We all know that reaching your audience with a relevant message and a targeted list is all you need to get results . . . Not!

No one knows this better than the one person who knows more about dogs than dogs do. Cesar Millan learned the hard way, that email delivery is a skilled practice that demands effort and attention and persistently laying down a solid routine (not unlike training your pooch to stay off the couch).

When you take your eye off the ball for so long . . . things start to get out of hand. There are fundamentals to email marketing that will help you avoid a perfect storm that causes email delivery to go into a tailspin.

The biggies are:

• Collecting email addresses without verifying them

• Letting your email database go stale without updating your addys

• Old databases create the perfect climate for “spam traps,” which can ruin a sender’s reputation and cause delivery issues at ISPs.

If any of this sounds familiar . . . know this: The fixes for these types of situations are rarely found in a fire & forget solution. It’s more likely that you need an expert ear to hear you out and, then, an expert hand to roll up the sleeves and do some digital marketing plumbing. While there are no “quick” fixes, lousy delivery rates can totally be turned around. For instance you can:

• Identify all subscribers who had never opened or clicked on an email message

• Segment the data using certain specific time criteria

• Remove obvious non-engaged subscribers from your list

. . . but there’s a lot more.

Cesar’s case isn’t much different than others trying to ride the bucking bronco of email marketing, which rarely promises instant results and, more often than not, requires skill, patience and an expert helping hand. In Cesar’s case delivery went from a paltry 81.29% to a screaming 99.7% (now that’s more like it!).

You can find out more about how stop your email delivery from eating your wallet by reading the Cesar Millan case study.

A few weeks ago, we posted an article in our newsletter, “Outside The Inbox,” to let you know that we were working on two new service offerings and launching a new website. With the same powerful features you’ve been used to, you’ll now benefit from some additional changes we’ve made to our services that will give you even more flexibility and a distinct advantage in your daily marketing efforts. It’s almost here . . .

If you’ve been using mobileStorm 4.0 for quick and easy email and sms marketing, you’re now considered a mobileStorm “Go” user—and we know you’ll continue to love it. You’ll have all the same powerful tools you’ve been using to grow your business, and now all Go clients have free phone support, previously available only as a premium service.

Want “open rates” so high that only dogs can hear ‘em? Or how about knowing how much money you just made from an SMS campaign? Pro is a blend of our best features and a concierge service for digital marketing that helps you become a marketing mogul. You can easily upgrade at any time to get flexible custom pricing, more ways to communicate than ever before, and personalized expertise and support. Get ready to meet your new “back office.”

Also moving forward, all mobileStorm customer’s now get premium support for free. Get answers fast by talking to our knowledgeable and lovable support staff via email, chat, or when you want, just pick up the phone and call us. If you have been paying for support, it looks like Christmas has come early for you. Come on and call us—you’re our favorite people!

Regards,
Jared Reitzin
CEO

Before I started writing about messaging technology, I wasn’t sure what the phrase “short code” meant–even though I’d used them all the time as a consumer. So how can someone new to the space, even if (s)he is a seasoned vet of marketing, be expected to?

That’s why I’m excited about The Ultimate Guide To Common Short Codes, mobileStorm’s newest white paper, written by CEO Jared Reitzin himself. (You can find it, along with our other valuable white papers, here.)

“The popularity and recognition of short codes in the USA accelerated dramatically with shows like American Idol (i.e., Text VOTE to 4701 for your favorite idol) and recently when President Obama used a short code-based method to announce Joe Biden as his vice president. Supporters were encouraged to text OBAMA to 62262 to be the first to know… The Obama VP announcement was considered the largest single mobile marketing event in history, texting 2.5 million people,” Jared points out.

After offering these clear examples of short code use–and success–Jared gives readers a primer on how to start using a short code.

He gives a heads-up on the CSCA, the entity in charge of short codes (to find out what “CSCA” means, read the paper); explains each step in the process of obtaining and using a code; and addresses some of the headaches, such as wait-time for approval and certification.

Also, Jared spells out the difference between “common” and “dedicated” codes (the latter being exclusive to one company or brand, often spelling out an easily-recognized name or word), making it easier for a company to decide which type of code to use.

To get the 411 on everything you need to know about short codes, download The Ultimate Guide To Common Short Codes today!

Eydie Cubarrubia

“I’d rather you text me”

It’s taken a singing competition to underscore the importance of measurable ROI.

Last month I pointed out how mobile marketing really boosted the success of American Idol (whose parent company, FremantleMedia, is a mobileStorm client), much more so than traditional marketing. Specifically, I pointed to the record numbers of voters–the majority of whom had texted-in–who participated in this season’s finale between wholesome, broadly-appealing winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert, whose artistic risks such as a Middle Eastern take on “Ring Of Fire” thrilled music aficionados while likely scaring Middle America. These figures were in seeming opposition to Nielsen ratings numbers, which indicated that viewership was the lowest since the show’s second season.

At first, this seemed to prove that digital messaging engages consumers so much, their participation becomes much more significant than that of a larger number of less-engaged consumers. But The Business Insider notes that the problem may have to do with Nielsen’s technology that gathers viewer data.

“A recent Nielsen study of how people use the meter showed that enough viewers punch the meter incorrectly, particularly when watching TV in large groups, that national ratings could be off by 8 percent,” the report says. Fox, of course, is furious. Such a flub affects how much the network can charge for advertisements that run during the show. Other TV networks are also wary, since their own ratings and ad rates may also be affected.

The only silver lining here is for digital message marketers. Unlike TV ads that are run based on (now-suspect) viewer numbers, SMS and email campaigns offer absolutely-measurable ROI:

• You can count how many unique users (cell phone numbers or email addresses) are participating in a campaign–whether they’ve opted-in to receive email messages or texted into a premium SMS campaign.
• You can see how many people who received your message further acted upon it–such as the number of people who redeemed a mobile coupon, or who clicked on an email sales flier and ultimately made a purchase.
• You can see which of your campaigns did better than others.
• You can use demographic and psychographic information to see which groups of people responded the most to your campaign.

You just can’t get information this specific–or this accurate–with traditional marketing methods. The Nielsen controversy proves that.

Eydie Cubarrubia

“I’d rather you text me”