Article Overview:

National Geographic asks for your preferences, your profile, your desire for each email type, and, most importantly, your permission
Timberland’s emails stand out due to brand consistency, large calls-to-action, clarity of messaging, and easy-to-measure creative tests
Banana Republic has stepped into its own in testing, experimenting, and being different
Rethinking “best practices”

What is “right”? Is there a correct way? Do best practices always work?
The answer to these and almost every other question in email marketing is, “It depends.” I know it’s a cop-out of an answer, but in all honesty, there is no right answer. There’s no global best practice that makes your campaign stats jump, no design layout that wins every time. It takes constant trying, tweaking, analyzing, and risk-taking. Calculated and meticulous risk-taking, I might add. And yes, in the end there is no “right,” only good job, mission accomplished, and what’s next?
Yet over the years of not just observing thousands of email campaigns but also creating them, I have weeded through the good and the bad to find those brands that are marketing in ways that move audiences and drive results. This isn’t about presenting you with empirical campaign data. This is about what works for me, and why.

Here are seven brands that are doing it right.
Read the full article

Why not use it in a Welcome campaign? What an ideal point to introduce it. If social media is a prime part of your overall digital marketing you need to make sure it is out in front of them. And adding not forcing social media introductions in a welcome campaign work well. These touch points are going to be one of your highest performing campaigns EVER so choose your focus wisely. If you have other goals do not make social front and center, but do introduce it in.If you have read this blog for any time at all, seen me speak, or worked with me on your campaigns you know how important I find welcome emails to be in a program.

In looking at the Community site we built for Wacom (now 3 generations/versions in) for PenScrappers we made sure it was part of the email template in a way that stood out but did not steal the attention of the goals of getting started and exploring content. It is a light way to include it in the flow of the email and actually becomes a nice way to leave it as an expected element in future emails.

When working with Banfield they wanted to use email to introduce their subscribers to what they were doing in three social media channels. Now instead of just saying follow us/friend us they choose to add some value around what they were doing in these channels and showing a little of each in a way that reveals what is going on while leaving a little bit behind the curtain to help to engage the click. When you put some context and show what they might be interested in adding to the social tools their subscribers were already using, they actually help to build value and a story as to why it might be something or somewhere they would want to engage. People LOVE their pets and giving content that helps them with these relationships they cherish helps to solidify the approach.

With a new branded entertainment game show/interactive game we built for Starlicious this year (now don’t go losing yourself for the next 2 hours catching up with celebrity gossip and playing for prizes) we used a combination of the survey after we published a majority of the shows to then engage with the social channels. When introducing a new brand/property it is important to first build the relationship before asking them to take some steps that might not make sense. If you are to simply tell people to jump in and engage in these social channels without proving the value of your content you simply create a reason for churn. And the goal is not a constant battle for new points of engagement, but prolonged engagement that supports the building/continuing of relationships.

We also did something a little different by introducing one of their brand partners, Gain, as the channel for the Facebook relationship, as they have commitment to the channel and content to support it. Why bit off more than you can chew? It is better to focus on building and supporting one than to try to take on everything. Being fortunate to have a partner to not only promote but tie in and support benefits everyone with this method/approach.

So how are you tackling your company’s approach to integration, introduction, and value positioning by using email to support your social programs. There are many ways to do it, and I am not saying that we always do it right, but hopefully these are three examples that might help you think about how it might work for you and your email subscribers in a positive way. Happy Tweeting.

Here is an older version from earlier this year that was okay, but the offer and all the BLUE for the hotel locations made me feel as if there was not anything more important than just a transaction. Each of the campaigns was very focused on them talking to me not having a conversation with me. Now this is not all that bad but with the new changes they have made some improvements that make me feel like they are giving me some better information as to who they are, what I might get and why I would look at a stay there. Before they did not have any social inclusion in their programs and not they have added it to the headers along with better text pre-headers that do not add too many pixels to the header pushing content down as their past layouts did talking about no image and add it to your address book. They have made the jump to a tight format that is appealing on all levels.

