Email Marketing Tips Blog

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As the launch of the new GetResponse approaches, we’d like to give you some important information concerning the process of moving your current account to the new system. Here’s what you need to know:

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A new and easy process lets GetResponse account holders capture subscribers directly from their Facebook fan pages!

It only takes about 2 minutes to implement and you only need 2 things:

1.       A Facebook fan page.

2.       Your GetResponse Sign Up form in HTML format

          (from your GetResponse Capture Subscriber option).

Ready? First grab this great app here and add it to your fan page. Now go back to your fan page and click the ‘Edit Page’ option. Here you will find FMBL under the Apps section; click on the Edit pencil icon. Now you can edit the ‘Box Title’ to whatever you want.

Next you paste your GetResponse HTML code into the FBML box. If you are a whiz with HTML, feel free to change the code to match your brand,  add images, etc., anything to grab attention!

Click to save your changes and make sure to give your form a priority position in your tabs, so you attract lots of great subscribers to your list!

If you need any help with this option, feel free to post your questions on our fan page or at www.twitter.com/getresponse.

Every day brings us closer to the launch of GetResponse 6.0, the biggest and the best release ever! The new version gives you a totally new interface, powerful features, multimedia, and much more.

Of course, we understand that change can be stressful, that’s why before the Big Day comes, we’d like to let you know more about what’s coming with the new and improved GetResponse. To review some of the new features, enhancements and new GetResponse for iPhone preview please watch our videos:

Attention Tweeple. We have decided to reward those “serious email marketers” who are first in line to take control of the power and possibilities of GetResponse 6.0. We will be soon launching an exclusive competition for @GetResponse followers to celebrate the launch of GetResponse V6.0.

Make sure to stay tuned! There’s lots more excitement to come!

Email Marketing – GetResponse

One of the things that really irritates – and interrupts – my web surfing is to land on an interesting site and immediately have a pop-up or slide-in block my view.

My issue is not with the fact that the owner is building a list. It’s that they are asking for a commitment before I know anything about them. If you push me to make a decision too quickly, I’ll just say no.

MarketingSherpa actually tested opt-in times and found that a 60–second delay caused the highest opt-in rate. They chose this time because their analytics revealed that the average visitor stayed about one minute on a site page. (Note: Based on your own analytics, you may wish to tweak this further.)

I’m not at all surprised that they found that conversions rose. In 60 seconds, your visitor has had a change to step into your site, find a cozy place to sit, and start reading or interacting. That 60 seconds gives them a much better idea of whether they’d like to “set a spell” and come back to visit, or be on their way.

I can tell you that 99% of the time, if a slide-in or pop-up immediately crosses my computer screen, I’ll usually close it without even reading the offer, because it so aggravates me.

And this testing bore that out. The 60–second delay at Ask-Leo.com delivered an average 1000% increase in daily opt-ins vs. the other time delays tested.

What could your bottom line look like with a 1000% opt-in increase? Time to test, wouldn’t you say?

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

Stop what you are doing right now and look at your website or blog.

I’m assuming you have an opt-in form. But, if you are like the majority of sites I see, your visitors may not see the value in subscribing.

You see, too many say, “Sign up here for my newsletter” or “Get my free report here”.

Now, that may have worked in the 90’s, but it won’t work today. Most of us are inundated with email these days. The last thing we’ll do is sign up for something before you asked us to do so! These days, it’s all about value.

If your subscription efforts need a makeover, here are a few tips:

• “Sell” Your Subscription. Create a headline that captures the attention of your visitor.
• Build Value. Tell them what they’ll receive by signing up. (You are providing something of value, right?) Let them know the retail value of what you are offering.
• Don’t be Shy. Having an opt-in box in the corner of your page is not enough these days. You should also include an opt-in at the end of each article you write or resource you print. Catch them while they are hot and appreciative of the information you are sharing with them.
• Tease Your Visitors. If you have a blog, once a week write a teaser about what was sent to your subscribers. I offer a teleconference from one of my sites, but it is only available to subscribers. And then remind them it is simple and free to join, followed by your opt-in box.
• Use Testimonials. You wouldn’t think about writing a sales letter without testimonials…why not use them for your opt-in “sale”? Hold a contest and ask readers to submit a story on how they utilized one of your newsletter tips. Be sure to let them know that their comments may be published. Offer a link to their site as an additional benefit.
• Make Them Feel Safe. Be sure to clearly state your email policy. (This should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how many marketers never mention this.)

