Be Relevant! Email Marketing Blog

Email Marketing Service Providers: Buyer's Guide

MarketingProfs announced the availability of their first Vendor Selector today. It allows you to find and compare Email Marketing Service Providers in seconds (36 blue-chip vendors have been invited to participate in this interactive buyer's guide!).

The front page of the Vendor Selector is available to all MarketingProfs members. In addition, annual Premium and Premium Plus members can take advantage of three interactive features:

• Shopper's Handbook: View a 50-page downloadable PDF report prepared by two subject-matter experts about how to choose an email service provider.


• Filters: Select up to 10 filters and view a vendor list tailored to your requirements.


• Product Listings: Select any number of vendors and press the "Compare" button. You'll see the vendors' answers to 150 questions; you can download or print to view them in a side-by-side Excel comparison table.

This email guide is a dynamic thing--built as a technology tool rather than a static report. You aren't getting a two-inch binder of reading material but a flexible, adaptable tool that is constantly being improved and upgraded to suit the changing needs of the MarketingProfs audience.

The email vendors represented are truly the best of the bunch. Vendors participated for free and dedicated some serious time and attention to answering questions about their email applications.

To get access to all the features in this Vendor Selector you will need to sign up for a Premium Membership. I can definitely recommend becoming a Premium Plus member, I've been one for almost 6 months now and the information you have access to is absolutely amazing!

Access the Email Marketing Service Providers Vendor List here.

Direct Marketing by Email: EU Data Protection Obligations

Law firm McCann Fitzgerald features an article in their current "Legal Update" publication. In the article, Direct Marketing by Email: Data Protection Obligations, the firm says "those engaging in direct marketing by email should be aware of the increasing number of data protection obligations to which they are subject when doing so. Indeed, where the marketing crosses a frontier, the obligations may derive from Irish law and from foreign law. The costs of an oversight regarding the relevant Irish law can be significant: a criminal prosecution and a fine of 3,000 EUR per email, apart from the likely adverse publicity."

Source: the business of email

Effective E-mail Marketing: Tactics to Improve Campaign Performance

Mark your calendar for yet another interesting web seminar on July 13, 2005. This time it's hosted by Jupiter Webinars and it's called "Effective E-mail Marketing: Tactics to Improve Campaign Performance".

Marketers using testing and other sophisticated tactics such as segmentation, personalization and message frequency techniques are almost twice as likely to attain conversion rates of more than three percent, compared with marketers that do not. But a recent JupiterResearch study shows that most e-mail marketers fail to use these tactics and testing strategies on a regular basis. In this Webinar, Research Director David Daniels examines the direct correlations that exists between performance and campaign targeting and timing.

Attend this Webinar and learn:

• The impact e-mail testing has on marketing results


• The extent that segmentation increases response rates


• The effect frequency has on open and response rates


• How marketers can increase their campaigns' effectiveness

Register here.

How to Get the Most Out of Third Party Email List Rental

If you're using (or thinking of using) email list rental to find new customers, you should download Return Path's latest white paper called "How to get the most out of third party email list rental". This whitepaper equips you with the basics of choosing the right email list rental vendor, including a vendor checklist with guidelines to make your efforts in list rental successful.

Download the white paper.

Email Privacy Is Top Concern For 96% Of Internet Users

How important is email privacy to your business? A new email privacy survey conducted by Relemail reveals it may be far more important than you expected. The survey presents some startling statistics about how email subscribers view privacy.

In this survey, Relemail takes a closer look at these statistics and reveals what it means for you and your organization.

