Digital Spin by SubscriberMail

Is Over-Offering Underwhelming your Long-Time Customers?

Posted by Drew Miller on May 1st, 2009

If you’re like me, your inbox seems to be overflowing with subject lines of promotions much like these pictured here (an actual snapshot of my emails received from Overstock.com). It has now become a daunting task to keep track of what the offer is, who is offering it and for how long.

Many companies in today’s economy seem determined to keep hammering these offers home on a regular basis with subject lines that use similar style and verbiage – or what I like to call “Over-Offering”. By using this approach, marketers are hoping to grab that one small fish in the ever-deepening email inbox pond.

Overstock.com has been on my Over-Offering radar for a few months now.  They send out about 4 emails a week ranging in promotions from free shipping, X% off deals and (insert department here) Blowout/Closeout/Clearance sales. Are these good offers? Definitely. But that’s far from the point.  Over time, that good offer that drove opens, clicks and conversions at the beginning of the email relationship, has now lost its luster.

If you get the vibe that your long-timers are feeling underwhelmed (looking closely at unsubscribes, opens and clicks will tell the tale), it’s time to try something new. Here is a possible scenario using your subject line – one of the easiest changes you can make:

•    Group 1 (opted in 90 days or less)
Subject Line: “Free Shipping through Sunday”

•    Group 2 (opted in over 90 days)
Subject Line: “Don’t stress about shipping – this weekend it’s on us!”

By using style and verbiage that older customers aren’t familiar with, you may spark a significant increase in opens. This can be applied to other areas as well (verbiage in your message, email design elements, etc.).

The bottom line: Have a customized approach for your customers during their different lifecycle phases.  From those that just opted in, to your loyal subscribers of over 2 years, having a plan based on original optin date is a key aspect to a successful email marketing program.

So the next time you feel compelled to send that “10% Off Everything!” exclusive, once in a lifetime special email – think for a moment if you are Over-Offering.  Your loyal, long-time customers will appreciate it.

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• Category: Email Marketing Strategy | No comments »
• Tags: Effective Email Strategy, Email Subject Lines, Relationship Building

Don’t abandon relationship building

Posted by Nic Winters on April 20th, 2009

With today’s economy bearing down on marketing budgets around the country, many marketers are turning to email marketing to maximize the ROI for their marketing buck.

As marketers begin to feel more heat on their email marketing strategies, it is easy to begin considering weeding out email campaigns that don’t directly generate sales. However, in this economy it is even more important than in the past to continue building relationships with your customers/subscribers. Even if your monthly newsletter only provides information and doesn’t include sales opportunities, this doesn’t mean you should begin cutting out these campaigns to save marketing dollars.

Don’t fall into the trap of sending only “sales blasts” that don’t offer up any incentives for your readers to continue opening your future emails. Instead be persistent in strengthening your relationships by offering relevant information that your subscribers can continue to expect when they see your email arrive in their inbox.

If you come across opposition in sending out these emails that don’t immediately lead to profits, consider incorporating an ad banner in a side column of your email newsletter that promotes your products/services without overpowering your relevant messaging. Another option to consider is selling ad space within your newsletters to bring in additional revenue. See my blog post from earlier this year on this topic for ideas on how to optimize your emails with relevant ad banners.

Take a step back and realize that this is a key time to stay at the top of your customers’ minds. They may not be ready to purchase today, but continue to build your relationship… and you could be the first thought that comes to mind when they are ready to purchase in the near future.

Has your company had success in growing relationships through email that eventually generated sales? We would love to hear your story!

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• Category: Email Marketing Best Practices | 1 comment
• Tags: email strategy, Relationship Building, Relevant email marketing