SUBSCRIBERS RULE!

Inbox Insanity: The Future of Email

After three weeks on the road at conferences (OMS and eec) and speaking engagements (MIMA), it’s good to be back home — and back behind the SR! blog machine.  All the travel has provided ample fuel for thought which I hope to share at least somewhat coherently here one the pages of SUBSCRIBERS RULE!.

Today, I want to start by sharing the deck from my Wednesday morning presentation to MIMA.  I don’t know what they put in the water up there in Minnesota, but it makes for an amazingly interactive crowd for 8:00AM in the morning.  Seriously — if your regional interactive marketing association is looking for inspiration, look no further than MIMA.  They have built something special up there.

But I digress…MIMA was kind enough to invite me to do a presentation called, “Inbox Insanity: The Future of Email.”  For longtime readers of SR!, you’ll recognize the title as being partly drawn from a post I wrote back in October 2008 called “Inbox Insanity or Why 23 May Be Enough.”

The thesis of the presentation is pretty simple: the future of marketing is the future of email marketing.  I base this on the following observations:

• Social media is not new.
• Every communication advance over the past 15 million years yielded a new “social” media.
• Email is a social media — indeed, it is the most utilized social media in the world.
• The social media explosion has led to inbox fragmentation.
• As a result, I have over 23 inboxes that I check with varying regularity (email, VM, FB, Twitter, etc.).
• This inbox explosion is not sustainable because time is a precious resource.
• Therefore, consolidation of multimedia messaging into a single dashboard is quite likely.
• In a way, such”dashboards” already exist — just look at the iPhone or Yahoo’s  beta Social Inbox where email, VM, SMS, IM, and social updates commingle.
• The social inbox gives consumers more control and marketers less control (if they ever had it).
• Accordingly, marketing communications increasingly exist by consumer invitation.
• And all such invitations are easily revoked.
• As a result, all marketing is increasingly going to be governed by the same consumer attitude that surrounds email marketing today — namely, if you send something irrelevant, unrequested or untimely, you will be considered a spammer.
• Therefore, all marketers would be wise to embrace the SR! philosophy regardless of the medium in which they work.

For an outside perspective on my presentation, check out Interactive Snack’s overview of the session.

While I probably raised more questions than I answered, I think that’s probably a good thing.  We all need to distrust anyone who says they have the answers right now.  We don’t live in a period of answers — we live in a time of creative destruction, rapid evolution, and downright confusion.

Through it all, however, there is one thing of which I am sure.  Making your marketing communications more relevant, timely, and personal — regardless of medium — can only improve your results.

Thanks again to the great folks I met up in Minneapolis.  I hope to be back soon with more things to ponder (and yes, perhaps a few answers too!).

10 Email Marketing Lessons from Coldplay

Viva La Vida from Coldplay

Back in May, I wrote a post over on the ExactTarget blog about Coldplay’s email strategy for their new album Viva La Vida.

Now comes a great blog post from Nick Crocker, a digital music marketer down in Australia, who offers up his analysis of the Ten Things We Can Learn From Coldplay’s Email Marketing.

While it is hard to argue with Coldplay’s sales success, Nick does a great job of offering some very valid and constructive criticism of certain elements of Coldplay’s efforts — such as the delay in sending a follow-up email upon registration and the inclusion of ridiculously large links.  He also hit on the biggest miss of the program — Coldplay’s failure to offer a pre-order link in their initial email to subscribers.

My favorite of his “Top Ten,” however, has to be #6:

Remember, it’s about them, not you. Since the download, 70% of the calls to action within Coldplay’s emails outlined what fans could do for the band.  Only 30% related to Coldplay doing something for fans.  Email marketing, like a friendship, works best when the exchange is 50/50.  When you give people more value, you increase the chances they will talk positively about you to others.

Apparently, SUBSCRIBERS RULE! even down under.

Reading Is Soooo Overrated!

As Jeff mentioned in an earlier post, I recently worked with the folks over at Ball State Univerity’s Center for Media Design on a paper outlining personal and marketing communication preferences of 6 commonly targeted groups. It is always interesting to follow the coverage after releasing a major piece of research like this and to see how different people choose to cover it. Here is a short list of the more entertaining coverage we have received:

• “According to research conducted in part by Ball State University’s Center for Media Design…” No mention of ExactTarget on this one. But of course, this was a pick up by a competitor. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
• “… from an ExactTarget-sponsored survey conducted by the Ball State University Center for Media Design.” I must admit, the two paragraphs on page 3 of the whitepaper about the methodology was a little on the dry side. But really, this was a collaborative project where they did some work and we did some work. We even had phone calls and stuff to compare notes, combine findings, and talk about which findings would be the most relevant to marketers.
  

  If I got credit for David Daniel's work!

