Thursday, April 28, 2016

Mailed Sales Follow-up Can Grow Share of Wallet

Direct mail follow-up to in-store on online purchase can be an effective way to boost customer relationships and grow share of wallet. A recent Dell computer campaign is a case in point, as noted by Paul Bobnak, director of Who's Mailing What!, in a recent Target Marketing magazine piece. Bobnak spotlights a Dell mailer to recent computer purchasers. The consumer has already shelled out for a major purchase, so if Dell wants to win more dollars, its marketers need to push all the response buttons--personalization, relevancy, exclusivity and urgency. So Dell starts by personalizing the outer 6"X9"self-mailer with bold use of the customer's first name and an exclusive, limited-time 15% discount on electronics and accessories. Inside, the first page of a two-panel spread details deals on four items, including wireless speakers. But then Dell sweetens its pitch further on the second inside page with five more reasons to buy from Dell--from easy financing to 24/7 phone support. Dell's approach may prove instructive to retailers of other big-ticket items, such as cars or appliances. For a look at the mail creative Dell used to build customer rapport and sales, go to http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/dell-mail-share-of-customer/

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Basic Tips Aid Even Small Firms in E-mail Success

E-mail marketing success doesn't have to be limited to big firms with big-data technology. A recent CIO.com article combined suggestions from e-mail experts to create 15 basic tips that put an effective e-mail campaign within reach of even small- to mid-sized businesses. Here are just the top seven as an example. Start out by segmenting e-mail lists to select the relevant content and offer by customer or subscriber group. If discounts are available for students or retirees, then segment by age as an example. Next, make sure the e-mail creative uses responsive design and is mobile-friendly. Research shows 68% of recipients open e-mail on a mobile device, and 71% of those will delete an e-mail immediately if it doesn't display properly. Consider testing text-only e-mails versus image-based e-mails to take into account the e-mail clients, such as Outlook, which automatically block images. Try to have a promotional e-mail come from a real person (not just noreply), realizing that 64% of subscribers open an e-mail based on who it is from. Then craft a subject line to maximize opens by keeping it short (lines with fewer than 50 characters have higher open rates) but at the same time compelling and urgent/time-sensitive. Avoid a mass-marketing approach and personalize the subject line and content to the target segment--going beyond first name to use other data, such as past purchase behavior, for the relevance that drives response. Finally, add a clear, visible call-to-action. Research shows that if the recipient can't understand what they're expected to do within just 5 seconds, the e-mail risks deletion! For eight more tips and resource suggestions from the experts, read http://www.cio.com/article/3057992/email/15-ways-to-improve-your-email-marketing-campaigns.html