We just executed a campaign for a mutual fund client that solidified the fact that direct mail and online aren’t enemies. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. They’re best friends and they play very well together.
The campaign we executed involved creating an email and landing page. Shortly after the email blast, we converted the creative into a 6×9 tri-fold self mailer and sent it to the same folks. The email, landing page and direct mail piece all carried the same message…and the creative of all 3 components complemented each other.
The campaign was successful and we’re now using the same tactic for one of their other mutual funds.
This whole project reminded me to stop looking at direct mail and online as oil and water. If done right, they can work very well together. And it makes sense because people nowadays spend so much time online, but they’re also checking their mailbox too of course.
If you connect with potential customers at both locations with a focused, targeted message, they’re going to at least notice your offer. And that’s half the battle.
Most companies associate Ballantine with direct mail. And while direct mail is our core competency, we also now provide full-service email marketing.
This month’s case study features a successful email campaign we recently produced for DAL Investment Company’s FUNDX Conservative Upgrader Fund (RELAX).
The campaign included:
- Copy & design of both an email and landing page
- Email execution and reporting
- Subject line split-testing
- Deliverability testing and list hygiene
- Google Analytics link tracking
Copy and Design
We wrote and designed both an email and landing page for DAL. First, we started with a creative brainstorming call. And after a few rounds of revisions, the final product was ready.
Click Here to view the email.
Click Here to view the landing page.
Execution and Reporting
We executed the email campaigns from start to finish for DAL including the items below. Three blasts were launched: one in November of 2009, one in December and one in February when RELAX was upgraded from a 4 Star to a 5 Star Morningstar™ Rating. The emails were sent to their customer file. We also provided reporting updates a few times after each blast.
Subject Line
In the beginning, we started with two subject lines and split-tested both to find a winner. We were surprised to find that the longer, more descriptive subject line won significantly by 20.8%.
Deliverability and Hygiene
Our email marketing service includes a program that scans the email for factors that will decrease deliverability so you can fix the issue(s). We also cleansed their file after each blast, moving the bad email addresses to a different file.
Google Analytics
We converted each link in the email to a Google Analytics tracking link so DAL could track what each visitor did once they clicked through from the email to the landing page. Doing this also enabled them to track the visitor if they left the landing page and visited the main FundX Upgrader Funds website.
Email Results
As a result of the emails, DAL had $2.5 million flow into the fund. This is during a difficult period where they had outflows in most funds.
More Information
If you would like to speak to us about your email marketing needs, please contact Ryan Cote.
