Email Marketing Rules#Webinar: 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File at 2pm July 24
Posted on July 3, 2014
Join me and Andrea Smith, ExactTarget’s Design Lead of Content Marketing & Research, on July 24 at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) as we discuss the five critical email design and strategy trends that guided our selection of the 20 emails in the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File.
We’ll share research and discuss how savvy marketers are tapping into the power of these five trends, which are: (1) a growing need to personalize content, (2) a greater sophistication for triggered messages, (3) rendering that’s optimized for the platform, situation, person, and time of open, (4) a unique voice that’s more helpful than promotional, and (5) a continued evolution of the fundamentals.
>> Register for this free webinar
The Last Word on June 2014
Posted on July 2, 2014
A roundup of email marketing articles, posts, tweets and examples you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & whitepapers
CASL’s Impact on Email Marketers (ClickZ)
Blacklists: The Ultimate Guide (Return Path)
All Senders Get Blacklisted, But Smart Ones Manage Risk (MediaPost)
Email Marketing: Browse abandonment campaign drives more than $300,000 in additional sales for menswear site (MarketingSherpa)
Insightful & entertaining tweets
@industrycanada: Fact: If you have consent, you can keep sending #emailmarketing messages after July 1. Details: http://t.co/qMUzNzwJ7J #CASL
@jeremywaite: “Permission Marketing = Measuring how many people would complain if they didn’t receive your message”. Seth Godin http://t.co/EEae2noqv5
@mparkerbyrd: Oh lord. May the odds be ever in our favor. “Fire OS features a robust Outlook e-mail experience.” #emailmarketing
@becskr: It only takes one bad email in financial services to destroy trust.
@alexcwilliams: Not a recommended subject line approach. http://t.co/gt1lPXeXAb
@idiot: In case you were wondering what Big Data is: http://t.co/16BRxYJlEK
Great additions to the Swipe File pinboards
Piperlime mobile-friendly “top 10” email sent 3/4/14 >> View the pin
Mini USA re-engagement email sent 5/2014 >> View the pin
Vera Bradley email series tied to blog content sent 4/24–5/7 >> View the pin
American Apparel animated gif email sent on 10/3/12 >> View the pin
Noteworthy subject lines
FansEdge, 6/26 — USA Advances! Refresh Your Gear Now!
JCPenney, 6/26 — USA advances! Celebrate with extra savings
Lenovo, 6/25 — Bringing the heat like Portugal. Too soon?
Peet’s Coffee & Tea, 6/9 — Kick Off the World Cup with Brazil Yellow Bourbon + Father’s Day Gifts: Las Day FREE Shipping to California
Pier 1 Imports, 6/20 — Find everything you need to celebrate America’s birthday in style.
Walmart, 6/20 — Tablets from $69 + more budget-boosting tech for college.
Kate Spade, 6/4 — hey daddio! the jack spade father’s day gift guide is here
Under Armour, 6/8 — We’re Making Father’s Day Easy For You
Furniture.com, 6/8 — Our Top 6 Picks for Father’s Day
Nikon Store, 6/4 — 3 Great Deals for 1 Great Dad
Carnival Cruise Lines, 6/9 — The Gift Dad Deserves… Special Offer Inside!
J.Crew, 6/2 — Open this or we’ll tell your father
Horchow, 6/2 —FREE $500 gift card? Open NOW — you only have 2 days!
LegoShop, 6/3 — FREE Exclusive Balloon Cart with your purchase!
Clinique, 6/8 — Special preview for our best customers.
Michaels, 6/9 — Get Your Photos Out of Your Phone & Into Our Frames
Ann Taylor, 6/2 — 3 Ways To Wear Our Flirty Skirt…
Adidas, 6/8 — Bring Your Individualism. Break the Rules. Be Originals.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, 6/26 — #CephalopodWeek: Join in the Fun!
Express, 6/9 — Want to see the party dress everyone’s wearing?
J.Crew, 6/6 — 17 things for your beach bag
Lands’ End, 6/10 — Beach Living + up to 40% off = Paradise
Pier 1 Imports, 6/16 — Splash some color on the table for a summer pool party.
Victoria’s Secret, 6/3 — Because your closet asked (sale: up to 50% off!)
Lululemon, 6/2 — spiders, grilling, and driving lessons…
Threadless, 6/9 — A is for AC/DC, B is for Bob Marley, and C is for…
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
A DEFCON Guide to Responding to Email Marketing Mistakes
4th Swipe File Pinboard Launched: The Mobile Swipe File
COI or COIL: Every Opt-In Should Be Confirmed
Join Me for an #ETcafe about the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File
A DEFCON Guide to Responding to Email Marketing Mistakes
Posted on June 26, 2014
Considering how fast-moving, high-volume, and high-reach the email channel is, mistakes should kind of be expected. While I hope your luck holds out, it’s best to have disaster planning in place—just in case—so you can react quickly in the event of an error.
