News & Events
September 15th, 2011
Meet EssentiaMail at two exhibitions in September
If you’d like to meet EssentiaMail’s Nick Sladek and have a chat in person about email marketing. There are two perfect chances coming up in September.
Network Central – Bridgwater Thursday 22nd September
Nick will be at EssentiaMail’s stand at Network Central’s Bridgwater event at The Exchange from 9:30am to 3:30pm.
For more details click here.
The FSB Best of Bristol Exhibition – Tuesday 27th September
Nick will be at Bristol City Football Club from 10am to 3.pm.
For more details click here .
August 18th, 2011
Anti-Spam Policy
EssentiaMail maintains a strict Anti-Spam Policy. We actively encourage our clients to use opt in data, or data purchased from a reputable data supplier.
All EssentiaMail emails include an unsubscribe link. This is a one click simple unsubscribe where a contact is removed from a contact list instantly.
EssentiaMail ensure that any new data provided or acquired by a client is processed against their previous data for duplicates and unsubscribed contacts.
When a client leaves EssentiaMail we ensure that they are notified of all unsubscribed contacts in their data.
Anti-Spam Policy
(1) What is spam?
In the context of electronic messaging, spam refers to unsolicited, bulk or indiscriminate messages, typically sent for a commercial purpose.
We have a zero-tolerance spam policy.
(2) Credit
This policy is based on an SEQ Legal template. Other SEQ Legal templates include intellectual property rights contracts.
(3) Automated spam filtering
Our messaging systems automatically scan all incoming email [and other] messages, and filter-out messages that appear to be spam.
(4) Problems with spam filtering
No message filtering system is 100% accurate, and from time to time legitimate messages will be filtered-out by our systems.
If you believe this has happened to a message you have sent, please advise the message recipient by another means.
You can reduce the risk of a message being caught by the spam filters by sending the message in plain text (i.e. no HTML), removing any attachments, and ensuring that your messages are scanned for malware before dispatch.
[(5) User spam
We provide a facility that enables users to send [email messages / private messages] to others. Users must not use this facility to send unsolicited, bulk or indiscriminate messages, whether or not for a commercial purposes. Full terms and conditions concerning the use of the facility are set out in [document].]
[(6) Receipt of unwanted messages from us
In the unlikely event that you receive any message from us or sent using our systems that may be considered to be spam, please contact us using the details below and the matter will be investigated.]
(7) Changes to this anti-spam policy
We may amend this anti-spam policy at any time by publishing a new version on this website.
(8) Contact us
Should you have any questions about this anti-spam policy, please contact us using the details set out below:
August 2nd, 2011
How to deal with soft bounces
When you send an email campaign you are going to get responses – alongside the positive replies and unsubscribe requests you will get bounced emails. Bounces fall into two categories:
Hard bounce – when an email isn’t delivered due to a technical failure of some kind i.e. the mailbox doesn’t exist or the website has been deleted.
Soft bounce – when an email has received a message back from the address which requires attention.
Hard bounces
With hard bounces there isn’t actually much you can do. Double-check the spelling of the contact or the domain details. Check if it’s actually a co.uk instead a .com.
Hard bounces are usually a dead end. Maybe the company has gone out of business or been rebranded… Or that email contact has been deleted from the companies systems.
Soft bounces
Soft bounces provide slightly more thought. When you receive bounce emails ask yourself “does it need action”?
Out of office – If a contact is out of the office for the day or away on holiday for a week there is no problem. Just wait for them to read your email when they return to the office. There is no point replacing someone who is going to read the email soon.
Maternity cover or extended leave – Sometimes contacts who are out of the office for a long time will need replacing. Often these soft bounces will contain a replacement contact’s email. It’s worth replacing contacts who are aren’t going to be able to read your emails for a long time – their replacement may find your email useful.
Contacts who have left the company – If someone has been made redundant or left the company their auto responder will often point you in the direction of a replacement or someone else who can help. Hopefully this will include their email details.
Failures – Sometimes an email will send a hard bounce in the form of a soft bounce. This is confusing but it’s just the way some systems work.
At EssentiaMail we manage your data for you as part of our service. Unlike other email marketing services we update your contact lists for you so if you receive any bounces that require action please pass it on to us and we’ll make any changes that we can.
So when you receive a soft bounce that requires attention like maternity cover, extended leave, contacts who have left a company or the message has failed – just forward this email onto us and we will make the changes necessary. And if it doesn’t need attention just ignore the email.
