ExactTarget Marketing

Three years ago, as a Product Marketing Manager with ExactTarget, I worked extensively on our product releases and communications – which meant I also worked extensively with our application.  The term “power user” comes to mind, which means I used almost every capability available in ExactTarget, and I understood our product as well as almost anyone.

I have a confession to make: these days, I can barely keep up.  Granted, as the company has grown and I’ve transitioned into a management role, my job function has required me to “let go of the reigns a little” (read = control freak must relinquish control) over our use of the ExactTarget product.  Now, instead of logging in every morning and spending hours working in my account, I log in a few times a month to review statistics and pull reports.  The beauty of ExactTarget is that it’s so easy to use that I can continue to do so.

But ExactTarget has far outgrown me.

Over the past few years, our product and development teams have worked with such a breakneck pace that I can barely keep up (no really – I think Scott McCorkle has given me whiplash!)  That’s a good problem to have.  The innovation, tools, and improvements we launch in such rapid succession result in a more robust product for our users.  Whether it’s sending SMS messages out of your ExactTarget account, delivering unique coupons that render on open with Live Offers, or using our propriety scripting language (come again?) to deliver “dynamic content on steroids”, ExactTarget is so much more than the product I used to live and breathe in.

With so much innovation, it can be hard to keep up – yes, even for the ExactTarget marketing team.  And we figured you may be in the same boat, which is why we’re focusing on 5 Things You Don’t Know About ExactTarget…But Should.

Whether you’re just learning about ExactTarget (a.k.a. know nothing) or whether you’re a seasoned power-user (a.k.a. know-it-all), I guarantee that you’ll learn something new from our resource this month.   And the best part is that all the solutions in 5 Things You Don’t Know are already available with ExactTarget – many of them included free of charge for all our clients.  Which is almost as good as finding a $100 bill wadded up in that pair of pants you haven’t worn since last year.  Almost.

Cheers,
Ashley Sales
Manager, Marketing Communications

You have 100 things to get done in a mere eight hours.  You have a proposal to write, a list to cleanse, a strategy to develop, and an email to send.  How do you get it all done?  While 3sixty can’t give you hours back in your day, it can definitely help you be more efficient.

3sixty is your one-stop shop for everything ExactTarget.  Need suggestions on copywriting for email?  Ask the question in 3sixty Answers.  Searching for the perfect email statistics for your upcoming proposal to management?  Explore resources where you will get more stats than can fit in one proposal.  Want to find someone in your area using ExactTarget?  Join a user group for your region of the country.  

Want to know what your peers are interested in?  Here are the top resources on 3sixty.
•    Fall 2008 Release Overview
•    Email Marketing Design: The New Essentials
•    Behaviors, Preferences, and Personas Whitepaper
•    Enhanced Tracking User Guide
•    Smart Capture User Guide

Top Videos Viewed:
•    Creating a Triggered Email Tutorial
•    Creating a Microsite Tutorial
•    Portfolio Tutorial
•    Enhanced Tracking Tutorial

Where are the cool people hanging out?  Here are the top groups.  The more, the merrier – come join us!
•    Design Best Practices
•    Subscribers Rule!
•    Connections 08 (have you signed up for Connections 09?)

Want to talk more?  Find me on 3sixty.  I promise I will accept your friend request

Our gift for you for the holidays, ExactTarget 3sixty.  Login today.

I Just Called…To Say….That Voice + Email is Powerful Punch

With all the buzz around channels like Voice and SMS, it can be tempting to implement new programs just for the sake of doing what’s hot.  And let’s face it, that’s not so hot for your subscribers.  So if you’ve been searching for a meaningful way to incorporate Voice into your own marketing campaigns, bravo! 

Truth is, we’ve been looking, too.  Sure, ExactTarget offers the integrated one-to-one platform to make sending Email, SMS and Voice from a single user interface a snap.  But we’ve been known as a leading email company for years, and our B2B environment often lacks the promotional and urgent nature that’s so conducive for some emerging media.

