May
14
2009
The following entry is a response to Erin Geoghegan’s piece arguing in favor of shorter email registration pages. Enjoy!
Counterpoint: It’s important to capture as much data as possible during the email sign-up process. The data you capture enables you to deliver the most relevant emails right away, know more about your audience, and build the foundation for successful, long-term customer relationships.
The sign-up page is a great place to capture customer data, especially for non-retailers. If you’re offering a highly personalized email marketing experience, why not give your subscribers the ability to receive the most targeted campaigns right away?
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May
13
2009
Point: As consumer patience and attention spans decrease, asking for information beyond an email address (up-front) will most likely result in them not completing the sign-up process at all.
In my opinion, name and email address — or even just email address — should typically be the only information that marketers ask for in their email sign-up forms. Understandably, if it is completely necessary for your business to ask for more information, such as a zip code, then by all means do so. Otherwise, the usage of these two simple entry fields is my recommended maximum.
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Nov
20
2008
Every so often, Ben and Erin disagree on approaches to email marketing and need to put their respective thoughts down on paper. Who do you think has a more valid point?
Counterpoint: Despite the current economic crisis, marketers should not bombard their customers with more “doom-and-gloom” scenarios, especially high-end businesses that risk diluting their brand with lower-end offers.
Ben’s first point is exactly correct – everyone knows the challenges facing their consumers right now, and consumers are well aware of the need to save money, which is why, in my opinion, there is no need to add to the gloom by reminding them of tough times. In fact, relying on bad news to sell a product and identifying with the recession can significantly devalue a brand’s image and long-term revenue.
Don’t get me wrong – for the retailers who make deep discounting and penny saving a major focus of their typical marketing plan, by all means, carry-on! But for luxury brands, high-end retailers and thousands of other businesses who have based their entire messaging strategy around high standards of excellence and exclusive sales and specials, don’t compromise your entire communication plan for something as unstable as the current state of our economy.
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Nov
18
2008
Every so often, Ben and Erin disagree on approaches to email marketing and need to put their respective thoughts down on paper. Who do you think has a more valid point?
Point: As marketers face the current economic crisis, now is the time to start stressing the concepts of value, frugality, and smart purchases in your email campaigns.
Everyone knows the challenges facing their customers right now — shrinking consumer confidence against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty — so why pretend it’s not an issue? Let’s face it: things are really crazy out there in the real world. Record declines in retail sales! Shrinking home values! The end of TRL on MTV! Spam is on the rise! (the edible kind, at least) Dogs and cats, living together…mass hysteria!
Ok, well maybe that last one came from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters, but many of these fears are in fact justified.
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