Jennifer Pricci - Marketing Strategies Q&A: email

Showing posts with label email. Show all posts

Monday, February 2, 2009

Email Marketing Tips for Targeting Inactive Subscribers

LinkedIn Question:

I've been managing an email marketing campaign for one of my clients for the past few years. The database grows slow and steady but it seems it is the same people consistently opening and interacting with the email content. Any advice on getting the others to participate?

My LinkedIn Answer:

In my opinion you've already taken a first critical step. You've identified those recipients of your email campaign who are inactive.

The point of identifying your inactive recipients is to treat them differently - not to delete them, ignore them or cry over their inactivity. Your goal after identifying and segmenting your "active" and "inactive" subscribers is to spend more productive time on actives and attempt to re-engage inactives. Here are some tips on what you can do to re-engage your inactives:

Special Offers - If you are a retailer, for example, consider a special offer such as discounts or free shipping. If you are a B2B marketer you might offer a special white paper that will motivate the recipient to re-engage with your communications.
Survey Subscribers - While you are not likely to get a significant response, consider surveying these recipients to help provide insight into their inactivity.
Update Profile - Using incentives, drive subscribers to your profile update page where they can change email addresses, update format preferences, demographics and interests. This updated information may now enable you to send them targeted and relevant emails.
Understand Their Demographics/Profile - Perhaps a large percentage of your inactives share a common trait. Perhaps they opted in as part of registering for a white paper or seminar or promotional offer. Or perhaps a majority are women, while your content is oriented toward men.
Try Different Send Days/Times - If you always mail on the same day or time of day, try some different distribution times (what do you have to lose?).
Modify Frequency - Now that you've segmented your list by actives and inactives, consider adjusting the frequency of your sends. If you normally send twice per month, you may want to test sending three times to active subscribers, but only once to inactives.
Create Different Content - If your analysis has been able to uncover some common threads among inactives, consider packaging the content differently for this group. For example, a newsletter from a job search-oriented business might logically find many subscribers becoming inactive after completing their job search. For these recipients, the company might want to focus its newsletter content on managing people, careers and the hiring process. Uncovering this type of trend should lead to providing different newsletters or dynamic versions based on a person's profile or stated preferences.
Try Different Formats - Test using a text version, for example, that is very simple but with specific links and messaging intended to drive action.
Test Different Styles of Subject Lines - If you've used a particular style of subject line, try a different approach with the inactives. Creative subject lines could be one of your most effective strategies in getting recipients to re-engage.
Monitor Seed/Proof Lists - Send your messages to proof and seed lists for key domains. Monitor if content or images are causing your messages to be filtered or treated differently with specific ISPs and companies. If problems are detected, consider developing different versions of the messages that may not trip filters.
Send a Postcard - If you have your subscribers' mailing addresses, consider sending them a postcard that offers an incentive if they'll update their email preferences and profile.
Move Re-engaged to Active Status - After each email message sent to the inactives, change the demographic status of those recipients that clicked a link to "active." This helps keep your focus on converting the inactives and tracking your success in those efforts.

Here is an extremely useful blog post from Seth Godin where he discusses the efficiencies and inefficiencies of two different email marketing campaign case studies:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/02/email-campaign-case-studies-one-good-one-bad.html

Jennifer Pricci
New York Based Marketing Talent For Hire!
jennifer.pricci@comcast.net

View my resume online at http://tinyurl.com/jenniferpricciresume

Read my recommendations and link with me at www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferpricci

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Re-Opting In Your Email List: Why and How

LinkedIn Question:

Re-opting in your email list... good examples... It is time that I re-opted in my email database list. Anyone out there have any good examples of a re-opt in campaign?

My LinkedIn Answer:

Even though your lists may be opt-in, it is inevitable that some “old” subscribers may stop opening emails and can log spam complaints for them. Though subscribers originally opted-in, these spam complaints count towards your online brand reputation.

Over time, these complaints can cut into your profits by causing IP or domain blocking or blacklisting. To maximize ROI and deliverability for a dated list, you may need to reconfirm dormant subscribers, or to re-opt-in old subscribers.

When sending your re-opt-in campaigns, I recommend you keep the following in mind:

Send only to opt-in lists of your customers with whom you have done business with in the past twelve months
In your eMail, use language in the subject line to call attention to the issue (e.g. YOUR BRAND NAME – Register Now to Receive XX)
The body of your eMail should be entirely dedicated to the opt-in message. Nothing else.
Have a button AND a link to click to opt-in.
Provide an incentive (e.g. Sign Up by 2/15 and receive XX) to your subscribers to re-opt-in
Always have an urgency date to encourage immediate action

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Is Direct Mail Really Dead?

LinkedIn Question:

Why do people think direct mail is dead. It's not! Comments?