So when R.J. Talyor, one of our Product Marketing Managers and Voice Expert Extraordinaire, approached us about conducting a Voice test for the Email Marketing Intelligence Webinar Series we’re hosting with MarketingSherpa, I was a little apprehensive.  Would it add value for our webinar registrants?  Would they be receptive to new channels of communication from ExactTarget?  Can Voice make a measurable impact on the event attendance?

In short, all findings point to YES.  I’m pleased to report that the Voice testing results from the first webinar were extremely positive.  I hope you find the following information both useful and encouraging when considering how (and when) to add Voice into your own marketing mix.

Webinar Reminder Testing Goal:  To find the ideal messaging mix to drive webinar attendance via reminders

Testing Approach
Registrant list split into three random groups to receive reminders the day of the event.

• Email-Only Reminder Group
• Voice-Only Reminder Group
• Email + Voice Reminder Group

Test Findings

• Email + Voice reminders drove the highest webinar attendance (43%)
• Email-only reminder came in second (36.3%)
• Voice-only reminder drove fewest attendees (29.6%)

 We’ll be continuing to test Voice for the next few webinars, so sign up to see them in action and stay tuned for further results!

Cheers,
Ashley Sales
Manager, Marketing Communications

We spent a lot of time trying to decide what to call the new community for ExactTarget users.  First we thought of ExactTarget Universe…then Elements…then Spaces.  But we finally landed on ExactTarget 3sixty.  And in my humble opinion, a 3sixty by any other name simply wouldn’t be as sweet.

Why 3sixty?  The term “360” is familiar, it’s well-rounded, and it’s complete.  And that, my friends, is exactly what we hope ExactTarget 3sixty is: your one-stop shop for everything ExactTarget. If you need an answer to a question, a resource, or even a piece of advice, 3sixty should be your first stop.  If you want to learn something new or connect with someone in your area, 3sixty is the place to be.

Some of my favorite spots in 3sixty:

• Ideas: The most widely used area of 3sixty so far!  If you have an idea about what we could do to improve the ExactTarget application, Ideas is the spot for you.  Post ideas and the community votes on favorites to ultimately help drive our product.

• Answers: The name says it all – post a question, get an answer.  The community and ExactTarget employees will help answer your questions.

• Resources: All ExactTarget resources…all in one place.  Did you notice the word all?  From product documentation to whitepapers and use cases, it ALL lives in Resources.

• Groups: Connect with others that are doing what you do.  If you’re a designer, join the Email Best Practices group.  SMS users, join the SMS Fan group.  If you can’t find the group you are looking for, create your own!

I’m hoping that while you’re out there cruising 3sixty, you’ll have suggestions on how we could improve the experience.  So you guessed it: post them in Ideas, and let us know what you think!

Stephanie Zircher
Director of 3sixty

*Please note: ExactTarget 3sixty is only available to direct ExactTarget clients.

Hi, all –

My name is Megan Graham and I am the newest member to join the marketing team at ExactTarget. I came on board just in time for the Connections ’08 User Conference. I can’t think of a better way to get acquainted with the company than this event! I had the chance to attend some educational sessions and connect with many customers from around the globe. On a shuttle ride over to Conseco Fieldhouse for the annual awards dinner, I had the pleasure of chatting with a customer who traveled all the way from Iceland!  It was exciting to witness the enthusiasm so many customers have for ExactTarget.

One of my favorite parts of Connections was the opening keynote presentation. Before the production began, the dimmed lights and loud music foreshadowed the main event. And, it was definitely designed to impress.  It reminded me of the type of cutting edge presentation that Steve Jobs gives when announcing the latest Apple product. With impeccable attention to detail and a stellar presentation—I can see why ExactTarget is labeled the future “Google of the Midwest.” 

