Great article on what’s happening with the more advanced e-mail marketing programs out there courtesy of Direct Magazine.
Here’s the link: E-mail Delivers
Particular ideas of note:
1. Behavioral Targeting / LifeCycle Management is starting to happen. Not the so-called Behavioral Targeting they use for display advertising online; I mean real BT based on customer behavior.Â
“Blasting” e-mail is starting to be recognized for what it really is - a waste of customer value and an opportunity cost. This specific topic is what I covered in my eMetrics and DMA presentations last month. Start using Lifecycle-based segmentation in your e-mail programs and you will see what I mean!
No resources? Please just try something! For example, divide the list into those who have purchased / opened / clicked (your choice) in the past 90 days and all others. Compare per e-mail stats from the drop by these 2 segments – deliverability, opens, clicks, whatever you like.Â
Now, can you tell me you should be saying the same thing to / speaking in the same voice to these two groups? Trust me, if your boss is unclear on why “measuring engagement” matters, the stats from the simple test above should start a conversation!
If you have the chops / tools, do the same thing only break it by 30-day groups: < 30 days, 31 - 60 days, 61 - 90 days, etc. You will see the Customer Lifecycle play out right in front of your eyes. Honestly, this should be standard reporting for e-mail; the powerful behavioral details that lead to higher ROI messaging are being hidden by lack of proper behavioral segmentation. If e-mail is a retention device, then this standard retention reporting approach should be applied. 2. List purging is becoming mandatory because it improves e-mail deliverability. This was a main takeaway of mine from the eMetrics Summit based on several presentations.
How about your e-mail program? Getting any traction with the more advanced behavioral techniques? Or can’t get the support to try? Or not your job to improve Marketing Productivity? Â
Or just don’t care (and tell us Why)?
Check out the article here: E-mail Delivers
Ahh there’s some delightful irony in this one Jim. :-)
“Blasting e-mail” has been known as UCE aka Unsolicited Commercial Email aka SPAM for a *very* long time. Last century even. Glad to see those that send it are finally waking up to this fact. :-D
List Purging. I chuckled on your earlier posting to this, I love it even more on this one.
Translation for end users: Configure your email clients to block all remote images – if they aren’t already. ie & eg. Use thunderbird. Don’t *EVER* click on any obvious tagging links in UCE sent to you, manually find the links on the end website if you really must. End result? You’ll be automatically removed from SPAMer’s lists. Bonus!
Best advice to email senders I’ve heard in a long time. ;-)
ie. One persons direct marketing, is another’s SPAM. YMMV.
Cheers!
– (Very) Evil Steve