Use Email Marketing as a Proving Ground

Most people in business today recognize email marketing is a cost-effective way to drive sales, build your brand, and stay in constant contact with customers and prospects.  OK, you're probably thinking "tell us something we don't know."  Fair enough.

Quite simply, what lessons can you learn from email marketing (read as "inexpensive marketing") that you can usefully apply to catalogs, flyers, brochures, or other offline direct marketing (read as "more expensive marketing")?

When you look at email marketing through this prism -- part of a comprehensive marketing strategy -- you can begin to realize additional benefits.

Here is one example:
Assume you currently mail three one-size-fits-all catalogs each year.  Also assume, like many companies, you have a core customer market along with a few key specialty markets.

Let's say you plan to test the viability of mailing a highly targeted catalog to one of your specialty markets in hopes of making it a permanent part of your marketing plan to (incremental sales).

This test is not going to be cheap, and you want it to succeed!  How does email fit in?

• Use email to test, test, test!  Remember, it's relatively cheap with quick results;
• Segment your email list to identify your specialty customers;
• Think of email as pre-testing your specialty catalog;
• Learn as much as you can before going to the printer!

Testing with email could help answer the following questions for your print catalog:

• What keywords does your specialty market respond to best?
• What offer, promotion, or free gift motivates a purchase? 
• Which products should be my "hero" or feature products?
• Do certain products sell better when featured together (high affinity)?
• How might people use your website after receiving the catalog?

There are likely many more questions email could help answer, and email should not be your only source of information.  However, beyond just generating sales online, email can play a key role in mitigating risk with a printed marketing piece.

While an email usually runs its course in a matter of days, printed pieces can drive sales for longer periods of time.  Make sure you maximize your marketing dollars, especially when testing new print initiatives!

If you need help segmenting your list, developing targeted campaigns and analyzing data, The Admiral Company can help. Contact Us today about our Email Campaign Management services!