Post on 10-May-2015
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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
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Old Habits Die Hard
• Subscriber lists• Timelines• HTML-heavy• Impersonal
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The Evolution
• Intelligent segmenting• Understand prospect, develop profile• Addressing specific needs• Leveraging new technology
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B2B Consumers
• Self-educators• Ease-of-access• Abundant information• Social networks
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Drip Email Marketing
• Educating over time• Subtle promotion• Developing rapport• Demonstrate expertise
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Personalization: Things to Avoid
• Huge lists• Poor targeting• Company-centric• Watered down
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Personalization: Define Your Audience
• Responsibilities?• Role?• Challenges?• Solutions?
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Personalization: Define Your Audience
• List development• Who you target• What message to deliver
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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
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Segmentation Made Easy• Combine profile attributes• With specific observed
behaviors• And within a specified
time frame
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Personalization: Segmenting
• Right information, right person, right time• Personal rapport
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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)
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Email Elements
• From address• Subject line• Greeting
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Email Elements
• From address• Subject line• Greeting• Introduction• Closing• Signature
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The Traditional Sales Letter
• Canned intro• All about us• Lengthy content• Don’t do it!
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The Modern Email Communication
• To the point• Engaging• Understanding• Bullets• Call to action
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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
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In Action: Dynamic Email Content• Targeted• Personal• Effective
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Content Development
• Publishing• Content recycling
• Articles / blog posts• Whitepapers• Case studies• Videos• Webinars
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Content Development: What to Write About
• Economic conditions, how you fit in• Value proposition• What you bring to the table• Experience
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Content Development: Production
• Webinars – interview key contacts• Video – product features• Articles – stepped process• Guest contributor• Article summary
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Marketing Automation
• Deliver a series of emails• Automated campaigns• Data gathering forms• List management / segmenting• Sales intervention• Lead scoring• CRM integration
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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
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Delivery: Timing
• Time of day• Day of week• Time between emails• Duration
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Delivery: Basics
• Spam triggers in subject line• No attachments• Limit images• Multiple contacts, same company• SPAM compliance
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Links
• Anchor text with call to action• Location / placement
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Links
• Navigation and reporting
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Message Testing
• Links
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Message Testing
• Split lists• Timing• Frequency• Subject lines• Content• Link verbiage
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Track all Activities
• Test multiple variables• Day/Time , Subject, Format
• Measure effectiveness• Opens, Clicks, Opt-outs
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In Closing
• Understand your audience• Educate, fulfill a need• Build credibility• Develop rapport• Right place, right time
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Contacts
• Ryan Goodin @ Diligent Brands773.203.0743 | ryan@diligentbrands.com | diligentbrands.com
• Janelle Johnson @ Act-On Software877.530.1555 | janelle.johnson@act-on.com | act-on.com
www.act-on.com | @ActOnSoftware | #ActOnSW
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: sales@act-on.com