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Ask Moo is our regular weekly column answered by the Open Moo. If it’s a question about email marketing, SEO, online marketing or how to get that stubborn stain off your white shirt, the Moo has the answer. Why don’t you ask now!

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Ronen Ya'ariRonen Ya’ari
Founder & CEO


Amir ChitayatAmir Chitayat
President


paulhPaul Hyman
Editor-in-Chief


Gretchen MurcottGretchen Murcott
Blog Editor


Rose LanaroRose Lanaro
Account Manager


Sue SchoenfeldSue Schoenfeld
Account Manager


Joi BrooksJoi Brooks
Account Manager


Gregory DiFalcoGregory DiFalco
Pay-Per-Click Specialist


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    And the Winner Is…
    Joi Brooks by Joi Brooks

    Winning Email

    Tonight was the Academy Awards and every year, it’s inspiring to see the film industry’s leading talents converge and celebrate great filmmaking. Yet I couldn’t help but thinking that it must be hard for the Academy members to determine which are truly the best movies, directors, actors and contributors. It’s not as if they have a checklist (white teeth? dazzling eyes? winning smile?) or a measuring stick (box office gross or number of thumbs-up reviews) to rely upon. They just have to know.

    Well, do you know if your email campaign is a winner? Luckily, in our industry, there are solid metrics of success - and you should use them. First - be sure you know what your goals are. Are you interested in generating awareness, interest, desire or action? What are your goals for this week, month and year?

    Then, be sure you are tracking the metrics that determine whether you’re meeting your goals. These metrics might include measuring open rates, click through rates, conversion rates, number of leads generated or sales transactions completed. The OM2 dashboard lets you see your campaign results at a glance, so you can answer the question definitively.

    Of course, there’s always the subjective side of success. Whose email is the coolest looking, generates the most word of mouth, or is best aligned with an offline campaign? These are not as easy to measure. Just as with the film industry, we also have awards. Check out the 2010 Email Marketing Awards Gallery from Marketing Sherpa and get some inspiration from the winner’s circle.

    Posted on March 7th, 2010 | Category: Analytics, Email | No Comments »
    Email Marketing Resources
    Sue Schoenfeld by Sue Schoenfeld

    Magazines and newspapers

    If you’re reading this blog, chances are you are proactively trying to improve your email marketing planning, execution and results. While we offer a breadth of information here, we thought it would be useful to also point you to some of our favorite resources to help you stay aware of trends, best practices and new ideas.

    Email Insider
    This frequently updated blog covers a variety of e-mail marketing topics from list building to trends to design, and more.

    Marketing Sherpa
    A remarkable source of case studies, practical guides and research insights. Their Email Marketing Benchmark Guide has achieved iconic status in the industry.

    Email Experience Council
    This is the leading destination for email marketers to get immediate access to the latest thinking, best practices and strategies in email and digital marketing.

    Direct Magazine
    A powerful resource for direct marketing professionals from a veteran editorial team.

    Target Marketing Magazine
    A broad selection of articles on online marketing, from website maintenance and design, email marketing, e-commerce strategies and more.

    Direct Marketing News
    Industry experts talk about everything that’s new  in e-mail marketing, and analyze what trendsetters are doing.

    BtoB Magazine
    Actionable ideas and examples of how to leverage new media like webinars and videos, managing lists and budgets and more.

    Entrepreneur Magazine
    Gail Goodman’s email marketing column offers great insight, tips and advice

    EConsultancy
    EConsultancy’s email marketing section contains informative reports, useful statistics and helpful templates to help digital marketing and ecommerce professionals work smarter.

    Posted on March 1st, 2010 | Category: Email, News Articles | No Comments »
    Stuck in a Rut?
    Gretchen Murcott by Gretchen Murcott

     Going round in circles

    Have your email newsletters become so formulaic and routine that you could do them in your sleep? If that’s the case, you risk putting your readers to sleep. When you send the same thing over and over, your message fades into the background as someone else’s new and exciting efforts catch their eye. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up; here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

    Freshen Up
    Don’t get us wrong: consistency is a key element of branding. But when something always looks the same, it starts to become invisible. If you can’t remember when you launched your current look, maybe it’s time to refresh your newsletter design or even just your color scheme. Experiment with adding new features or call-out boxes to keep things lively.

    Be Seasonal
    Reference what’s going on in your customer’s life - whether it’s a recent snowstorm, a headline from their industry or the fact that they’re planning for their golden years. If your writing and imagery speak to their lives, it will be more relevant and meaningful. Of course it’s hard to do this with a big, diverse mailing list, so here is where smart segmentation can really come into play. 

