MindComet

KISS: Email Marketing Tip # 6

Today’s topic is KISS: Write. Edit. Repeat.  Drafting an e-newsleter is a process.  So, step away from the computer.  Come back later to re-read and write again.  It’s the only way to make sure you’re using compelling, concise copy.  And since most recipients spend a less than a minute on each email, we’re here to give you Keep It Sweet and Simple tips that will keep their eyes glued to the inbox.

In the body:
Try using a 0-1 point system for words.  (I learned this technique a long time ago, from my high school AP English teacher.)  Assign words like “which” and “that” zero points and words that matter one point.  Eliminate as many zero-words as possible.

In the subject:
Subject lines should be 50 characters or less.  The average word has seven characters.  And you have to clearly convey the email content in just seven words.  Writing subject lines is both an art and a science.  Choose your words wisely.  Then, readers will know what to expect, get excited about reading your email, and actually open it.  To do a subject line right, you’ve got to write, edit and repeat.

In copywriting:
Use nickel and dime words, not quarter words.  Your email should use familiar language.  And big words don’t impress anyone but bimolecular physicists and aerospace engineers.  So check your copy with KISS Tip # 6 and swap the big words with simple words.  For example: A nickel word for “consequently” is “so”.  And “utilize” is “use”.

Catching mistakes isn’t always easy and spell-check is not enough.  Consider testing the email to your peers for a spelling and grammar check before it’s sent live.

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Posted by MindComet on Apr. 30, 2007

Welcome to the Hotel California

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
relax, said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!

The Eagles, 1976

When subscribers opt-out of your message, legally, you must stop messaging to them.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, It is a requirement of The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 that:

Your email give recipients an opt-out method. You must provide a return email address or another Internet-based response mechanism that allows a recipient to ask you not to send future email messages to that email address, and you must honor the requests. You may create a “menu” of choices to allow a recipient to opt out of certain types of messages, but you must include the option to end any commercial messages from the sender.

Any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days after you send your commercial email. When you receive an opt-out request, the law gives you 10 business days to stop sending email to the requestor’s email address. You cannot help another entity send email to that address, or have another entity send email on your behalf to that address.

Last year, in the course of research (unrelated to opt-outs) for a client, I subscribed to an email that was industry specific so I could better understand this type of communication to industry insiders. 

On November 2, 2006 I opted-out of email communication from this company.  Yesterday morning, I opted-out again for the seventh time.

The opt-out method for this company is an email process in which I send them an email with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line.  The email address appears to be specific for this purpose.  It begins with “unsub”.

This isn’t my preferred method of unsubscribing.  It leaves too much room for human error, however after seven attempts; you would think that someone would make sure that I was opted-out.

Automated Opt-out mechanisms that are a part of most major ESPs are more effective because it removes the human error factor. 

The fines for reported offenses such as these can be as much as $11,000 per offense.  It’s imperative that when someone opts-out, they are truly removed and will not receive another message from the brand.

Mistakes like these create a bad name for legitimate email marketers.

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Posted by MindComet on Apr. 27, 2007

Live Mail’s Unsubscribe Button

Recently Microsoft has had the reputation to be a little hit-and-miss.  Whether it’s with their excessive security checks when browsing with IE7, the thoroughly disappointing Outlook ’07 package or their lack of CSS support with Live Mail.  But Live Mail isn’t all that bad… In actuality, there are a few features that are fairly exceptional, especially for all email marketers across the board.  Case in point: the implementation of an “Unsubscribe” button.

The new unsubscribe button displays in place of a report spam button, but only if the user’s preferences are set up correctly.  Instructions on how to set up the unsubscribe button can be found here.

When the button is clicked, it will take the user to a landing page, created by the marketer where they can determine what email they want to opt-out from.

This will certainly help all email marketers’ deliverability rates.  Without a report spam button, users won’t be prone to mistakenly report an email (that they opted-in to receive, mind you) as spam and the sender’s IP address will be less likely to be blacklisted.

This is one of the better features Microsoft has incorporated to any of their products in a long, long time.  Kudos Microsoft, you’re on the right path toward redemption.

