Introducing Optimove’s Email Agency to Render A Seamless Execution
The transformation that turned the good ol' email into a powerful data-based mechanism brings more challenges. Our new agency is equipped with email-specific best practices for sending, deploying, coding and design to help marketers get the most out of their creative side
Recent years brought many changes to the modern marketer’s day-to-day. Stronger automation abilities and a new, deeper approach to data helped reduce some of the mundane hassles, leaving room for ideation and innovation. Today, marketers must support their ideas and innovative approaches through data and analysis and develop new skills – embracing analytics.
Becoming more “data-curious” while using a tool like Optimove – stimulating agile methodologies and deep insights – gave marketers that extra room to shine. In order to stay on top of their game, the creators’ side of the puzzle must remain solid as well.
From ideation to deliverability
Optimove’s new internal email agency was created to ignite inspiration: To bridge the gap for customers by providing a data-driven marketing plan and timely implementation. Through the newly formed email agency, customers can tap into our email-specific expertise, advising on best practices for sending, deployment, coding, and design to bring marketing plans and strategies to fruition seamlessly.
In addition to providing execution-based solutions, the agency will expand into additional areas of Optimove, stressing our focus on collaboration. Our email experts will work with our Strategic Services and Professional Services Teams, provide best practices and insights, years of direct marketing experience, and assist with our Deliverability Team on reputation and delivery.
Moreover, the agency will offer multi-level warm-up packages to customers migrating to Optimail, to manage an often-overwhelming plan and help provide a successful outcome.
Guiding strategic moves
Whether you currently have an in-house design and creative team, outsource your digital marketing needs, or rely on WYSIWYG editors to help those that aren’t HTML-proficient create your email marketing messages, Optimove’s newest client offering will create custom ROI-driven success. We’re helping our clients build smarter email programs from strategy to execution, using your Optimove data and analytics with our proprietary marketing experiments guiding each strategic move we make.
“Email has transformed from it’s batch and blast days to a more one-to-one marketing tool that is now capable of being generated by powerful data on a customer-by-customer basis”
Our email-centric expert team understands your specific needs and listens to your key objectives while peeling back the layers of your existing program to uncover fundamental opportunities for success – and then help to materialize them, either using a full-service model or a hybrid approach with your creative team.
Our new champion
Heading this agency will beDana Shirlen, Optimove’s new Email Marketing Director. Dana comes to Optimove with over 15 years of email experience and a core competency in deliverability, best practices, strategic planning, brand management, and automated lifecycle campaigns. Prior to joining Optimove, Dana managed the CRM and email marketing strategies for enterprise clients at Elite SEM, which acquired Email Aptitude in June 2018.
Dana has also managed the global email marketing strategies for Lenovo, responsible for the revenue growth of the email channel for 26 international countries for the consumer division of the PC brand. Dana began her career in Philadelphia and New York, managing national consumer brands at various marketing agencies after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University.
I sat with Dana for a quick Q&A session.
What drove you to join Optimove?
“I’m driven by smart, dynamic, and creative people. I thrive off collaborating with them, learning from them and inciting great things with them. That’s Optimove.”
What do you see as the biggest opportunity?
“Optimove delivers insightful, predictive intelligence that allows our customers to develop smarter, more targeted messages, offers, and promotions. However, where there’s a need and where our newest capability comes in is in helping our customers to execute and deploy. It’s taking those data points, helping to collaborate on strategy and planning and then creating compelling email content, effective creative, deploying campaigns and mapping out lifecycle email marketing programs by target groups. It’s answering the question; “But, how?” Having an expert team of email marketing professionals who understand your ESP, ISPs, deliverability, email code, best practices, engagement, and more importantly – how to effectively communicate with your target audiences, is key in growing your business and that’s the opportunity we’ve captured.”
What’s the future of email like? Is it really dead?
“Email is not dead, and it never will be. To say it’s changing is more accurate. Email has transformed from it’s batch and blast days to a more one-to-one marketing tool that is now capable of being generated by powerful data on a customer-by-customer basis. Optimove’s DynamicMail competences, for example, allow our customers to automatically render personalized, interactive content within emails in real-time; Excluding products that are no longer in stock, or adjusting content to reflect the weather at a customer’s specific location. Those marketers choosing to use their data wisely and treat each customer uniquely are the ones who will reap the greatest reward from email today, tomorrow and into the future.”
Many brands are thinking ahead and with 6 months until the holiday season, what’s one tip or trend you see for holiday 2019?
“Holiday is one of the biggest times of the year for most retail brands and it’s also the most competitive as everyone is vying for recognition in the inbox. I have two tips that are also, in my opinion, trends for the upcoming holiday season.
First, as marketers, we need to slow down on hard selling during the holidays. Move away from simply selling products or categories with a blanket discount. Too many of your brand’s competitors are doing the same thing and if you want to maintain sales post-holiday, it’s important to sell the brand too. I think we’ll see more storytelling in email starting with this year’s holiday season. It allows for brands to build a relationship, personalization, a continued message from Black Friday and beyond and builds resonance.
Additionally, I always recommend at least one or two campaigns post the Christmas rush themed around “Get what you really wanted.” Many shoppers received gift cards, cash or spent time returning unwanted gifts after the holidays – sending messages that persuade them to shop the post-holiday rush is a great way to generate incremental sales at the end of the month.”
Varda is all about the customer. With more than 10 years helping customers improve their businesses by making the best use of their data, Varda is the perfect blend of energy and efficiency, equipped with a bright personality and exemplary professionalism. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration.
