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Email
Marketing Techniques
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Personalization Personalization
is just as important in your Internet communications as it is in your direct mail
marketing efforts. When done correctly, personalization of your messages can be
a powerful way to: »
Improve response
rates (unsubscribe rates are three times higher in messages not personalized) »
Reinforce the
bond between your brand and your customer »
Subtly remind
your customers that they actually invited you to send them emails. »
Greet them
by their name People love to hear their name. This
simple psychological factor really makes a difference in terms of email performance.
Often, you will use the first name only, but for some campaigns the last name
will be more appropriate. Again don't overuse this technique; name personalization
is best used sparingly.
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Refer
to past queries or purchases Including a reference to a specific product
or service that the recipient has either already purchased or that they have requested
information about is another technique that proves to be very effective. For example,
"How are you enjoying the Beethoven CD you purchased last week? We think
you might enjoy our Classics Compilation, and because you are a long-time customer,
we'd like to offer you 30% off your next order".
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Use
location information One way to help people feel a sense of belonging
is to use a known location reference. For example, "You can find the Popular
Classics CD in every major music store in Chicago", or "The best rent-a-car
in Los Angeles." Make sure that you have the recipient associated with the
correct location, or you are doing more harm than good.
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Make
it sound personal Email marketing software enables you to take your customer's
information and imbed it directly in your messages, allowing you to send multiple
personalized emails effortlessly. To achieve the best results it's also important
to make your emails sound personal, like a one-to-one communication from one friend
to another. Don't write them as if they were destined for a print brochure, your
customers and prospects will respond well to a more personal touch. Also bear
in mind that an email with too much of the recipient's personal information might
seem like an abuse of privacy. »
Use Auto responders Responding
to individual customer requests is an essential instrument of email marketing.
If somebody sends you an email it means they have an interest in your products
or services. If you do not reply promptly you will not only miss the opportunity
but you will probably lose a customer for life. You have to think of your website
as a store that is open 24- hours a day, 7 days a week. When potential customers
send you e-mail asking questions it is in your best interest to respond as quickly
as possible. With an autoresponder, you can deliver your sales message or other
information rapidly. If they receive an immediate answer, your visitors will appreciate
the fact that you are treating their e-mail as important priority for your business.
If
you create a strong, well-written, persuasive message, your autoresponder can
help you increase your sales and fulfill the goals of your email marketing effort. »
Handling of
Bounced E-mail When
you send email to a list of addresses, some of them will "bounce", meaning
that the address is not longer valid. If your mailing list is long, maintaining
it clean by removing addresses that no longer exist can be a very time consuming
task. Handling bounces automatically leaves you time to spend your time on growing
your list rather than on maintaining it. »
Following
up Any
professional marketer will confirm that Following up with previous prospects is
very important and also very inexpensive in comparison with finding new prospects.
They will also tell you that it usually takes at least five or six mailings to
a prospect before they respond in an affirmative manner. Experienced business
owners also know that marketing isn't over once you've made the sale. They know
it now costs much more to sell something to a new customer than to an existing
customer. Email marketing software has made follow up prospects and customers
even less expensive and, through automation, almost no time consuming at all.
These are some tips to be applied when following up a prospect or a customer.
Set your "Thank You" letter to be sent immediately to the prospect after
he has asked for information, It is critical to follow up with customers while
the offer is still fresh in their mind. Set your follow-up letters to be sent
on day 4, day 14, day 30 and then every 30 days after that or until the prospect
unsubscribes. Some days before a Special Price deadline, send a brief e-mail
message reminding the prospect that the Special Price Offer is about to expire.
The reminder can include an offer to send another copy of the original message
if the prospect doesn't have it. When a sale is made, the customer should
receive a follow-up thank-you note within 48 hours. Writing
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