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One to One Marketing is My Kung Fu - and It is Strong (Thanks to Landing Pages)

Friday, August 14, 2009 by Bob Ullery
One to One Marketing Kung Fu with Landing PagesHey all. Today I'll be discussing how to strengthen your e-commerce kung-fu by utilizing ExactTarget's Landing Page technology.

As you might have realized from browsing some of the other posts on our blog, targeted email marketing is only part of the story. A question to ponder is: 'Why personalize a customer's email only to send them to a non-personalized web page?'.

There often seems to be a disconnect in the minds of marketers when it comes to the partnership between email and their website. If you harness the power of one to one marketing for email shouldn't your website also present content to the user in a one to one manner? You've taken meticulous care to present precise product offerings in your email (driven by analytic data, purchase data, engagement data, etc), but when a subscriber clicks through they're shown the same content as everyone else. What?

The gap is apparent, but the remedy isn't always so easy. Each site is unique in both hardware and software, and implementing a true one to one strategy with customized content isn't always an option. There could be high development costs or long production runs associated with integrating this strategy into your current site.

But what if there was a middleware that could be skinned to look exactly like your site and could serve customized content as a stand-alone page or be embedded into your existing pages? Obviously there is or I wouldn't be writing about it:

Enter ExactTarget Landing Pages.

Landing pages are an easy way to spin up dynamic behavioral and/or profile driven web pages tailored to the individual. Often these can be spun up by marketers without involving their IT crew, and since they function as middleware you can consider them platform agnostic.

They can leverage the same Dynamic Content and AMPScript driven content areas that you already use in your emails, including those pre-created and stored in the system. You can even drag and drop them into the page when creating it just like when you create your emails in ExactTarget.

There's also a new(er) Smart Capture tool designed specifically for landing pages. With it, you can easily create forms that talk directly to your ExactTarget data, and optionally, your Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Salesforce.com data as well. You can visually create forms that add users to lists, send triggered emails, modify data extensions, and many other tasks. All of the HTML and required AMPScript is generated for you. All you have to do is drag and drop it into your page.

Landing pages can harness ExactTarget Live Content including Live Offers. With Live Offers, you can serve generic or subscriber specific promotional codes AND track the redemption of those codes so that they can/can't be shared or expire after a certain time.

ExactTarget has a productized Google Ad Manager integration that can also be leveraged within landing pages as well. Integrations like this help bridge the gap between your real site and your landing pages. You could show the same ads on your landing pages that you do on your site, simply by dragging them in, while your impression and click tracking stays intact. This integration can even show different ads based on profile attributes. Talk about a value ad to your advertisers! Real targeting!

Landing Pages as Mini-Apps

The beauty behind landing pages is that the entire ExactTarget platform is at your disposal. Think of a landing page as a mini application that can do almost anything that you can manually do in the system. Not only can you customize layout and content on-the-fly based on who the subscriber is, but using AMPScript and data extensions you could:
  • Create an out-of-stock reminder system
  • Interact with a user using SMS and/or Voice
  • Create a CMS application
  • Create a shopping cart with checkout system
  • Develop a user commenting system
Use your imagination. Literally, you could build nearly anything that you could on your own server. Data extensions are the databases and AMPScript is the programming language. Programs are the cron jobs that run your interactions.

Flexibility

The true power behind landing pages is that they can stand alone or be embedded via an iframe into your current site. I've even created AMPScript-only landing pages that I'll ping via ajax to do some processing for me and are completely hidden to everyone else. It's a way other than our API to do some really robust tasks and is useful when used client-side.

FYI, I built the ExactTarget Extensions Network entirely on Landing Pages.

Kung Fu Landing PagesKung Fu
Like I said in the title of this post 'One to One Marketing is My Kung Fu - and It is Strong'. Now your Kung Fu can be strong too by using landing pages to bridge the gap between your emails and website to reach true one to one marketing nirvana.

