Using Pre-Headers to Boost Engagement

May 15 2012 by Jeanette Brown

I have been talking a lot about pre-headers recently in my blogs, webinars and live presentations and discovered so many people are using them, they just don’t realize it! So now is the perfect time to review what a pre-header is and how to use it effectively to improve engagement.

Take a look at your most recent email. There should be small text that says something to the effect “Problem viewing this email?” or “Add us to your address book”. This is essentially a pre-header—text that lies above all else in the email, including your banner, and shows up in the email preview screen. This is prime real estate that we are wasting by leaving the message “problem viewing this email?” there. Why? Well, that is a negative statement and readers will see that in their preview screen, which does nothing to entice them to open up the email.

You don’t have to get rid of that statement. You can move it down a line and insert a catchier pre-header, one that complements your subject line. We are limited to 50 characters in the subject line before it gets cut off by most email clients (even smaller for the 30 characters for mobile users), so ensure a clear and engaging message comes across from the minute it appears in their inbox.

Keep in mind the same rules when creating a pre-header as you do with a subject line: Keep it short, use deadlines or savings and make it relative to what is to come in the email.

Now that you know what a pre-header is, go ahead and test it out and watch your opens and click-thru rates grow!

Filed under: Blog, Email Marketing Tips, Engagement, Subject Lines
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eNewsletter World Unconference Recap

May 10 2012 by Alex Leo

Earlier this week I attended my first “unconference” event – Niche Media’s eNewsletter World Unconference in Dallas! This was a great opportunity to talk enewsletter essentials, network with other email marketers, and learn new tips, tricks and tactics for email marketing.

Here are my top takeaways from the event:

Segmentation gives you the best bang for your buck.

If there is anything in your email that you can possibly tweak or change in order to segment your email and better target your message, do it. Targeted, segmented emails will give you the greatest return on investment because their relevant content will speak to readers, encouraging them to take action.

Content is still king (and probably always will be).

Content continues to reign supreme. Your enewsletters need to be providing valuable content, issue after issue. The content you feature can even demonstrate your knowledge, importance and influence in your industry. One presenter shared an example of an email campaign that she worked on with an organization. Her enewsletter, which consistently provided strong content, generated more signups for her organization’s service than a direct sales pitch email. Her content proved that by joining, a member would continue to not only receive the great content they already saw, but even more.

Focus on your call to action.

Yes, action – not actions. If you’re looking for new subscribers, don’t send an email with a link to sign up for your next event, dozens of clickable ads, and then a small line at the bottom asking them to join your enewsletter list! Make your call to action clear and direct readers to your subscription page without distractions before they have time to press the delete button.

Did you attend this conference? What did you think?

Filed under: Blog, Email Marketing Tips, Events, Resources, Segmentation
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Informally…Katie!

May 7 2012 by Tara

Each and every client that joins the Informz family receives step-by-step training by the Client Education and Implementation team before getting to know and work closely with their dedicated eMarketing Advisor.

In this week’s Informally, we’re sitting down with Katie Spina, Client Implementation Coordinator at Informz!

What is your official title and what does your job entail?

I am a Client Implementation Coordinator here at Informz. I am in charge of making sure all accounts are set up properly, including helping clients figure out what they want out of their templates, and organizing the setup of bridges, as well as conducting user training sessions. Basically I am the middle woman between the Informz teams and our clients.

How long have you been with Informz?

I’ve been at Informz for just under 7 months now.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I really enjoy interacting with clients and making sure their transition to Informz is as smooth and pleasant as possible!

Describe your typical work day in three words.

Unexpected, entertaining, educational (for the clients and myself!)

Where is your favorite vacation spot? What do you like most about it?

My grandparents’ farm in upstate New York. When I was growing up, I spent every summer there—it’s full of good memories and love.

What is your favorite lunch food?

Panera’s cheddar and broccoli soup. I could eat it every day!

What has been your favorite concert that you’ve been to so far? Why?

The most memorable concerts I’ve been to have been on the lawn at SPAC. I always see everyone I want to see there—not only musicians but also my friends. I have a dedicated SPAC blanket that is filthy and tie-dyed that I’ve brought to every concert I’ve been to since I was 14 years old!

If you could be a Disney character, which would you most like to be?

Belle from Beauty and the Beast, because she loves reading like I do.

 

Filed under: Blog, Company, Informally
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Become a Content Creation Queen or King

May 1 2012 by Jeanette Brown, MBA

Writers block…we have all been there before. Even as I sit down to write this blog post it takes time to think through what I want to say, and some days it’s better to put it to the side and try again tomorrow.

Our goal as marketers is to engage our readers, but with weekly enewsletters and topics being repeated year after year at the same conference, it is hard to find a new and exciting way to say the same thing; read me!

You are not alone! It is time to look around and find content that can help drive those creative juices. Here are a few tips to follow:

Don’t reinvent the wheel

Find out what other departments are doing or what articles were in your monthly journal. Take this content and repurpose it. Your enewsletter is a place for readers to scan quickly; they rely on you to find the information for them so they don’t have to. So do just that. Go outside of your department or outside of your organization and search for content to showcase. Your subscribers will appreciate the time you took to deliver the most up-to-date news.

Use additional platforms for direction

That’s right, social media can help. When looking for a new spin on the conference marketing email, look to your social followers and find out what questions they have regarding the upcoming conference. Post a survey on Facebook or just a simple status update and encourage followers to respond. Take this insight and create the next email, answering these questions. Not only will you have developed a new spin on the same information, but readers will feel confident in their decision to click that register button.

Look to staff for help

Are you the marketing manager and always the one to create the brochure copy or enewsletter articles? Request the help from a different staff person to provide a draft copy of a marketing email for the same event or topic. Provide them with enough information and see what angle they can come up with. Sometimes people might surprise you.

Repeating what you do year after year results in getting stuck in a rut. Break out and think outside of the box, and watch your engagement grow!

Filed under: Blog, Email Marketing Tips, Engagement, Online Surveys, Social Media
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