Poor email marketing is enough to make online consumers resent a company or brand, with 75% resenting a brand after being bombarded by emails and 71% citing being sent unsolicited messages as a reason to become resentful, according to a survey by YouGov for Emailvision.
They study found that using their name incorrectly (50%) and getting their gender wrong (40%) in correspondence were also found to be key factors that would make consumers resentful toward once-favoured brands.
The survey also found that - perhaps unexpectedly - some 40% of consumers said they would not share any personal details with a brand in exchange for better-targeted offers, emphasising the need for brands to provide much greater value through personalised communications. For those aged 55 and over, this figure rose to 49%.
They survey questioned what personal information consumers online would be willing to share in exchange for better targeted offers. A mere 28% of adults indicated that they would be willing to share their name, while 37% would be willing to share their age and 38% would be willing to share their gender with a brand. This lack of willingness to share even the most basic of personal information demonstrates that consumers don't see the value of providing personal details to brands.
"When a customer purchases from your in-store business, they give you money in exchange for a product or service. When a visitor interacts with your online business, they are giving you their data in exchange for a relevant experience with your brand. If a business doesn't choose to make use of this data correctly, they are missing out on important knowledge that could positively or negatively impact business for years to come," explained Emailvision director, Neil Hamilton. "It's imperative that a customer never becomes 'just a number' even in a database of millions. Technology enables all businesses to treat their customers to a personalised experience across multiple sales channels."
There is, however, a small percentage of online consumers who seem willing to overshare, as 8% of consumers online said they would go as far as sharing their underwear size in exchange for better targeted offers from a brand! But, in order to ensure that consumers don't end up resenting a brand due to poor email marketing, Emailvision has compiled a small list of tips for creating more effective email marketing campaigns:
- Use technology to bridge the gap between brand and customer
Every interaction a customer has with an online business, from a browse on the website, to the open and click on an email, to the tweet, or the in-store purchase can be captured to generate valuable data. Today there is a new generation of software that's dedicated to helping businesses understand this data called Customer Intelligence (CI). CI technology enables marketers to build targeted and personalised marketing that's based on typical consumer profiles and/or a subscriber's past interactions with the brand.
- Get to know your customer
Customers are individuals and online marketers need to build one-to-one relationships with them. By developing targeted messages, online brands have the opportunity to impress customers with their knowledge. Through this personal touch, companies can communicate in a relevant and more engaging way.
- Incentivise your customer
Customers need to be persuaded to give their data. Using competitions and money-off offers to attract their attention will help them feel the benefit of sharing their data.
- Headline and email subject matter
Every call to action should reinforce the value in taking that action, so be engaging, create excitement and bring to life the experience your brand encapsulates. This call to action should be delivered in the subject line and reinforced in the content within the email. It serves as a first impression and the relevance of the subject line will determine whether the email will be opened or will remain lost in the inbox.
- Customise your offers
Don't let customer intelligence go to waste. Previous purchase behaviour and information that customers provide you with over time can be used to create targeted campaigns. Personalising your offers could mean the difference between a click and a sale.
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