I was also amazed at how people could not get enough of the SUBSCRIBERS RULE! foam fingers. These were a popular item that many clients requested extras to take home to their kids or coworkers. SUBSCRIBERS RULE! is ExactTarget’s philosophy that companies should be building relationships with clients, not merely “marketing” to them. The core principles of SUBSCRIBERS RULE! are:

1. Serve the individual - Don’t focus on lists. Use technology for mass personalization.
2. Honor preferences - in terms of content, frequency, channel
3. Deliver value that meets the customer’s unique needs…they don’t care what you want, only what they want. 

This is a transformational philosophy, and I haven’t witnessed another organization that believes more strongly in this issue than ExactTarget.

These past few weeks have been a blast, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store...

Megan Graham
Marketing Communications Associate

Since I began working at ExactTarget about 3 years ago, the week leading up to my birthday has become a bit brighter. Why? Because several of the email programs I've subscribed to asked for my birthday during opt-in -- and they actually use that information to deliver special information and offers just for me!

For instance, last week I got a coupon via email from Qdoba -- my favorite restaurant ever. "Happy Birthday -- Have a Burrito on Us!" the subject line read. "Sweet!" I thought. I quickly flagged the message in my inbox and reminded myself to print it over the weekend.

After about three separate attempts to print the coupon (technically my fault, not theirs), I happily drove to my neighborhood burrito heaven to enjoy my free birthday meal. As I pulled into the parking space, I dug the coupon out of my bag and unfolded it to quickly scan it and make sure it printed out alright.

"...we'll make any of our signature burritos or any other entree for you, FREE, when you purchase any other burrito or entree at regular price."

Wait...what? I squinted at the message. Blast.

I have to purchase another meal to get my free burrito?! Considering I was getting dinner for one -- me -- that wasn't really what I wanted to hear. I can barely eat one massive burrito, let alone TWO. Why does someone else have to be there to warrant me celebrating my birthday?

Not wanting to waste food I couldn't eat -- but also not wanting to go without the meal I'd been craving -- I finally refolded the coupon, walked in, and bought my meal outright. There goes nine bucks. Happy birthday me...

Just saying -- the Q was my favorite restaurant. And still is. But by misjudging the subject line and not reading the details on my email coupon, I got disappointed. Technically my fault? Yup, I should have read the offer more closely.

But in comparison -- take the email I got from Cold Stone Creamery around the same time.

Subject line: "Happy Birthday from Cold Stone Creamery." Message: "...your Birthday Club membership rewards you with a FREE Creation." The email encouraged me to hit up their website, log-in, and print off my coupon. I promptly clicked the link and...realized I didn't remember my website password. But no worries -- with one simple click, Cold Stone triggered a password confirmation email to remind me. I quickly logged in, confirmed my "Preferred Store" location, and hit print.

With the Qdoba incident still fresh in my mind, I fearfully glanced at the printed coupon. Was there a hidden clause? Did I have to buy 19 tubs of ice cream to earn my "free" treat? No! "This coupon is good for one FREE Like It Create Your Own Creation (TM) served in a cup." It was that simple.

Now that's a happy birthday gift I'll remember this year :)

Nicole
Marketing Communications Associate

 Steve Yastrow is the author of two books, We: The Ideal Customer and Brand Harmony. 

Steve's passion is helping organizations create major profit breakthroughs through better connections with customers. As a consultant, speaker and writer he challenges his clients, audiences and readers to reinvent the way they look at marketing, offering clear action steps to improve business performance through stronger customer relationships.

Below is the live blog of Steve's keynote.  Make sure you check out the great blog post on the keynote from Tom Dressler at Marketer Insight.

9:00AM: Steve Yastrow has taken the stage - asked what companies are getting all the profits they can - no one raised their hand.  Are you getting 100% of all the business you could? 

9:02AM: Steve was in Puerto Rico on Saturday. Must've been nice!

