If you want a healthy marketing database, don’t be shy
A healthy marketing database requires constant upkeep, or it will degrade fast. The causes of this degradation are many: Customers become inactive. Implied consents expire. People unsubscribe. As a result, your relationship marketing program falters, no longer delivering the sales growth needed to ensure the continued prosperity of the company.
On the other hand, this common challenge is not entirely inevitable. It is possible to ensure a steady growth in the number of customers that can be reached by email. Simply implement these five key strategies. As you put them into action, you will quickly see your database grow and your sales increase.
1 – Capture your website traffic
Many brands are too timid when it comes to collecting email addresses from visitors on their website. More often than not, they simply add a sign-up field at the bottom of the footer. The call-to-action is simply “subscribe to our newsletter”. Yet, according to recent statistics, 95% of visitors will never come back to your site. Hence the importance of identifying them in order to convert them.
But the question is How? And the answer is simply by putting together a well-designed set of acquisition tools. Among these tools, a clear call to action on promotional pages: “sign up to receive our deals, promotions, information and news”. To this, you’ll add the ubiquitous pop-ups, slide-ins, and other effective tools to get people to register.
But beware! Make sure that the trigger rules for these tools allow time for the visitor to engage with your content before appearing. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of time.
2 – Take advantage of implied consent
To maintain a healthy marketing database, you should include all active customers. But many brands are reluctant to do so. The main cause: there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the application of the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). And yet it is very clear that you can communicate with your customers for 24 months following the last transaction. You do not need express consent or hard opt-in to do so.
That being said, you must document this implied consent by capturing the most recent transaction (date and time, consent source, etc.). You then need to put in place a process that manages consent expiry at the end of the 24 months.
3 – Convert to express consent
Express consent does not expire. You can communicate with customers who provided consent until they unsubscribe. You should set up a conversion series that starts shortly after the latest transaction and continues until the expiry date of the implied consent at the end of the 24-month period. Be sure to emphasize the benefits of subscribing to your emails. And don’t call them newsletters!
4 – Reactivate using other channels
When your customers become inactive, in other words, when they no longer engage with your emails, it’s time to take action. Remove them from your regular campaigns and add them to a reactivation program. Create an “audience” using their email addresses and reach out to them using social and digital media.
You can also offer them exclusive deals and incentives to convert them to express consent. Lastly, once or twice a year, try to reactivate them through email with a bonus offer – the best of the year, plus any bonus.
5 – Involve front-line employees
Employees in your stores, customer care centers and elsewhere are a great acquisition source for you. Offering to send your customers a copy of the invoice by email is an effective way to do this.
On the other hand, the best way – because it is very transparent and motivating – is to offer customers savings on their next purchases by receiving the best offers and promotions by email. Express verbal consent is valid but must be well documented. Be sure to send a confirmation email to anyone who subscribes this way. The purpose of this email is to confirm consent and to provide an opportunity to unsubscribe as required by law.
ABC – Always Be Converting
Ultimately, the best way to ensure a healthy marketing database is to capture customer emails at every opportunity and with every interaction. After all, customers expect attentive and personalized service. So how can you provide such service if you treat them like strangers? Take the time to get to know your customers and watch your sales explode!
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