Would you Send your Granny a Naked Santa?

You probably wouldn’t send Granny a card or email with this naked Santa unless she had a robust sense of humour. well, email marketing is a bit like that. It’s all about knowing your audience, knowing your voice and deciding on your Brand spin.

When creating your content, there’s still a case for one-size-fits-all when it’s appropriate. But there’s an equally compelling case for taking the time to segment your database so you can create personalised messaging – to be used in combination with the generic.?With personalisation you can send more tailored messaging which acknowledges that you and the recipient have a connection.

When the right Naked Santa is just the ticket.

Will you bore them to bits?

We’ve all received one at some stage – an intimate e-card sent to a few hundred “close” friends. Impersonal and totally boring if you’re not a friend for whom the content will be compelling.

Or those long (and potentially boring) snapshots of ‘the year that was’ with endless details of trips or infants born to relatives you’ll never meet. To the right audience these are a precious memento that keeps your relationship with friends and family alive. But it’s quite unthinking to send them to everyone on your mailing list, including acquaintances, fellow members of your local tennis club, or even worse, business colleagues. And that’s how it feels when sent to an inappropriate recipient – thoughtless.

On a business level sending generic content is something we see all the time. Consider the impact of a customer who receives an email from a company with an introductory offer of a discount for signing up. And then in the terms and conditions it says “not available to existing subscribers”. Does it make you feel like a second-class citizen? Are you annoyed that you’re not getting a discount after being loyal for years, yet newcomers are – of course you are!

Don't insult Granny

If you’re emailing content to your database just because you can, then don’t.?Think first about what they need, what interests them and how they might like to consume it.?Consider this: does it bring anything to them at all???

Before you start, think about what you’re trying to achieve with your content. For instance, if it’s about building credibility in new markets, the strategy, elements and targets will be different to those you’d use to launch a new product.

Granny may well be slighted if you posted her a card with a naked Santa, but it really depends on how it’s packaged.

Maybe a bank would not send a naked Santa but a cheeky marketing company that exclusively works with software and tech would.?

If you don’t like receiving this sort of stuff, then why send it yourself?

What about an e-newsletter that contains information which doesn’t apply or relate to half your database? They’ll see it a few times, quickly scan, then delete because it’s mostly not relevant to them. After a few times, they don’t even bother to scan – just hit delete. You’ve lost their attention and will have to work twice as hard to get it back.

The message is clear – segment your database to reflect the services you provide, the industry category they’re in, the location if it’s relevant, their revenue value to your company and any other vital information that will enable you to specifically target your communications to them. If your CRM isn’t set up that way, then today is a good day to start! Then you can chip away at updating your existing contacts with a view to segmenting your entire customer-base and implementing personalised campaigns as soon as possible.

It’s all about the right message at the right time

Let’s say your main competitor has just been acquired by a global competitor.

The new entity is bigger with deeper pockets but it’s also less agile and free to move. It will also take time for everyone to get comfy together, and priorities and staff may change. This might be the best time to move quickly.

You could re-position your offering, highlighting your smart ‘in-house developed’ technology or skills, your free-thinking, your responsive, accessibility to local staff etc. It’s a great time to be the nimble independent in your patch.

To do this, you might write a Whitepaper on a controversial, topical issue you know a global giant wouldn’t touch. Cut it into some blog posts, lay it out as an infographic, add a summary for social channels and spread the lot around.?

Most of all, if Santa in his birthday suit is your thing, be sure to choose one who won’t offend anyone, including Granny. Something like this might be just the ticket.?

Create the right combination in the right format for each relationship or customer type. It won’t take a lot of extra time if it’s planned and done in sequence, and it’ll be a whole lot more effective. Your customers, prospects and networks are precious – just like your family and friends. Why not make them feel that way??

Merry Christmas,

Matthew