9:10AM: "Brute Force Marketing" doesn't work anymore. It's 2008 no one wants to be told what to do! We see 5000 branded messages (wow!) how many make an impression on you? I know it's not 5000.

9:18AM: Marketers aren't the ones doing the integrated marketing.  The customers are the ones integrating the marketing.

9:34AM: Relationships are what differentiate companies, and having that ongoing converstion with a customer.  This is exactly what Subscribers Rule! is all about.

9:41AM: Engagement.  You can tell when someone is not engaged.  The challenge is how do we engage in the moment when we have cell calls, emails, and everything that distracts us throughout the day. Chapter 2 of We (everyone here is getting the book!) has ideas on how to get engaged in the moment

9:46AM: Uniqueness.  Your customers know when they are getting the "spiel" (I got the spiel at Shulas Steakhouse  - it was robotic!) How do you get to know you customer?

9:53AM: How does this relate to email marketing? Have you written that email for them? Have you enabled that customer thru your email communication?

9:55AM: 50 First Dates a Business Movie?

10:00AM: Great Keynote! "The customer thinks we" is such a great idea. I think it's why Twitter can be so successful.

With a last name like DeVirgilio, it's basically a requirement to love pizza. Granted, I'm unsure I've met anyone who doesn't love a good slice. But as a regular pizza consumer you can imagine how excited I am to have Nigel Travis the President and CEO of Papa John's as a keynote speaker tomorrow, Tuesday September 23rd at Connections.

Remember the days when we had to pick up our landline (gasp!) phone to place an order?  Then a few years ago we had the functionality to go online to www.papajohns.com and order thru the web.  Now Papa John's is now leading the way and allows you to text message your pizza order.  This SMS marketing option provides more convenience to us pizza lovers.

If you are looking to take your one to one marketing to the next level, make sure to attend this keynote as Nigel will provide insight into how Papa John's uses innovative online ordering technology to drive sales by serving customers better.

It's almost lunchtime. I'm texting 4PAPA!

Dawn DeVirgilio
Internet Marketing Specialist

Here at ExactTarget, we are getting the final preparations ready for Connections '08 that is NEXT WEEK!

Connections '08 will be the first corporate event at the new Lucas Oil Stadium and we are excited to have Tony Dungy, the head coach for our Indianapolis Colts to speak at the Connections Welcome Reception on Tuesday, September 23rd.

But Coach Dungy's most important job is being a father! He helped launch the family-focused All-Pro Dad which features over 40 NFL players, coaches and alumni who speak out on the importance of fatherhood. They have an email marketing program in place where fathers can sign up for the Daily Play of the Day - the most read fatherhood email in the world!

Haven't registered? You still can! And make sure to join us at Lucas Oil Stadium on Tuesday for Tony's Keynote Presentation!

Dawn DeVirgilio
Internet Marketing Specialist

As a kid, I loved to watch ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ cartoon, but it may surprise you to learn that Popeye was not my favorite character.  The often forgotten Wimpy was by far my favorite because of his love of hamburgers.  He was lured by just the smell of burgers and would float through the air happily when he knew his prized burgers were near.  It was a smell he could trust and something comforting to him about the idea of a mouth-watering burger.  

Here at ExactTarget, we eat, drink, and sleep helping our clients deliver powerful results by using our Software as a Service Platform and reach audiences in a timely and relevant fashion.   Working in a culture where reaching subscribers in the right way is all that matters, it can’t help but bleed into the way I think about my personal email.

Like Wimpy, I can be lured and drawn to something familiar when it comes to my inbox.  If I trust your brand, and know that what you are sending me will mean something to me, you will see me floating in the air much like Wimpy after a tasty burger.  A marketer who ‘gets me’ will convert me into a life-long brand loyalist, rather than a short-term, low impact relationship.  Lure me with timely, relevant, and meaningful information that might improve my life and I am like ‘Wimpy to burger.’

