Email marketing best practices for auto dealers

A T T R A C T • I N T E R A C T • R E S P O N D • S E L L • S E R V I C E • R E T A I N

Email Marketing Best Practices
Avoiding Anti-Spam Filters
MISSION:
To supply dealerships with the knowledge and
understanding of electronic communication
strategy, email content, form and structure
needed to increase the percentage of electronic
messages that reach the customer as intended

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July Copyright © 2004 The Reynolds and Reynolds Company – All Rights Reserved
1

Growth of Email Marketing by Dealers

Strategy & Content for this Presentation:
Ward’s Dealer Business’ Cliff Banks says email
marketing in dealerships will explode this year
and if you ask the top dealers in the nation,
they’ll tell you it’s THE critical communication
channel with their Internet prospects. Whether
you’re new to email marketing, or you’re an
expert at segmenting your database and
sending targeted messages, the following
presentation will provide a variety of email
marketing best practices to ensure your
messages get through to your customers.
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 2
Copyright © 2004 The Reynolds and Reynolds Company – All Rights Reserved

Protecting Your Communication Channel

In its recent Internet Security Threat Report, Symantec
Corporation reported that spam accounted for over 60% of all
email traffic from July – December 2004. The good news is - a
plethora of spam filters that are springing up everywhere, from
your ISP to your desktop, are doing their job. The bad news is –
they’re doing it too well.
According to iMedia Connection, as much as 17-19% of
legitimate, permission-based email messages are erroneously
blocked by the top ISPs, a number that has been steadily
increasing over the past few years.
Email communication is critical for today’s auto dealer, so
anything that disrupts this channel should be considered a
hazard to your business. Anyway you slice it, a 17-19% loss in
your business is staggering. In fact, this problem causes
American businesses to lose billions of dollars every year.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 3

Protecting Your Communication Channel

Your Internet-related service providers (like lead providers,
website developers, and CRM tool companies) should be your
first line of defense when it comes to ensuring the integrity of
your email communication channel, so you can focus your
attention on the business at hand – selling cars. Nevertheless,
as a dealer, there are things you can do to increase the odds
that your email communications
get through to your intended
recipients. While the following best
practices can’t guarantee that
all your messages get through
every time; the key is doing what
you can to increase your odds.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 4

The Telephone - Still the Killer App

Just Like Donald Trump
Before we get into more detailed talk about email communication, there’s
one thing that every Internet-savvy dealer needs to keep in mind:
The telephone is still the killer sales application, second only to the
face-to-face meeting. I once heard that Donald Trump never uses a
computer; he’s always on the phone. Regardless of what you might think
of Mr. Trump, you can’t deny the man’s success.
Yes, you’re an Internet dealer, and yes, these are Internet prospects
who prefer to interact online. Still, it’s business critical to get on the
phone whenever possible, in addition to emailing your prospects, until
they expressly tell you not to.
That being said, the following slides present some email techniques
and best practices that can help you eliminate the types of red flags
that alert spam filters which prevent your communications from
getting through to your prospects and customers…
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 5

Spam Filters have Changed the Rules

Anti-spam filters are the mine fields in the war against spam,
and they’re a threat to your innocuous emails. There are spam
filters on the mail server, or Internet service provider, side; in
corporate firewalls; and also on the client-side, or your intended
recipient’s computer.
Many filters today assign a point
system to certain trigger words,
phrases, or punctuations that are
commonly seen in spam emails.
If an email surpasses its quota of
spam points, it is sent to the junk
email folder or else destroyed
Spam Filters work like a
before it ever gets to your Missile Defense system,
intended recipient’s inbox. blowing up email messages
before they hit your inbox
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 6

Spam Filters have Changed the Rules

The top Internet service providers, like AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and Verizon, all
have their own customized rules for defining and weeding out spam.
The big ISPs have routers for their email domains that analyze all incoming
emails. These routers can automatically block emails that come from certain
addresses, which the ISP has “black listed,” because consumers have
complained about spam.
Any dealer that has mistakenly been put on
an ISP black list knows how burdensome it
is to get off. This is why it is so business
critical to have a “good email reputation”
with consumers, because one too many
complaints can mean doom for your email
marketing program. This goes for both your
dealership and your email marketing tool
vendor – both of which have an impact on
ISP relations and a hand in staying off the BDC Managers and ISM’s
can inadvertently get
Anti-Spam blacklists.
dealers “Blacklisted”
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 7

Maintain Good Relations with Top ISP’s

The most important element to getting your email communications through is
maintaining good relations with Internet Service Providers. In other words,
the mail server that sends your emails must remain in good standing. If a few
consumers complain to their ISP about junk mail coming from a particular
dealership’s mail server, the ISP will address the issue by categorically
blacklisting, or blocking all mail, coming from that server. This will affect not
just your business, but every other business that sends campaigns from that
server. A quality email service provider will always
work to maintain good relations with the ISP’s.”

