Email

by David Baker , Monday, July 21, 2008

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY? WHEN is the right time to send an email? That may be the right question, but is the answer what you are really looking for? This is probably the most widely asked question that email marketers will face.    People used to be fascinated with time of day and day of the week; now that we are well over 15 years into email marketing, I see less credence in these industry surveys of 1,200 respondents that try to help you answer this broadly.
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You better get this one right: Drake Morton

Send, Analyze, Target, Resend: The Art And Science of Successful Integrated Email Campaigns

by Blaine Mathieu , Wednesday, July 9, 2008

EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS CONTINUE TO prove their value, even as new media channels emerge to pull marketing dollars in different directions. But today’s email marketing strategies and tactics are different than they were even five years ago, and there’s a lot more to a successful campaign than just looking at open and click-through rates.    In today’s digital world, it has become imperative for marketers to employ a well-rounded online marketing toolset, that includes everything from Web analytics to behavioral analysis of respondents to gain valuable insight into just how effective their email campaign is — or isn’t.
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You need to understand: Drake Morton

The Quest For The Perfect

Loyalty Program Email Experience

by Deirdre Cook , Monday, June 30, 2008

On a recent work project, I was tasked with defining the “perfect” loyalty program email experience. After reviewing over 150 awards/loyalty program emails, I can safely say that no one company does it perfectly.

Since the very nature of a loyalty program is to honor your best customers, any communication should be a robust dialogue — a personalized conversation based on what is relevant to the individual within the community. (more…)

Very Good Read: Drake Morton

7 Tactics for Driving Traffic To Stores With Email

by Chad White , Thursday, June 26, 2008

RECENTLY AN EMAIL EXPERIENCE COUNCIL member asked me whether retailers should drive sales online or offline with their email marketing. The marketer wanted to drive more store traffic, but wasn’t sure about all the ways to go about doing that. The added concern was that revenue was more trackable and measureable online –and the marketer definitely wanted to get credit for the sales they drove. (more…)

You need to Understand: Drake Morton

Email On Mobile Devices

by Melinda Krueger , Tuesday, May 13, 2008

There was a lively discussion among the Inbox Insiders recently that provides food for thought for all email marketers. It started simply enough with a question about how to help a user view email via a BlackBerry.

Deirdre Baird, president and CEO of Pivotal Veracity, pointed out that both her firm and Return Path have rendering tools that show what a user sees on a BlackBerry, which are incorporated into the offerings of many top-tier ESPs.
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You really need to understand this: Drake Morton

Elongated Sales Cycles

Require Stronger Segmentation

by Stephanie Miller , Wednesday, May 7, 2008

THE INTERNET HAS MADE SALES cycles longer. “Selling now takes more time and resources then ever before. The sales cycle has become 22% longer as buyers are taking longer to consider their decisions. Plus, buying is being managed more professionally.” (Source: Sirius Decisions)

Is this true for you? What a great opportunity for email marketing segmentation strategies! Just by segmenting your prospects from other subscribers, you can boost revenue, improve conversion from email marketing, strengthen buyer satisfaction and build your brand.

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A MUST Read: Drake Morton

Stop It, You’re Killing Me

by Melinda Krueger , Monday, May 5, 2008

The Email Diva is beginning to feel that her days are numbered. A quick view of my three inboxes shows the reigning philosophy of email is “more is more.” As a result of this and the emergence of new communication media, I believe we are on the road to killing the email channel.

In the last 24 days, I have received 20 messages from WOMMA, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, a group I’ve always held in high esteem. In the past 30 days, I have received 61 messages from DMA, the Direct Marketing Association. These are marketing organizations, so if they don’t “get” email, how can we expect anyone else to?

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 e-Mail Reminders: Very Good: Drake Morton

Opt-in Email Best Practices

by Morgan Stewart , Wednesday, April 30, 2008

THE IDEA OF SENDING AN opt-in (or “re-opt-in”) campaign to subscribers to verify email permission is not new, but interest in these campaigns is increasing. Over time, a portion of your email list will become unengaged — which has several negative effects. Unengaged subscribers result in lower response rates and wasted marketing dollars. Re-opt-in campaigns are useful for cleaning old or unengaged subscribers off your list by confirming which subscribers want to continue receiving marketing emails. This results in a healthier list and increased return on investment.
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