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Follow me on Twitter: @bobbr

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“This is Your Captain Speaking” Voice Marketing Campaigns

Thursday, August 13, 2009 by Kyle Schroeder

ExactTarget has a great tool incorporated into their powerful email marketing software that features voice messaging.

From promotional messages to appointment reminders, emergency notifications to direct marketing campaign follow-ups, Voice has emerged as a powerful addition to your one-to-one communication arsenal. 

So as an airline, I might want to create a promotional campaign that pulls in the “pilot of the year”. A message could be recorded from him that encourages all the passengers that flew last year around the holidays to book their flights early. By using the code this message provides, the customer could receive a 15% discount.

The delivery and personalization of this message is unlike a TV commercial or flyer in the mail. It’s a direct message that is targeted toward previous customers.

There are also powerful tracking reports that can be generated with these campaigns. Comprehensive data tracking—including actual call receipt, ideal call times, number and duration of received calls, and call-to-action transfers—are recorded for your analysis.  

The Tennis Championships that were held in Indianapolis this summer chose to use ExactTarget to use voice to connect with fans.

Have you considered incorporating the power of voice into your one-to-one marketing campaign?

Kyle Schroeder

Slingshot Summer Intern

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How Can Creative Approaches Be Applied to Lead Acquisition and Engagement Techniques to Garner Prospect Attention?

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 by Angela Khan
When considering fresh approaches in B2B marketing, I always advise looking at who constitutes your audience and who makes the final purchasing decision. It makes logical sense to target the users of the product or service you’re selling, but you also have to consider the individuals who will be supporting or maintaining that product or service. For many organizations, this is usually the architecture or IT department—particularly in software. Whether you’re selling an HRIS system, a CRM system, or you’re getting a reseller or partner involved in an integration, the IT group will always determine reasons why—or why NOT—to buy your product or service. In fact, a recent report from Forrester (Survey Data Shows Enterprise Architects Are Gatekeepers of Technology Acquisitions; July 13, 2009) showed that in most enterprises, chief architects have a strong influence in most—if not all—technology purchase decisions.

Forrester Report

So try appealing to the IT group from the start by incorporating these ideas into your next newsletter or prospecting send:

1. The most highly anticipated feature from a 2009 ExactTarget release was Social Forward. Why not create a technology-centric blog page, Twitter page, and/or Facebook page to engage in tech talk? Technology folks love talking about code on social networks. Prove you’ve got what it takes to support an organization’s technology group with smooth sailing integrations—and more.

2. Flaunt your ROI through the power of application performance. ExactTarget sends billions of messages per month on behalf of subscribers—and we’re proud of it! Without telling the world the intricacies of your application architecture, you can convey what’s needed to build confidence in your products and services right out of the gate. Consider including an ROI calculator. Akamai has a great one on their site:

Akamia ROI Calculator

But what if you don’t sell software? Perhaps you’re offering packaged goods, a service, or some other tangible product. No matter what you’re selling, think about how your product saves your users’ money. Maybe you’ve packaged your product more effectively to improve shelf space, and that knowledge will appeal to the operations team’s bottom line. Find out the person within the organization who benefits the most from your product, and appeal to him or her from the start. More money left in your customer’s pocket means more money in yours.

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Email Marketing Tip of the Week: Double Check Everything Before Hitting Send

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 by Megan Sabine
Sending Marketing EmailsWe've all been there. You have a deadline that is 10 minutes away, but you are still working on the creative. 9 minutes and 30 seconds later you are miraculously done with the email creative in time and you send it out into the world. A big sigh of relief, and then the sudden feel of dread. Did you remember to change the link, update the copy in the third paragraph, and update the subject line?

Last week I received a few emails with common mistakes. Whether it was a misspelling in the headline or they left a word out in the subject line, I sympathize with the person who hit send on that email newsletter.  Every email marketer has been there at one point, and if they haven’t – they will be.

