Email Marketing RulesThe Last Word on 2013
Posted on January 1, 2014
Happy New Year! As we say hello to 2014, I wanted to recap some of the best content from Email Marketing Rules and ExactTarget during 2013.
Of course, it all began with the publication of Email Marketing Rules (paperback/ebook). You can check out the Introduction and an exclusive excerpt for free.
To get you inspired about email design, we launched the Email Swipe File on Pinterest to share outstanding emails. We then built on that by publishing The Best of the Email Swipe File and Holiday Inspirations from the Email Swipe File reports.
Six Email Marketing Predictions For 2013 was my most popular Email Insider column last year, which I followed up on yesterday with An Email Carol: Ghosts Of Predictions Past, Present And Future. I’m also very proud to have been out in front on Gmail Tabs with Why You Shouldn’t Ask Your Gmail Subscribers To Re-Tab Your Emails.
On EmailMarketingRules.com, the two most popular posts were The Many Uses (and 2 Drawbacks) of Animated Gifs and The One-Two Punch of Subject Lines and Preheaders.
And there was plenty of original research as well, including infographics on holiday trends, triggered birthday emails, opt-in failures, and welcome emails. Our most popular one was The Email Marketing Holiday Calendar.
We’ve got a lot of big plans for 2014—some great new research, plus updates to your favorites from 2013. We hope that it will all help you to DREAM BIG in 2014 and accomplish more than you thought possible.
I’m Visited by the Ghosts of Predictions Past, Present, and Future
Posted on December 31, 2013
In my latest Email Insider column for MediaPost, I reluctantly cast myself in the role Emailnezer Scrooge and am visited by three ghosts that hold me accountable for my past email marketing predictions and press me for an assessment of the present and for predictions of the future.
>> Read my entire Email Insider column on MediaPost.com
E-Gift Cards Increasingly a Real-Time Gift
Posted on December 27, 2013
Better delivery technology and the rise of mobile email reading has made e-gift cards, which have long been branded “the perfect last-minute gift,” into more of a real-time gift.
While eGift Card Day is officially on Dec. 23, email messaging about e-gift cards has actually been higher on Christmas Eve since the 2012 holiday season. This holiday season that shift was even more pronounced.
>> Read the entire post on the ExactTarget Blog
>> View gallery of e-gift card messaging examples
Happy Holidays!
Posted on December 25, 2013
On behalf of my family and the entire ExactTarget and Salesforce.com family, I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and hope that this holiday season has brought you many happy returns!
Chad
Free Shipping Day Waning as Selling Day and Brand
Posted on December 20, 2013
With retailers putting greater emphasis on stretching out the holiday season in recent years, Free Shipping Day has emerged as a major email messaging occasion for marketers. However, this year retailers seem to be cooling Free Shipping Day.
Among nearly 110 major online retailers that we’ve been tracking throughout the holiday season, 77% of them sent at least one promotional email to their subscribers on Free Shipping Day (Dec. 18). That puts Free Shipping Day right between Green Monday (76%) and Thanksgiving Day (78%)—and well below Cyber Monday (88%).
Fewer retailers mentioned “Free Shipping Day” by name, but the day still seemed to inspire retailers to experiment with their free shipping offers.
>> Read the full post on the ExactTarget Blog
Few Retailers Respond to Abandoned Carts on Cyber Monday
Posted on December 17, 2013
In my second guest column for ClickZ this holiday season (here’s the first), I take a deeper dive into the cart abandonment email research that’s highlighted in our Email Insights & Trends from Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Cyber Monday #Infographic.
On Cyber Monday, ExactTarget clicked through the promotional emails sent that day by more than 90 major online retailers and filled our shopping carts with more than $100 of merchandise. Then we walked away, closing our browser after each shopping session.
Only 21% of those retailers sent a triggered email in response within 3 days. Emails that follow up on shopping carts that are abandoned by subscribers often mean the difference between a completed sale and a lost sale on this high-value shopping day. So the low adoption of shopping cart abandonment emails presents retailers with a wonderful win-win opportunity to serve shoppers better with service and product information and increase their sales.
Our research also uncovered several opportunities to implement these triggered emails better, which I discuss in the column.
