MindComet

How Not To Grow Your List

It’s almost back to school time and that means school shopping.  It’s pretty simple process for me because my kids are required to wear uniforms.  To make it even simpler I shop online and can get an entire year’s worth of school clothes in eight minutes flat. 

I went in search of the exact same scooters Think a pair of shorts attached underneath a skirt and a six year old that can’t seem to grasp the concept of sitting like a lady. I purchased last year, because I know they’ll last and more importantly, I won’t have to iron them.  Yay!

I found exactly what I was looking for and made my purchase.

On the shipping information page on the far right I saw a pre-checked box to receive email updates from the company.  I was so focused on entering my billing address the information on the right side of the screen went virtually unnoticed. 

I contend that pre-checked boxes that are “hidden” is not a good or even fair way to build your subscriber base.  Yet I see it over and over again. 

This particular tactic reminds me of the classic distraction methods used by magicians and gypsies.  Look over here, while something else is going on over there, that we don’t want you to see…

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Jul. 31, 2007

Something Extra

Carmichael Training Systems sends out periodic email messages, with training tips, notification of upcoming training camps and nutrition information.

Chris Carmichael was Lance Armstrong’s coach so the messages are cycling-centric, but the emails can really be applied to any endurance athletic endeavor.

Until the start of the Tour De France I received messages about once a week.  As the Tour got underway, I received a message everyday with an update on that day’s stage and even updates on rest days.  In addition, I continued to receive their regularly scheduled messages.

If you are planning on a short-term specialized email marketing campaign, consider asking your subscribers to opt-in to receive the extra messages.  Home Depot did this last year and did a fantastic job of setting expectations for those who chose to subscribe.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Jul. 30, 2007

Relevancy and Education are Key

This morning ABC’s Good Morning America ran a segment as a part of their “Take Control of Your Life” Series about going on an email diet.  The idea is to have some face-to face or telephone contact.

The first tip to help take control of your life and your inbox is to cut the clutter before it starts.  They suggest you remove yourself from every distribution and mailing list you don’t need.  And to click no on the “May we add you to our mailing list” box when registering on a website or shopping online.

If you are working towards uncluttering, that makes sense.  If you’re not opening messages, eventually you might get dumped. Save yourself from getting your feelings hurt and unsubscribe.

After the segment ran, Elizabeth Vargas interviewed Tory Johnson, the Workplace contributor for Good Morning America.  A question was asked about blocking SPAM.  While I can’t quote the answer directly, because it sent me reeling, the general idea was again to unsubscribe from emails you no longer read.

Just because you are no longer interested in receiving an email campaign that you have opted-in to receive does not make it SPAM.

The average subscriber may never fully understand what is and what is not SPAM.  It’s probably not high on their priority list to learn.  And that’s okay. 

If…

As email marketers, we do our best to remind and educate subscribers as to how they were added to our lists, make unsubscribing easy, just in case they want to, and most importantly, keep our content relevant, interesting and engaging. 

By giving subscribers what they want, they’ll continue to come back for more.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Jul. 27, 2007

SKYY Vodka:: A Double Take

I just started getting email marketing messages from SKYY Vodka.  The messages look good.  There are a few best practice elements and a legal requirement that are missing. 

I almost always recommend a request to whitelist somewhere in the message.  Our email messages have the request at the top.  And I have read articles for and against this particular placement.  It can take up valuable space above the fold, but it really depends on how your message is designed.

Another missing element I recommend is a view in a browser link.  This could be a huge plus for these messages because the imagery is really, really nice. And if the images don’t load, subscribers have missed out.

The missing legal requirement is the physical address.  A simple addition, and while they probably won’t be prosecuted for it, it is a legal requirement according to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

These elements aside, one of the most fascinating features of the message I received yesterday was the header image. 

I opened the message and commented to a co-worker about the stunning picture.  I decided to forward him the message (There was no forward-to-a-friend link either, now that I think about it).  I clicked on the forward button in my email client and the message appeared, with a different picture. 

I forwarded it again and the original image I saw was there.  It seems that the there is some sort of php randomizing code in the message that inserts one of four images. (We’ve seen four separate images playing around with it).

Am I really impressed with these emails.  And maybe most people will only look at the message once and never know there are multiple images.  But how many people like me return to the message, over and over?  To see a different image and then spend time engaged with the brand trying to figure out how many images there are.

Brilliant!

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Jul. 26, 2007

Battling Inbox Clutter with Recognition

If you are sending out a newsletter, whether it’s weekly, monthly or quarterly think about consistency in your subject line.  In my experience with newsletters and through subject line testing when there is regularity, the open rates tend to be higher.

When subscribers are scanning subject lines before your message is opened, hey are looking for familiarity and by keeping some parts of the subject line the same in every message your message has a better chance of being opened.

Now this doesn’t mean that your subject line should be exactly the same with every message, but including something as simple as the name of the newsletter with a description or even the volume or issue number provides your subscribers with a visual queue that triggers recognition.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Jul. 25, 2007

Engaging Users with Trash Talk

The Nike Plus website is pure marketing genius.  I have visited the site at least five times a week since the middle of May.

There are a lot of ways to engage site visitors who have use the Nike / iPod Sport kit.  From an individual level, I love to track my runs and analyze my split times and compare my runs to previous runs for the same distance.

I also participate with other runners all over the world in distance challenges.  The challenges also have a place for participants to “talk trash”.  At the end of the challenge the winner receives a virtual trophy.  There are also widgets to track individual runs, goals and challenges for participants blogs and websites.

There is really a lot of activity going on.  One piece of the 2.0 puzzle that has been absent is email.

As some of my challenges have drawn to an end, I thought there were missed opportunities to message to challenge participants.  Even a monthly email would be better than nothing.

So this morning I was excited to see a message from Nike Plus.  “Celebrating a Year of Nike+“.  And in true challenge fashion, the main message, is a Nike Plus user talkin’ trash with an invitation to join her challenge.

Over the past week Nike upgraded the challenge area and it’s easier to find and join challenges.  With a link to a challenge, it’s an awesome way to show users how easy it has become.  And for the competitive type (who me?) the trash talk might just be enough to get runners fired up and show Stephanie who’s boss!

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Jul. 24, 2007

Say What?

My friend Andy sent me the following email last Friday.

Andy said, “Not sure how I got signed up for this list but, there’s not a chance I’ll buy anything from them since I don’t speak French.  Perhaps checking languages before doing a mailing would help”. 

Andy makes a great point.  Aside from the SPAM aspect of this message… Is it SPAM?  Probably, because he doesn’t know how he got on this list.  But more importantly, Andy doesn’t speak French.

If you are planning an international campaign, when your subscribers are signing up for your message, if it makes sense for your brand, ask for a language preference. 

Remember, the point is to target your audience and create the feel of a one-to-one message.  Sending a message in the wrong language doesn’t really show your customers how much you care. And certainly won’t help them convert.

Read More & View Comments

Posted by MindComet on Jul. 23, 2007