In a previous post, I wrote about many of the scarier myths that are floating around about video in email and gave a few reasons why now might be the right time to put aside those fears and give it a try. In the intervening months, whether at conferences, meetings or just industry meet ups, the topic of embedded video invariably seemed to pop up in any conversation about inbox innovations. So, I’d like to address a few themes that seem to surface consistently and also share some tips that have been shared with me along the way. I’ll even add a few of my own lessons learned. We’ve [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column | Video

Marketing insiders had much to say about yesterday's announcement that Salesforce.com will be acquiring ExactTarget for nearly $2.5 billion. Commentaries were offered on everything from the future of marketing automation to the role of email marketing and its continued significance in an organization's overall marketing strategy. Many feel the deal only reinforces the need for CMOs to become more technology-focused. Salesforce Deal Moves Marketing Closer To the IT Department "On the heels of Marketo's recent IPO and Oracle's purchase of Eloqua, Salesforce's bold move into this space has b [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Email Marketing | Features & Analysis | Internet Marketing Industry | Marketing Tools | Marketing Tools: General | Marketing Tools: Social Media | Social Media Marketing

[caption id="attachment_46861" align="alignright" width="300"] Image via Shutterstock[/caption] Now that email marketing has been around for years, every retailer has an email marketing program. But, each program is at a different level of sophistication. The Evolution Of An Email Marketing Program Do you ever wonder where your program ranks compared to others? Need helping mapping out where to go from where you are? I find the crawl, walk, run metaphor resonates with most marketers; and, I’ve added PR after run. As a runner myself, this is reality. Many times after finishing a race, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

In an announcement released today from Salesforce.com, the popular CRM platform has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire cloud-based marketing services provider ExactTarget for approximately $2.5 billion. Unanimously approved by the boards of directors for both companies, Salesforce will pay $33.75 per share in cash for all outstanding shares of ExactTarget. According to a report on NYT's Dealbook, the offer is 53 percent more than ExactTarget's closing price yesterday. This deal is Salesforce's largest acquisition yet, and falls in line with the company's previous acquisitions [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Email Marketing | Internet Marketing Industry | Internet Marketing Industry: Acquisitions | Marketing Tools: General

If you're like most email marketers, the size of your email list is an important metric to measure. The problem is that there’s no perfect size for an email list. It varies based on industry, audience and business. However, most marketers can, and do, measure the monthly rate of growth using their own numbers as a benchmark. If you’re currently doing this, I’ll show you two new ways to measure the growth of your list using data from third-party competitive intelligence tools -- so you can be not only best in class, but also be better than your competitors. 1. Benchmarking List Growt [...]

Related Topics: Analytics | Analytics & Marketing Column | Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing

Our goal as savvy email marketers is to look beyond the lure of the one-time conversion and strive to build an ongoing relationship between consumers and our brands. Why is this goal so important? Because it’s been proven through many a marketing study that engaged customers become loyal customers and loyal customers are the most valuable segment in any list or database. This type of highly engaged, loyal customer typically has higher overall lifetime value than the casual consumer. They’re also more likely to be an evangelist, introducing new customers to your brand in a very personal [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

Soon, nearly half of all emails will be consumed on mobile devices, where the methods used to read them are widely varied. Having a responsive design for your email, as well as the time and day you send, all has a big impact on open and success rates. And, don't forget that catchy subject line! The folks at Email Monks have created an infographic with data from studies about email consumption that cover these and other topics: Like the infographic? You can get it for yourself here: Using responsive mobile email design is crucial. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Infographics

Testing should be at the core of your email marketing program. Not only does it help you understand the impact you’re making, but it gives you a much fuller understanding about your customers’ behavior and preferences. It not only tells you where you've been, but where you should (and shouldn't) go with your campaigns. A/B testing is the simplest, most straightforward testing method available. Most of you probably understand what A/B testing entails, but for those who don’t: A/B test is a process through which you provide different versions of an email to statistically significant [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

Email overload and inbox fatigue are all too real. But, we all have an "inner circle" of emails we look forward to reading -- you know, the ones we check our spam folders for when we haven't seen them recently. How can you get your emails into that coveted inner circle and -- better still -- keep them there to increase engagement and deliverability? Let's explore three simple ways to do that, with an outstanding email example for each one. 1. Build Momentum From The Welcome Email(s) The welcome email (or email series) is one of the most undervalued tools in the email marketer's bat uti [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

Email isn't dead. In fact, it's one of the most popular activities people do on their smartphones and tablets. So are your email messages designed for this on-the-move audience? The folks at GetResponse have created an infographic designed to help you get your email marketing into shape for mobile viewing: Want the infographic for yourself? You'll find it, along with more tips and explanation on making email friendly for mobile devices, here: Email Marketing Mobile Optimization [INFOGRAPHIC]. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Infographics | Mobile Marketing

Almost 70% of all messages in people’s inboxes are non-personal, meaning they are marketing offers, social updates, receipts and more. This is both good news and bad news for marketers. The good news is the inbox is now more of a marketing channel than ever before. The bad news is there is more competition, and marketers need to work extra hard to stand out. Luckily, measuring email campaign performance is moving beyond opens and clicks. New measurements are available that can tell you not only how your campaigns are faring but also what’s working for your competitors. Email Forward [...]