The funny thing is that it is not a major change in the overall information itself, but the color changes, information architecture and flow works so much better to make the content work. The inclusion of easy to read options (like mobile), occasion marketing (gets me thinking about when I could stay there) and the notions of escaping to Florida are things that are still transactional in premise but do not feel as forced as they might have before in the color layouts.

Now although they have made me happier with mobile web access and not an app (not everyone needs an app I will go on record on this over and over again) they have a little work left to do. The main one is the view as mobile version of the email. It might be the longest text email I have ever seen in my life. They need to look at changing this to either be a real mobile version or simply place some thought into what content really needs to be there. The last 2000 plus pixels listing all of their locations does not need to be there. I am presumably on a mobile device so a simple link to find these locations is all that is truly needed. Thinking through a mobile version if you offer one should be on your hit list. Mobile version does not mean text version. It means one that is viewable and actionable on a mobile device. Now I know that there are some that do not show images, but no one is going to scroll 50 click wheels down to go through all of these listing.

Hotel Indigo, you have come a long way and I am happy with the progress. My only challenge to you now it to starting thinking about usability with mobile/text versions. I know you can do it and it just might get this email snob to find one to stay at soon.

We have seen it used for a long time for whitelisting, viewing as a web page, and even unsubscribing; but the future of the pre-header is much greater in your email marketing campaigns than the old school elements. When used properly pre-headers truly allow you to give an overview of the content contained in the email for quick scanning, links to offers, links to mobile versions, couponing, and also access to alternate versions of an email. The last being what I wanted to share with you in the second example.

Looking at the Hotel Indigo header you can see how they are using the text pre-header to focus on loyalty points as well as booking a room on your “Smart Phone” which I assume means your mobile device. I mean, who carries a “Dumb Phone” today? But to expand on the header use they have allowed a lot of information while still allowing for a compact header that does not force content to render lower in the preview pane. I like their inclusion of the old standbys but also love how they have added social and the most important thing that is often hidden in emails, a phone number.

But what about using the pre-header to test gender based segmentation? Or alternate email segmentations? Is it worth a test? Would you be able to not only deploy a concept like this but also track it? Those are the two factors that might be at work for some marketers.

So many people create multiple versions of email to target the supposed audience. Well, sometimes you might not hit the nail on the head, so why not use the pre-header to share alternate versions. After all, you have built them so why hide them? I know many emails from retailers that I have received over the years that are not on target from a gender perspective. Did they have another version or were they just lazy? Did they not have the right information based on past purchases when I was shopping for my wife, mother, or a friend? Data can only take you so far. Sure you are targeting based on the profile information you have, but what if it is not the right information? That’s a bad customer experience.

So why not try using the pre-header to give them an option? Now, I do not have the data on how this particular campaign performed, but I found it to be a great test on how we might think outside of the box on using it to open up our marketing segmentation. And if you are spending the time to build them you might as well leverage them. Another perk that this could open up is if they are forwarded on to someone else and the gender link opens up a new exposure point for you that you did not plan on.

If you are still simply relying on the default pre-header your email service provider adds to your emails, I think it is time that you add it to your list of things to do better in 2010.

What are your thoughts on how to use it? Love to hear your ideas or see some examples.

There is a movement due to the growth of the mobile device market to use more single column image driven layouts. While this a good strategy to simply think about how to best render on the device, does it fit the real understanding of what marketers really know about the devices? In a recent survey we are just completing, we learned that many of the marketers feel that mobile design and rendering is important, while the majority of them still do not know what percentage of their readers are actually checking content on mobile devices. We will all get there, but it will take time. So instead of designing for the what if, think about designing around the content and messaging you have to work with. Let the content drive the layout and design. If you are coding these using best practices then your versions (html, text, mobile, etc) will fall into place.

Where to start? Start with the assets you have control of and work forward from there. Designing simply to fit a layout takes too much time and effort for the end result. Controlling time, costs and resources is paramount in our world today.

I have a version of an email we coded from last year that fits this approach that I want to share. Sure, it’s a little radical being that we did a horizontal approach, but the content drove the layouts with the business goals supported by the the content positioning. I featured the horizontal version of this email in a past post about wide format emails. But I never share the vertical approach that ended up being used.

