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Welcome Stanford Webinar participants from the January 26, 2005 Webinar -
"Getting Your eNewsletter Read".
Below are answers to questions we received during the Webinar and from follow-up emails. We hope this helps your email marketing efforts. For more insight and best practices information, explore our email marketing Resource Center and subscribe to our monthly newsletter, the Intevation Report.
1. What is the average open rate for email newsletters?
2. Can you talk about text vs. html format and sending multipart MIME emails?
3. Should we use the same email reply address for all of our newsletters?
4. ISP & Corporate filters. Is there a breakdown of which of these (content, volume, bounce percentage and black list-based filters) that is most likely to cause an e-mail to be blocked?
5. Can you tell us some of the basics of content filtering?
6. We are a respected nonprofit (museum). Would we get filtered out by putting copy such as "enter online contest and win prizes!" in the subject line?
7. You mentioned "tips" is a good word to use in the subject line. Can share any other "buzz" words?
8. The latest version of MS Outlook defaults to plain text for incoming e-mail. Are HTML emails such as the one in the slide more likely to be filtered?
9. Do you have recommendations for message content checker software?
10. Can you recommend resources for more specific technical aspects of building HTML e-mails, like open-rate beacons and changes in embedding images?
11. Can you recommend any bulk e-mail software programs, particularly ones that monitor click-throughs?
12. How do you get on a white list?
13. Who should we use to check our emails for SPAM?
14. How do you get removed from black lists?
15. A lot of our bounces and none of our opens/click throughs are from certain ISPs. How do we get past these filters (assuming we are being blocked)?
16. Is there any best time to send enewsletters to busy doctors in office-based practices across the country?
17. Are there any benchmarks for unsubscribe rates?
1. Question: a) What is the average open rate for email newsletters? b) With the rise in email volume, has this open rate dropped over the course of the past few years? I seem to recall that a few years ago it was recommended that a 30-40% open rate was standard.
Answer: There are dozens of variables that go into open rates - making the "average" question so difficult. That being said, we believe that open rates (measured using unique opens - meaning only one open per recipient is counted) most newsletters should be in the 30 to 45 percent range, with most companies that are doing a good job probably falling into the 35-40% range. Companies using the double opt-in process, with mostly newer subscribers, offering extremely compelling content and following best practices can achieve open rates in the 45 to 50+ percent range.
Open rates have been declining a bit for a couple of reasons. Blocked images and preview panes mean that some emails are "viewed" but not counted as "opens." Additionally, as people's inboxes have gotten overwhelmed combined with them subscribing to more and more newsletters, people are making choices about which newsletters are of value and are then opening fewer - even though they may not unsubscribe.
Articles/Resources:
2. Question: a) Can you talk about text vs. html format and sending multipart MIME emails? b) Do you have any recommendations on plain text vs. graphically based/html enewsletters?
Answer: Today, the vast majority of all email clients can render HTML emails fairly well (notable exceptions being older versions of Lotus Notes and pre AOL 6.0). So whereas a few years ago the answer to the question was rather complex, today it really comes down to message purpose, subscriber preference and multipart messaging. In our experience roughly 95 percent of commercial messages sent today are sent as HTML/Multipart.
- Message Purpose – However, certain types of messages can lend themselves to plain text format, including – alerts, correction/mistakes, confirmations, breaking news, etc.
- Subscriber Preferences – Most newsletter subscribers today prefer the attractive nature and usability of HTML emails. But some percentage of subscribers still prefer plain text. And in certain vertical markets like software programmers, some newsletter publishers have seen as much as 95 percent of their subscribers preferring plain text. Regardless, the key is to offer subscribers the choice of format when they opt-in to your newsletter.
- Multipart Messaging – Most email technology solutions send HTML messages as “multipart” messages. This means that the message is sent in “multi-parts” – in this case both HTML and plain text. When a subscriber’s email client receives a multipart message, it accepts the HTML version if it can render HTML, otherwise it presents the plain text version. Additionally, some recently upgraded clients, such as Outlook 2003, enable users to choose to accept HTML or plain text messages by default.
