This article discusses the benefits of behaviorally triggered emails and provides examples of common types that are underutilized by marketers. It notes that welcome emails, thank you emails, and abandoned cart emails have high conversion rates but are not widely implemented. Implementing simple triggered emails like these requires few resources but can significantly boost sales and customer engagement.
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Aug 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Ken Magill
Triggered Email Tips for the Chronically Understaffed
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By now the evidence is overwhelming that behaviorally triggered
marketing emails work like gangbusters — that is, when they're
implemented. Trouble is, too many marketers are not using them.
When S&S Worldwide, a cataloger
ARTICLE TOOLS of arts and crafts and sporting
goods products, began sending
shoppers who had abandoned
their online carts an email reminding them to complete their purchases, the
MOST POPULAR ARTICLES result was a 25% conversion rate.
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“It was clear to us that there was an opportunity to capture lost sales,” says
Carolyn Nye, marketing manager for S&S. The company implemented the
program using Engage triggered email technology from its email service
provider Silverpop.
But while examples of successful triggered email programs like S&S's are
common, far too many marketers don't exploit the opportunities even the
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simplest behaviorally triggered e mails offer.
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WHAT — NO WELCOME?
A shocking 60% of companies in a study by deliverability firm Return Path failed to send new email registrants a
“welcome ” message. Granted, the study was done in 2008, but does anyone think the 60% metric has changed in
the past year?
Indeed, it's difficult to imagine too many marketing vice presidents during the past 12 months saying: “Okay, right
after I lay off a third of my staff, I'm going to integrate a ‘welcome ’ message into our e mail signup program. ” ONLY ON MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT
Still, merchants should not only be thinking about implementing a welcome message, they should be actively
pursuing it. A welcome email is probably the simplest behaviorally triggered e mail to implement. And sending one
is worth it just for the damage it mitigates alone.
“People want to know when they hit ‘submit ’ that the message went through, ” says Scott Voigt, vice president of
marketing for Silverpop. 2009 MCM 100 MCM Awards List Finder
Moreover, the longer a company waits to send a new email registrant a message, the more likely it is the person Buyer's
will forget having signed up and report the mailer as a spammer. Too many spam complaints are one way to start Jobs
Guide
having deliverability troubles.
And common sense says the best time to approach prospects is just after they've actively indicated they're Newsletters Events Calendar
interested in the company's products or services.
The reason behaviorally triggered emails tend to work so well is they're messages based on a meaningful change
in the profile of the person holding the address. Translation, they're as relevant as email marketing messages get. Forums Blogs
And as noted above, behaviorally triggered email programs don't have to be labor intensive to work.
But that's not the general perception in the marketplace, according to Tanya Hyde, vice president of professional Of Interest
services for email service provider Yesmail.
Behaviorally triggered emails tend to be perceived as difficult to implement, “and they fall down the priority list
below the blasting of messages,” says Hyde. “It does take more resources to develop incremental campaigns, but
in my experience, they are the most powerful campaigns from a return oninvestment standpoint.”
GIVING THANKS AND PRAISE
Another example of behaviorally triggered email that most marketers don't send is the “thank you” email, FROM THE MAGAZINE
says Hyde. “I am amazed by how many marketers don't send simple ‘thank you’ messages, ” she says. According to
November 2009