As a dealer, the part you play in
maintaining that good reputation is
building your email list, controlling email
content, and determining how often and to
how many people you send campaigns.
There should be a partnership where the
technology provider and dealer protect RWS Dealer Web Sites
each other’s interests will show you the Top 5
ISP’s used by your customers
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 8

Bulk Email and One-to-One Communications

One strategy that experts like Bill Boebel,
chief technical officer at Webmail (provider
of secure email hosting services), suggests
is sending your bulk, or large list, email
messages from a different server than you
use to send your one-to-one
correspondences. This helps protect the
integrity of your one-to-one communications
in the event a consumer receiving bulk
communications from your dealership
Using a 3rd Party
complains, and that server is temporarily server for bulk emails
blacklisted. A good email or CRM tool creates a non-dealer
related target for Anti-
provider can help you with this strategy. Spam “Blacklisting”

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 9

Why is CAN-SPAM relevant to Dealers?

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, or “The Controlling the Assault of
Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act” has done little to
stem the flow of unwanted emails burdening the system.
Nevertheless, legislation has set some standards that legitimate
businesses should follow, not just for self-protection, but to
differentiate themselves from spammers.
Failing to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act
can invite both criminal and civil penalties
and allows suits by the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC), State Attorneys
General, and Internet Service Providers.

The following slides present an overview of
With new legislation in place,
do’s and don’ts that Internet dealers should dealers need to pay attention
follow to be CAN-SPAM compliant. It’s also a to employee bulk email practices
good idea to read up on this Act in more detail.
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 10

Dealer Guidelines on CAN-SPAM Compliance

1. Do include an opt-out system making it easy for customers to
unsubscribe, or opt-out, from receiving broadcast emails
2. Do have a functioning reply address and an unsubscribe system
that operates for at least 30 days after your last broadcast emailing
3. Do include your postal mailing, or physical address in the message
4. Don't use fraudulent or deceptive subject lines, headers, "From"
names, or return addresses in your emails
5. Don’t allow spammers to market your products and services – you
can be liable if they break the law
6. Don’t send emails to people whose email addresses have been
harvested from websites or randomly generated
7. Don’t send emails to people who request to be removed from your list

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 11

New Rules: Wireless Email Addresses

• On February 7, 2005, as directed by the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted new rules to
protect consumers and businesses from receiving unwanted electronic
mail messages on their wireless devices, such as mobile phones.
• In order for a dealer to send broadcast emails to consumers on their
wireless devices, or to specific wireless domains (click here to see the
list) used to transmit wireless electronic messages, it must get
“express prior authorization,” in other words, there is a strict opt-in
requirement. In fact, it’s more stringent than the requirements set forth
for regular, non-wireless email addresses.

The following slides
present guidelines for
dealers to comply with
the new wireless rules…
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 12


1. Do get prior authorization such as the subscriber's signature,
including an electronic signature to send them communications to their
wireless devices. This means you not only need to obtain permission
prior to sending a message, you also need to be able to prove you
have it.
2. Do disclose the following at the time authorization is being collected:
• Customer agrees to receive mobile service commercial messages
• The name of the business that will be sending the messages
• They may be charged by their wireless provider for receiving
messages
• They may revoke authorization to receive messages at any time
when being charged by their wireless service provider in
connection with receipt of such messages

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 13


3. If you have any email addresses in your database that
you believe are being sent to wireless devices, it's
recommended that you contact these people and ask
for another email address.

Even if your database is
totally opt-in, it’s still a good
idea to double check with
those consumers to get their
permission again to send
them communications to their
wireless devices.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 14

Dealership Branding and Consistency

Using a reputable email marketing tool provider is your first line
of defense, the next is applying the same high standards of
professionalism that you use in your showroom to your email
marketing communications. Branding and consistency make
you look good and also instill trust with your customers.
1. Set clear expectations and define value.
If you’re asking for your customers’ email
addresses, set clear expectations with them
on what they’ll get, such as monthly coupons
for oil changes, special promotions, and data
on new inventory. In your first communication
to them, remind them of the email address
they gave to you and why they’ve subscribed.
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 15


2. Ask your customers to add your “From” address to their email
address book or “safe list” to ensure they receive your valuable
offers. You can put a short statement at the top of your outgoing
email communications that says something along the lines of:
“Make sure you don't miss out on our emails, add
Joe@JoeSmithFord.com to your address book now.”
“To ensure that filter controls used by your ISP do not interrupt
the delivery of our communications and special offers, please
add Linda.Jones@LindaNissan.com to your address book, or
click here and send an empty email to this address.”
(This option takes advantage of the fact that many email
systems, like AOL, add the people to whom consumers have
sent an email automatically to their “Safe Senders List.”)

