1. Email Marketing Success Presented to Aceware Users Dan Belhassen greatBIGnews.com Modern Earth Inc.

2. About your presenter Dan Belhassen – Founder and President of Modern Earth Inc., an Internet technology company – Website creators, online software developers, search engine consultants, new media marketing specialists – Developers of “greatBIGnews.com”

3. You use email marketing.. Don’t you?

4. Why not? Cheapest way of reaching your market Allows you to make rapid changes Allows you to do “just in time” marketing

5. Interesting Statistics

6. 66% of those surveyed said they had made a purchase because of a marketing message received through email. - ExactTarget, "2008 Channel Preference Survey" (2008) Consumers who subscribed to email newsletters generated 34.25% more product sales. - MarketingSherpa in association with ConAgra Foods (2007)

7. Interesting Statistics Wednesday was the best day of the week in the third quarter of 2007 to send email in terms of click (3.9%) and open rates (25.4%). - eROI (2007) Average open rates on Tuesdays were 22.6% and clicks were 3.2%; open rates on Thursdays were 23.6% while click rates were 3.7%; open rates on Friday were 23.1% and clicks were 3.1%; and open rates on Sunday were 20.7% while clicks were 2.4%. - eROI (2007)

8. Interesting Statistics Emails with shorter subject lines significantly outperformed emails with longer subject lines. - MailerMailer (2008) Emails that had only the subject line personalized (12.4% Open Rate & 1.7% CTR) did worse than those with no personalization at all (13.5% Open Rate & 2.7% CTR). - MailerMailer (2008)

9. Interesting Statistics Seven in 10 US Internet users said they judged these "from" and "subject" lines when deciding whether to report an email as spam. - E-Mail Sender and Provider Coalition and Ipsos (December 2007) Including the company name in the subject line can increase open rates by up to 32 percent to 60 percent over a subject line without branding. - Jupiter Research (2007)

10. Interesting Statistics What Kinds of Subject Lines Most Attract Your Attention? – 55.2% - Clearly State the Offer – 49.6% - Discount or free shipping – 48.8% - Brand name or sender – 33.8% - Curious – 30.3% - Promise immediate answers (download or survey) – 18.7% - Short – 15.2% - Promise to solve a specific problem – 14.1% - Funny – 11.0% - Has my name in it -Return Path survey evaluating Holiday Subject Lines (2006)

11. Interesting Statistics Time of day online users check personal emails at work Sporadically47% First thing in morning 25% At lunchtime 18% During afternoon break 8% Right before end of day 2%

12. Interesting Statistics When online users check their email First thing in morning 41% Right after dinner 18% Right after work 14% Right before bed 14% Middle of night 40%

13. Interesting Statistics Where online users check their email In Bed 23% In class 12% In a business meeting 8% Wi-Fi hotspot 6% Beach or pool 6% Bathroom4% While driving 4% Church1%

14. Email Study: Moms Recent study by online retailers Goal is to understand how moms respond We can learn from these results… From Lucid Marketing & Email Labs

15. Email Study: Moms Subject lines that will motivate moms to open a retail email message Discounted Price 72.5% Free shipping offer 60.1% Special offer mention 37.4% Specific brand mention 26.9% Time-based deadline 21.4% My name 4.3% Family member mentioned 3.3%

16. Email Study: Moms How often moms would like to be notified by retail emails Daily3.6% Weekly35.3% Bi-Weekly22.6% Monthly32.9% Quarterly2.6% Annually1.5% Other1.5%

17. Email Study: Moms Product information in retail emails that will motivate moms to click Displaying price 62.7% Photo of product 61.7% Delivery information 43.7% Brand name 42.4% Displaying dollar savings 36.1% Brief description 36.1% Displaying % savings 24.3% Days left in sale 14.9% Ratings & testimonials 13.0%

18. This presentation assumes.. You are currently email marketing You would like to improve your success rate

19. Top 6 ways to Improve Success

20. #1 Create Targeted Lists

21. Don’t just have one large list! Target your best (repeat) customers They are most likely to re-enroll with you

22. #1 Create Targeted Lists Separate list based on interest area – Attended a course category in last 24 months Computer, photography, gardening, business, health or separate by demographic – Senior, Youth, Family Or both!

23. #1 Create Targeted Lists

24. Sample “General” template

25. Sample “GenX” template

26. Sample “GenY” template

27. #2 Maximize Opens The “open decision” will be based on – The From address / Identity – The subject line

28. #2 Maximize Opens From Address – Composed of a NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS – Usually only the name will be visible – Clearly identify who you are – Critical for credibility

29. #2 Maximize Opens Name of Sender

30. #2 Maximize Opens Assuming credibility is established… – The subject line says what the message is about – Make it clear enough to help the receiver delete it WHAT? Yes! They should be trained that the subject line is directly related to content Overall open rates will improve over time – But what makes a good subject line?

