Source: Holiday Email Marketing 2020-21: Calendar, Tips, and Insights from Email ExpertsType a message

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2020 has changed the marketing landscape for brands around the world. The skyrocketing reliance on and growth of virtual online connections presents both challenges and opportunities for organizations still expanding their use of digital marketing, specifically email.  Here’s your opportunity to understand the email marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) that truly move the needle and optimize channel response.

Tune in as Karen Talavera, President of Synchronicity Marketing joins Dennis Dayman in a discussion about data-driven marketing and its effects on the success of email campaigns.

Dennis and Karen explore the email measures that matter, which data brands should track, and why. They also address how the alignment of sales, business development, and marketing teams can help brands reach their revenue goals faster and more efficiently.

In this podcast you’ll learn:

• The basic diagnostic measures essential to all email marketing campaigns
• What constitutes true email success, and why that ultimate measurement has no one-size-fits-all definition
• How to align marketing with sales and IT for greater synergy and to avoid silos
• Why buyer journeys and personas are important to dissect
• Shifts in email marketing since the pandemic and lockdown
• Karen’s word to the wise for budding email marketers

Click to listen

The post 2020 Email Marketing Metrics That Matter appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.

Gellinger / Pixabay

Wondering what’s on the horizon for email marketing in 2020? You’re in good company!

I predict 2020 will be the year we see tech-driven email optimization tools accelerate if not become commonplace. Early-stage AI and machine learning capabilities like send time and language optimization have already existed for about a decade.

I believe we’re on the cusp of an explosion in response-optimization technology. Not only will it become “standard” in email sending and marketing automation systems, but expected. Best of all, performance email marketers will benefit in multiple ways:

• Optimization tools eliminate guesswork. Marketers won’t be limited to making arbitrary human decisions when designing email marketing campaigns, creative, or tests. Optimization tools aggregate actual (vs. predicted) data in quantities far greater than humans can process and as a result, uncover patterns, correlations and relationships that statistically hold up and are scalable.

• Optimization can be “real-time”, which saves time. Rather than running multiple test sends, aggregating results, and then separately deploying the “winner” to a selected list or segment, email optimization tools can deploy multiple message versions with different subject lines, creative, personalization, timing, etc. to percentage segments of a full list in real time, measure the winning combination as results are generated, and then deploy the “winner” to the remainder (click to see the rest of my predictions and read what other experts have to say)

The post The Next Big Thing for Email in 2020 appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.

One of the most common questions I see in every email networking and membership group I belong to is “If I can only attend one conference this year, which one should it be?”

It’s a valid and critically important question! Considering that most companies budget for marketing team members to attend just one single event per year, and taking into consideration time out of the office and travel costs, the decision isn’t easy. And feedback can be soooo biased!

As a veteran conference-goer, seasoned speaker, and email industry advocate with 20 years of experience in the channel, I’ll attempt to set the record straight with this scoop on 2019 email marketing events. I have spoken at, attended, and/or been on the planning committees for most of them, so in the interests of total transparency I’ll disclose my involvement when applicable.

The Landscape

But before we start, here are four critical factors in understanding the intersection of email marketing and conferences:

• Vendor-Specific Events

Nearly every major Saas platform enabling email marketing – whether an email services provider (ESP), marketing automation (MA) tool, eCommerce platform, CRM system or whatever – hosts its own annual user conference. This list is not all-inclusive of those events, since most are open only to clients of the hosting company.

Where such vendor-hosted conferences are open to the general public and have attained critical mass, I’ve included them. Companies like Experian, SalesForce, Adobe, Bronto, Marketo, Magento, Dotmailer, Iterable, MailChimp, Emma, Emarsys, Litmus and many, many more have put on large if not legendary events in the past (ET Connections anyone?).

I recommend you DO attend your vendor’s annual event, especially if you’ve never gone before; but – go beyond! Only by attending a non-vendor-specific event will you get a truly unbiased view of what’s happening in email – whether specific to your industry, sector or the channel as a whole.

