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What could be more appropriate in finishing up our series on industries benefiting from email marketing than a spotlight on government? With the upcoming presidential electing approaching rapidly, political interest and publicity is on the rise. Organizations involved in government on multiple levels can all use this heightened interest to their advantage through professional email marketing. In fact, many of them already are. 

It's so easy to see why managed email marketing might be appealing to governmental entities. For one, an email marketing agency can specially tailor an organization's marketing campaign to approach the issues in an effective, personalized manner. For example, say a government-sponsored public housing sector was looking for support in expanding a certain kind of housing into another district. Residents of the affected district would have to be approached from a  more sensitive angle than those in surrounding regions unaffected by this expansion. Under the supervision of an experienced email marketing consultant, candidates can depend on customized messages regarding these types of sensitive political subjects. 

Complementing the personal approach taken through email marketing, government also has the advantage of cost-efficiency when integrating this strategy. In an environment where government funding is increasingly limited, this components especially appealing. In addition to the more obvious reasons why an organization in a governmental entity might find managed email marketing useful, the strategy has already proven to be effective for governments in other less immediately obvious ways. 

According to several studies comparing the efficacy of email marketing among multiple industries, government ranks higher than the majority of measured industries in several components of email marketing. One particular study, conducted in December of 2010, revealed open rate of 25.66 percent for email marketing campaigns of governmental entities. This rate is higher than ecommerce at 14.98 percent, recruitment and staffing at 15.21 percent, sports at 19.54 percent, and even business and finance at 15.47 percent. This high open rate indicates subscribers are both interested in the issues and concerned about what the local, state and federal government agencies have to say about these issues. 

The click-through rate for the government is also comparably stronger at 5.37 percent for all emails received. This statistic might seem low from a general standpoint, but it ranks nearly 2 points higher than the average click-through rate of 3.7 percent. Since click-through rates indicate how compelling the message is to the reader, this puts government at a significant advantage in terms of general public interest regarding government issues. Government also has considerably lower rates for abuse complaints and unsubscribers at 0.04 percent and 0.20 percent, respectively. 

Ensuring the public's awareness and involvement in government issues is an important component of building stronger communities and a stronger country. With managed email marketing, this goal is made easier than ever for organizations in government, while also offering a convenient outlet for the public to receive word and speak their peace as well. 

Focusing on email marketing may initially seem obsolete when considering how many different forms of media available to businesses as a means of communicating with consumers in the modern digital age. From social media to mobile applications, the consumer base can be accessed with a wide array of media strategies. So, why choose email marketing? One of the best (and most obvious) reasons to stick with the strategy of hiring an email marketing agency is because it has shown incredible success across a wide range of different industries. As a testament to this fact, consider what the travel industry in particular is gaining from this fruitful marketing strategy.

Reaching Out

It may seem elementary, but just being able to get your foot in the door with your consumer base can be a feat in and of itself. To determine the efficiency of email effectiveness, data is collected and analyzed regularly to ensure all emails have been properly sent without error. Measurement of this data is known as the company's "bounce rate," or "non-bounce rate" if the rate of successful delivery is exceptionally high. A 2011 study shows the travel industry has a non-bounce rate of 98.1 percent, with an open rate of 70.7 percent—the latter of which indicates how many email recipients actually open the email. Since the average open rate across several industries is approximately 20.3 percent, this indicates a significant advantage for the travel industry in particular.

Gaining Attention

The real statistic an experienced email marketing consultant would specifically look for is the company's click-through rate in the email marketing campaign. A click-through rate indicates how often a consumer feels compelled to click the link provided in the email they received. Essentially, this rate indicates the appeal of the product or promotion the company is highlighting in the email. Studies have shown the travel industry has a measured click-through rate of 6.4 percent, which is higher than many other leading industries, including the retail apparel industry at 3.5 percent and the consumer services industry at 4.1 percent.

Generating Profit

Let's face it: the bottom line of any professional email marketing campaign is to make money, which is why this is the most important factor in determining the success of email marketing. According to Ken Magill of the Magill Report, the return on investment (ROI) for email marketing in 2011 was $40.56 for every dollar invested. This exceptionally high figure is predicted to drop slightly for the year 2012, with an estimated ROI of $39.40 for every dollar invested. Overall, email marketing is predicted to generate $67.8 billion in sales for the year 2012, indicating businesses involved in the travel industry can expect big gains for the year 2012 by implementing email marketing into their campaigns.

