The email industry has been around for more than a decade.  In that time, industry leaders have done a great job of creating best practices for marketers to follow to ensure the success of their email marketing campaigns.  It’s amazing to me, then, that so many email bad emails continue to be sent.

In my inbox today, I’ve received three emails from one marketer, two emails that showed nothing but an ad above the fold, and a daily email that I really only want to receive once a week.

I know that we can do better than this.  As a first step to getting us on track, I have created a list of offensive emails.  Do you see your emails on this list?

To find out the 7 emails you shouldn’t be sending, click here.

For more information about the best practices for sending your emails, please contact Delivra today and we can help!

Carissa Newton | Marketing

It is important to stand out and grab viewers when sending out email.  BtoB Magazine recently released an article on a research study by Salted Services explaining how fast users can delete email and how a good email marketing campaign can put a stop to this.  It states that more than 50% of email recipients delete messages within two seconds, but when using a top email marketer 77% of recipients are spending more than 10 seconds reading an email. Click here to read the article and find out ways to improve your own email campaign!

Patrick Love | Marketing

The John Caples International Awards honors the best in direct and interactive marketing around the world.  It was founded in 1978 by Andi Emerson, a direct marketing pioneer, in order to honor well-recognized copywriter John Caples.

The Awards are open to any agency, client or individual involved in direct marketing and relationship marketing communication throughout the world.

For more information on the details of entering and what category may be the best fit, please click here!

This is the third installment in my summer book series.

Selling the Invisible, Harry Beckwith’s field guide to modern marketing, has been on my book shelf for over a decade. It’s where I go to find fresh ideas for energizing day-to-day operations. It’s a treasury of hundreds of quick, practical, easy-to-read strategies – few are more than one page long.

Here’s an example, “Don’t plan your future, plan your people. Outstanding people who fit your basic broad vision will tend to make the right decisions along the way, not by following a plan, but by using their skill.”

And another, “Rather than hide your weaknesses, admit them. That will make you look honest and trustworthy – a key to selling a service. Tell the truth. Even if it hurts, it will help.”

Yet one more, “Don’t assume that logical pricing is smart pricing. Maybe your price, which makes you look like a good value, actually makes you look second rate.”

You can’t touch, hear or see services. So how do you develop and make them grow?  Harry provides answers to these fundamental questions.

“A must read for anyone in a service business – which is everyone in business.” Rodger Dow, VP Marriott International.

“The one book on marketing I’d have if I could have just one. A CLASSIC.” Harvey Mackay , author

Neil Berman | President & CEO

For those of us that have not been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably witnessed the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, where Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Ron White (my personal favorite), and Larry the Cable Guy put on a comedy act that has entertained the masses.  One of the more infamous segments of their act is the “You might be a redneck if…” piece.

If you have, you’ll recognize my spin off: You might need an email makeover if…

• You do not have a strong call to action in the email telling your readers the next step you’d like them to take.  A strong call to action should be placed in the email subject line that also shows up in the preview pane.  In the content of the email, there should also be a hyperlink to the call of action.
• You are using too many pictures and not enough text.  Sometimes all your pictures won’t load and you want to make sure people aren’t losing the message because they can’t see all of it.  Put enough words in your content so that people can understand the message without the pictures!
• You haven’t considered how it looks on mobile devices.  Many people are checking their email on mobile devices, so shouldn’t you be considering how your emails look to them?
• You haven’t inserted social media links into your email marketing campaign. So many people are involved in the social media world, you want to make sure you give them the opportunity to share your emails or parts of your emails to their followers and friends.

So, I have to ask…are you guilty of making some of these email marketing mistakes?  If so, DON’T PANIC!  Delivra can help!

Lucky for you, Delivra has launched its first ever Extreme Email Makeover Contest and you still have time to participate because the contest doesn’t close until July 31st.  That gives you plenty of time to upload your email designs.

