Let's explore a vital step in your communications process: testing your emails.  Why is this so important?  Well, it's happened to all of us. We craft the "perfect" email only to discover a typo or incomplete link after it's been broadcast to a large number of recipients.

This feature tip contains the steps you should take to test your email campaigns before you send them out.

Voodoo offers multiple ways to test emails.  You can Preview the email from the email template, send a test email right from the template editor (Sales Magic Users), or build an actual campaign to send the email to a test list you have created.  These are all useful features to get you through the creative and testing processes.

By far the best way to test your emails (we cannot stress this enough) is the last of those 3 options.  Always send an actual Test Campaign to your test list (including yourself) before sending to a larger group. This will allow you (and/or other team members) to click through to check your video, survey or trackable links, your tracking stats, etc.  You'll receive the real campaign email, see exactly what your contacts will see, and make sure everything is working perfectly.  It's that easy to avoid heartbreak and embarrassment!

Voodoo Feature #222 - Previewing and Testing Emails

eVideo Launcher users: to create your internal test list and fully test your email templates follow these steps:

1)  Login to your account and access the Email Template.

2)  On Step 2.  Choose Recipients, select to enter your test contacts one at a time.

3)  Name your contact list so you can easily identify it as your permanent test list (i.e. Testing, Testing Only).

4)  You’ll use this small test list to send your campaigns to yourself and/or other colleagues so enter your testers' email information (email, first name, last name, company name). Click Next.

5)  Add any personalization you would like to test.  Click Next.

6)  Preview your email and launch your test email by clicking Send Campaign.

7)  Check your email for typos and be sure to test all the links.

8)  Once tested you can send out your broadcast to your larger group of recipients.

Campaign Manager users: to create your internal test list and fully test your email templates follow these steps:

1)  Access your Contact Lists and click Add New Contact List.

2)  Name your contact list so you can easily identify it as your test list (i.e. Testing, Testing Only).  Click Save.

3)  Click on the Contacts tab and Click Add Contact.  Enter the details for your testers and click Add.

4)  After you have created your email template (and saved it), from the template you can first preview the email.  Click the Preview Email button to see how your email looks and how your embedded links are performing. These previews contain your active links, so you can test and make sure each link will take your recipients right where you intend them to go.

5)  You can also Send Test Email directly from the email template.  Just click the Send Test Email button to send yourself a copy of the template to check its content, formatting and video link, as delivered to your in-box. Note: This test email is NOT identical to an actual campaign broadcast: 

It does not have a reference Contact List to access for the RecipientFirstName and other custom fields.   

Because of this missing active content, the test is more likely to get identified as junk or SPAM.

The test delivery will NOT be monitored in your tracking stats. It’s for your reference only.

6)  Because step 5 will not give you an email that is identical to the one broadcasted, it's important to send an identical one to your test list.  Access the Campaign Wizard or Build/Send Campaign and send your email template to your internal test list to see exactly what your recipients will see.

7)  Check your email for typos and be sure to test all the links.

8)  Once tested you can send out your broadcast to your larger group of recipients.

After creating your internal test list one time, you will use it over and over again.

Build Campaigns, Business Builder, Email Templates & Image Library, eVideo Launcher, New Feature preview, test, testing

Did you know Voodoo contains features designed to improve your prospecting?  Powerful contact management features let you review and edit any individual contact's information with ease. 

We're not just talking about basic contact information like Name and Address.  You can also view a complete Send History and have the ability to keep Notes on each and every contact.  So when you are on the phone with your prospect, you can quickly check the Voodoo contact record and reference this information to improve your interaction. (For example, "Did you take a look at that email I sent you on our special pricing?" Of course, you already know the answer!).   You can also take notes on the conversation you had with them.

Voodoo Feature #221 - Contact Record Detail

Within each contact record you can easily access detailed information about the contact:

Contact Info
On the Contact Info tab, you will see all the basic information for the contact.  You can view or edit any of the information. Just click the update button to make any changes.
 
