I have been fortunate to have traveled internationally rather extensively in my life. Early in my career I worked for a very small company that was acquired by a very large one. At the time, there was no such thing as video conferencing or the internet and we (the product marketing staff) were asked to visit a lot of different areas in the world to discuss 3D modeling technologies.

It’s ironic because the intensive traveling actually inspired me to start Viewmark. It was just a coincidence that new digital delivery platforms emerged, like CDs and the internet, that helped solve the intrinsic burdens associated with global product marketing. In essence, the new digital communication mechanisms allowed anyone to “have their cake and eat it too” by making it easier to sustain professional relationships around the globe without sacrificing significant time with family and friends.

Still, I can tell you from personal experience that there can be a lot of value in immersing yourself in a foreign country. Any American who has worked in Europe for an extended period of time will tell you that making an effort to speak the language of the country you are in goes a long way, but I readily admit that many of the responses to my attempts came back in English.

This reminded me of an experience I had in Sweden many years ago. It was in the late 80s and I was on one of those whirlwind marketing tours of Europe. I arrived in Stockholm after a long week on the road and decided to take a quick swim. The solarium was on the top floor of the hotel and when I entered I found that everyone was swimming naked. This is not commonplace in the States, but I said to myself, “When in Rome do as the Romans do”. After taking a short swim, I settled near the entrance, then several Americans walked in. Stunned with my appearance, they ask me, in English, if there was a sauna in the area. All I remember was responding with the only words I knew at that moment “Krona, Krona, Krona”.

In some ways international search works the same way. We have found that regional search engines like, Baidu, Naver, Yandex, etc. favor results for web pages where the titles and descriptions can be easily deciphered in the native language of the search engine and the major search engines have country specific sites where the results focus on links that are written in the country’s main language.

There are published reports that show the US percentage of global search traffic at 22% and if we add ~11% for countries around the globe that use English as their first language (UK, Australia, Canada, etc.), we can surmise that only one third of the world uses English when searching on the internet. Note: This is not to say that only one third of internet users will read English content. We feel this is significantly higher.

When a user arrives on your web site you can easily detect their language preference. Translation firms use spreadsheets or APIs to integrate content into their systems for localization and the costs for doing so are relatively low. At the same time, content management systems give you the ability to seamlessly provide the localized content on your web site.

International SEO is not one size fits all, but a little can go a long way! We have seen double-digit percentage increases in a company’s overall search volume by simply localizing page titles, meta descriptions and message bundles. The question to ask is: How global is your company and how well are you prepared to leverage the international search opportunities that are currently available?

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I oversee a lot of outbound eMail blasts for customers, and also receive my fair share as well. Despite the mounds of bad press eMail gets, it still is an efficient and effective method of communicating a marketing message.

The principal purpose of outbound marketing eMail is to send out a marketing “offer” with the intent of delivering to the right audience, creating specific interest in what we have to say, and causing a reaction that motivates the reader to engage (click a link, reply, opt-in etc.).

If only it were that simple.

Wouldn’t it be great if all you received in your inbox were the legitimate messages you wanted and needed? The problem arises because people and organizations here and around the world can compose and send junk mail easier, cheaper, and anonymously. I don’t have to tell you how frustrating it is, opening your eMail client and seeing an overwhelming amount of messages that you must individually scan to see if it’s “real” or not. Even with spam filters there seems to be an occasional deletion of something that I actually want or need. For whatever technical reason, it happens; systems filter out the “good” messages as well as the bad.

The problem is, most eMail recipients depend on two items, to tell you if they’re “legit” or something you want/need to read: the identification of the sender, and the eMail title. But some honest businesses don’t understand the importance of getting those critical elements right.

How can you survive the growing junk, mixed in with the legitimate messages? How can you ensure that you can send important (and valid) messages to the ones you intend them for, and they’ll have a higher probability of being opened and read?

Here is a basic checklist of 10 things you should keep in mind as you prepare your outbound eBlast:

1. Have a subject line that is relevant.

These days it’s not going to get you to “open” if it says “big savings!” or “You gotta read this!” Instead, I advise that you begin your title with the name of your company followed by a short headline that sums-up the purpose of the eMail in a compelling way, that the reader would relate to and be somewhat familiar. Not easy? Of course not! That’s why good writers get paid the big bucks. But it can be done. Watch the good and effective eMails you receive from national retailers. They’ve got it figured out. And, make sure the eMail “comes” from your domain name, not from a 3rd party. It all contributes to a greater level of trust.

2. Send on a schedule.

The last thing your customer wants is a constant barrage of mail from a business. “We’re having a Monday Sale…” or “It’s Tuesday, the boss is out of town…” I exaggerate, of course, but the point is that people are not sitting by their inbox waiting for you to contact them. They have other (better) things to do, and can be so overwhelmed with your daily / weekly eMails that in short order they simply delete them, unread.

When signing them up for your eMail blasts, tell them up-front how often you will be communicating with them. Better yet, give them options of what they want to receive (news, specials, deals, etc.), how often they wish to receive them, and only send to them according to their preferences.

