In this presentation we share the secrets of profitably growing, managing, and mailing a database!. It covers how to actively growing one's mailing list size; data collection strategies; cleansing and validating data; segmenting records into different verticals based on consumer preferences; getting into inboxes and optimising deliverability; negotiating higher CPAs and fishing for CPM, CPC, hybrid and tenancy deals; and much more. These are the slides of the acclaimed presentation given by Nadeem Azam at the PerformanceIN Live conference in London.

1. How to Build and
Make Real Money
on Your Email Lists
Nadeem Azam

2. Nadeem Azam
2
Computer programmer in
the 1980s
Journalist in the 1990s
Launched full-services
digital agency Azam
Marketing in 1997

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Azam Marketing
affiliate
marketing
eCRM and
email
marketing
search
marketing
social
media
public
relations
web
design

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Azam’s eCRM Activities
Data hygenie and de-duplication
Data appending
Customer profiling
List management
Data analysis
List monetisation
Remarketing
Over 30 databases managed and broadcast
each week for different companies including
major advertisers and affiliates.
e.g. we broadcast newsletters for Trinity
Mirror, such as the Mirror Football newsletter
which is emailed every working day

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Azam’s eCRM Activities

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What We Will Cover in Today’s Session
What is CRM
Why eCRM will benefit you
Data Collection
- Strategies
- Best Practice
Finding an ESP
Data Segmentation
What to Broadcast
Finding lucrative advertisers
Email Creative
Deployment

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What is CRM?
Acquiring
customers
Enhancing
relationships
Retaining
customers
Sales
Marketing
Support

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Why eCRM?
80% of marketers say that email is the strongest
performing media buy, with a higher ROI than search
(Datran)
Email marketing continually delivers the highest ROI
for any marketing method. According to the Direct
Marketing Association, email marketing delivered
$43.62 for every dollar spent. Despite the hype, Social
media doesn’t come close!
According to the Direct Magazine annual forecast
survey, email has become the top medium choice for
direct marketers
What is the first
thing most
people do when
they switch on
their
computers?

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Data Collection
Prominent
placement e.g.
top of page or
scroll-in
Strong call
to action
Give away a
desirable
freebie e.g. an
ebook, an Ipad

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Data Collection
Opt-in rather than opt-out
Explain clearly what communications they
will receive
Include link to Privacy Policy and Terms &
Conditions
Alongside the form fields you require, must
collect:
Registrant IP number
Registration time stamp
TIP: include ‘we do not spam’
graphic on the right of registration box to
increase opt-in rates

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Data Collection

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Data Collection
Don’t buy databases
Don’t swap databases
95% of co-registration companies will
send you worthless leads
Many of the guys on a4uleads.com
and other lead generation forums are
crooks – avoid ‘em!
If you are going to use a third-party to
grow your database, thoroughly
investigate them
Make sure they’ve been in business
for at least three years, have a
professional looking website, and have
relevant registration (Data Protection
Act etc.)

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Finding the Ideal Email Service Provider
There are hundreds out there...
So how do you find the ideal one
for your needs?

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Finding the Ideal Email Service Provider
1. Decide if you would like:
a low cost Pay As You Go service
a managed third-party solution
your own server solution
2. Read lots of reviews
3. Insist on speaking to other customers
4. Ask to see deliverability statistics for your list quality and size
5. Trial a few solutions with targeted broadcasts
TIP: Feel free to ask Nadeem after this session if you’d like
some advice

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Data Segmentation and Profiling
Keep different pots of data separate and
sent targeted broadcasts based on their
needs
Data appending services allow you to
profile customers and therefore send more
defined communications
Over time, active profiles should also be
built (openers and clickers) by the
advertising vertical they respond to and
sent via the best systems/IPs. Less
responsive data can be re-activated with
softer competition, charity or free
information campaigns
But don’t waste time on complex
segmentation if only a few hundred
subscribers

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What to Broadcast: Content Newsletter

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What to Broadcast: Offers Newsletter

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What to Broadcast: Solus Emails

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Who to Promote
Generate the maximum Revenue Per Member
- without damaging your reputation or having
overly high unsubscribe rates
If you are sending a content newsletter once a
week or fortnight, consider broadcasting a
solus or offers email in between the content
newsletters
Partner with other emailers to grow each
other’s databases