• Retail/eTail Events

Retailers and etailers were early adopters of email marketing, so the many events in this arena routinely include email marketing experts and thought leaders, plenty of email vendors, and even pre or post-conference sessions and workshops on email. Conferences like eTail West and eTail East, ShopTalk, NRF’s Shop.org, Internet Retailer’s IRCE, CRMC, and more come to mind.

These are fantastic if you need to cover the gamut of merchant marketing concerns from analytics to email to web site to in-store, inventory, and merchandising. However, many of them are huge, diverse and distracting. If it’s email-centric you want, you’re better off with the list below.

• Digital Marketing Events

Less email-centric than etail and ecommerce events yet still covering the channel, digital marketing conferences offer a broader omni-channel perspective vs. deeper channel-specific expertise. My favorite events in this category are TechMedia’s annual Internet Summit and their Digital Summits (held in at least 18 cities this year; I’ve spoken at many in 2017 and 2018). Even though email is on the agenda it’s not the main focus, so consider your goals.

• Vertical-Specific (Industry) Conferences

Travel, Insurance, Retail, CPG, Banking, B2B, Healthcare – all verticals also have their own marketing conferences. Chances are email and related digital marketing channels will be on their agendas, but you’re unlikely to get a deep dive so if email is essential to you or your primary job focus, check out the list below instead.

The List

Without further ado, here’s our 2019 Email Marketing Conference Hit List in chronological order (click on conference names for details and registration):

EiQ: The Intelligent Email Gathering

Since their first EiQ conference in 2017, email agency BrightWave has built a reputation for focusing on the cutting-edge in email marketing.

Topics are typically wide-ranging and diverse. Past conferences have included sessions on customer data, email production hacks, gender in email marketing, strategies for journey-focused campaigns, and information on using channels beyond the inbox.

The goal of EiQ is on the progressive and unique topics that matter most. Many sessions focus on how to look at typical strategies – like email newsletters or triggered campaigns – with fresh eyes.

Keep in mind, this is hosted and funded by a single vendor (albeit an agency vs. software company) so they are the sole determiner of the program, topics and participants.

Size: 300-400 attendees

Ideal For:  First-time email conference goers, newcomers to the channel, channel managers

When and Where:  March 14, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia (one day)

UNSPAM Conference (by Really Good Emails)

New kid on the email event block UNSPAM by the Really Good Emails crew promises “this ain’t your mama’s corporate conference”. As it debuts this year it aims to stand out in several ways, not the least of which is size (organizers are intentionally keeping it small enough – under 250 people – to foster 1:1 relationships) and a near total lack of vendor/sponsor booths, promotion, logo-splashing, and pitches.

Speakers will be uncensored, meaning “they will be able to say what they want AND what attendees want to hear”. Participants are encouraged to ditch the “business attire” (although most conference-goers I’ve seen already have, just sayin’) and wear what they want, as long as it’s enough so no one’s getting arrested.

The conference doesn’t start until 10AM each day (amen, because seriously, do we need to be rushing down to crappy conference continental breakfasts at 8AM before we even get the chance to check email?) giving attendees breathing room to work and conference. These are email people, after all, doing the job that never rests.

Most of all, UNSPAM is striving for unconventionality by declaring a departure from the standard sitting-all-day-in-one-session-after-the-next format, so they’re shaking it up with groups, competitions, awards, and more. Now that sounds like a breath of conference fresh air!

Best of all, it’s un-expensive at only $285. Get on it if you want to go to this one . . . it’s coming up fast and will likely sell out.

Size: 250 attendees max

Ideal For:  B2C brand email program managers, email designers, email teams, and companies with large (by large I mean at least six figures) email lists who are frequent or high-volume senders.

When and Where:  April 6-7, 2019 in Greenville, SC (2 days)

Email Evolution

The annual conference of the Email Experience Council (eec), this is the largest and longest running independently-produced email marketing event in the US (if not the world), having debuted in 2008. And yes, I not only serve on the board of the EEC, but have attended and been a speaker at this event every year since it began.