At the ExactTarget Connections ’08 conference you will learn how to reach the inbox while being sensitive to the needs of your subscriber.  We call it ‘Subscribers Rule,’ a philosophy that encapsulates the power of understanding the best way to approach your audience – remember your subscribers are people, not lists! You will also be able to find a nice hamburger at some fine Indianapolis restaurants while in town.

That reminds me, Connections starts in less than a week, see you there and don’t forget to register.

Todd McCall
PR Manager ExactTarget

As the holidays approach, closing in on the last 3 months, it's amazing how quickly retailers begin to gear up on selling Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations.  But where are those deals, that door buster that is going to make me block out my calendar the day after Thanksgiving to hit the sale?  And where are the deals relevant to what I want to buy?  Sure, I could buy the Glow in the Dark 14 foot Mummy for 10% off but why on earth would I want that when I don't even have a front yard to put it in?

I introduce to you in a very exciting way, LIVE OFFERS!  I can't begin to tell you what a privilege it is to have our very astonishing Product Development Team create this "offering", no pun intended.  This e-mail marketing solution is very powerful for not just the marketer but the consumer.  We'll start from the consumer's point of view since I am just so excited about this.  I can't wait to receive relevant offers!!

Let's start with my demographic stats (hint, hint, please send me something relevant):
•    Gen Y (29-42)
•    Married
•    No Children
•    College Educated
•    Enjoys shopping, eating out, running and reading
•    Business Professional who works 50+ hours a week
•    Brand Advocate for Jupiter Vapors shoes

So, did I mention I enjoy high end shoes that I simply can't afford?  Yes, I do receive my yearly $25 birthday gift card in the mail from some Apparel & Accessory Retailers.  But my husband swiftly throws any additional solicitation (I like to call them DEALS) in the trash before I even begin to sort through the pile.  But, what if I were to receive an exclusive offer via e-mail that only the very savvy and efficient shoppers could cash in on?  What if I were to receive an offer for a pair of limited addition shoes that only I and 300 others would have the opportunity to purchase?  Now that's excitement!



So, how could a retailer create such an offering?  Well, the answer is pretty simple.  Live Offers allows retailers to target, predict and re-market offers.  What does that mean?  Let me explain.

1.)  You know that I am in my late 20's or 30's.  I am a business professional who enjoys shopping.  Therefore, it is likely I check e-mail often, have little time to hunt for discounts and enjoy very fashionable shoes.  With a targeted inventory based live offer, I can enjoy the convenience of an exclusive, relevant offer sent via e-mail that I can check from my Blackberry at any moment.

2.)  Using Live Offer Redemption Reports, you can view when I opened the offer, printed it and redeemed it in the store.  You even know what store location I redeemed the offer in.  This enables you with the data you need to predict which offers I'll enjoy in the future.

3.)  Re-market offers to new segments when existing offers didn't catch on with the initial segment.  Inventory based offers allow retailers to target the entire list with an offer but only provide the offer to the first x amount of people who open the offer.  If the offer was never redeemed, re-assign the offer for a more effective e-mail campaign.

Now that retailers have the opportunity to leverage truly 1-to-1 personalized offers, I'm hoping I'll get one very soon.  Nothing would brighten my day better than a deal on a great pair of gold pumps for the holidays.  Oh, Jupiter Vapors, please e-mail me an exclusive offer.  I promise, you'll have me at open!

Angela Khan
Product Marketing Manager

Happy Monday!

Some of you may remember my recent post about the Indianapolis Red Cross. As luck would have it, a member of their staff came actually came across my blog and took the time to write me a personal note explaining the relationship between the Red Cross and the U.S. military.

For example, did you know...

"The American Red Cross has stood alongside the members of the U.S Armed Forces for more than 125 years. The American Red Cross is the only agency recognized by the military to act as the medium of communication between Americans and their Armed Forces. The Red Cross is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to provide emergency communications and other support services to military families, providing a support system to help military families cope with emergencies that are only intensified by military life and frequent, lengthy separations. 
 