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Generate More Revenue
If you have a quality database, you should seek alternatives to
advertising companies on a commission-only basis at your
expense
Alternative revenue models to consider: CPM, CPC, tenancy
fee
Don’t be brainwashed by advertisers wanting free exposure: far
more spend goes on CPM advertising than CPA

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Generate More Revenue
Ask advertisers for their actual - not target - cost per acquisition and visitor to
conversion rate. Then you can work backwards.
e.g. if the actual CPA is £50 and a website converts at 5%, then they should
pay you £2.50 CPC. Because, for every 20 visitors you send them (£50), then
will get one new lead at their actual CPA
By knowing your average open and click rates, you can also switch a CPA to a
CPM advertising agreement
Or can ask for a fixed fee to be in your newsletters e.g. £250 to be featured +
the CPA/CPS
Create a glitzy media pack with information about your databases
Emphasise to advertisers the value they are getting with the exposure of their
brand in your broadcasts

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Generate More Revenue
Ask advertisers for their actual - not target - cost per acquisition
and visitor to conversion rate. Then you can work backwards.
e.g. if the actual CPA is £50.00 and a website converts at 5%,
then they should pay you £2.50 CPC. Because, for every 20
visitors you send them (£50), then will get one new lead at their
actual CPA
By knowing your average open and click rates, you can also
switch a CPA to a CPM advertising agreement e.g. if 10% of
your broadcasts are opened and there is 10 click for every 100
opens then in the above scenario you should ask for £25.00
CPM
Or can ask for a fixed tenancy fee to be in your newsletters
e.g. £250.00 to be featured + the regular, or a higher CPA/CPS

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Generate More Revenue
Create a glitzy media pack PDF with information about your databases
Emphasise to advertisers the value they are getting with the exposure of their
brand in your broadcasts

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The Technical Set-Up
Use perfect send domain name. Ask
your subscribers to white-list it
Make sure domain name has not been
blacklisted by using a tool like
myiptest.com
Authenticate domain names’ – (SPF
records and Domain Keys to be set up
by your ESP).
Broadcast from quality, pre-warmed
IPs
Set-up feedback looks with ISPs
(Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, AOL).

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Subject Lines
What’s wrong with these?
“MAKE £75,000 EVERY WEEK GUARANTEED”
“a4u Expo Newsletter: Get a free ticket to a4u Expo,
11-13th October 2010, London”
“5% Discount Voucher Code off Super Drug for
Today!“
Personalise…. make topical… target to recipient demographics

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The Email Creative

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Email Creative Dos and Don’ts
Do keep copy short and to the point.
Do design e-mails to communicate even with broken graphics in
case an image gets blocked
Make the calls to action text links rather than HTML so recipients
can always read them.
Also at least one call to action text link should be visible in preview
pane. Can use a ‘second subject line’
Don't abandon using HTML images in outbound e-mail efforts
altogether, as HTML outperforms text e-mail.
Do make sure that your logo or other recognizable elements of
your brand appear inside the e-mail preview pane or viewing area.
Do consider using spam-scoring technology that will scan the
entire e-mail and tell you how likely it is to be blocked by filters.
Don't forget to put a deadline in the subject line — this can drive
up response rates.

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Email Creative Dos and Don’ts
Obsessively analyse metrics
Click distribution

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Improving Deliverability and Open Rates
Check your spam score with tools. A couple of good free online
ones are:
https://www.mail-tester.com/
http://isnotspam.com/

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Improving Deliverability and Open Rates
Send from ‘The XYZ Team’ rather than XYZ
Include brand names in subject lines: “5 GBP voucher from
Argos, 80 GBP reductions at Dell and more”
Test, test, test
Split-test subject lines
Test different creative layouts. Do a ‘heat map’ study. Also
ask users.
Link to the online version of the email creative from social
media sites
Test optimal delivery time. Tuesday and Thursday morning
are sometimes the best times

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Unsubscribe Page
The customer is leaving your shop without buying. Are
you just going to stand by and watch them walk out?
Though obviously don’t make it
too arduous for them to leave
you

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Unsubscribe Page

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Unsubscribe Page

37. Any questions?
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38. Further information
Website: www.azam.net
Blog: www.azam.info
Email: enquiry [at] azam.net
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