If you have some techniques you are using to increase response, please share them with our readers!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

It’s been proven that the more information you require in your opt-in form, the fewer people will complete it. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when designing your form:

• Determine what you must know. Aside from an email address, is there any additional information that is crucial?
• What fields will enhance the user experience? While it is not a requirement to include names, it does contribute to a friendlier email.
• Can you offer a bonus or special offer for providing more information? For instance, you may wish to offer an optional, physical CD of a report if the mailing address is completed. You’ve created a win-win situation.
• Is it possible to ask for more information once your relationship with the reader has been established? This can be accomplished through surveys, polls, and soliciting direct comments.
• Are all fields mandatory? There may be some cases where you can ask for optional information. One field that comes to mind is phone numbers. If people feel forced to provide a phone number, it probably won’t be a correct one. By making this field optional, you’ll dramatically increase the percentage of good phone numbers.
• What segmented lists can you promote? You can separate your list by product purchase or customers vs. prospects. Perhaps you’d like to segment by experience level or geographic location. Provide additional content for these groups and you will find many of your readers signed up for multiple lists.

Do you have any proven opt-in form tips? Please share them below!

Debbi Bressler
GetResponse

If your business relies on foot traffic, you may think that topics such as email marketing and list building don’t pertain to you.

You couldn’t be more wrong.

In this competitive environment, it is more critical than ever to keep in contact with your customers and potential customers. Email marketing is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to keep your company top-of-mind, so that when your customer is ready to buy, they’ll think of you first.

Here are a few steps you can take today to keep in touch …

1. Set up an email marketing account with GetResponse. You can have your first email ready to go quickly and easily, by simply following the step-by-step videos within the GetResponse customer center.
2. Determine your offer. Here are a few suggestions:

   Discount Coupon
   Buy One – Get One Free
   Free Offer – (i.e. a dentist offers a free exam)
   Kids Eat Free
   Valuable Report (5 Tips to Selling Your Home at Top Dollar)
   Free Consultation. This works well for those in service industries, such as financial planners.

   Whatever you decide, be certain that the offer has value to your customer and include an expiration date to create a sense or urgency.

3. Once you’ve determined your offer, you can set up your email campaign. You should also create your opt-in form for those visiting your web site.
4. Promote your offer.

   Cash Register Receipts. If you use a cash register in your business, contact the company that provided it. They can tell you how to add a message to your cash register receipts, promoting your offer page to everyone who purchases from you.

   Train Personnel. “Selling” email subscribers is not much different from selling your products, so train all personnel to do this. As a minimum, they’ll want to circle the information on a customer’s sales receipt and call attention to it when checking them out.

   Point of Sale Signage. Add a sign to your counter promoting your email coupon or highlighting this month’s coupon special. People hate to miss out and this will encourage them to sign up…or remind them to check their email.

   Sign Them Up on the Spot. Just recently, I signed up for a Macy’s credit card because I could save 15% on a few-hundred-dollar purchase. Why not offer the same to customers who are not yet signed up to your list? You might have a computer available for them to immediately go online, sign up, and confirm while they are in the store.

   Offer Incentives for Referrals. Recently, I mentioned a referral program used by Restaurant.com. But you can take that a step further and offer your readers an incentive for forwarding your offer to others. In the case of Restaurants.com, they could have further incentivized their readers by giving THEM a free gift certificate (or another premium) for every five friends who joined the list.

   Include Your Landing Page URL on all marketing material. It’s easy to forget, but be sure to include your web site on business cards, yellow page listings, Chamber of Commerce directories, space ads, direct mail – anything that promotes your company.

