While the majority of businesses recognise the potential value of email marketing within their wider marketing communications programme, many fewer are actually walking the walk. But why?
The most common barrier seems to be the lack of a viable, permission-based email contact list. So if this is the issue your business faces, what can you do about it?
Recycle a great promotion
We loved leading cycle retailer Evans Cycles’ online survey /free draw, offering great bikes & gear as prizes. In return for our email address and a few more bits of information about our cycling habits and interests, Evans entered us into the draw.
We anticipate that the promotion will have had a huge response, delivering valuable customer feedback as well as a well targeted new email marketing database – at relatively low cost. The model the retailer used translates readily to many other markets, and there are several things we as marketers can learn from this simple approach:
- Cost effective: cost of prizes may be met by supply partners, if they value exposure to your audience.
- Targeted: select prizes that appeal strongly (and if possible, exclusively) to your target audience.
- Use ‘shop window’ product prizes: develop purchase aspiration.
- Timing: if your market is seasonal, consider an off-season promotion to boost interest and generate site traffic in quiet periods – or use it just prior to an event to kick-start activity.
- Goodwill: offering desirable prizes and a clear email opt-out policy keeps all respondents onside as potential future customers.
- Reputation: look after your brand by demonstrating a commitment to permission based e-marketing.
Widening the net
The Evans competition was prominently promoted on the retailer’s website and will have engaged many occasional site visitors. But campaign reach was greatly extended via carefully placed online advertising, press advertising and tip-on inserts with cycling catalogues and publications. This activity will have created strong brand awareness and attracted valuable new prospects. The attractive prizes will have driven viral activity too – certainly we forwarded details to like-minded friends.
It’s a two way deal
Developing a high quality, accurately targeted, up to date, permission-based email contact list in-house can be done simply and effectively.
Today’s buyers (whether B2C or B2B) understand that their contact details have value. So getting individuals to entrust us with their email addresses is a two-way transaction.
Promoting a desirable incentive or prize – whether that’s a cool new bike, a product white paper or free consultancy session – can be a powerful way of engaging with and motivating your audience. Don’t let developing a viable, permission-based email marketing list hold you back – well thought through promotions can raise brand awareness and trust, drive sales and win prospect email addresses.
> For on the button digital B2B marketing, contact The Four Peas.
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