Mobile Email Campaign Fail (BlackBerry) – Whistler-Blackcomb

By Jose Uzcategui December 11th, 2010 Conversion Optimization No Comments

Like most of you, I constantly receive promotions over email, which I check on my BlackBerry on my way to work.

I’m always victim of frustrating usability issues thanks to having a BlackBerry (Pearl Flip) phone. At least in North America, everything seems to be targeted to iPhones and Androids.  Granted, creating an email campaign that’s perfect for everyone is, most of the times, not a viable option. But email marketers should at least have the basics fail-safe.

A few days ago I got an email promotion from Whistler Blackcomb – a perfect example of not having those fail-safe.

Let’s see why the email was no good

The email title was good, I clicked on it. But when I opened it, I didn’t get any usable piece of information to convert – I’ve attached the email below.

But don’t feel bad, @whistlerblckcmb, you are among the majority who seem not to consider BlackBerry users in your email campaigns.

I’m not going to go into details on how to go about addressing BB users but, I suggest you try:

• Including the offer or promotions as text – not images only.
• (more…)

Mailchimp for Vancouver SEM Meetup Communication

By Jose Uzcategui March 7th, 2010 Internet Marketing, Meetups, Social Media No Comments

Last week I used Mailchimp, a popular email service provider, to send a newsletter-type  email to the Vancouver SEM Meetup group.

This idea came about while thinking a better way to communicate with the group’s members. Mailchimp offers pre-designed formatting, tracks clicks, opens, and a ton of other information I thought I could take advantage of… Here’s what happened. (more…)

I Want To Know, Not Buy!

By Jose Uzcategui January 9th, 2009 Internet Marketing 2 Comments

Today I received a promotional email from Moores Clothing, a store I visit from time to time. It was titled “Don’t miss your last chance for huge savings during our Year-End Sale!” I clicked and browsed the content for two seconds – literally – and erased it. I’m not planning to buy anything right now, so I just didn’t care.

Just as you’ve probably done, I’ve erased dozens of similar emails throughout the holidays – what a waste. I did spend some time reading three or four promotional emails, however. What actually caught my attention was interesting and useful content, they weren’t promoting anything!

The Internet has changed how people buy things, and it seems the memo hasn’t arrived to everyone’s desk. Most people, once they decide to buy a product or service, go online and do some research. Some may want quality, some may want low prices, but everyone wants information.

How different would I’ve reacted to a Moores email titled, “How to dress for a rainy day” or “Learn how to use a vest”! (I’ve been thinking of buying a vest but don’t really know with what kind of shirt to combine it with and just haven’t gone online and research vests.)

I recently read a good case scenario on this topic that mentioned Cervelo bikes (www.cervelo.com) as a great example of how good information brings customers. You’ll notice their news section is very appealing. Now, if you were into bike racing, even if you’re considering buying a different bike, wouldn’t you want to check what Cervelo has to say?

It’s more likely that your customers are thinking about a future purchase and looking for more information rather than a “now or never” buying scenario. Auto dealers are particularly funny this way. Their promotions last only a few days. Have you ever seen a auto commercial and thought to yourself, “Wow! 0% Financing? I wasn’t planning on buying a car, but what the heck!” What would you prefer? A good “now or never” sale or a reliable and trustworthy dealer?

It’s easy enough to walk into The Bay or Sears and be overwhelmed by “Sale” signs. It’s not easy to find a sales person who really knows what they’re selling. Make your business a provider of quality information and customers will trust you.

And isn’t that a very big first step?