With excellent consumer response to current email marketing strategies implemented by the travel industry, companies who have yet to adapt to these trends or would like to capitalize on the success of the strategy can benefit greatly by utilizing the services of an experienced and well-trained email marketing agency. Integrating managed email marketing not only ensures maximum appeal and outreach to the consumer, but also ensures a substantial profit considering the projected promise of the industry.

Recently, I had to call the pharmacy to make sure they had been able to refill a prescription for me. The lady was very nice and said it was ready. In addition, she asked if I would be interested in signing up to receive a text message when my prescriptions were ready in the future. 

Of course!

How convenient to be able to get a text message when my prescriptions are ready for pick-up. CVS also allows you to sign up to receive emails to better manage your prescriptions, receive health information, and receive special offers throughout the store. And that's just one example! They're taking advantage of several different types of marketing channels to make their program more efficient for customers. Many email marketing firms are encouraging their clients to expand into other channels to increase their reach to audiences. 

Only working in one channel right now? Pairing with an email marketing agency, like Delivra, can help you implement other programs in addition to your email campaigns. It might make sense to set up an SMS program (outbound test messages) as a way to communicate with you audience. Or they might be able to help set up a text to subscribe program as well. Text to subscribe refers to having people text you their email address to join your email marketing list. It's a great way to build your email list without much effort on your part. 

For the best email marketing results, incorporate it with other channels, whether that's mobile marketing, social media marketing, blogging, or all of them!

I'm looking forward to receiving my first update from CVS via text and email (now that's I'm signed up for it). Want to learn more about managing your email marketing and incorporating some additional channels? Reach out the email marketing consultants at Delivra today! 

A week ago, three members of the Delivra team and one of our clients attended the 2012 Email Evolution Conference. On several occasions, I heard the conference referred to as "an email pep rally." It was exactly that - a place to meet and network with others in the industry, learn more about the latest email trends, and represent our email marketing agency. 

As a group, we shared amongst ourselves information we gleaned from the different presentations we went to. I attended Auditing Your Email Marketing Program to Improve Performance presented by Jeanne Jennings of JeanneJennings.com and Sanije Gjokaj of Scholastic and Essential Email Prospecting Strategies to Test in 2012 by Jay Schwedelson of Worldata. They were both incredibly informative presentations and left me with tangible advice I could consider implementing into our email campaigns. 

Unicode: In Jay Schwedelson's presentation he mentioned emails that included Unicode in the subject line received an increased open rate of 18%. Not a perfect fit for all email programs, but perhaps a good addition to some email campaigns. If nothing else, it should be monitored and tested. 

Exclusivity: Again in Jay's presentation, he mentioned that a subject line which mentions exclusivity generates an additional 27% open rate in email campaigns. Whether it's presented by 'Invitation Only' or 'For CFOs Only' - might be something to consider testing. 

Improvement: Among other things, Jeanne recommended in her presentation to improve how email marketing is managed and measured by justifying sends and by implementing test programs. We've been focusing on the processes of our email marketing program at Delivra for some time now. It was good to be reminded of and motivated by the importance of doing so. It was also helpful to leave with information about how analyzing data can enhance performance. 

Anthony Scott from the Eiteljorg Museum and Delivra's Director of Marketing, Megan Glover, were also in the presentation line up. Their presentation was about Combining Text and Traditional marketing Channels to boost Subscribers and Sales. It was a real use case of how Eiteljorg Museum was able to use Delivra as their email marketing consultants to help build and implement a text-to-subscribe program in addition to their email campaigns and other traditional marketing efforts. Based on this success, the museum now plans to expand the text-to-subscribe campaign and include SMS (outbound messages) as well. 

Find out more about setting up a text-to-subscribe program or SMS. 

Recently Ally posted a blog about an amazing customer service experience she received. She explained how well the situation was handled by the company and how they kept her best interest as a customer in mind. The story I'm about to share is the exact opposite of that.

I have been shopping at a well known nationwide video game retail establishment for years. I have never run into any significant problems until recently. Last year about this time, they implemented power up cards for an annual fee of 15 dollars. These cards consist of a way to earn points by trading in games, buying games, etc... These points can be used to receive discounts when you make purchases as well. I purchased one of the cards.

