Generate UK - Digital Marketing Blog

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When planning your next email marketing campaign stop and have a think about who the recipient is going to be and tailor the message to suit?

Now, I don’t just mean their age, profession or gender, I mean try to understand their personal profile, their interests, their knowledge base, likes and dislikes.

You’re probably asking yourself how I would know this by simply looking at an Excel sheet with a bunch of names and email addresses.

This is where data management comes into effect.

Using the data that you collate or purchase, it is vital that you categorise it into specific areas. Then following on from your e-communication campaigns you must sub categorise. To be able to task this successfully you must clearly understand and analyse the metrics allowing you to produce even better targeted future e-marketing campaigns. The moral issue, .invest in a good CRM system to hold and pro-actively manage your data as well as an effective email marketing solution to understand the metrics of each campaign.

What if it’s a cold list?

If it is a cold list of for example ˜Product Marketing Managers” have a look at a typical role and job function, this may be found on recruitment websites, and there might even be a profile of a typical PMM from various web sources such as www.about.com, or if it’s a consumer market have a look at websites such as www.tgisurveys.com, www.nrs.co.uk and www.statistics.gov.uk , you’ll be amazed at what information you can access for free.

Once you have a good understanding of your target market you now have to think about what’s going to float their boat! What’s going to engage them and make them take action to your communication? What’s the communication path i.e. are you going to ask them to click through to more information or fill in their personal details? What is the key message you want them to absorb? Will a creative communication work better than a plain text? What will the subject line be?

All these areas must be considered, my biggest tips are to make it simple, overcomplicating a message or communication path can be dangerous, if you ask too much of people they will simply switch off. Make it personal, personal communications always work better! If you feel that you are being communicated with on a one to one basis you are far more likely to take action than if the communication screams out mass mail!

Good luck with your next campaign, be targeted and be personal!

PS. It’s just a thought, but don’t forget to test your message and subject line first!