Return On Subscriber - Email Marketing Blog

This info is based on eROI clients. Your Domain Key may differ, ask your provider.

The Domain Key is added as a TXT entry. Below are some examples of what these TXT entries will look like:

TXT Name
_domainkey.eroi.com
kesp._domainkey.eroi.com

(more…)

We get asked this question a lot, so we thought we would post it.

To setup a Sender ID record in GoDaddy.com:

1. Go to Domains and Select the domain,
2. Click on TotalDNS and click on “Add New TXT Record”
3. In the TXT Name field enter a “@” character.
4. In the TXT Value field, enter the Sender ID record supplied, be sure to NOT include the quotes
5. Click OK.

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What you are seing in this image is the rollover Mail preview on the AOL homepage. Look at how much “trailblzaers” sticks out in that list. If you read this blog you know I hate webmaster@ in email marketing. This validates that point. This view is very similar to the view on a mobile device as well.

Brand before the @ in your from address and you will see improved open rates, guaranteed.

This was the first time I have seen this at the top of an email:

“Click here for the Wireless Version: URL“

Brilliant idea by the AAAA. I personally would change it to “Mobile Friendly”, wireless is kind of confusing.

Most HTML email is worthless on a Blackberry, so daily news briefs, professional newsletters, etc… would be smart to add this feature.

How you do that, either through your ESP tools, or creating that mobile browser friendly version in HTML, you can figure that out through testing.

Click on the image to enlarge

First off
I think it is time to put an end to email campaigns being sent from the “webmaster@” email address. There are more reasons not to do this than I care to list here today. Same goes for info@, no-reply@, etc…

Plus, most people think a webmaster is like that SNL skit “Nick Burns, your Company’s Computer Guy.” This is who you want your readers thinking is running the email marketing program?

Here are 2 reasons to change this:

1. Branding
In email clients like AOL, that don’t show the masked “From” name, this is the first thing a subscriber sees.
Volvo does a good job with this: volvo@volvocars._.com.

2. Calling out Content
If you have a specific segment, you can use this space to call out “specials” or “events”. This can help get an open just as much as a subject line. Some I see in my inbox today are: dailydeals@, specials@, events@,

Little things like this matter.

I have been invited to speak at a conference, basically to reprise a previous speech I had done on the “next phase of email marketing.” So now that that speech is a year old, what is the next next phase?

It is tough to speak to a room of 100+ people on email marketing strategies. You don’t always have a group with the same skill set & knowledge, which can be a challenge. I always try to hopefully give someone 1 or 2 things they can takeaway and implement with success to their programs.

So, if you have suggestions as to what topics YOU would want to hear about in ‘08, please comment below.

Thanks!

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Although one of my resolutions this year was to watch less TV, NBC came right in my inbox with a reason to scrap that and watch more TV.

This email does “the fold” right. Why, you ask? Because I never looked at the rest of the email, but I do know that “American Gladiators” is on Sunday and “Celebrity Apprentice” is on tonight. And that was the main goal of this email, to get me to watch those shows.

This area is sometimes your only shot, the only thing they will see. Good images and great copy that get your message across are key. Anything that takes away from that, (like my favorite waste, banner ads), move it down or get it out.

Here’s to more “folds” like this in ‘08.

Add value, don’t annoy

The easiest “strategy” in holiday email marketing is send more email. The philosophy that it is a numbers game is a poor one at best. If I don’t buy on your first email, what makes you think I will buy on the 14th email?

Landing Pages, use them

Make landing pages for each offer, be dynamic, make them fun. You spent a lot of time on your email, don’t drop them off on the home page or a poorly designed ecommerce product page. The entire user experience is the key.

Rednering. I mean Rendering, I knew that did not look right didn’t it.

If it does not look right or does not look attractive, you are wasting your time. Run some rendering tests, e.g., Return Path. The best offer and most compelling copy is wasted on an email I cant interact with easily.