If you have any questions about bounces or email marketing in general you can call us on 0117 947 6090 or drop me an email on peter@essentiamail.com and I can get in touch with you.
Peter Jones – Peter@essentiamail.com
August 1st, 2011
EssentiaMail is about being there just at the right time
How do you know when your prospects are ready to buy? The answer is, you don’t. That’s why EssentiaMail works so well. It maintains regular contact throughout the year, building relationships along the way that then turn into business, when the prospect is ready.
One of our clients had evidence of this recently when their campaign pulled in some significant enquiries, not in the first month, but in the second and third. This is what they had to say:
“We have been using EssentiaMail for a few months now to manage our email marketing campaigns. From the outset they have been really professional and responsive, always happy to help and pro-active with ideas and suggestions. Most importantly, they get results.
I must be honest, in the first month I had my doubts when no enquiries came, but since month two we have had at least ten quality enquiries and at least two of those enquiries has converted to business with others still in the pipeline.
The service has more than paid for itself and generated new clients who we will have a long-lasting relationship with. I’m really pleased with the way things are going.”
EssentiaMail is designed to be a low cost marketing activity that can be sustained across the year. That way you get to be there, right in front of your prospects at just the right time.
To find out more, call us on 0117 947 6090 or drop me an email at peter@essentiamail.com and I’ll arrange a call back to suit you.
Peter Jones – peter@essentiamail.com
June 27th, 2011
Why it’s important to market in the Summer
Too many companies decide to go to sleep in the Summer – they think no one is out there, everyone is on holiday – the reality is somewhat different.
Can you really afford to waste months waiting for the ‘right time’ to start marketing again?
Those companies that are actively marketing, stand an increased chance of success, for the simple reason that they are not trying to shout in a crowd.
Leave it until the Autumn, and you’re already behind the curve.
Here are some tips to help you gain ground:
• Take a look at your marketing strategies – are they working?
• Plan future campaigns – is it time to refresh your message and product offering?
• When was the last time you updated your web site? Is it up to date, relevant, and engaging with your customers and prospects?
• Identify and refine your target market – are you using sophisticated techniques to talk to each audience – customers, prospects, gone-away customers, strategic partners and influencers?
• Look at your follow up strategies – are you in touch with everyone that’s shown an interest in your company?
• Remember, good marketing creates leads, effective sales techniques are key to their conversion rate.
Email marketing, is one of the most flexible marketing tools to use to target your audience and refine your message accordingly. That’s why it’s a great door opener to key buyers and decision makers, it allows you to address them personally, and command their attention.
And they don’t stop working in the Summer, indeed this is the time for taking stock of the first half-year performance and focusing on strategy for the next 6 months and beyond.
Come up with something new, innovative and intelligent, and your audience may well be more receptive.
At EssentiaMail, our experience proves that Summer is a great opportunity for companies that make bold efforts to market their products and services. Busy executives have breathing space to stop and think strategically.
Remember, you don’t know when your prospects or customers are ready to buy, but if you’re there at the right time, even in the Summer – you’ll be on their radar.
Why abandon a relationship?
You’ve spent time, money and effort building relationships across the year, so why stop in the Summer? Do you want your target audience to think you’ve gone on a 2 month holiday?
Do you want to competition to come in and steal an order because they’ve been in touch while you haven’t?
Relationships need constant nurturing – and that’s what email marketing is all about. Leave your contacts alone for a while, and you can guarantee the competition will take advantage.
Why email marketing in the Summer makes sense
With ever squeezed marketing budgets, it doesn’t make sense to waste a penny on marketing that isn’t going to be seen.
Even if your customers and prospects are away, they’ll see your email messages on their return, if they’ve not picked them up on their Smartphone already.
Compare this to other forms of marketing – and you can appreciate the value of this particular marketing channel.
To summarise, email marketing is a low cost, sophisticated, well targeted method of connecting with your audience on a regular basis. Used well, it speaks directly to the recipient on their level, is personalised, and relates directly to their status in the prospect-customer cycle.
Is your product seasonal?
Of course, if your product or service is most popular in the summer, it makes sense to capitalise on this key buying time. The use of E-coupons is on the increase. eMarketer forecasts nearly half of all online consumers will redeem digital coupons online or in a store, restaurant or theme park during 2011.
It’s a great mechanism to capture data for future marketing, to promote loyalty and increase uptake.
And in your off-peak period, it’s a great way of boosting sales through incentives and discounts.
Julie Kenyon julie@essentiamail.com