On the plus side, it takes a democratic approach to programming. Every year there’s an open call for speakers, and a volunteer planning committee votes on submissions based on quality, relevancy to the state of the channel, and speaker experience. All sessions must include a brand-side (marketer) speaker, so you won’t see any vendor pitches here.

The conference focuses on the most relevant, timely issues in the industry, features many established thought-leaders, and seeks keynote speakers both from within and outside the channel so fresh perspectives are conveyed.

Topics range from strategy to tactics and include everything from AI to testing to analytics, deliverability, design, data issues, use of automation, regulatory and legislative developments, and more.

This conference is a balanced mix of education, networking and social fun, even offering an optional pre-conference workshop day before the 2-day main event.

Size:  350-500 attendees

Ideal For:  First-time email conference attendees from mid to large-size brands, managers and senior execs involved in email and digital marketing, agency leaders, email vendors and service providers.

When and Where:  April 24-26 2019 in Savannah, Georgia (2 or 3-day option)

Email Insider’s Summit (EIS)

Occurring multiple times per year in both the US and Europe, this is one of several digital marketing events from Mediapost, an integrated publishing and conference company whose mission is to provide a complete array of resources for media, marketing and advertising professionals.

Anyone who has attended EIS before knows all-too-well how unconventional it is. Yes, this is the “vacation conference”, where daily sessions end after lunch and outdoor fun (like sailing, sunning or skiing) begins! First-time brand-side participants can attend at no cost other than airfare, the expense subsidized by vendors/sponsors who pay a premium to participate. Venues are exclusive if not lavish, such as the posh Deer Valley ski resort in Utah (for EIS winter). Most meals and activities are included (and delicious).

Best of all, the scope is intimate, introspective and senior-level – so it’s ideal for relationship-building, strategy and vision. I’ve spoken or led panels at various US-based events over the years. There’s also a European summit now.

Notes of caution: if you’re an introvert or not into the outdoors these may not be ideal events for you. Also, the full conference is nearly three days plus travel, so it’s a time commitment. Finally, if you imbibe bring a spare liver!

Size:   About 150 attendees

Ideal For:  Senior-level email and digital marketing professionals at major brands

When and Where:  
February 18-21, 2019 in Kitzbühel Austria (European summit)

June 9-12, 2019 in Pinehurst, North Carolina (US – summer)

Early December 2019 (dates TBA) in Deer Valley, Utah (US – winter)

Inbox Summit

Couldn’t make it for skiing in Austria but still looking for a European-based email event? This is it! Claiming to be Europe’s number one email marketing conference, Inbox Summit “perfectly fuses real-world practical examples with the experience, knowledge and vision of the industry’s brightest minds from across the globe” (including yours truly, though 2019 will be my first time there).

The event is the creation of European email services provider MailKit, which describes it as featuring a carefully curated range of topics to give attendees a rounded and complete experience of the email landscape in 2019. Brand, ISP, and vendor-side speakers from Verizon Media (formally Yahoo) to 250ok to eROI to Activate and more will be on the agenda, along with some of the best minds in email marketing.

Set in Prague, Czech Republic in the heart of Central Europe, the historic location can only help deliver on the conference organizer’s promise to educate, inspire and deliver unique networking experiences.

Size:  350-500 attendees

Ideal For:  European or EMEA-based email marketers from mid to large-size brands, managers and senior execs involved in email and digital marketing, agency leaders, email vendors and service providers.

When and Where:  May 30, 2019 at the Hotel Ambassador, Prague Czech Republic (one-day)

Email Innovations Summit

Debuting in 2016 and developed in conjunction with Only Influencers, a closed email marketing networking community, the Email Innovations Summit focuses on exactly that – innovations in strategy, mindset, technology, and application of the channel.

Like other conferences, topics run the range of concerns in email marketing and speakers include both brand and vendor-side innovators. A unique feature is the fast paced “shoot-out” style pitch session where early adopters can experience over 20 beta and emerging technologies and innovations in less than an hour.

I spoke at and attended the event during its first and third years, and am always amazed at the unique mix of attendees at each conference. While there is some vendor- and thought-leader overlap between this, EIS, EiQ and Email Evolution, they all tend to attract slightly different mixes of both brands and experts.

