Mobile Matters - Chad White

How many times have you seen a headline claiming that email is dead? You’ve likely seen this headline countless times and probably have clicked on a few articles about it, too. However, the truth of the matter is that email is NOT actually dead and is very much alive.

I drove this point home when I spoke with Stephanie Cox, the host of the Mobile Matters podcast. However, we talked about a wide range of topics, including…

  • How I got my start in email marketing
  • The biggest changes to email marketing over the past decade
  • What has driven changes at inbox providers and regulators
  • How to measure email marketing success
  • Best practices for mobile email design
  • The impact of smartwatches

For a full discussion of each of those topics and more…

>> Listen to the podcast 

Why Email Is Still the King of Customer Engagement

So many things were supposed to make email obsolete: Facebook, Slack, mobile push—even RSS was once talked about as an email-killer. It turns out that pronouncing email dead is simply a common marketing ploy rather than any kind of market reality.

Email marketing’s return on investment remains stellar, returning $38 for every dollar invested it, according to Litmus research. And market buzz is coming back around on email. For instance, The Wall Street Journal recently called email The Hot New Channel for Reaching Real People and The Guardian says that nothing will replace email “in the near future, and probably not in the far future.”

Why is email marketing so powerful? Here are our top 9 reasons:

  1. Email is ubiquitous. Everyone has an account (or two) and uses it.
  2. Email is the account of record.
  3. Email is the most preferred channel for brand communications.
  4. Email is an open platform that no one owns, which keeps costs low.
  5. Email supports rich content, allowing highly engaging experiences.

For the remaining four reasons, and for a discussion of each reason…

>> Read the full post on the Oracle Modern Marketing Blog

Integration With Social, SMS & Other Channels Improving Relevance & Results From Email Campaigns

Email continues to be the top channel marketers use to drive demand, according to Demand Gen Report’s 2019 Demand Generation Benchmark Survey. But B2B marketers are increasingly integrating email marketing with their efforts in social, SMS, push, and other channels to maximize the impact.

“I have so many clients asking about integrating additional channels, such as social, SMS and direct mail, with their email marketing,” Kim Roman, Senior Principal Consultant for Oracle Expert Services, told Demand Gen Report. “Many are looking to apps that integrate directly with their email marketing platforms, so they can either use email to follow up, continue the conversation from other channels or interact with customers/prospects via other channels based on their interaction with emails.”

Adopting an ABM-based approach can take your program up a notch and improve performance. But if you are not in a position yet to make the technological leap to omnichannel campaigns, I explain that you can ready your organization by breaking down silos and better sharing cross-channel insights internally.

I advise email marketers to meet regularly with their marketing counterparts in social, SEM, advertising, print and elsewhere to share insights. Use email to test messaging and imagery and then use the winner in a print campaign. Use keywords that are performing well in search in the subject lines of your emails. Person-to-person knowledge sharing is a great way to lay the organizational groundwork for working toward a sophisticated omnichannel future.

>> Read the full article on DemandGenReport.com

The Trends and Strategies that Will Shape Your Email Program in 2019

The email industry is constantly changing, and keeping up with what’s new can feel like an impossible task.

Join me, Campaign Monitor’s Logan Baird, and Litmus’ Jason Rodriguez, Alice Li, and Bettina Specht as we break down the key insights from Litmus’ 2019 State of Email Report, explain the trends that are changing the industry, and provide practical advice on what those changes mean for your email program.

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

  • How to display images, coupon codes, and more in Gmail’s revamped Promotions tab—and why utilizing structured data will become even more important in 2019.
  • Why the rise of voice assistants makes it more important than ever to create accessible emails.
  • Why the email industry’s continual consolidation will impact your email tech stack going forward.
  • And more!

To watch the recording, view the slides, and read the Q&A…

>> See the entire post on the Litmus blog

The Last Word on January 2019

A roundup of email marketing articles, posts, and tweets you might have missed last month…The Last Word

Must-read articles, posts & reports

The Hot New Channel for Reaching Real People: Email (Wall Street Journal)

Reputation is in the eye of the beholder (Word to the Wise)

You’ve Still Got Mail (Forrester)

Sailthru Joins the CM Group Family of Brands (Sailthru)

