IAAPA Kickoff!

The IAAPA expo floor is officially open and our new booth looks spectacular!

This year we're going with a new approach by introducing an "expert bar". We're encouraging attendees to stop by and ask us anything (really, anything!) about digital marketing. Whether it's an easy question about website design or some obscure SEO problem, we're there to provide answers. Find us at booth #3813. 

Last night WDD helped celebrate "IAAPA Connects" at the Magic Kingdom, decked out for the holidays:

All the Pieces

I love blogs. Every day I read several — some tech, some news, some from friends — and they're ideal for keeping current with what's going on in the world.

Writing for blogs on the other hand — that's a challenge.

Trying to decide on topics and then actually producing it. Mixing up good information with visuals, not to mention having a 'voice' that's informal but informative and enjoyable. Many blogs start with good intentions but after a while... silence. (We're guilty of that, too.)

Time to change that!

Say “Cheese”: Photographing Your Park or Attraction

A great picture is a powerful way to tell a story and portray an emotion.  Having a portfolio of strong images can be the most important tool in your marketing toolbox and yet the majority of amusement parks and attractions are astoundingly bereft of quality images.

To resolve this issue, it only takes a bit of knowledge, planning and creativity.  Note that I did not say that you need a big, expensive photography budget.

Here are 5 Keys to Getting Great Photography.

1.       Have A Plan

2.       Don’t Try and “Grab Some Nice Snapshots”

3.       Use Models

4.       Empty Rooms Don’t Sell Fun

5.       Clean Up Your Images

Frequently Asked Questions About Email Marketing

We receive lots of questions about email marketing so we thought we'd address some of the most common in this post. Let’s get started.

Is it better to rent / buy a list or to create it myself?

It is absolutely, positively better to create the list yourself. No one ever opts in to having their email address sold over and over again. Lists that are bought or rented are typically of poor quality and dozens of other companies have probably purchased or rented that list. Plus, the owners of those email addresses did not give permission for them to be sold or transferred to any other company. Building your own list ensures that you have obtained the email addresses legitimately. It means you can confirm that opt-in procedures have been followed and that the people on your list really do want to receive marketing messages from you. In no case is buying or renting a list better than creating your own.

When is the best time to send an email newsletter?

This question is bandied about quite often and it’s difficult to settle on an answer that is accepted industry-wide. According to MailChimp’s Email Genome Project open rates peak between 3 PM and 4 PM and that mid-week mailings see the most opens. However, the better answer is: it depends on your campaign. The best way to determine the ideal time for you is to survey your subscribers and ask them what time of day they would most like to receive emails. Give them a few different time periods to choose from and use their responses to schedule future mailings.

What is considered a good open rate and a good click through rate?

The answer to this question will depend on the specifics of your campaign but there are some studies that can provide some insight. According to a 2012 report by Silverpop, the median unique open rate in the US was 14.7%. The same study reports that the average click through rate (CTR) in the US was 5.4%. These rates can vary tremendously by industry. For the travel and leisure industry, for example, the median unique open rate was 13.2% and the median CTR was only 1.8%.

What are some quick tips on how to comply with the CAN-SPAM act?

1. Don’t use misleading, deceptive or false information in any part of your email message (subject, from, etc.)
2. Include your company’s physical address in every email you send.
3. Include an easy to find unsubscribe link and honor unsubscribe requests promptly.
4. Use a reputable Email Service Provider (ESP).

When / how can I acquire my customer’s email addresses?

There are several opportunities during the sales process when you can obtain list sign-ups. The first, yet sometimes least obvious way to get an address is to ask for it during the sales process (or registration process). Be sure that you have a newsletter sign up on your website. That is often the first place people look when they want to opt-in to your marketing messages. Social media is another great way to build your email list. Give your “fans” and “followers” a way to sign up for your newsletter on Facebook and Twitter. Regardless of how you obtain the addresses, be sure to employ a confirmed opt-in procedure (sometimes referred to as “double opt-in”) so that you can ensure that each subscriber does indeed wish to be on the list.

If you would like additional information about email marketing or just about anything else digital visit our website at http://www.wddonline.com

Five Reasons Why People Unsubscribe From Your Email List

Now that you’ve built a good quality email marketing list, the last thing you want to do is cause people to unsubscribe.  You need to nurture your list and ensure that its members continue to have interest in your messages.  In previous email marketing mailings we’ve discussed things you should do to maintain your list.  Today we’ll offer a few things that you should NOT do.

1. You never stop selling.  While the main idea behind your email marketing campaign is to generate revenue, it’s important that not all of your messages go for the hard sell.  Some of your messages should be conversational.  Too many sales-focused emails have a tendency to push people off of your list.

2. You send irrelevant messages.  We’ve all seen it before.  An email promoting a discount or special event arrives with only one day left to take advantage of it – or worse yet – after the promotion/event has expired.  Or maybe you received an offer that is targeted to a group that you’re clearly not part of.  When this happens the sender loses credibility.  Make sure that the message you’re sending is relevant to the audience you’re sending it to.

3. You send boring emails.  Lack of interesting content in your messages is a sure fire way to have the recipient bail on your list completely.  If the consumer is not engaged by your message, they are going to lose attention.  If they lose attention, you lose them.  Be sure to always include interesting content in your messages.  Even if the topic is, by its nature, uninteresting, use some outside content to spice up the message.

4. You send messages that take too long to load.  Sending messages that consist of one big image or overloading your content with pictures (especially if they are large files) can be damaging in many ways.  ISPs tend to block mailings with high image content and mailings that don’t get blocked can take time to load when opened in the recipient’s mail client.  A few seconds is all it takes for the client to push the delete/SPAM/unsubscribe button – and poof, your message is gone.  Images should only make up about 30% of your content and never send a message that is only images.

5. You send too many messages.  This one is pretty straight forward.  Members of your list signed up so that they’d receive news and information from your company – not so they’d be bombarded with emails on a daily basis.  When you send too often two things happen: 1) your messages are deemed less important and 2) you annoy subscribers.  Both of these things are sure to drive people to unsubscribe.  Instead, consider asking your members how often they’d like to receive mailings and send only that frequently.

To learn more about email marketing or if you have any questions please contact wddonline, for assistance.  And remember, you can always take a look back over previous email marketing tips by visiting our website www.wddonline.com/emailtips.

social@wddonline.com
(P) 330.334.3132