1. Why Email Marketing Fails Dan Belhassen greatBIGnews.com Modern Earth Inc.

2. Your session leader • Dan Belhassen • Founder & President of Modern Earth Inc., an Internet technology company • Website creators, online software developers, search engine consultants, new media marketing specialists • Booth in exhibit hall

3. Don’t believe the session title… • Email marketing can do great things for your program • IF you follow some best practices..

4. The promise of Email Marketing • Reach thousands for pennies • Significant ROI

5. Why not explore this medium? • Budgets are tight? • Internal IT roadblocks? • Concerned about time requirements? • Afraid of being labeled a spammer?

6. What can they look like?

7. What can they look like?

8. What can they look like?

9. Top 10 Best Practices • Based on LERN practices & feedback from our clients

10. Touch your market! • On a regular basis • Based on their need to know • Timely content • New brochure/session starting soon! • Meaningful content • Since you’re interested in kids camps.. • Call to action • Registration ends in 6 days!

11. Send segmented promotions! • Don’t use one look for all your markets • Different designs for each of your 7 segment, ie: Plus an “alert” template to change expectations

12. Send segmented promotions! • Sample “General” template

13. Send segmented promotions! • Sample “GenX” template

14. Send segmented promotions! • Sample “GenY” template

15. Forget newsletters! • Who has time to READ A NEWSLETTER? • Think PROMOTIONS • Receiver focused • Easy to scan • “What’s in it for me?”

16. Don’t “over content” • Less is more • Don’t make reading your promo work • Better a fast, interesting read • Give them a reason to read it

17. Use teaser paragraphs • Small paragraphs • Click link to read full text • Use link tracking to know what people are actually reading

18. Measure your results! • Keep track of open & click statistics • The truth about open rates • 40% is “Good” • 80% periodic readership average • The long tail… • Measure results & seek improvements

19. Use humour or controversy! • Entertainment drives readership • Readership drives registration • Be different! • Einstein with a clown nose = “serious fun”

20. Blend promotion & content! • Feature high profile instructors • Use anecdotes • Use past student testimonials • Pass the WIIFM test

21. Send follow ups! • Use click-through tracking to send targeted follow ups • Pay attention to what gets low clicks • And what gets high clicks!

22. Track conversions! • Click-through > website • Website > registration form • Registration form > submission

23. Sample Marketing Plan • Sample plan is for community programs • Easily modified for other program types

24. Sample Marketing Plan • Assumptions • 4 or 5 brochures per year • Not yet doing email marketing • 1,000 initial subscribers • Culled from past reservations • Online registration capability • Detailed for one quarter • Replicate for rest of year

25. Sample Marketing Plan • August • Modify website to accept email subscribers • Create promotion page with incentive • Free course? Gift certificate draw? • Register with a friend discount? • Let them know clearly what to expect • Train your staff to ABA! • Feature email promos in brochure

26. Sample Marketing Plan • August • Modify online system to capture email addresses (opt in if required) • Brochure -2 days • Send promo “watch for brochure..” • Brochure +3 days • “Looked at the brochure yet? • Download instructions

27. Sample Marketing Plan • September • Create a series of spotlight promotions • 10 courses in one theme • Include images and more details • Sidebar for “courses in danger” • Low & high enrollment • Once per week for 4 weeks

28. Sample Marketing Plan • October • Promo every 2 weeks • Spotlight 6 upcoming courses • Focus on “part two” courses

29. Sample Marketing Plan • November • One promotion • Promote upcoming winter brochure • (also any other up-coming courses)

30. Sample Marketing Plan • Replicate plan for other 4 or 5 brochures • Modify as suitable for your programs • Create a plan, stick to it, evolve it

31. Gathering email addresses

32. Gathering email addresses • Ask for them! • “Do you want to be notified of upcoming courses?” • Phone / online registration • Phone inquiry • Website prompt • In the classroom (evaluation form) • Community course promotion events

33. Selecting a system • Key features • Deliverability • Tracking (opens, click-throughs) • Import subscribers & prevent duplicates • Capture email from website • Send to a friend w/self sign up option • Design matches your branding

34. Questions? • Dan Belhassen • (866) 766-7640 • dcb@modernearth.net • Presentation available at http://modernearth.net/lern2006 • See me at our booth in exhibit hall

35. Thank you! www.greatBIGnews.com www.modernearth.net Presentation available at http://modernearth.net/lern2006