Towards the end of the year, after my purchase, I started to become inundated with emails on a daily basis from this retailer. At first, I figured it'd just be easy enough to delete them each day and be done with it. A couple weeks later I got tired of dealing with it so I decided to unsubscribe from their mailings. The first thing that should be noted is nowhere in their mailings does it give you the option to unsubscribe. The only option it provides is to change your preferences. Working in e-mail marketing on a daily basis, this immediately threw up a red flag. I clicked on the preferences link but found no option to completely unsubscribe from their mailings. After digging a little deeper into the preferences, I finally found an option to fully unsubscribe. When I selected this option, I received a message stating it will more than likely take up to 2 weeks to fully unsubscribe me. I'm was not happy with this response but at least the mailings would stop.

The time comes when my card expires and I'm asked if I want to renew by the store manager. I decided to go ahead and renew because I think everything is fine until I go to use the renewed card. I'm told by the in store manager my card is not being accepted by their system. They provide me with a customer service number to call and tell me it should be an easy fix and they probably just have some incorrect information in their computers.

I call the customer service line and after waiting almost 45 minutes, I get through to a representative and tell him what is going on. He proceeds to put me on hold for another 15 minutes and then comes back to tell me he realizes what happened. He tells me I chose to unsubscribe from all of their mailings which in turn apparently cancelled my card...a card which I paid for and has absolutely nothing to do with the mailings they send me. I don't agree with the situation but tell him to opt me back in so my card can be reactivated. He says that's not an option and the only way I can activate my card is to purchase a new one. WHAT?! I ask nicely to speak with a manager and he lets me know none are available at this time so I was sent to a voicemail where I left my number...no call back.

After all this has taken place, I decide to go to the retail store and talk to the manager who I've known for many years. He is shocked by what I've been told and is kind of enough to give me a card for free and also took the time to call customer service while I was in the store(they have a direct line with no wait time.) The customer service rep relays the same information to the manager and informs him that even though they have activated a new card for me, I've lost ALL my points I have earned over the years, and they had no way of getting them back. The manager assured me he will be emailing their district manager about my situation, but I have no faith anything positive will come out of it.

I am extremely grateful for the extra steps the store manager took. He went above and beyond his responsibilities to assist me in any way possible. From a corporate standpoint however, never in my life have I felt so insignificant or helpless as a customer. I will never purchase anything from this company again. Had they just handled this situation in a professional manner, I wouldn't be writing this blog and they wouldn't be losing business from a faithful customer who has been purchasing from them for years.

At Delivra we strive to provide the best customer service possible to our clients. We will always take into account the issues you are experiencing and will do our best to go above and beyond to satisfy your needs and provide you with a prompt and satisfactory resolution. And if you're looking for help with issues such as setting the right expectations, monitoring engagement/complaints for burn-out, or providing recipients with an easy and friendly method of controlling their email preferences, just let us know. We're glad to help.

With the recent passing of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I find myself in a reflective state of mind.
I started my career at Delivra in April of 2003, in a small, shared office suite.  My desk had seen better days, and was set up in the windowless room which also functioned as the break room.  I remember wondering "what the heck is that smell?" every time someone would leave my area.  I soon figured out that it was the mini-fridge.  When someone would grab a soda, they wouldn't be in there long enough to notice the musty smell, but a few seconds after they closed the door, it would waft over to my desk.  That was a simple fix. A quick wipe-down with disinfectant wipes did the trick.

My computer at the time was connected to the only printer in the office, which was set up locally but shared with others in the company.  This meant, whenever someone initiated a print job, a pop-up would interrupt whatever I was doing.  That was frustrating, but also easily fixed with the addition of an inexpensive network printer.

But the one thing I look back on in amazement was how we were handling feedback loops at that time.   Every time a complaint came in from a user clicking the SPAM button in their ISP's email client, it came directly to me.  I had to open it, and either click the unsubscribe link in the original email, or look up the recipient in our system and change their status to unsubscribed (which always reminds me of this comic strip).

That was not an easy fix.  Our platform at the time had no provision for handling those automatically.

Thankfully, our volume at that time was low enough that it wasn't a tremendous burden.  I operated this way for months before we were able to implement a process which would parse the headers and instantly handle the complaint.

But I'm glad I had that experience, because it helped me (a complete newcomer to the ESP world) understand more about the differences between a good campaign and a bad one.  I started to see patterns between those campaigns generating high complaints and those that didn't.  I saw high volume clients who spent a lot of time crafting their campaigns and making sure their permission practices were solid, and generated very few complaints.  In contrast, I found high complaints often resulting from small campaigns sent by organizations who had sent to an old list, not identified their brand very well, or any number of things I quickly realized were outside of Email Marketing Best Practices.  