It’s best to start by defining possible mistakes and then laying out the appropriate response, recognizing that every mistake doesn’t warrant a response—and that sending an apology email is just one of many possible responses.
I’ve matched up a variety of email misfortunes with defense readiness condition (DEFCON) alert states to kick start your disaster planning:
DEFCON 5: Shake It Off
DEFCON 4: Triage on the Backend
DEFCON 3: Targeted Resend
DEFCON 2: Email Apology
DEFCON 1: Full-Spectrum Apology
For all the details on how to best react to certain kinds of mistakes…
>> Read the entire post on the ExactTarget Blog
4th Swipe File Pinboard Launched: The Mobile Swipe File
Posted on June 18, 2014
We’re proud to announce the launch of the Mobile Swipe File, which will share inspiring, novel, and interesting mobile marketing campaigns—whether it’s SMS, MMS, push, or a mobile app. The new pinboard already has 31 examples of great mobile marketing.
>> Explore the Mobile Swipe File
The Mobile Swipe File joins our other three Swipe File pinboards, which collectively are home to nearly 500 awesome examples of digital marketing:
>> The Audience Growth Swipe File
We hope these examples inspire you to explore new ideas, test new executions, and find effective new ways to express your brand’s voice.
COI or COIL: Every Opt-In Should Be Confirmed
Posted on June 17, 2014
No, this is not a rant in favor of universal usage of double or confirmed opt-in (COI), although it certainly has its place. I’ve been a long-time supporter of single opt-in as “good enough” for most permissioning scenarios—especially when there’s active consent—and nothing has changed my view on that.
However, risks around opt-ins are rising. Typo spam traps and typos in general pose serious deliverability risks, especially to brands that capture email addresses offline through verbal or handwriting transcription. Several brands have been stung by Spamhaus in recent years because of typo spam traps getting on their email lists through poorly executed in-store email capture.
Marketers’ use of passive consent doesn’t help either, particularly when that consent is buried in the fine print of sweepstakes rules or terms and conditions statements. It’s well established that consumers don’t read these and that including opt-in consents in there provides brands with no protection from spam complaints.
Because of these risks, it seems reasonable to…
>> Read my entire Email Insider column on MediaPost.com
Join Me for an #ETcafe about the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File
Posted on June 16, 2014
Every Thursday the ExactTarget team hosts an #ETcafe Twitter chat from 11am to noon ET, where we discuss emerging topics and trends from across the digital marketing world. I am this week’s guest and I’ll be discussing the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File, of which I was the chief author. The report illustrates five critical email marketing trends with 20 stellar examples.
Follow the conversation using the #ETcafe hashtag. And follow me @chadswhite.
Here’s a preview of the questions that @ExactTarget will be tweeting for the chat:
- Which of the 5 email marketing trends highlighted in the report do you think is most important right now?
- Is there an important email marketing trend that you feel we missed?
- Which of the 20 email selections in the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File is your favorite and why?
- We included 47 “Related Pins” in the report. Do you have any favorites among those?
- Which email design or messaging tactic are you most excited to swipe, test, and make your own?
- Do you keep your own swipe file for inspiration? How do you manage it? How has it helped you?
- What are some of your favorite sources of email inspiration?
Please join us this Thursday, June 19, at 11am EDT to take part in the conversation and meet other digital marketers. We’re looking forward to an inspiring #ETcafe!
Crowd Favorites from the Swipe File: May 2014
Posted on June 11, 2014
We pin tons of inspiring digital marketing examples to our Swipe File pinboards on Pinterest every month. And each month you tell which ones most inspired you by repinning and liking them.
Here are your favorite pins among the ones we uploaded last month:
The Email Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…
Pizza Express >> Valentine’s Day email with awesome images-off rendering >> View the pin
>> Browse the Email Swipe File
The Social Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…
Target >> community curation of a party planning Pinterest board >> View the pin
>> Browse the Social Swipe File
The Audience Growth Swipe File’s crowd favorite was…
Uncommon Goods >> post-purchase page asks for social sharing of purchase >> View the pin
>> Browse the Audience Growth Swipe File
Help determine this month’s crowd favorites by repinning and liking the Swipe File pins that inspire you most.
