Advanced Email

Marketing Tips

Move Compelling Content Up And

Graphics Down To Win At Email
 700% bump in response rates
Table of Contents
– Subscribers are selfish. What’s in it for THEM?
– Top left 4 inch square – the most valuable real
estate.
– Email Preview Panes
• Auto-Preview
• Preview Pane
– Trusted, Nationwide Brands can break the rules – you
can’t!
– Send me your case study after you try this.
Email Blog – Move Content Up:
http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/2009/12/15/move-compelling-content-up-and-graphics-down-to-win-at-email/
 Subscribers Don’t Care
• Subscribers want to know what’s in it for THEM.

• Too many emails feature the wrong content at the top of

emails
– Website menus
– Unsub and web version text
– Logos (yes I said it)

• Why is it wrong?
– Subscribers don’t care
– 50% of email programs disable images
 The most valuable real estate
• The top left 4 inch square
– make the subscriber thankful they received
your message
• Retailers – feature a coupon or sale item
• Publishers – feature headlines and links
• Service Providers – feature case studies

• Feature content before images. Here’s

why…
 Email Previews
• 70+% of subscribers use Preview Panes
• 50+% do not enable images before acting
• Response rates are low enough as-is
• Put the odds in your favor
 Auto-Preview Pane
• 70+% of subscribers use preview panes
• 50+% do not enable images before acting
• Response rates are low enough as-is
• Put the odds in your favor

• Let’s look at what NOT to do…

 Auto-Preview

• 25% of preview users use Auto-Preview

– The first email nailed it. Relevant and provocative.
– Second one – no personalization. Nothing to read.
– Third. Disaster. The image links make me glaze over.
 Auto-Preview
• If you could improve your response rates by even 1
point by making your email allow for the Auto-
Preview, would you?
– Use layout techniques to position content before images
– Move images further down
– Lead with compelling content
 Preview Pane
• 75% of preview users use the Preview Pane
– The majority of them will decide to act or not without
enabling images or scrolling down.
– What shows up in your email?
– What shows up in most of the emails you receive?

• Let’s look at what NOT to do…

 Preview Pane

• If I know and trust this company and look forward to their emails and
will open it because of my loyalty to them, this preview pane doesn’t
matter.
• Would I have a chance to know, trust and look forward to this email?
• This Preview Pane should be full of content I care about.
• You won’t change my behavior so don’t hope I scroll or enable images.
 Push your content up!
• Well-known, trusted brands and nationwide brands
enjoy the privilege of subscribers anticipating their
emails simply because of who they are.
• Try pushing your content up for a few emails and
see what happens. I’ll bet you see a better
response.
• Don’t expect miracles on the first send
– You have set your existing subscribers expectations that
your emails are less relevant (even if they aren’t)
– Let me know what happens. I’ll feature your case study.
 About
• Rob Van Slyke is a 15-year veteran of interactive marketing
• For the past 6 years, Rob has focused on email marketing and squeezing
out every last percentage point possible in email response rates

Rob Van Slyke

Interactive Consultant
rob@verticaltraction.com
713-681-7771
vertical traction
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Advanced Email Marketing Tips Blog

http://emailmarketingtips.verticaltraction.com/
http://www.verticaltraction.com/