Contact Lists
See what Contact Lists this person is a member of. By selecting one or more lists, then clicking on the Add or Remove button, you can easily add or remove your contact from specific lists.

 
Custom Fields (Business Builder Users Only)
The Custom Fields tab contains any of the custom fields you have set up in your account.  Similar to the contact info, you can make any changes needed.  Click Save when you are done. 

Survey Responses (Business Builder Users Only)
Has this Contact completed a Smart Survey?  If so, the responses will be compiled on this tab.
 
Send History
The Send History is powerful.  You'll see a complete list of all sends to a given contact. Which campaigns were sent and when?  Did s/he open the email and/or view the video?  Find out here! 

Notes
Did you know you can add Notes about a contact? This useful tool lets you reference Notes easily when needed.  Contents of your Notes field will also be included when you Export a Contact List.

 

Here's how easy it is to get to all this valuable information...

eVideo Launcher Users: 

1) From your dashboard select View Tracking Statistics.

2) Select a campaign that was sent to Contacts you would like to view/edit.

3) Click the plus sign next to any of the options (Sent, Opened, Video Views) to expand that item and view contact records.

4) Click the Edit link on the right to open and edit any contact record.

5) Using the tabs across the top, you can now view and add Contact Info, change which Contact Lists this contact is a member of, review the contact's complete Send History, add time-stamped Notes to that contact’s information and more.

6) Make your changes and additions and then click Update/Save.

Business Builder Users:

1)  Users can access the contact record details from Contact Lists area, use the Search for a Contact button, then search for the contact you want.  Also access the contact from Tracking Statistics by selecting a campaign, then click the Plus sign next to any of the options (Sent, Opened, Video Views) to expand that item to view contact records.

2) Click the Edit link on the right to open and edit any contact record.

3) Using the tabs across the top, you can view and add Contact Info, change which Contact Lists this contact is a member of, review the contact's complete Send History and add time-stamped Notes to that contact’s information.

4) Make your changes and additions and then click Update/Save.

When you have a moment, log into your Business Builder or eVideo Launcher Voodoo account and take a look at a few of your contact records.

Business Builder, Contact / Database Lists, eVideo Launcher, New Feature contact record

To be successful with email marketing, you need to know how well your campaigns are performing. 

Marketers often put so much effort into building a campaign, getting it launched, then have to quickly move on to the next project that they sometimes forget to go back in and check the results of their current campaigns.

Voodoo offers a variety of options to track your campaign results. Generally, the first place to go after you launch a campaign is Tracking Statistics (accessed from the View/Edit section of the dashboard). Today's New Feature automatically helps you to stay on top of the results of your campaigns...

In Voodoo, both eVideo Launcher and Campaign Manager users can easily choose to have a daily statistics report sent via email for the first 3 days (the most critical days) of a campaign.  Automating this task allows you to check the results of your campaign and follow up immediately with your contacts that have interacted with your emails and linked content.

Voodoo Feature - Automated 3-Day Daily Statistics Reports

Here's what you do:

eVideo Launcher Users:

1) Go through the normal steps of setting up your campaign.

2) When you get to the Send section, check the box labeled Send me a Daily Statistics Report email for the next 3 days.

3) Send your campaign.

4) You will receive your first statistics report in approximately 24 hours.

Campaign Manager Users:

1) After you have created your email template, then you go to Build/Send Campaign.

2) Select the email template you want to use in your campaign.

3) In the Auto Response options, select the check box for Send Daily Statistics Report for the first 3 days of campaign.

4) Ensure the To: email address is the correct email you would like the statistics sent to.

5) Continue on with the rest of the options to send your campaign.

6) You will receive your first statistics report in approximately 24 hours.

You will receive valuable information in the Campaign Statistics Report such as:

• Total Sent
• Cumulative Optouts
• Opened
• Video Views
• And more...

Campaign Manager and eVideo Launcher users can benefit from this feature right now by logging into your Voodoo account.

Business Builder, eVideo Launcher, New Feature, Tracking Statistics daily statistics, notifications

This Voodoo feature is a jump-starter and a time-saver — the easiest way to upload your email contacts into Voodoo. 

