How often do you reach out and “touch” your customers
with some kind of marketing contact? Only when you are selling something? Or
when it’s time to send a bill? If so, then you need to rethink your strategy. Successful
marketers have regular contact with their customers, whether they are selling
something or not. Let’s look at three examples of reaching out in ways that go
beyond the direct sale:
- At the holidays, one software manufacturer sends each
customer a personalized greeting
card to demonstrate its cross-media capabilities and stay top of mind.
To stay top of mind year round, it sends a personalized wall calendar with extensive personalized
imagery.
- Using an automated system, medical and dental practices
send automated, personalized
appointment reminders using their customers’ preferred method of
contact—personalized e-mail, text, or postcard.
- To nurture customer loyalty, one manufacturer
launched a quarterly, personalized
customer newsletter. It segments the newsletter by vertical market and
uses personalized URLs to track which articles customers read. This gives
the manufacturer invaluable insight into its customers’ business needs.
These are just three examples, but there are many others. Consider
the benefits of customer surveys, open house invitations, birthday cards, company
announcements, and more.
Notice that these campaigns contain personalization, and
yours should, too. Customers are used to seeing personalized communications,
and their contacts from you should be no exception. You should personalize your
direct mail and e-mail communications, even if it’s simply greeting the person
by name. Your competitors and their other business partners are personalizing. You
want to stand out for what you are doing
instead of what you are not.
So reach out and “touch” your customers. Do it
regularly. Do it often. When you do, be sure to personalize it!
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