E-Mailing do becoming increasingly important in the marketing mix of direct marketing?

Newsletter marketing is currently available in two forms: the "classic" newsletter, so a more information-heavy media - and the "e-mailing" or "stand-alone", which has a more "commercial" character. Figuratively speaking, is a newsletter a "customer magazine" - an e-mailing other hand, a "sales letter".

Email marketing services are becoming increasingly important in the marketing mix of direct marketing. The advantages for advertisers are obvious:

• Newsletter Sending are much cheaper than any "paper-communication".

• They are highly customizable.

• Mail Sending are produced quickly - and can therefore very flexible

are used for short-term sales stimulation.

In contrast to many recipients promotional e-mails tend to have a bad reputation and are often associated with "spam". Spam is from the perspective of a petrol normal consumer receiver every e-mail that "sucks" - completely independent of the actual legal situation. A company can prove that even the "waterproof" Permission - if the e-mails that are sent by him for the receiver make no added value, they are not perceived positively.

The magic word: Relevance

The advantages of greater segmentation are obvious:

• The opening rate of highly personalized and targeted style mail is about 50 percent higher than that of "one size fits all" -

Campaigns.

• Other indicators such as "click-through-rate" and the Abbestellquote are substantially better.
• Most importantly, is the conversion rate relevant campaigns almost four times higher than "simple" campaigns.

What encourages readers to click? The market research company Jupiter mailing recipients asked what brought them to click:

• 54 percent: because the product / Offered Offered Service is interested.

• 40 percent since the text has convinced them.

• 35 percent: because the subject line.
• 12 percent: because of the key visuals (the "main" image in the email).
• 9 percent: because of several smaller images.

Nevertheless: In the daily work in marketing departments and agencies will provide as much longer discussion about the image to be used as material about to write to the right audience. Especially in newsletter marketing, where the shipping costs are extremely low, the temptation is very great "everything to everyone" send - it "costs nothing". However, it costs: Because it costs the attention of the reader (we all get too many e-mails!), It will cost clicks and conversions, it costs reputation, it will cost subscribers and long term, it will ruin the mass mailing marketing a business. Short term it a strategy of "massive advertising pressure" to be successful - in the long term in any case.

So Relevance determines the success of an e-mailings. How to make everything right shows, for example, the music download iTunes goals. iTunes is (rightly, it seems, apart from various "Germany-seeking-the-superstar-day-old fly" from) the assumption that someone who has once downloaded music from a certain artist might be interested in it if just these musicians new album Release:

The decisive statement in this mailing: "Since you have previously downloaded music by Moby on iTunes, you may also their new album, Go - The very best of Moby '". Yes, it is interested - at least a large part of the recipient.

It is striking how open iTunes to handle it that the mailings are sent based on past purchases, "Since you have previously purchased music by Moby on iTunes....". Some people might be "sounded out" occur. But why not? Often provides transparency in dealing with the receiver end for a "better feeling". And who reads the sentence "... previously soundtrack by Moby...." Feels "picked up" and taken seriously with his interests.

In order to produce such individual mailings, a number of obstacles to overcome:

1. The individualizing information must be available and accessible. Here, of course, have modern online stores a great advantage. ITunes is a query, who has charged a specific album ever, not a very big problem.
2. In Stores or in the company's CRM system data, though often available - but these databases are independent of the e-mail database. At times, you can consolidate the data - but where this is not possible, techniques remain as evaluations and click "Nachqualifizierungs actions" the drug of choice.
3. The individual mailings must be produced as efficiently as possible. Again, iTunes is exemplary: All mailings of this type see in their basic form of the same: A key visual, a short text, a reference to other albums of the artist - that is the mailing. This factor is underestimated in its importance Never: The market trend is clearly towards ever smaller, distributors her more and more and more the individualized mailings. Slender, well-defined processes in the creation of mailings are thus always essential for success - otherwise the workload for each mailing is simply too high.

Individualization in the mailing

In the example above e-mailing is produced individually for specific target groups. A similar approach is to produce a "standard-mailing" for a larger target group - but individualize individual items within this mailing.

This example uses the office products dealer Corporate Express at his premium mailings. Depending on the number of points in the bonus program other contents are shown:

• An image with the largest premiums to the receiver with the

existing score can already purchase.

• A text: "If you earn more points only xy, you can

already pay the following bonuses ".

• An image with said premiums (the next higher premium rate).