If you store email address books in more than one place, you're not alone.  Most people have separate personal and professional address books, both locally on their PC and in the Cloud. 

Now you can access common email address books from within your Voodoo account and import contacts directly.  No export-to-import, no field mapping, no pesky csv files — just a few simple steps and you're done.

Voodoo Feature - Import Contacts Directly from Your Address Book

Here's what you do:

eVideo Launcher Users:

1) Step 1: Choose your campaign

2) Step 2:  Choose Recipients, select I want to import contacts from address book and name your contact list

3) Click the Import Contacts from my Address Book button

4) Select your email provider from the list.  If asked, Allow Access. 

5) Your contacts will appear in a checklist.  You can select All or None with the checkbox at the upper left, or select individual contacts.

6) Click Next to import your selected contacts.  It only takes a few seconds!

Campaign Manager Users:

1) Click into the Contact Lists feature.

2) Click Add a New Contact List or Manage Contacts to add contacts to a list that already exists. (Bonus: contacts added to a pre-existing list are automatically de-duplicated.)

3) Select Import Contacts from my Address Book.

4) Select your email provider from the list. If asked, Allow Access.

5) Your contacts will appear in a checklist.  You can select All or None with the checkbox at the upper left, or select individual contacts. 

6) Click Next to import your selected contacts.  It only takes a few seconds!
 

Campaign Manager and eVideo Launcher users can access this feature right now by logging into your Voodoo account. (It works equally well on a Mac or PC.)

Business Builder, Contact / Database Lists, eVideo Launcher, New Feature import, contacts, address book, gmail, yahoo mail, hotmail, aol, plaxo, msn, outlook

One of the most powerful features of Voodoo is fast follow up with your hot leads. How fast you connect with interested leads is one key to your success.  In fact, the Lead Response Management Study shows that responding to web-generated leads within 5 minutes increases contact rates by 900%!  

This Voodoo feature gives you an automated way to know which leads are showing interest in your campaign right NOW. When you get a campaign ready, simply check the designated boxes for Voodoo to notify you in real-time when a recipient:

1. opens your email 
2. views the video 
3. clicks a trackable link  

When any or all of these boxes are checked, you'll receive a real-time "Action Alert" (an email notification sent to the address in your personal settings) telling you which contact took action and what action they took.

Imagine the power of that...  You know immediately when someone opens, watches or clicks and is ripe for a follow up email or phone call.  You know exactly who they are, including their email address and contact info.  You can reach out within minutes of them interacting with your campaign - the exact moment when your company and offer are on their mind.

Here's how easy it is...

Voodoo Feature #521 - Automated Action Alerts

Both eVideo Launcher and Business Builder users have access to Action Alerts.  The alert notifications Voodoo sends you by email will contain all the information you need for follow up, based on the specific data you've imported for each contact.

Word of advice: If you're sending to a large list, we recommend NOT choosing to be notified about Open Emails to prevent a flood into your in-box!

3)  Click to select the notification options you would like enabled. 

4)  Send your email

5)  Action Alerts are real-time, so you will receive emails immediately after the action has taken place 

So when you are setting up your next campaign, remember Automated Action Alerts. They are part of Voodoo's magic, and can have an extraordinary impact on your results.

Business Builder, eVideo Launcher, New Feature, Tracking Statistics automated action alerts, notifications, hot lead

Many marketers simply send out a single email message to their contact list and hope for the best. But according to BtoB Online, the average open rate for marketing emails is 19.7%.  Would you like to reach more of the 80+% that didn't open your email?  Voodoo can easily help you do just that. 

Voodoo has a builti-in feature allowing you to copy the contacts that haven't opened your email into a list—either creating a new list or adding them to an existing list.  This means you can send a second email to these contacts, and increase your overall open rate percentage. 

Here's how easy it is...

Voodoo Feature #584 - Copy Contacts to a List for Remarketing

Both eVideo Launcher and Business Builder users can easily copy contacts that haven't opened an email into a list.

