Developing Email Campaigns that Educate and Convert

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Developing Email Campaigns that Educate and Convert

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Today’s Presenters

Janelle JohnsonDirector, Demand Gen, Act-On Software

Ryan GoodinOwner, Diligent Brands


Old Habits Die Hard

• Subscriber lists• Timelines• HTML-heavy• Impersonal


The Evolution

• Intelligent segmenting• Understand prospect, develop profile• Addressing specific needs• Leveraging new technology


B2B Consumers

• Self-educators• Ease-of-access• Abundant information• Social networks


Drip Email Marketing

• Educating over time• Subtle promotion• Developing rapport• Demonstrate expertise


Personalization: Things to Avoid

• Huge lists• Poor targeting• Company-centric• Watered down


Personalization: Define Your Audience

• Responsibilities?• Role?• Challenges?• Solutions?


Personalization: Define Your Audience

• List development• Who you target• What message to deliver


Personalization: Segmenting

• Good: Manufacturers in the Midwest• Better: CEO’s, Presidents, Owners of manufacturers in the

Midwest• Best: CEO’s, Presidents, Owners of manufacturers with

$10MM-$50MM in revenue, within 50 square miles of downtown Chicago


Segmentation Made Easy• Combine profile attributes• With specific observed

behaviors• And within a specified

time frame


Personalization: Segmenting

• Right information, right person, right time• Personal rapport


Crafting the Message: Series of Emails

• Establish key ideas / educate• Evaluate progress• Maintain contact

35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first

(Source: InsideSales.com)


Email Elements

• From address• Subject line• Greeting


Email Elements

• From address• Subject line• Greeting• Introduction• Closing• Signature


The Traditional Sales Letter

• Canned intro• All about us• Lengthy content• Don’t do it!


The Modern Email Communication

• To the point• Engaging• Understanding• Bullets• Call to action


Mapping Content to Your Audience

• Role• Decision makers – binary role, rely on management to influence the decision• Influencers – research role, get their hands dirty with the details


In Action: Dynamic Email Content• Targeted• Personal• Effective


Content Development

• Publishing• Content recycling

• Articles / blog posts• Whitepapers• Case studies• Videos• Webinars


Content Development: What to Write About

• Economic conditions, how you fit in• Value proposition• What you bring to the table• Experience


Content Development: Production

• Webinars – interview key contacts• Video – product features• Articles – stepped process• Guest contributor• Article summary


Marketing Automation

• Deliver a series of emails• Automated campaigns• Data gathering forms• List management / segmenting• Sales intervention• Lead scoring• CRM integration


Example: Lead Scoring• Status

• Small software company• Two locations – U.S. and Asia• Growing globally

• Target• Large budget prospects

Category Excellent Okay Bad

Job Title IT Director 5 System Administrator 3 Sales

Engineer -4

Location of Headquarters

United States 5 Hong Kong 4 Romania -5

Company Size > 5,000 4 1,000 - 5,000 2 < 1,000 -2

IndustryInformation Technology Services

5 Computer Software 4 Automotive -5

Budget > 50,000 4 10,000 - 50,000 3 < 10,000 -2

Implicit Online Behavior Point Value

Visitor downloaded the How Do We Compare To Our Competition white paper 5

Visitor browsed company website multiple times in the past 7 days. 5

Visitor downloaded the Evaluation Guide. 5

Visitor is already a lead in the sales system. 4

Visitor clicked on company's Jobs web page. -5


Delivery: Timing

• Time of day• Day of week• Time between emails• Duration


Delivery: Basics

• Spam triggers in subject line• No attachments• Limit images• Multiple contacts, same company• SPAM compliance


Links

• Anchor text with call to action• Location / placement


Links

• Navigation and reporting


Message Testing

• Links


Message Testing

• Split lists• Timing• Frequency• Subject lines• Content• Link verbiage


Track all Activities

• Test multiple variables• Day/Time , Subject, Format

• Measure effectiveness• Opens, Clicks, Opt-outs


In Closing

• Understand your audience• Educate, fulfill a need• Build credibility• Develop rapport• Right place, right time


Contacts

• Ryan Goodin @ Diligent Brands773.203.0743 | [email protected] | diligentbrands.com

• Janelle Johnson @ Act-On Software877.530.1555 | [email protected] | act-on.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Next Steps

• Visit Act-On’s booth

• Sign up for a demo: act-on.com

• Get in touchCall our hotline at: 877.530.1555Email us: [email protected]

Documents

Developing Email Campaigns that Educate and Convert