When we (the email marketers of the world) spend endless hours with a communication, we are more likely to see what should be there instead of what is really there. And there is nothing more frustrating than spending that time with an email communication and something being off – even if we are the only ones who notice it.

So the next time you’re about to hit send on an email communication, check the links one more time and read the copy just one more time before you hit send and your work of art is out in the world. I’ve also been known to ask anyone who happens to be walking by my desk to read over it once before I hit send to get another set of eyes on it, you know someone who hasn’t been looking at the html of the email for the last 4 hours straight.

I may (or may not) have been the victim of not double checking everything in the past, but I can tell you that I triple check everything now. So be sure to check things twice before you hit the send button. Not only will you no longer feverishly check everything after you've hit send hoping you didn't forget anything, your subscribers will appreciate the extra effort.

For more tips on creating great one to one marketing emails, check out Email Marketing Design: The New Essentials.
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Capturing Offline Audiences Using Landing Pages

Friday, August 7, 2009 by Kristeen Hudson

Landing PagesTypically landing pages are used in embedded links within an email, once an online ad is clicked, or in search engine results. All of these are great uses for landing pages, but landing pages can also be used to get users engaged from offline.  One market that could really take advantage of their offline audience is the entertainment industry. There are many industries that have a large offline following such as television networks, newspapers, and radio. All these industries have to do is direct their audience to a short landing page URL and give them some incentive to go to that landing page.

By creating landing pages, and directing their audience to them, these companies will see many benefits. They can get their audience captured online by having them sign up for an email marketing campaign. The landing page can generate more search engine traffic to their website. They can also easily change the content of their landing pages to correspond with their current email marketing campaign.

ExactTarget offers a great landing pages tool that allows marketers to create dynamic content on the fly. The landing page tool allows for even more customizability than the sophisticated targeted email software. If you would like to know more about simplified landing pages from ExactTarget check out the products page.

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One-to-One Communication of Department Store Sales

Thursday, August 6, 2009 by Kyle Schroeder

I was walking through a department store here in downtown Indianapolis the other day when I noticed a giant rack of clothes that were all discounted 75%. That is a good price, especially when many of these were originally priced at $50-$75 each.

Then, I started to think about how one would know about a sale like this. Maybe they have a mailing list they send to. Maybe they do send emails to their subscribers. But, I wonder if they have considered sending out text messages to their shoppers.

Especially since I work just five minutes from where the store is, a text message update that would alert me when a department store that I like to shop at has a two or three day sale on clothes could be really effective. I might consider stopping in during lunch, when I wouldn’t have regularly done so otherwise.

ExactTarget has a powerful email marketing software that allows companies to effectively target their audience through 1 to 1 marketing. Part of this platform includes a SMS text message marketing component that can power effective campaigns like I suggest above.

 

Kyle Schroeder

Slingshot Summer Intern


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Email Use Continues to Dominate Online Activity. More Evidence of Why Email Marketing is the Backbone of One-to-One Marketing

Wednesday, August 5, 2009 by Joel Book

According to an article on Mashable.com by Adam Ostrow, a new report from Forrester Research shows the number of U.S. adults who use email on a monthly basis is pegged at 165.4 million. 

 

By comparison, social networking users have doubled since 2007. There are 55.6 million adults (about 1/3rd of the U.S. population) that visit a social networking site at least once a month (up 15% from 2007 to 18% in 2009). 54.3 million adults use SMS for instant messaging (unchanged from 2008) and 37.1 million read blogs (unchanged from 2008).

 

Trended Online Activities Show Continued Growth - Forrester Research

 

What this Means for Marketers

While email has solidified its reputation as the backbone of one-to-one marketing, I see more and more brands like Dreamfields Pasta, Papa John’s, Carharrt, and Powell’s Books using Email + Social Media to build communities of vocal and influential “brand fans.” This integrated approach is enabling brands to leverage the combined power of social networking and direct marketing to develop and retain customers.