Articles/Resources:
3. Question: We have 3 newsletters. In terms of filters, is it not wise to use the same email reply address on all the newsletters or is it an advantage? The Sender Line is different but the email address is the same.
Answer: ISPs don’t assess the “From” or “Sender” name, so using different names has no affect on filtering. Using the same “From” or “Sender” email address should not make a significant difference, unless one of the newsletters is performing extremely poorly in terms of spam complaints or bounces. In that scenario, the one “bad list” could cause the other newsletters to be blocked or filtered since they presumably share the same sender and IP.
Articles/Tips:
4. Question: ISP & Corporate filters. Is there a breakdown of which of these (content, volume, bounce percentage and black list-based filters) that is most likely to cause an e-mail to be blocked?
Answer: In general content/HTML code and black lists are the most likely to trap your emails. Generally only organizations with very large lists – sending several hundred thousand of emails to a single ISP – are likely to have their emails filtered based on volume. For our large volume clients, EmailLabs limits the volume of emails send per hour to certain ISPs. If you conduct ongoing list hygiene, including removing hard bounces, unsubscribes, people filing spam complaints and minimize email addresses with bad syntax upon opting in, your bounce percentage should fall well below the danger zone with ISPs.
5. Question: a) Can you tell us some of the basics of content filtering? b) You mentioned "understanding content filter basics." Where can I learn more (can you provide some resources)?
Answer: Here are a few basics:
Distributed content filters. Several anti-spam companies help ISPs and enterprise customers cope with the influx of unsolicited e-mail. Brightmail and Postini are two leaders in this field. These blocking systems employ complex content analysis heuristics that scan message content and create message "signatures" that are disseminated among the filtering company's client base.
ISP content filters. Similar to distributed content filters, ISPs often employ content filters created internally or adapted from others. Content filters scan for a variety of red flags. They can even learn new patterns in spam e-mail, such as inserting periods in words that would normally trigger a block. SpamAssassin is a popular open-source content filter and one of the best examples of how these filters operate.
User content filters. Almost every email client provides junk mail filters. These vary widely in complexity. Microsoft Outlook's filter simply searches for offensive keywords and key phrases, whereas more robust filters can be configured to run from a user's desktop.
In general, content filters look for words, phrases and symbols that are often used by spammers. Secondly, and perhaps less known, is filtering based on improper HTML coding such as one used by AOL. See question/answer # 4 and 6 for more information.
Articles/Tips/Resources:
6. Question: We are a respected nonprofit (museum). Would we get filtered out by putting copy such as "enter online contest and win prizes!" in the subject line?
Answer: The fact that you are a "respected nonprofit museum" is irrelevant to ISPs and corporations. Their spam filters and algorithms are looking at whether email coming from your IP address is trusted and is not on black lists; and at the code and content of the individual email. Subject lines are only one component of what the filters look at from a content perspective.
As mentioned above, code and content filters generally assign positive and negative points to messages based on what is perceived to be good practice and bad or the practices of spammers. The subject line you mentioned – "enter online contest and win prizes!" – is not likely to cause your message to be filtered by itself. But the subject line is rather aggressive and is likely to increase the number of points for a message. Specifically, we recommend not using exclamation points in emails when they can be avoided. By itself, an exclamation point generally isn't problematic, but in combination with words such as "free" your email may be filtered by the Outlook default filter.
Further, "enter online contest and win prizes" reads very much like a spam email. It is neither specific, nor does it appear to be something one would expect from a "respected nonprofit museum." The challenge of course is to find the right balance of aggressive and exciting copy that motivates subscribers to open their emails, but at the same time does not trigger, or contribute to, being filtered. In your example, try some different subject lines testing for the best combination of delivery and your key metrics – number of contest entries, purchases, museum memberships, etc. An example might include:
- {Big City Museum} Register to Win Special Edition Posters
Whether you use a content checker or not, set up proof lists and send your messages to key domains such as Yahoo, AOL and Hotmail before emailing to your entire list.
