Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

Unless your list is made up of rabid fans who dote upon your every word, and unless your offers convert like hot cakes, my prediction is that mid way through the second or third week you'll begin to see higher than average unsubscribes OR, that you'll begin seeing progressively lower open rates.

To protect the integrity of your list it might first be better to send a message to your whole list in which there's a like to an online poll. In that poll I suggest you explain the value you're about to unleash (I mean, "provide"), and I suggest you ask your list (in exchange for something of value as a reward for their cooperation) if they WANT to hear from you three times a week, every week, forever and ever. Amen.

S'your list, do whatever you want. But know this: simply because the new VP might want to make a point to show how jolly clever he or she is, ultimately, the value in the list is what matters, NOT the opinions, wants, or whims of the new VP.

OR ... segment your list and send variations of your 3x offers to people who buy regularly, to people who buy less frequently, to people who haven't spend t dime in the last 2 to 3 years, and to people who are on your list but who have NEVER bought from you.

If the new VP spouts that old chestnut about "the money is in the list", this person is an idiot, and a dangerous one at that. The money is NOT in the list, the money is in the relationship with the people ON the list. Mess with the balance of value received and you might kill sales.

The thing here is to test and research. Refine the message and offer combinations, then test and research some more. The messages in the e-mail are only part of the whole picture. Your landing pages and what's on THEM matters too.

That ought to have been "link", not like. Sorry.

Gary knows what he's talking about. What proof, research, testing has the new VP provided to support his/her plan?

Steve--He said this email strategy worked for him before at his previous job.

Also, he would like to switch our ESP to Constant Contact. Currently we use one that integrates with our CRM and Google Analytics. CC does not. Not sure I have much control over this change.

What your VP did elsewhere is IRRELEVANT!

He needs to clearly articulate what he means by "it worked" because really, that's not something I'd want to bank. It worked by WHAT margin? Over what period of time? With what fallout? In what niche? With what LONG TERM effect compared to previous years with the same list? With what number of unsubscribes and un-opens.

As a metric, "it worked" does NOT fill me with confidence.

From whom is this person receiving his instructions? The Pointy-Haired Controller?

As for your list management, now is probably NOT the best time to migrate the whole list (on what appears, at first blush, to be a whim) to a system that currently suites your CRM needs AND your tracking needs.

Thank you so much. Very helpful!!!

Just backing up most of what Gary said.

Mailing lists are geese that lay golden eggs. Killing them doesn't make you rich, it makes you poor.

They need tending, cosseting and treating with gentle care. In the mean time, take notes and keep screenshots as an example of what not to do - so that you can use this when advising as a consultant in a future life.

Remember: test, test and test again. That way you'll know what works - this time and in this circumstance and this economy.