Paul Dunay did a nice blog post recapping the Day 1 morning intensive Email 360. I'll just briefly add to his coverage. I want to highlight an interesting rich media newsletter IBM has been doing for SMB customers.


Called ForwardView, two full-time employees (with agency help) produce the monthly newsletter in a variety of formats, including this cool viral-inspiring version. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Notice how the movie trailers preview the articles in the current issue. And be sure to click "Help," "Feedback" and "Next Month's Issue."
If rich media isn't your thing, they also publish html and print versions (since market research tells IBM there are significant segments that prefer to consume information in each of these formats). And they're currently developing a new version to work on mobile phones, expecting this to be a popular medium in Asian markets.
Ready to produce your own rich media newsletter? I don't blame you. My wheels are turning too. But at a cost of $55K per issue--not to mention the coordination cost of working with three agencies to pull this off--this project requires a significant commitment.
So what about ROI? With open rates around 15% and up to 13-16 minutes of viewing time, IBM is pleased with response rates so far. But that's not all, in the first 18 months the newsletter was in circulation, SMB Marketing Program Director Leslie Reiser can point to one $13 million sale that directly ties back to this vehicle. Reiser says: "You just need one of those a year, and you're fine." No doubt.

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MarketingProfs Conference Coverage: IBM's ForwardView Newsletter

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Val Frazee is Managing Editor for MarketingProfs. She works with a (stellar!) team to produce content solutions for corporate clients, seminars for Premium Plus members, how-to guides for Premium members and the Get to the Point newsletter for small business builders. Whenever she can break free, she hangs out in Know-How Exchange, our discussion forum. Before MProfs she learned the ropes on the editorial staffs of trade magazines for stockbrokers and human resources professionals. Demonstrating an addiction to startups and spin-offs, she has participated in a variety of product and company launches. And she spent most of her time in business school daydreaming about entrepreneurial ventures. She recently moved near Tahoe from the Bay Area and is still getting used to the idea of living in a small town where people are just so darn friendly and wagon wheels are common lawn ornaments.