What I like about this event is the focus on what’s emerging or innovative in email. You’ll also find a slightly greater proportion of acquisition vs. retention marketers here since this conference is held simultaneously with conversion marketing events produced by organizer Rising Media.  If you’re well beyond the basics in email and burnt out on your usual events, give this one a whirl.

Size:  About 200 attendees

Ideal For:  Email marketing specialists, mid and upper-level managers and directors involved in email and digital marketing, vendors and service providers

When and Where: June 18-19, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV (2 days)

Mailcon

This is a newer email marketing conference with a slant more toward data, deliverability and performance concerns than general strategy and tactics. Like Email Innovations Summit, you’ll see a greater degree of acquisition marketers and transactional senders here than classical retention, CRM and retail marketers.

The conference is organized into 4 tracks focused on specific roles in email marketing, like content marketing or managing data, making it easy to find the speakers and material relevant to you.

This event is less proven than its competitors, happens multiple times a year, and doesn’t include as many established thought-leaders and vendors. On the plus side, it’s affordable and may be local to you.

Size:   500-600 attendees

Ideal For:   Acquisition marketing managers, performance marketing professionals, email marketing specialists, agencies and vendors

When and Where:   January 5, 2019 in Las Vegas (one day). July 2019 in NYC (possible)

Litmus Live

With an established track record and growing momentum, this is the ideal event for email marketing designers, coders, channel managers, strategists and creatives.

The 2-day conference focuses on helping attendees become better email marketers with real-world advice, practical take-aways, and success stories related to designing, coding, planning, workflow and analytics.

Organized annually by email technology company Litmus, sessions range from data-driven email design, lifecycle campaign planning, cross-channel strategies, tools to automate email development, and more. And since this isn’t a user or customer conference, anyone is welcome to attend.

I attended and spoke in 2016 and can attest to its youthful, high-energy artistic vibe. If you’re in the trenches making email happen at your brand or agency, and want to make it happen more fluidly plus learn the latest in cutting-edge creative, this is the conference for you!

Size:   500-800 attendees

Ideal For:   Email creatives, coders, designers, and program managers.

When and Where:   August in London, September in Boston, November in San Francisco (2019 dates TBA – follow show link above)

Inbox Awesome & Work Awesome

This one is a little different, with a focus on the future of work and communication. Email marketing is about connecting with people, and that’s InBox Awesome, which was rebranded “Work Awesome & Inbox Awesome” in 2018.

The focus is on how to better communicate in and out of the workplace, and while that includes marketing this is not as email-marketing-focused an event as the others listed above.

It’s a packed, efficient single day though, with 30 speakers and more than 350 attendees across the tech, media and enterprise sectors. They’ll discuss everything from automation and AI, to the latest tools and the future of engagement.

It also has a very different vibe than your typical conference, with plenty of opportunity for interaction with the speakers and industry leaders. Anyone interested in finding and connecting with those responsible for streamlining digital and corporate communication will be in the right place.

Size:  300-400 attendees

Ideal For:   New York City-based or -nearby digital marketing and martech professionals, email marketing managers, office IT, and corporate communication pros.

When and Where:   Likely December 2019 in New York City, although the exact date hasn’t been set yet so bookmark and check back at the event website (link above). The most recent conference just took place on December 6, 2018.

Wrap-Up

Finally, as much I’d love to definitively answer “which conference should I attend?” I couldn’t possibly; there isn’t a single best event for everyone.

The event that’s best for you depends on your role, experience in the channel, unique wants and needs, goals for attending, budget and timing. What I can definitively give you is a framework for making the best decision possible, so if you have to narrow the field to just one or two events this year, here are four criteria for deciding where to go:

• Goals: What Are Your Wants vs. Needs?

Decide on what’s essential to you (needs) vs. what’s nice-to-have (wants). Professional education? Peer connection and networking? Vendor-shopping? State-of-the-channel immersion and an understanding of cutting-edge developments or regulatory changes? Or maybe a solution to a specific problem? Every event has a different mix of these elements.