Today, as more and more citizen-soldiers from the National Guard and Reserves are called up from communities around central Indiana to serve overseas, the Greater Indianapolis Red Cross has expanded its outreach services to provide more comprehensive support to families during their deployment, adjustment and reintegration periods."

For more detailed information about Red Cross SAF (Service to the Armed Forces), just go here.

How neat is that? And how cool that they'd take the time to write me a personal note explaining their services. And for the record, more detailed confirmation emails are in the works over at the Greater Indianapolis Red Cross once they finish implementing a Content Management System and various website updates. Looks like they read my mind!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Nicole
Marketing Communications Associate

p.s. -- Only 14 days until the most exciting email marketing conference of the year...Connections '08!

The Marketing Department is working hard to get everything prepared for Connections, our user conference here in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

Attendees from last year may remember the infamous Judson Laipply and The Evolution of Dance.   We uploaded the video of his performance to our YouTube channel, and it presently has over 70,000 views. 

So the Marketing Team is working on new ways to use social media at Connections this year.  Nothing is off the table.  Possibilities include live Twitter updates, real time video streams, and uploading photos to Facebook.

If you follow us on Twitter, you could hear about the latest after party information, or you if you friend us on Facebook you could be tagged in a picture with Tony Dungy.  All this information is right at your fingertips via your phone or your computer. 

Head to Connections08.com to register and find out more information. I look forward to meeting some of ExactTarget’s friends and followers!

Dawn DeVirgilio
Internet Marketing Specialist

“Isn’t working downtown on the circle exciting?”  This is a question that my father-in-law, Fred Inniger, likes to ask me whenever I talk to him about working in Event Marketing at ExactTarget.  It’s not really a question; instead it’s a statement he’s making with a question mark conveniently placed at the end of it.  Although Fred lives in Kendallville, Indiana (3 hours northeast of Indianapolis), I believe he considers Indianapolis to be his second home because of how often he comes to Indy for Colts games, Indy 500 races, the City Market, the Slippery Noodle (“Indiana’s oldest bar!”) and other special events or spontaneous occasions.  I’m convinced he should work for the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (one of ET’s clients - click here to download the case study!) because he loves to talk about all the neat things to do here!

It’s too bad Fred is not an ExactTarget customer because Connections ’08 would be his dream come true.  In a period of 2 ½ days we’ve not only managed to jam pack Connections with outstanding content and speakers, but we’ve ensured the evening events would be “top notch” (in the words of my friend and colleague Joel Book) and leave all Connections attendees with a great taste of Indianapolis.

From the Welcome Party at the newly opened Lucas Oil Stadium to the Awards Dinner at Conseco Fieldhouse, we have Connections attendees covered when it comes to experiencing the excitement of Indianapolis!  I think Fred’s favorite would be our event at Lucas Oil Stadium.  We are going to party in the Bud Light Pavilion – to our north we’ll have an 88’ tall, 244’ wide window with the view of downtown Indy, and to our south we’ll have a view of the new football field – with drinks, music, and Super Bowl champion Coach Dungy speaking in between!  And that’s just the first night!  If basketball is more your thing, night two will bring us to Conseco Fieldhouse to have dinner on the court – with some surprise tricks up our sleeves to make the last night in Indianapolis magical.

If you haven’t done so already, Fred would highly advise you to register for Connections ’08.  And to answer Fred’s question about working in downtown Indianapolis on the Circle:  Yes, it’s a blast!  And I believe we did a great job with planning Connections in Indianapolis to incorporate all of the downtown excitement that we have the privilege to experience here every day. 

Tricia Inniger
Event Marketing Coordinator

Monday was a BIG day for me. I ate my first branded donut.

I didn't know they existed. The idea had never crossed my mind. The sheer genius of it was beyond my imagination.

