Lionel Richie and Email Marketing
You know you’re working too hard when you’re listening to the oldies
station and a song gives you an idea for an email marketing blog post!
Tell me if YOU can find sound marketing advice in the following lyrics….
“Hello!
Is it me you’re looking for?
Because I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely?
Or is someone loving you?
Tell me how to win your heart
For I haven’t got a clue
But let me start by saying I love you”
The lyrics from this Lionel Richie song (for those of you under 30 – he’s Nicole Richey’s dad!), are the perfect anthem to email marketers in need of a segmented list.
We want to provide the answers for our readers. The closer the match between what they are seeking and what we can provide, the higher our actual readership (as opposed to subscribers) and the better our conversion.
Some easys ways to segment a list is by location, occupation, marital status, children, education, home ownership, etc. Obviously, you wouldn’t ask all of these questions but, depending on what you are marketing, a few may come in handy to begin the process of segmenting your list.
For example, one of my coaching lists asks for the state in which my subscriber resides (this is a U.S. based list). While not segmenting into a separate email list, it does allow me to search and broadcast to people in certain locales. If I am traveling to an area for a speaking engagement or meeting, I’ll broadcast to this list to let them know I’ll be in their area. Because coaching can be a higher ticket, meeting face-to-face almost always brings more business.
If you promote seminars to your list, this same information could be useful in promoting seminars in their area. If you’ve booked an airfare within 14 days of an event, you know that the cost skyrockets. Being able to broadcast to those within driving distance of the event can put some healthy affiliate commissions into your pocket.
One of the biggest challenges we face is knowing what our subscribers want and how they want it. For too many, we really haven’t got a clue how to win their hearts.
When was the last time you surveyed your list? It’s almost impossible to “have a clue” if you never ask. You can find several web sites like SurveyMonkey that allow you to set up surveys at no cost.
If you don’t remember anything else – keep the last line of these lyrics in mind, because it’s the most important: Let your subscribers know you love ‘em!
Of the many email subscriptions in my inbox, few marketers show their appreciation for their readers. Instead, you get the distinct impression that these readers are viewed as cash machines, salivating over the daily promotional emails they receive.
If you want your readers to feel appreciated, respect them. Give them value in exchange for their time. Do not email them once or twice a day. Intersperse your promotions with your content – do not intersperse content within your promotions! A good rule of thumb is a 75/25 content content-to to-promotion ratio.
(This does not mean that you can’t promote – after all, we ARE in this to make a living – but it means that you don’t ONLY promote. If you show respect and provide value, the law of reciprocity will kick in!)
Please post your ideas below!
Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse