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Posted by MindComet on Apr. 26, 2007

Announcing A Sale Through Email

I love to shop online.  There is something absolutely magical about being able to buy jeans at 2:00 AM if I so desire.  OK, who are we kidding, in the past year, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been awake at 2:00 AM, and I’ve never actually purchased jeans or any other article of clothing at that time, but I could if I wanted to…

I am familiar enough with my favorite brands that sizing is no longer an issue.  Most online stores have a return policy that allows brick and mortar store returns, which is brilliant, because while I’m at the store to return an item, there is a strong probability that I will make an additional purchase.  If my only option is returning through the mail, the only additional purchase I may make is a book of stamps at the post office.

There are several things I like about shopping online:

It’s quick.  I don’t have to hassle with searching through a store to find what I want – Skirts?  Click here.  Tops?  Click there.  View them all on one page? another click.  It’s just that simple.  The images are so important to the sale.  If I can’t see it, I’m not going to buy it.

As you can imagine, when my usual online haunts are having a sale, I want to know about it.  As much as I love to shop, I am equally as frugal.  I was surprised by an email I received from lucy.  All email messages they have sent me in the past have had some representation of their clothing, whether it was sweaters or exercise wear, a seed was planted as to what I can expect to find when I clicked-through. 

While I was intrigued by only the top half of the word “clearance” appearing in my preview pane – showing half an image or word is almost a sure-fire way to get your subscribers to scroll down because their mind needs to see the word or image in it’s entirety – There were no images of clothing to get me exited and to drive my click-through.

Amazingly enough, an hour and half later, I received an almost identical message from J.Crew.  In this case other than the header, the only other information I could see in the preview pane were the words (an image) “J. Crew Spring Sale”

That was enough to get me to scroll down.  A sale will win me nearly every time. I was almost as surprised as I had been with the lucy email.  No images of what was on sale. Not even any description.  More words and too many clicks to get to the clothes. 

The first click led me to the sale page which prompted me to click by size and gender, I go to another page to select the type of clothing I’m shopping for.  And then, I can see the pictures of the clothes.  On a quick informal click-through of the dresses, with only a few exceptions the dresses were the same regardless of size.  That extra click could cost some sales.

These email messages are clean and colorful. They make the point that there is a sale.  The only way to find out what it is, is to click (and click and click) through.

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Posted by MindComet on Apr. 25, 2007

Address Book Instructions For Your New Recipients

When a user signs up for your mailing list, they should be advised to add your email address to their contact list or ‘white list’.  But you can’t just assume they know the ins and outs of their email client - especially their understanding on how to add contacts to their address book.  So if you want to play it safe and cover all of your bases, give them a tutorial (screenshots and all) for every email client.  It’s usually a two to three step process that’ll only take the user less than a minute to complete. 

Little things like this will benefit all parties involved.  It will increase the email marketer’s deliverability rate, your client’s ROI and the recipient’s overall experience and impression of the company / email campaign.

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Posted by MindComet on Apr. 24, 2007

KISS: Email Marketing Tip # 5

Today’s topic is KISS: Snail-mail in the Email. (And with this tip, we’re Keeping It Sweet and Smart.)  Every piece of email marketing should include the physical address.  Not only is it beneficial to include your snail-mail address, but it’s a legal requirement that is occasionally forgotten.  The Federal Trade Commission’s http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm”>CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 “requires that commercial email be identified as an advertisement and include the sender’s valid physical postal address.”

Don’t forget to include the address in the footer of the email and you’ll keep your friends at the FTC happy.

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Posted by MindComet on Apr. 23, 2007

Another Chance

I wanted to unsubscribe to the MyCokeRewards.com e-Newsletter, so I followed the appropriate link provided in the email:

Clicking on unsubscribe redirected me to a page with my email address to be removed from the list—nothing an email marketer hasn’t seen or done before—but Coca Cola gave me another chance to update my email address:

Using bolded font took the focus off the unsubscribed part, and put emphasis on updating my email preferences. This is a nice touch, in case the reader doesn’t intend on unsubscribing altogether.  They may have just missed the Update Your Profile link in the email.

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Posted by MindComet on Apr. 20, 2007