Small- and midsized-business marketers recognize the importance of helping prospects solve problems. And they know that quality content leads to more sales. But when you’re wearing a half-dozen hats, as many SMB execs and marketers do, disseminating that content can be as challenging as developing it. Fortunately, more marketers are rising to the occasion, according [...]

As you know, the key to responses to your email marketing offers is a careful balance of helpful, relevant, interesting, entertaining, all-around saintly emails, written with the right audience in mind and tested for optimal performance. Now, we could do the marketing-blog thing and throw that advice at you, wish you luck and go check [...]

This is a guest post from Chris Guillebeau. If you enjoy this post, you may also like this interview about how he builds relationships via email marketing. Here’s Chris! -Justin Premick In April 2010, I launched the Empire Building Kit, a training course designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs build a business in one year by [...]

“91% of email users subscribed to a company’s mailing list and then later decided they no longer wanted to be on that list,” an ExactTarget report stated. That’s bad news. The same report also showed that 42% of subscribers say they’re more likely to buy from a company after they’ve signed up for the company’s [...]

You might not have a follow up campaign. After all, assembling a weekly newsletter is much easier than designing an email series with evergreen value.

But follow up autoresponders are powerful. Create an initial set of valuable messages, and you’ll automatically build loyalty and interest in every new subscriber.

But what should you write about?

We have a customer who rocks follow-ups to their fullest potential. Keep reading for inspiration on how you, too, can reap the benefits of a well-designed follow-up series.

Meet Chocoley

Chocolatier Nicole Leffer knew that ongoing emails would help grow her business, Chocoley. So she and her team designed a sweet series of candy-molding lessons.

Each one has clear project instructions. And while crafters can use supplies from anywhere, the social credit the emails build (and the helpful links to product pages) make Chocoley the logical place to buy them.

How She Builds Relationships

Nicole’s writing creates a connection between her business and her readers. These quotes from her emails show you just how she does it:

Illustrates her instructions with bits of story

“When I was a kid I remember that every science fair I ever went to had at least a couple kids with projects showing the way oil and water don’t mix. It’s the same with chocolate and moisture– only it’s way worse.”

 

Explains the “why” (for the two-year-old in all of us)

“Dampness & condensation also results in “sugar bloom” – you’ll see grains of sugar on the surface of the chocolate.”

 

Thoughtfully anticipates and addresses concerns

“If you’re using a clear mold, you’ll be able to tell that the chocolate is ready when it uniformly does not look wet on the underside of the mold.”

 

Shares “trade secrets”

“This step is a secret I learned from a top chocolatier in Switzerland. … They swear it ensures a perfect finish on every piece of candy, and every time I’ve done it, that’s the result I’ve had.”

 

And does it work?

“We’ve had fantastic feedback from our customers,” Nicole says. “They love the course because it provides a real value they are looking for.”

How She Makes Sales

Yes, email marketing’s great strength is it’s potential for relationship-building. But you don’t earn dollars with hugs and high-fives alone. So Chocoley’s follow-ups:

Give subscribers a thank-you discount

“I wanted to give you a little something to say “thanks” for taking this course with me. Use the code [code] on your first order of $49.99 or more (before shipping) to save $15. ...."

 

Finish with purchasing as a go-do item

"P.S. If you want to find some cool molds, start here: http://chocoley.com/chocolatemolds.htm"

 

Show how the products make things easier

"(Remember, V125 Indulgence chocolate requires tempering, and Bada Bing Bada Boom Candy Melts does not. If you want to make molded candy with Couverture chocolate can still follow the directions below, but when we melt the chocolate you need to temper yours)."

 

Ask for referrals

"I hope you have enjoyed this course-- I've definitely enjoyed teaching you! If you know other people who might be interested in learning about molding chocolate, please tell them to sign up at www.chocoley.com/makingcandy/moldingcourse/signup.htm."

 

And does it work?

"The open rates have been very good," Nicole says, "and the course has definitely led to new sales (from new customers), as well as improved our relationship with our customers."

Design Your Own Lessons

"We wanted to find something that would really encourage people to open their email everyday (that was guaranteed to provide value, but that would also help us educate people about using our products)," says Nicole.

That may sound overwhelming, but you can manage it with these steps:

• Start with information that someone out there is looking for, that you know well.
• Compile everything. Make a giant list.
• Figure out which ideas belong together and where your breaks should fall.
• Switch and swap the order of the lessons until the flow makes sense.

"With the course laid out," Nicole explains, "the emails almost write themselves."

What Do You Think?

Do you have a follow-up series? If you do, what kind of value do you send?

If you don't, what could you write about?