I still have access to all of the feedback loop complaints (because our Abuse Desk must handle anything that does not conform to standard formats), and it's hard to believe how we've grown.  Between constantly adding new feedback loops and the constant (incredible) growth in our sending volume, there is no way we could manually handle everything that comes in.  The automatic processing has also helped us better monitor and watch for patterns, enabling us to more quickly respond (be it a client that needs additional training or someone up to no good.)

As for the office, the improvements have been just as astonishing as our growth.  I'm proud and honored to be a part of such a great company.

As email marketers, it is imperative not to forget the importance of the subject line. We spend so much time considering the best content to use and the perfect design to intrigue readers, but we forget the subject lines role to leave them wanting more. 

Here are a couple of things to remember when creating the email subject line: 

1. No Spam. It's not always a bad thing to incorporate the word "Free" or use exclamation points in a subject line, but there must be a balance. You do not want a reader to avoid clicking on the email because they think it could be spam. 

2. Give it Time. We take time to create the perfect design and best content, so we don't want to rush one of the final steps of creating a subject line. Take time to really reflect on what would excite you to open and you may find it is what your readers would like too. 

3. Subject Line Testing. You can always implement a test to compare subject lines to see if one is received better by subscribers. 

4. Personalization. In the past, you may have heard including personalization in a subject line is a MUST. However, this too can be overdone. It may end up seeming impersonal if you try to use personalization without a clean and updated database. 

What other subject line advice or tips do you have? Let me know! 

I recently received an email from Gymboree, a retail store I often purchase gifts for my niece and nephew. The first email was a purchase confirmation. Normally, this type of email would be great for me, provided I had made a purchase. In this instance, I had not and I became a little concerned my information had been compromised. In any event, I promptly sent a response to Gymboree asking if there was an issue. 

Here is the first email I received: 

Within the hour, I received this follow-up email: 

I was impressed with their email program after seeing this. Everyone makes mistakes and I believe most recipients understand this. Here are some of the things that made their response favorable in my eyes: 

Quick Response: I didn't wait hours or even overnight wondering if my credit card would be charged. 
Concise Copy: They didn't blame their ESP or an intern, but rather gave a simple explanation. 
Reassurance: They articulated the issue and reassured me that my data had not been compromised. 

Simple mistake. Simple response. A reassured customer will continue doing business with them, simply because they were quick to respond and put me at ease. Remember, much like I have said in the past, mistake emails aren't always necessary. However, when you send a mistake with customer data or purchase history included, a quick response is sure to put them at ease. Are you practicing some of these steps when you make a mistake in your email campaigns? If not, I think remembering to keep it simple is one of the best ways to ensure you don't lose subscribers through the course of a mistake. 

This is one area I know the Delivra team can help! Follow their best practices, consult them when you have a question, and learn from the years of experience and insight they can provide. 

Guest Blogger | Carissa Newton

Carissa overseas the marketing and new business development efforts at Oak Street Funding, including marketing planning, strategy, lead generation, communications, and public relations. Carissa has over 17 years experience in a variety of industries including financial services, insurance, technology, and motorsports. She has been a student of online marketing since its inception and continues to hone her skills by building and implementing successful online strategies for the companies she works with. 

A lot of people think that my job is just to sell our software.  What a lot of people don’t know until they talk to me or one of our other Business Development Managers is that our job is to make sure you get the most out of your email marketing.  That’s not just selling software, but often times it’s applying best practices and leveraging your overall marketing and branding strategy.
 

I've become a big fan of daily deal websites like Groupon, Living social, and many others. They offer such a great service to both businesses and consumers. For the business, it becomes a great way to build brand exposure and gain an influx of new business. For the consumer, it's a great way to try out new businesses at a steep discount. While their success has been explosive in certain circles, I've heard many a naysayer out there state that often the businesses lose money on these deals or they find it difficult to get return business. However, I have to disagree given my most recent experience. I received a daily deal for salon services and was thrilled at the discount. While this wasn't a business I frequented, I was willing to try it out in order to get the deal.

The day my appointment came along, I was excited to be able to redeem my reward. What came next was most unexpected, but one of the most clever methods I have seen employed by a business using a daily deal. As I was filling out my new customer information the business owner mention to me she would love to get my repeat business. She went on to tell me that she was offering the very same deal to return customers and I could purchase as many deals as I would like. She also went on to say if I signed up for her regular email program, I would receive regular offers similar to these on an ongoing basis. WOW! Clever way to retain me as a customer.