3. Be mindful of attachments

This is a big red-flag for me. If I see an eMail with attachments from a questionable sender I immediately delete it, no second chances. Too often such attachments take the form of a Trojan horse containing spyware, a virus etc. Many spam filters don’t allow messages with attachments to even get to an inbox.
Your eMail should be a 1-page enticement, along with a call-to-action. If you must have them a document you would include as an attachment, link to it on your web site. In that way you’ve moved them further down the sales funnel, closer to an engagement, and can better measure the effectiveness of the eMail.

4. Ask that you’re eMail address is added as an “accepted party” to their spam filter.

These days unless you’re already “known” by the recipient’s eMail system, you might get booted out of their inbox before they can even see it. If you’re not on their “list” of trusted senders, your message goes directly to the trash. But that doesn’t have to happen.

As you sign-up, or add people to your eMail list, BE SURE to tell them to add you to their “buddy list” or “friend list” (or whatever they call it). And MAKE SURE the eMail address you SEND FROM is the one they add to this list. For example, they may receive eMails from me at bob_chernet@xyz.com, but my eBlasts may come from marketing@xyz.com . If they add the first address, they’ll get my messages, but not the eBlasts from my company.

Not sure how to word the warning? Look at eMails you already get from airlines, hotels and such. They have disclaimers about “accepted recipients” that will help you out.

5. Include a call-to-action

Why send an eBlast if you’re not asking them to respond in some way? Of course, there are always exceptions (to some extent) such as a weekly financial news roundup, etc. However even with them, you should be encouraging some form on two-way contact.

Perhaps a link to a specific page on your web site that ties-in to the topic you’re discussing (NEVER send them blindly to your home page… they won’t know what you want them to do). Or, here’s a good place to link to a “white paper” or other helpful item, on your site. The point is GET THEM TO DO SOMETHING other than click-away the eMail.

Word your calls-to-action in a compelling manner, that offers value, immediate satisfaction and limited (if no) risk. (A topic for another Marketing Insights column, soon to come!)

6. Make sure your images display properly.

We live in an imperfect world. And many eMail software systems are imperfect for all eMail boxes, viewers and browsers.

Chances are, images are an important component of your eMail message. It’s probably branded with your company colors and logo. There may be product images, call-to-action buttons and icons. Whatever you have, make sure to test your finished message in as many eMail systems as possible. Send test messages to friends and associates who may have personal accounts with, for example, Earthlink, MSN, AOL and others.

If nothing else, you should have a dedicated link, prominently displayed near the top of your eMail message that gives the viewer an option to view the eMail as TEXT, or as an HTML page (probably as part of your web site).

7. Be wary of including rich media.

Despite the advances of browsers, systems and bandwidth, not everyone may be as updated and current as you. There are still some big-shots that use 56k modems! That’s why I’m not a big fan of eMails that contain animation, Flash or (gasp!) video embedded within it. Sure I’ll get arguments here, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet. Go with time-tested layout techniques, compelling text and calls-to-action. Leave the rich media for your site.

8. Don’t share your lists

This is another no-brainer that gets routinely ignored. Hopefully you’ve told your recipients what you’re going to do with their eMail address once they sign up. If it’s for a particular use on your site, fine, but they don’t want you giving away their address to others who will clog up their mailboxes.

You’ve spent a lot of time developing the list, and the trust that goes with it. Manage it well and reap the benefits of satisfied clients.

9. Obey the user’s preferences.
It’s rare that people want to know about EVERYTHING that goes on in your company / business. More likely, they’re interested in a specific product, product category or support feature.

Ask the user how they want to be communicated with. Set up a list of personalization preferences they can select (and modify), so that they’re only getting the information they want, when they want it. If your system allows, also give them the option of how frequently they want this information sent to them.

10. Give them an opt-out.

It’s difficult to end a relationship. But rather than making it very difficult for them (and causing bad feelings that can affect future business), provide the opportunity for them to change their preferences or stop receiving your eMails in a quick and easy manner.

There are many legitimate reasons one of your recipients may want to stop receiving your eBlasts. They may be moving, be re-assigned in their company, or changing their eMail address. They may have purchased a product from another vendor and are out of the purchase cycle altogether.
Providing a way to opt-out not only sends the message that you respect their desires, but also keeps your list as clean as possible, with current and relevant recipients.

By no means is this list of 10 Ways to Avoid Basic eMail “Gotchas” comprehensive. Rather, a good starting point for ensuring your eMail marketing communications are effective, relevant and (most importantly) opened and acted on.

Agree? Disagree? Have a success story? Have a question? Share it with me at: bob_chernet@viewmark.com

View a complete list of Bob’s Marketing Insights articles.

© 2007 Bob Chernet
Reproduction in any manner is unlawful, without the written permission of the author.

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Recently my wife noticed an ad in the analog newspaper (I’m coining a new phrase here…). It was for an event that we normally wouldn’t pay attention to, seek out, or even say that we were interested in.

