The Email Wars

When you are using dynamic content in email, you better make sure that you have data in all the fields you are going to use for ALL subscribers. Often times I see people trying to get to a one to one relationship and they fail to check and test their data sources before they send. And what a bad impression as well as impact it makes on the brand. Especially when they send it to someone in email marketing. This example was passed on to me from Maddy Hubbard (whom we adore) at another ESP. Yep it is okay to like someone else at the competition.

From: David Maus Volkswagen
Date: Jul 8, 2008 11:36 AM
Subject: Customer Number[2xxxXXXXx] Your Service Request
To: XXXXXX

Dear Name,

Thanks very much for your service appointment request regarding your [INSERT AUTOMOBILE NAME HERE]. I will check the Service Department’s schedule and get back to you immediately. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me. You can reach me by replying to this e-mail or by phone at <CLICK HERE AND TYPE YOUR PHONE NUMBER>. Once again, MXXXX, thanks for your request. - <CLICK HERE AND TYPE YOUR NAME>
Please do not remove your Customer Number[2xxxxxxxx] when you reply to this email.

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My advice? Test a controlled group that you have an internal list on. It is hard to validate data fields for massive lists and this can occur, but if you are not testing you are setting yourself up to fail. And don’t get me wrong. Failure is good. Without it we rarely learn and cannot try to do better. All email marketing is a test, try to remember that. All marketing is a test. Nothing is ever going to work 100% no matter how good you are.