Without question, one of the most difficult and costly things we do in running a business is getting people through your doors, the first time! Once you get them there, one of the smartest things you can do is to get their permission to keep in contact with them.
You are receiving this newsletter for one of two reasons. One, you were asked if you wanted to receive it and you granted permission to have it sent to you. Or two, you do business, or have contact, with this group of radio stations on a regular or somewhat regular basis.
In the marketing world, this approach is called “Permission-Based Marketing”. Today, with competitors increasing at a breakneck pace, having a “customer database” is more important than ever and one of the most valuable assets you have.
“Permission-Based Marketing” and creating and keeping an updated “customer database” should be at the core of every advertising and marketing decision you make. The fact that they permitted you to market directly to them creates an immediate bond. Going forward, you’ll be able to engage with them more easily, they’ll be more open-minded when receiving your message, it’s less costly, and you can continue to build their trust.
Why is Permission-Based direct marketing to your customer database so profitable?
1.) Your Permission-Based direct marketing is talking to a proven demographic… people who have already bought from you or expressed an interest.
2.) Permitting you to add them to your database pre-qualifies them as future customers or repeat buyers.
3.) Technology has made direct marketing virtually free! Remember when direct marketing involved paying a printer to print your direct marketing materials, then you had to buy envelopes and pay for stamps or delivery? Today, direct marketing is done via e-mail…no production costs and no delivery costs. And of course, your old snail-mail database lost track of your customers when they changed mailing addresses, while their email address follows them wherever they may go. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use traditional mail as well. It simply means that you can do it much easier than before.
4.) Some studies have revealed that it can cost up to twenty times as much to find a new customer through advertising as it does to keep old customers coming back with direct marketing.
So, if permission-based marketing is so powerful, is there really a reason why you should ever advertise at all? The answer is yes. Here’s why.
1.) Nearly every business will “churn or turn” its customer base at the rate of approximately 20% per year. Marriages, divorces, income changes, physical moves, deaths, births, and numerous other unstoppable lifestyle changes will render your previous customers as non-customers every year. Advertising for new customers is vital to replace that attrition.
2.) Aggressive competitors will inevitably “steal” some of your customers, necessitating the need to continually replace them with new customers.
3.) Advertising can encourage more people to permit you to add them to your email list.
4.) Just like your competitors are trying to attract your customers via advertising, you too should be inviting their customers to try out your business.
11 Ways to Make Permission-Based Marketing Work for You
1. Get permission to market directly to your customers. Sending them unwanted or uninvited email blasts will quickly turn them away from you.
2. Too much is too much! Ask your customers about acceptable frequency and segment your email lists accordingly. Some may accept one offer a month, others once per quarter. Anything more than once a month is probably too much. The number of sent messages isn’t as important as the VALUE of the message/offer. If the value is low, you will lose impact much quicker. Fewer touches with more value will far outperform more touches with low value.
3. Do not confuse social media with email marketing. Social media is meant to be strictly social, and your customers do not want a barrage of businesses hustling them while they are trying to be social.
4. Use social media to engage your customers and prospects and to build trust. Once you have engaged your customers through social media, listen to them and provide messages of value to them. You have earned the right to ask permission to add them to your e-marketing database.
5. Your advertising should drive traffic to your website to get new prospects to sign up for your direct e-marketing campaigns. In your advertising mention some of the specials you extend to your email database; this will result in more prospects wanting to receive those direct marketing offers.
6. Make certain there is a signup form on your website, and that your staff continually offers to sign up customers to your database.
7. Conduct a registration in your business. Have your customers sign up for a drawing and at the same time ask them if you can connect with them via email and mail by asking for their addresses.
8. Your direct marketing campaigns need not always involve discounts or sales. Inviting these “preferred customers” to new-product showings or demonstrations and other invitation-only events can make them feel special and build more customer loyalty.
9. As your list grows, advertise that growth in your paid media because consumers like to join anything that appears to be popular or growing.
10. Always follow up immediately on any email requests or replies you receive…not later today, not tomorrow. Email users expect immediacy.
11. Be creative but brief in your e-marketing campaigns, just as you would in your on-air campaigns. Add some humor, testimonials, useful tips, news, and other creative tools to entertain and inform your email database.
At Titan Broadcasting and Digital Group, we believe our responsive, on-going communication with our clients is one of the biggest reasons why our partnerships are so successful. Whenever you need us, we’ll be there by your side to answer your questions and help your business grow in any way we can! www.titanburlington.com/contact-us/
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