9 August 2020Having designed and worked in targeted email marketing campaigns for organizations like Yahoo!, Survey Monkey, and now as a CMO for Booster Fuels, a gas station on wheels that comes to your car and fills your tank while you're at work, here are some practical do's and don'ts I've learned on how to appropriately target emails to your customers without creeping them out. To Reveal or Not to Reveal?DO use your client's first name when addressing them in a marketing email. People often appreciate being addressed by their first names. Salesforce's Fourth Annual State of Marketing Report found that 52 percent of customers say they are likely to change brands if communications (such as email) are not personalized.DON'T reveal that you know your client's actual date of birth or age. While you may have birthday info in your database due to age requirements, this is a sensitive piece of information for many people. However, sending a client an emailed gift card or coupon in honor of their birthday month on the first day of the month is perceived as less intrusive!Let's Talk about HistoryDO: Make new recommendations to your customers based on historical activity and purchase history. This feels like advice from a friend who might recommend a new restaurant to you because they know you like Asian fusion. Also, do remind people of your service - what you have done - and how you value them as a customer.DON'T: Put sensitive historical information in your subject line or email. Imagine a friend showing you pictures of their new dog on their phone as an email notification appears, "Based on your [personal health product] purchase, we have more recommendations for you!" Embarrassing.Be UsefulDO: Put yourself in your customer's shoes. As the person receiving the email, does it build your brand's relationship with them? Is it useful? As an example, at my organization when we send a reminder to fuel up, we also include the price of gas and the competitor prices nearby so they can be informed as they make purchasing decisions. Small personalized touches are perceived as less intrusive when they provide benefit to the customer. DON'T: Take copy and tone for granted! A good copywriter can make all the difference in how your email comes across - as friendly outreach or as heckling. For example, "We miss seeing you around!" is warmer than, "You used our services six times last year and only once this year...when are you coming back?"ConclusionOne anonymous person said, "Seek to be worth knowing rather than to be well known." It sounds counter-intuitive, but the right motivation for a good, personalized email marketing is NOT the bottom line or the metrics. A good litmus test for a personalized email marketing campaign is, "is this campaign designed to benefit my customers?" Once you establish that motivation, then you can use metrics to determine how successful you were in achieving it."Creepy" or intrusive marketing emails are often perceived by customers as sneaky and underhanded ways to use data you've collected for your own advantage, and they backfire. Putting your customer first and using the data you've gathered to their advantage is the first step in being a brand worth knowing. MT"Creepy" or intrusive marketing emails are often perceived by customers as sneaky and underhanded ways to use data you've collected for your own advantage, and they backfire.
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