Key Email Marketing Alerts for 2006 from MarketingSherpa

The folks at MarketingSherpa.com have published a new, free Executive Summary: 4 Key Email Marketing Alerts for 2006 as a teaser for their for-purchase, "Email Marketing Benchmark Guide 2006." A compendious report with over 310 charts and Eyetracking Heatmaps.

The Summary maintains that Email marketing still represents one of the best direct marketing plays out there but that the level of effort required for success has increased. It's not necessarily a case of out-working the competion as it is out-thinking them.

What does the summary summarize? My take on their 4 Alerts is...

• Alert #1. If your results stink, don't blame the medium, it's probably poor execution.

• Alert #2. Contrary to intuiton, emails with pictures get read more than text only emails. Apparently pictures, even dull ones, invite a level of engagement that plain old text can't match. Caveat: Don't expect your results to skyrocket because you put a pretty picture or 2 in your content. Thoughtful design and layout count more than ever along with strong offers and calls to act.

• Alert #3. New names to your list produce better than old names. Confused by list segmentation? Not sure it's worth the bother? This is a segmentation tactic you can easily sink your teeth into. MarketingSherpa's advice ... create a special introductory offer series of communications to new subscribes that are delivered over the first 60 days that they're on your list.

• Alert #4. To paraphrase General Sherman, "I tell you, filters are hell!" And work place filters are twice as hellacious as at home filters. Educate yourself about constructing messages to avoid tripping filters and scan your bounce lists (see my blog on this topic) to determine who's blocking you en masse and who you might be able to approach with a personal appeal to allow you through the corporate filters.

Download the free Summary here or visit the Sherpa Store if you want to lay out the big bucks for the entire Benchmark Guide.

Thanks for reading,

tom.gray@gemsolv.com
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