Effective Email Marketing With Little or No Data

The most effective email marketing programs typically begin by using data to segment your customer or prospect list (see "Don't Be Afraid..." post!), and then creating relevant messages for each segment.

But, if you're like many businesses with little or no data behind your email addresses, what to do? Here are five steps to email effectively with little or no data:

1. Set a short term email schedule.
Your goal should be to learn as much as you can.

Start by looking ahead three months and plan to send emails every two weeks (eventually determine if this is your optimal frequency), giving you six emails to learn.  Since you don't have a lot of data, create emails with content that appeals to a wide audience; think broadly about the value you offer, new or best selling products available, free downloads, or current special offers.

Then use short-and-sweet subject lines (use keywords from your content above) to generate initial open interest, making sure your email software can track opens down to the specific email address.

2. Create compelling demographic links.
Now that your customer has opened your email, it's time to get down to business - remember, your goal is to learn about your customers!

If you operate a home improvement store, for example, you likely have departments such as "Appliances" or "Hardware" listed on your website.  Use a clear call to action at the top of your email (what do you want customers to do?) and make it easy for them to click through to your website and make a purchase.

Your "demographic links" could be Appliances, Hardware, and a few other key departments that tell you about your customers' interests. You should also have a general "shop now" link for people that don't see an appealing demographic link.

3. Use demographic links to segment.
Once people click your demographic links, you should be able to segment them based on the links they clicked.  Everyone who clicked on Hardware should go into one group; everyone who clicked Appliances into another group.  Do this for each of your department links, and your general Shop now link.

Note: If your email service provider does not have the technology to allow this functionality, you may want to find one that does (cheap plug: we do). Being able to segment based on email click activity is what will allow you to send and test targeted messages.

4. Incorporate targeted messages based on new data.
Excellent - you have some customer data from your first email.  Now what?  Start using it! 

Begin by staying on your email schedule because, more than likely, most people on your list didn't open/click your initial email. Create your "wide appeal" email first.

Then, create slightly different emails for each of your known demographics. IMPORTANT: you don't have to create 100% new emails for each demographic, just make them targeted!  You may only want to change the subject line and perhaps the first product -- a simple change to make -- and leave the rest of the email identical.

For example, a subject line to your Appliances group could be:
Sneak Peak: New Top-Rated Refrigerators

Then inside the email, your first picture could be a new refrigerator with a "click to view" call to action.  Do this for each of your segments and then (predictably!) measure the results.  How do your targeted emails perform relative to your general email in terms of opens, clicks, and conversions to sale?

5. Solve the main problem moving forward.
What are the reasons you don't have data associated with your email addresses?  If you're going to create targeted emails in the future, it's easier when you don't have to build as much "learning" into your ongoing efforts.  Use any product sales data, geographic data, seasonal timing, etc to start creating targeted emails right away.

Your customers will appreciate receiving emails that speak to their interests, and you will appreciate email results that speak to your bottom line.

For help implementing these kinds of strategies, check out our Admiral Email Marketing Suite and Email Campaign Management services, or Contact Us today!