In an economy where everyone is cutting back and conserving their spending, sometimes just changing how we do things can positively influence our lives without costing us additional dollars. Walking to the train versus driving to work or ordering out less changes the routine and yields positive returns immediately. The same holds true to email marketing.
In regular discussions to improve deliverability, click-through activity and apply email marketing best practices we outline short- and long-term goals and items that can be implemented immediately. Viral marketing, a topic that comes up in nearly every conversation, is often the item that can be implemented immediately to acquire new customers at little to no cost.
There are a few approaches to implementing a viral marketing program. In many cases it is as fundamental as adding a navigational link above the fold. Your ESP or software provider can demonstrate how this function works if you do not know how to incorporate this. How much customization you can have for your landing page and forwarded message will depend on the ESP. In some cases the message will be automated and basic, with a link in the body of the email being sent. Explore your options to see if you can add custom language or branding. In certain applications it is not desirable or appropriate to forward the message as it contains personal information. In this case consider a separate landing page or Web form to capture the information and trigger a new email. Some clients go a step further and develop incentives and reward programs for viral leads.
It’s important to follow permission-based marketing best practices for viral programs. Don’t send further marketing messages to recipients of viral messages until they opt in on their own accord. Tracking tools and email threads make it tempting to act on this data, but don’t pursue this without their permission.
Unless your specific application does not support viral marketing I strongly encourage you to incorporate it. It is fast, easy and presents new opportunities. It is important not to overlook this critical component of email marketing. If you do you may be leaving easy money on the table.
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