Using email marketing software to deliver relevant and useful information to customers is smart. But, using tools like Social Forward to make it easy for email subscribers to share email content directly with friends and colleagues on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and many other online communities is one of the best things you can do to accelerate the performance of your email marketing program.

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Consumers' Most Valued Emails

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by Morgan Stewart
Transactional confirmations are the most valuable emails to consumers according to data released by Borrell Associates Inc. and Merkle Inc. The data was shared in a feature article today on Internet Retailer called Hitting the inbox with valuable e-mail.

The most valuable emails

Yesterday, my colleague Megan Duckworth shared some thoughts on the upsell and cross-sell opportunities inherent in transactional messaging, along with some stats shared by an ExactTarget client.

Why do these messages work so well? Because unlike traditional newsletters or promotional mailings, they are not disposable. When sending transactional messages like order confirmations or shipping notices, you can be pretty sure your customers will open and see these messages. As Megan shared, don't miss this marketing opportunity.

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ExactTarget 2009 SUBSCRIBERS RULE! Awards – Nominations Now Accepted!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by Chip House

Each year at the ExactTarget Connections conference we give out awards to our clients that have demonstrated some of the best programs, designs, list growth and results of the year. This year is no different…but there is a new twist. This year we’re launching the SUBSCRIBERS RULE! Awards.
SR Award
There are 5 key awards and 3 grand prizes that go to those programs that best honor the three main tenets of our SR! philosophy:

1. Serve the individual.
2. Honor their unique preferences for communication, content, frequency and channel.
3. Deliver them timely, relevant content that improves their lives
 

If you are an ExactTarget client or partner you can now nominate yourself, or another program online. Nominations are only open until Friday, September 4th so please start those wheels turning now.

Submit nominations here!
Award Categories are:

Communication & Content Relevance Award
Do you design your content around subscriber preferences? This award focuses on customers that have shown big improvements in subscriber relevancy by designing emails to match subscriber preferences. Of course design and metrics matter here!

Behavior & Data Relevance Award
This award is for marketers that have really done a great job integrating and leveraging data from multiple sources (CRM, analytics, POS) in a way that results in more individualized communications through ExactTarget.

Channel Preference Award
Honoring your subscribers’ channel preferences to receive email via email, SMS, voice or other channels? If so, this award is for you!  Nominees must have used at least two messaging channels and will be judged on demonstrated customer retention or lift in response.

Permission-based List Growth Award
The best marketing lists are grown subscriber by subscriber while honoring permission. If you are an ExactTarget customer using unique, permission-based list capture strategies that have shown big improvements in list growth or response rates then we want to hear from you!

Improving Lives Award
Who says email can’t change lives? Many of our customers in non-profit and profit sectors help others every day. This award is for a customer with the most inspirational story of how their one-to-one marketing efforts are improving the lives of their customers.

Grand Prizes:

Reseller Partner of the Year Award
From beginning to end this ExactTarget Reseller demonstrates excellence in email marketing strategy, design, integration, execution and client success all while honoring the tenets Subscribers Rule!

Embedded Partner of the Year
A number of companies have embedded ExactTarget into their software application. This award is for the best embedded solution that honors Subscribers Rule!

Email Program of the Year Award
This award will simply go to the best of the best. The grand prize winner of the SR! Awards 2009 will be the best overall email marketing program that honors the tenets of Subscribers Rule from start to finish. That includes solid strategy, data management, creative, use of dynamic content and targeting, integration, and results!

One thing is for sure…we’ll have a great time giving out the awards this year. ExactTarget customers never disappoint. There are always some amazing programs shown off at these awards and I’m sure this year will be no different!
 

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Weather Delays, Travel, & SMS Notices

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by Kyle Schroeder

I hate it when events get rained out or planes get delayed because of bad weather. What’s even worse is when I drive all the way there and don’t find out about the delay until I’ve already wasted an hour of driving and $10 in gas money.

