#EEC12: Email Marketing Trends for 2012 (A Work-Related Post)

#5 in a series.  In this one, observations and recommendations are interspersed instead of all being at the end like they are in the other ones.


Email Marketing Trends for 2012
Shar Van Boskirk, VP and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
Ryan Phelan, VP Strategic Services, BlueHornet

Presentation Included Video from a Recent Man on the Street Survey.  Some funny results, some painful.

• "Why do you sign-up for emails?"
• - 95% to receive discounts
• - 57% to receive product updates
• - 56% because they love the brand
  .....
• You need a signup on Facebook - these are people who love your brand
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• The clearer the value proposition, the more compelling the value proposition, the more personal data people will provide.
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• Marketers have conditioned people to want discounts.
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• Are you looking at these best practices?
• - Incorporate a preference center
• - Gather relevant info and test amount
• - Don't take advantage of trust
  .....
• "What do you expect after you sign-up?"
• - 76% expect to receive a Welcome email
• - Discounts and coupons (isn't this just bribery?)
  .....
• Top reasons to purchase from an email offer (stack-ranked):
• - Price (suggests we're not utilizing the medium well as marketers)
• - Discounts
• - Free delivery
• - Quality
• - Brand
• - Reviews
  .....
• "If you receive an email and you look at it on your mobile device and it doesn't look good, what do you do?"
• - 70% delete
• - 18% unsubscribe
• - 17% look at it on their desktop
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• People consider a poorly design email on mobile to be spam.  They're used to us doing a good job on design.  So an email from us that looks bad must be a spammer trying to trick them by using our name. (Seriously!)
• Are you looking at your emails on a mobile device?
  .....
• "Why do you unsubscribe?" (stack-ranked)
• - Relevance (more relevant = less unsubs)
• - Frequency (more appropriate candence = less unsubs)
• - Mailbox Overload (deleted when they're getting too many emails overall)
  .....
• "If you're about to unsubscribe, is there anything we can do to change your mind?"
• - 15% will always choose to opt-down if it's offered (fewer emails)
• - 25% will sometimes choose to opt-down
• - 60% will never choose to opt-down
  .....
• Are you offering a survey when they opt-out?  
• Are you comparing that survey against specific emails to learn what turned them off?
• Are you looking at other emails sent in the window between send and opt-out to see if it's maybe frequency or trend of your messaging?
  .....
• And most importantly, are you a subscribed and engaged member of your own list?
• If not, why not?