My LinkedIn Answer:

"Direct mail is dead" is probably just too bold a statement. In reality, a complete and integrated companion marketing approach works best - utilizing a variety of venues to market your message - including direct mail, email, internet marketing, social media, etc.

I think this topic has been stirred a bit by the interpretations of an NPR article noting that the USPS is seeing less mail due to the economy. In the article, the Postal Service’s Senior VP of Customer Relations, Stephen Kearney, states:

"Our mail volume had its greatest decline since the Great Depression… We may have losses (revenue) that are larger than the $2.8 billion we had last year."

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99027132

Those looking to make their case may be misdefining "mail volume" as only direct mail pieces. But Americans are sending fewer packages and letters via USPS for a number of reasons, i.e. - the economy, email, availability of other carriers, etc. To twist USPS’ declining revenues into proof that direct mail doesn’t work is misguided.

That being said, however, I do feel the efficiency of direct mail has declined in the face of online inbound marketing tactics.

Here are some of my DM cons which has inspired me to ramp-up Web 2.0 activites and email marketing campaigns.

Direct mail is often considered to be junk mail. Seldom does a one-shot mailing have the desired result. You must have a long term, well thought out marketing plan.
Your piece is competing with dozens of other pieces for attention. If you don’t know what you are doing, it is easy to waste a lot of money.
There is a relatively high cost per contact.
It may be difficult to obtain updated, accurate mailing lists.
There’s no data. Direct mail does not offer real time data like internet marketing campaigns can.
Too many cheaper, more efficient options.

If you are moving forward with a Direct Mail campaign, I can only endorse it when done correctly, and that means including drivers to that next action step.

But beyond that I'd also advise to determine who you want to reach before you develop your direct mail program. This allows you to specifically target your message to fit specific needs. It is the best advertising medium for customizing your appeal. With improved database resources and demographics, you can effectively precisely target the prospect you are aiming at.

Also, carefully plan your package content, its design, and its message. Remember to attract the reader’s interest, it must be clear, concise and easy to respond to. Can't stress it enough... INTEGRATE... coordinate your mailing with other advertising methods to significantly increase your return. Also, presenting one specific offer instead of a variety of options is usually more effective.

Finally, figure out a way to diligently test and track your campaigns. I recommend the Direct Mail Marketing blog at marigoldtech.com for some tips on calculating DM ROI:
http://www.marigoldtech.com/blog/index.php/archives/calculating-direct-mail-roi/

Friday, January 23, 2009

Cold Calling, Email Marketing and Lead Generation

LinkedIn Question:

Apart from Cold calling, what needs to be done to get more number of clients?

My LinkedIn Answer:

With all of the online marketing tactics available these days I do find cold calling less and less effective.

In as previous post, I have cited some statistics comparing the efficiency of cold calling to social networking (http://jenniferpriccimarketingstrategies.blogspot.com/2009/01/networking-plays-important-role-in.html#links). Social networking wins hands-down.

In the meantime, if you're going to use cold calling for lead generation it is important to sharpen your strategy...

Use a top down approach
The executive assistant is our ally
“Be people with people”
Standardize all leads regardless of source
Start with a great database
Script your introduction & create a calling guide
Write a voicemail script

NOTE: On average 20% contacts in a database change annually.

In addition, it is imperative to make the most of each call...

Confirm the decision maker
Find other players in the decision making process
Gather basic information (eMail is critical)
Start to talk about basic needs and concerns
Leave your website address on voicemail messages
Use phone and eMail combination
Send an eMail follow-up

Regarding the last two points above, using an opt-in eMail marketing campaign can be a great way to generate leads and sales.

eMail is cheap. Which is why spammers love it. They don't care whether response rates are low because their costs are negligible. If you want to reach a large number of people and if you have access to a solid, opt-in list, go for it. A test sure won't cost you an arm and a leg.
eMail is fast. In two senses. First, your production time is minimal. As soon as you get an idea to test, you can write a motivating email, and hit the send button. Second, your prospect gets your email instantly so responses can start pouring in within minutes. Speed, from start to finish, means you can be a super-agile marketer.
eMail is a fabulous testing medium. As a result of the speed I mentioned above, you can get virtually instant answers to your marketing questions. Is a cross-sell offer going to be a winner? Send a group of prospects an email and you'll have an answer. Have you written two great headlines but can't decide which one to go with? Do some email testing and get your answer fast!

Downloadable fulfillment pieces are instantly accessible. For example, if you're offering prospects a White Paper filled with valuable information, they can click through to your landing page, fill in a little qualifying information, and download your White Paper in under two minutes. The fact that they don't have to wait long to get their free fulfillment piece boosts response rates.

Jennifer Pricci - Marketing Strategies Q&A