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Switching ESPs in a ComplexData Environment
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Allyson LutzDir. of Revenue Marketing
Spark Networks
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About Spark Networks
• Started in 1997• 20+ brands• Over 18M registered users across our
dating sites• ChristianMingle is responsible for more
Christian marriages than all other dating sites
• JDate is responsible for more Jewish marriages than all other dating sitescombined
Email is important to Spark Networks
• Highest-performing marketing channel• One of the main drivers of traffic to our
sites• ~50 million emails per month• Extremely high engagement• Key product features are delivered by email
The Existing Email Setup
• Previous email provider was set up in 2006• Two separate implementations, plus a
home-grown system• Data coming from unknown sources• Temporary patches that had become
permanent• Lack of faith in our customer email data
The Final Straw
Then we tried to run a test with our users, based on their subscription duration
SubDuration
THREE MONTHS
Ideal Structure
API Layer
Our Data Structure
Not The Goal
Something had to be done
The Goal
API Layer
Everything Else
Existing Systems Audit
• Know your business requirements– Data going in– Data going out– Data formatting– Field types and values
• Know what you need vs. what you want– Necessary features– Nice-to-have features
Spark’s Email Types
• Process Triggered Emails– Triggered via API– Logic managed internally
• Batch Email Processes– Data sent over on a set schedule– Could not modify fields being imported
• Marketing Emails– Designed, Scheduled, targeted by email
marketing team
Other Requirements
Independent Research
https://www.g2crowd.com/categories/email-marketing-best-of-breed
Other Requirements
Data Migration
• Set up standardization rules and know their impact before you start– Eliminated “generic_char1” and “generic_num2” field names
• Set up import limits – Only imported the last two years’ worth of user data
• Determine your preferred data transfer process(es)– Secure FTP transfer– API Triggers
• Thoroughly review data• Know your systems and your timing
– Our import process needed to happen during low-traffic hours– Data migration took about three weeks
Content Migration
• New ESP migrated all email content• Update the emails being migrated– Review tracking tags– Switch out Javascript for liquid markup– Create dynamic content
• Build out new features– Design and build new drip campaigns, workflows– Set up new sending automation rules
Our Results
• Added ~50 additional targeting attributes to increase audience segmentation abilities
• Increased speed of A/B tests• Decreased email build time by half• Increased deliverability across all brands• Gained the ability to track specific users across
campaigns• Increased open rates on key emails by 50%+• Saved us over $150,000/year
Key Takeaways
• Be very sure you want to switch• Know your system and your capabilities• Know your data• Clearly differentiate between your wants and
your needs• Always check unaffiliated references• Make sure the ESP you decide on has similar
business priorities
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