An effective email marketing campaign requires framework. Successful marketers will always be the first to tell you that their campaigns are the work of careful planning and diligent consideration.

It’s actually much like building a house. There’s no way you can construct a building haphazardly, without direction, and turn out a flawless finished product. The result would be chaotic!

The same goes for email. You can’t randomly send messages to your clients and prospects without establishing expectations and formulating a plan, or they will tune out and unsubscribe due to your lack of organization.

Follow these guidelines for constructing a well built house and you’ll be on your way to creating a profitable and manageable email campaign in no time.

You Need a Solid Foundation

The strongest buildings are built from the ground up on a rock-solid foundation. For your email campaign, the foundation is your message content.

The whole point in sending email is to solicit an action. You want readers to click through your messages, buy products and respond to surveys. In order to engage subscribers and inspire those actions, you must consistently send subscribers interesting, relevant and incentivizing content.

• If you are using email as a sales tool, you want to wow readers with your products and your knowledge, and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
• If you’re using email as a retention tool and are primarily sending informational updates and newsletters, you want to create content that builds relationships.

Sources for Content

• If your business has a blog, you already have one valuable content resource well within your reach. Try restructuring older posts for your new messages and pick posts with lots of comments – they obviously piqued the interest of your readers and will be relevant and helpful to new subscribers on your email list.
• Don’t have a blog? Look through old emails from your customers. If you see the same questions about your product or service over and over again, take that as a hint. You could probably create a whole follow up series addressing the FAQs.
• Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of content you need to create? Check out sites like Lateral Action and Copyblogger for inspiration and words of wisdom.

Plenty of Windows

Windows let light into your home. They give you different views of your yard and help you keep watch when the kids play outside. They also let your neighbors see in.

Instead of drawing the curtains tight on your email campaign, take the opportunity to give your readers a look inside. Be transparent. Build their trust by making yourself available.

Don’t make subscribers dig for your social networking sites. Instead, purposely link to your Facebook and Twitter pages so that they can’t miss them.

If you put all of the information about your company out there for subscribers to see from the get-go, you will never need to Windex the windows on your campaign or backtrack to make yourself more transparent.

Marketer Bill Gammell relates transparency to an episode of Seinfeld:

KRAMER: Newman and I are reversing the peepholes on our door, so you can see in.

JERRY: But then anyone can just look in and see you.

KRAMER: Our policy is, we’re comfortable with our bodies. You know, if someone wants to help themselves to an eyeful, well, we say, enjoy the show.

So reverse your peepholes! Get comfortable with your brand’s body and let your subscribers enjoy the show week after week through your emails.

Curb Appeal

Anyone who takes pride in their home understands the desire to make your property as clean and beautiful as possible.

You landscape, paint and generally spruce things up from time to time to keep your house in tip-top shape. After all, your home is a reflection of you.

Your email campaign should be an extension of your business in the same way. You should take pride in its appearance, and realize that a neat and approachable design will only contribute positively to the perception of your brand.

Using beautifully designed message and web form templates is the perfect way to put a professional face on your campaign. With hundreds to choose from, there’s bound to be at least one or two that fits your style.

An Impenetrable Roof

The roof on your building protects your structure and everything inside. Email deliverability requires the same amount of protection.

There are a few things you can do to safeguard your list:

1. Confirm SubscribersConfirmed opt-in ensures that you only send messages to people who specifically request them from you. It also protects you from false spam complaints, and ISPs and spam filters give priority to senders who use confirmed opt-in.
2. Get WhitelistedAsk subscribers to add your email address to their address books. While emails sent from AWeber customers already whitelisted on an ISP level, it’s important to reduce the likelihood of your mail being filtered to a junk folder on an individual level.
3. Don’t Take Permission For GrantedRemember that subscribers are interested in a certain type of information, which is exactly what they signed up for when they gave you their email addresses. Send only valuable, relevant information that relates to the topics the reader expressed interest in.

A Maintenance Plan

Even impeccably built homes require maintenance. While autoresponders allow you to “set it and forget it,” the best email campaigns have owners that are extremely involved with their clients and their product.

Keep a close eye on the performance of your emails. Split test your subject lines and use analytics to track open and click through rates.

When necessary, do a little spring cleaning. Your campaign can never be too tidy!

Building your Own Campaign?

Do you have a basic blueprint for building your email marketing campaigns? What does it look like?

Tweet This

While at SXSW 2010 in Austin, TX last month, I had the chance to meet a number of businesses using AWeber to deliver their email marketing.

One of the people I met was Chris Garrett, a new media consultant and longtime blogger and email marketer.

We sat and talked about what Chris has learned about email marketing and what he’s doing with his campaigns.

Today, I’d like to share two excerpts from our talk with you.

