Developing an e-campaign

Email has not died yet. It is still an effective form of communication, even in the age of Facebook and instant messaging. What many businesses don't realize, however, is that email is a marketing tool that can be used to generate business. And I'm not talking about spam, which is rightly vilified, and will eventually be wiped out or at least severely limited.

What I am talking about is using email to target your customers in an intelligent, research-led way. Many businesses still think that email is just a quicker version of snail mail. They are missing out on a highly effective addition to their e marketing arsenal.

Before you can use email as a proper, effective marketing tool, as part of an e-campaign rather than just a shotgun approach, you need to consider a basic concept in marketing...

The cream of the crop

First of all, don't even bother to use email as a marketing tool until you have identified the top 20 percent of your customer base. These are your best customers. The old 80/20 principle, whereby twenty percent of your customers provide you with eighty percent of your profits, means that you should identify your top 20%, and focus your email campaign on them alone. So identify these people.

And then:

• Consider how they became your customers. Was it via referrals, through a trade show, or through networking?
• Decide just what it is that makes those customers profitable. Why are they your top 20% and what lessons can you learn to help you attract more like them?
• What do you need to tell those customers, or what do they need to know to buy your services? What information do they require?
• What is the best way to reach those customers?

When you know who your top 20% are, make a solemn promise to yourself and your business that you are going to treat them like VIPs, and that your e-campaign will recognize them as the bedrock for future growth.

Future articles will focus on what action you must take to cultivate your 20% list effectively, and develop an e-campaign that will drive sales and build your firm's reputation.