Targeting too difficult? Start simple - it works

Latest posts | Feed | By Mark Brownlow on May 09, 2007

Analysts, experts and others often moan that many marketers still follow the blast approach to email marketing: send the same email to everyone.

The alternative is to get into targeting and segmentation. Where you send different emails to different parts of your list. You segment your list (pick out parts of that list that share some common characteristic) and then target them with a specific email.

So an email promoting a new book by Dan Brown goes to those people on your list who bought a previous book by the same author. Or who bought a book in the same genre.

Sending different messages to different parts of your address list implies you're sending messages that are more appropriate for the recipients. More relevant. And that means more revenue and less complaints.

The "less complaints" part is important. If you sent your Dan Brown promotion to everyone on your list, you might get a few extra sales from people who hadn't bought his books before.

But...

You will also be sending an irrelevant promotion to lots of people. Those who only read romances. Or fantasy. You just made them less likely to open and act on your next email. Maybe you caused some to leave your list. And others to report you as spam. Not a risk worth taking.

All well and good. So why do people still blast? Not (just) because they aren't aware of the dangers or of the benefits of better targeting.

Perhaps it's because a lot of talk about targeting and segmentation uses words like "database marketing science" and "dynamic content".

One might get the impression that segmentation and targeting is just for those with degrees in computer science or a big fat wad of cash to throw at database vendors. I've seen the faces and the questions at workshops: "Ugewh! Sounds great but we don't have the skills or resources to do that kind of thing."

Well yes you do folks. Because any kind of targeting is an improvement, however simple that targeting might be. And even basic email marketing services or software that a one-person business could afford give you the tools to do it.

You can start small. No need to get into 1-to-1 personalized dynamic custom-built on-the-fly stuff immediately, if you're not up to it.

Here are two simple examples requiring no prior customer information or clever tools other than those your basic software or service gives you:

1. Recent subscribers / existing subscribers

People who just signed up with you recently interacted with your business. They're a little bit more expectant and engaged that your average subscriber. So cement their interest with a nice welcome message and perhaps one or more of your "best" emails. Then switch them over to your normal emails. That's targeting.

2. Active / non-active subscribers

The reports you get from any self-respecting email marketing software, system or service always let you look at which email addresses opened your email and/or clicked on a link in one.

Who has never clicked on a link or opened an email? Rekindle their interest with a special offer just for inactive subscribers. That's targeting. (If they remain inactive, kick them off the list.)

Start there, and then climb up the targeting spectrum as your skills and resources allow...you'll find relevant articles in the targeting and segmentation article listings.

Tags: email marketing, targeting, segmentation, database marketing

[This post brought to you by Campaigner Email Marketing]
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1 Comments:

Thank you for suggesting that any kind of targeting is important.

Too often, pundits suggest complex solutions. You recommended a simple one that will benefit businesses and consumers.
By Kevin Hillstrom, on 10 May, 2007