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In only two words - how would your customers and employees describe your business?

Thanks to Christer

While Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is not a company we work for or have any affiliation with besides some small financial support, they are a fantastic organisation and we’ve watched their email newsletters roll in for some time now.  

They have in the last 12 months made a dramatic revision in the formatting of their HTML email newsletters and their evolution is worth considering if you have been adhering a certain type for a while now in your own email marketing.

I’ve attached a screenshot saved from a 2008 newsletter we received from MSF.  It may remind you of the odd newsletter you’ve seen, or maybe of your own. :)

While we received these regularly and it kept MSF in our minds, they were rarely read due to the heavy amounts of text and the inability to clearly see any subjects of interest to us.  This ‘heavy’ format inhibited MSF’s ability to communicate by forcing the user to stop and read lengthy copy they may not be interested in in order to find something they might.  Almost as fun as eating Weet-Bix with no milk.

Significantly this older style of email makes assumptions about what content is relevant to publics rather than helping recipients to select areas of interest to them within the organisation’s sphere of activity.  I have illustrated the effectiveness of such emails in a graph I generously made for you here.

So, in the words of Dana Carvey from that-movie-I haven’t-seen-and-don’t-intend-to, ”This is what you doing.  This is what I want you to do.”

So, we were particularly interested when MSF recently transitioned to a very different email format (see second image). Beyond providing an emotional appeal through images of their work, I am now able to quickly see if there’s anything of interest in less than two seconds. Often I find myself clicking through to one or more areas. That possibility may have been there before, but, I just didn’t see it.

Succinctly, their emails have transitioned from a  monologue to a question/opportunity.  This is a far more acceptable method of digital communication respecting the recipients online sensibilities and time poverty.

Readers now follow through on areas of interest to them and click into an environment where they can fully engage with the area that they care about most and easily donate/register/forward/comment etc.

They choose, rather than being told.  This facilitates an even greater likelihood of further action.

So, what are you doing with your email newsletters?  Are you stuck in a marketing rut, where the only way to get a message out there is to cram it down like fairy floss in a fat kids face, or do you entice the user, respect their time and achieve a far more, er, healthy result.

MSF since launching their revised template has been very careful never to overload or grow it beyond the current ‘hero’ image, two article images, two paragrah-type-text areas and persistent footer links.  

Just looking at it now you can see how attractive and easy to decipher it is.  They are still careful to ensure all the images are ALT tagged and a kind disclaimer resides down the bottom.  But beyond that, I believe their understanding and consideration of their constituents has resulted a far more effective email.

Another great spin off is that you will be able to better judge what people actually are interested in as they follow through on particular topics.  You’ll be able to tailor your emails and begin a cycle of increased effectiveness.  So while you may not have powerful pictures relating to important issues of justice, you might just be able to change the way your emails are sent to facilitate easy communication and action using few words and clear links.

Love to know your thoughts,

~ Rob

Bad publicity can be hard to overcome - especially if your business relies on reputation for 50% of its income.

In December 2007, Kangaroo Island had some pretty horrible publicity: widespread fires on the island (and media coverage to equal the fires). Now that the fires are out - so too are the tourists. The ABC reports that tourist bookings have dropped dramatically. With the economy of the island being 50% tourism this is a big issue - so is the reliance of the summer period to sustain through the winter down period. Hard times may be ahead for some.

The usual response to this kind of publicity is to communicate your story with the public. With more and more people researching online, your website is an important place to make sure this happens. Kangaroo Island promoters have indeed done this. The ‘official’ Kangaroo Island website have put a notice on their front page:

‘Coming to KI and concerned about the fires? Don’t be. Download K.I OK Map here (PDF 467KB)‘

Download the pdf and you’ll see a well prepared map with fire damaged areas highlighted and the reassurance that everything is ‘OK’. I think this is a good thing - checking the site for up to date news was the first thing I did when I heard about the fires. However I think there are a few things that could be done here to maximise the effect of the communication efforts:

1. Make sure it’s widely visible. One link on the front page is not enough - people will enter the website in other ways and may still have this issue in mind. Under the menu is an appropriate place to insert a site wide link/text/graphic.
2. Combine the power of the Internet. Ozone Hotel is a website of a business on the island yet there is nothing addressing the issue there. Ensure that as many other businesses are on board with you promoting your good news. A simple link on other websites promotes both the freshness and unity of all businesses involved. Both are important in helping people make a decision on travel.
3. Show the reality. I don’t see how showing people what they will get is a bad thing. If people go to the island not knowing there have been fires they may be disappointed. If they expect everything to be they may be disappointed.
4. Tell stories. Allow the personality and people of the island to tell a positive story. A personal response can communicate a greater deal of trust, and persuade those who doubt that the island is still a great place to go. This is done to a degree on the pdf download - where a ‘personal’ appeal is made, I believe a widening of this idea could help.

In the end - bad publicity is still going to affect the island and people may have their minds made up without even looking at Kangaroo Island related websites. However there are those who can still make up their minds. Don’t let them make their minds up without hearing your side of the story - ensure they can hear it. When/If this happens to your business - the important thing to do is to use the news. Be loud and clear and let people hear your side of the story.

Does your website provide the means for your customer to find what they are looking for? Most users will be online and online for a reason. They might be looking for the perfect present to buy for Christmas, or that holiday they’ve been saving for. If your website doesn’t show them what they want to find out - how will you sell them anything? The customer is your king. An easy way to get someone to buy something is to get them what they want.