The new layout for EmailKarma.net is finally here - Please let us know what you think. This is part of the continued update process for the site - new features are still in planning and development.
After today's Email Marketer's Club newsletter went out Tamara and I got talking about subject line writing (BTW - I wrote todays - 15+% Open Rate in the first hour!). So I started to brag about my skills - then Tamara through down a challenge to me - Next time we run an A/B split and see who has the better skills for subject line writing...
Now I'm not about to turn down that kind of challenge, I can write a mean subject line especially when the challenge is put forth. (Member's only - it's free to join!)
So here is the deal...
We are going to setup a little challenge - just like the TV show Iron Chief - you sign up to battle in the EMC Subject Line Kitchen, and we will let you choose who to face off against. Tamara or myself... We will keep a running tab on the messages that are being sent - and to make it fair the numbers will show the winner (opens, clicks, etc...) for each segment.
Splits and message metrics will be determined by the (Mailchip) system so they should be fairly random each time they are sent and consistently measured.
Scores will be kept and bragging rights will be dolled out to the winners (if we can find other stuff then maybe we will give that away too - no promises though).
Think you got what it takes? Prove it! We might just make you the next EMC Iron Chief. We will take challengers as they come, so register early!
With all the success behind the Road Runner FBL they are finally getting a face lift for their sender reporting tools. Yeah! not that they haven't done a great job of this already but improvements are always something to be excited about.
Here are the important dates and the key deliverables that Road Runner is planning, see more info at their postmaster site.
August 28 -
Just as it's hard to change tires on a moving car, making significant changes to a system that's not standing still presents challenges. We think the best approach for us, in order to devote maximum resources to building a new and better Feedback Loop, is to freeze enrollment in the existing one, and August 28 is the best day to do it.
This freeze in enrollments will not mean that the existing FBL will go away on that day; the spam complaints that we're sending to enrolled senders will continue to be sent as they'd been prior to that date. Moreover, Road Runner Mail Operations team members will still be available through normal channels to assist with delivery issues that senders may have, regardless of whether or not the senders were enrolled in our Feedback Loop prior to August 28.
November 17 -
This is the tentative go-live date for our new Feedback Loop program; it won't go live before this date, but may go later, and we'll update the schedule as the date gets closer. What's most important to remember about the go-live date is that anyone wishing to participate in our Feedback Loop will have to (re-)enroll in the new Feedback Loop once it goes live; because there will be a defined formal Terms of Service as part of the new program, we will not and cannot migrate anyone from the old program to the new one.
December 31 -
This is the tentative date on which the old Feedback Loop will expire. In the interests of making the transition smooth for everyone, we're going to provide a period of several weeks after the new program is online when pre-existing registrations will still be honored, and the old spam complaint reports will still be sent. This means that we won't have to worry about a crush of registrations on the first day, and that everyone interested in the new FBL will have ample time to migrate themselves to it before the old one goes away for good. Given the anticipated increase in quality of the data available in our new FBL as compared to our existing one, it will be in every senders' interest to migrate to the new one as soon as possible, but the grace period will ensure that everyone has time to do it properly.I will also be monitoring this as it moves forward and will continue to post updates as they are available.
Dear Email Marketing Manager,
As an avid email connoisseur I have several issues that I'd like to bring to your attention. Please understand that I'm only calling you out for your own good.
Issue #1 -
Send me engaging content...
In the interest of engaging with your customers, please stop sending Image only emails. I am unable to read these on my mobile device and have virtually memorized your disclaimers about HTML enabled devices. I like HTML emails, and don't want to subscribe to your text version, if it's even offered, or a separate Mobile version - it's all the same inbox and only one email is necessary.
Issue #2 -
Ask my preference...
For example I live in a country with two official Languages, but I don't need you to send me both. I'm sure this is equally annoying to the French recipient that has to use the "Click here to see French version" or "Scroll down for French version". Why are they always second? Why not ask for a language preference and segment, it's so easy within most "Email service providers" solutions now.
Issue #3 -
Send me a welcome message...
You should enlighten me and thank me for wanting your email - your competitor did... Tell me why I'm special and What I'll get out of your email program. I'm a consume on a generation with little brand loyalty - it not that I don't have brand loyalty but I frequently shop at your competitors websites/stores, so WOW! me and show me why your better.
Issue #4 -
Make me a brand ambassador...
I'm socially active, and an influence - I tell people what I think, how I feel and about my experiences interacting with you. Make this compelling and easy for me to pass along and share with my network.
Thank you for your time and hopefully these few items will help your programs performance and ongoing success.
~ Matt Vernhout
Web: http://www.emailkarma.net/
twitter: @emailkarma
Another ISP has jumped on the band waggon (that's a good thing) with a shiny fresh postmaster page, complete with RSS updates. Comcast's Postmaster page is now live go subscribe to their RSS feeds* and stay current on:
Today on the AOL Postmaster Blog they announced a new set of "Web Support Tools" these are currently in Beta, so don't expect everything to be perfect while using them, but I expect few issues as these are well tested before getting to Beta.
From AOL:
The AOL Postmaster Team is pleased to announce the beta of our new web support tool for delivery issues. Please feel free to test it out and give us your thoughts and feedback. We hope it will provide a way for mailers to get help and resolution more quickly than ever before!Give these tools a try and post some feed back to AOL or leave me a comment and I'll pass them along to the right people @ AOL.
It must be stressed, though, that this is just a beta, and problems could arise.
Just a quick Public Service Announcement, the new rules announced by the FTC for CAN-SPAM changes take effect today.
To recap the changes here are a number of good resources to review can be found here:
Today I receive a notice from the email administrator from Excite.com... Below is a summary of this update:
We are in the process of outsourcing our webmail to a company by the name of BlueTie. I don’t know how many of you have heard of them, so I have included the following links:What is the impact of this?
BlueTie will host our mail servers and the web pages. They will not handle our abuse or customer service. This will be maintained by us. They will be handling our spam filtering and white/black list. I do know, however, they do not have a feedback loop program. I have recommended that they do so and that it be in ARF format.
Therefore, as of the cut-over date, anyone who currently is whitelisted with us will no longer have this benefit. In addition, all feedback loops will cease. We expect email to start moving over within the next few days and it will take about a month to move everything.
Over the next little while I'm going to be playing with the design of EmailKarma.net and trying to increase the aesthetic appeal of the site. I'm not a programmer (but I'm trying learn CSS) so this will take some time and the changes will be gradual.
The first of such updates is a new Logo and Banner - Thanks to Paul over at MyLogoguy.
The Yin-Yang symbol was chosen to represent the never ending struggle to overcome Unsolicited Email, Bad Practices and Sloppy Marketing with Permission based email marketing that leads the way by setting the example, maintaining and creating Best Practices.
Please be patient with me while I'm working on this - Tips welcome - email me (I promise not to break anything).
Disclaimer: Paul is a co-worker of mine