Here's a short summary:

• 96 percent of email subscribers view email privacy as important to them: 19 out of every 20 visitors do care about your policy on email privacy


• 83 percent of internet users have avoided subscribing to email newsletters because they weren't sure the organization would protect their email address: when people see evidence of reinforced email privacy practices, they are far more likely to subscribe


• 72 percent of internet users would be more likely to subscribe if the newsletter's email privacy practices were certified


• 87 percent of email subscribers have received spam that they believe resulted from a company selling their email address out the back door


• When a company self-claims to respect end user email privacy and not sell their email addresses, a whopping 78 percent of internet users don't believe the claim


• 91 percent of end users are more likely to give their business to an organization that follows ethical email practices and respects their privacy

In all, what we're seeing with the Relemail survey is that the importance of email privacy is higher than it has ever been in the online community. We're seeing that internet users are skeptical of the privacy claims of companies, and that they will avoid subscribing to email newsletters if they don't trust that company, or if they have some reason to suspect that their email privacy won't be observed. We also see that people are far more likely to subscribe when privacy practices have been independently certified, and once they do subscribe they are far more likely to give that organization more business, because they trust that organization and they're happy to do business with an organization that acts ethically.

Read the full article here: "Email privacy now a top concern for 19 out of 20 internet users".

The author of this article, Mike Adams, is the founder of Relemail. He created it out of frustration in seeing the email community fail to come up with realistic anti-spam solutions even after years of negotiation and bickering among the top ISPs.

Issues To Consider When Planning An E-Newsletter

If you're considering an electronic newsletter, you might want to have a look at the eNewsletter Checklist by eNewsWriters, Inc. It summarizes the points that you need to consider when implementing an e-newsletter.

The FAQ section is also worth reading.

Source: eNewsWriters, Inc.

E-mail Marketing On Wikipedia

Check out the definition of email marketing at Wikipedia. It offers a pretty comprehensive list of terms like "False positives", "Soft bounce", "Express consent", ...

Wikipedia is a Web-based, free-content encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Invite Your Readers To Become An Insider

Here's an interesting tip from Prescott "Pete" Lustig, Senior Marketing Strategist at Loop Consulting Group:

An approach for attracting readers to your enewsletters --and getting people to read through them -- is an invitation to become an insider. Insiders get the useful information first. They get the facts that others don't yet have. They become, in effect, members of a private club.

In actuality, all readers of the newsletters become insiders just by opening them. But the strategy is to establish an identity for the letters as a source for exclusive information.

This works particularly well for financially-oriented newsletters. But it can also work for sports, entertainment (celebrity scoop), health, politics and more.

So, don't just lay the info out there. Enhance its value with an aura of exclusivity.

Source: Loop's eNewsletter Marketing Spot

The Importance of Preview Pane and Above the Fold Areas

CheetahMail offers a number of excellent whitepapers on their website. One of these is called "Creative Best Practices". Here are a few tips they offer:

Preview Pane Area
Outlook's preview pane window is a commonly overlooked element in email designs. The designer only has at the most, 300 pixels of height to present the email's main content and navigation to an Outlook user. In this case, since the user doesn't have to open the email to preview its content, this section should communicate the main message of the email quickly and efficiently.

Boosting Email Deliverability

In an article called "Boosting Email Deliverability" Wendy Roth form Lyris Technologies explains how to ensure your email isn't mistaken for spam. ISPs don't only block emails based on the content in your subject line and body, but they may be blocking your mail before they even see the subject line. Why? Because they can't be sure that you are who you say you are.

Helping ISPs verify your identity, therefore, is a crucial part of ensuring that your email messages make it to the recipient's inbox. By using a static IP address, having both forward and reverse DNS set up for your domain name, and adding SPF information to your record, you're letting the ISPs know that you're one of the "good guys," which makes it far less likely that your email will be mistaken for spam.

Read the full article here.

Source: iMediaConnection

Email is Dead ... Long Live Email!

It seems everyone is doing an email marketing web seminar these days. Here's another one:

On May 25th join Don Peppers, Founding Partner, Peppers & Rogers Group and Eric Kirby, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Email Solutions, DoubleClick for a global webinar, "Email is Dead ... Long Live Email!".

This one-hour event will address the keys to maximizing contribution from email marketing initiatives:

• Which best practices are critical to a successful email marketing strategy?