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 16


You can put a short statement at the top of your outgoing email
communications that says something along the lines of:

“You have requested information
from Maurice’s AutoWorld.
Please add this email address to
your address book and our
domain name, <@Maurice.com>
to your email client “Safe List.”
This will ensure that you receive
our special offers and notices,
and that they do not accidentally
end up in your junk mail folder.”

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 17


Put a short statement at the top of outgoing email that says:
“Due to the more restrictive nature of several large email
hosts like AOL, MSN, Roadrunner, Prodigy and others, our
messages may be filtered out. We will reply to your
requests as soon as possible. If you do not get a follow-up
message from us within an hour, please contact us directly
so we can ensure that we satisfy your requests.”
It's also helpful to provide subscribers
with a link to a page where they can
find further instructions on how to add
your email address to their address book.
These instructions vary from one email
provider to another.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 18


3. Maintain a consistent Digital Signature, or Footer,
in all your communications.
All of your dealership’s personnel who interact with customers should
have a consistent digital signature. If you think about it, this marketing
tool is one that is used as often, and probably seen by as many
consumers, as any other medium. So make it consistent and make it
look good. Include uniform font sizes, layout, etc.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 19

Building a Valuable Email Database

As you build your email database, it will become one of your
dealership’s most valuable assets. Here are some ways to build
and maintain a database that is the envy of your competition.

1. “Double Opt-In” Activated by Your Customers
If possible, use a confirmed or double opt-in system. It’s
the best way to prove that your subscribers gave express
consent to receive your emails. This is something your
email service provider can help you set up. This could be
something as simple as having your customer check a
box on an application they’re filling out at the dealership.
These records can protect you in the event a consumer
complains about the emails they receive and you get
blacklisted by an ISP.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 20



2. Allow recipients to unsubscribe in one step,
automatically. Then be sure they’re removed and your
system marks them as opted out.
Many ISPs, like AOL, make hitting the ‘This is spam button’ as easy as
hanging up the telephone. Consumers will do that as a way of opting-out,
which only puts you and your email service provider at risk of being
blacklisted. Making it easier for your recipients to unsubscribe than to hit
the spam button protects you, your dealership’s reputation, and your
email service provider. Not to mention, it saves you time, because those
are the kinds of customers you don’t want to waste your resources on
anyway – they become more of a liability than anything.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 21


3. Do not purchase or rent lists. This is part of CAN SPAM
compliance, and you want consumers to be in your database by
choice not trickery
4. Secure your customer data and don't sell or rent out your lists
5. Analyze bounced and undelivered emails. Look for trends that
you can correct. Also, some emails bounce due to simple typos
and misspellings, which can be fixed.
6. Always remove undeliverable emails and bounces. Your email
tool provider should have an automated system for deleting
emails after a certain number of failed attempts. Repeatedly
sending too many emails that bounce can alert the spam filters.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 22

Your Email Content, Structure and Form

Especially Watch Your Language
Part and parcel with maintaining good relations with ISPs is the content and format of your email
communications. Words, phrases, punctuation and HTML coding commonly used by spammers
raise red flags to the spam filters, so its important to be cognizant and avoid them when you
can. It’s a list that changes on a regular basis, so be sure to check for updates.

“To” and “From” Fields
1. Watch what you put in the “To” and “From” fields in your
emails. Try to avoid the following:
Ø friend@ Ø sales@
Ø public@ Ø mail@
Ø success@ Ø hello@

2. Also avoid in these fields:
a lot of spaces or an empty field a strange
name, or unreal name in the From field
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 23


Subject Line Content
• In your message subject line, be as specific as possible,
with as many relevant details as you can fit. Spam filters
are more inclined to let specific messages through than
generic ones. Example: when your dealership sends a
newsletter, say it’s a newsletter and include the month of
the newsletter in the subject line
• Avoid using punctuation symbols – like “ ” quotation
marks, $$$ dollar signs, and !!!! exclamation points
• Avoid using all CAPITAL letters, in other words, no need
to SHOUT – you’ll wake up the spam filters!
• Avoid putting a toll-free (800) number in the subject line
(local area code numbers are good)
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 24


The following words, in both your email subject headlines
and in the body of the email are known to trigger filters:
Free - alone or in combinations, Discount!
for example: what are you waiting for
“free dinner with test drive”
while supplies last
FREE – in all caps
click here, click below
Guarantee, GUARANTEED
million dollars
cash
Don’t miss this
money back
50% off!
Savings
Subscribe
Call now
hidden
$$$$
opportunity
!!!
Compare
Hello
You're a Winner!