Now I am sure with this deal, she was able to realize a large influx for her business, but how clever to create her own follow-up offer and gain a subscriber and a new customer out of me. I believe many of these new methods to promote your business are ingenious and if done right, have the potential to provide a steady flow of business in circles you might not have otherwise reached. Try it out, but make sure you do some of these key things that made her offer so successful:

• Gather Information: Make sure you gather the customers information and ask them to opt-in to your email campaigns.
• Follow-up Deals: Offer follow-up deals to entice one-time customers to return.  Chances are, they return a time or two and you've won them as a long term customer.
• Referrals: While the business owner didn't do this, I believe this is another tactic you could use....offer a special discount to customers who refer business to you.

It's great to use new marketing tactics to promote your business and gain new customers, but make sure you are employing some of the more traditional methods along with them and I believe you will have not only an influx of new customers, but you will make the long-term fans of your business.  Need help?  Ask your Delivra team to help you build that strategy!  They work with these types of campaigns everyday.

Carissa Newton | Guest Blogger

About Carissa

Carissa oversees the marketing & new business development efforts at Oak Street Funding, including marketing planning, strategy, lead generation, communications, and public relations.  Carissa has over 17 years experience marketing in a variety of industries including financial services, insurance, technology, and motorsports.  She has been a student of online marketing since its inception and continues to hone her skills by building and implementing successful online strategies for the companies she works with.I've become a big fan of daily deal websites like Groupon, Living social, and many others. They offer such a great service to both businesses and consumers. For the business, it becomes a great way to build brand exposure and gain an influx of new business. For the consumer, it's a great way to try out new businesses at a steep discount. While their success has been explosive in certain circles, I've heard many a naysayer out there state that often the businesses lose money on these deals or they find it difficult to get return business. However, I have to disagree given my most recent experience. I received a daily deal for salon services and was thrilled at the discount. While this wasn't a business I frequented, I was willing to try it out in order to get the deal.

I love to cook and I love to gather new ideas.  However, being a busy mom I often don't have time to go out searching for new ideas to tempt the palates of my family.  Recently, I have started receiving a number of subscription-based emails with coupons and recipes for various items I use often.  These are great resources for me because I get an offer and often I find a unique recipe I can try.  Some of those recipes have been real winners with the family!

Imagine my disappointment when I opened a recent email looking for my newest recipe, only to learn this recipe was something so ridiculously simple, I could have made it up on my own.  I mean really, you waste a good email send to tell me how to toss a little pasta, some chicken, and some veggies and call it original?  I think not.  That is frustrating!  When I receive emails and recipes, I want something of value.  Otherwise you are wasting my time.  My action with this particular email...DELETE.  To bad too because they could have sold me whatever brand item they included in their recipe.

As I thought back on this experience, I realized something very important all marketers should remember.  Whatever you communicate, however you communicate, be sure to always make your content relevant and worthy of your audience's time.  If you promise content of a specific nature, be sure to honor the promise with every email send.  Each time you create copy, ask yourself these things:

• Is it relevant?
• Does it match what was promised to them?
• Is it concise? Easy-to-read?

Remember, your audience is giving you a precious commodity....TIME.  Make sure you make your content worthy of their time and attention.  By doing so, you will be rewarded with an engaged audience who will purchase, click, act, refer, and pass along your message.

Carissa Newton | Guest Blogger

Carissa oversees the marketing & new business development efforts at Oak Street Funding, including marketing planning, strategy, lead generation, communications, and public relations.  Carissa has over 17 years experience marketing in a variety of industries including financial services, insurance, technology, and motorsports.  She has been a student of online marketing since its inception and continues to hone her skills by building and implementing successful online strategies for the companies she works with.

Email marketing can be tricky and there are a number of best practices and helpful tips to remember.  All of these can help your email marketing efforts immensely, but you may not always be able to remember them or know where to easily find these tips when it comes time to implement them.  The Delivra blog named eMailchatr reminds you and shares great resources from the industry to help you to continue learning about email marketing best practices.

HubSpot has recently shared the MarketingSherpa Dirty Dozen: Email Newsletter Mistakes Nearly Everyone Makes - a report explaining some of these mistakes and how you can avoid making them.

To download the report, click here!

The Indianapolis Zoo, since opening in 1964, has grown into a world-class facility hosting a million visitors each year and playing a major role in worldwide conservation and research, including accomplishing the world's first successful artificial insemination of an African elephant.