>> Read my column on ClickZ.com
1st Mobile Christmas Greeted with Rise in Email Mobile-Friendliness
Posted on December 13, 2013
In this guest column for ClickZ, I take a deeper dive into the email mobile-friendliness research that’s highlighted in our Email Insights & Trends from Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Cyber Monday #Infographic.
Looking at the promotional emails of nearly 110 major online retailers, we found that from early October to late November the percentage of retailers using mobile-friendly email design rose by more than 40%—from 23% to 32%. That substantial increase bodes well for gains to come in early 2014.
The details are even more encouraging, with responsive design making a huge jump and positive signs among those retailers still using largely desktop-centric designs as well.
>> Read my column on ClickZ.com
Infographic: Email Insights & Trends from Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Posted on December 10, 2013
The Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend includes some of the busiest email marketing days of the year, including top email day Cyber Monday, famed Black Friday, and the up-and-comer Thanksgiving Day. However, consumers behave differently on each of these days, which means retailers have to use different approaches on each day.
Based on our anonymous tracking of nearly 110 major online retailers, our latest infographic examines email volume patterns during the critical Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend, in addition to addresses issues that are unique and important to Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For example, on Black Friday we looked at whether retailers’ email were mobile-friendly or not.
Overall, our findings indicate that there continue to be great opportunities for retailers to gain a competitive advantage by addressing consumer needs and expectations when it comes to email marketing.
The Last Word on November 2013
Posted on December 5, 2013
A roundup of articles, posts, tweets and emails you might have missed last month…
Must-read articles, posts & whitepapers
Consumers Expect Optimized Mobile Experiences, Retail Sites Need Improvement (MediaPost)
Subscriber Engagement Over Time (MailChimp Blog)
A How-To Guide For eReceipts (Marketing Land)
A common preference request error that’s easily fixed (Zettasphere Blog)
Insightful & entertaining tweets
@ScottDorsey: Cyber Monday record at @exacttarget – our customers have sent over 1 billion permission-based digital messages today! Awesome! cc: @Benioff
@rcadden: If your email unsubscribe page requires me to enter my email address or has a captcha, I’m just going to report you as spam. #makeiteasy
@brbarrett: Amazon drones will guarantee thirty minute delivery of free Cyber Monday marketing for Amazon and that’s about it.
@MikeBloxham: What you’ll receive when your Amazon Drone delivery goes astray http://t.co/yCz9RBvi1X
@LorenMcDonald: An estimated 4% of recipients open emails on multiple devices – @litmusapp – those that do are very likely to convert #emailmarketing
@markbrownlow: If Santa was an email marketer… 1. Open rates would mean something (and 15 more like that) –> http://t.co/0TrjbKOiZN
Great additions to the Email Swipe File pinboard
Zulily email sent on 11/13/13 >> View the pin
QVC email sent on 11/14/13 >> View the pin
Frank & Oak email sent on 10/9/13 >> View the pin
Lowe’s email sent 11/1/13 >> View the pin
Noteworthy subject lines
Banana Republic, 11/30 — 40% off + win a Hilton weekend getaway!
Costco, 11/30 — Additional Black Friday Weekend Deals on Costco.com!
Michael’s, 11/29 — 7PM – 10PM Only! Friday Night Madness
ThinkGeek, 11/29 — ThinkGeek’s #000000 Friday deals + 20% off sitewide!
Zulily, 11/29 — Black Friday Special: 100% off crowds + guaranteed cute
Lenovo, 11/30 — My boss didn’t love that last email
Lenovo, 11/29 — Ever tried to gift wrap a pony?
Toys “R” Us, 11/28 — Set Your Alarm Now! NEW Doorbusters Start Tomorrow at 5AM
Target, 11/28 — Black Friday starts tonight. Doors open at 8pm!
Home Depot, 11/28 — Turkey Can Wait…Save Up to 40% NOW!
West Elm, 11/28 — Up to 25% off EVERYTHING. Shop from your sofa!
Karmaloop, 11/28 — This Ain’t No Thanksgiving Leftover: New Arrivals Every Hour from Crooks & Castles, LRG, & More
ModCloth, 11/27 — It may be Wednesday, but our Black Friday Sale is ON!
Jos. A. Bank, 11/27 — Starting at Midnight Tonight… BLACK FRIDAY DOORBUSTERS with FREE Shipping, No Minimum!
Toys “R” Us, 11/27 — Black Friday Savings Start Online Tonight at 12:01!