31. #2 Maximize Opens But, why guess when you can measure? Take 25% of your list and divide into A/B groups – Send subject 1 to group A – Send subject 2 to group B – Send the “winning” subject line to the remaining group

32. #2 Maximize Opens But, why guess when you can measure? Take 25% of your list and divide into A/B groups – Send subject 1 to group A – Send subject 2 to group B – Send the “winning” subject line to the remaining group Use your statistics to improve your success

33. #2 Maximize Opens But, why guess when you can measure? Take 25% of your list and divide into A/B groups – Send subject 1 to group A – Send subject 2 to group B – Send the “winning” subject line to the remaining group Use your statistics to improve your success 17% 23%

34. #2 Maximize Opens Which are better for your audience? – Specific deadlines – Price (eg: discounts) – Urgency – Don’t miss out on great fall courses! OR – Fall course calender now available

35. #3 Use “calls to action” Tell your subscriber what to do! Clearly communicate the next action they should take

36. #3 Use “calls to action”

38. Classy art Everything on one page

39. #4 Targeted Follow ups Most email marketing systems will provide – Everyone who opens a promo – Everyone who clicks on a link Create a follow up list based on opens and clicks – Send a targeted follow up

40. Sample initial promo

41. #4 Targeted Follow ups Sample follow up

42. #5 Measure Results Most systems will provide a reporting mechanism See which promos have gotten better results Example why that is – Try A/B testing with different content

43. #6 Track Conversions There are three main conversion steps – Are you tracking each step? Click-through > website Website > registration form Registration form > submission

44. #6 Track Conversions Ultimate conversion tracking – Tie your email marketing to Google Analytics – Use conversion tracking tool – Will show you which links ultimately generated ROI

45. Sample Marketing Plan

46. Preparation Promote list through website – Show example of past editions – Ask for as little information as possible – Set expectations on frequency

47. Preparation Promote newsletter through brochure – “Want to learn about new courses? Sign up online!” – “Learn about hot new courses first with our email alerts!” – “Enter to win your course for free at www…”

48. Preparation Provide an incentive – Draw or contest One “reader” per month wins? One “new subscriber” per month wins? – Free course? Gift certificate?

49. Preparation Train staff – “Always be asking” for permission – How to handle questions Modify procedures Opportunities to gain permission Phone calls, course evaluations, registration methods

50. Preparation Record of all email promotions – Print outs of promotions – Indication of subject line, open rate, CTR – ROI (number of registrations)

51. Sample Marketing Plan Community/Recreation Program Assuming you are starting “from scratch”

52. August First week (6 weeks out) – Mail brochure – Sent first email announcing brochure Third week (4 weeks out) – Mail brochure 2 nd time to past participants and inquiries Third to Fourth week (3-4 weeks out) – Emails spotlighting new courses

53. September First Week (1 week out) – 3 rd email send out – Low enrollment classes emailed to best customers – Send email about popular classes Second week (0 weeks out) – Classes start Third to Fourth Week – Email about classes starting in October

54. October Second Week – Email about classes starting in November

55. November-December Fourth Week November (7 weeks out) – Mail brochure First to Second Week December (5-6 weeks out) – Send email to full list Third Week (4 weeks out, after Xmas) – Brochure mailed 2 nd time to past participants and inquiries Fourth Week December-First Week Jan – Email spotlighting new courses … repeat!

56. How SPAM Filters Work

57. Thousands of anti-SPAM systems – Scored (ie: SpamAssassin) – Learned (ie: uses Bayesian Algorithm) – Challenge/Response (ie: SpamArrest) – Greylisting (ie: greylisting.org) – Human Rated (ie: Cloudmark)

58. Avoid being labeled as SPAM Properly setup email server – Dedicated IP address – Reverse IP DNS entry – SPF (Sender Policy Framework) DNS entry

59. Avoid being labeled as SPAM Properly setup email server – Dedicated IP address – Reverse IP DNS entry – SPF (Sender Policy Framework) DNS entry

60. Avoid being labeled as SPAM “Polite” email server – Limit total email volume upon request – Limit emails sent “per connection” Remove invalid email addresses – Limit undeliverable emails

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62. Selecting a system Key features – Deliverability – Tracking (opens, click-throughs) – Import subscribers & prevent duplicates – Capture email from website – Send to a friend w/self sign up option – Design matches your branding

63. Thank you! greatBIGnews.com modernearth.net