Hear first-hand accounts from top marketers as they discuss redesigns, drivers for change, metrics for success, and best practices acquired along the way.

1. Performance Driven
Design

2. Director of Marketing at Litmus
@meladorri
Justine leads content
marketing, customer education
and research initiatives.
Justine Jordan

3. Senior Email Marketing Manager At
CareerBuilder
@tsburdsall
Scott manages CareerBuilder's ESP
relationship along with a team that
oversees email marketing
campaigns, testing, and best
practices.
Scott Burdsall

4. Vice President of Strategic
Services at BrightWave
Marketing
@emailrocks
Jay keeps busy solving email
marketing problems, declaring
email’s centrality to digital
marketing, eating
great food and
kickboxing
Jay Jhun

5. Got Performance
Issues???

6. Who‟s this guy?
@emailrocks

7. On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty as an email marketer
to optimize performance whenever I can;
Performance-Driven Marketer‟s Oath

8. To help deliver crazy ROI at all times;
To keep my emails creatively strong,
Intentionally relevant and totally awesome.
Performance-Driven Marketer‟s Oath

10. Performance goals are inextricably tied to
meaningful, measurable business outcomes

11. “Methods and techniques that have consistently shown
results superior than those achieved with other means, and
which are used as benchmarks to strive for. There
is, however, no practice that is best for everyone
or in every situation, and no best practice remains
best for very long as people keep on finding better ways
of doing things.”
BusinessDictionary.com
Best Practices Be Damned!

12. 5 Misconceptions
to Unthink
about Performance Optimization

13. Industry Benchmarks Are Your Friend
#1
XX

14. Testing is difficult
#2

15. 1. Ask yourself “What are we trying to learn and WHY?”
• Be conversion-minded
• Be specific about what you’re trying to improve
2. Identify a 'control' and a 'test' candidate
• Control is often a default / incumbent state
3. Test should happen at the same time
3 Pillars for Testing
#2

16. Testing can happen „automagically‟
#3

17. SMSOpt-in
Form
It‟s only about email
#4
Email
Mobile
App
Landing
Pages
Web /
E-Comm
QR
Codes
Print
(FSI)
SEO/
Display

18. Mobile optimization can happen with the
same budget/effort as desktop
#5

19. Page 19BrightWave Marketing, Inc. | All Rights Reserved | © 2002-2012

20. 3 Tips for Bridging the Gap
1. Map your content to a measureable campaign goal
• The more content you have in each email, the more effort it will take to
make it mobile-friendly (i.e., K.I.S.S.)
2. Consider Fluid or Single-column or Plain Text
• Form needs to follow function; If you’re not sure, test it!
3. Pick and choose when you optimize for mobile
• Based on the size of the mobile conversion opportunity per campaign
#5

21. • Performance optimization in email should be connected to your
business goals – directly or indirectly
• Industry benchmarks and ‘best practices’ are like training
wheels you need to eventually ditch
• Testing is not complicated but requires intentionality
• Performance optimization in today’s mobile world requires
cross-channel collaboration
• Solving for mobile optimization will absolutely require you to
recalibrate your approach to email and your resources
In Summary …

22. Director of Marketing at Litmus
@meladorri
Justine leads content
marketing, customer education
and research initiatives.
Justine Jordan

23. • Web-based subscription software
• No sales team
• B2B
• Content focused approach
• Small (tiny) marketing team
• Marketing to marketers (must eat own dog food)
• Lots of lessons learned…
A quick primer on Litmus

24. Best practices are
those determined to
work best for you
Lesson learned:

25. Test anything, you
might be surprised
Best practice learned:

26. • Subject lines
• Specific vs. vague
• Buzzy vs. straightforward
• Button language / call-to-action
• Product vs. content
• Additional buttons (more click opportunities)
• Play buttons on videos
• Static video imagery
• Headline vs. no headline
• Button colors
Things we‟ve tested…

27. Doug Bowman
“…Google couldn’t decide
between two blues, so they’re
testing 41 shades between each
blue to see which one performs
better…”

28. Google doesn‟t
know everything
Best practice learned:

29. Version A: Green button Version B: Blue button

30. Version A: Green button Version B: Blue button
NO
change

31. Teach, don‟t sell
Best practice learned:

32. Version A: Start testing Version B: Read our overview

33. Version A: Start testing Version B: Read our overview
2x
clicks

34. Risks occasionally
pay off
Best practice learned:

35. Subject line A:
Don’t forward this…
Subject line B:
The best way to share emails

36. Subject line A:
Don’t forward this…
Subject line B:
The best way to share emails
54%
more clicks

37. Progress, not
perfection
Best practice learned:

38. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate

39. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate
28% opens
11% clicks
Emphasis on
product

40. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate

41. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate
29% opens
15% clicks
New design
rolls out
Less content
CTAs not
clear

42. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate

43. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate
28% opens
27% clicks
Infographics
Useful/helpful
Bulletproof
buttons

44. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate

45. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate
29% opens
20% clicks
More product
than
education
opportunities

46. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate

47. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate
Double the
amount of
content
Short, stats-
focused
subject line
31% opens
38% clicks

48. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Jan-11 Apr-11 Oct-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Apr-12 May-12 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jan-13 May-13 Jul-13
Open Rate 32% 28% 29% 30% 28% 25% 29% 27% 28% 31% 29% 25%
Click Rate 13% 11% 15% 19% 27% 27% 20% 25% 31% 38% 22% 30%
Open Rate Click Rate

49. Opens and clicks
aren‟t everything
Best practice learned:

50. • Twitter mentions
• Unsolicited comments
• Endorsements
• Web visits
• Blog comments
• Anecdotal evidence
• Interest from mainstream journalists
Embrace unique success
metrics

51. Twitter Mentions
Site visits
Newsletter
Newsletter

52. Twitter Mentions
Site visits
Newsletter
Newsletter

53. Targeting and
segmentation really
does work
Best practice learned:

54. Boston: 1,200 subscribers
Boston agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets
London: 2,500 subscribers
London agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets
San Fran: 1,100 subscribers
San Francisco agenda + snag the last Early Bird
tickets
General: 46,000 subscribers
See the agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets

55. Boston: 1,200 subscribers
Boston agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets
London: 2,500 subscribers
London agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets
San Fran: 1,100 subscribers
San Francisco agenda + snag the last Early Bird
tickets
General: 46,000 subscribers
See the agenda + snag the last Early Bird tickets
62%
open rate
58tickets sold
emails sent

56. Senior Email Marketing Manager At
CareerBuilder
@tsburdsall
Scott manages CareerBuilder's ESP
relationship along with a team that
oversees email marketing
campaigns, testing, and best
practices.
Scott Burdsall

57. CareerBuilder: Mobile opens account
for 50-62% of total opens depending on
segment
Mobile Audience

58. • A/B template test
• Same Subject Lines
• Audience: 5 segments with different interaction levels
• New
• In Market (active)
• Recently In Market (recently active)
• Passive
• Off Market (unengaged)
• CTR as winning metric
• Three weeks of testing
Testing Methodology

59. • TEST: Original Control Design vs. Responsive Design
CareerBuilder Mobile Optimization

60. Preview: Control Version

61. Preview: Test Version

62. • 21-24% increase in click-through rate
• Unengaged users delivered the highest life in click-through
• Less motivated users seem more likely to respond to an
uncluttered, aesthetically pleasing message
Results
Test 1 Test 2 Test 3
Segment Click Increase Open Increase Click Increase Open Increase Click Increase Open Increase
New 11% 10% 19% 21% 11% 13%
Active 17% 17% 19% 23% 11% 17%
Recent 17% 21% 19% 19% 22% 17%
Passive 17% 13% 16% 12% 16% 12%
Unengaged
Overall 21% 15% 24% 17% 21% 15%

63. • Also: 15-17% increase in open rate
• Preheader basics:
• Located above the logo or header in the email code
• Some email clients grab the first piece of code and display approximately 85
characters of the first HTML text next to the subject line.
Preheader
To
Preheader
From Name > Subject Line > Preheader
Control: Test:
CareerBuilder.com CareerBuilder.comSunday Sunday
To ToTest Send – Tonya: We’ve got Ne… Test Send – Walter: We’ve got ne…
To view this email as a web page, go here.
<http://click.careerbuilder-
email.com/?qs=309b4f8d88142b3b4b5b9e69c
bc75f3
We’ve got new jobs in Hammond – Companies
have just posted new jobs near…
Winner!

64. • Job Recommendation Emails
• Similar test, but only testing
responsive design element
• Mostly text – job descriptions
and apply button
• 7.5% overall CTR increase
• 15.2% mobile CTR increase
• 12.3% increase in applications
per send
Responsive With Existing Templates

65. • Responsive Design gave CB quick wins and helps ensure long-term
successes
• Improved mobile click-through rates
• Improved mobile apply rates
• Gives a more scalable and usable reading experience
• Regarding CB template redesign test, responsive showed that unengaged
subscribers…
• …generated the highest lift in responsive design.
• …responded better to a more uncluttered, visually pleasing message.
• Less busy design highlights more critical sections
Performance-Driven Design

66. Questions?

67. Thank you!