Insightful & entertaining tweets

Noteworthy subject lines

Wegmans, 1/2 – We’ve got it! A Healthy Start for Your New Year.
Kohl’s, 1/3 – The Healthy Living Event is on! Get up to 50% off workout gear for the whole fam.
Nordstrom, 1/1 – Our wellness guide is here
American Red Cross, 1/24 – Start the year right: Become a Red Cross Champion
Petco, 1/31 – The solutions for their resolutions
Staples, 1/2 – It’s 2019. Upgrade your seat with up to $100 off.
Bed Bath & Beyond, 1/3 – Confirmed for 2019: You’re getting better sleep! Plus, this 20% off coupon is on us.
Banana Republic, 1/2 – Confirmed: These are the colors you’ve been waiting for
Saks Fifth Avenue, 1/2 – 7 style resolutions we’re sticking to
Target, 1/9 – Bonus 10% off + up to 25% off storage & org. Stack the savings.
Horchow, 1/15 – Show some love: Valentine’s Day ideas
UncommonGoods, 1/26 – Valentine’s Gifts For One-Of-A-Kind Love
Applebee’s, 1/28 – Feed the Football Party!
Wegmans, 1/31 – Make Game Day Easy with this Sweet BBQ Pork
Barneys New York, 1/28 – Are You Red Carpet Ready?
Brooks Brothers, 1/25 – The year of the pig is coming
Lego, 1/28 – FREE Year of the Pig Set!*
Saks Fifth Avenue, 1/31 – Limited-edition picks to celebrate Lunar New Year
Eddie Bauer, 1/2 – Winter Warmth 101
Patagonia, 1/11 – Winter running can be nasty
Bass Pro Shops, 1/11 – Can’t wait for spring? Gear up for your next adventure now!
UncommonGoods, 1/14 – A ring shaped like your city skyline
eBags, 1/27 – “As a bag geek, this is the best thing out there.”
Lane Bryant, 1/18 – Price drop. Mic drop.
Victoria’s Secret, 1/1 – The snuggle is reallll.
Gap, 1/9 – To/from/at the gym (everything you need) + a bonus
MAC Cosmetics, 1/14 – Prep + Prime Fix+ = The O.G. of Setting Sprays
Michaels, 1/2 – Let Us Help You Start Creating the Wedding of Your Dreams
Quiksilver, 1/2 – The Vote Is Totaled: Quiksilver’s Best of Show Is In
Jetsetter, 1/25 – 18 Travel Essentials You Should NEVER Forget to Pack
Everlane, 1/12 – 10 Tips To Reduce Plastic Waste
Saks Fifth Avenue, 1/12 – 10 hot picks for your getaway
Petco, 1/11 – 5 ways to improve your dog’s diet
Levi’s, 1/15 – Our favorite #LiveinLevis looks
Gap, 1/28 — #OOTD inspiration: you look good in NEW

New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com

Why Preview Testing Every Email You Send Increases Your ROI

2019’s Top Email Design Trends

Report: Live Optimization Notebook on Welcome and Onboarding Emails

The Last Word on December 2018

2019 State of Email Report webinar

The email industry is constantly changing, and keeping up with what’s new can feel like an impossible task.

Join our panel of leading industry experts as we break down the key insights from Litmus’ 2019 State of Email Report, explain the trends that are changing the industry, and provide practical advice on what those changes mean for your email program.

In this webinar, you’ll learn:

  • How to display images, coupon codes, and more in Gmail’s re-vamped Promotions tab—and why utilizing structured data will become even more important in 2019.
  • Why the rise of voice assistants makes it more important than ever to create accessible emails.
  • Why the email industry’s continual consolidation will impact your email tech stack going forward.
  • And more!

Invite your whole team—from the coders and copywriters to the VP of marketing—and learn how each of you can do your part to set your email program up for success in 2019.

The Trends & Strategies That Will Shape Your Email Program

Feb 21, 2019
12pm ET / 9:00am PT / 5:00pm GMT)
Duration: 1 hour

Your Presenters:

Alice Li, Principal Email Engineer, Litmus
Jason Rodriguez, Community Evangelist, Litmus
Chad S. White, Head of Research, Oracle Marketing Cloud Consulting
Logan Sandrock Baird, Professional Services Team Manager, Campaign Monitor

Can’t make it on Feb. 21? Don’t worry. Register and you’ll receive the recording of the webinar.

>> Register for the free webinar

Why Testing the Rendering of Every Email You Send Increases Your ROI

Email design is a moving target. Whether marketers like it or not, it’s impossible for them to create a single email design, because the rendering of any individual email changes depending on the email client used to view it, the screen size used to view it, and many other factors.

By our calculation, every email has more than 15,000 different potential renderings. The challenge is to manage and control that variability through savvy coding and design. And you can’t do that if you’re not preview testing every email you create.

While doing this takes extra time and involves extra costs, the effort is well rewarded. Email programs that test every email they send report generating an average return on investment of 40-to-1, whereas programs that test less frequently or not at all report an average ROI of 35-to-1, according to Email Marketing ROI: The Factors that Lead to Better Returns.

Even beyond ROI, email preview testing correlates strongly with success. For example, marketers who describe their email marketing programs as successful are 20% more likely than those at less-successful programs to test every email they send (58% vs. 49%), according to Litmus’ 2018 State of Email Workflows.

