Some people mistakenly think that lifecycle management applies only to companies that sell products or services. After all, one of the most powerful applications of lifecycle management is timing communications that fit into customers’ place in the sales cycle. The opportunities are endless – retailers and travel sites tailoring message content and timing based on past purchases, cable companies developing complete lifecycle programs to maximize ROI and retention, etc.
But what about emailers who offer content-driven newsletters? These folks often feel at a disadvantage because they typically offer informational content at regular intervals. And the “product” they offer isn’t something you put in a shopping cart. They can’t offer free shipping to subscribers who haven’t purchased in 60 days. Their money is usually made by traffic - the more people who open and click through to their site, the more advertising dollars they command.
However, like retailers they still deal with some common issues and opportunities: subscriber churn, inactive subscribers, opportunities to segment lists, and the ability to identify what lifecycle stage a subscriber is in. So it’s critical for newsletter senders to understand their subscribers’ lifecycles and use this information to create effective campaigns. Check out these ideas to get moving on the right track.
Take stock of current inventory
Perform an assessment of your current newsletter offerings. Do you have the right mix of newsletters for your readers? Are there opportunities to create new ones or spin-offs from existing ones?
Answering these questions will allow you to have a richer set of “products” available to readers that might extend their lifecycles. For example, if you offer a newsletter for expectant mothers, also offering one for parents of newborns is something to consider if it fits your business model. This latter newsletter could be promoted in the one for soon-to-be mothers and extends your subscriber lifecycle enormously. Think about opportunities like this in your business - you’ll probably find several if you look hard enough.
Map out early stage of subscriber relationship
Retailers take great care in developing programs to nurture new customers, and so should you. Kick off the relationship with a great welcome message that confirms their subscription, thanks them for signing up, and cross-promotes other newsletters.
Think about ways you can leverage conditional content in existing newsletters sent to new subscribers who signed up less than 30 days ago. For example, in existing newsletters your editor might want to include a short personal note asking new subscribers what they think about the newsletter and ideas for improvement.
Put yourself in the shoes of a new subscriber and brainstorm for other ideas on how you can create a more valuable experience for them. Adding content that only new subscribers will see is easy to do with the conditional content capabilities of email service providers.
Stay tuned - next month I’ll outline more ideas on this topic.
