You have clicked on the 'send' button, your creation is in the ether and only one thing remains: the decision as to which restaurant to go to. But things are never that simple.
One of the many advantages of using email for direct marketing is that results can be all but immediate. Any email campaign should include a follow-up plan for when the responses flood in.
In general, one of four things can happen to your email:
1. The recipient does not open it
2. They open it but do not click through
3. They click through but do not respond
4. They do precisely what you wanted
There is a direct benefit from having a series of actions for each response.
If the email is in HTML, you can tell whether or not it was opened. The assumption that the subject line did not grab the recipient's interest might not be the sole reason it was deleted. It could be that it was received at the wrong time. So try sending it on another day. If the email was, for instance, promoting children's DVDs, then the right time might be just before the summer break. Perhaps yours was too early. If the email had a high unopened rate then experiment by resending with a different subject line. However, ensure that it is only sent to those who did not open it initially. The irritation felt at reading an email that has merely been re-titled is enough to make an unsubscribe very likely.
When a recipient actually opens the email campaign it shows they have a certain interest in the subject. If they did not click on it then the content did not inspire them. Try resending the email with a different offer but one that has some connection with the original. But before doing so, consider the subject line from the recipient's point of view. Did it promise something the email did not deliver?
By clicking through to the landing page the recipient has shown a high degree of interest. Try and work out why they went no further. A follow-up email, thanking them for their interest, with an added incentive to the original offer, or even mentioning the advantages of the next item up the scale, might well be enough to convince them. For instance, if the offer was beginner level software, try the intermediate.
When the recipient does everything you want, be it supply their details, take out a subscription or actually part with money, they should be highlighted on your database. Even the most basic plan should include some form of follow-up. If you supply hardware, such as a printer, then a further email when their ink replacement date is due is pretty obvious, as is the requirement for other consumables such as paper. However, don't ignore any improvements or upgrades. After three months they might be relieved to find that the 250-page feeder/sorter is now on offer.
But do not just think in terms of support for their original purchase. These email recipients have shown themselves to be receptive. An email campaign thanking them for their purchase and mentioning other items you have on your list might well arrive when they are sympathetic to you. It can be great fun opening a package, even when you know what's inside. Offering them an addition to their purchase can be like helping someone by carrying the goods they just bought in your shop to their car. You'd mention the special case for their new laptop then, wouldn't you?
You plan for a purpose, a target if you will. But that should not just include a simple purchase. Targeted email marketing allows you to refine your aim whether you missed first time or hit the bull's-eye.
Both results require responses.
Don Macinnes is managing director of Wizemail.
