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The Truth About E-mail Marketing
July 16, 2008
Chapter 16 Excerpt: Using lead generation tactics to build your list
By Simms Jenkins
Typical online lead generation campaigns collect email addresses from prospects that they know are interested because they acted on an ad, downloaded a white paper or took some other desired action. If you are offering something of value like a white paper, webinar or research study, ask for an e-mail address in return. You already know the potential subscriber is interested in what you are selling or serving up, so why not use e-mail marketing to keep them engaged until they are ready to buy? The subscriber gets great content to help them make a decision or solve a problem and you get a well qualified lead. It is a win-win for everyone involved.
Assuming you've identified your target audience (if you haven't you may have more problems than generating leads and running an e-mail program), you should be able to run ads in online search networks, Websites and publications that cater to both your industry and your desired demographic. I'm talking about well placed, contextually relevant ads that offer something to the reader (potential subscriber) and encourage them to take action.
For companies focused on the consumer marketplace, sweepstakes and promotions can also lead to list growth if done properly. Often times, marketers get caught up in the idea of a big fancy microsite and neglect to think about the long-term benefits of these large scale promotions.
The first, often overlooked step to building a list is to make sure to send the participant a "Confirmation/Thank You e-mail" shortly after sign up. The details of this e-mail, beyond the slick story board design, are very important and should not be glossed over. Choose a logical From Line, Subject Line, and e-mail header and footer so that it is clear to the recipient who it is from and what it is about. Lastly, test to see what the e-mail looks like without images. Many e-mail clients have default settings that block images in the e-mail. What's a slick design worth if the person never opens it or sees only red Xs where your company and brand logos should appear?
My colleague and our Director of Client Services, Brent Rosengren, led a well thought out and immediate tactical strike to aid a media giant's sweepstakes, which was driving email leads for a global automotive brand.
I asked Brent to outline his methodology and best practices:
1. Ensure all involved in setting up the program, even third parties, realize its goal. Before you start designing the microsite or promotional material and buy the media to drive traffic, make sure the main goals of the program are clearly defined. If the goal is to build or grow an e-mail marketing database, make sure that all the strategy is geared toward effectively collecting e-mails and making it simple for the user to do so. Then ensure you have clearly defined what will happen next for the user and your marketing team.
2. Choose the appropriate method of collecting Personal Information (PI). Make it very clear to consumers what is going to happen with their PI once they hit the submit button.
3. Make sure you cover your legal bases. Many companies have an outdated privacy policy on their sites or don't address data capture or e-mail marketing. If you are collecting any type of personal information online and are intending to use it in any way, internally or with third parties—especially e-mail addresses—you should clearly state this in your privacy policy.
4. Identify all possible points of communication.Any time you are driving traffic to your site, make sure to maximize your investment and the participants' time.
5. Examine the viral capabilities of the program. Web 2.0 is all about using the social aspects of the web to your advantages. What's more valuable than having participants recommend your program to their friends through a forward-to-a-friend e-mail feature? Again, go through the viral functionality to unsure it maximizes the effect of social marketing rather than hurting your effort. Confirm that the viral messaging is as personalized as possible from the participant to their friends. Clearly state to the "friend" that her information is not going to be used in future emails but do allow her the opportunity to opt-in. These are free media buys that should not be overlooked. Additionally, the From Line, Subject Line and other marketing messages should be well thought out. Lastly, don't forget CAN-SPAM compliance issues on all aspects of your email program, including F2F (Forward to a Friend) e-mails.
6. Ensure a pleasant user experience. Test before you launch to ensure every aspect of the user experience is seamless. This will help your team identify what functionalities need to be improved before you go live. A bad user experience can have a negative effect on not only the single program but the brand as a whole.
7. Optimize. As with any online program, the ability to change, edit and add additional elements is quick and easy to implement compared to offline counterparts. Do not just assume it can be turned on and left as is, especially if running inefficiently. Continually analyze and make adjustments as the program matures and the metrics and consumer feedback stream in. If you are unimpressed with the numbers being driven to your site, you can easily increase traffic by quickly setting up SEM (Cost-Per-Click) search campaigns that drive relatively low-cost leads right to the program site.
Remember, do not forget the main goal of the program—to generate leads—but don't overlook the user experience and the many ways that a poorly executed program can cause more damage and negate the program's ambitions. The online marketplace is much more nimble than traditional media so don't waste the opportunities that are staring you in the face.
Buy The Truth About Email Marketing.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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