Elaine Fogel

marketing emails

stopwatchDid you know that your marketing emails have less than 3 seconds to capture your readers’ attention? After analyzing over 1.3 billion emails in Q3 2015, email marketing company, Movable Ink, says the vast majority of email reads last between 0 - 3 seconds. Woah!

According to the study, (as reported in Media Post) email read lengths vary by device, but less than three seconds was the overwhelming majority across Kindle Fire, 64.5%; iPhone 53.9%; iPad, 42.4%; Desktop, 48.9%; Android Tablet, 48.8%; and Android phones, 50.2%.

Email reads on desktop computers were the most likely to result in an increase of reading time. Some 24.6% of email reads on desktops last more than 15 seconds, followed by iPad readers at 22.6% and Android tablet users at 21.9%. Only 15.5% of Android phone users spent more than 15 seconds per email, the lowest ranking device in the study.

So, how do you improve reading times? Continue reading

Thumbs downEvery once in a while, I notice things that companies, organizations, and individuals do online that can erode their brands. These boo-boos are easily corrected, so I thought I’d share three of them with you in the hopes that you’ll avoid them.

1. Using Comic Sans font.

I went to a speaker’s bureau’s site for information on speaking opportunities. Unless you work for a circus, a kids’ organization, or you’re a comedian, lose this font! It’s hard to take you seriously when you use this font style.

2. Asking for too much information for free white papers, research reports, and on registration forms.

I know I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want to take the time to include my entire life’s bio. I realize it’s important to marketers to capture leads, but this is a grey area when it comes to e-mail marketing legislation.

I may sign up to receive one thing, and before I know it, I’m receiving regular marketing emails from these organizations. I know how ubiquitous this is, but it isn’t a positive brand experience for me.

Now, if these companies proved their worth with whatever it is I signed up for, and ASKED me if I want to subscribe to their newsletters or emails, maybe I would consider it. Otherwise, it’s simply SPAM.

3. Asking for too much information when rating products, services, etc.

Walgreen’s sent me a survey to rate a product I purchased online.  It had the following sections and questions:

Product Ratings: 

Write a Detailed Review: Review title (Summarize your review in one line. Keep content relevant and appropriate. Don’t include personally identifiable information.); Review text box; Pros text box; Cons text box; Order ID ((will not appear on our site).

Post your own product recommendations: What products would you recommend to others? Add them to your review.

Tell Other Customers About Yourself and Connect: Location text box; Email text box (We will ONLY use your email to notify you in regards to your submission.); How old are you? drop-down menu;  What is your gender? drop-down menu; How often do you shop at Walgreens drop-down menu; Do you use our online pharmacy and online photo sections of walgreens.com? text box; Are you a Fan of Walgreens on Facebook? drop-down menu; What is your preferred method of learning of a promotion? drop-down menu.

Please Tell Us What You Think About Walgreens: Would you recommend Walgreens to a friend? radio buttons 1-10; Please tell us why text box.

OMG!! I took one look at the length of the survey and quickly closed it. Come on, Walgreen’s. I’m brand loyal, but please make it simple!

Have you experienced these three things? Do they bother you, too?

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