E-marketing Will Increase Sales and Loyalty
E-marketing is a critical part of retail success today, and if your organization doesn’t have a plan in place, then it is leaving money on the table. You may be asking yourself, “Where do I begin?” or “How do I know if I have the right e-marketing program in place?” If either is the case, read on.
Strategy is the most important, and often overlooked, element of successful e-mail marketing. Taking the time to develop a well-thought-out strategy will help ensure success and save you time and money in the long run. The good news is that it’s not hard to do; you just need to follow a few simple steps.
1. Define Your Goals
The goal of marketing is to acquire and retain customers. Your specific goals will depend on your business model. For example, if you have an e-commerce model and sell products from your website, your goals will be different than those of a brick-and-mortar retailer. This issue is dedicated to brick-and-mortar retailers.
Some suitable goals might be:
- Drive new customers to your retail outlet and increase visit frequency of existing customers
- Motivate purchase and increase share-of-wallet
- Encourage people to register for an event
- Build your reputation as an industry expert
- Keep your company top-of-mind
2. Analyze the Current Situation
Let’s take stock of what you already have in place that may help or hinder your plan. You probably have more going for you than you think.
Use this checklist of things to consider:
In-house e-mail list:
- How many e-mail addresses do you have? Confirm that they are legitimate and permission-based.
- What other information do you have on subscribers: demographics, psychographics, buyer behaviour?
Current e-mail program:
- How frequently do you send e-mail?
- What do you send: broadcast / segmented / customized?
- How are e-mails being sent: in-house program, ESP, other?
How does your e-mail perform? Evaluate current:
- Deliverability, open and click-through rates
- Bounce and unsubscribe rates
- Conversion rates: e.g. leads, sign-ups, renewals, and store traffic
Marketing integration:
- How well does your current program integrate with your overall marketing plan?
- Is your e-mail strategy supporting other programs: events, promotions, campaigns?
Other aspects of your current e-mail program:
- What resources of e-mail marketing expertise are at your access?
- How well does your current e-mail technology solution meet your needs?
- What content resources do you need / have access to?
The goal is to identify your current e-mail program's strengths and weaknesses along with your available resources and constraints. With that you’ll be in a better position to develop your e-mail strategy.
Strengths include things like:
- We have industry experts on staff who can contribute articles to our e-mail newsletters
- We have a loyal customer base that is computer literate and e-mail savvy
- There are over 1,000 e-mail addresses in our database, and it's growing 10 percent every month
Weaknesses include things like:
- Our in-house e-mail marketing expertise is limited
- We're using an e-mail system that doesn't provide adequate list segmentation, tracking or reporting
- The turn around time for producing an e-mail newsletter is so long that the information is outdated by the time we send it
3. Analyze the Competition
- What are your competitors doing?
- Do they have an e-mail program?
- If so, register to see how often they are sending e-mail and what it contains.
- What learning can be gained and applied to your situation?
4. Define Your Target Audience
- Who are you talking to?
- Who are your most profitable customers?
- Who is in your current subscriber list?
- What do they look like in terms of demographics, psychographics, shopping habits, purchase motivators, and Internet usage?
- How can you use this data to develop a relevant content outline?
5. Build a Qualified List
Where are subscribers coming from and why should they subscribe? Leverage every touch point. Some effective tactics include:
Your website. Promote the value and benefits of subscribing:
- Exclusive content and offers (coupons)
- Subscribe for a chance to win a $100 Gift Certificate
Your retail outlet:
- Incentivize staff to promote the e-mail program and acquire new subscribers
- Use bag stuffers and receipts
- In-store signage like wobblers and counter displays
Your marketing communications:
- Tag Advertising, newsletters and brochures with the e-mail program and its benefits
In the next edition of Get Shoppers, we’ll talk about points 6 through 10, at which time you’ll be ready to build an effective e-mail marketing program or strengthen the one you have.
Get Shoppers is published by Suburbia Advertising and provides retailers with an in-depth look at important issues and trends in retail branding. Suburbia is a leading retail branding agency in Canada. We help retailers increase their sales by launching, revitalizing and managing their brands. Please send comments and questions to marylynn@suburbiaadvertising.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Suburbia Advertising. Copyright 2008 by Suburbia Advertising. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Suburbia Advertising. Copyright 2008 by Suburbia Advertising. All rights reserved.
