LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -If you're a clever marketer, you've got mail - e-mail from members you've contacted on-line and who have responded positively to your offer. But it isn't as simple as sending a quick e-mail note to your Aunt Hattie or brother Bob. Monica Nester, senior vp/marketing and development at Annuncio Software, offered some tips during a session at the CUES Marketing, Operations and Technology Conference here. To start, only use names of members who have opted in by indicating they want to receive e-mail from you. Consumers who opt in buy five to seven times more frequently than anonymous site visitors. When writing e-mail marketing items, have a compelling or personal subject line, but don't use words like "free" or "winner." They may get edited out by the member's Internet provider, Nester advised. Keep it simple and short. Get to the point fast. "Remind the member they gave you permission to contact them," she noted. "Personalize the message and make it easy for members to respond." Remember too, to track the responses you get back from members-50% of responses are received in the first 48 hours after the message is sent out. Just as important, respond to inquiries within 24 hours, and be prepared for the fact you may not be able to automatically answer with a prepared message to all members. Don't "over-send" e-mail marketing messages, Nestor advises. Once a month is plenty and allow the member to "opt-out" of receiving the messages if that's what they ask for. Even before sending your marketing e-mail out, "test, test, test," Nester stressed. Test for length, subject, format-HTML or text-the number of links, segments and content. Check the quality of your message before sending it. When you're finished checking it, "then check it again," she said. "Timing is everything," said Nester. Saturday night is the best time to send e-mail to consumers, followed by Tuesday through Thursday. Sunday is the biggest read day for personal e-mail. Even with the best preparation, marketers should expect 30% of new lists to be undeliverable. Five percent of e-mail addresses will become obsolete each month. E-mail is part of one-on-one marketing, Nester said. "The bottom line is you're dealing with one individual and you want to build a long-term, ongoing relationship," she stressed. "Don't force things on people, but find out what they want. Direct marketing principles do apply here. Segmenting is still very, very key. The more you segment, the better your results will be." Despite the emphasis on and convenience of e-mail, it's still important to remember, says Nestor, "Other channels don't go away. You still need direct mail, print ads, billboards and so on." -
ECour58516@aol.com
