I read an excellent article on setting up email triggers to for your email marketing campaigns by Silverpop: (ignore the intro paragraphs of marketingspeak, go right to the 5 tips). Silverpop works with a lot of big names. I’d like to check them out. I also want to check out Yesmail, that does Avon’s email marketing.
I like the idea of having some parts of email marketing on autopilot. You set up conditions and when the conditions are met, an emai is automatically sent.
Some ideas from the article:
Email someone a week after they put a product in their cart and didn’t buy it. Some time later (test to see how long after) give them an article about the product, a special deal, or just ask them to buy it. They obviously were considering buying that product, hook them in and close the sale. I’d try sending them an article relating to the product line and then links to all the products in the line.
Most companies have one product that sells best, such as the 80/20 rule where 80% of your sales are one product. That’s your cash cow. Kill your cash cow (what does that mean exactly?) It’s a big target. Use email to grow the other neglected product lines. When people browse these products without buying, email them automatically and see if they’ll bite. Build your neglected product lines by marketing them better. If that doesn’t work, kill them or improve them.
Segment by number of times someone comes to your site. This is a way of upselling to your fans. They must like you, they call every day, but are they buying or is the attention reciprocated?
Reward your repeat customers. Restaurants do it with punch cards. Send an email when someone has visited often or for repeat purchases. Incentivize and reward these customers and they’ll keep coming back.
