Taking Aim with Triggered Email MarketingThere's an email marketing strategy being left on the table by many firms who otherwise use this form of marketing astutely. Statistics show that email recipients with an active connection to your company are much more likely to open and respond to email marketing messages. That's why it's essential to learn to deploy triggered email marketing campaigns.Triggered Messages Based on TrustHere's an illustration of how a company might use triggered email marketing to further invest clients in their products. A sales organization receives online enrollments for their upcoming seminar. The registrants have already demonstrated trust in their products by choosing to attend this event.Building on that trust, the company sends a series of messages offering products complementing what they'll learn at the seminar. Because the company is already established as a reputable firm in the minds of the recipients, they are much more likely to open and read those messages than the rest of their list might be. Email marketing campaigns triggered by an action on the part of the consumer result in higher sales. These promotions assume trust on the part of specific customers rather than blindly pursuing a broader group. That kind of focused campaign can elevate sales numbers quickly and drastically increase ROI on email marketing expense. Occasions for Triggered CampaignsIf you're wondering how this strategy could apply to your firm, consider first the ways consumers interact with you. The most common connection is made when a customer purchases a product online. That purchase should always trigger an email marketing campaign.For example, if your main product line is business coaching and a client enrolls in a monthly subscription program, the door has been opened to sending a series of messages offering your other products. Whether ebooks, audio downloads or DVDs, there's a natural tie-in to a need they've already expressed by seeking your coaching services. It might seem more logical to offer all your products, all the time, to your entire email list. Consider, however, the much higher open rate for triggered email campaigns before you make this your main strategy. It's much more cost and time effective to focus well-written campaigns on specific groups of clients, triggered by a move they've made in your direction. Other triggers for email campaigns might include, as we mentioned, seminar registrations, as well as product purchases. Some online firms find it effective to trigger a campaign when someone signs up for their ezine or discussion group. Whatever the reason someone chooses to trust your company, that connection should be optimized for additional sales through triggered email marketing campaigns. A Word About Protecting TrustIt's time to stop and review the rules for building and maintaining trust with clients. Sending a time-limited intensive email campaign to someone who has purchased a product is considered good marketing. Drowning their inbox with messages for months after the purchase isn't an effective trust-building strategy.As with all other aspects of marketing, the secret is in the planning. Your triggered email marketing campaigns shouldn't be knee-jerk responses. Instead, they should reflect your overall marketing plan. Here's a scenario to avoid when adding triggered email marketing to your arsenal: A start-up online training firm decides to create sales training bootcamps as their first product offering. Developing products and their online interface takes much longer than anticipated, so marketing strategy takes a back seat to more pragmatic tasks. Unfortunately, they realize once the product is ready to launch they have no plan for maximizing the trust established when someone on their list signs up for the bootcamp. They deliver the product as promised, but wait several weeks to contact their enthusiastic attendees with information about other products. The next product launch starts from square one with a cold audience. This rollercoaster approach to online marketing is an exhausting (and unprofitable) way to do business. Taking the time up-front to actually plan a marketing strategy gives your email advertising and targeted optin email marketing efforts continuity and lends financial stability to your operation. Rather than leaping from product launch to product launch, your team has a clear sense of direction and add-on sales made from triggered campaigns can finance development of the next big product. Test Triggered Marketing for YourselfAnd so, it's time to step up to triggered email marketing if your online business hasn't tried this strategy. Identify the events that involve a customer or prospect moving your direction. Carefully plan a series of messages to follow each triggering event. These autoresponder series should, of course, become sequential rather than concurrent. In other words, what could be more annoying than receiving five messages a day from one company simply because you bought a series of products? 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