Get more Fans by Emailing a “Fans Only” Facebook Coupon

Jul 06 2010

Wondering how to get more Facebook Fans? How about some good old fashioned bribery?

Everyone has a price – make them an offer they can’t refuse.

There’s a good chance a high percentage of your email subscribers are on Facebook.  Maybe you are currently promoting your fan page and social sharing in your email marketing, but haven’t had a big surge in fans.  In this post, I’ll show you a quick way to create a special offer that only your Facebook fans can access.

The image below shows what a facebook user who hasn’t “liked” your page sees, then shows what the user sees after “liking”.

Similar to the  Facebook opt-in form tutorial post, this technique also utilizes the Static FBML application. A quick refresher: Read the rest of this entry »


Published in Facebook & Email Marketing, Social Media Strategy, Tip Jar


Email Marketing Campaign Tips and Ideas for June

Jun 03 2010

Here it is, the original Email Marketing Idea Calendar for June. We’ve had some copycats recently, but no fear, you are in the right place.

June Email Marketing Calendar“Summertime, the livin’s easy.”
- George Gershwin

Summer has arrived, finally. And what do we know about Summer, anyway?  People still go to work, kids are home, college students are either working or traveling or back at school. Those who have nothing to do…are looking for something to do, something to buy, or something to talk about.

That’s where you come in, Email Marketer!

Below is a list of holidays, wacky holidays, and pop culture events in June with specific ideas you can utilize to develop timely and relevant email marketing campaigns this month.

Friday, June 4th – National Cheese Day
What dish isn’t better with Cheese? This 4000 year old dish deserves to be celebrated with it’s own holiday. If you are in the food service business, how about a Cheese Day promotion – anything with Cheese is 20% off? Or, can you get “cheesy” with our subject lines and/or creative. Cheese it up, it’s Cheese Day!

Sunday, June 6th – National Yo-Yo Day
I’m issuing a challenge to the designer who can create an email marketing-friendly animated .gif that resembles the flight of the yo-yo. Bonus points for walk the dog.

Thursday, June 10th – Game 4, NBA Finals
Either this is the game that will clinch a sweep of the NBA finals for the Celtics or Lakers, or it will be a pivotal game in extending the series. Either way, people will need a place to watch, things to eat and drink, and somewhere to celebrate victory. Why not with you? FYI – sports fans are obsessive mobile users, timing is everything on gameday – they’ll get your message.

Friday, June 11th – Jaques Cousteau’s 100th Birthday
In honor of the deep sea pioneer, how about asking your subscribers to take action and help out the wildlife impacted by the catastrophic BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico? The National Wildlife Federation has a great list of things you can do to help. The situation is getting worse by the day, here is chance to use your reach for a good cause, even if it’s just a banner ad or recovery module call-out.

Friday, June 11th – 2010 FIFA World Cup
I’m not a big soccer fan, but I hear this is a big deal. Got any ideas? (comments please!)

Saturday, June 12th – Magic Day
The creative pallet is loaded here. I’m thinking an animated .gif.  Magic wand hitting your product?  Rabbit out of a top hat?  Now you see it, now you don’t? Know a good magic trick? Pass it on to your subscribers.

Sunday, June 13th – True Blood Season 3 Premiere on HBO
True Blood is the most popular show on HBO since The Sopranos, and you can bet a lot of people out there have this night marked on their calendars. How can your products/services enhance their experience? Promotions between Thursday and Sunday am would be fun – All red products 10% off? Read the rest of this entry »

Have you heard of the Online Marketing Virtual Summit?

May 04 2010

The Online Marketing Summit (OMS) has created a truly unique event for marketers – The Online Marketing Virtual Summit.  This is your chance to learn actionable strategies and best practices from the experts all in the comfort of your home or office – for free. Like all OMS events, The Virtual Summit provides countless options to learn with zero distractions – no vendor sales pitches or the stress of attending a live event.

The Virtual Summit has 8 tracks – Social Media, Search Marketing, Web Analytics, Integrated Marketing, Online Advertising/Mobile, Website Content, Email Marketing, and Demand Generation – with content for all skill levels. I have the honor of presenting in the email marketing track: Connecting the Dots: Integrating Emerging Channels into your Email Program.

The event takes place on Thursday May 27th and registration is free. What do you have to lose?



Follow @AlexCWilliams on Twitter


Published in Marketing Events, Tip Jar


Email Marketing Campaign Tips and Ideas for May

Apr 30 2010

Here it is, your May Email Marketing Idea Calendar. May is interesting month for marketers. The sun is coming out, people are starting to plan vacations and think about having fun. What a perfect time to establish a good season-long relationship with your subscribers. Time to brighten things up in your emails and have some fun with campaign ideas and creative.

Below is a list of holidays, wacky holidays, and pop culture events in May and ideas you can utilize to develop timely and relevant email marketing campaigns.

Saturday May 1st – Kentucky Derby

The “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.”  Talk about an event rich in tradition! Roses, Mint Juleps, fancy hats, bottles of milk – the list goes on and on.

Tuesday May 4th – National Teacher Day

On National Teacher Day, thousands of communities take time to honor their local educators and acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in our society. Giving a discount code or special for teachers would be a nice touch. Or perhaps a gift campaign to allow your subscribers to purchase something for the teacher in their life.

Wednesday May 5th – Cinco De Mayo

If you sell goods or services, think buy 5 get one free, $5.00 off, 10% off all products that end in 5… you see what I am getting at. If you are a destination, Americans are always looking for a reason to go out and party. Why not celebrate Cinco de Mayo at your establishment or event. Make sure you get it on their radar a few days in advance, then send a reminder early on Monday.

Thursday May 6th – International No Diet Day

KFC, there has never been a better day to promote the “Double Down“!

Sunday May 9th – Mother’s Day

A holiday that needs no explanation, it’s for Mom. But how do you stand out in a crowded inbox? Read the rest of this entry »


Published in Customer Appreciation, Email Design, Email Marketing Strategy, Event Based Emails


Before you Spread the Word…

Apr 20 2010

I’m Aaron, the new guy here at eROI and presently the invited interloper at the helm of Return on Subscriber. Recently I’ve noticed a number of brands using the radio to express their current crush on email.  For those of you born post-1985, a radio (pronounced rey-dee-oh) is the boxy thing in most cars between the dashboard and the climate controls.  There are also other versions of these devices that reside inside homes and offices; can you imagine?  None of these devices allow you to shuffle, share, download, tweet or even choose which song you’re going to listen to.  You simply tune in and hope it works out.

Ostensibly it makes sense for brands to use a media like radio or television to drive email subscriptions.  Promoting channels with other channels isn’t new, innovative or even creative, but it is a good idea.  It shows a brand’s interest in getting to know their customers better, intent to engage with customers in a more meaningful way, and a departure from the brand’s traditional way of thinking.  Excellent!  This is what we all want right?  However, some brands don’t seem to be thinking through the experience their shiny new subscribers will have before they drive people to their sign up forms.  There is a lot that goes into a well-constructed email program, from capturing the email address through the first message.  Creating an experience that teaches new subscribers how to interact with you is the best way to start your new relationship and maximize the lifetime value of your list.

Three things to consider before driving the masses to your subscription form:

  1. Don’t Ask For Too Much Information
    The goal here is to get an email address, not a dossier, so keep it short.  Only ask for a piece of information if you intend to use it.  This is only the beginning of your brand’s relationship with this subscriber; there will be other opportunities to learn more about them as time goes on.
  2. Set Expectations
    Help your new subscribers understand what they can expect from you. News, offers, event invitations, new stuff… let them know what they’ll be getting, how often they’ll get it, and how they can interact with it.
  3. Respect Preferences
    If you ask for them, stick to them.  An email address is valuable so treat new subscribers with the respect they deserve.  If they indicate they would like to receive emails weekly, send weekly.  If they specify men’s clothing and fishing supplies, do not send special offers for children’s clothes and cosmetics.  Respecting preferences will get your emails read and clicked on, and drive conversions.

We all know subscribers are valuable– especially new ones– so care for them.  Nurture them so they’ll become great customers and advocates for your brand.


Published in Email Marketing Best Practices, Opt-In and Opt-Out


A Lesson in Email Marketing Driving Social Media…from Britney Spears?

Apr 12 2010

Yes, you read that right.

Britney wants more followers in her quest to the be the most followed person on Twitter. So instead of buying billboards or doing a PR blitz a la Asthon Kucher, she used her most effective channel: her email list. (Why am I on Britney Spears’ email list? We’ll save that for a different post.)

Here’s the creative (click to enlarge):

Why is this a great example of email driving social? Let’s break it down: Read the rest of this entry »


Published in Email Marketing Strategy, Email Subject Lines, Facebook & Email Marketing, Keep It Simple, Missed Opportunites, Social Media Strategy


Email Marketing Campaign Tips and Ideas for April

Mar 30 2010

email-marketing-ideasHere it is, your April Email Marketing Calendar. April is an interesting month. From April Fools to Tax Day to Earth Day, the emotions run the gamut.

Below is a list of real holidays, wacky holidays, and pop culture events in April and ideas you can utilize to develop timely and relevant email marketing campaigns.

Thursday April 1st – April Fool’s Day

April Fool’s Day is the one day of the year you have free reign to play practical jokes and pranks on family, friends, coworkers, and most importantly your email subscribers. I will warn you, this is very dependent on your product or service. If your content is heavy and serious, you will want to consider whether a joke is appropriate. On the other hand, it may be the perfect opportunity for you to loosen up your tie and connect with subscribers on a different level.

Sunday, April 4th – Easter Sunday

The nice thing about Easter is that you have multiple angles you can work from a marketing standpoint. Easter bunny, Easter eggs, Easter basket, etc… One idea to consider is to add a hidden element to your email layout, which is essentially a hidden item that is only accessible by discovering a hidden link (known as an “Easter Egg”). Since users don’t typically spend a great deal of time with an email, you need to make sure the hover isn’t to difficult to locate – think 20x by 20x pixels instead of 5px by 5px.

Wednesday, April 7th – No Housework Day

Think of all the great products, services and locations that can be enjoyed instead of housework. Procrastinators world-wide will rejoice with your No Housework Day special!

Monday, April 12th – Walk On Your Wild Side Day

Push your edgy content on Walk On Your Wild Side Day. Some fun creative of your staff or some of your more eccentric content will do the trick. Lou Reed approves.

Thursday, April 15th – Tax Day

For the procrastinators out there, April 15th might not be the day. It might be the 16th, after a good night of sleep and dreams of refund or less worry about payment just paid. If you want your subscribers to blow off some steam and celebrate, it might be interesting to A/B split the 15th & 16th and see what works best for future campaigns. Stay away from politics and focus on the value your content of offer provides.

Friday, April 16th – High Five Day

National High Five Day originated at the University of Virginia in 2002, and has since spread across the globe. Anything and everything can be high-fived, and gives a perfect opportunity to focus on the social/viral side. The official website gives some great ideas. Can you adapt them to your email?

Monday, April 19th – National Hanging Out Day

The goal of this holiday is not to sit on a couch, it’s to educate communities about energy consumption. National Hanging Out Day was created to demonstrate how it is possible to save money and energy by using a clothesline. Can you come up with a list of ways to save energy with your product or service? If not, maybe just in general?

Thursday, April 22nd – Earth Day

This year is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, and a chance to provide the tools and structure for individuals and organizations to organize around environmental issues. The official website offers ideas and tips to take action.

Wednesday, April 21st – Administrative Professionals Day

We all know how important the administrative professional is, don’t we?  Celebrate them, empower them, reward them, or spoof them (in a fun way). Think about your list…how many of them consider themselves “Administrative Professionals”?

Last Friday in April - National Arbor Day

You can find the official date for your state here. Continuing on the environmental kick in April, how do you reward your subscribers for planting a tree?  How can we prove that they did it?  Easy: through user-generated content on Flickr, Twitpic, YouTube, etc. Sounds like a perfect chance to seed a social campaign through email!

See you next month for the May Email Marketing Calendar… in April.


Published in Calculating Value, Customer Appreciation, Email Design, Email Marketing Strategy, Event Based Emails, Missed Opportunites, Tip Jar