   Joint Venture with Another Business. Years ago, I worked with a client who owned a flower show. We created a relationship with a restaurant in the same center and each business owner promoted the other, thus expanding the “lists” of both. Think of companies in a similar, but not competitive niche to yours. (As an example, a financial planner might offer a coupon for a free consultation with an attorney for clients who haven’t prepared a Will. Or, a used car lot might promote someone’s “Free Oil Change” promotion, while they promote $250 off your car purchase.

The above is quick and easy to do. You can add, subtract, or tweak in the future. But, by implanting the above, you can begin building your email marketing list in days!

If you are a bricks and mortar business and have ideas you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you! Please comments below.

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

Continuing with our series of articles about building your list, here’s some great information recently shared by MarketingSherpa about making small tweaks to your registration form.

Before starting, be certain you’ve set a control that you can test against and are using tracking software, like HyperTracker, so you can easily compare conversion statistics. Here are some areas to test:

1. Type of offer. Test discounts,– vs. buy-one-get-one offers,– vs. free reports or ebooks– vs. exclusive offers.
2. Images. Most studies show that conversion is higher with images, as it lends physicality to your digital offering. But your business model could be different. Test images of coupons, freebies (like free appetizers at a restaurant), or sample reports / newsletters. You can even test your offer without an image to see if it improves or diminishes conversion.
3. Shorter is better. Test any degradation in conversion as you add required fields past the commonly used name and email address field.
4. Sell it. In a previous post, I mentioned “selling” your opt-in. MarketingSherpa’s report suggests testing your description as well. They suggest you concentrate on headlines that convey:
• Frequency – Monthly, weekly, daily
• Exclusivity – Special sales, discounts or content for subscribers only
• Excitement – Announce products to list before the general public, limited-time offers
5. Button. While the majority of marketers use “Submit” on their buttons, test other verbage to see if conversion improves. Some examples: Join, Sign Me UP, Subscribe, Count Me In, Send Me My Discount!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

Wouldn’t it be great if your customers couldn’t wait to tear into your latest email message? When you add value in the forms of time-sensitive offers, discounts, specials and giveaways, you can “train” your subscribers to open your emails first.

This can work in any type of business. Information product marketers can offer free chapters, videos or teleseminars for download or registration by a certain date.

Restaurants can advertise their special of the day.

Retail clothing stores can offer in-house discount coupons available during a short window or offer an extra 15% on select merchandise.

The beauty of email marketing, as opposed to direct marketing, is that you can laser-point your offer to pump up your sales on slow days or reduce prices on merchandise that needs to be cleared fast.

But don’t limit yourself to coupons and downloads. Make your email interactive by allowing your readers to forward a discount coupon to their friends.

Restaurant.com held a promotion leading up to the holidays, wherein their subscribers could offer free gift certificates to three people every day. A friend was emailed the gift certificate information but, of course, needed to opt in and provide their information in order to receive the coupon. This is an excellent example of providing value while at the same time building a subscriber list.

Interactivity can also be introduced through surveys and the ability to occasionally ask questions or make suggestions. Many teleseminars use this format by answering questions submitted by subscribers during the call.

Customers can respond like Pavlov’s dogs by always providing value and including limited (time or quantity) offers.

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

Stephan Polland at Click Z recently talked about the correlation between email deliverability and being added to your readers’ address books.

Here are a few things you can do to increase address book listing:

1. Put a whitelist request on your subscription and thank you pages. Even better, take screen shots or a video of the process in the most popular email clients, so everyone can follow along.
2. Add whitelisting instructions to your confirmation email page and prominently mention it in your first email which welcomes readers.
3. Your first two or three emails should have a whitelist reminder with a link to the web page with instructions and screen shots.
4. You might even talk about whitelisting in an article, especially if your messages are directed at other marketers. By educating them on the importance of their readers whitelisting them, it points out the need for them to whitelist you!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse