How event triggered email marketing improves marketing ROI

In the current recession, life is tough for many companies:-

• marketing budgets and resources are under increased pressure
• in most markets there are numerous competitors
• customers are suffering advertising fatigue & cynicism
• 'outward bound' response rates (especially in traditional channels) are reducing

Yet the challenge for most companies is to grow customer lifetime value by keeping valuable customers and improving their web marketing return on investment (ROI). 

Good marketers have always strived to get the right message (using the right channel) to the target prospect / customer at the right time. With conventional media like radio, press, direct marketing etc, this involves huge wastage as many of the people that you are paying to reach are not likely to be in the market for your product / service at that point in time.  This led major FMCG advertisers to advertise frequently but few companies can afford to do this anymore. So unless the marketing is first rate, much of today's traditional advertising fails to deliver the results business needs.

Traditional advertisers are switching more of their budget to web marketing 

For example, Google PPC enables advertisers to reach target prospects who are actively searching for their product or service and with one click can take them straight to a compelling message. Advertisers only pay when  the ad is clicked regardless of how many other people have been shown their ad thus reducing wastage.

Triggered event email marketing 

This involves sending a specific email to an individual being triggered by a specific event such as:-

• customer life stage trigger - e.g. new baby; retirement; marriage; birthday; empty nester
• customer life cycle trigger - e.g. new customer cross sell;  end of contract / membership 
• transaction behaviour trigger - e.g. cross sell ink cartridges to people who bought printers; lack of activity
• customer initiated trigger - e.g. inbound interaction; online behaviour
• external trigger - e.g. change in interest rates; competitor action; regulatory; 

Key learning for companies large or small

• Consider using triggered email marketing as part of a joined up web strategy
  
• What would be the most relevant triggers for your prospect / customer segments?
• What would be the most compelling message for each trigger?
• Have you got a smart email system that enables multiple trigger emails to be automatically sent to target individuals?
• Can your email system send personalised, dynamic content with great reporting capability?
• What are the desired objectives for each trigger?
• Analyse your web metrics performance  
• Find out what's working and what isn't and refine the campaign.

If you need help then contact a web marketing expert.

Remember...web marketing is about solving customers' problems profitably.

Peter Hawtin is an internet marketing specialist with Brand New Way, a UK web marketing agency which helps companies to attract and retain valuable customers online.