Search engine optimization (SEO) is such an important component of online marketing. If I had to pick the top 3  initiatives that most companies should allocate resources to, they would be (in random order): SEO, Conversion Optimization, and Email Marketing. I’m obviously a bit biased on the last one.

For SEO, one of the best resources on the planet is seomoz.org. (note: I’m not affiliated with or compensated by SEOmoz in any way — just a happy customer). It turns out that the crew over at SEOmoz has some email marketing know-how up their sleeves as well. For a company that isn’t overboard with email marketing (compared to retailers such as Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, and Toys R’ Us) email marketers can take some notes from a recent campaign that SEOmoz had in early February. I’ve heard now that Scott Willoughby at the Moz was the mastermind of this piece.

Below is the February 4th Email (click to enlarge)

Subject Line: Try SEOmoz PRO For Just A Dollar!

4 Elements That Were Great

1. The Subject Line: Specific and juicy. I’ve been a ‘basic’ member for a while and have been thinking of upgrading to a pro membership ($79/month). This subject definitely grabbed my attention.

2. Simple Design Layout: They could have easily pushed out a flashy creative heavy with imagery. They instead opted for plain text with a simple header and footer for branding. This has two major wins: first, it’s much more personal and pleasant to read, and second, the content is actually viewable to the recipient. In a previous post I discussed how sexy retailer Victoria’s Secret had an ugly view with their email — no one could see it with images blocked. The prettiest picture is worthless if the lights are out.

3. Going off of the plain text, the tone of the copy is very comfortable. While a bit heavy with sales, it’s not too stiff — and it’s written in the voice of Rand Fishkin (the wizard of moz).

4. P.S.: In my own tests, I’ve seen exceptional engagement with the use of a post script message to re-state the primary call to action and promo. Nice use of it here.

A Few Ideas for Improvement:

1. Personalization: the format of the email is already quite personal. In the opening line it says: Hi (username). This is better than a general greeting, but why not use the subscriber’s actual first name? a username appears more ‘batch blast’ while a first name is personal and closer to creating the impression of a one-to-one communication.

2. I’m a huge fan of plain text (at least testing it against other formats) and have seen exceptional results in my own tests. There is a decent amount of copy here and to make it easier on the eyes it probably couldn’t hurt to have an isolated summary of sorts above the fold. Something to the effect of:

Here’s the Skinny

Full Month of SEOmos’z Pro Membership

Only $1.00 for a limited time

Promo Code: SUCCESS09

Get Started Now: www.seomoz.org/trypro

With more visual creative pieces it’s easier to package up certain CTAs. With simple text, we need to do our best to quickly communicate our desired action and organize copy in a way that is easy to engage with.

3. Video: I noticed on the landing page a video of Rand discussing the benefits of Pro membership. I’ve seen great engagement from having a video screen shot within an email that links to the actual video. Helps mix up the copy and provides another juicy entry point to the site for increased CTRs.

Now back to the good stuff…

What was truly impressive was the follow-through and personalized experience after this email was sent. I was traveling when this email went out and was too busy to act. When I finally came up for air I had missed the deadline. I replied to the email thanking them for the promo but stating that I unfortunately missed the deadline. That day I received a reply from the wizard (Rand Fishkin) himself saying that while the offer had expired, they would find a way to get me on board. In a marketing environment these days where there is often a lot of disconnect between company and customer, this was a pleasant surprise. The result of a little extra time and customer service can be a new promoter and long-term customer. The crew there made me feel valued, and their customer-centric attitude stood out with shining lights.

This brings up a point I’d like to close with regarding the email channel. Too many marketers treat it as a vehicle to blast out unpersonalized messages. Some marketers ‘get it’ and start to implement segmentation strategies, advanced personalization with dynamic content, and complex behavioral retargeting programs. Even with this though, there is still often a barrier between subscriber and marketer/company. The email channel (and other social media channels) give companies a fantastic opportunity to engage with their customers, learn more, mediate problems, manage the cross-channel brand experience, and create the impression of a one-to-one interaction. The technology is there, we just need to use it properly and re-focus our program strategy.

- Forest Bronzan