Six Flags New England, 11/27 — Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale!
Express, 11/25 — Black Friday starts online at midnight TONIGHT – and in-store tomorrow!
Sony, 11/25 — Black Friday Deals Start Now | Save up to 50%
Lego, 11/25 — Exclusive “Brick” Friday Offers start Friday, Nov 29 at 12 am EST!
Expedia, 11/27 — Start saving early: Black Friday deals all week
Walmart, 11/27 — Be prepared with your Black Friday Ad and Map
Gander Mountain, 11/21 — Black Friday Pricing Without The Crowds!
Walmart, 11/21 — Why wait? Pre-Black Friday specials are now online!
St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 11/25 — Today only: Feed the BuzzMeter #ThanksandGiving
Sephora, 11/22 — #WantThemAll
Pier 1 Imports, 11/21 —Holiday lights, no wiring.
Barneys New York, 11/21 — Give Thanks: Shop Gifts for Your Holiday Hostess
Michael’s, 11/20 — Have you created your holiday cards?
Banana Republic, 11/18 — Enjoy merry savings (even more for Cardmembers).
Crate & Barrel, 11/16 — Is your turkey toolkit ready?
Blue Nile, 11/17 — Try Our New Mobile Shopping Experience
The Container Store, 11/15 — Help us collect 15,000 Coats
Volkswagen of America, 11/13 — Zero reasons to wait.
The Container Store, 11/13 — Wrapped up in Hanukkah
Moosejaw, 11/13 — We lied last time. THESE are the best Moosejaw jackets ever.
JCPenney, 11/13 — Pinterest faves for your home for 20-50% off!
Godiva Chocolatier, 11/13 — NEW! GODIVA on Mobile & iPad (+ Save on Truffles)
Jos. A. Bank, 11/12 — All Clearance REDUCED 25% – Plus Buy 1 Suit, Get 2 FREE + ‘Give’ 1 to a US Military Veteran
Toys “R” Us, 11/1 — Sneak Peek – The Great Big Toys“R”Us Wish Finder Catalog!
ThinkGeek, 11/1 — Be the first to get ’em: holiday gift sneak preview!
Lego, 11/1 — Give the Gift of Better Building!
REI, 11/1 — Great Gifts for Everyone on Your List
Gap, 11/1 — Our top 6 cozy must-gives
TigerDirect.com, 11/1 — 73 Hour Early Christmas Sale: 24″ LED Monitor $129 | New 22″ All-in-One PC $429 | 28″ LED TV $129, more
Hayneedle, 11/1 — Pre-holiday-season savings: up to 60% OFF + room makeovers, bar stools, accents & more.
Saks Fifth Avenue, 11/1 — It’s Your Moment: Holiday For Her
Clinique, 11/1 — Our Holiday Shop is Open + All Orders Ship FREE
Olive Garden, 11/1 — For Military Family Appreciation Month, we’re honored to serve.
The Container Store, 11/1 — Real Daylight Savings – UP TO 40%!
SkyMall, 11/1 — Turn Back the Clock Sale! Save 20% Site Wide
Most popular posts on EmailMarketingRules.com
1. The Many Uses (and 2 Drawbacks) of Animated Gifs
2. The One-Two Punch of Subject Lines and Preheaders
3. 2 Key Techniques for Making Email Content More Mobile-Friendly
4. Audience Growth Swipe File Debuts: Ideas to Reach More Consumers
5. My Dreamforce Presentation: The Good, the Bad, and the Best
Nov. 2013 B2C Email Volume Jumps: Retailers Sent 20.5 per Subscriber, Non-Retailers 7.0
Posted on December 4, 2013
During November, retailers sent each of their subscribers 20.5 promotional emails on average, up 15% from October. Non-retailers sent each of their subscribers 7.0 promotional emails on average, up 13% from the previous month.
This data is based on the anonymous tracking for more than 150 B2C brands, including retailers, restaurants, manufacturers, travel and hospitality, political groups, and nonprofits.
Among both retailers and non-retailers, increases in per subscriber email volume were driven by holiday messaging, including a busy Thanksgiving Week. For more on seasonal email marketing trends, check out the Email Marketing Holiday Calendar and this month’s update…
>> Email Marketing Holiday Calendar 2013: November Review & December Preview
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
