2. Who Is This Clown?
Will Burns
Director of Communications
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
www.mdchamber.org
(410) 269-0642, Ext. 103
wburns@mdchamber.org
http://twitter.com/will_burns
www.linkedin.com/in/wburns
5. Why is Email Important?
Email is the Digital Glue
• Dominant Online Activity
• Ties Together Other Online
Activities
• Great Way to Promote
Programs, Events & Activities --Greg Cangialosi
President & CEO, Blue Sky Factory
6. Email Still Dominates
Internet Activities
• 89% of American
Email 89%
adults send and read
email.
Search to find information 88%
• 47% use social Search for a map or driving directions 86%
networking websites
Look for Information about a hobby
or interest 83%
Source: Pew Internet & Look for information about a service
American Life Project or product they are thinking of buying 81%
Get News 72%
Look for How-To and Do-It-Yourself
information 59%
10. Trends - Email is Everywhere
Desktop Client Web Browser Smart Phones
11. Trends - Email Overload
Desk covered with stacks of paper
Hundreds of unread emails
A calendar full of appointments
Why Would They Read Your Email?
12. Trends - Email Overload
“It’s Not Information Overload.
It’s Filter Failure”
--Clay Shirky
www.shirky.com
Author of:
Here Comes Everybody
The Power of Organizing Without Organizations
13. Trends - Email Overload
Is Your Chamber
a Filter or a
Fire Hose?
17. Choosing an ESP
• Price
• Feature Set
• Reputation & References
• Integration
• Support - Design, List Management,
Compliance, Coaching, Technical
18. ESP Features
• Better Delivery Rates
• List & Bounce Management Tools
• Design & Spam Testing Tools
• Templates
• CAN Spam Compliance
• Technical & Design Support
• Reporting & Analytics
19. Basics - List Management
• Permission & Compliance
• Deliverability
• List Maintenance/Hygiene
• Segmentation
• Measurement
20. Basics - Permission
• Get Permission to Send Email
• Set Recipient Expectations
• Send Relevant Messages
• Don’t Abuse the Relationship
• Don’t Sell the List
21. Basics - Compliance
• CAN SPAM Compliance
• Include your physical address
• Make it easy to opt-out
• Clearly identify the sender or sending
organization
• Don’t use deceptive subject lines
• For more, visit www.ftc.gov/spam
22. Basics - Deliverability
• Tips for Avoiding Spam Filters
• Use a reputable vendor
• Practice good list hygiene
• Keep sender addresses as short as possible
• Minimize the use of trigger words, all caps and
excessive punctuation: FREE, Guarantee, Winner!!!!!!
• Encourage your recipients to put your “from
address” in their address book
23. Basics - List Maintenance
• List Maintenance/Hygiene
• Scrub Your List
• Monitor Delivery Reports
• Manage Bounces
• Be careful with email addresses like info@,
sales@, etc.
25. Email Program Tips
• Give Subscribers More Choices - Message
Type, Message Frequency, etc.
• Use More List Segments to Ensure
Messages are Relevant
• Consider a Reengagement Campaign for
Members Who Haven’t Opened Recent
Emails
• Simplify All Email Templates
26. Design Tips
• Include a “View in Web Browser” Link
• Design for the Preview Pane
• Use Old Fashioned HTML. Avoid Excessive
CSS, Dynamic, Scripts,Video, etc.
• Test Creative in Various Email Clients
• View Your Email Design With Images
Disabled
27. Content Tips
• Carefully Craft Your Subject Line
• Make Your Email Scannable. Use subheads,
bullet points, bolded text.
• Make Your Message Simple
• Clearly Define Your Call to Action
30. Testing
• A/B Tests - Split your list in half
• Headlines - What type of headlines get the
most click throughs?
• Design Tests - How will your message render
in various email clients?
• Spam Tests - Will your message make it
through the most common anti-spam
programs?
31. Testing
• Experiment - What Works Best?
• Subject Lines
• Day of Week | Time of Day
• Email Designs
• Newsletter Headlines
• Calls to Action
• Landing Pages
• Sender Names
• List segments
32. Basics - Segmentation
• Segment ideas for chambers:
• Message type - Newsletter, Event Notice, Legislative Info,
• Subject Matter - Health Care, Taxes, Environment, Small
Business, Human Resources
• Industry Sector - Retail, Restaurants, Financial Services,
Creative, Manufacturing, Technology, Marketing
• Job Function - Leadership & Management, Human
Resources, Government Affairs, Marketing & Sales, IT
• Action - Join/Renew Date, Registered for/Attended an
Event, Purchases a Product, Referred a Member, Responded to
a Call to Action