7. Question: You mentioned "tips" is a good word to use in the subject line. Can share any other "buzz" words?
Answer: Well, the right buzz words to use in subject lines is probably going to vary greatly by the purpose and value of your email newsletter. The "tips" example (see case study article was specific to our industry – but certainly may apply to many others. In the ecommerce world, words and phrases such as "free shipping," XX% Off; "Sale Ends Friday" and others have proven to perform well. For newsletter publishers distributing news-based emails, buzz words are probably less important than simply writing compelling subject lines that convey that day's or week's hottest and most interesting news story – as perceived by your subscribers. For corporate, trend and less time-sensitive newsletters, practical words and phrases such as XX Tips, X Steps, X Ways, etc. seem to pull well. Like every answer in email marketing, you need to test various approaches and determine which ones work best for you and your subscribers.
Articles/Resources:
8. Question: The latest version of MS Outlook defaults to plain text for incoming e-mail. Are HTML emails such as the one in the slide more likely to be filtered?
Answer: Outlook 2003 will no longer automatically display images in HTML email and the new Junk Mail filter, which is enabled by default, also features adaptive filtering technology. Beyond content and other factors, one of the key components of ISP filtering is incorrectly coded HTML. In fact, an estimated 9 out of 10 HTML emails are not W3C HTML compliant, which can cause rendering as well as delivery issues, particularly at MSN and Hotmail. If you use HTML in your messages, make sure your code is error-free and follows W3C HTML guidelines. Use the HTML validator in your email application or third-party validator such as The W3C Markup Validation Service.
9. Questions: a) Do you have recommendations for message content checker software?
Answer: We have not used these, but below are three stand alone content checkers we've come across:
Our company and many others have content checkers within our email marketing application. Additionally, a number of companies have emerged in the past few years that offer delivery monitoring and related services. Most of these companies (listed below) have fairly sophisticated spam content message checkers as part of their solutions. These companies’ core offerings include inbox monitoring (they use special seed lists to monitor whether your emails were delivered to recipients’ inboxes, bulk folders or went missing), black list monitoring HTML verifiers and ISP remediation. These companies include:
10. Question: Can you recommend resources for more specific technical aspects of building HTML e-mails, like open-rate beacons and changes in embedding images?
Answer: As noted above, all quality email marketing solutions track open rates for you. The industry standard way of tracking “opens” is by including a small clear image (hosted on a server). When a user opens the email, or views the email in the preview pane (if images are enabled), the image loads from the server and signifies the email has been opened. Using embedded images in HTML emails is not a common practice for professional emails. By embedding images within the email you lose control over how the image will appear. In many email clients the image may appear distorted, be in the wrong position or the wrong size. Hosting images on a Web server generally ensures that images appear as you've intended.
11. Question: Can you recommend any bulk e-mail software programs, particularly ones that monitor click-throughs?
Answer: All quality email marketing technology solutions on the market today – whether ASP (Web hosted) or installed software – enable users to manage their lists and opt-in process, personalize and segment their emails, manage bounces and unsubscribes, track opens, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes, spam complaints, etc – and much more. We of course believe EmailLabs offers the best combination of advanced features, support and price/value – but regardless, when selecting a vendor or solution you need to keep various criteria in mind, including:
- Your budget – how much you've allocated toward email marketing will drive which types of vendors you can and should consider.
- Is email marketing strategic to your business/organization?
- Do you have advanced technology needs such as triggers, API integration, detailed reporting, potentially custom features, etc.?
- How important is deliverability to your organization?
- How important is training and support?
- Do you have a need for services – such as HTML template design, performance improvement consulting and program audits?