Don’t forget what you could win! If the winner is a current client of Delivra, they will receive a custom made, sophisticated email template placed into their established account for use in future mailings.  If the winner is not a Delivra client, they will receive one custom designed email template, one hour of email strategy consultation, access to Delivra 101 and 201, and a 90 day trial account.

So, don’t be embarrassed if you have a terrible email design, enter it in the Delivra Extreme Email Makeover Contest and save yourself!

Lavon Temple | Marketing

It’s very important to use design elements – such as color, art, logos, etc. – to make visual connection between your Web site and your e-mail.  When you sign up e-mail list members on your Web site, you want the e-mail to be an extension of the site that your customers recognize.  If there is a disconnect because the e-mail doesn’t look like the Web site, your subscribers may think your e-mail is spam.

Conversely, when you send out e-mails with a call to action that takes recipients back to a landing page, you don’t want to confuse those readers by sending them to a Web site that doesn’t look like the company you portray in your e-mail.

To read more of the BtoB Magazine article, Should my e-mail design match my Web site?, click here!

If you could use some guidance in figuring out the best way to make your e-mail design look more like your Web site, then call Delivra today at 866-915-9465 . We’re here to help and look forward to assisting you in your email marketing efforts!

Carissa Newton | Director of Marketing

Every company likes to get referrals.  When a customer or friend recommends your product or service, the sales process is streamlined and the close ratio goes way up.  Referrals lead to longer term customers that have a higher lifetime customer value.

I just finished reading “The Referral Engine” by John Jantsch, also author of  “Duct Tape Marketing.” In the first book, Jantsch discusses how referring is instinctive for most people and shows businesses how to tap into this desire.

To read more of the MediaPost article about “Tapping Into The Referral Instinct”, click here!

To find out more about Delivra and email marketing, please click here!

I’m very excited to announce we have been recognized as one of the 2010 Indiana Companies to Watch, an awards program presented by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Center network, Purdue University and the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Forty-one companies from Indiana have been recognized as outstanding second-stage companies and will be honored during the third annual Indiana Companies to Watch awards program, held on Aug. 26 in Indianapolis.

Delivra is among 41 companies recognized in 2010. Click here to read more…

Carissa Newton | Marketing

In an earlier blog post, we announced the winners of the Infuse Initiative, a business grant program.  In the next couple of blog posts, we’d like to take the time to introduce the winners in more detail for those of you interested in learning more about them!

Today’s blog post is highlighting the Indianapolis Early Learning Center, this year’s non-profit Infuse Initiative winner.  Indianapolis Early Learning Center, located at 3901 West 30th Street, Indianapolis, is a non-profit preschool that invests in a successful future for all preschool-age children, regardless of their socioeconomic status.  The school accomplishes this by ensuring that all families have access to the best early childhood education programs to prepare their children for school and for life.

The Infuse Initiative business grant also provides them with pro-bono marketing, technology, accounting, legal and sales training services.  Delivra will provide the Indianapolis Early Learning Center a free email software subscription, professional services and technical support for one year to improve their email marketing efforts.

Amanda Byrd

“Recently, I was able to attend the event announcing and congratulating the winners of the Infuse Initiative.  I had the opportunity to sit next to Amanda Byrd, the Founder & Executive Director of the preschool.  She seemed extremely grateful to be receiving the award and has big plans for the future and I can’t wait to see what she does!” said Lavon Temple, Marketing Intern at Delivra.

Stay tuned to the Delivra blog for more information on the other Infuse Initiative winner – Professional Conventions & Meetings.

Also, keep a look out for more news as we eventually share a case study and more details on how the Delivra and Indianapolis Early Learning Center teams were able to work together in order to improve their email marketing efforts.

Here is how the story goes: An excited marketer begins an e-mail marketing program anticipating a large list of engaged subscribers.  She sends off e-mail after e-mail.  Then reality hits.  Her unsubscribe rates skyrocket and she is left bewildered and asking why.

The answer is simple: She forgot the subscriber.

To read more of this BtoB Magazine article, click here!

For further information about the best ways to honor an email recipients’ preferences, contact Delivra today!

Carissa Newton | Director of Marketing