Those in the travel industry have a real opportunity to take advantage of the power of SMS campaigns to connect with their customers in a relevant way. From weather updates to checking frequent flyer mile balances, SMS campaigns can be a way to cut through the clutter and build a subscriber database that is engaged.  

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra uses ET’s SMS campaigns to notify ticket holders of changes in events and to allow audience members the chance to vote on the final song of the night. Airport & Plane

Airlines could update travelers on ticket information, boarding times, and weather delays.

I know that when I travel, I take my cell phone (but, honestly, I take it everywhere). To be engaged with text message updates with relevant information can come in handy alongside of a powerful email marketing software, such as the one ExactTarget has to offer.

 

Kyle Schroeder

Slingshot Summer Intern
 

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Retailers: Don’t Miss a Marketing Opportunity with Transactional Messages

Monday, August 3, 2009 by Kevin Nuest
By: Megan Duckworth

While seemingly simple and straight-forward, transactional emails can serve as one of the most critical opportunities that retailers have to market to their customers. Unfortunately, transactional email are all too often go over-looked. These emails are able to assist in building the relationship and engagement level of customers by providing them when additional products and services that are relevant to them. Subscribers reading your transactional emails are already engaged and have giving you permissions to put your products in front of them. Don’t waste this opportunity.

Something as simple as suggesting a complementary product in an order confirmation email, or promoting a new sale during a newsletter sign-up confirmation message can have a huge impact. A current ExactTarget retail client who added cross-sell and up-sell opportunities to their transactional messages saw a 67% increase in sales, a 23% increase in open rates, and a 13% increase in click-throughs in just two weeks. How’s that for upping your retail success?

To learn more about how you can take advantage of the power of Transactional Email, download the whitepaper “Transactional Email: The Next Generation”

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Now That’s Smart! Volvo Construction Equipment Uses Email Marketing to Help Dealers Sell Refurbished Equipment

Monday, August 3, 2009 by Joel Book

Volvo Construction Equipment N.A. Inc. sells a wide array of new and used construction machinery through its network of 70 North American dealers. These dealers sell everything from Skid Steer Loaders, to Pipelayers, to Highway Pavers. And these machines are used in a variety of industries including construction, forestry and waste management. The dealers also take trade-in equipment that is refurbished and re-marketed to other customers.

 

Like other construction equipment companies, Volvo started to see sales slowing over the past year due to the recession. That’s when John Johnston, Manager of eBusiness Marketing, decided to take a look at how the company could begin using email marketing to help its dealers move used equipment off their lots. Selling used machines not only improves dealer cash flow, it also provides an opportunity to attract new customers to the dealership.

 

Using focus groups and surveys, Johnston got input from Volvo dealers and customers. He also studied the latest research on email marketing best practices for the construction equipment industry. Then, Johnston worked with ExactTarget’s Design Services team to redesign the company’s B-to-B e-newsletter for dealers to make it more engaging and improve response.

 

In addition, Johnston began using ExactTarget's content syndication feature to automate production of Volvo’s email program for used equipment remarketing. Using ExactTarget’s content syndication, Johnston captures the HTML from its online inventory Website and automatically populates its email marketing messages without having to manually enter inventory data or other information.

 

The results?

  • Volvo’s redesigned email newsletter for dealers generated 15% more click-throughs on articles.
  • Using ExactTarget’s Content Syndication feature, Johnston reduced overall build time of Volvo’s remarketing emails for end-users by more than 50 percent.

Karen Bannan of BtoB Magazine recently interviewed John Johnston about Volvo Construction Equipment’s email marketing strategy. You can read her article at BtoB Online.

