Return On Subscriber – Email Marketing Blog

The economy is bringing the timeless art of coupons back to the forefront.

A few recent statistics:

34% of female consumers are using coupons more frequently today than they were six months ago, & nearly 70% of the 4,500 respondents said they would print and redeem Internet coupon for products they would be interested in purchasing. - Burst Media

Google searches for the term “coupons” last month for the first time surpassed those for “Britney Spears.” – Ad Age

51% of 18-24 year-old shoppers indicate that they would be very likely to use coupons presented to them online – Platform A & IRA

While historically ambivalent to traditional coupons, younger couples are the most likely life-stage group to use online coupons, indicating an opportunity to influence product choices within this segment – Platform A & IRA

Young couples without children are among the respondents most likely to use a coupon they found online, followed by shoppers with younger children – Platform A & IRA

Like it or not, coupons are moving purchases in the current economic climate. Email Marketing provides the unique ability to hyper-target offers to specific subscribers based on past activity and past purchases.  For example, the Burst Media survey found that three-quarters (75.2%) of women ages 35-54 indicated they would print and redeem an Internet coupon, compared to 62.2% of women ages 18-34 and 67.7% of women age 55 and older. Do you have those segments?  Are you using them? (more…)

“1 week only: Free Custom Cover Book”.  Awesome right?  No.  It’s actually a “Buy one Get one Free” offer. Semantics?  No.  Bummer?  Yes! These types of misleading subject lines do more damage to the brand than the subscriber.

Fool me once? Shame on you.  Fool me Twice?  Ask George W. 

Now maybe I misintrepreted this email from Snapfish, but it look like to me it says: “order one, get the second free with Coupon Book108″.  Isn’t that called “Buy One Get One Free”?

This tactic may work in other marketing channels but it’s not going to work in email.  We will find out the true offer the moment we open the email.

Be honest and your audience will trust you.  Trick them and they will stop listening. Or worse, they will unsubscribe.

I know that I have commented before on this, but I have been let down again and again but consumer email efforts. Consumer email marketing has moved toward the marketing strategy, which the auto industry affectionately calls, “people moving.” It is all about how can I get people in (or on) my store ASAP. We can worry about next weekend next week. I have had to reduce my frequency or unsubscribe all together for a ton of email I am subscribed to because there has not been any notable value in their email programs. Everything from Nordstrom to Anthropologie to Ruth’s Chris to Circuit City to Ritz Camera is all about SALE, SALE, SALE. Yeah, I get it, you are having an amazing online sale this weekend. What happened to the days of your corner store providing great value and customer service? Because of that, you shopped again and again. You had quality product, quality customer service and always were willing to listen. Email marketing for consumers has turned into speed dating, I miss the days of being wined and dined.

(more…)