So let’s look at them in order to frame this conversation.

We had a magazine layout to begin with, which does not lend itself well for an email. But in looking at the visual assets and goals of the campaign, we took the assets apart in order to find attributes that we could format to help tell the story of why this was an important thing to be a part of. It was something that was special and not going to be available forever. We needed to communicate the importance and value of the content while driving the action to want to get something here you could not find anywhere else.

Notice how we used the copy size to clearly communicate the message. Font colors and sizes help to quickly read the email while not needed to spend a day reading the actual content. I know we all love copy, but in truth many people never spend long enough reading an email to focus on too much copy. Start at the top level and work down. Understand (sorry here copywriters) that the copy is often secondary to the the headlines, images and calls to action. Build to scan and hook. Add copy to help push the point if you got them past those first few important decision-making seconds.

Using the blue bars we were also able to focus on the messaging in a way that made the program attributes clearly stand out from the images as well.

But then we took those assets and flipped them to see how they would work in a horizontal layout. Sure vertical is what we are all used to, but at times flipping an email can help it to stand out and give you a few more seconds with your audience than you’d get with an email they’re used to. Sure it sounds a little contradictory but mixing it up from time to time can make an impact. Past horizontal formats we have tried have actually outperformed in the open, click, and conversion rates based on the fact that they make the audience pause to engage with the email.

So here is what it looked like when we took the goals and creative assets. Radically different in the presentation method, but the content informed the design direction.

As you can see (click on the image to view a larger format), we had to approach some things differently to accommodate the format. We had to add multiple call to action buttons (due to the side scroll that could hide the last one as you move through the panes), and we simplified the blue bar to highlight the  important points of the content.  It was incredibly important to test this version in multiple email clients for both iPhone and Android. We had to make sure that the  scrolling worked from a practical standpoint, as well as a content standpoint.

I hope that this example gives you some fodder to try some different approaches that serve your content, instead of trying to make it all fit in a template when it does not make sense.

A great way to start with this is to get back to basics and use rapid prototyping methods with wireframes first. Using active (coded) wireframes can allow you to see how things work before you add in the copy and images. Fine tuning our wireframes often helps us with email layout ideas when looking for fresh, surprising approaches to lift engagement.

I love living in the future. Who would have ever thought that things we saw on TV as kids would be here today and in our lives. I know it makes me feel and sound old, but this new device is truly inspiring. Now I have heard some complaints about it, but the funniest one to me so far (that I have heard on multiple occasions) is how heavy it is! Guys, it weighs a pound and a half… is that too heavy for a TV/ book/ magazine/ library/ jukebox/ photo gallery/ email inbox/ web browser/ gaming machine? If it is too heavy – or heavier than you expected – get a 2 pound weight and do some reps or curl that 20 oz coffee mug a few more times a day.

And while I am at it… this post was sent from the future.

I thought it might be interesting (since this post is about reading on the iPad) that I should write (with one fast finger) from mine. Now being that the keyboard is different (do not read “bad” here), it has taken a little longer to make as many typos and grammatically incorrect sentences as I typically do, but give me time and I will be knocking out crap faster than ever and from odder locations.

These thoughts are based on about two weeks on it, and it has been one heck of a two-week stretch, that I only have a few finds thus far. And to preset expectations for this post, I would like to say that more will be found with time and testing.

So, will this be a game changer? Well, if you are talking about video games then yes, just got done running a few laps of Asphalt 5, but this is going to be a device that slowly shifts in how we use it. Regarding email I am not overly convinced it is going to be a positive or a negative yet. It has a little of both.

1. Fewer than 1 million sold so far (maybe more by the time you read this). Now I am sure it will grow, but as an early adopter myself I do not find myself reaching for it more than I do my iPad Foldable XXL(i.e. Laptop) or iPad Nano (i.e. iPhone). Amazingly those two devices are still my primary ways to engage, interact, and work. I expect as more understanding, openness to outside business software, and use grows we will see it make a larger impact. But how? I am not sure yet. 700K were sold out of the gates which is impressive but still not accounting for much of a metric surge in analytics with sites and email clients.

