While there are a myriad of advanced email marketing techniques available, the fact remains that for some marketers it’s enough of a struggle simply getting messages out the door in time without adding any more layers of complexity to the process. If you find yourself in this camp, remember that there are some basic strategic techniques that can help you move “beyond the basics” without putting your deadlines at risk. One tried-and-true technique is the application of filters to your mailing list(s).
Here are 5 effective ways to use list filters:
Engagement
Filtering based on recipients who rendered and/or clicked on a message(s) can be very useful. This demonstrated interest in a topic/product/offer provides valuable insight into what these recipients are looking for. Use this knowledge to deliver messages with related content, complementary products or similar offers. Or, use this as a suppression filter for an “inactive re-send” campaign that sends the same message to recipients who did not engage with the original.
Non-activity
This filter is useful not only for the “inactive re-send” approach mentioned above, but to identify recipients who have not engaged with messages over a period of time (12 months, for example). Some email marketers actively reach out to this group of recipients to learn if there is something specific they would like to see on future emails. Others simply use this filter to exclude unengaged recipients, as continuing to include them on mailings only serves to drive down response rates and incur message volume that could be put to better use.
Clicked a specific link
More definitive than a filter based on general click activity, this filtering technique is valuable when conducting follow-up to a message with several different calls-to-action.
ZIP Code radius
If you’re collecting ZIP Code as part of your subscriber opt-in process, a radius filter is a great way to target your messages. If your organization has multiple locations, promote the location nearest your subscribers. For special offers, you can factor in travel distance and sweeten your offer accordingly (e.g., 15% off for recipients within 10 miles, 30% off within 20 miles, etc.)
Date of opt-in
The date that a subscriber signed up to receive your emails can be an effective filter when setting multi-touch Welcome campaigns (e.g., 30/60/90 days out). You may also want to exclude recent subscribers from the sort of “inactive” segmentation mentioned above, or from only receiving the tail-end of an ongoing series of messages (e.g., “Message 9 of 9″).
The filtering techniques mentioned here are only a sampling of the way list filters can be used to make your email messages more relevant and more productive, and since filters can be used on any number of deployments, they only require an initial setup before becoming part of your normal processes.
In my quest to max out the storage space of my Hotmail account, I have hundreds of targeted email marketing messages saved from a variety of different sources. With so much email coming in all the time, I thought it might make for a fun exercise to look back over the last few days’ worth of email and point out some highs and lows…
Witty vs Effective:
Nike probably doesn’t need my help when it comes to marketing themselves, but a recent email had the following subject line: “Actually, It Is Rocket Science.”
When it comes to writing subject lines, the temptation to be fun or witty can lead to trouble. In this case, Nike was promoting a new running shoe called the LunarGlide+, but I would have never known it based on the subject line. As always, when it comes to subject lines, remember that you are writing for the recipients, not yourself or others within your company. Of course you’d open that email; doesn’t mean your subscribers would.
Timely:
On a Thursday, Sirius | XM emailed me to let me know there would be a special, three-day channel dedicated to Woodstock over that weekend. Why is this timely? Because it was close enough to the weekend that it will still be fresh in recipients’ minds when they hit the road over the weekend. In November, this wouldn’t be nearly as effective, but during summer weekend road trip season, I really like the timing on this one.
You shouldn’t have:
My wife and I bought furniture from The RoomPlace last year, and for some reason they personalize messages by recipients’ last names rather than first names. My friends and my old football coach can call me by my last name, but it seems odd coming from a marketing message. Oh yeah, the last name they use is my wife’s maiden name—just to make it clear that I’m a valued subscriber.
Localized:
Apple sent me an email promoting a Grand Opening of a new Apple Store in my area. Complete with directions and a t-shirt giveaway, this was a great example of targeting subscribers based on geography to ensure relevance as well as sparing non-local subscribers news that wouldn’t hold much value for them.
Questionable relevance:
If Barnes & Noble has a preference center, there is no way to get there from their emails. This would really come in handy, as just this week I was sent a promotion about lower prices on text books and 10% off their selection of children’s books. Considering I’m neither a student nor a father, I wish there was a way I could choose which promotions I would like to receive.
Notice that I didn’t entirely discount the merits of any of these messages? Even those with flaws contained elements that the consumer in me could appreciate (i.e. Nike’s emails just look cool). In fact, it’s not often I come across a message that doesn’t have any redeeming qualities. The challenge email marketers face is typically not a full-scale overhaul of their messages, but the more difficult fine-tuning that will address deficiencies. As they say, the devil is in the details.
Find out how geo segmentation can help focus your message and increase the relevancy to your recipient’s based on their location in this all new Email Marketing Minute.
In my most recent post, Make Time for Segmentation, I emphasized the huge missed opportunities marketers allow by not properly segmenting their data for their email marketing campaigns.
But what if your data lacks the breadth and depth to even segment in the first place?
If your database consists solely of name and email address, you need not panic; identifying the right data fields for segmentation success is just a short brainstorming session away. Here are 5 things to consider:
1. Identify holes where your current data is lacking. The general rule is don’t ask for information that you aren’t going to use, so choose data fields that make the most sense for your business needs.
2. Select fields that would not only lend themselves well to email marketing segmentation, but would provide customers with highly-targeted, relevant content that provides a clear benefit.
3. Think about your current customer characteristics, noticeable purchasing trends and any other quantifiable data that can be utilized for segmentation purposes.
4. Treat each individual customer differently. The snowflake theory emphasizes that no two customers are alike, so approach your segmentation efforts with that frame of mind.
5. Envision a highly targeted email marketing campaign based on a number of specific data fields. Who would it be sent to? What would the offer be? What would it look like? Have a clear purpose in mind. Don’t just segment for the sake of segmenting.
By selecting data fields that are good fits for your business needs, you can further maximize the amazing ROI that Email Marketing consistently delivers.
While there are a myriad of advanced email marketing techniques available, the fact remains that for some marketers it’s enough of a struggle simply getting messages out the door in time without adding any more layers of complexity to the process. If you find yourself in this camp, remember that there are some basic strategic techniques that can help you move “beyond the basics” without putting your deadlines at risk. One tried-and-true technique is the application of filters to your mailing list(s).
In my quest to max out the storage space of my Hotmail account, I have hundreds of targeted email marketing messages saved from a variety of different sources. With so much email coming in all the time, I thought it might make for a fun exercise to look back over the last few days’ worth of email and point out some highs and lows…