“What Do You Test In Your Email Marketing?”

In this video, Chris shares:

• Why he doesn’t use popover forms as a list building tool, even though other users have had success with them.
• What he tests in his email marketing campaigns.
• The value of looking at indirect or long-term metrics in addition to direct/short-term ones.

“How Do You Use Autoresponders?”

In this video, you’ll learn:

• Why incentives like ebooks don’t always yield quality long-term subscribers (even though they can help build your list).
• Why an ecourse may not be the best marketing use of autoresponders.

Learn From Other Email Marketers Using AWeber

See how…

• Ramit Sethi uses email to build a community.
• Chris Guillebeau establishes trust and fosters relationships with email.

Tweet This

I know you. You tell me what you want. I make it. I remember next time.

-D. Peppers and M. Rogers, Enterprise One to One

Customer satisfaction is vital for a company’s success. You take care of every customer, not only because you appreciate their business, but also because you know the profound effect of word-of-mouth.

Promptly responding to feedback can make you in an otherwise break-you situation. Read on to discover one company whose lack of response cost them millions, and three others whose effort earned them rave reviews.

As Joseph Jaffe points out, “Retention is the new acquisition.” Work on your own retention with these ideas on finding out what subscribers want – and delivering it.

A Public Relations Nightmare

Canadian country singer Dave Carroll‘s guitar was broken in spring of 2008 by United Airlines’ boisterous baggage handling.

The airline ignored Carroll’s complaints for months. Fed up, he launched a YouTube video informing the public that United breaks guitars (and a follow-up about the messy aftermath.)

The video was viewed over 7.5 million times. United eventually offered Carroll a settlement, which he redirected to charity.

United’s share value fell by 10% after the video’s release. The $180 million loss would have bought Carroll over 51,000 new guitars – and saved the airline’s reputation.

Gold-Star Acts of Service

On the other hand, when companies jump to respond to customer feedback, it pays off. Not only did these three avoid the snafu that United went through, they were also publicly praised.

Cathay Pacific flight attendants circumvented protocol to get a stranded passenger halfway around the world to his home, earning a glowing recommendation.

Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas found a disgruntled Facebook post about poor customer service. They apologized within hours with a basket of wine and chocolate.

Comcast’s Frank Eliason addresses customer concerns – and improves the company’s reputation – on Twitter. No need to wait for the cable guy – he’s @ComcastCares!

You Can Do It, Too

As an email marketer, you are already a step ahead of the game. Through your email list, you are already in contact with lots of your customers. Here are some ways you can tell your readers that you want their feedback, and get it from them.

• Make sure that the “reply” address and postal address listed in your emails are legitimate. If you don’t check them frequently, start doing so. Respond to every complaint and every compliment – show each customer you appreciate them.
• Periodically send out customer satisfaction surveys. Design them so your readers can critique as much as possible. Cover every topic you can think of, then leave room for ones you miss. Encourage comments and stories, and again, respond wherever you can.
• Include your company’s phone number in your emails with a clear invitation to call you with any questions or concerns.
• Set up an autoresponder that invites feedback. For example, AWeber’s new blog subscribers get an email that shows all the ways they can contact us and asks for their feedback and preferences.

Once you have your customers’ feedback, go use it!

• Apply your findings to the content of your newsletter. If your readers prefer certain topics, concentrate on them.
• If you get feedback regarding a lack of interest in certain types of content, try segmenting your list. Group subscribers with similar preferences and send the content each segment most wants.
• If you use a rating scale, segment the subscribers who rate an email low. Ask them what they didn’t like or what content they’d rather see. Personally address any serious problems.
• Use the feedback as content in your emails. Positive comments can be included as testimonials. If you make a change based on a reader’s suggestion, write about it. You value your subscribers and your door is always open – let them know.

What Makes You Shine?

It’s been said that customer service is the new marketing.

How do you find out what your customers want? How personal do you get with your responses?

How does their feedback make a difference in what you do? Share your thoughts!

2009 was the year of social network integration, testing send windows and organic list growth. While 2010 will bring its own trends, these changes aren’t going away.

Here’s a quick refresher of things that went down in email marketing last year.

These posts highlight some new AWeber features, a few colorful examples and the soundest advice we can offer.

2009: The Year of Posts in Brief

Using Email to Grow a Community: AWeber Talks to User Ramit Sethi
On his personal finance site, Sethi teaches his readers to be rich. Here, he gives a bonus lesson in email marketing success. His tips on building an email community are as valuable as gold.

How To Add an Opt-In Form to Your Facebook Page
Adopting social media techniques was a major move that many email marketers made in 2009. This post teaches you how to add an opt-in form to your Facebook profile, directing new contacts straight to your email list.

