News & Events

Responsys Shares Ten Tips for Improving Valentine's Day
Email Marketing Campaigns
Quick email campaign makeovers can boost ROI, drive loyalty, and increase sales

Redwood City, Calif. – February 7, 2007 – As Valentine's Day approaches, email inboxes will once again begin overflowing with promotional emails. And since consumers usually decide whether to open and click on an email in less than five seconds, it's crucial for marketers to cut through the clutter with emails that get noticed.

Responsys, a leading provider of on-demand marketing solutions, offers ten practical tips for marketers looking to get more out of their email campaigns this Valentine's Day.

"Holiday email campaigns typically deliver superior results, especially for retailers," said Barry Stamos, Senior Director, Strategy for Responsys. "Every business should leverage this special time of year to 'share the love.' Whether it's a simple thank you e-card or a customer reward like twenty-percent off, don't miss this timely opportunity to engage your prospects and customers in a 'sweet' email experience."

"Regardless of how businesses reach out to their audiences this Valentine's Day, there is always room to improve on the basics," said Julian Scott, Creative Director for Responsys. "By following a few simple tips and best practices, marketers can make over even the most simple email campaigns to build brand consistency, improve ROI, increase customer loyalty, and significantly boost conversions."

Below are proven strategies and tactics for improving your Valentine's Day email campaigns this year:

1. The "from" address is the first thing people see. Make sure your company's name prominently appears in the "from" address. And never use a generic "from" address that includes vague alias like mail@emailsender.com. Instead, try ValentinesDayNewsletter@yourbrand.com.
2. The subject line is the most important element of your campaign — because it either gets people to open your email or delete it. Always feature your company's name in the subject line — this can increase open rates by 5% or more — and make sure subject line text is catchy, specific, and actionable. But keep it short: 6 words or less (or less than 50 characters).
3. Now that your customers have opened your email, the next thing to think about is what they see above the fold. Make sure your image begins 300-500 pixels from the top of the view to grab the viewer's attention, and put your logo in the upper left. Keep email width to 500-600 pixels, or it will run off the page.
4. Put your dominant call-to-action above the fold, such as "Order online within the next 48 hours for free shipping." If the action is a button, make sure to offer a text link as well. When a customer opens an email they need to be able to immediately answer: Who is this from? What's in it for me? and What action is requested?
5. Repeat a call to action multiple times including at the end of each content section, offering buttons and text links throughout the email. Not doing so is one of the biggest mistakes you can make — because only 50% of your customers actually read to the end of the email, and oftentimes there is nowhere to go from there. Don't let this happen.
6. Give your viewers options. The primary offer may not interest them, no matter how well you've segmented the campaign. Provide links for more information and related content, not just the current promotion. The inclusion of a simple call-to-action, such as "Don't see what you want? Visit us online at www.yourbrand.com", might just be the safety net you need to entice them to click.
7. Go easy on the pictures. Colorful, graphical content is great, but remember some people's email programs block graphics, so make sure there is text above the fold with a call to action and related text actions sprinkled throughout. Use animations sparingly.
8. When it comes to the text, avoid abstract ideas or long sentences. Be brief and direct. Make sure you spend as much time on the creative text of your email campaigns as you do for all marketing campaigns. Remember, you're using email to communicate your brand, not just a special offer.
9. Design text-only emails for AOL users and other subscribers that can't view HTML emails. Even if only 5% of your users are in this category, don't neglect them.
10. Always include a footer with your company contact information, a button to update their personal information, a link to your privacy policy, and a clear opt-out mechanism (don't try to hide it, and always honor opt outs within ten days).

About Responsys
Responsys is a leading global provider of on-demand marketing solutions that empower businesses to market more effectively through email, direct mail, and mobile channels. Since 1998, Responsys hosted solutions have served as proven alternatives to expensive, on-premise marketing software, helping companies across industries improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability of global marketing operations. Responsys leverages proven methodologies, current best practices, and open technology to offer marketer-centric products and services designed to drive the fastest return on investment (ROI) in the marketing industry. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, Responsys is trusted by leading brands such as 24 Hour Fitness, Apple, Avis Europe, Continental Airlines, Deutsche Lufthansa, Intrawest, Lands' End, PETCO, and Salesforce.com. Responsys is recognized as a market category leader by Forrester Research and JupiterResearch in their most recent evaluations.

Responsys®, Responsys Interact®, Individualized Lifecycle Marketing™ and Engage at Every Stage™ are trademarks of Responsys Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Media Contacts
Kimberly Canedo
Responsys
Tel: (650) 745-1720