My visit to the Zoo last week brought to light a common challenge facing many organizations in this era of rapid technological change.

As a long-time partner of Delivra, we serve not only as their email resource, but also as an occasional sounding board for guidance on electronic communication and technology in general.

After an obligatory behind the scenes tour to pet the penguins (last year we wallowed with the walruses), it was down to business.

Our agenda was titled, 'Exploring Technological Innovation and Efficiencies.' I was surprised to hear that no less than thirty companies had called on the zoo recently offering new technology ideas.

Their dilemma was where to start and how to prioritize.

We discussed SMS/texting, PURLS (personalized URLs), enhancing online profiles, enriching data, online ticketing and donation tools, eCards and more.

After a robust conversation I commented that Delivra is a software company working hard to stay ahead of change. How can an organization built for wildlife possibly have the resources to evaluate the plethora of technology options and furthermore, implement them?

I left thinking that maybe we should ask one of the remaining 450 Siberian tigers that is housed at a new zoo exhibit. After all, isn't their future our future?

Neil Berman | President & CEO

Transforming abandoned shopping carts into completed sales is a classic conundrum for any e-commerce company, and it's one that had been troubling Rob Schmelz, e-commerce manager for Central Restaurant Products. The company, which sells cooking and serving equipment to restaurants, hospitals, schools and other institutions, was even more frustrated about the problem because, thanks to website and email analytics, it could tell exactly which customers were leaving before completing their sales.

"If you've ordered or [signed up] on the site with an email, we know who you are via Omniture and [Central Restaurant Products' email marketing provider] Delivra," he said.

Hoping to reduce the number of abandoned carts, Schmelz, along with Delivra, implemented a triggered email program that would reach out to anyone who had filled a cart but left the site. The solution, which has been in place for three months, was custom-built for the company's shopping cart, said Carissa Newton , director of marketing for Delivra.

To read more of the B2B article, please click here.

Over time, you may have noticed a decrease in the amount of engaged subscribers you have on your emailing list. Not to worry! You can put together a re-marketing campaign in order to re-engage people with your emails. First, you want to create a re-marketing strategy to make sure that you create a successful, effective re-marketing email campaign sure to bring your customers back to you!

Usually, a re-marketing campaign is put into place in order to remind individuals of an online shopping cart they have abandoned.  Consumers abandon online shopping carts for a number of various reasons:

• High Shipping Costs
• Get Distracted
• Difficult Checkout Process

The goal is to create an email campaign to recapture the attention of the buyer in order to encourage them to complete the checkout process.

1. Evaluate. Use analytics and tracking features in order to determine the amount of abandoned carts you are dealing with and if it makes sense to create an entire email campaign to lessen it.

2. Goals. Once you have an idea of an abandonment rate, establish goals you wish to accomplish with your re-marketing campaign.

3. Details. Figure out what you intend to send and when you plan to send it. Some suggest waiting for several hours, some suggest waiting for maybe an hour, and others recommend waiting at least a day or two before sending a reminder email. As far as content goes, are you wanting to include various offers and coupons?

4. Logistics. I suggest working with an email marketing service provider to set up the logistics of sending an abandoned cart email. These emails have to be set up as a triggered mailing automatically sent based on various click through behavior.

5. Measure & Reevaluate. Using analytics to determine how well a re-marketing campaign is doing. This will help you decide if changes need to be made to the campaign or how successful the campaign is based on how your audience is responding.

Need help creating and implementing a re-marketing strategy to recapture the attention of some diverted subscribers? Contact Delivra today!  An email marketing service provider has the knowledge and resources to assist you in formulating a re-market plan and putting it into action.

Lavon Temple | Marketing

Recently, I received an email from MarketingSherpa.  Many of you may have received the same email and have seen this new chart they have presented called, Top Tactics Organizations Use to Improve Email Relevancy. Please click here to read more from MarketingSherpa and to review the information in the chart.

In today's blog post, I'm going to go into more detail about some of these ways you can make your email more relevant.

Segmented Email Campaigns Based on Behavior. Using an email marketing service provider, like Delivra, can offer you tools that can assist you in tracking your customers behaviors.  For example, by implementing clickstream tracking or purchase tracking you can see the items your customer is interested in or what links they are clicking on.  You can then send them emails based on this information which is more targeted to their needs based on the acquired information.

Allow Subscribers to Specify Email Preferences.  This is SO important. People opting in to receive your mailings should have  an opportunity to be heard and to tell you what they want.  For example, have a subscriber preference center available so your subscribers can choose to receive your mailings daily, weekly, or monthly.  Note: This preference center can also function as a tool to have subscribers update their personal information such as: name, email address, company.

