Email Marketing Blog

I run the “Email Marketing Tips” Forum within the GetResponse member area. Since some of you may not visit there, I wanted to post about one of the frustrations a member was having. It’s one I hear time and again.

You have just wracked your brain and come up with the PERFECT campaign name for your autoresponder series.

Except it’s taken.

Before you decide that this is an omen that you should shut down your online business and get a job at the local fast food restaurant, let me share a few ideas to help you select a great campaign name. (These ideas will also work if your domain name is gone as well.)

1. Add “the”, “a”, “an” to the beginning. I found a great niche and a great domain a few years ago. The domain was already taken. I simply added “the” to the domain I had originally chosen. (That site is ranked #1 in Google out of 35,800,000 sites for that keyword…so I don’t think adding “the” on the front had any effect!)
2. Add “Tips”, “Guide”, “News”, “Ideas”, “Resource” or “Hints” to your campaign name. If you were sending a campaign on Rose Gardening, you could use:
   • RoseGardeningTips
   • RoseGardeningNews
   • RoseGardeningIdeas
   • RoseGardeningHints
   • RoseGardeningReport
   • RoseGardeningAdvice
   • YourRoseGardeningResource
   • RoseGardeningBlueprint
   • RoseGardeningProjects
   • RoseGardeningPlans
   • RoseGardeningChronicle

   These add-ons will work with almost any subject matter.

3. Brainstorm derivatives of your main keywords: Rose Gardening. Use separately or in combination with the list above. For example:
   • RoseGardeners
   • TipsForRoseGardeners
   • RoseLandscapingTips
   • RoseGardenDesign
   • RoseGardenBlueprint
   • GardeningWithRoses
   • TheRoseGardeningNews
4. Add “Best” at the beginning of your preferred campaign name. There were two domains I really wanted for directory sites, but the names I wanted were gone. I simply added “Best” to the front. (Then challenged myself to MAKE them the best!)
   • BestRoseGardenTips
   • BestRoseGardenDesigns
   • BestRoseGardenIdeas
5. Include hyphens or underscores in your name. To limit confusion, I wouldn’t do this if the campaign sand hyphens was well known.
   • Rose-Gardening
   • Gardening_With_Roses
6. Be prepared so you don’t get frustrated! Before selecting your campaign (or domain name), print this article or prepare your own brainstorming sheet. In that way, all these suggestions will be in front of you in case your first choice is gone. You’ll never be affected by writers block again!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
Get Response

I was chatting with a friend the other day and he announced that he was finally going to start mailing to the list he had built up over the past few years (but had never mailed).

This is not a good idea. If someone signed up for your list 3 years ago, the possibility of them remembering who the heck you are and why they subscribed to your list in the first place probably ranges somewhere between slim and none.

The first thing they’ll think when reading your message is, “Where’s the SPAM button?”

First of all, in 3 years’ time, a good percentage of these people have moved from homes or jobs and their email address has moved with them. So, your emails are going to bounce. And bounce. And bounce again.

The ISP’s take notice when they see too many bounces. In fact, I’ve heard that some ISPs actually keep those old email addresses around and use them to trap spammers. After all, if Jane Doe wanted to continue to receive email (family, friends, etc.), she would have told people by now.

The fact that you’re still emailing Jane tells the ISP’s that you are either buying those CD’s with 5 trillion email addresses for $4.95 (remember those??) OR you’re too lazy to keep your list clean.

Unfortunately, when in doubt….blacklist.

It takes no time (and sometimes no reason) to have your email blacklisted. Sorry to say, most small merchants don’t even know that it’s happened. And if it does happen, they don’t have a clue what to do to reverse it.  It’s much better to keep it from happening in the first place.

Be proactive. If you have lists which are that old, take a deep breath and start over again. Or (if you are determined to make contact) at least include as much information as possible so your readers remember you. Things like: from, to, name of the report or publication they originally signed up to receive, the website they enrolled from, the IP address they used, etc. In this way, they may unsubscribe but, hopefully, they will know that you didn’t make it up!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

Awhile back, I wrote an article entitled “How to Increase Email Open Rates”. The second item it touched upon was related to subject lines and how a good subject line impacts your open rates.

While surfing the Net the other day, I came across a list a company had composed of the best and worst open rates, based solely on the subject line. While the highest rates were in the 60-87% range, the worst were an embarrassing 1-14%.

Their study proved me out. The highest open rates were for subject lines that didn’t leave much to the imagination. They oozed, “You’re about to get some good information” rather than “Have I got a deal for you!”.

Almost 100% of the high open rates included the company name in the subject line. Although not tested, I would think your name would work also IF you have branded yourself and your name would be recognizable to the majority of your readers. This may also pertain to the website or product name as part of the subject line.

A key ingredient to getting your email opened - and NOT having your reader unsubscribe - is to be honest with them. Do not use a subject line meant to get the click in a less-than-honest fashion. If you’re sending a newsletter, say so. Include the name of your ezine and the publication date or main subject.  If it’s a report series, include the name of the report and “Part 8″. If it’s promotional, you can say, “Before You Buy: My XYZ Review.” (Of course, make sure it IS your review and not a cut-and-paste job from the merchant!)

What are some of the best - and worst - subject lines you’ve seen? Share them here!

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
Get Response

I recently read an article at Email Marketing Journal which provided some guidelines for selecting one, two or three columns for those companies using html emails to deliver their messages.

The three-column design was given thumbs down. The format is crowded and what works on a web page can become confusing when you don’t have all that real estate at your disposal.

My personal preference is based on the type of email sent. A one-subject email or ecourse works well with a one-column design. I think newsletters come across better with a two-column design: the columns don’t need to be even. This provides a more “newsy” look and allows for advertising without resorting to text wrap.

What’s your preference? If you have a great format you’d like to share, email us or post below.

Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse

ValueClick, Inc., an online advertiser, has agreed to settle FTC charges alleging deceptive claims and emails, as well as failure to secure consumers’ sensitive financial information.

ValueClick (through a subsidiary) used deceptive emails, pop-ups and banner ads to drive traffic to its site. Visitors were told they were eligible for big-ticket “free” gifts, such as laptops and iPods.

What they weren’t told is they had to go through a maze of forms and more forms and third-party offers galore, which they HAD to “participate in” in order ot get the supposedly free merchandise.

This was obviously in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act and the FTC Act. In addition to the financial settlement, ValueClick and Hi-Speed Media must clearly and conspicuously disclose that consumers have to spend money or incur obligations to quality for “free” merchandise.

Visit the FTC site to learn more about this settlement.