I’ve just bought a new coat (yes – this is still a direct marketing blog!) The thing is: I don’t need it. Not that this has ever stopped me before. Only this time, I didn’t even go looking for it. I didn’t even place myself in temptations way and yet, somehow, this coat found its own way to me. It literally turned up right there in my inbox. And, let’s be honest, after all the effort it’d made to get to me, it would have been rude to turn it away. So now I have a new coat and a severely dented bank balance. I also have a new found respect for the company who managed to sell it to me. It’s a prime example of how lucrative email marketing can be when it’s used to its full potential. Let’s start at the beginning…

A couple of months ago I subscribed to the e-newsletter of said clothing company (which I shall now refer to as company A). I provided them with my email address on the premise that they would inform me about all the latest news and offers. As promised, I have since received on average one email from them a week, sometimes two. Uncharacteristically, I have opened them all (this from a person who can barely muster up the energy to open emails from friends.) Even more out of character, I intend to keep on opening them – I look forward to it. So, what is it that company A is doing so right?

There’s a fine line between making your customers feel valued and pestering them. Most people’s inboxes are already overflowing and so it’s crucial that you make sure that the content of the email is of sufficient interest to the recipient that there is justification in sending it. Too much, or too little, contact can have a damaging effect on relationships.

Company A has found this line. They contact me on a fairly regular basis, but always about new stock or offers that are of interest to me. I am not contacted about developments with the men’s range. This may mean they lose out on a small proportion of people looking to buy for the man in their life, but it will ensure they don’t annoy, and ultimately lose, valuable customers who don’t want to be bombarded with emails that aren’t targeted to them.

I am kept up to date on all important events and offers at the shop, and am made to feel that my custom is valued. I have subscribed to other companies before and barely heard a peep out of them. Finding out about special offers or developments second hand makes your customers feel undervalued. Not the best way to build loyalty.

There is another benefit of company A too – their website. The email links directly to the page on the product / event that they are writing to tell me about (no time wasted manoeuvring through their home page to find the right section). The site is easy to navigate with lots of information and it’s quick to load – making buying fast and simple.

The combined effort of Company A led to a successful sale. They didn’t bombard me with emails which may have led me to unsubscribe. They kept in contact with me enough, and about things of interest, so that I wanted to always open their emails. The usability of their site made it a pleasant experience to buy, and so ultimately I did. They took away all the obstacles between me and my purchase and it worked. It’s simple when you look at it, but so many companies get this kind of marketing wrong.

For many companies, the problem lies in that they are too preoccupied with the ‘hunt’ – drawing in new subscribers. There’s something compelling about rejection, or even, indifference. It must be the child in us that has the urge to wave our hands about and scream ‘Hey, Look at me! I’m right here!’ We crave attention and we do what we have to in order to get it. We offer free prize draws and promise exciting new offers to anyone that signs up to our newsletter or follows our blog. It’s almost becomes an obsession. Unfortunately, many companies are so caught up with the initial ‘catch’, they fail to deliver the goods to those who do subscribe.

Reaching new parts of your market is important, but so is looking after those you’ve got. After all, you’ve already done half of the work with them. Spend time developing your relationship with those who have already shown interest in your company. Reward their loyalty. Offer them exclusive offers, or give them first refusal on events, anything that shows them that they’re valued. Business might be said to be about the head over the heart, but I don’t know many customers (particularly consumers) who would buy from a company that didn’t make them feel worthwhile.