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Suggestion for startups - remind us who you are when you email

89 points by FiddlerClamp ↗ HN
As a user of online services, I can't tell you how many times I get an email from one I haven't used in a while, asking me to come back or telling me about a new feature.

Problem is, if I've only used your site/service once or twice, I might not remember what it does -- especially if your name is abstract.

Even a simple line like "XYZ creates and manages RSS feeds from your Facebook streams" would be a memory jog, and gives you room for a quick marketing pitch.

Remember -- just because you automatically associate your name/URL with your product doesn't mean that we your prospects or customers do.

On the flip side, know that as users we appreciate the work you put into your site and service, even if we don't email you to say so. Thanks!

14 comments

[ 2.4 ms ] story [ 45.9 ms ] thread
david_p
That's the best advice I've read in weeks. Thank you. I'm changing this right now for the notification emails of our startup.
Goladus
Very good advice, this should be part of your branding strategy.

And I'd say instead of "XYZ creates and manages..." I'd say a line like this should be a standard link to your login page:

"Create and manage RSS feeds from your facebook streams: [XYZ Login Link]"

jaggs
This x 1 million.
Sukotto
You should also link to any particularly informative HN post about your product.
AdamTReineke
So true. I got an e-mail yesterday with an invite to Crowdbooster. I don't even remember signing up for an invite, let alone what Crowdbooster is, and the e-mail didn't offer any clues at all.
jeffclark
I got the same email from Crowdbooster. It's the first thing I thought of when I read the title.
dtran
We'll fix this right away! Thanks for taking time to read through an email without any context of what the company did. Let me know if you have any questions or have run into any issues.
dtran
Edit: Realized I should introduce myself (or fall into the same trap as the email!). I'm one of the co-founders of Crowdbooster.

Thanks for the feedback Adam. We will add a quick one or two sentence description of Crowdbooster to our invite email. Apologies for getting what seemed like an unsolicited email from a service you didn't remember signing up for (it has been about a month). Let us know if you have any questions or have run into any issues!

We'll probably start A/B testing emails and tracking conversions on signups for opened emails. Does anyone have good recommendations on email A/B testing. We're using Sendgrid to send out these emails.

ronnix
Great advice!

I've always been annoyed by those e-mail invitations to the beta of a service I signed up to many weeks ago, that don't give me any clue to remind me why I cared in the first place...

WillyF
I'll add that if you have invite e-mails that people can send to friends, you better explain your startup in the e-mail. I've received invites from legit startups that looked exactly the same as spam invites that I've received.
jambo
Likewise with your company blog. Put a prominent, descriptive link to the main site at the top. It's too common that I have to go to the address bar and remove "blog." to get to the main page. Most people won't do this.
dotBen
And while you are at it, make sure there is a clearly highlighted way of contacting you on your blog (both startup blogs and personal blog).

If you don't want to give out your email address or create a second email address just for the blog, offer a contact form at least.

rick_2047
The first thing we were taught in the business and formal communication class (mandatory for freshmen at my university) is that in the body of an official letter, the first paragraph is essentially a small pitch of your company or product. I found it stupid at first but then in the third lecture I asked the question "But why?" and the professor gave just that reason. Customers and even other business which provide raw materials, tool or purchase your product/service might not remember who you are even if there is a gap of a week in your communication.
geekinthecorner
And please, just one e-mail. Don't let a rambunctious new marketing type decide "Hey, if we find our inactive users and email them two or three times a week from here on out we'll increase our user base". And make sure your unsubscribe features work.