Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Email Campaign Not Getting Results

Posted by carriemulcahy on 9/28/2011 at 10:30 PM ET 250 Points
I am conducting an email campaign for a market research company (pharma) who has developed an innovate approach to conducting research - biggest take-aways - Saves money and time.

My client's list is not permission based so I'm working with a list of investors and pharma market researchers who don't know my client.

My open rate has been 6% and clicks at 1% with 70-80% no opens. I've sent three emails with only three people asking for more information.

My question is - is there anyone out there working in pharma/medical device that could offer some advice on subject lines and content that will entice the reader to take action? Or folks working with a non-persmission based list?

Subject lines tested:
- Breakthrough technology for market researchers - 30% off - introductory offer
- Pharma case study - learn how to save money and time accessing real-time data - 30% off - act today
- Need to know now? Access real-time data with (client) - 30% off - Expires October 31st (this received the lowest open rate)

Thanks

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  • Posted by AdsValueBob on 9/28/2011 at 11:34 PM Accepted
    "developed an innovate approach to conducting research - biggest take-aways - Saves money and time"

    I would start with egg first - why was this product hatched in the first place. What market need was it filling?

    Is this just some by-product of some project that they decided to market it, and there may not be an active market for the service (such a narrow niche).

    What did their market research say they were targeting before they built the product?

    Have they tried any other methods to market their service and how did they perform? Email is good for some products and awful for others.

    How good is the list and does it align with the desired market? Can you make their list opt-in by pre-emailing and getting their opt-in?

    Answer those questions and they will be a foundation to move forward. "Build it and they will come" may not be applicable here.

    I'm not focused on research but the subject lines to me seem a little "too good to be true-ish" since (good) research is structured.

    Please provide more feedback so we can chew on your question some more.

    Bob

  • Posted by carriemulcahy on 9/28/2011 at 11:51 PM Author
    Thanks Bob - great feedback. The product is a bit advanced for the industry. Pharma companies ask Docs questions to the Docs mobile/email and get answers. It is great because they literally get the answers to their questions in minutes instead of weeks for half the cost.

    Problem is they don''t seem to get it. The list is supposedly of "market researchers" but maybe they aren''t the decision makers.

    I''ve never sent an email asking for people to opt-in. Does that really work?

    My next email is to invite them to a webinar about an efficient form of market research.

    Hope this provides more information to get additional feedback :-)
  • Posted on 9/29/2011 at 6:11 AM Accepted
    I think the problem is that you are selling a tool, not a result. "Saves money and time" isn't worth anything if the benefit isn't something I want. It's like selling a bigger screwdriver or a heavier hammer. (Heavier hammer means fewer strokes to hammer a nail. That saves time/money too.)

    This is a common problem for market researchers. Their customers are ultimately line managers with information needs for decision support. If they can't use the information to make smarter decisions (that will make them more money), then the research tool is worthless. The fact that it saves time and/or money doesn't matter.

    You need to focus on the true benefit. Saving time/money are secondary, or even tertiary, benefits. (Saving money isn't even really a benefit. It's a pricing issue. You can "save money" by reducing the price.)

    Your problem is a fundamental positioning issue more than anything else.
  • Posted by carriemulcahy on 9/30/2011 at 10:31 AM Author
    Thanks MGoodman & Monmark Group.

    @ MGoodman - you're spot on about selling a tool and not a result. I have a lead generation specialist following-up a our clicks and hoping that she will find out what makes the market researchers tick. My client hasn't been able to clearly define what the benefits are except for "real-time data." There are a few benefits but which ones resonate with the market researchers :-)

    @ Monmark Group - I'm in the process of doing a press release (series) for my client.
  • Posted on 9/30/2011 at 2:35 PM Moderator
    A "lead-generation specialist" isn't likely to figure out what the benefit is. It's not her job. If she stumbles into the right answer, how will you (or she) recognize it as the answer, and how can you be confident that the answer applies beyond the few people she interviews?

    You need real market research among the target audience for this one, I'm afraid. When the issue is the positioning benefit, you don't want to wing it.
  • Posted by carriemulcahy on 10/3/2011 at 12:55 AM Author
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