C Shaffstall

Do you send blank emails?

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:26:15 +0000

According to Marketing Sherpa, only 33% of people surveyed have images in their email provider turned on by default. I am one of the 66% who do not and, frustratingly, I have one vendor in particular that sends me blank emails as a way of communicating their offers.

I have sent back those blank emails to their marketing department, sales rep, and president several times and finally became so frustrated by it that I unsubscribed. I don’t mind receiving weekly offers from my vendors and often go to the effort to subscribe, but when I do, I would like to receive messages that show a value for my time and my preferences.

I am not alone. Most of us want to have a glimpse of an email message before we fully commit. Here are examples of the good, the bad, and the unsubscribed.

This is my weekly blank email from a vendor with whom I am subscribed. As I was writing this article, I received one identical to it from a self-proclaimed marketing guru. For the record, marketing gurus do not send blank emails. Looking at this, you can see that there is nothing about it that prompts me to download images and check out the offer. I’m more likely to delete than to load images.

I could provide dozens of these examples, but let’s take a look at a before and after shot of a very simple one that’s been well done. This is not a fancy, multi-column table layout, doesn’t have much in the way of sliced images, but still, it’s pleasant and I can read the message even before I access the images.

If you are mystified by figuring out what your email looks like to recipients using the myriad email clients, try EmailonAcid.com. This site’s service provides:

A preview of your email in 48 variations of the most-popular email clients and mobile devices.
A code analysis and validation tools to help you root out rendering issues.
Deliverability tools help you determine which spam filters are flagging your emails.

They have a simple-to-use free account, but if you’re in the business of creating email campaigns, opt for the paid subscription so that you check your emails before you hit send.

A blank email is a missed opportunity.

BlendTec shows how to measure the effects of a social marketing strategy

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:15:09 +0000

The blender manufacturer uses coupon codes and analytics to track shoppers.

Social media is where blender manufacturer BlendTec connects with consumers. The company’s YouTube channel has more than 440,000 subscribers and its videos have been viewed more than 181 million times. In addition, more than 85,000 shoppers Like the retailer’s Facebook page, and at least 7,300 consumers read Blendtec’s tips and recipes on Twitter.

Social Media Metrics: Not as Difficult as You Thought

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:32:06 +0000

Every social media marketer struggles with which KPIs are the best to track. We know as marketers that having metrics to guide you and measure progress against is super important, yet here we still stand somewhat weary of what to keep an eye on.

Asian-Americans join Hispanics in early adoption of emerging devices

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:39:08 +0000

eMarketer’s estimate of US tablet users shows that 14.4% of Asians have used tablets monthly this year, vs. 12.6% of Hispanics and just over 10% of blacks and whites. The gap will narrow as the years pass, but it will take until 2014 for whites in the US to reach the same tablets penetration level as Asian-Americans.

People See Social Engagement as a Transaction, Marketers Do Not

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:39:06 +0000

A study from the Chief Marketing Officer Council and Lithium reveals a disconnect between what senior marketers think consumers want from social media, and what people actually want.

According to the 1,300-plus consumers surveyed online globally, there was an expectation that a brand follow, like, post or preference in a social media environment would enable a person to be eligible for exclusive offers (67 percent), have the opportunity to interact with other customers who share the same experiences (60 percent) and gain access to games or contests (65 percent).

The tablet emerges as the tool for relaxed holiday shopping, survey finds

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:23:08 +0000

87% of tablet owners are using their devices while shopping for the holidays and plan to spend an average of $325 via their tablets, according to a new study by rich media firm Zmags. Nearly a third of tablet owners say they like to shop on their devices because it is convenient. 24% also like how tablets facilitate easy browsing and help them discover products via retailers’ sites, online catalogs and tablet apps.

New, Enhanced Profiles A Boon To Brands On Twitter

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:32:08 +0000

The most important part of the Twitter redesign for marketers is the new, enhanced profile functionality. It gives them a “much richer canvas,” as Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said earlier today. The new brand profile pages are available to a limited number of companies now but will be rolling out more broadly in the coming weeks.

MerchantCircle/Reply.com

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:32:06 +0000

A new “merchant confidence survey” from lead-gen company MerchantCircle/Reply.com, among 2,500 US small businesses, finds that search engine optimization is the marketing channel they would choose if they could choose only one.

New European Law ‘Targets’ Personalized Ad Targeting On Facebook

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:27:12 +0000

A new directive by the European Commission may stop advertisers from leveraging users’s information when advertising on Facebook. The Telgraph reports that the EC is looking into the way that Facebook “eavesdrops” on users and how personal data is made available for ad targeting. This new legislation will be introduced in January and will be applicable to all action taken on Facebook, even though most information is stored on U.S. based computers.

Online sales taxes get new support

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:15:09 +0000

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators last week introduced the Marketplace Fairness Act, which would authorize states that have taken steps to simplify sales tax collection to require all online and catalog retailers with more than $500,000 in annual out-of-state sales to collect sales tax.