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Top 5 Email Marketing Blog Posts of the Week

Monday, August 3, 2009 by Kevin Nuest
In case you missed it, here are the Top 5 most requested ExactTarget blog posts last week:

1. Aptera Software Overhauls Email Marketing Strategy and Increases Lead Production
by: Joel Book

2. Email Open and Click Benchmarks
by: Morgan Stewart

3. Canadian Spam Law Update
by: Al Iverson

4. How Richmond American Homes Uses Email Marketing to Sell Homes
by: Joel Book

5. More Permission Failure - Friend Requests
by: Dawn DeVirgilio
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Aptera Software Overhauls Email Marketing Strategy and Increases Lead Production

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 by Joel Book

Aptera Software is a great example of how a small B-to-B marketer can produce big results by using email for lead generation and brand building.  After overhauling its email strategy, Aptera is consistently generating open rates of 30% and click through rates of 10%.

 

As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Aptera specializes in custom software development and website design. The company serves clients in Healthcare, Manufacturing, Financial Services, and Retail segments and is fast gaining a reputation for its innovative solutions.

 

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Aptera’s co-founder, TK Herman and Brooke Francesi, who heads up email marketing for company. One of the things that impresses me about Aptera’s email strategy is their “less is more” philosophy regarding the size of their email subscriber database. As Francesi points out, “We’ve learned that it is far better to have a smaller list of highly engaged subscribers who want to hear from us than it is to have a big list of people who are passive.” As evidence of this commitment to list quality, Aptera’s list of subscribers for its quarterly newsletter is a lean 2,600. And the list of subscribers for Aptera’s monthly newsletter for users of Aptera Scorecard, a web-based firm management tool designed to meet the needs of a variety of Professional Services firms, is 15,000.

 

Both Herman and Francesi are quick to point out that, in addition to keeping their email subscriber list clean, the other big keys to their success in B-to-B email marketing are engaging content and engaging design.  As TK Herman says, “If you provide information that is of value to the subscriber, and deliver that content in a newsletter that is attractive, you’ll generate response.”   

 

Karen Bannan of BtoB Magazine recently interviewed Brooke Francesi about how Aptera re-tooled its email strategy after switching to ExactTarget for its email campaign application in early 2008. You can read the full article at BtoB Online.

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Simplified Landing Pages: Coming Soon to iLab at ExactTarget

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 by Jeff Cunning

Don't buy email marketing software, try the newest technology from ExactTarget for free with the Innovations Lab!

Simplified Landing Pages are the short and sweet answer for those seeking to develop professional-looking webpages without a hassle.  With this feature, you can literally launch a landing page with two words and two clicks--although we do recommend a bit more creativity.  Still, Simplified Landing Pages are great for one-page messages saying "Thank You" or "Welcome," coupon and discount offerings, extended information, and list growth--among much more.

Use Case of the Week: List Growth via SmartCapture
Growing your list of subscribers just became even easier.  Create a Simplified Landing Page with a SmartCapture form so that interested web-surfers can opt in to your email campaign or provide you with additional personal information.  Direct these potential subscribers to your landing page with links from your primary website, an email, or another prominent communicative feature.



Interested companies can log on to ExactTarget 3Sixty and sign up through iLab to use the software for free!
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Free Coffee via SMS Campaigns

Monday, July 27, 2009 by Kyle Schroeder

When I stopped into a popular gas station convenience store this weekend in Anderson, IN, I noticed a flyer by the counter that was advertising an SMS text messaging program with exclusive discounts for their subscribers.

I sent the appropriate text to their short code an instantly received a coupon for a buy one get one free 20 oz. coffee. All I have to do is show the text message when I check out to receive the discount.

I couldn’t help but think about the same technology that ExactTarget can incorporate into their already successful and popular email marketing automation software. This SMS capability allows businesses to build their subscriber lists with high-value individuals through SMS campaigns that utilize text capture.

This gas station has realized they will be gathering data from customers who want to be engaged, not growing their lists with people who didn’t opt in.

Have you considered the power of a SMS campaign powered by ExactTarget?

 

Kyle Schroeder

Slingshot Summer Intern

ExactTarget
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Cell Phone SMS Text Capture Capabilities

Thursday, July 23, 2009 by Kyle Schroeder

ExactTarget’s one to one email marketing automation software allows businesses to build their subscriber lists with high-value individuals through SMS campaigns that utilize text capture.

