The secrets to successful
email marketing

A quick bit about me
• Adam Oldfield
• CEO and founder of Force24
• 20+ years in marketing
My door is always open!
adam.oldfield@force24.co.uk

Who are Force24?
• Founded in 2010
• Fastest Growing UK-based marketing
automation platform
• We offer free, unlimited training &
support for life to every customer
• Proud to have a 98.2% retention rate
• Recently had a £4.8m investment

Before we start…
a task…
Write down your view of why segmentation is important
and how you use it.

Now into the good stuff!
Some killed tips…

KillerTip #1
Think differently

Think DIFFERENTLY!
• Empathy
• Disconnect from the wheels, liberate yourselves
• Understand the ‘Rule of 6’ (and establish your own)
• Understand your job is to know your contacts intimately
• Excite and educate your audience
• And always question… “would you engage with this?”

Know who you are & what you stand for
I make the difference; I am the energy, I am the magic, and I am the glue.
As marketers we must:
• Understand what makes our audience tick
• Relay key stakeholder messages though the marketing lens, converting it to what your
audience wants to engage with
• Never stand for second best…

The Rule of 6

KillerTip #2
Use segmentation

Think differently: know your data
• Recognise that, if segmented properly, people should be interested in what you have to
say
• Understand that you are interrupting their day, even if they are engaged/opted in
• One size does not fit all when it comes to a send schedule

3D Marketing & Segmentation yesterday
Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker
Sector

3D Marketing and Segmentation today
Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker
Engagement
Sector

KillerTip #3
Use automation to the MAX

Email Sequences tomorrow
• The futility of a single email
• Base decisions on commercial outcomes/CRM data
• Say it 6 times – don’t be afraid to repeat yourself

Email Sequences the day after tomorrow
• Consider attitudinal data
• Consider CRM interaction
• Understand the wider marketing picture

Know the difference…
Cadence vs. Spamming

Bad looks like this…
1
Time / Frequency
Whole Base 2 3

Good looks like this…
1
Audience Segment 1
Audience Segment 2
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Engagement Segment 1
Re-Engagement strategies 1 2 3
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1
0
1
1
1
2
1
3
1
4
1
5
1
6
1
7
1
8
1
9
2
0
2
1
2
2
Time / Frequency

3D Marketing: how do we use it?
Engagement
Awareness
Commercial
Human
Content
Let’s talk
Let’s do business

KillerTip #4
Refine your creative assets

Email Content/Design
• Email is only the hook and not the full meal
• Content – be concise rationalize your message (10 words, 1 button!)
• Don’t stand for second best and don’t be boring... be more Gordon!
• Find your winning formula… and stick to it
• Single column creative

Email Build
• Artwork commodification, build standard templates and iterate for improvement –
work smarter, not harder
• Don’t stand for second best, be more Gordon!
• The squint test

Email Examples

Email Framework
Preheader -This should reflect the headline, it is designed to sit
above all content for inbox previews
Headline -This should be no more than 10 words. I prefer simple
colours on a stark background
Intro headline - Max 2 paragraphs, minimal content with a direct
focus.With a strong simple CTA.
(no more info, or click here please)
Creative sign off - Designed to bounce contacts back to the
previous statement or skip to below.
Detail + Action - this space can be used to hold more content if
needed
Attention
Interest
Action
Desire/
Trampoline
Interest
Action

Writing great subject lines
• Be clear and straight to the point
• Start with a verb
• Do not use excessive punctuation or icons
• Build a secret formula and stick to it
• (Verb + Content + Urgency) vs ([FirstName]Verb + Content + Urgency)

KillerTip #5
Nail deliverability

Email Deliverability
• What can you do to improve deliverability?
• Your job, ESP’s job – tech checklist
• What’s a bot?
• Understanding email servers and reputation
• Importance of clean data (Soft Bounce Rule)
• Be Engaging!
• Read our guide!

KillerTip #6
Optimise your outcome

Optimise your outcome
Email is pointless if you are not considering how you will convert the interest you generate
Website – we hope you
can achieve a 2%
conversion rate from
traffic on your website
Blog – usually
converts at 1/10 of
the website
conversion rate Custom Landing
Page – a well built
landing page
would hope to
convert at 15%
Custom DYNAMIC
Landing Page –
which adapts to the
person and is
focussed on their
next action can
achieve in the
region of 35%

KillerTip #7
Report on performance - the smart way

Measuring Success
Measuring your performance needs to change, when we are working in a 3D way. Focussing on the
people and your data segments becomes the most effective route to reporting in the new world.
Audience Engagement

Measuring Success
Average Lead score

Measuring Success
Member count

REVIEWTIME!
Look back at your view of segmentation and
how to use it

Based on what we’ve discussed today…
Which killer tip are you going to be using
/ taking advantage of the most?

8TopTips
1. Think differently
2. Segment and personalise
3. Use automation to the max, liberate you and your team
4. Refine your creative assets
5. Nail deliverability
6. Optimise for outcome, sell the hole in the wall – not the drill bit
7. Report on your performance the smart way

Questions!
Twitter: @weareforce24
LinkedIn: @Force24

Ready to know more?
Get your hands on our Email Playbook