And since Facebook has more than 350 million active users, and over 700,000 local business accounts, it may be just the place to expand your online presence.

Design Inspiration From Fellow AWeber Customers
Three cameos of customer newsletters show what’s possible for small-time email marketers. Their clean design and quality content offer inspiration far into the future.

Have a Look At the New Web Form Generator
By far our biggest release of the year, the new web form generator was welcomed with open arms! Gone are the days of manually editing HTML; our web form tool helps you create professional and aesthetically pleasing web forms with absolutely zero HTML knowledge.

Test Results: How Long Should Your From Line Be?
“From” line length can largely impact the open rate of an email, yet it’s easy to overlook in the design process. Review what lengths are ideal in the major email clients.
This type of analysis should also be applied to subject line length. Make sure your subscribers can read the reason they should open each email!

{!firstname}, Think Before You Personalize
Personalization can be powerfully effective when used in the right ways. It can also be easily misused. Learn how to avoid the mistake of assuming that a string variable makes a message personalized, targeted or relevant.

“Do Not Reply” Address? Don’t Bother.
This post examines the trend of using an an unattended email address that discourages replies to emails, and explains why you should never do that with your own campaigns.

Deliver Smarter Autoresponders With Send Windows
Sometimes, certain days or times are ideal for subscribers to receive your emails. Find out why, and then learn how to increase your follow-up messages’ effectiveness by setting up send windows.

2010: Use It Wisely

Email marketing, with the biggest ROI of any marketing channel, is a path that can lead you to success. We hope these posts serve as stepping stones on your journey.

For more inspiration, read through the other email marketing tips that 2009 brought.

What would you like us to talk about in 2010? What steps are you planning to take in the new year? Let us know!

Tweet This

A carefully planned autoresponder series builds the foundation for a solid email marketing campaign.

To some business owners, creating this series can be a daunting task – but it doesn’t have to be! With a bit of planning, everyone can create an autoresponder series that communicates important information and offers to subscribers, no matter what industry you are in.

For example, let’s look at some easy autoresponder ideas for a specific type of business – a beauty salon. These examples are specific, but you can apply them to all kinds of campaigns.

A Welcome Email

Subject: Greetings and Thanks for Signing Up with A Cut Above!

The welcome message should thank subscribers for visiting our salon (or the salon website) and reiterate what subscribers will receive (in this case, promotions and exclusive offers). It can also give subscribers a reason to return to the site – for example, to view our full range of services.

While a welcome message should be simple and to the point, we shouldn’t forget that this is a great place to begin branding our series. Including a simple logo, or working with an HTML email template, can really give our campaign a professional edge and help subscribers recognize us.

Offer a Discount on a Variety of Products!

Subject: 15% Off All Products at A Cut Above

In this message we can include links to the product pages on our site that we are offering at a discounted price, making it easy for our subscribers to click through and eliminating the search for the products they are most interested in. Let’s say our products fall under the following categories:

• Styling Tools (brushes, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.)
• Shampoos and Conditioners
• Styling Products (gel, hairspray, pomade, etc.)
• Accessories (headbands, hair clips, etc.)

With click tracking enabled, we can see exactly which link/s each subscriber clicks. Then we can segment our list later on and send tightly focused messages only to those subscribers who clicked on “Styling Tools” or “Accessories.”

Drive Traffice With a Freebie

Subject: Complimentary Manicure for All Visits Next Week – A $30 Value!

Weekends are normally hectic for beauty salons, so our third email in the series provides incentive for clients to make appointments during the business week.

By offering a free manicure, we are more likely to book appointments with clients who are watching their wallets and would otherwise not come into the salon at all.

Send a Time Sensitive Autoresponder

Subject: Buy a Gift Certificate at A Cut Above and Get a Second at 25% Off – Tuesday Only!

To have this message go out on Tuesdays at a specific time, we can use autoresponder send windows, which enable us to automatically send this message only on a certain day of the week.

Sending our subscribers a “one day only” promotion lets them know that they have to take immediate action. Plus, the savings offered here is significant, so this will really drive Tuesday gift certificate sales.

Things All Businesses Should Consider When Creating a Campaign

• Provide real incentive for subscribers to keep coming back. Whether you send a free gift or advertise incredible sale prices, continue to send specials through email and refer to these offers when speaking with your customers.
• Pick a style and stick with it. Your subscribers will grow to learn your branding and recognize the emails that you send. Once you find your voice and choose a template, your emails will be an extension of your business – you want them to look professional.

Ideas for Other Businesses?

What types of businesses would you like to see examples for?

Share your ideas on the blog!

Tweet This