Yet there it sat, radiating happiness in all of its chocolatey-goodness inside the towering case at our new Dunkin' Donuts. This Mecca of yeast perfection and cream-filled heaven open its doors to caffeine-crazed, stomach-rumbling Indianapolis downtowners just last month -- and we welcomed it with open arms. 

(The fact that Dunkin' Donuts works with Customer Portfolios, one of our beloved Agency Partners, just increased our love for them. Check out Joel Book's blog post on the Dunkin’ Perks™ email program to see their work in action. Their email marketing program is very well done!)

Anyway, it came as no surprised that when R. J. Talyor (you probably know him better as the driving force behind ExactTarget SMS and recent New York Times "quotee") asked if I wanted to run out for coffee and donuts, I sprinted for the door.
 
Faced with the seemingly impossible task of choosing my donut, my eyes darted wildly from the chocolate cake to the marble frosted, the maple glaze to the vanilla cream-filled éclair-thingy. And then I saw it. An orange and pink sprinkled yeast donut with chocolate frosting.

With feigned calm, I quietly placed my order and watched as my Dunkin' Donuts branded sprinkle snack was placed in a bag.

In case you're having trouble getting as excited about this moment as I was, just look at this donut. (Yes, you can find anything on Google Images.) And just FYI, it tastes just as good as it looks.

Nicole
Marketing Communications Associate

p.s. -- If you want to pin down the team from Customer Portfolios to ask them about their Dunkin' Donuts success, register for Connections '08. They'll be there!

I promise it is not as scary as it sounds!

First, an introduction - Hello! My name is Dawn DeVirgilio and I'm one of the newer members to the ExactTarget Marketing Team.  One of the most exciting things I am involved in is heading up ExactTarget's social media!

The first day I joined ExactTarget, I received numerous triggered emails from my new teammates asking me to "friend" them on Facebook, or "follow" them on Twitter.  Many companies block these types of services, so I was excited to see that ExactTarget was adopting them.

One of the first initiatives was to get an ExactTarget account on Twitter.  We had seen companies like Jet Blue, and Comcast use Twitter successfully, and wanted to provide a place on Twitter where our clients could talk to us directly. 

One of our first "tweets" (a tweet is a post on Twitter) was a discount code to our Route 1 to 1 Marketing Tour. As we gain followers we are hearing about email marketing success stories, customer feature requests and a few complaints that we've tried to solve in real time.

We also have a Facebook Page, various Facebook Groups including one for our Subscribers Rule campaign, and you can find many of us on LinkedIn.

Every day, we are learning more and more about the power of social networking. 

So whether you friend us or follow us, we are excited to hear from you thru this new medium!

Dawn DeVirgilio
Internet Marketing Specialist

If you've read our Field Guide to Triggered Email, you're probably already pretty familiar with automated confirmation messages. This 1 to 1 marketing species is one of the easiest to automate, and subscribers all-but-expect an instantaneous response to actions like newsletter or event registrations.

Yeah, especially me.

If I don't get a triggered confirmation email about two nano-seconds after I take action on a website (especially if it was an action that required me to submit payment information), the cold-sweats begin. Did my registration go through? Is my credit card number just floating out there in cyberspace?

I recently began taking a few classes through the Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis, and they've been great. Wonderful people. Quality content. And I can't wait to get more involved with an organization so dedicated to helping people in disaster. So when I stumbled upon their email marketing newsletter opt-in, I figured "Why not?"

Within my two nano-second timeframe, a triggered confirmation email popped into my inbox. Wonderful! Though I normally just file these messages away without much thought, I made an exception for this one. The wording just seemed a bit strange:

"Thank you for contacting the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis. We will forward your e-mail to the correct department for response. If you need assistance because of a disaster or are in need of military assistance, please contact the chapter 24 hours a day at (xxx) xxx-xxxx to speak with a Red Cross representative."