Related Topics: Analytics | Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Marketing Metrics

Email and behavioral marketing technology provider, Silverpop, has raised $25 million in new funding, led by Escalate Capital Partners and Silicon Valley Bank. The company says it will use the money to fuel continued growth for its marketing automation services. The funding is venture debt, possibly signalling an IPO or acquisition is on the horizon. The company has now raised a total of more than $50 million since launching in 1999. We're told that Silverpop also opted for venture debt to avoid diluting equity. Silverpop CEO Bill Nussey said in the release, “In 2012, we dramatically [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Internet Marketing Industry | Statistics | Top News

In the past, when email marketers noticed a drop in audience engagement, they would increase the volume of email sends, trying to win the attention deficit game by increasing frequency. But this strategy just doesn't work anymore. With the increased usage of mobile devices, smart phones and multi-channel social streams, your customers (or potential customers) now have a wealth of information available at their fingertips around the clock. In fact, it's estimated that three out of four Americans under the age of 35 now check their smart phone or mobile device before even getting out of bed [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column | How To

Microsoft has launched a new ad format for its Outlook.com email service called VersaTiles. The ads appear in the right rail of the email service and are designed to be interactive. The video below from Microsoft shows how the ads work: [youtube]http://youtu.be/QwYgz3THJTM[/youtube] As you can see from the video, the ads require user interaction to get the full ad experience. There are three ad states. The default state, shown at log-in, can feature an advertiser's logo (like the Duracell example in the video above) and ad text. Hover state allows users to see more information and ima [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Display Advertising | Display Advertising | Email Marketing | Microsoft: Outlook

Email marketing automation provider Silverpop released its 2013 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark study, analyzing key metrics of fourteen different industries in the U.S. and Canada, as well as countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. When evaluating open rates, CTRs, CTORs and list churn statistics, the top performing vertical industries included education, computer hardware, telecom and electronics, and retail. While the study did not uncover any unexpected metrics, it does offer a series of benchmarks for email marketers to use as a measuring stick against their ow [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Statistics: Email Marketing

How do you decide what products to feature in your emails or which offers to promote in your emails? If you don’t have a process in place that answers these questions, you should. Merchandising for email should be a collaborative process for optimal results. Setting The Promotional Calendar The promotional calendar should be developed with the E-Commerce Manager, Email Marketing Manager, and Product Merchandisers. Any additional, relevant associates should be included, as well. For example, the Mobile Marketing Manager might be a different individual; or, you may have a Brand or Loyalty Ma [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

According to a study commissioned by iContact, small and midsize businesses are allocating the largest share of their marketing budgets to email, with more than half spending up to 20 percent of their total marketing dollars on email marketing efforts. Edge Research was commissioned by iContact, an email service provided by Vocus, to conduct an independent study surveying 601 email marketing decision makers at companies with an annual revenue of $1 million to $50 million and no more than 1,000 total employees. Respondents had to be involved in email marketing decisions, have knowledge of ho [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Features & Analysis | Statistics: Email Marketing | Top News

Email is the most common activity that U.S. adults do on their smartphones, with Web browsing and using Facebook a close second and third, respectively. That's according to "Always Connected," a new study from IDC that was done earlier this month and includes responses from more than 7,400 iPhone and Android users between 18 and 44 years old. Facebook sponsored the study, and so much of the data surrounds how Facebook helps users connect with others via their smartphones. According to the study, 78 percent of respondents say they check email on their smartphones, compared to 73 percent w [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Facebook | Facebook: Mobile | Facebook: Statistics | Features & Analysis | Mobile Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Statistics | Statistics: Mobile Marketing | Statistics: Online Behavior | Statistics: Social Media | Top News

Best practices and smart tactics go a long way, but the most important part of any successful marketing program – email or otherwise – is building the right team. So, what do you look for when hiring an email designer? Here’s a short list of key factors to help ensure you have the right folks on the job. Web Design Experience This first point is an easy but important one. The pool of applicants who will come in the door with the right email experience already in place is small; so, make sure your potential hire has front-end Web design experience, which will allow them to wear multi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

As you continue to send marketing emails over time, your list continues to grow, and your engagement metrics continue to drop. Over time, the number of long-time subscribers on your list increases. These subscribers have a higher chance of becoming uninterested in your email messages, which they express by failing to open or click. This growing population of unengaged subscribers causes the overall metrics of your emails to drop. So What? ISPs are monitoring email engagement metrics and making decisions based on this. If your subscribers are less engaged than a competitor's, then your email [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column | Statistics: Email Marketing