But, it looked like fun, the ad piqued our interest and we had some time on our hands, so we decided to go. We enjoyed it a lot, and will go to future events as they hold them.

What’s the point?

Well, you hear a lot about “personalized content” and “targeted / segmented audiences” these days. Digital media allows one-and-all to create specific preferences of what we want to hear, see, and be alerted to. If it doesn’t fit within our profile, it doesn’t show-up on our desktop. It’s the modern equivalent of putting on blinders.

As digital users increase and traditional analog channels search for dwindling eyeballs, we face a conundrum. How can we filter-out all the news, noise and nonsense so that we get the information and offers we want; while at the same time leave ourselves open for the new, different and unexpected? (Yes - that applies to advertising/marketing messages too!)

Indeed, if all my wife ever viewed was online content based on her preferences she would have never seen the ad / article about the weekend event. How would she? It was outside of her digital preference zone. Audiences who tune-out television, newspapers and local radio may not be exposed to things that can enrich their lives, and offer new and unforeseen experiences.

Okay, we’re all excited about the ability to identify, create and deliver specific marketing messages to a “target audience.” Yet the overarching challenge of marketing / advertising professionals is to attract the largest possible audience to purchase a product; keeping waste and spill to a minimum. After all, it’s not all about the channel, it’s about the audience.

Targeting is certainly good for many products and services. If you need to target retirement-years health insurance, then WebMD, AARP.org and others may be good. However, companies that bet-the-farm on digital delivery that is so specific, so audience-centric may be missing a key point when it comes to awareness, brand-building and moving merchandise. It’s not all about finding a channel and sending pitches down it. It’s about finding the right mix for the product and the consumer. Not all “retirees” go only to online sources. And, despite what others say, I don’t believe that ALL younger age demos are solely connected at the USB.

I’m reminded of a story by Dr. Leo Buscaglia (the famed speaker from UCLA). He noted that his dog used the backyard as a toilet, which Buscaglia had to routinely clean-up. At one point the dog started doing his “business” behind a series of bushes, that was out-of-the-way and hard to reach. Nonetheless, Buscaglia got down on all fours, shovel in-hand, and parted some of the branches to get to his target. Suddenly, as the branches cleared the way, he discovered the most exquisite rose, hidden until now. His moral? “…If it hadn’t been for the poop, I wouldn’t have seen the rose…”

Your audiences may have to plow through a lot of poop before they see your “rose.” Proper planning assures your rose will be found, and it had better be “beautiful” if you want them to engage with you. Being mindful that a product/service might offer a wonderful discovery to a new and unexpected audience outside of the digital profile zone can go a long way toward attracting a new audience segment, fostering new demand and achieving better marketing results.

Yes, there’s good justification for targeted delivery. But just because someone fits in a narrow profile, or everyone believes 20-somethings don’t read newspapers doesn’t mean that there isn’t a qualified audience you can approach.

Just remember that rose.

Agree? Disagree? Have a success story? Have a question? Share it with me at: bob_chernet@viewmark.com

View a complete list of Bob’s Marketing Insights articles.

© 2007 Bob Chernet
Reproduction in any manner is unlawful, without the written permission of the author.

Authoring content can be a labor of love or a laborious chore. Few people are gifted with the talent of successfully communicating their most refined ideas and perspectives the first time around. Have you ever wished you had the opportunity to respond to someone in a different way after the fact? Have you ever thought of something else to include in a correspondence after hitting the send button?

On the surface, there are some cases where modifying predated content makes sense; for example, let’s say you move your office, wouldn’t it be convenient to automatically replace your latest contact information in past eMail correspondences? Branded eMail application have “dynamic” content features so text in your eMail can actually be changed at a later date. This got me thinking and I have to admit that I have some reservations about possible abuse.

The overall topic reminded me of a friend I had when I was still single. Let’s just say he wasn’t the most politically correct individual on the planet. Back then, going out on Saturday night to meet new friends sometimes included dancing; unfortunately, neither of us were very handsome and it was always intimidating to make the first move.

We would blurt out something original like “Do you want to dance?” and I’d say 9 times out of 10 the response would be an apologetic “not really” or “not right now”. Well, in the event that this happened, he later told me that it helped his pride to say “I said you look fat in those pants”. I’m guessing he had some sort of inferiority complex, but he would probably explain it as “getting the last laugh”.

Most of the time, web site content is published in a well-defined manner. Many content management systems archive revisions through workflow processes and applications like Wikis provide a good history of content modifications. However, with the proliferation of authoring tools that don’t track and/or timestamp changes, I’m afraid the practice of altering predated content goes somewhat unnoticed.

What people say and when they say it (content and publishing) cannot be considered subjective. Next generation web applications can address this issue with the widespread acceptance of emerging metadata standards like Dublincore. Now, this brings me back to my friend and his callous remarks, I later told him that consoling his victims about his insensitivity and lack of honesty landed me on the dance floor on several occasions.