Neal Schuler, Creative Director / Schuler Creative Consulting
It occurred to me the other day while I was noodling email subject lines (trying to eke out another 1 or 2% increase in open rate) that even if I was successful, it would only lead to a fraction of a percent of click-through improvement. We tend to call email marketing “consumer direct,” but really, it’s “inbox direct.” This is no joke: I have 42,933 unopened emails in my Gmail inbox. Promotional emails have become invisible. As marketers, we try to get our emails noticed by using emojis in subject lines, or we drive curiosity with verbiage like, “You won’t believe this!” (urgency); “Only hours left!” (exclusivity); “For our best customers” (value); “FREE!!” … and the list goes on and on, like a barker on the midway. Sometimes we get results from barking, but results are more likely due to timing rather than “clever” subject lines.
So, how do we drive consideration (and business) beyond natural demand?
Here’s an idea: PRINT! Not a new medium, but the context is absolutely new. We’re not selling off the page anymore – we’re driving customers online or in-store and building brand awareness. And, in the broader context of consumer marketing, it’s the only pure push strategy. Think about it: when you drop something in the mail, you get a 100% open rate, right? Someone has to remove it from their mailbox and at least glance at it (no clever subject line needed) before deciding what to do with it. Better yet, according to a 2016 USPS study, the majority (55%) of people look at or actually read catalogs. So we’ll call that a “55% click-through rate.”
Now that’s an opportunity: 100% open rate and 55% click-through rate. Imagine if your emails could do that … you wouldn’t even have to consider print! So to any pure play e-comm guy reading this, I encourage you to give print a try. Even if it’s just a postcard, divert some dollars from your current marketing plan to test print. I believe you’ll be surprised by the results.
People tend to dismiss print as an old tactic, but it has a new role in the current market. Here are five things to keep in mind:
- Test and go slow. Start by sending a postcard or small brochure to a measurable control group, then do the math.
- Be bold out of the mailbox. With a 100% open rate, you want to make it count!
- Once you get them past the cover, be sure to present a clear and compelling proposition. With a click-through rate of 55%, you want to covert (get them to shop your website).
- When you’re ready to dip your toe in the water, be sure to work with an experienced print marketing team to ensure you get the most out of the effort (especially for creative, circulation planning and analysis).
- Creative used for a website or emails can’t simply be lifted and printed. A different medium requires a different approach.
Ready to give print a try? Shoot me an email at info@jschmid.com. Our team is made up of the most experienced catalog marketing experts in the country (maybe even the world).
Tags: marketing, marketing plan, neal schuler, open rate