Coming from someone that uses text messages all the time, I strongly would recommend offering something along these lines.

From in-store promotions, paper catalogues, radio ads, and billboards you can engage with your target market by inviting them to text into your business. You can build your list with subscribers who want your content. They want to stay informed.

Capture. Collect. Communicate. Captivate.

 

Kyle Schroeder

Slingshot Summer Intern

ExactTarget
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1 to 1 Communication: Facebook & Social Forward

Thursday, July 23, 2009 by Kyle Schroeder

During our company wide sales meeting taking place this week, the question was raised regarding the reasons behind why a company would use Facebook.

Some are using Facebook because everyone else is.

Others understand the power of Facebook and how this can be a way to reach the Gen Y, college student, 20-something age group. We are using Facebook and if companies can develop marketing programs that center on the needs of the consumers they wish to target—such as Facebook—they can have their message heard.

I want to make the point here that you should not use Facebook simply because everyone else is.

It will not be effective.

Saying you have a Facebook presence and describing your actual presence on Facebook are two different things.

Facebook should serve as only one tool in a chest full of options to better reach your Facebook Tool Chestconsumers and to develop your marketing programs. ExactTarget now has a social forward tool on their email marketing software that allows users to take relevant emails and post them to sites such as Facebook. Combine this with the power of an effective targeted email campaign and you can really make an imprint in your market.

Papa John’s has done a great job using Social Forward to expand their email campaign. Kristeen Hudson expands on their method in her blog, Social Media is a Real Marketing Strategy.

 

If you would like to learn more about Social Forwarding check out the webinar Social Forward: Email Meets Social Networking. by Emily Riley, Senior Analyst for Forrester Research

 

Kyle Schroeder

Slingshot Summer Intern


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Relevance is Half the Battle

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Angela Khan
According to a recent report from David Daniels of Forrester Research, merely one-third of all marketers surveyed are actually implementing authentication standards to their email send strategies to assist with inbox placement. (Ref:  Six Steps to Improving Email Delivery, published July 15, 2009.)  So while you’re feverishly worrying about ensuring your email content is relevant to your subscribers, first make sure you know the email will make it to the inbox.



ExactTarget’s Deliverability Team can put everything in place for you so that you can get back to your creative side and leave the deliverability to us. In fact, with the Sender Authentication Package, you’ll have a Dedicated IP Address, Private Domain, Reply Mail Management standards in place, a Sender Policy Framework, Sender ID, and Domain Keys for Identified Mail (DKIM).
So, what do all of these terms mean and why are they important? Let’s break it down….

A Dedicated IP Address, typically suited for a larger sender, helps to enhance your deliverability and maximize your inbox reach. Clients sending from a Dedicated IP Address have the ability to build their own sending reputation, ensuring that the actions of other sending clients cannot negatively impact their ability to send mail successfully.

A Private Domain includes the ability to custom label the domain of an email and/or the URL for a Landing Page or set of Landing Pages. A Private Domain can be attached to one or several IP addresses.

A Sender ID is an information name for a new anti-spam program combining two existing protocols:  Sender Policy Framework and CallerID.  SenderID authenticates email senders and blocks email forgeries and fake addresses. A Sender Policy Framework is a protocol used to eliminate email forgeries. A line of code called an SPF record is placed in a sender's Domain Name Server information. The incoming mail server can verify a sender by reading the SPF record before allowing a message through.

Domain Keys are an anti-spam software application developed by Yahoo and uses a combination of public and private “keys” to authenticate the sender’s domain and reduces the chance that a spammer or hacker will fake a domain sending address.

So, as exciting as any of these may or may not sound, remember– without proper authentication standards in place, your message may never make it to the inbox. The good news is you don’t have to worry about any of these precautionary measures if you don’t want to because the ExactTarget Deliverability Team can set it up for you!


