Question

Topic: E-Marketing

How Useful Are E-newsletters For B2c?

Posted by lstevens on 6/18/2008 at 5:10 PM ET 125 Points
I'm trying to help my association's members move into the digital age by setting up a email marketing program. I have observed others in our industry (furniture retailers) move away from email newsletters in favor of promotion-based email. Are content-based newsletters useful in a B2C environment? I get B2B all the time and read them, but I've seen a decline in B2C. Is this just because retail as a whole is down and everyone is hungry for the sale? Is the content development of a newsletter just an easy expense for retailers to cut because the ROI is so long in coming?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 6/18/2008 at 5:34 PM Accepted
    It really depends on what your goal is.

    Is it lifetime customers or quick sales? Nothing wrong with either one...just be clear on what you want.

    I firmly beleive in B2C content based newsletters/emails. I actually have several I do for different segments of consumers even! Our goal, however, is long term relationships that might not produce a sale this year...but next year...watch out!

    There is nothing to say that you can't do promotion based emails in a complimentary way to content emails either.

    Maybe an article on how to clean furniture upholstry (make sure it is really good, valuable info) with an offrer for scotchguarding at the end...."for those of you who want to PREVENT having to clean your furniture".

    Content is education. Nothing says you can't educate people in a way that helps them see the value in your product or services as long as the information you give them is valuable on its own as well.

    Best of luck,

    kris
  • Posted by Mark on 6/19/2008 at 4:37 AM Accepted
    Yes, I think you kind of answer your own question. When budget belts tighten, the first things to go are those expenses where you don't see an immediate return.

    It is a short-term approach though.

    There is a place for both promotions and informational newsletters (and hybrids of both). Ultimately it all boils down to the value you offer.

    People are getting more and more discriminating about which emails they read in an ever-more crowded inbox. So they naturally gravitate to those that deliver value to them.

    Promotions can do that. Newsletters can do that. The trouble with promotions is that customers only remain loyal until the next company offers a better deal.

    Newsletters touch subscribers in a different way. They encourage a more emotional and long-term attachment, one that is less easily "stolen" by a competitor. And as kris points out, there's nothing wrong with mixing promotions in with good content.

    The latter need not be a big expense either. There are many cheap sources of good content: what questions are customer service getting and what are the answers? Reader stories and feedback. Guest articles. Articles provided by your suppliers, etc. etc.
  • Posted by lstevens on 6/19/2008 at 8:41 AM Author
    Thanks for the feed back everyone!
  • Posted by matthewmnex on 6/22/2008 at 8:54 PM Member
    I believe that News letters are an essential tool the B2C space. Build brand loyalty and educate your customers They are a long term strategy of course but don't get swayed by what other players are doing.

    Yes, e-commerce type mails are also important to announce a sale or new product line etc. but the NEws letters will ensure that your customers also open your direct marketing ecommerce mails too.

    They will recognise the brand name and trust it enough to open the message.

    it costs almost nothing to send out a nice NL once a month but be sure that the content is relevant and not to commercial - keep it in the spirit of NEWS. Talk about your CSR stratgey etc. employee of the month and things of this nature. Put a human face on your organisation and let your customers connect with you more closely. Talk about what you are doing to save trees for instance or use natural fibre instead of synthetics for your seat coverings etc. etc.

    keep it going for the long term, don't give up on your News Letter strategy. It WILL work in the long run even if it is difficult to measure the specific results.

    Good luck.

    Matthew


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