Return On Subscriber – Email Marketing Blog

Today we are going to cover how to add a “View Mobile Version” to your email campaigns. All you will need to complete this is the ability to upload/FTP new HTML files to your hosting server. Nothing horribly complex here, and your web team/developer will yawn at this.

Before we get started, I want to show you an example of what we’re talking about from the Sony newsletter.  Below, you can see the header from their email newsletter, where I have highlighted the call out to “View mobile version”

After clicking through on this link, you are taken to the mobile version of the email in your mobile browser, which you can see below.

Why do I need a Mobile Version of my Emails?

The answer to that question, like most when it comes to email marketing, is “it depends”.  Due to the lack of standards of the mobile inbox and different technologies in play, there is simply no way to design a layout that will work across the landscape. For example, iPhone, Palm Pre and Blackberry Storm to some extent, will do an adequate job of rendering your email, albeit very small. However the top selling smart phone – the Blackberry Curve – will not. And since most people receive the exact same emails on their mobile device as they do in their desktop client, we can’t deliver a unique message to each – it’s all or nothing.  An analogy I like to use is Johnny Five from Short Circuit (filmed right here in Oregon). Just as Johnny Five thinks he is human, but is not, a mobile email client thinks it can read HTML, but can’t. So creating a link to a mobile version is going to be your best way to control the experience.  You will also be able to track the click through on this link to know how many mobile users you have and whether or not to dedicate more resources to this emerging channel.

Linking to the Mobile Version in your Creative

First off, we need some real estate in your email header. Ideally, this should be somewhere near the pre-header, (more…)

First off, Happy Birthday! (whenever your b-day is).

Birthdays are great opportunity to mix up your messaging to an email subscriber and give a non-sale oriented, warm and fuzzy to build trust and enthusiasm with your brand and email program.  That doesn’t mean you don’t get to sell and covert though!  Let’s take a look at how to set this up, automate, and also a few content ideas to get you thinking.

Setting up a Birthday Email

First off, your going to have to know their birthday. The best practice here is to capture that data at the opt-in. You can always get this information later through progressive profiling, but I would recommend adding it to the initial email capture so you can automate the email trigger from day one. Making this a required field is also a good idea if you are serious about birthday emails.

Remember, you don’t need the year they were born, unless you plan on sending different content based on their age. It will also make the opt-in process faster.

Triggering the Birthday Email

Your ESP should have the ability built in to capture this in your form generator. In emailROI, one requirement is to choose the format of the date:

Once you have chosen the format, you will have a consistent format in your database to work with. Then, you can assign that birthday event trigger to a specific email message in your email app. This email will either reside independently or within a list or group.

This email should allow for personalization of name and or creative elements and coupon codes or offers. This also gives you flexibility to contiunally edit the message with out changing your opt-in code.

Birthday Email Ideas

Restaurants & Retail are going to have the most flexiblity here, as they can allow for free items or discounts. Let’s take a look at few that provide these:

Here was an email I recieved from Wendy herself. Along with a birthday greeting, it gives me a link to $1 off coupon I can use at any location.  This is effective and trackable outside the online channel.  They use Coupons Inc. to facilitate barcodes and personalized online printing. They also make good use of the preheader space with “Get Coupon” to tease the present.

Here is an email from Adidas that does a technqiue here that is noteworthy.  Aside from the 15% off coupon, they give a secondary call-to-action to join the Addidas Insiders club. This takes advantage of the Birthday message to cross promote their club.  I would be intrested to know how this element performs. Lesson here is that the email doesn’t have to include only 1 item.

El Gaucho, a fabulous NW steakshouse, doesn’t waste their birthday email opportunity with a small discount.  They come right out with a $25.00 off discount that is sure to drive visitors. Every business is different, but to me, if your going to give someone a birthday gift, give them something they will remember.  A halo effect will be placed on future campaigns to that subscriber, both online and offline.

Before you Implement Your Birthday Email Campaign – Some Things to Consider