Making a Move When Email Subscribers Do
Posted by Dave McCue on June 8th, 2009
Moving into our first home has made the last month and a half a pretty busy one for my wife and I, but the process also shed light on what a valuable opportunity movers present to email marketers. Unfortunately, this opportunity was not always taken advantage of.
Here is a sampling of some of the hits and misses, graded A to F:
- Using the US Post Office’s website to change our address was much easier than battling the crowds at a USPS location, and it wasn’t long before I received an email confirming that my change of address request had been received. The email explained that I would receive a confirmation letter through the mail at my new address. In addition, much like if I had visited a physical post office to change my address, I was presented with a batch of helpful resources to assist with the move. Everything from information on security systems to census facts about my new neighborhood were available, as well as online resources to change vehicle registration, register to vote in my new town, and several coupons (which any mover can appreciate). Lastly, the USPS included a Quick Poll to solicit feedback about the entire process. Simple, valuable, and well done all around.
Grade: A
- Once the paperwork was finalized, our realtor emailed my wife a link to an easy-to-use message builder, allowing a non-technical person like herself to put together a simple moving announcement that she could email our friends and family to notify them of our new address and share a picture of our new home. Of course, this announcement was neatly branded with the realtor’s logo along with our agent’s contact information—an easy path to some free publicity. Points were lost, however, because the message’s “From” name defaulted to that of our realtor, resulting in a message that certainly wasn’t viewed nearly as often as it would have been coming from my or my wife’s email address. Still, the combination of value, engagement and potential for sharing made this a strong campaign.
Grade: B
- Collectively, the utility companies did a so-so job of using email. Whether it was changing our service address with the gas company, or opening a new account to begin service with a different electric company, nothing outside of a short confirmation email was ever received. The addition of something as simple as a few energy-saving tips would have made for a much more effective message, and strengthened our connection to these suppliers. While the responses came quickly, and contained the account information we needed, an opportunity was lost to build on the relationship.
Grade: C
- Almost all of our contact with the agents at our bank (Fifth Third Bank) prior to closing day was via phone/email, which was fine with me. However, once the final papers were signed and the keys were ours, there was no further email communication from the bank. Wouldn’t it have made sense to say thank you, explain how home loan information could be accessed through our online bank account, and/or mention the location of the nearest branch(es) in relation to my new address? The bank knows plenty of information about me, and yet, they used none of it from an email standpoint. The only email communication I did receive was a customer satisfaction survey, sent from a third party service, that began “Dear Fifth Third Customer.”
Grade: D
- The lease on our apartment expired on May 31, which also happened to be the day that I received an email marketing message from the property management company informing me that a new online service had been introduced, allowing me to pay my rent online. Obviously, I had no use for this new service as my final month of rent had been paid on May 1. Knowing that my lease was expiring, a much more effective use of email would have been a parting message with details on the security deposit refund process, verification of my new forwarding postal address, a tenant satisfaction survey, etc. Instead, all I got was a message that left me wondering if they even realized I had already moved out.
Grade: F
Moving can be an exciting, stressful process, but it’s also a time when your email subscribers might really appreciate a little extra effort. The personal touches mentioned above are just the types of little things that can build loyalty and strengthen opinion about your brand. This won’t work for all email marketers—as most likely wouldn’t have any idea if/when their subscribers were planning to move—but for those whose services are actually a part of the process, move-in day is always a good time to build relationships by lending a helping hand.