    Stop Playing Pavlov
    Customers are easily trained. If you continually rotate offers, they’ll catch on - and they won’t bite on the 15% off coupon when they know that 33% off is right around the corner. Remember that the value you add is not just in reducing prices; offer useful content and smart ideas that make their lives easier and you can win sales and loyalty.

    Look beyond the Usual Suspects
    Competitors tend to try to keep up with each other, but that can lead to an entire industry repeating the same messages and tactics. Look beyond your field for new campaign ideas. Think about what your customers’ other interests are and start subscribing to those types of newletters. You might just become the next game-changer in your space!

    Invite Guests
    If you’re writing-weary, invite a guest writer to bring a fresh voice and energy to your newsletter. A new perspective will add excitement and give you a much-needed break. Look to your company’s management, a respected expert in your field or even someone from a partner firm to pen a few thoughts.

    If you are stuck in a rut, let OpenMoves help. We work with clients across a range of industries, countries and customer demographics, so we can always bring a fresh perspective.

    Posted on February 22nd, 2010 | Category: Content Creation, Email, Marketing | No Comments »
    Building a List Growth Strategy
    Amir Chitayat by Amir Chitayat

    Growth Chart

    Is one of your goals for this year to grow your email list? Before you start looking to rent or buy a list, realize that a successful list is not just about size, it’s about engagement. A large list with low activity is worth less than a small, fully engaged file.

    How you source and recruit new subscribers can make a big difference in the value of your email list. There are many ways to grow your list organically; invite people in at every touch-point with your company. Now is the time to put a 360-degree strategy in place. This report from the Email Experience Council lets you measure your list growth strategies against industry benchmark and offers new ideas that you can implement now. View the Report Now

    openpages screen shot

    By clicking the link above, you will view this report in our rich OpenPages format.  Reading typical PDFs leaves much to be desired, especially when they are linked to an email newsletter or your web site. Your customers must have the latest plug-in, and then they have to wait for the document to open.

    OpenPages’ 3D interactive technology allows readers to see and manipulate your PDF brochure, white paper, or article as if it’s a real book or magazine. The interface is so intuitive, users start interacting immediately – they can flip the page, zoom in to read, drag the document for easy reading, and bookmark items of interest, all with one click. Calls to action are clear and inviting, helping to maximize your response rates.

    Enjoy the List Growth Strategy Report, and contact us if you want to turn your PDFs into a better user experience.

    Posted on February 14th, 2010 | Category: Email, List Management, OpenMoves Updates | No Comments »
    Are you Sending Love Letters?
    Rose Lanaro by Rose Lanaro

    Valentine card
    With Valentine’s Day approaching (it’s this coming Sunday in case you forgot!), it’s important to remember that the basic rules of relationships apply to customer relationships as well. As an email marketer, think about how this applies to the emails you’re sending – are they personalized love sonnets or generic prose from the bargain card bin?  Are you in touch with your prospect’s interests and desires, or a two-bit Romeo who says the same line over and over to everyone?  Let’s review some of the basic rules:

    Find out what they like and how often they want it
    Offer choices – one subscriber may want to hear from you weekly, another prefers monthly. One may only want your discount offers, while another may want to read informative content. Provide a menu and you’ll make more people happy more of the time.

    Don’t ask for her number and wait forever to call
    If someone signs up for your newsletter and doesn’t hear from you for a week or two, they’re going to feel unloved. Strike while the iron is hot: set up an autoresponder to send a gentle word or two: “We’re thrilled you want to hear from us. Here’s our latest issue, and we’ll be sending more news soon.”

    Make it personal
    Our relationship is blossoming: you remember my birthday, what I’ve done in the past and you’re getting a good idea of what I might like in the future.  This is where you set yourself apart from other suitors.  By leveraging your database of demographic information, purchase history and website page visits, you can put together a sophisticated personalization program that will make everyone you talk to feel special.

    Baby, don’t go
    Fail at the above, and you may see people walking out on you. Before you let them go, try to find out why they’re leaving – is it bad breath, too frequent communication, or irrelevant offers? Checkboxes and an open-ended comment space on your unsubscribe page can give you insight so you can improve for next time.

    When I say, “Stop Calling Me!” – I mean it!
    Process unsubscribes immediately. Nothing is more irritating than getting a message that it may take 4-6 weeks to “process your unsubscribe request”.  Get the message – when it’s over, it’s over. Keep sending messages after a breakup, and irritation can turn to badmouthing, which hurts your reputation.

    If you need a little coaching in the customer-romancing department, OpenMoves can be your virtual Cyrano de Bergerac (think: Steve Martin in Roxanne). Just contact us and we’ll have you sweeping customers off their feet in no time.

    Posted on February 7th, 2010 | Category: Email, Marketing | No Comments »
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