1)  Login to your Voodoo account

2)  Access My Reports

3)  Select the Campaign/Email you would like to send again to the unopeners  

4)  Click the Unopened statistic which will take you to all the subscribers who have not opened your email

5)  Click the Copy to Contact List button

6)  Select Existing Contact List or New Contact List.  When naming your new list be descriptive (i.e. Campaign Name - Unopened or Campaign Name - Round 1 Unopened)

7)  Click Ok and your contacts are now in the list.

Optimization Tip: Sending a second email to your contacts that haven't opened one of your emails gives you a perfect opportunity to do some optimization testing.  With the second email you can change the subject line or any of the content in your email to test if it increases your open and/or click rates.

Contact / Database Lists, eVideo Launcher, New Feature, Quick Add & Send, Business Builder copy contacts, remarketing

Voodoo has performed numerous strategic A/B/C tests to determine what Email Styles, and what type of embedded links produce the best results.

Even experienced marketers assume “text-only” emails will be perceived as boring and, therefore, less likely to generate click-throughs.  Voodoo statistics from hundreds of campaigns confirm the opposite is true.  The key is keeping text-based emails brief and authentically personal, so they don’t feel like a form email.  

We tested the following three Email Styles:

Personal Email—similar to a note you’d receive from a friend.  It contains a personal-sounding subject line, merged recipient first name, text-only content, with an overall casual tone.

Semi-Personal Email—like a note you’d receive from a friend, but with a bit more “professional” graphic content.  It contains a personal-sounding subject line, merged recipient first name, text with some HTML graphic content, with an overall casual tone.

Commercial Email—like most commercial emails you receive from established companies, with some added personalization.  It contains a promotional subject line, merged recipient first name, all HTML graphic content, with an overall promotional tone.

Are text links, video play buttons or product photos more likely to encourage click-throughs?  

Statistics: Click-Throughs by Email Type and Link Type

Personal Email

43%     Text link (within body copy)
31%     Video Play Button (showing frame from video)
26%     Product Photo only

Semi-Personal Email
39%     Text link
34%     Video Play Button
27%     Product Photo

Commercial Email
37%     Video Play Button
36%     Text link
27%     Product Photo

Comment: This appears to indicate that people respond most readily when the Style and type of link are consistent.  Text-based Personal Emails would normally and naturally include a text link, while HTML-heavy Commercial Emails are expected contain a video play graphic.  

Which type of email gets the best Deliverability and Response rates

(i.e., Opens and Click-throughs to watch related videos)?

Average Deliverability Rates* (as a percentage of total sends):
97%     Personal Email
93%     Semi-Personal Email
86%     Commercial Email

*This drop in deliverability is caused by the inclusion of additional “active” HTML content/links and promotional keywords.  ISP algorithms identify this content as typically “commercial,” and therefore likely to be spam or junk.

Comment: Personal Email is the clear winner here, as “lighter” HTML content is more ISP-friendly and likely to make it all the way to the in-box of the recipient.

Average Open Rates (as a percentage of total sends):
27%     Personal Email
23%     Semi-Personal Email*
8%       Commercial Email**

*The drop for Semi-Personal Email is directly attributable to the drop in deliverability rates, as the tested subject lines were identical to their Personal Email counterparts
**The Commercial Email drop is much larger than the drop in deliverability rates and therefore indicates a greater skepticism and lack of response to email which is perceived as promotional, even when coming from an approved sender

Average Click-Through Rates (as a percentage of total opens):
11%     Personal Email
9%       Semi-Personal Email
2%       Commercial Email

Voodoo’s Conclusion:  Keep it Personal!

Our statistics make it clear that the most effective way to communicate is the one that feels the most personal, i.e., a Personal Email with a Text Link to your video.  The Personal Email produces the highest Deliverability, Open and Click-Through rates.  What’s more, using this style of email, using a simple Text Link to your video is likely to produce 12% higher click-through than the next-best option. 

Business Builder, Email Templates & Image Library, eVideo Launcher, Tracking Statistics email statistics, benchmarks, kpi, testing, results