More than 70 guests attended the Sept. 19 Arizona Interactive Marketing Association (AZIMA) event, “Email in an Increasingly Mobile and Social World,” presented by Chris Sietsema, owner of Teach to Fish Digital, at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas.
Chris delved right into real-life examples of email campaigns, critiquing well-known brands and pointing out how images loaded differently on computers and mobile devices. We especially liked how he sprinkled in his great sense of humor as he critiqued each brand.
It was clear that email marketers need to “adapt or die” and consider this sobering stat:
- 80 percent of people delete emails that do not “look good” on mobile.
Chris continued his presentation, focusing on examples of how Mobile email should be Skinny, Scalable and Responsive. A few tools that can help with this process:
- Jpegmini.com
- Mailup.com
- ThemeForest.com
- LiveClicker.com
- Email on Acid and Litmus (Design previews)
He also discussed Social in Email; Email in Social and offered more tips regarding tools that digital marketers can utilize.
Chris’ full presentation can be accessed at: www.slideshare.net/sietsema, and a recap of each slide with some of the best Tweets from the event can be found here: http://teachtofishdigital.com/email-mobile-social/ However, after it was all said and done, a number of good points really stood out from Chris’ presentations:
- Email messages must be developed and delivered in a manner that fits each audience member’s interests, reading habits, and device usage. It’s truly a ‘right message, right time, right place’ mandate.
- You can learn a lot with email testing.
- Don’t lust after your competitor’s metrics. Concentrate on the unique concerns your customers have.
- If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying – Chris quoted Bob Ross, “We don’t make mistakes. We make happy little accidents.”
We thank Chris for his terrific presentation, and we were especially pleased to meet so many new attendees. We encourage you to learn more about AZIMA and contact one of our board members with any questions!