Know your wants vs. needs ahead of time, then study conference agendas to uncover the mix of education vs. networking vs. social time. Deep dive into the programming to explore whether the topics, speakers and vendors fit your goals and objectives for attending an event.

• Size, Scope and Focus

First, there’s event size to consider. Do you tend to do better at an event with a few hundred people, or thrive on the energy of a major Vegas conference?  If you’re looking for a new vendor or services, you’ll need an event with many in attendance, whereas if that’s not an objective vendor-variety won’t matter.

Second, what’s the scope of the event as it relates specifically to email? Some events focus on a single aspect of email marketing like deliverability, or creative design. Others are more general. The event program will tell you if topics covered are relevant to your type of business and/or day-to-day responsibilities.

• Cost

This one’s obvious; you “get what you pay for” certainly applies. But there are deals to be had so do your homework! Early-bird registration discounts are common. Speakers and sponsors can often give discounts to their clients or peers. Events put on by associations usually discount rates for members vs. non-members. Group packages are often available, as are membership + conference registration bundles. Finally, consider not just the registration price tag, but travel costs and time away from the office (time is money after all).

• Location & Timing

Another obvious factor since you’ll only be able to attend events that fit your schedule or geographic constraints. Remember that exotic locations, while enticing, often require extra travel cost and time.

Whatever you decide, remember the most important thing is getting out there to soak up the abundance of inspiration, education and connections waiting to help you unleash the full potential of your email marketing.

Questions? Hit me up on Twitter @SyncMarketing and I’ll do my best!

The post 2019 Email Marketing Conference Preview appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.

Campaign_Creators / Pixabay

We have a soft spot for B2B marketers because we’re one too! Which is why when it comes to email marketing, you can’t get enough insights into using marketing automation for the development of intentional, sequenced messaging series and email-driven customer journeys.  In fact, if you attended the awesome MarketingProfs B2B Forum just last month, you saw Karen’s presentation on exactly that.

The Time for Email Automation is Now

But like anything that becomes an integral part of business, email is work. We’re far beyond the days of email batch-and-blast when marketers broadcast a campaign, then waited expectedly for returns and sales – which, due to lack of targeting and personalization, often didn’t come. Instead, we’ve graduated to strategically using email to nurture the customer journey by driving as much of it with automation as possible. For example, automation can help you send the right message to the right person at exactly the right time based on known browse behavior or interaction with online content. It allows you to easily personalize your email to create resonance and relevance.

Need Ideas?

This fantastic infographic is full of nurture and drip campaign ideas perfect for B2B marketers, and all the rationale for why you should invest in the marketing automation that powers them. Enjoy!

The post Growth-Driving Email Automation Sequences, Series & Journeys appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.

‘Tis the season for holiday email! With brands increasing their sophistication and send volume annually, we were delighted to contribute to Email Monks recent Holiday Email Success Guide.

See month-by-month tips to take you from October through January from Karen and the other experts. We still have a ways to go, so don’t miss it!

Wishing you all the wonders of the season and the Happiest of Holidays from all of us here at Synchronicity Marketing.

The post Happy Holiday Email! Unconventional Strategies for Success appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.

Furthermore, 74% of marketers say targeted personalization increases customer engagement, and that they see an average increase of 20% in sales when using personalized experiences. That’s why Campaign Monitor partnered with Moveable Ink to create this Ultimate Email Marketing Personalization Checklist to help personalization reach humans, not just inboxes!

These findings validate what we experience daily in working with email-centric brands: a more personalized email marketing experience remains both an aspirational goal and a multi-faceted challenge.

We know personalized email messages are powerful drivers of revenue and response, yet operationally implementing them isn’t easy and is currently hampered by a shortfall on many fronts: lack of data integration, money, staff, know-how and technology. Mass customization at scale is possible, but marketers are realizing they need to up-level their investment in platforms, staff and planning time to make it so.

Make sure more personalized email marketing is on your 2019 radar, and know that we at Synchronicity Marketing are ready to help you make it a reality!