Yeah, see anything about my new subscription? Me neither. Wouldn't it be better to customize the copy for an eNewletter confirmation so it references...the newsletter? Just saying, if I wanted "military assistance," (who knew we could request that, by the way?!) I probably wouldn't have tried to get it by filling out an online newsletter form.

It can be tempting to save time and just create one blanket confirmation email for all online activitites -- but it may leave your visitors confused. So take the extra few minutes to customize your copy to the action taken.

Because right now, I'm not sure if I requested a newsletter in my inbox....or a Sherman Tank at my front door.

Nicole
Marketing Communications Associate

Hello friends -- 

Let's not bother with the standard excuses for my blogging hiatus. Suffice to say, I'm back. And I've missed you all!

A lot of exciting things are happening around here (the Connections '08 email marketing user conference is just around the corner -- clients, get registered!), and it'll probably take me a few posts to do them all justice. I actually wondered how to choose today's topic -- but the news just solved that little quandary for me.

See, the marketing team has a pretty sweet deal up here on the 10th floor. Aside from rooftop access and a massive kitchen, the flat screen TV hangs but a few feet from my desk. Sure, this can be distracting at times...like when quasi-dramatic soap operas come on (who's in the hospital today?) -- or The Ellen DeGeneres Show which brings our collective productivity to a virtual halt. 

But as this morning's news came on, I caught the following headline:

"Waiting for text from Obama with VP candidate." 

Coming off the launch of our new Field Guide to SMS, this immediately piqued my interest. I quickly opened Google to investigate -- and sure enough, Obama's going to text subscribers the moment he makes his VP choice. How cool is that?! Check it out. Full of engaging copy and a catchy tagline ("Be the First to Know"), it shows just one creative illustration of how of Landing Pages and SMS have become effective 1 to 1 marketing tools.

So download your copy of our Field Guide to SMS -- you just might find the inspiration for your company's first (or next!) text messaging campaign. The possibilities are endless.

Talk to you soon,

Nicole
Marketing Communications Associate

Last weekend, I conducted my semi-annual "closet sweep." If you're a woman, you know what I"m talking about. Men, consider yourselves lucky that your fashion changes once a decade.  As I rummaged through my closet, it was tempting to hang on to items I might possibly someday want to wear again. After all, you never know when that neon-yellow tube top might come back in style.  But in the back of my mind, I kept repeating The Rule: If you haven't worn it in the past year, get rid of it.  I ended up with three lawn & leaf bags full of clothes to drop off at my local Goodwill.

If you haven't used it in the past year, get rid of it. Those are wise wardrobe words.  It's also a principle that is wise to apply to your email marketing program.  It's hard to believe that a year has passed since we launched ExactTarget Insight as a fresh new take on our eNewsletter program.  With new design elements, a new logo, new content and a freshly-scrubbed subscriber base, InSight simply couldn't have been more stylish. 

It's a year later, and InSight is evolving.  Sure, we're still delivering the best resources you can find anywhere on 1 to 1 marketing (just check out the new Field Guide to SMS) and providing expert advise and best practices to improve your lives.  But just as I reluctantly examined my closet with a critical eye, so too must I examine InSight.

Next month, you'll receive a different type of InSight. We're kicking off a re-engagement and preference campaign to continue to improve the quality of your newsletter.  On its heels in October, we'll be unveiling a new look and content for Insight.

In September, engaged subscribers will have the opportunity to update your personal preferences and choose form a new menu of content choices.  Unengaged subscribers will be asked to confirm their subscription to continue to receive InSight.  Those who do not will be removed from our subscriber base to ensure we keep our deliverability high and do not risk being marked as "spam" by uninterested subscribers.

Much like the yellow tube-top, it's easy to want to hang on to InSight the way I know it and love it today. But ultimately, going through this "newsletter sweep" is a hugely important component of a successful email marketing program. In the spirit of the classic "little black dress," the core of InSight will stay the same.  But like a great new pair of heels, a new InSight will be a welcome addition to my life.

Ashley
Manager, Marketing Communications