If you want your email program to thrive than you MUST listen to your subscribers! You need their continuous source of feedback if you want to keep your program strong and improve upon it.
“Do Not Reply”-Those are some scary words!
There is nothing worse than seeing those words in an email marketing message. It’s irrelevant whether it’s a line that says “Do not reply to this e-mail” or in the sender line in the inbox (“do-not-reply@example.com”).
This totally contradicts your efforts to build a relationship with your subscribers, which is obviously needed for a strong email program. These words basically imply that you will not pay attention to them unless they comment appropriately.
The Feedback Link
This is by far the most measurable and direct communication link you have with your subscribers. If you don’t see that traffic bustling in than you should improve upon this link and work on making it more inviting. Here’s how:
- Can subscribers find it? It’s possible they might not be able to if it is stuck down at the bottom somewhere or washed up between a bunch of social networking icons. Make sure it is prominent and stands out to the readers. You can help by using icons or bold fonts to catch the attention of those that have comments.
- Broaden that invitation to connect. Be more specific. Instead of using “Contact us?” encourage feedback with lines such as “How can we help”? or “Have concerns or compliments? We’re listening”.
Social Networks
Although they won’t replace your feedback links, social networks can form another communication channel. You must make sure to answer the most important customer question when inviting participants: “What’s in it for me?”
Use invitation such as “Join the Conversation” or “See What Others are Saying.” Test several out and see which brings the in the best results.
Click to Call/Click to Chat
Another great way to learn what’s on your subscribers mind is through live help links. Once again though, let me emphasize that this doesn’t replace your feedback link.
Ask your call-center staff to research the top reasons why subscribers click those links. Then use those responses in your regular marketing campaigns.
Navigation
Check out your analytics reports if you want to find out what people really do with your e-mail. These metrics provide you with information regarding which navigation element get an excessively high number of clicks or collect no clicks at all. This is a form of unspoken feedback that can help you create better navigation.
Add a side rail, which is a set of links on one side of your message. This is more useful than a single call-to-action. Here you can link to the most popular deals that are not displayed anywhere else in the message. This is a great way to bring attention to your secondary deals without taking away from your main content.
Try changing your navigation you navigation occasionally in order to take advantage of seasonal changes. Observe how click habits change throughout the year. Try Highlighting bargain priced gifts or new seasonal merchandise.
Polls/Surveys
These have three very obvious benefits:
- The feedback deals with topics that you choose
- There is click activity even when subscribers are not in buying mode
- Makes it possible to target and segment your most frequent responders with special deals or invites to join in on advisory panels.
- Make sure to use the information you get from your polls and make it public!
Some Final Words
Now that you are increasing your knowledge and efforts on how to collect feedback- make sure not to let it go to waste! If you don’t use what you’ve learned than you wont be seeing results.
In addition, show the customers and subscribers that you care. If you change something because of their feedback, let them know that you acted accordingly!
Best of Luck- and remember- the Customer is always right!