I think that once we see 3G roll out in the coming weeks we might see even more people that were holding out move to acquire a device. I have wifi wherever I go so it really makes 3G a non-factor. I assume that the story will be the same for many that do not venture to places without connections. PS it is ok NOT to have an internet connection or device from time to time; you will not die. Trust me, I have experimented with being disconnected, and I survived. It was a lot like that TV show Lost but with less black smoke monsters and more mai tais.

2. The inbox is sexy. Why? Well it is so big. Yes, size does matter when you are presenting compelling creative. The portrait and landscape modes in the native email clients (which allows you to pull in about ANY email ISP or Corp system) really give you the room to breathe and let your designs run wild.

One the best parts of the email (for now, as I have a feeling we might see some “app” monetization possible with iAds here in the future) is that it has little interference and is simple. It allows you to get the message.

Simple is better sometimes, right?

3. You can actually click and buy without a mobile version. Now you can actually drive sales more easily than in a 320X240 inch screen. Hard to windowshop through a peephole. The iPad allows for a solid ecommerce, form, and engagement experience.

Imagine actually being presented with a shopping or ecom experience. Having a device that allows you to easily check out might trump “mobile” ecom and help drive more sales with less delay between the cart and the checkout.

4. Mobile does not mean “on the go”. Now although we are seeing heavy use from travelers so far, this device is tethered (at present) to wifi and the majority of time I see it in use is by people sitting and really engaging with it. I am sure 3G will change it a little, but the size of the device makes it very different from a mobile phone  and more in line with how we see people using Netbooks. Don’t plan on seeing me anytime soon reading mine while driving (it’s illegal first of all); it is a device for a time and place. I have seen more people using them infront of a TV, in a reading chair, on the bus, in bed, etc. and not being “mobile.” I think we need to redefine “mobile” as either “untethered” or as a type of device.

5. ISPs are making it work. Now it looks like a majority of the main ISPs are already rolling out a iPad version of their web based email clients to work natively in the iPad. This is good news as they want to make sure their customers are happy with the inbox experience no matter what device they access it on.

6. So many ways to view – the inbox has about 4 viewing options based on orientation. So many things to consider and design for will present a challenge to us marketers. But realize that this device makes it really easy to just turn the object to re-arrage the layout. 1/2 of the challenge is going to be on the user.

7. Content providers, publishers, publications and people are going to “get it.” That’s right. It is going to be understood better as time goes on. Now it is odd to me to say that as intuitive of a device that it is. It is dead simple, everyone knows how to use it when they pick it up, but there is a learning curve as to how we are going to use it as consumers and marketers. The best things we can do now is (ready for this) Test, Innovate, Lead, Learn and Repeat.

So what do you think about it? Will it impact your online marketing, your email campaigns, rendering, or even how your social integrates? I bet it will impact them all in beneficial ways, yet only time will tell.

Leading with the subject line “The exclusively limited Be Stupid t-shirts (hesitate and you are lost).” Now bad grammar aside it was an interesting way to build a subject line. Driving demand and curiosity at the same time. Driving into the body it was interesting to see how they used the stike outs in the copy header to focus on PANIC. The “URGENT MESSAGE” only added to the silliness.

There were all sorts of little copy areas (that were all image of course) that continued to add to the story while creating a Where’s Waldo-esque word search for me. They also used a hashtag in the top (twice) of #BESTSTUPIDTEES. Now the funny thing is that that hashtag must have been either not noticed or not worth using as in a search there was not a peep of them, even from the Diesel Twitter account. What this leads me to believe is that it was a test and a poor one at that. If they are using them in a campaign and not even taking the time to use them themselves then why use them at all? Social media in email FAIL? Well take it one step deeper and notice that they don’t even have a Twitter (688 followers + tons of tweets about the campaign but not one mention of the hashtag used in this email) or Facebook call out in this email as well.

Guys if you are going to experiement with social media in email actually present it as such or don’t use it at all. After a search around what looks like a HUGE campaign budget being spent on print and other places they have totally neglected how social could have made this viral and larger in a very easy way. They even have a microsite dedicated to it with the smallest social icon set in the bottom footer below all the action. Foolish? Or are they just not ready?