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 25


The following words, in both your email subject headlines
and in the body of the email are known to trigger filters:
remove No cost, No fees
collect Offer
amazing One time
cash bonus Please read
credit Don't delete
loans Save up to
Act Now! Time limited
All New Visit our website
Buy direct While supplies last
Special Promotion Why pay more?
easy terms You've been selected
great offer give it away, giving it away

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 26


The following words, in both your email Message Body of
the email are known to trigger filters:
Large block of hexadecimal (16 units) code
One or more lines of large fonts or all caps
– YELLING at the recipient
At least 70 percent blank lines
Header contains numbers mixed in with letters
Message body claims not to be spam
Body contains "removal instructions"
Body contains "Dear friend"
Excessive use of “click here”
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 27


In addition to language, graphics, images and certain HTML coding can alert
spam filters. Now, AOL, one of the most popular ISPs, and Microsoft Outlook
and Outlook Express, the most popular email clients, will no longer
automatically load HTML graphics, which means your artistic HTML emails
may look terrible in your recipients’ preview screens. In addition, AOL may
deactivate links in your emails before your prospects receive them.

HTML emails tend to get deleted more
frequently than plain text emails. And,
many consumer actually prefer plain
text emails. One reason is that plain
text emails load faster, which is
especially important for AOL users
who are still on dialup.

The next slide provides techniques in using HTML emails
that are more likely to arrive as the sender intended…
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 28


If you use HTML emails, consider the following to avoid spam filters:

1. Do use all-white backgrounds instead of colors.
2. Do use style sheets in your HTML code if possible.
3. Do include links to Web pages with robust content
instead of trying to include that content in your email.
4. Do use tables to organize information and separate
numbers from text.
5. Don’t send HTML messages without a text alternative.
6. Don’t use oversized fonts.
7. Don’t use a lot of different colored fonts.
8. Don’t include “.exe” files or attachments with your
message unless requested by recipient.
9. Don’t use BCC distribution methods with over 10
names per email.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 29


Build, Use, Monitor and Test Email Templates

Ø The email marketing universe is changing rapidly, with
new technologies and new tricks by spammers, so it’s
important to continuously monitor, test, and make
adjustments to ensure the integrity of this critical
communication channel for your dealership.

Ø It’s a good idea to open email accounts with all the
main service providers, including AOL, Yahoo, MSN,
Hotmail, Gmail, and others, so you can see what your
customers see. Check your database and see what
email domains are commonly used among your
customers.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 30


Develop Email Standards and Policies for the Dealership

Ø Email marketing is one of the most cost-efficient tools
at your disposal. This doesn’t mean you should simply
accept it as a cost of doing business that a percentage
of your emails are not going to get through. This is
unacceptable and, in a way, let’s the spammers win. A
good email tool provider is your first line of defense.
Setting email marketing standards for your dealership
is your second. Make your email marketing program is
top notch, just like your showroom, your service
department, and your website, and you can reap huge
rewards from this vital communication channel.

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 31

Reference Links and Information Sources

CAN SPAM Act of 2003
www.spamlaws.com/federal/can-spam.shtml
www.wilsonweb.com/wmt9/canspam_comply.htm
www.fcc.gov/cgb/policy/canspam.html
Wireless – Federal Communications Commission
www.fcc.gov/cgb/policy/DomainNameDownload.html
Spam Filters
http://spamassassin.apache.org/
www.wordbiz.com/avoidspamfilters.html
www.spamcop.net/
www.marketingsherpa.com/
www.imediaconnection.com/content/4011.asp
July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 32


Top 4
% of
Ways to Dealer Response Attribute Purchase Purchase*
Close Experienced by Customer within 24 Respondents* among the
More who DID NOT Leads who
Sales to hours of Submitting a Web based experience the DID
attribute Experience
Leads Inquiry (Lead) the attribute
Received

Make Direct Phone Contact with Customer
#1 (after Email w/availability & prices) 17% 27%
#2 Send Price Quotes by Email to Customer 20% 27%
Contact Customer more than once by Email
#3 and Telephone (within First 24 Hours) 21% 25%
Make sure Customers are either Completely or Very
#4 Satisfied with the Lead Response 21% 24%
RCS Marketing research (Q3, 2004) reconfirms the Best Practices
RCS Marketing research (Q3, 2004) reconfirms the Best Practices
collected during ““BestIn Class” Dealer Benchmark studies.
collected during Best In Class” Dealer Benchmark studies.
How to sell more vehicles to customers that submit Internet leads…
How to sell more vehicles to customers that submit Internet leads…
Without relying on opinion or seat of the pants management!
Without relying on opinion or seat of the pants management!
*Survey Participants who Purchased a Vehicle were identified via RDR data cross reference and matching with Internet Lead Data

July 26, 2005 26, 2005
Tuesday, July Copyright © 2004 The Reynolds and Reynolds Company – All Rights Reserved
33

Email marketing best practices for auto dealers

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