Here are a couple of links to resources/lists/articles on email marketing vendors:
12. Question: How do you get on a white list?
Answer: Some ISPs publish white list information on the web. For example, AOL's white list criteria can be found at http://postmaster.info.aol.com. You can apply to be on the AOL whitelist if you comply with their requirements. Some ISPs have internal white lists, which you could inquire about through emailing postmaster@ or abuse@ addresses, which typically go to the mail administrators.
Another way of being white listed is partnering with companies like Habeas (http://www.habeas.com) and BondedSender (http://www.bondedsender.com). These companies do the compliance legwork, and provide "outsourced white lists" for other ISPs. Being certified at one or both of these organizations will automatically white list you across all ISPs that subscribe to their service.
13. Question: Who should we use to check our emails for SPAM?
Answer: I assume your question is the same as 9 above, meaning: What can we use to check our legitimate email messages for potential content and HTML that may be filtered by various spam filters? If so, please see answer to question 9 above. If your question is what software can you personally or your organization use to filter inbound “spam” emails, then here some resources:
14. Question: How do you get removed from black lists?
Answer: Most public black lists will have their de-listing criteria and process described on their Web site. Typically it's simply a matter of contacting the administrators of the list and complying with their requirements. The easiest way to stay off black lists is to never appear on them in the first place. Through following email subscription best practices, such as confirmed opt-in methods and continuous bounce and complaints management, your risk of being black listed is greatly lessened.
15. Question: I've noticed that a lot of our bounces and none of our opens/click throughs are from certain ISPs. How do we get past these filters (assuming we are being blocked)?
Answer: Each of the ISPs utilize their own filtering algorithms, software block lists and processes – so it is not uncommon to have very different results across ISPs. (In fact, we’ve written a few articles on tracking, understanding and acting on these differences by ISPs/domains – see links below.)
As outlined in some of the articles reference below, the first step is to actually identify if you are having one time, sporadic or on-going issues at specific ISPs and domains. If you have on-going performance of filtering problems it may be that your IP address or that of you email service provider is on either an internal ISP block list or a third-party black list being used by the ISP. Alternatively, it is likely that your messages contain improper HTML coding or consistently used content that the ISP is filtering.
As mentioned above, some ISPs have white lists, so it is important to be a “good emailer,” follow best practices and get your IP address white listed.
But in general it is not a matter of “getting past” these filters, but rather determining what’s causing your messages to be filtered and then correcting the problem.
Articles/Resources:
16. Question: Is there any best time to send enewsletters to busy doctors in office-based practices? We have a number of print publications that circulate to physicians and would like to know what you think are the times of day that maximize our chances of getting to them.
Answer: Well first off, it isn’t clear from your question that you've actually obtained these physicians permission to email them. This is a must. If you have their permission, then you real challenge begins. Physicians are a notoriously tough market to reach via email. Many physicians rely on their office managers to handle emails. That being said, we would suggest a couple of strategies:
- Survey your subscribers via email what time of the day they would most like to receive emails – and give them a half dozen time periods to choose from. Then send emails to the responding physicians based on their preferences.
- Assuming you have an opt-in form on your Web site, allow the physicians to select the time period they'd like to receive emails.
- Conduct a mini focus group by contact a dozen of physicians what time they'd like to receive emails. Use these conversations to also learn what types of information and format would be most valuable and preferred.
- Test. The best method is always to conduct split tests. Segment your list into equal random groups and email the identical message to each segment at key time periods (keeping in mind differences by time zone).
- Consider segmenting based on time zone. Since it sounds like you have their mailing addresses, segment physicians according to their state/zip code and corresponding time zones. When you've determined optimum mailing times this ensures that reach physicians across the country all at the same local time period.
Articles/Resources:
17. Question: We're a non-profit looking for some public information. Do you know if there are any reports on benchmarks for unsubscribe rates? We want to see if we're above or below the benchmark.
Answer: EmailLabs has analyzed unsubscribe rates across our entire 600+ client base revealing an average rate of 0.17 percent per month. While there is no hard and fast rule, an unsubscribe rate above 0.50 percent would likely suggest some significant problems with your email program.
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