Jan
14
By Stephanie Miller
VP of Strategic Services
So, the CEO walks into your office and says, "What's the one email marketing strategy you will use in 2007 that will really move the needle on revenue?" What do you say?
You could distract their attention by pointing out the window, screaming, "Oh my gosh, was that a bird?!" Or you could stammer through something like, "Well, we'll be testing a number of new approaches that might add up to revenue growth, but I'm not sure which tactics will contribute most." Or you could confidently say, "Segmentation. We will be creating experiences that are extremely relevant for a number of high value segments -- many of which are impossible or not cost efficient to reach in other channels -- and in doing so, improve response rates, customer retention and lifetime value."
Your choice.
Put segmentation at the center of your plans this year. It's not a nice-to-have, advanced technique. It's essential. Here's why ...
Categories: Response
Jan
08
By Stephanie Miller
VP of Strategic Services
It's January 8th and even if you've already broken every personal resolution you made, here's three resolutions you and your email marketing team can make and easily keep. They'll help you reach more subscribers more effectively, drive higher response and earn new revenue. Not a bad payout! ...
Tell me moreCategories: Response
Oct
23
By Tami Monahan Forman
Director of Strategic Services
Earlier this month, we discussed how important transactional messages are to the online shopping experience. Turns out that transactional email are just one type of email that your customers are actively seeking from you.
In a recent Return Path survey, we asked shoppers when they wanted to receive email. Large percentages answered that they wanted email when ...
Tell me moreCategories: Response
By Stephanie Miller
VP, Strategic Services
It's pretty easy to understand why targeted email offers perform better - they are more relevant for the subscriber. But where do you start when you've got a big number to reach this holiday season, a big file to understand, and not a lot of extra time? Try segmenting where email can build the most new revenue.
This may not be the "best buyer" category. Your best buyers may be perfectly happy with the current cadence of your program and familiar with your merchandise and styles. More email may have less effect on their purchases. For them, meter the frequency, especially after they have already purchased.
Instead, focus your segmentation on subscribers who have the highest sales potential ...
Tell me moreCategories: Response
Oct
18
By Stephanie Miller
VP, Strategic Services
Back in August, many retailers claimed they wanted to avoid the heavy promotions and discounts that have become a crutch for driving response in many email programs. We applauded this decision, knowing that email doesn't have to cut the margin in order to get a response.
Thus, we were disappointed at retailer reaction when the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported survey results in September that most consumers say (not surprisingly) they would rather have free shipping and other discount offers this holiday season. ...
Tell me moreCategories: Response
Oct
17
By Stephanie Miller
VP, Strategic Services
Not sure it's a good thing, but pretty much everything makes me think of email. Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of Virgin Group gave the keynote at the DMA Monday morning. He was wonderful. He told the story of Virgin's growth by harnessing innovation and challenging assumptions. He said he only enters new markets where he feels the existing players are not optimizing the opportunity. He has tied his business mission to a commitment to preserve the health of the environment. He was candid about the skepticism he has faced as he enters each new business. He told the story of privatizing the railroads in Britain, a project which was years late and more expensive than they had anticipated. Yet, today, Britons fly his airline, take his trains and, of course, still buy his records. The brand power, he says, is strong enough to persevere even when Virgin has to be honest with his customers -- honest about delayed launches, cancelled flights and price increases.
So what does that have to do with email? ...
Categories: Response
Oct
10
By Matt Blumberg
CEO & Chairman
I had a good meeting this morning with one of our long-time multi-channel retailer clients who is in town for Shop.org's Annual Summit. Over the course of our conversation, she relayed two things going on in her world of email marketing at the moment that bear repeating (with her permission, of course). ...
Tell me moreCategories: Response
Oct
05
By Tami Monahan Forman
Director of Strategic Services
We all know that email is critical to the online shopping experience and to customer satisfaction. But would you believe that transactional emails are more important to customers than customer service reps who can answer questions? We were surprised, too, but that was the finding of a recent consumer survey.
73% of respondents in a recent survey we did through Return Path's Authentic Response survey division said that email was "very important" to the experience with an additional 25% rating it as "important." Only 2% said email confirmation were not important. The other elements we asked consumers to rate included customer service, ability to find products, return policy, free shipping. Of those, only free shipping scored as high as email messages to confirm orders in importance to consumers.
Take advantage of the vital role that transactional messages play in your relationship with your customers. ...
Tell me moreCategories: Response
Sep
13
By Tami Monahan Forman
Director of Strategic Services
I have a secret. I love to write subject lines. It's a task that many email marketers dread, but I think it's fun! It must go back to my days on my college newspaper, writing headlines.
And, in my work with Return Path clients, I get to help write a lot of subject lines. So, I thought I'd share with you all the method Strategic Services has developed for writing subject lines. Following these 6 steps will make the task of writing subject lines easier and more effective. ...
Tell me moreCategories: Response
Aug
08
By Tami Monahan Forman
Director of Strategic Services
We recently got a call from a client (who shall remain nameless, for what will soon be obvious reasons) with a question that we found alarming.
The client who called us is the email manager for his company, acting as a kind of internal agency to a number of departments who want to use email marketing. One such department requested that he put together a "one-time" email for a list they had acquired. ....
Tell me moreCategories: Response
Privacy | Copyright 2010 Return Path, Inc.