Case-In-Point
Atlanta Wine School Grows With Trusted E-marketing

Michael Bryan, founder and director of the Atlanta Wine School, certainly has a sophisticated palate when it comes to wine. But Bryan also has sophisticated marketing skills. The entrepreneur has incorporated virtually every Sevista service capability over the past five years to grow Georgia’s only institution for wine appreciation more than 30 percent annually.

"I believe you need to build a relationship of trust with people before you can ask them for anything," says Bryan. "I do that by giving them information of value in our wine newsletter." Every month since March 2003, Sevista has sent the Atlanta Wine School e-newsletter, full of tips and industry reports, to a list of recipients that has grown from 500 to 10,000. The newsletter’s success is significant, evidenced by the fact that since the initial send, everyone else has had to proactively subscribe to it using Sevista's automated opt-in form.

E-marketing is the institution's primary marketing tool. "There isn't a more effective way to reach a database of contacts on a one-to-one basis as cost-effectively," Bryan says. "Now our community of wine lovers is receptive to reading about and participating in the courses and events we offer." Through Sevista surveys, the growing community has also become a continuing source of market input that shapes class schedules and content.

An experienced e-marketer, what Bryan appreciates most about Sevista is its "hidden" benefit. "I've learned Sevista has a stellar reputation among ISPs for having clientele that practice responsible marketing," Bryan says. "That's good for me because it greatly increases the likelihood that all my Sevista 'sends' will be delivered promptly every time.” Learn More

E-marketing
Best
Practices

Open rates difficult to predict

What is a typical open rate? We're asked this question a lot and always give the same answer. There is no typical open rate. The rate obtained for any list, or group of lists, varies depending on content, when it was sent, the size of the list and a zillion other potential variables. If you look you can find industry benchmarks, but even among those there is wide variation.

Below are rules-of-thumb about e-marketing open rates:

• As list size goes up, open rates tend to fall; possibly because smaller companies are more likely to have personal relationships with their list subscribers.
• Companies and organizations that are focusing on enthusiasts and supporters, like churches, sports teams and non-profits, see higher open rates.
• The more specific the email topics, like niche manufacturing, the higher the open rates. Broader topics have lower open rates.

There are elements you can vary to optimize your campaigns as you strive to induce more recipients to open emails, such as:

• Experiment with subject lines: Include content detail right in the subject line, instead of using your standard subject.
• Send on a different day: Are subscribers too busy on a Wednesday morning to read your email, leaving it languishing down the inbox? Maybe Monday morning or Friday afternoon email would be better received.
• Get the important content to the top: Remember that many people see a preview before deciding to open or ignore your email. Make sure key points are in the top third.

Questions, Comments?
Contact Sevista at 678-405-6044 with questions or comments about becoming a customer.