In the end it was an entertaining campaign that ended up showing me how large brands are still missing the boat when it comes to understanding the web and social media as a whole.

Other than that, creative idea – poor execution.

VIV Magazine has been doing some new campaigns with their newsletter taking them over the top in a good way. My senses also tell me from the length of the subject lines, the layouts and the great attention to detail that I would wager that one of our “favourite” email marketers from across the pond (hello Dela) is behind this crafty work. I could be wrong the based on the email I have seen his fingerprints are all over this. I hope I am right.

I wanted to call out a few things that really make this work and you should note. Armed with some of these tricks/ideas you might be able to make some strides in testing these techniques in your own programs.

1. The subject line is LONG. Tests have shown that subject lines can actually perform better when they are clear and really give the value of the content behind them. Using well written complete subject lines can actually lift read rates and conversions. Now you need to test this on your own in your programs but do test them.

2. The animated gif in the hero shot works in conjunction with the rotating boxes below them. Well thought out as they really lead us to believe that the email is truly interactive, enticing us to try and click them to change the picture. Well it will not work, but it will drive them to the landing page. A little trick, but tricks work as long as the content you are driving them to deliver on the intended action.

3. Video. Yep video in email. Sure it is not going to work but as consumers we are addicted to video. A simple play button in an email does more than trying to game every email client to make video work.

4. Great bold recovery footer. I love the anchoring that this bold “VIV” red footer gives this email. Not only does it pull the eye through the entire email but it also does a great job of highlighting the contest.

Overall this is a stellar email layout and the techniques used are text book best practices. Hopefully this email gives you some ideas of some “tricks” you can try for yourself.

Now the colors black and white are stylish colors. They are both elegant colors that can really make a campaign stand out. She shared the results how used alone they made a big difference in test but also took it a little farther showing how they can work together. Now I like her use of the black frame on the white background, but taking a simple look at them again I really wanted to see how some other programs were using them and how they made me feel.

Well just after (might she have led the trend?) I read her article I noticed one email I get each week make the switch from the black border and white body to an all white body. Why is this important? Well in looking at them the new white one not only made the content more readable, but it also made the colors stand out and pop more. When you have a newsletter with more content, information architecture plays and important role and clearing the colors away from the content made this stand out to me.

Take a look at the old version:

This email used the black border and background outside with the white content blocks. Now the color bars to do a good job breaking up the sections, but not until I saw the new version did I realize how hard it was to scan, read and drive me to action. Thoughts from you?

But then they changed it all up on me this week, and maybe on you. Before I tell you what I think really works here, take a look for yourself.

Look at how cutting the copy, shrinking the header, removing the black border and background really make the content stand on its own. Not only does it work, but it allows the colored section headers allow the content to be much easier to read and visually navigate.

Maybe simpler is better in email. We always try so hard to design great emails but maybe what we are doing at times interferes with the content itself. Maybe what we should all test in content heavy email newsletters to to let the copy and content do the work, as that is what we are all really after right?

I would love to hear your thoughts and thank you Anna for making me pay attention to this a little more.

I know sounds too good to be true right? Well we are trying to put our team out there to help you. We look at and work on 1000’s of campaigns across every market niche out there each year, and with 7 plus years of doing this at eROI alone we wanted to allow people to get some tangible actions that they can take that are relevant to their job roles and email marketing plans and not just sit in another session.

Email Marketing – Auditing your Email Workflow

Learn how to engage your target audience through effective and branded emails. The experts at eROI will help you audit your email workflow from creative to deliverability and show how you can turn a dud into a success.

So we hope to see many of you there and make sure to sign up when you arrive to guarantee your spot at our table with us. Make sure if you do that you bring the things you want us to review. As player/coaches ourselves and eternal students of digital/email marketing we are really excited to be in a place to help you out in person.

We hope to see you there. And if you can’t make it for some reason you can always drop us an email or call as we are happy to take a look under the hood for you to make some calls on what might add some horsepower and drive some more RPM into your campaigns.