Melon Corporate Blog
Say HELLO properly and have less GOODBYES
On our blog and in our newsletter articles we often explore issues relating to email newsletter content, subject lines, email’s role in the broader marketing mix and so on.
In this article I want to discuss several often ignored but powerful elements of the email newsletter process.
1. The welcome sign-up email
2. The sign-up thank you page
Scenario 1: Opt-in form on your website
Scenario 2: No opt-in form on your website – (explored in next month's newsletter)
Firstly a quick digression about opt-in forms: all websites should have an opt-in form – preferably on all pages of the site or accessible from all pages of the site.
Research shows time and time again that people WANT to hear from companies that they do business with or are interested in IF the timing, content and format of the communication is appropriate.
For a great example of opt-in implementation see leading Australian bookseller (and Melon Media client) Booktopia – no matter where you are on their site – an opt-in form is visible.
How many times have you been on a website of an organisation that you would like to keep on your radar and just can't find a way to get ON their database?
It happens to me all the time.
What a lost opportunity for the organisation – imagine all those lost warm prospects over the years.
Bonus Tip: Test your opt-in form on a regular basis. Opt-in forms can easily “break” if you change web host, or your website is fiddled with. I have seen situations where opt-in forms have been broken for years unbeknown to the website owners.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With your opt-in form in place you can look at setting up your “welcome sign-up email” and your “sign-up thank you page”.
When users “opt-in” to an email newsletter they are “engaged and involved” with your site and your brand – this is significant.
The humble welcome email and sign-up thank you page deepens and extends this time that your user remains “engaged and involved” with your site.
- The “welcome email”
Immediately on sign-up your website users should receive an email from your organisation that “welcomes” them and confirms their sign-up.
The welcome email should include the following:
- Your company branding - simple at this point works best.
- A link to your most recent newsletter or your newsletter archives.
- Details on how the recipient can “whitelist” themselves so that their email program doesn't incorrectly flag your emails as spam.
- Clarification on how they can unsubscribe should they wish to.
- Bonus content: for example our client Michael Yardney who founded the website http://www.propertyupdate.com.au provides his new subscribers with several ebooks as a thank you for signing up.
You may even want to include:
- A link to a video welcome from the CEO.
- Links to your Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.
- A bonus code for a discount if you sell anything online.
- A request – possibly incentivised – for the user to provide more detail about their interests and other information.
For a good example of a welcome email go to http://www.propertyupdate.com.au and sign up for the email – you can unsubscribe at any stage.
- The “sign-up” thank you page.
When the user submits their details into the opt-in form the website will then present some form of “thank you” page.
Depending on the way your website is built this “thank you page” may be a completely new page or refresh only part of your page.
Either way this is a good point in the process to capitalise on the user's engagement with your website.
The “thank you” page should contain the following:
- A thank you for signing up!
- A note for the user to keep an eye on their inbox for the welcome email.
- A link(s) to an appropriate next page of the website for the user. This can be an interesting article, an interesting product, or interesting part of your website.
For example: “Thank you for signing up to our newsletter. You will now receive our regular monthly email updates. Click here and read what some customers have had to say about their experiences with our company”
- Links to bonus content similar to the welcome email.
A sign-up process that is professional and well thought through achieves several important outcomes:
1. The user gains confidence about your company and brand through the quality of the well thought out process.
2. The “dialogue” that you initiate via the welcome email and thank you page will set a strong foundation from which you can build an effective email newsletter campaign.
Next month we will look at how you can refine your opt-in welcome process even if you don't have an opt-in form on your website.
For example many corporate companies build up their database lists via their day to day operations with data getting fed into their CRM systems, accounting systems and similar.
Until then...
Remember: Don't be shy to comment - know of an innovative implementation of a welcome email or thank you page? Let us know about it, and we will send you a limited edition http://spellr.us t-shirt.
Blog Categories
Archived Entries
February, 2010January, 2010
October, 2009
September, 2009
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
May, 2009
April, 2009
February, 2009
January, 2009
December, 2008
November, 2008
October, 2008
September, 2008
August, 2008
July, 2008
June, 2008
May, 2008
April, 2008
March, 2008
February, 2008
January, 2008
November, 2007
October, 2007
September, 2007
Comments - oldest entries appear first, most recent entries at the end.
Leave a comment:
All comments are moderated, name and email fields are mandatory, but only the name will be displayed in the comment, your email address will remain private, and will not be added to any lists. The requirement of the email address is to help ensure that the comments are being submitted by legitimate people.