Source: The Ultimate Email Marketing Personalization Checklist by Campaign Monitor

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Shopping cart abandonment emails—aka cart recovery campaigns—have long been a mainstay in the campaign arsenal of retailers and e-tailers, but what about the rest of us? Can we benefit from abandonment recovery campaigns, and should they be an essential in email marketing programs?

Brands, companies and products that don’t normally lend themselves to e-commerce or naturally have longer and more winding customer journeys than retail also have engagement and conversion points along the way. If abandoned, these missed conversion opportunities represent lost revenue.

So even though “the rest of us” may not have online shopping carts on our websites or an e-commerce business model, it absolutely makes sense to be listening for abandonment signals and responding with recovery email campaigns.

Let’s consider a few scenarios and—with insight from those early-adopter retailers— lay down best practices for abandonment recovery that are widely adaptable to nearly any email marketer (click to continue)

The post Abandonment Recovery Email Strategies for the Non-Retailer appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.

rawpixel / Pixabay

If you’re involved in email marketing creative, you’ll love this! Sure there’s a ton of detailed information about design and coding hacks, tips, tactics and tools online; you could be reading for days. What you need is a master list of all the best places to go for that advice, plus the tech and software that make features like video in email, dynamic content, countdown timers, side scrolling and more easily possible.

So we were inspired to produce this list of favorites. Bookmark it and explore to your heart’s content. And here’s to continually raising the bar on really good email!

Email Design & Coding Tips, Hacks, and Education (mostly free)

Litmus
Hands down the industry leader. Numerous free resources and a great blog.

Email on Acid
Similar to Litmus. Great blog with tons of free advice here.

The Better Email
Education on email design, some free resources.

FreshInbox
Super-techy design hacks and tips for email coders. Interactive and advanced email design techniques and news.

Email Design Workshop
Email design inspiration, video and tutorials

Email Design & Coding Services & Software (mostly paid)

Campaign Monitor
Top email design software in use. They’re also a full-service sending platform (ESP)

Taxi for Email
Drag-and-drop email building for brand and agency teams.

Inbox Army
Offshoot of agency Inbox Group which focuses on outsourced email design and coding.

Email Monks
Email and landing page outsourced design and coding.

Inkbrush
Free service by Movable Ink (see below) that translates design files into email-ready HTML code

Email Design Inspiration (wonderful and free!)

These are massive archives of actual email messages curated to illustrate a particular type of campaign (like welcome or abandoned cart), organized by industry vertical (like retail or banking), best practices in design or all of the above.

I recommend signing up for Really Good Emails newsletter because frankly, it’s beyond really good. It’s ace!

Really Good Emails

Email Design Review by Action Rocket

Fresh Address Email Creative Archive

Dynamic Content, Video in Email, Advanced Tactics (paid services)

The companies here offer advanced email creative and coding widgets, apps and resources for email with dynamic content that updates in real-time, video in email, ecommerce enablement, etc. Want to do the coolest things you’ve seen in other people’s email? You can with one of these:

Movable Ink

PowerInbox

Live Clicker

That’s a wrap for now, but if you know a company that should be listed here, tell me who and why in comments below and we’ll make this list even better!

The post Email Design & Coding – The Ultimate Resource List For Remarkable Email Creative appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.

I was recently interviewed by Doug Morneau for his Real Marketing Real Fast Podcast and invite you to give it a listen.  Here are some of the highlights we hit upon:

• Email is going through a massive renaissance
  
• Let behavior drive what you send. Track subscriber engagement with and response to your email, then follow up with messaging relevant to their content, offer and/or product interests
• Think in terms of normal human dialog vs. “blasting”: talk to your subscribers, not at them!
• Have realistic expectations of what email can do. Use it to nurture and build relationships over time vs. expecting single messages to accomplish conversion in one fell swoop
• Understand your customer’s journey and align email messaging to key points on it

Click to listen or read the transcript.

Then tell me – where do you see email marketing going? What do you agree or disagree with? I’d love to see your thoughts in comments blow. Enjoy!

The post Email Marketing Sales Tips (my latest podcast interview) appeared first on Synchronicity Marketing.