There are 3 reasons for why marketers need to remain vigilant about the rendering and functionality of their emails…

>> Read the entire post on the Litmus blog

The Last Word on December 2018

A roundup of email marketing articles, posts, and tweets you might have missed last month…The Last Word

Must-read articles, posts & reports

The Email Innovations That Most Interest Consumers (MarketingProfs)

You can now ask Amazon Alexa to read your email messages and respond by voice — here’s how (CNBC)

Verizon says Oath is dead. Meet Verizon Media Group. (NBC News)

Insightful & entertaining tweets

Noteworthy subject lines

Chipotle, 12/18 – Watch the bowl with a bowl, delivered FREE
Banana Republic, 12/17 – Infinite parties await (here’s what to wear)
Banana Republic, 12/23 – Watch the ball (and everyone’s jaws) drop
Burlington, 12/17 – Goodbye 2018, hello new dress
Lane Bryant, 12/1 – Spend your weekend with self-gifting deals!
Panera Bread, 12/6 – Chad, give a $50 gift card, get a $10 bonus card.
Saks Fifth Avenue, 12/6 – Saks Fashion Director’s go-to gifts to give & get
Saks Fifth Avenue, 12/11 – What Pierre Mahéo of Officine Générale is gifting this year…
FansEdge, 12/15 – SHHH…Don’t Tell. Gifting Cheat Sheet Inside
T.J.Maxx, 12/4 – Made in Italy: luxe for less.
Michaels, 12/11 – Trendy Tuesday: Handmade gifts for everyone on your list.
REI, 12/15 – Stuff Their Stockings with More than Socks
Dick’s Sporting Goods, 12/5 – Finish Your List! Up to 50% Off Deals, Gifts & More
Bass Pro Shops, 12/11 – Clock’s ticking! Last chance to stretch your payments
Walgreens, 12/17 –Still shopping? 25% off ends tomorrow!
UncommonGoods, 12/18 – Got a Minute? We’ve Got Last-Minute Gift Ideas
RH, 12/18 – Last Call for Standard Holiday Shipping. Order by 12/19 at Noon EST for 12/24 Delivery.
Everlane, 12/20 – Gift Cards To The Rescue
Petco, 12/21 – FINAL HOURS: 20% off your in-store purchase
Aeropostale, 12/23 – Final Hours For Buy Online Pick Up In Store
Target, 12/6 – Yesss! 20% off select LEGO + savings on must-have toys.
Lane Bryant, 12/6 – Bra-la-la-la-la…$19.50 cotton bras!
Saks Fifth Avenue, 12/25 – To: You // From: You – Up to 60% off shoes, bags, etc.
Everlane, 12/1 – Super Limited. Super Human.
Starbucks, 12/18 – Santa has elves. You have coffee.
Epicurious, 12/15 – Announcing the winners of the Epicurious Cookbook Awards
Office Depot, 12/11 – In-App Coupon – Valid Today Only!
West Elm, 12/8 – When your home IS the Instagram inspo…

New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com

Happy Holidays!

Our Favorite Litmus Blog Posts of 2018

Our Favorite Litmus Reports of 2018

Our Favorite Litmus Webinars of 2018

Webinar Recording + Q&A: Key Insights from a Year of State of Email Research

Help us help you by participating in Litmus’ 2019 State of Email Survey

Our Favorite Talks from the Litmus Live 2018 Season

13 Email A/B Testing Mistakes

The Last Word on November 2018

2019 Email Experience Council Awards

The Email Experience Council is accepting nominations for their 2019 EEC awards until Feb. 1. Get your submissions in now for the following awards:

The 2019 eec Stefan Pollard Email Marketer of the Year Award

This award winner will be a brand-side marketer who is responsible for creating an Innovative Email Marketing Program; or may have achieved compelling results while under significant pressure or challenges from management; or might have achieved compelling results from their email marketing program by making a quantum leap forward in progress and sophistication.

The 2019 eec Email Marketer Thought Leader of the Year Award

This award winner will be someone who works at a digital agency; ESP; or 3rd-party service provider. They should have had a recognized impact on the email marketing community by fostering conversation around an industry issue or proposing a solution to an industry challenge. Or the nominee may have had an overall positive impact on the industry not limited to a single topic or issue.

I won this award last year and I can tell you that it feels amazing to be recognized by your peers for your contributions to the email marketing industry. If there is someone in the industry at an agency, ESP, or 3rd-party service provider whose advice or work you find value, please consider nominating them.

The 2019 eec Email Program Awards

This set of awards promotes excellence in email marketing. In particular, these awards will showcase the impact that email is having in the marketplace and within organizations. Most importantly, these awards will feature email campaigns that make us excited and proud of the work being done in our industry.

  1. Best Use of Data, including Automation and Triggers:
  2. Best Makeover of an Existing Email Program
  3. Best Use of Email in a Cross-Channel Campaign
  4. Best Nurture Campaign
  5. Best Use of Humor; Personality, Content, or Brand

For full details on each of these awards and for submission forms…

>> Visit the 2019 EEC Awards webpage

2019’s Top Email Design Trends

The Top Email Design Trends for 2019

This year you can expect to see more personalized emails, as well as more interactive emails. For the second year in a row, those two email design trends stood out above all others, according to a Litmus poll of more than 240 marketers.

The next tier of email design trends included using more AI-driven content and live content, and simplifying email designs. The other eight email design trends that we asked marketers about received a bit less enthusiasm, although they’re all still likely to be important this year.

To bring some perspective to these email design trends, we reached out to our friends at Action Rocket, Campaign Monitor, Trendline Interactive, Oracle, Really Good Emails, Yes Marketing, and Adobe. Let’s discuss each of these 13 email design trends in more detail.

To see the ranking of trends and a discussion of each one…

>> Read the entire post on the Litmus Blog