As with any other marketing campaign, careful planning and
proven techniques are the best way to deploy the most
effective campaigns and to realize the highest response
rates. It’s a matter of putting the right offer in
front of the right person at the right time.
Follow these common-sense and time-tested suggestions, and
your campaign can produce tremendous results for new
customer acquisition, customer loyalty and customer
retention.
Segment Lists, Targeted Messages
Chop your database into smaller, segmented slices based on
preferences and past behaviors, in order to make your
messages as relevant as possible to each group. Prospects
and customers will be more likely to respond to messages
that match their interest sets. Use historical data to
apply what you know about the likes and dislikes of your
target market segments, and develop your messages and
offers to fit.
Personalize to the Max
Don’t just segment when you can use the full power of
the database to personalize email content to individual
name, history, likes and dislikes. In the world of direct
emarketing everyone is unique and one size does not fit
all, so use the tools available to be as personal and as
relevant as possible.
Quality Over Quantity
Boost response rates by creating offers for unique
products, useful information, compelling content, special
pricing or gifts. Again, match the offer to the segment.
Every message in a customer’s inbox requires time and
attention. Your objective is to offer each customer
something of value – be it information,
entertainment, or monetary value. If you don’t
deliver, your customers will opt out of your mailing list.
Call-To-Action
Your campaign’s primary objective should be to have
prospects take action. Examples include: Click to…..
link to more information, buy, join, communicate with a
sales representative, participate in a survey, play in a
contest or refer a friend.
Sales vs. Marketing
Many marketers think the Web is primarily a direct sales
medium, rather than a multifaceted communications tool that
can used to create sales activities in other channels. But
many sales are not done on impulse or from afar Decide
which sales channel your campaign is going to support.
Text vs. HTML
Give your customers the option of receiving messages in
text or HTML format. Some people will always prefer text
to graphics, and some email readers only support basic
text. Give your customers what they want, and be sure your
email has been tested for readability by all major email
readers.
Micro-Sites
Giving respondents a micro Web site to respond to rather
than just an email address creates more interaction and
measurement opportunities. Plus, a picture paints a
thousand words.
Online Off-line Integration
Use a micro Web site, too, as a response option for your
off-line (direct mail, display ads) promotions. Again,
you’ll not only create more opportunities to interact
with your customers, you can keep ads and mailers less
cluttered and entice readers online for the full story.
No Spam Ma’am
Don’t send unsolicited emails. As mentioned earlier,
spam messages are unwelcome and counterproductive.
You’ll only damage your company’s reputation by
sending unwanted emails.
Respect The Customer
Messages and offers that go to unresponsive consumers week
after week are no better than spam. Also make it easy for
them to unsubscribe, access and change data.
Measure & Report
Tracking the actions of your customers and prospects is
critical to your success. After deploying several
campaigns you will have generated a mountain of response
information. Analyze it and use it when creating new
offers and new approaches.
Click Through Analytics
Analyze campaign response data in conjunction with Web site
visitor behavior data to get a single, unified view of your
customers and prospects behavior. Track what pages
prospects visited; what information they viewed, and what
products they bought. Again, use the data to customize
your offers and Web site content. And remember that
technology is a magical tool for marketing wizards to
use—but it does not replace the wizard.
As with any other marketing campaign, careful planning and
proven techniques are the best way to deploy the most
effective campaigns and to realize the highest response
rates. It’s a matter of putting the right offer in
front of the right person at the right time.
Follow these common-sense and time-tested suggestions, and
your campaign can produce tremendous results for new
customer acquisition, customer loyalty and customer
retention.
----------------------------------------------------
Mischelle (Schelly) Weedman-Davis has over 15 years of
marketing experience with high tech and internet businesses
such as Microsoft, Primus, Summit Software, Qpass, and
others. She recently left the high tech world behind to
focus her energy and attention on being a mother and
supporting her husband’s Seattle law firm. To learn
more about Davis Law Group visit
http://www.InjuryTrialLawyer.com or
http://www.washingtonaccidentbook.com .
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