Deepen Your Customer Communications—and Grow Your Business—With Segmented E-mail Newsletters Article

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Deepen Your Customer Communications—and Grow Your Business—With Segmented E-mail Newsletters

Author: Connectthru Editor

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E-mail newsletters can definitely be a time-consuming task, and the urge to fire off a quick-n-dirty, single e-mail blast to your entire customer database may sometimes seem like a more efficient use of your time. And while it can be deceptively easy to view your customers as a faceless mass that's just "out there" on the internet ether, keep in mind that different types of customers should receive different types of messages.

Instead of sending out that single e-blast, segment your customer base into groups based on sales volume and customize your messages accordingly. Segmented communication can help you understand not only the needs of specific customer demographics; it can also help you uncover new opportunities to grow your sales.

1) Low- to no-volume customers. Maybe they placed a single order eight months ago. Maybe you obtained their address from a multi-buy that you haven't had a chance to use yet. Certainly, your low- to no-volume customers shouldn't receive the same level of attention of your highest-volume buyers, but some creative thinking here can help crack some of these tougher nuts. Avoid "last chance" magazine subscription clichés; instead use friendly language like "new friends" to make them feel like they're being wooed. And then walk the walk: this is your chance to aggressively test special offers (10% off, reduced shipping, etc.) that can help you gain greater insight as to what can push the low-volume customer to the next level. If an offer fails to gain traction, make a note of it for future reference and try something else. When something works—voila, you've just created an effective sales tool.

2) Mid-volume, "general" customers. Typically, most of your customers fall between low- and high-volume. Use messages with language such as "loyal customer" and thank them for their continued patronage—let them know, with clarity, that you appreciate their business. And be sure to test an occasional "big" offer that could inspire these customers to begin buying at a consistently higher volume.

3) High-volume customers. As you might expect, roll out the extra special treatment of your highest-volume customers. Provide special exclusives for these customers. Test premiums that offer a high perceived value but won't impact your bottom line. Your highest-volume customers are often the most vocal—so ask for feedback, and thank them for it. Avoid opening a can of worms by having a clear goal in asking for feedback. "Do you prefer shorter, more frequent e-mails or longer, less frequent e-mails" is a much more effective question than "how do you like our e-mails?"

Of course, you really don't need to create entirely separate messaging for your customer types. Keep the body of the e-mail—the bulk of your communication—the same, and customize only the greeting, the offers, and the other type-specific strategies outlined above.

Segmentation is a critical tool that enables you to communicate more effectively with your customers. It can also help you move each type of customer to the next higher-volume type. But no matter what kind of customer you're communicating with, keep in mind that you're constantly deepening your relationship with them—let segmented communication help you achieve that goal.

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