10 Times the Response of Direct Mail

Content-driven, lifestyle-oriented e-communications are becoming more widely accepted by consumers. When produced professionally and managed attentively, they can become an effective marketing solution for service providers such as equipment dealers and landscape contractors.

Pure Promotions Rarely Work

Purely promotional emails are not very effective, says Dave Fish of IMN, a content-driven e-communications company based in Waltham, MA. Promo-only emails often result in a high number of recipients who “opt out,” or unsubscribe from the list.

“You can erode your email base by 2/3 in a year by putting out thin, promotional emails,” Fish points out. “Because email marketing is so cost-effective, you certainly don’t want to throw this opportunity away by turning off your audience.”

Content is the Key

You can hang onto more than 90% of your email base when you provide useful content. Professional, high-quality content that is easy to read, listen to or watch accomplishes a number of things:

• Surprises your audience because they’re used to getting promos all the time
• Engages your audience because there is interesting content to hold their attention longer
• Helps you stand out from other businesses that are just sending promotional emails.

The Right Frequency is Vital

Send out your e-communications monthly, Fish advises. Quarterly can be too infrequent, causing a larger percentage of your audience to forget about you and opt out. On the other hand, more often than monthly can be too much.

When you send quality content on a monthly basis, Fish says the following are realistic goals:

• Less than a 1% opt-out rate each mailing
• At least a 20% open rate each mailing

“Direct mail typically generates a 1-2% response rate,” Fish points out. “So I think you’ll agree that taking the time to get this e-communications thing right is well worth it.”

Measure to See What Works

Measuring your content to determine what is being read is an essential part of “getting it right.” Companies such as IMN can help with this. “Our unique tracking tools can help you learn what your customers care about most,” Fish explains.

Content can include information specific to your industry or company, such as lawn watering tips or lawnmower maintenance advice. If it’s informative and engaging, it can work.

“Content that’s not so obvious can also work very well,” Fish points out. “For example, we do some ezines for several auto dealerships. Movie reviews are actually very well-received by their customers.”

Don’t be afraid to try new things you believe could be of interest to your audience. But be careful. Measure their effectiveness so that, if they’re not popular, you stop doing them before you lose subscribers.

Focus on what’s working and drop what isn’t.

Incorporating Special Offers

Special offers and promotions should still be a part or your e-communications effort. The trick, according to Fish, is to work them in tastefully.

“You can hang onto consumers longer when you give them quality content,” Fish says. “This is great news because that means you have more time to pitch them your products and services.

“We think of a three-layered approach,” Fish goes on to say.

• Strong editorial that engages and retains the audience
• A “soft sell” such as educational information aligned with what you want to promote
• A hard call to action.

For example, if you were an equipment dealer inside the snowbelt, you might use your December ezine to talk about preparing lawn and garden equipment for winter storage. Perhaps you could work in an offer to store the customer’s equipment at your facility, or invite the customer to take advantage of your winter service special to get their mower ready for the next mowing season.

A landscaper outside the snowbelt might talk about winter lawn care do’s and dont’s. A landscaper inside the snowbelt might talk about snow and ice management tips. In either case, it’s perfectly appropriate to invite customers to take advantage of any service specials you’re offering in these two areas.