Automatically Send Email Based on Triggers. Setting up an email based on triggers is a great way to get relevant content out to your subscribers efficiently without having to take  up to much of your time. Using an email marketing service provider makes it easy to set up a drip marketing campaign.

Segmented Email Campaigns Based on Sales Cycle. As mentioned above, a drip marketing campaign is a simple way to send continual emails to a subscriber at timed intervals.  For example, you can set up a prospect to receive emails on a weekly basis so you can continue to offer a little bit more insight into your company and how you can help them.

Dynamically Personalized Email Content. Sending a personalized email to a subscriber is important because it makes them feel like they are actually a valued part of your company and it makes the email more relevant to them. Again, not to beat on this point TOO much, but Delivra can assist you in personalizing your emails quickly and easily for each customer.

To learn more about Delivra and how we can help you to send more relevant emails with less time and effort spent, contact us today at info@delivra.com or by calling 866.915.9465.

Lavon Temple | Marketing

I love sharing new resources and inspiration I find in our eMailChatr blog posts.  My most recent find came as a result of reading one of my favorite author's new books.  Just this month, Tim Sanders released his newest book called Today We Are Rich.  I have enjoyed Tim's books for the inspiration he brings, the real-life tips he gives the reader to begin implementing, along with his unique stories.  And as usual, this most recent installment definitely did not disappoint!

As I was reading this book, reflecting on my own thoughts, I read some key points I believe all marketers should keep in mind when communicating to their audience.  The message was clear....Positive Thinking always ends in Positive Results.  In one chapter, Tim talks about the importance of weaving  positivity in your messaging, your communications, and the day-to-day exchanges you have with your audience.  He illustrated how positive words can change the entire outcome of a message.  Now, think for a second about your email programs, are you communicating using positive messaging?  Are you making it easy for others to take in what you have to say in the right way?  Tim's advice is to avoid "weak" words.  Be crisp, directive, and positive to get the results.  It's all in what you convey.

We've all seen it....the doomsday marketing, the act now or you will lose out mentality.  Do you think you get better results using those types of scare tactics?  Or the "soft" sell words like maybe or someday.  I'm thinking not.

The next time you craft an email message, try flipping your call-to-action and your messaging on a more positive slant. I believe you will see much more positive results overall.  Here are just a few quick examples that I have started thinking of:

• Learn more....we are here to help
• Resources you might enjoy
• Our way of thanking you
• Join today

Interested in Tim's approach?  Want to read more?  Here are some of  Tim's other books I have found helpful as well. And while the messages are typically centered around how to conduct business and how to build relationships, I find key nuggets that anyone can use in every book I have read from Tim.  The interesting thing to me is how these philosophies are being lived in companies everywhere to lead to great success.  I see much of this here at Delivra!

I hope you enjoy Tim's newest book Today We Are Rich as much as I have.  I can tell you, I have found his resources apply to my marketing, my career, and my personal relationships.  What a wealth of information in such a small package!

Happy reading!  So what are you reading today?  Share with us how it relates to marketing in our comments section and will will highlight it on our blog.

Carissa Newton | Marketing

[Editor's note: this is the second in a series of posts celebrating the history of our company on the anniversary of Delivra's founding. If you missed the first installment, you can read it here.]

Like many American companies, Fred Delivra & Co. played a role in supporting the Allied war effort during World War II, and was profoundly changed by it, suffering both losses and triumphs. 

The first loss occurred even before the U.S. formally joined the fighting. Fred Delivra's right-hand man, Alphonse Jones, suddenly resigned his post in December 1940 to fight alongside the British in North Africa. Jones had formerly been a soldier-of-fortune, and told Fred that he found the life of a deliverability manager too "passive" and "unfulfilling." Jones' adventure was short-lived, though; he disappeared during a German offensive in Libya in April 1941. 

Jones' presumed death haunted Fred Delivra, and cemented his devotion to the Allied cause. When America declared war, he was quick to volunteer his services, but found no takers in Washington, due to suspicions concerning his ambiguous national origin. However, military planners soon found themselves in need of Delivra's legendary skills in pigeon training. The generals' forward-thinking prevailed over the bureaucrats' fears about Delivra's loyalty, and President Roosevelt personally requested Fred's services, which were gladly given. 
 