• How can marketers find opportunity in a regulated email environment?


• What role should email play in building stronger relationships with customers?


• What is Return on Customer and how does it go beyond response rates to accurately quantify the success of email marketing initiatives?

Sign up here.

UK Email Marketing Buyer's Guide 2005

E-consultancy created a 119-page Email Marketing Buyer's Guide which, they claim, is perfect for B2B and B2C companies that send out (or that want to send out) regular emails. It includes 14 vendor profiles from suppliers that E-consultancy believes are among the best in the UK.

The report features a SWOT analysis for the sector, market research and growth forecasts, trends and issues and tips on best practice email marketing. A vendor matrix is also included, so you can quickly identify companies that offer the services you need.

The email services checklist uses the following criteria: Full Service, ASP, Off-the-shelf software solution, Strategy and Campaign Planning, Design and Copy, List Provision, Data Management, Data cleansing, Dedupe and Validation, Broadcast, Data Capture Services, Tracking, Reporting, Data Analysis, Event-triggered messaging, Sequence Messaging, Dynamic Content Solutions, Personalisation, Flash, Video and Audio.

It costs 79 GBP or is free to subscribers. A 16-page sample is available for non-subscribers. 

Read more here: Email Marketing Buyer's Guide 2005

FTC Seeks Comment on CAN-SPAM Changes

The Federal Trade Commission is seeking comment on proposed changes to the rules enacted under the CAN-SPAM anti-spam legislation, including one that would require emailers to comply more quickly with opt-out requests.

Rule changes proposed by the FTC could affect how the CAN-SPAM Act is enforced.

Read what their proposals include here.

The FTC will accept comments until June 27. Comments may be filed online at https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-canspam/.

Can Spam Legislative Update for 2005

All marketing or commercial communication via email must comply with the CAN SPAM Act of 2004. 

Last December, however, congress enacted changes to the CAN SPAM Act of 2004. Find out about the new provisions of the Act: download the 2005 CAN SPAM report, containing a summary of the original provisions of the Act as well as the new (as of Dec 2004) additions.

Source: Dev Mechanic's Online Business Help

Upcoming Email Marketing Web Seminars

I would like to draw your attention to a couple of upcoming web seminars that are taking place in the next few weeks:

Advanced Email and Database Marketing - May 17, 2005
Live Web Seminar featuring Dylan Boyd, Vice President of Strategy for eROI, Inc.
Learn about ways to better target your online and offline lists with campaigns that will bring them back and drive the conversion rates you desire.  More information
All registrants will receive a free copy of the Corvent Web Seminar Metrics Guide.

Ten Ways to Grow Your Email List in the Spam Age - June 7, 2005
Live Web Seminar featuring Stephanie Miller, Vice President of Strategic Services for Return Path
Learn about 10 proven methods to grow your email list using both paid and organic practices. This session will address both B2C and B2B marketing challenges. More information

The Evolution of Email - June 8, 2005
Live Web Seminar featuring Jordan Ayan, CEO for SubscriberMail and Stephanie A. Miller, Vice President, Strategic Services for Return Path
Learn proven best practices for getting your email to the inbox, getting opened and getting a response. More information
All Webinar attendees will receive a FREE copy of the book "Sign Me Up! A marketer's guide to creating email newsletters that build relationships and boost sales", written by Return Path executives.

Get More from Email: Boost Registration with Smart EM Strategies - March 4, 2005
Archived Web Seminar
You'll learn about the most common mistakes made when utilizing e-mail, the five elements that should be included in every e-mail marketing push and response metrics for BtoB e-mail marketing. More information

A special thanks to Mark Brownlow who pointed me to these web seminars in his email marketing blog "No Man Is An Iland".

How Many Articles Does a Newsletter Need?

In article on the ChiefMarketer website, Peter Krass answers the question "How Many Articles Does a Newsletter Need?".

