The shift is on from reputation-based deliverability toward engagement-based factors for bulk emailers. Reputation-based strategies are no longer enough; one must get readers to actually engage one’s email, by either clicking “this is not spam”, or otherwise interacting with an email. Some of the major webmail players are now taking into account how well a marketer engages the reader. Read Michelle Eichner’s account:

online, here

in print, here

Jon Myers, of Search Engine Strategies, talks about why you can’t ‘set it and forget it’. One must not be content with a bucket of stale search terms. Targeted keywords should be an evolving list. We are aiming at a moving target, after all. Likewise, bid strategies need to be tailored to the account.

Read the print article here

Check out John’s video here

Regina Brady discusses different types of triggered email and pinpoints 2 emails in particular that have immediate payback: Abandoned Cart and Order Confirmation. Think about how often you leave something in a cart and walk away from the site. Evidently more than half of shopping carts are abandoned. These are shoppers that are interested, had product in hand, set it down and walked away from the cart. This the closest you can come to a qualified buyer. It’s a shame to lose that revenue. Additionally, the confirmation email is a good chance to have another interaction with the customer. As long as the email is crafted to convey primarily the transactional message (the confirmation), it is perfectly ok to put some advertising on the page (as long as the ad is lesser in importance on the page). Read Full Article

To paraphrase:
1. Understand your client
2. Create segments
3. Provide timely info
4. Define events broadly
5. automate
ARTICLE HERE
PDF of print article here

Regina Brady discusses triggered email with Target Marketing

Article here

PDF here

I receive quite a bit of trigger e-mail these days. I’m fully aware that it comes from a bot, or macro. However, that doesn’t reduce it’s effectiveness. It’s comforting to know that a product has shipped, or a date has been confirmed, or product is now in stock. Other triggers that I receive are rain alerts, traffic alerts, low balance alerts, payment due alerts, payment posted alerts. Now that I think of it, a fair amount of the email that I receive is trigger email. The weird thing is, as much as I enjoy the convenience of receiving such correspondence, I shy away from creating the same type of messages. Maybe it’s time…

Tim Ash chases the elusive ‘perfect’ registration page in this very timely post.
Article Here
PDF HERE

When you read studies showing average e-mail open and click-through rates, do you compare your own results to these statistics with glee or chagrin? In either case, you have the opportunity to improve your reaults if you put a laser-like focus on your audience members. Give them content and offers they want, and you have a better chance of engaging them

more

Improve your results one e-mail at a time

It’s a new year, and this is the perfect time to make plans to improve results from your e-mail programs by conducting some meaningful tests.

more

A three-step game plan to conduct an e-mail audit

Every company has marketing activities it performs exceptionally. For example, one marketer may have superior e-mail creative, while another may have mastered the use of triggered messaging. While we all strive for excellence, it’s a fact that we can’t shine in every area. It’s a good idea to turn your focus outward and analyze your competition. You just might learn something.

more

An effective direct mail strategy is based on the synergy of multiple key elements working together to generate cost-effective response – not just one or two tactical pieces. Focus on only one – such as the format – at the expense of the rest, and you’ll dramatically limit your response.

more