So the first month of 2012 is almost over. How many of your New Year Resolutions have you managed to keep? Are you still on the detox, smoke free and exercising three times a week? No? Not many of us are! But when it comes to your email & CRM strategy, there are some resolutions which really are worth keeping and will help you reap the rewards of your customer base
1. I promise to make my emails relevant to customer behaviour not just business needs. We all know behavioural segmentation means we can better tailor our messages to consumers, but not many organisations are actually doing it. Don’t be scared, this doesn’t have to start as overly complicated, how about simply tailoring your emails based on whether a customer has clicked on your last emails or not?
2. I will clean up my database. This isn’t just for the sake of a bit of housekeeping. Removing or archiving dormant data reduces the likelihood of being penalised by ISPs for mailing dormant addresses. Plus your response rates will increase as you remove addresses you never receive opens or clicks from – a win/win situation!
3. I promise to improve how my emails render on mobiles. More than a quarter of the UK population now owns a smartphone and 67% of them check email on their phone. Still not convinced you need to update your email templates? In 2012 use of devices like the iPad, iPod and smartphones is only going to increase, so now’s the time to check how your emails look.
4. I will review the frequency of emails I’m sending. The quality vs. quantity fight goes on for email marketers in 2012. Convincing stakeholders that timely, well targeted emails are more valuable than frequent, high volume sends will be a familiar task, but take heart. The email geeks at Facebook have fought and won! Towards the end of 2011, Facebook decided to scale back email sends to users who were receiving multiple notification emails in a day. Let’s hope this leads the way in finally putting an end to bacon.
5. This year I promise to properly integrate social and email. Social media is not killing email like many people are claiming, in fact it’s revitalizing email marketing! Email continues to be the best way for companies to make their message known, but social media gives them the opportunity to spread this message far and wide. Make sure these two channels are integrated instead of fighting against each other!
6. I will use data strategically. The importance of using data strategically is paramount for delivering results in eCRM in 2012. Whether you decide to collect more of it, segment it to drive relevancy, or compile a clear strategy for using it (preferably all three!) do it to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach. Realising the potential of your data in 2012 will help you on your way to enjoying higher ROI from your customer communications.
7. I must remember that my welcome email is the most important message I’ll send this year. Welcome emails begin the CRM relationship with your customers and set their expectations of what they’re going to receive from you. Make sure you’re setting the right expectations with relevant, valuable, interesting welcome emails which will get your customers engaged right from the start.