The Last Word on May 2014
Posted on June 3, 2014
A roundup of email marketing articles, posts, tweets and examples you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & whitepapers
Gmail Data Analysis Reveals Image Blocking Affects 43% of Emails (Litmus)
Users Receptive To Social Logins, Marketers Slow To Adopt Them (MediaPost)
Gmail’s message to email marketers: Focus on engagement (Campaign Monitor)
Email deliverability issues hurting consumer interaction (Experian)
Defining Your Key Performance Indicators (MediaPost)
Insightful & entertaining tweets
@jwatton: Laser-like demographic targeting. Question is, how did they know? 😉 http://t.co/Lys4yd17Sa
@ETswipefile: Which super long email is the #BetterSwipe? A: http://t.co/u4dhoh8VwV or B: http://t.co/KiQHMRAirA Repin or Like to vote
@salesforce: Yum! MT @gepeto42 “I typoed @salesforce and realized I should open a Mexican restaurant called Salsaforce.” http://t.co/61Q3OOU7aJ
Great additions to the Swipe File pinboards
Hipmunk infographic-inspired email sent on 4/15/14 >> View the pin
Litmus email with HTML5 video background sent on 4/17/14 >> View the pin
TripAdvisor review impact email sent in 2/2014 >> View the pin
Modcloth cart abandonment email sent in 5/2014 >> View the pin
Noteworthy subject lines
Chipotle, 5/5 — Graduatering
Vera Bradley, 5/28 — Genius ways to gift the grad …
Sony, 5/27 — Gifts at the Head of the Class | Discover Tablets, Speakers + More for Grads
Uncommon Goods, 5/28 — Make a Grown Man Cry
Brooks Brothers, 5/28 — Visit our Father’s Day Gift Shop
ASPCA, 5/7 — No Mom Deserves This
Pier 1 Imports, 5/11 — There’s still time to find Mom’s favorites – and to be hers.
Lenovo, 5/7 — Meet mom’s match.
The Container Store, 5/16 — Pintastic Products and 10% OFF Click & PickUp!
Babies R Us, 5/25 — Top 5 Most-Pinned!
MoMA Store, 5/13 — MoMA Design Store Presents Kickstarter
Staples, 5/27 — Rock, paper, scissors – guess which one is $4
Threadless, 5/15 — The internet is made of cats!
Godiva Chocolatier, 5/20 — The Weekly Want: Puts Pies to Shame!
Love your outdoor furniture? Keep it looking brand new with these tips!
J.Crew, 5/12 — OK, it’s really, truly, actually sunny out. Sandal shopping’s a go.
J.Crew, 5/4 — Paint your nails. Update your sandals. Try a bandana.
Feeding America, 5/8 — Share the Facts About Senior Hunger
New posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
Email Content’s 6 Degrees of Personalization
Find Your Email Inspiration in the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File
Email Marketing Double-Dog Dares: Vol. 4
Follow the Swipe File on Twitter @ETswipefile and You’ll…
Crowd Favorites from the Swipe File: April 2014
Email Content’s 6 Degrees of Personalization
Posted on May 29, 2014
Email content personalization has come a very long way. I remember back around a decade ago when personalization was synonymous with first-name merges. Now there are so many ways to personalize messages for individual recipients.
Here are six aspects of your subscribers by which to personalize your emails to them:
- Who They Are
- Who They Care About
- What They Did
- What Others Did in Reaction
- What They Have
- Where They Are.
For all the details and lots of real-world examples…
>> Read the entire post on the ExactTarget Blog
Find Your Email Inspiration in the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File
Posted on May 22, 2014
A swipe file is a record of your top-performing campaigns that you return to for learnings and ideas. It was this concept that inspired us to create the Email Swipe File on Pinterest, where we share the emails and landing pages that excite and impress us. We’ve already shared more than 310 examples of email awesomeness dating all the way back to 2006—and there’s much more to come.
In the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File, we highlight the 20 examples from the past year that we love most and put them in the context of five trends that are having a major impact on email design:
- ADVANCED PERSONALIZATION: Personalization that goes way beyond first-name merges is one of the key ways marketers can make their messages more relevant to individual subscribers.
- TRIGGERED SOPHISTICATION: Explore ways to make triggered emails ever better—with longer campaigns, smarter content, and better triggers.
- SMART RENDERING: Rendering tactics can ensure that your message is optimized for the platform, situation, person, and time of open.
- UNIQUE VOICE: Influenced by content marketing and social media engagement, the voice of marketers is undergoing a shift from promotional, corporate and detached to helpful, conversational and timely.
- INSPIRED FUNDAMENTALS: Don’t forget the fundamental messaging and design tactics that have been effective for years, like creating messaging that’s on brand, focused, and sharable.
Learn more about these trends, see which email campaigns we loved best, and check out the ideas we most hope you’ll steal, test and make your own. Get inspired!
>> Download the 2014 Best of the Email Swipe File
Welcome! Email Marketing Rules is your guide to understanding the best practices of this complex, often misunderstood channel as you craft the best executions for your brand. Every week, we’ll explore strategies and tactics, discuss tips and inspiration, and dig into industry news and trends.
Chad S. White
Head of Research
Oracle Digital Experience Agency
Author of Email Marketing Rules and nearly 4,000 articles about digital and email marketing