Delivra's pigeons proved unerring in their accuracy and targeting instincts, earning several Dickin Medals for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty." The success of the so-called "Minneapolis Project" resolved any questions about Fred's loyalties, and led to Fred Delivra working for the newly-formed Office of Strategic Services. Not everything about his role in the OSS is known, but according to documents declassified by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, we at least know that Delivra worked to secure communications between the Allies and the resistance in France and Holland. Also, British documents show that, near the end of the war, Delivra was working on a system of validating authenticity of messages carried by pigeons. Following the fall of Berlin in May 1945, Fred Delivra's proposed Pigeon Key Identified Message (PKIM) system was no longer seen as necessary, and was never implemented, but his design has been cited as an inspiration for the email authentication technology of today. 
 

Fred Delivra also played an important role in the organization of the Yalta Conference in February 1945 to discuss the reconstruction of postwar Europe. Delivra was responsible for supervising messengers, telegrams, and translation, as well as snacks and afternoon tea. This latter role proved most valuable, as Fred's daring introduction of American-style orange soda was well received by Josef Stalin, and led to a softening of the Soviet leader's stance against the inclusion of France in the eventual occupation of Berlin. 
 

Meanwhile, back on the homefront in Indianapolis, Delivra's facilities had been quickly converted to wartime production shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when the nation's electronic mail needs shifted abruptly from commercial to military communication. A contract with the Office of War Information--the company's largest order to date--called for Delivra to establish a Design Services team to create propaganda posters to rally popular support for the war and to encourage conservation, productivity and vigilance. But with the men and pigeons of Delivra serving the cause of freedom overseas, it fell to a workforce of mostly women to keep Delivra's messaging factories in production, breaking a 40-year tradition of chauvinism, because of what Fred Delivra termed "patriotic obligation." Teletype operators worked tirelessly to relay messages between GIs and their loved ones back home, and to publish to the American forces the latest news from the States.

The acceptance of female employees in the work force, the diversification of services to include design, and the exposure of an entire generation of Americans to electronic messaging would lead, in the decade that followed the war, to unprecedented growth and prosperity for Delivra & Co., and for its founder, who returned to Indiana after turning down the ambassadorship to the newly-formed nation of Syria. However, Delivra has never ceased remembering the sacrifice of its employees who gave their lives in World War II: 
 

Army 
Buck Taylor
Christopher Bligh
Christoper Smith
Christopher Thompson
Giuseppe Amato
Patrick Donnelly
Salvador "Sonny" Juarez

Navy
Arthur Stone
Lawrence Douglass

Pigeon Corps
Aphrodite
Millie
Little Freddie IV
Zeke

 

With the rise of social media, people assumed email marketing was dead. I'm assuming that with the number of mobile phone owners increasing, people will again think...email is dying. I can't agree.

In fact, just like there is great potential in email and social media integrating, I think the same is true for mobile and email.

Recently, a HubSpot blog post highlighted effective email list growth tactics based on information from MarketingSherpa. It was encouraging to see that mobile capture was proving to be a valuable tool for B2B companies. I have no doubt that B2C will also soon find the effectiveness of using mobile capture for email lists. There are so many opportunities to engage with your customers via the mobile marketing channel, such as text to subscribe, SMS, and email.

According to one article by Christmas of 2011, 1 in 2 Americans will own a smart phone. With so many people in possession of a mobile device, it's pertinent marketers start to infiltrate this marketing channel. If you haven't started engaging with mobile marketing yet, here are a few quick tips to get you going:

1. Plan. As with most new marketing strategies, it's important to prepare a plan. You have to determine which areas of mobile marketing are the best to implement based on who your audience is and how active they are on mobile devices.

2. Goals. Once you've determined that your audience is, in fact, going to benefit from your company engaging with them via this marketing channel, it's important to figure out what your company's goals are with using mobile strategies.

3. Budget. Next, figure out what available funds you have to incorporate this new tool. Once you have an idea of what you can spend, you can start the implementation process of some of these tactics.

Of course, these are just the very beginning steps to get started implementing mobile marketing. If you are currently working with an ESP to send your email marketing campaigns, you may want to check with them to see if they also provide mobile marketing services as well.  Delivra plans to soon launch the text to subscribe functionality for it's clients, allowing people to text a keyword to a short code number in order to subscribe to your email list.

I think we all agree that mobile marketing is on the rise. Have you seen a mobile marketing campaign that you thought was exceptional? Please share in the comments; I'd love to hear about it!

Lavon Temple | Marketing