The document discusses the results of a survey of 1,000 consumers on their email usage and preferences: - Discounts (95.4%) and product updates (56.5%) were the most important reasons for signing up for emails. Nearly 75% expect a welcome email after signing up. - Relevance (31.4%) and frequency (30.7%) were the top reasons for unsubscribing, while 40% may stay subscribed if given options to reduce frequency or content type. - Poorly designed mobile emails often lead to deletion (69.7%) and influence brand perception. Consumers want emails optimized for mobile use.

1. Email Marketing Trends for Ryan P. Phelan
Vice President, Strategic Services
2012: A revealing look at what BlueHornet
how consumers use email @ryanpphelan

2. Industry Experience
• Director, Email Marketing & Acquisition at
Sears Holdings
• Responsible for East Coast Operations at
Responsys
• Director, Email Marketing & Online Advertising
at infoGROUP, Inc
Thought Leadership
• DM News: Email Gets Personal (Cover Story)
• Keynote address – March 2012, EEC12
• Recent Article: Changing Consumer
Perceptions of the Email Channel, Simms
Jenkins - bit.ly/RP_P1
• Co-Chair of the EEC List Growth &
Engagement Roundtable
• Member of:
Ryan Phelan
Vice President, Strategic Services
Various Email Discussion Groups on:

3. Think…

4. • U.S. Based Consumers
• 77% own a smartphone
1,000 •
•
•
Selected ages between 18 and 45
79% were employed
Diverse ethnic mix
• 77% earned $35,000+
CONSUMERS • 35% live in urban area; 65% in suburb

5. Do you add
retailers to
your
address
book to
ensure
delivery of
their
emails?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

6. How many
personal
email
addresses
do you
have?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

7. Is it OK to
get
promotional
emails if
you made a
purchase
but didn’t
sign up to
receive
promotion
al emails?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

8. Goals for Today
> See the results of our
consumer survey
> Listen to what real
customers think
> Learn from Ryan on
actionable strategies

9. Why do you sign up
1 to receive emails
from companies?

10. In addition to
email
address, what
information are
you generally
comfortable
sharing with a
brand or
company?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

11. Which of the
following are
your most
important
reasons for
signing up
to receive
emails from
companies
seeking your
business?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

12. What are the most important reasons to sign up for
email?
Discounts: 95.4%
Product Updates: 56.5%
Love the Brand: 56.1%
Product Research: 38.2%
Other: 2.8%

13. Key Takeaways
> Incorporate preference centers into your welcome process
> Gather relevant information and test the amount
> Don’t take advantage of the trust
> Test pricing and discount strategies in your emails
> Test calls to action between “Learn More” and “Buy Now”

14. What do you expect
2 to happen after you
sign up for an email
list?

15. Do you
expect to get
a welcome
email when
you sign up to
receive email
notifications?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

16. How much
do the
following
have in
causing you
to purchase
from an
email?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

17. Do you expect to get a welcome email when you
sign up to receive email notifications?
Yes: 75.7%
No: 24.3%

18. Key Takeaways:
> Make sure that you have a welcome email sent instantly after
registration
> During registration, test asking what they want out of the
relationship
> Price and Discounts are the top reasons for purchase from
email (Free Shipping is a close third)
> Cadence should be rooted in relevant content to the
consumer at each phase of development
> Don’t bombard the consumer

19. If you receive a
3 mobile email that
doesn’t look
good, what do you
do?

20. If the email
you receive
looks
bad, does
that
influence
your
perception
of the
brand that
sent it
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

21. If you get a mobile
email that doesn’t
look good, what
do you do?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

22. Do you click
on the “view
this email
online” link
when
viewing an
email on a
mobile
device?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

23. Do you use
your
mobile
device to
sort
through
your emails
before you
read them
on your
desktop?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

24. If you get a mobile email that doesn’t look
good, what do you do?
Delete it: 69.7%
Unsubscribe: 18.0%
View on Desktop: 17.7%
Don’t know: 9.4%
Read it Anyway: 7.6%
File it: 3.5%

25. Key Takeaways:
• Don’t be lazy marketers, optimize your emails for mobile
devices
• Use effective subject lines and pre-header text to assist in the
“triage”
• Use segmentation to group mobile users from desktop users
and track performance
• Over half of respondents triage email

26. Why would you
4 unsubscribe from
an email list?

27. When you
unsubscribe,
what is the
primary
reason?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

28. Source: Forrester’s The Best And Worst Of Email Marketing, Q4 2010
Base: 64 marketing emails

29. When you unsubscribe, what is the primary
reason?
Relevance: 31.4%
Frequency: 30.7%
Inbox Overload 22.7%
Tired of Brand 12.4%
Other: 2.8%

30. Key Takeaways
• Relevancy (31%) and Frequency (30%) are still the top two
reasons for unsubscribe
• An overloaded inbox is the third most popular reason why
someone would unsubscribe at 22%
• Think strategically first, tactically second about your email
program
• Make sure your emails provide value
• Use segmentation to send engaged groups emails – utilize
Win-Back Programs

31. If you’re about to
5 unsubscribe, is
there anything the
brand could do to
change your mind?

32. If you click to
unsubscribe
and are
presented
with the
option to
“opt-down”
(change
frequency, to
pics, etc.)
would you
remain on
the list?
© Digital River Inc. , Source: BlueHornet Online Email Behavior Survey, Feb 2012 n=1,000

33. If you’re about to unsubscribe, is there anything the
brand could do to change your mind?
Never: 59.4%
Sometimes: 25.6%
Always: 15.0%

34. Key Takeaways
• 40% of consumers might stay on your list if given options –
implement an opt-down program
• Offer choices of cadence and subscription in an opt-down
program
• Implement Win-Back Programs to engage the customer and
renew the trust
• Ask a survey of those that are going to subscribe

35. Conclusion
• Think strategically first, tactically second about your email program
• Make sure that you have a welcome email sent instantly after
registration
• Cadence should be rooted in relevant content to the consumer at each
phase of development
• Don’t be lazy marketers - optimize your emails for mobile devices
• Relevancy (31%) and Frequency (30%) are still the top two reasons for
unsubscribe
• 40% of consumers might stay on your list if given options – implement
an opt-down program

36. There are real people getting your emails – don’t
forget that!

37. Questions?

38. Ryan Phelan
Vice President, Strategic Services
ryan@bluehornet.com
619.295.1856 x36113
Want to learn about email marketing? Follow me on Twitter
and watch #emailmarketing!
> @ryanpphelan
@bluehornetemail