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/

Emotional E-mail Subject Lines Get More Opens

E-mail subject lines that spark certain emotions tend to earn more opens, according to a study of Black Friday e-mails by automated persuasive language generator Persado. Direct Marketing News magazine recently reported on Persado's results for five subject-line emotions--urgency, achievement, exclusivity, anxiety and excitement. For example, e-mail subject lines conveying a sense of urgency ("FREE SHIPPING Final Hours! Plus, $20 Online Bonus") generated an 11% average increase in open rates compared to the study's baseline e-mails (messages with subject lines containing no emotions and no mentions of Black Friday). E-mails that combined urgency with the words "Black Friday" did even better, with an average surge of 20% in opens. Subject lines rewarding achievement ("Shop our doorbusters TODAY—you've earned it") generated an 18% average uptick from baseline, and tacking on a Black Friday mention pushed open rates even higher, to a 20% rise. Subject lines with a sense of exclusivity ("Your exclusive $15 coupon is here!") earned the biggest response lift, a 28% average improvement in open rates over baseline. But adding Black Friday language to exclusivity dragged down open rates to just a 17% improvement. E-mails with subject lines sparking anxiety ("Don't Forget! $15 OFF $49 or $25 OFF $99") produced a 17% average bump in 2015, but combining anxiety with "Black Friday" backfired, cutting results to just a 10% average increase. Subject line excitement was the one emotional hook that did not deliver for marketers. According to Persado data, open rates for e-mail subject lines with an excited tone ("Two In-store Offers! Now That's Sweet") actually fell 11% below baseline opens in 2015. For the complete article, go to http://www.dmnews.com/email-marketing/how-consumers-really-feel-about-your-subject-lines/article/459681/