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AN EMAIL MARKETING ROLE MODEL

Email Marketing Role Model If you are a business owner or manager, odds are you're told all the time about the effectiveness good email marketing can have on your business. But what exactly is "good" email marketing? There are so many people doing it wrong these days, it can sometimes be tough to say.

One marketer who gets it right is Borders. I signed up to receive their emails a few months ago while shopping in my local Borders store. While checking out, the cashier asked me if I'd like to become a member of their Borders Rewards Club. In addition to the 10% discount I would get on my current purchase, the cashier promised that with this membership would come special offers and promotions as well as notices of events like book signings taking place at the store.

As an avid reader and frequent customer of Borders, I gladly filled out the necessary paperwork and slipped the Borders Rewards SKU tag onto my keychain. Ever since, each Thursday morning I find an email from "Borders Rewards" in my inbox. As the cashier had promised, these emails include 10 to 25% off coupons, notices of new arrivals, best-seller lists, and invitations to special events.

And low and behold, I look forward to receiving these emails from Borders. While I don't use every single coupon or attend every event they invite me to, the coupons and invitations do compel me to regularly visit the store and buy books and music for myself as well as gifts for others. This makes for a beneficial relationship for both Borders as a marketer and for me as a consumer.

Borders Bookstore Let's take a look at what exactly it is that Borders is doing right. First off, they invited me, a customer at their physical store, to sign up for their email newsletter. In email marketing terms, this is the "opt in subscription" step marketers need in order to build a database full of good email addresses. Second, by including coupons, information, and exclusive invitations, they fulfill their promise of sending emails that I can actually use. Moreover, the "From" line of their emails say "Borders Rewards", so it is obvious to me where the email is coming from and hints at what it might contain. Their email subject lines clearly state exactly what I will find when I open the email. While these subject lines are sometimes a little too lengthy, I can't fault them for it because at least they're putting it all out there.

Another thing that I like is that the coupons, which are the reason I signed up for the Borders newsletter in the first place, are featured prominently in the email. When I click on one I am taken to a PDF version that I can print and use at their store before an expiration date that is clearly indicated not only on the coupon, but also in the email itself, so I know exactly when I need to take action.

So why am I telling you all of this? I don't work for Borders and will in no way be compensated by them for writing this article. I'm simply telling you my positive experiences with an email marketer who's obviously taken its time to figure out what a consumer like me looks for in an email newsletter. And my reward to them is that I go to their store and spend my money.

By making Borders your email marketing role model, you can have the same success with your campaigns. Take the time to get to know your customer. Invite them to receive your email newsletter in a fashion that is non-invasive, such with a subscription sign-up box on your website or in your store. Then be sure to make the content of the emails you send to them something they'll covet. And this doesn't mean bombarding them with advertisements about how great your product or service might be.

Your customers rightfully have a "what's in it for me?" attitude when it comes to email marketing. So make sure your emails to include offers for discounts, free shipping, free gifts, valuable information, and other content that will make them feel all warm and fuzzy. Trust me, they'll reward you by spending money in your store, on your website, in your office, or by taking whatever other action it is that you want them to take.

This article was written by Lillian Taylor, Copywriter at Active Web Group.