He states that the right number of articles for a newsletter is however many it takes to do the job. And the job is reaching your target audience, getting your message across, and persuading your readers to take whatever action it is that you want them to take. That might mean just one article. Or it might mean 30.

Unfortunately, there is no secret formula for determining the right number of articles. Instead, you'll need consider this short list of common variables. Each has implications for the best number of articles:

• Do you want to convey breadth and range? Or deep, intense focus?


• Who are your readers? Do they already know your company or not?


• Do you mainly want to drive traffic to your website? Or do you just want to keep in touch with your readers?


• What are your resources?

So, if you find yourself wondering how many articles your newsletter should include, first consider who you are, who your readers are, what actions you want to inspire, and your resources.

Read the full article for more details.

Minimizing Spam Complaints

This week Clickz is featuring an article called "How Spam Complaints Affect Delivery". In this article Kirill Popov and Loren McDonald explain that minimizing spam complaints always starts with practices used to collect e-mail addresses.

Mailing lists with the lowest complaint rates are either confirmed opt-in or properly managed single opt-in. If you have a solid permission-based list but still find incoming complaints are higher than the optimal rate or are rising, Kirill and Loren suggest to consider the following:

• Brand your subject lines.
• Consider including unsubscribe instructions at the top of your e-mail, in addition to the footer.
• Include instructions for users to whitelist your domain.
• Provide a preference update page.
• Avoid spammy looking content.
• Don't over e-mail.
• Don't send unexpected e-mail.
• Include opt-in information.

In most cases, above-average complaint rates suggest poor e-mail practices that over time lead to decreasing open and click-through rates. In the short term, too many spam complaints simply get your e-mail filtered or blocked.

Read the full article here.

Email Marketing Best Practices Articles

EmailLabs offers a handy guide that contains a collection of articles and quick tips from issues of their Intevation Report newsletter as well as articles from the ClickZ E-Mail Delivery column co-authored by Loren McDonald and Kirill Popov:

• Conducting Your Email Marketing Year-End Review
• Don't Be Fooled: 3 Common Email Marketing Misconceptions
• 28 Ways to Build Permission-Based Email Lists
• What is the Best Time to Send an Email Promotion or Newsletter?
• Kick Your Email Marketing Program up a Notch!
• Optimizing Your Subject Lines for Email Client Programs
• Email Metrics: Lies, Damn Lies
• ISP Anti-Spam Measures: What They Mean to Marketers
• Using Link Click-Through Tracking to Segment Your List
• 16 Factors to Getting Better Email Open Rates
• Why Email Click-Through Rates Are So Important
• 14 Quick Tips on How to Reduce Email Bounces
• Dealing with Domains
• Complying with CAN-SPAM in an Era of Customer Control
• Email Corrections and Why They Make Cents
• Tips to Double Your Ecommerce and Promotions Email Revenue

Download the Best Practices Guide here.

Tips for Email Tests

ChiefMarketer offers a few suggestions to making your email tests more effective. Here's a short summary:

• The first thing to do is decide what to test.
• Measure the click-through rates on each variation (eg. different subject lines).
• Design two identical landing pages to measure results.
• Make sure your results are statistically significant.
• The timing of a rollout can skew the results.

Source: ChiefMarketer.com | Read the full article

eMarketing Talk Show Provides Internet Marketing Expertise in Stereo 24/7

eMarketing Talk Show has launched an Internet marketing radio talk show hosted by industry experts. They cover topics from search engine optimization to e-mail marketing and achieving high conversion rates. The guests explain in detail various concepts that have become necessary for anyone wanting to grow their online business.

Each of the show's three segments are approximately 15 minutes long and categorized by topic to make it easy for anyone, from Internet novices to seasoned business professionals, to "tune in", and learn the latest techniques for harnessing the power of the Internet. Both live and archived shows are accessible 24/7 at http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=198. Callers with comments and questions are welcomed every Friday from 4-5pm PST.