Technically, such a mailing is created with a number if-then-links in the e-mail template, a functionality that contains any modern email marketing system.

The result: A single mailing - but with an optimally matched to the recipient content. The logic can also be "reused" - only the images and some text should be replaced at each other mailing substantially.

This technique can be applied almost always: it allows namely at reasonable cost, individual - simply create mails fact that not all of the mailing is matched to the recipient but some parts - and therefore relevant. For example, from a selection of special offers in a sell-newsletter offering individually appear that best matches the purchase history of each recipient at best.

Many e-mailing start with a main product, followed by various other offers that are presented not as prominent.

Some e-mail marketing systems enable a function of various-down criteria (for example, the link-category that was most frequently viewed by the recipient) to change the order of mailing content automatically.

The big advantage here is that the content must only once (possibly in two different ways, depending on display type) produced - the rest automatically done by the system. This "individualization light" therefore is for vendors who can not put too much effort into the production of content optimally.

Personalization: Not only in the form of address

That mailings (whether online or offline) work better when the receiver is personally addressed, is commonplace. Meanwhile, a personal address and e-mailings standard.

Even here, though, the devil is in the details:

1. The tonality should be based on the target audience. This causes problems - for example, an Austrian newsletter, which is sent primarily to young snowboarders. Unfortunately, a number of partners of the company are (without any mark to) on the manifold that are not allowed to respond with too large Flapsigkeit you. Consequence: 17-year-old boarder (! The coolest under the sun) are addressed as "Dear Mr. Smith".
2. How people are addressed, of which you do not know the name? Tip: Instead of the standard "Ladies and Gentlemen" should the membership of a group are indicated with the salutation, such as "love wine lovers", "Dear Comrades," "love antiques collector"
3. Make sure that the correct German Title: "Dear Mrs Sabine Müller" is wrong - Mrs Müller will be without the salutation on Sabine. Similarly, job titles (with a few exceptions: politicians, dignitaries of the Church). "Dipl.-Kfm" or academic degrees such as in the salutation out of place. The latter does not apply to Austria - there should never forget the "master" or "director".
4. Do not be missing a doctor and professor title. Warning: Many older address administrations have it, no extra field. The regularly leads to problems such as "Dr. Stefan Schmid"
5. Because the address is so important, a double check should be carried out. Sometimes data is consolidated wrong - and suddenly the names stand in the surname field and vice versa. And a "Dear Mr. Miller, his bills paid before!" Is not an invention, but really happened.

Just personalize the title, is too short thought: the more the recipient feel is given that it is an individual e-mail, the better. The customer number should be mentioned, for example in each mailing with, and also information such as "your last purchase", "your points account - state" Create a not inconsiderable added value. Lidl and Media Markt ask when the Newsletter via postal code - and write the address of the next branch in the newsletter.

In the text the address can be used several times: "So that you, dear Mrs Müller, can benefit from these advantages, click here." Sounds placed? Says no? True - and still own the name is a stop sign in each text. It slows the flow of reading and increases the response. Too often used, the effect uses but noticeably.

By the way can also personalize the subject line: "Mr. Huber, this week offered". Whether this actually increases the response?: A simple A / B testing (50 percent of recipients receive the one or the other variant) clears the doubt.

Depending on the sex can be easily customized in the text: Women respond to other cues than men - so why not present them a (partially) other text - or another key visual?

Sender individualization

In many industries, a customer has to do with a sales representative or representatives. He or she is the "face" of the company - and it would be foolish not to take advantage of this opportunity. Apart from that: the slope of the field staff, central e-mail campaigns to face benevolent, increases significantly when the mails come "by him personally."

The following example illustrates this vividly:

1. The field staff of each newsletter receiver is included prominently in the mailing. Not only his image, his phone number and email address are immediately integral part.

2. With modern bulk email marketing services and individualisation of sender e-mail address is not a problem. An email will be sent so central - but it looks as if they came from many different senders. The advantage of this approach is particularly large: Most people opt primarily due to the sender indicating whether to open a mailing or not. A receiver-known name is the perfect door opener here. In addition, the response is very easy: it can simply press "answer" and mailed directly to his partner in business. Note: If the sender e-mail address is individualized, the apparent sender is unfortunately all holiday messages that normally filters the e-mail system. This must be communicated in advance.

Article Posted by magon flintoph, author in general editorial tigerbuz.com. TigerBuz is best email marketing

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