• “A recent survey conducted by JupiterResearch for ExactTarget suggested that the 18 to 34 age group is more likely to be influenced by email marketing than…” Now how in the world did David Daniels work his way into this one? David does fantastic work and I enjoy hanging out with him at industry events, but c’mon. Wait, that gives me an idea…
• And this from a UK, “It might be worth noting at this point that ExactTarget are an email marketing company, but they did have the academics at the unfortunately-initialled BS University to back them up.” Gotta hand it to the Brits on that one… funny! That said, it is too easy to dismiss research because it was conducted in part by a email marketing company. The goal was not to prove email superior, it was to find the channels most appropriate for different types of communications. There is a clear shift toward social networks and SMS among younger demographics. Our research supports that, but we also found that assuming that subscribers want companies intruding into these mediums is simply wrong. Marketers must be delicate in their approach to these mediums.
• And my favorite from a company specializing in SMS, “I’d rather you text me!”

Perfect! That is what this is all about… preferences! Some people would rather you text them, others may want you to post to their wall on Facebook. But there is a huge problem we came across: it’s nearly impossible to predict! It is truly a matter of individual choice. Emerging channels–especially social networks and text messaging–are highly personal channels that the majority of people feel are off limits to marketers for one-to-one messaging. Banner advertising, okay. Fan sites, great! Promotional messaging, not so much.

To get the full scoop, download the paper and read it. If you really don’t have the time, let me point out the 3 key take aways: 1) Traditional direct marketing channels such as email and direct mail are not going anywhere. They are the foundation of direct marketing communications for all commonly targeted demographics. 2) For those subscribers heavy into SMS and social networks, it is nearly impossible to determine based on demographics alone what channel people prefer for promotional messages–so we need to ask. 3) Try emerging channels such as SMS and social networks, but take time to understand what subscribers expect through these channels and make sure you take permission very seriously. If you don’t, your subscribers will cease to be subscribers for long.

Welcome Morgan Stewart!

It’s my pleasure to welcome Morgan Stewart, ExactTarget’s Director of Research & Strategy, to the SR! blogger fold.  Be sure to check out his killer bio — it’s could go down as one of the greatest of all time.

I mean who amongst us has had a horrible, Ferris Bueller, B-movie knock-off abscond with our identity?  I didn’t think so.  Point, Mr. Stewart — and welcome to the SR! fold.

Recap Video from Connections ‘08

As previously mentioned in these hallowed pages, Connections ‘08 was a blast.  Thanks to everyone who attended & made the event so memorable.  It’s not often you get a chance to throw a party and invite 1K+ of your closest friends.

That said, we plan to do it all again next year at Connections ‘09!  So mark your calendars, and bide your time until next year by watching our Connections ‘08 Recap Video below.  Enjoy!

Interview with Chris Baggott of Compendium Blogware

As a co-founder of ExactTarget, Chris Baggott has long had a passion for permission-based email marketing.  In his latest venture as founder and CEO of Compendium Blogware, he has channeled his energies into making the world of corporate blogging a far less intimidating and a far more engaging place for companies of all sizes.

We caught up with Chris at Connections ‘08, and he shared his thoughts on the SUBSCRIBERS RULE! philosophy, how SR! relates to blogging, and why he may yet be the recipient of a restraining order from one Seth Godin (I kid, I kid!).

p.s. And yes, we have learned our lesson not to shoot interviews with blindingly bright monitors in the background. 

Zen Email Marketing - “Not Two”

While addressing ExactTarget’s Agency Partner Summit at Connections last week, author Steve Yastow did something unexpected.  He dropped a little Zen knowledge on the assembled throng by explaining how the concept of “not one, not two” relates to today’s marketing environment.

According to the practitioners of Zen Buddhism:

“Not one” means that we cannot ignore differences among individuals. Each of us is unique and that’s what gives life its texture and richness. “Not two” acknowledges the unity of everything in its essential nature. The experience of unity expands our awareness and capacity for love. (Beliefnet)

In today’s marketing environment, Steve argues, we would be well advised to reflect on “not one, not two” to better understand and nurture our relationships with customers and prospects alike.  On one hand, we are individuals with unique needs and interests.  On the other, however, when we choose to interact, we create a “not two” entity — a third entity if you like — that exists solely because of our decision to connect with one another.

Whether that third entity — our relationship — is successful depends on a variety of factors.  However, one thing is certain; it will not thrive if we view it solely from the standpoint of purely selfish needs.  Steve suggestion?  Chant “not two” if you must while focusing on what connects you to your customer, and what’s truly important to the relationship will become clear.

Personally, I believe a great many email marketers could benefit from this “not two” exercise.  Too often, whether due to deadlines, staffing issues or business priorities, our email marketing efforts are left to focus on our selfish needs first.  While this may yield short-term results, it also prevents us from evolving one-off customer transactions into long-term customer relationships — relationships that ultimately prove more profitable for everyone involved.

For more insight on how to get to the “we” relationship that email marketing affords, be sure to check out Steve’s book, “We — The Ideal Customer Relationship,” as well as his blog at www.yastrow.com.

For more on Zen Buddhist philosophy, here’s an  overview from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  Be warned - the contents may make your head throb with meta-physical pain enough for not one, but two, people.