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Email Design Tip of the Week: Make Your Life Easier with Productivity Software

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Christopher Studabaker

We all work on computers. We use a lot of programs. We use a lot of websites. Heck, we use websites that are programs. In the midst of managing workflows, applications, and the latest versions of those workflows and applications (Do you have the ’03 version? The ’05 update? Wait, which version of that update?) it can be easy to forget that your computer is a tool to help you work! Start taking charge of your experience with the free productivity software suggestions below and remind your computer—and yourself—who’s boss.

1) Text Substitution – Text Expansion/Auto-typing

Text substitution is a simple concept: eliminate time spent typing the same text over and over. A text substitution application allows you to assign a key command or word trigger that automatically inserts a larger block of text. For example, rather than typing “Chris Studabaker”, I can create a snippet and trigger so that every time I type the word “name” and press the ‘tab’ button, the text “name” is substituted with “Chris Studabaker”. A slightly more advanced setup can include variables, so typing “date” will insert the current date in a pre-defined format. Have a certain email you’re always re-typing, or one you constantly dig up from the last time you sent it? A block of code you’re constantly re-typing? You need a text sub app.

Text Expander (OSX)
Texter (Windows)

2) Name Mangler/ReNamer – Batch renaming

Do you have a recurring communication with multiple images and assigned dates? Worked on a large project with sequential numbered documents—numbers that later changed after you spent all that time manually numbering them? Batch renaming—that is, editing a large number of filenames at once by renaming, sequentially numbering, adding a prefix/suffix, and so forth—will immediately save you time and frustration. 

We recently blogged about organizing your ExactTarget portfolio and mentioned a couple of my favorite file renaming apps – Name Mangler (OSX) and ReNamer (Windows). These apps make batch renaming easy and painless. Removing that ill-placed “_final_final2” from 50 files has never been so easy.

3) Photoshop Actions – Automate routine and batch commands

Okay, okay, so this one’s free once you’ve purchased PhotoShop! It’s a huge, powerful program, though, and finding the right way to work in PhotoShop may require some thought. Photoshop’s built-in “Actions” palette will help, and can be incredibly powerful when utilized correctly. Actions are a set of recorded commands that can be performed again with a single click. Any repetitive task is a fantastic candidate for an Action – file resizing or simple color balancing, for example. Want more? See point 5 below – you can create custom hotkeys for actions, removing the need to open the Actions palette!

Actions 1

The “Batch” command (File -> Automate -> Batch) is an extended application of an Action, allowing you to perform the Action on a specified directory. It’s especially useful in situations when performing the action on individual files would be time consuming or counter-intuitive, such as a large group of files or a set of extremely large files. Create the action, start the automated batch, and spend less quality time with the “Opening File” and “Saving” progress bars.

Actions 2

4) Dropbox – File syncing & sharing

Dropbox is an online (cloud)-based file storage and syncing application. In addition to a free 2 GB and a user-friendly interface, Dropbox offers an excellent desktop client that functions perfectly in a cross-platform environment. The desktop application treats your online account like a local folder, automatically syncing all activity across the computers linked to the account. In addition to excellent multi-computer syncing, Dropbox allows folder sharing to other Dropbox users. Dropbox removes the frustration and guesswork from keeping files current across multiple computers.

5) Hotkeys – Put your keyboard to work

You know what Cntl/Apl+S does. (Save!) You probably know Cntl/Apl+N. (New document) What about Cntl/Apl+W? (Close current window) Cntl/Apl+`? (Switch windows within an application) Alt/Apl+Tab? (Switch applications)

Your keyboard should be used for more than just entering letters, and hotkeys help you work faster and better. In fact, most applications will let you create custom hotkeys for nearly any command. I typically create a set of hotkeys for at least my most commonly used commands, and try to keep all custom commands localized to the home position for my left hand. Help yourself out by matching hotkeys to similar tasks across programs. For example, keep Cntl/Apl+S tied to ‘Save’ across all your applications to keep those hotkeys easy to remember!

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