Plain text still wins, hands down.

Thanks, Michel - much appreciated!

-k

Ken,

Here are some deliverability stats and open rates from one of my AWeber lists. Those are HTML messages. I've been really happy with Aweber and HTML. In my experience, the HTML email doesn't get delivered rumors are really overblown.

If you're not with Aweber, they offer a cool service that tracks deliverability, at Delivery Monitor - Email Deliverability Tracking

hey michel, my little canadian friend, care to share why you think this is the case across the board and to what respect?

big jason

rumor? that is one of the biggest myths in internet marketing.

big jason

That was probably your first problem. plain text doesn't guarantee you better deliverability. that is a common myth. even if it did, doesn't matter. response/return should be more important.

Quote:

I see many of my competitors (and top marketers like Tony Robbins/Brian Tracy) All using html emails, without exception.. so I need to test it.

definitely. all the killer response and click-thru techniques for html pages like using certain images, formatting, etc. guess what? they work in email too.

imagine how painful it is for me to listen to a dvd or mp3 of a live event and some guru is talking about a cool image placement technique to increase click through rate on a web page, and someone asks "do you do the same thing in your emails?"

the guru says "Oh no, my deliverability will suffer"

or when the guru talks about hero shots and different image techniques to increase respnonse, etc. does he use them in email? does he even test them?

oh no, I can't use proven response techniques in email because so and so says it will hurt my deliverability. weelll, golly! it must be true. WTF?

Quote:

Anybody have insights/test results on open rates/deliverability using html emails via aweber that you can share?

I believe someone else posted some stats. i don't use aweber. i did have a client use them previously with an abysmal 20% deliverability rate. they couldn't understand why it wasn't over 90% as Aweber claims.

Quote:

I know they make a much bigger visual impact, the marketing challenge is, does that outweigh the (lower?) deliverability/open rate compared to text emails?

same as above. just using html in of itself won't reduce your deliverability (all things being equal, having a plain text alternative, etc). but again, response trumps deliverability in my opinion and people who actually know email marketing (non im'rs).

of course you have to take your esp into consideration which could get your email blocked or in the spam folder regardless as well. my host among others from what I have heard block all aweber and getresponse emails from their clients. i have to use gmail

Quote:

Appreciate any insights, and/or test results/insights.. thanks! I notice that Michel used to use what appears to be a short html format email for his blog post emails that has his photo, to personalize, and a link to the blog after teaser copy (though this has been changed back to all text in the last couple of emails), any insights and/or other tips for html emails (eg marketingsherpa results etc)..? thanks! ken

ken, go to a marketingsherpa email summit <-- evil affiliate, and I promise you that you will never look at email marketing the same. you'll actually be able to talk to real email service providers and email marketing experts. I have been to the last two in chicago and new york, and real email marketing experts almost fall over in disgust or laughter hearing what "internet marketers" believe about email marketing. well, actually some of them are in disbelief.

MarketingSherpa and MarketingExperiments newsletters and webinars are definitely great resources.

Real email service providers have informative newsletters and webinars too.

Here are a few:

1. EmailLabs
2. Habeas
3. ExactTarget

hth
big jason

NO!

You can't trust anything Mike says...

LOL

Seriously though, Jason thanks for the tipoff on those links.

BTW: I'm over in Tyler. Perhaps we'll hook up some time.

dammit! what about be* ****..... ah forget it
you're welcome jp. np.

definitely. i just saw in the pm that you'll be coming out for nitro. sweet

if you're ever in the dfw area, we have four different dan kennedy cult meetings throughout the month. you can come on down for any of those too if you like.

big jason