E-mail marketing is an established tool for extending
relationships with your customers beyond your walls and your
website. It's highly effective because the receiver's ability to
safely opt-in or out of your messaging has been well governed and
simplified over time. And it has never been easier to customize
messaging and to target your audiences more specifically so they
will stay engaged.
But it is more important than ever to have a specific plan when
it comes to your e-mail strategy and ensure that your
communications stay relevant and on point.
What does your customer want to hear?
B2B and B2C relationships rely heavily on keeping the
conversation between the business and customer going. E-mail is an
extremely cost-effective engagement tool but one that should be
purposeful in its use to achieve tangible results.
Understanding what kind of messages your customers would like to
hear from you on a regular basis is the most essential piece in
being effective.
- For retail industries, you can anticipate an expectation of
offer-based mailings and you must research your competitive set to
understand how you can differentiate your mailings to stand
out.
- In non-retail settings, especially for B2B, then determining
what kind of information would be beneficial to receive on a
regular basis about your company is the key. Product and service
updates, invitations to events, expert opinion, and access to
blogs, are all great ways to keep this customer group engaged and
to promote your business.
You can take it a step further by introducing relevant
industry-wide topics through your updates, showing even greater
degrees of expertise and becoming a source for a wide-range of
information.
How often should you talk?
Timing is also a critical element. Too many mailings become
redundant and lose relevancy and lead to high opt-out rates, but
too few can show lack of consistency and effort while missing
engagement opportunities. Testing is the best means for determining
your sweet spot but you need to continuously monitor your results
after each campaign.
What works this month may shift over time and you need to be
ready to change. The best advice is to start slow and then
gradually increase until you reach a saturation point that starts
to become uncomfortable to your receivers. Watch opt-out rates but
also look for changes in open rates and click-thrus as well as
e-mail forwarding. And don't forget to track website visits on days
that your mailings are sent.
Basic e-mail and website analytics tools are readily available
and should be used to measure campaign success or failure and so
you can adjust accordingly.
Finding the right tool to deliver your messages is critical and
there is a wide-variety of cost-effective options out there for all
sizes organizations. This will enable you to easily execute your
communication plan while keeping track of the results.
StoneHenge Partners has a wealth of knowledge in this area and
can provide consulting on how to get started or to execute your
plan. We can:
- Set up your email system
- Advise you on goals, strategy and tactics
- Supply staffing to execute your email operation