Let’s go back to the late 90’s and see which online marketing program was the killer app for customer relationship management (CRM).
Was it Database Segmentation and Management, or Email Marketing?
Many of you have invested in databases but the customer-facing program, the killer CRM app from my seat has always been email marketing.
But something in the last decade has changed. What happened? Unfortunately with all the economic pressures of 2000 present, email marketing is no longer laying CRM eggs that are golden.
You just have to look at email from a consumer’s perspective. When you do, that picture is certainly not pretty.
If you are like most online merchants we speak to, email marketing (although your number one or two most profitable sales/marketing channel) has likely seen a dramatic decline in efficiency and effectiveness over the last few years. If you would take it one step further and ask your consumer for their opinion about your email program, I wonder what feedback you would receive.
As marketers we have frankly blown it! Destroyed the golden goose of email marketing and all the CRM potential it holds. You simply need to answer these few questions to know the lack of its CRM scalability in the next few years.
- Have your email captures been declining?
- Have you needed to capture emails with questionable permission tactics to maintain capture levels?
- Are you seeing email opens decline?
- Have you seen your deliverable rate decline? (people setting up ghost email addresses to not be spammed)
- How many personal email addresses do you have online to hide your identity?
- Are you seeing your email clickthroughs declining?
- Have you increased your email cadence in the last 2 years? Are you seeing better results per cadence?
- Have you seen opt-outs remain flat over the last 2 years?
Now for an alternative view, if email ever were taxed as a revenue source for the internet (i.e. – sales tax nexus …yes, vision out what that would do to your decisions to use it) how would that affect your email channel and, on a bigger view, your entire online business? If you think taxation will never happen, policy-makers have made decisions before to the detriment of business. I remember when postage cost 12 cents. Let me ask you. As a result of the massive postage increases we had in the last decade, what does your catalog circulation look like today vs only 3 years ago?
I think we all, as marketers, need to begin thinking about how to respect our consumers email inboxes; how to effectively change our email programs to better benefit our consumers; how to right the email ship around making your email CRM program more effective.
So what is the next killer app for CRM in the age of Social Media?
- Have you ever thought about your Social Media program in terms of Customer Relationship Management?
- Have you thought about using your current customers to AMPLIFY your brand offers and conversations to acquire new customers and new social commerce revenue?
If you haven’t, it is time to jump on your bike and begin peddling hard and fast. No business can continue to churn up customer relationships and then allow them to simply slide into the 13+ month segment any longer.
#1 Have you looked at your 13+ month buyer file and viewed the relative numbers and percentage of one time buyers in this group?
#2 Have you determined what it costs to acquire each order?
#3 Have you totaled the cost of lost income from #1 multiplied by #2 to your business.
“The Path to Social Proof” is the theory that people will do something when they see others doing it. This applies even more when these people are similar to us. We often decide what to do (perhaps make a purchase) based on what others are doing. It isn’t the only factor in our buying decision-making process but it is a key one. Social media and Social Proof are tied at the hip.
Social Sharing, “the broadcasting of our thoughts and activities”, is another new trend in Social media. According to Harvard Business Review it is part of a new more macro trend they call “ubiquitous sharing”. It’s not a fad — it’s growing and growing. Social Sharing is a social phenomenon.
• What are you doing?
• Where are you doing it?
• Who are you doing it with?
• What do you like?
• Who do you “Like”?
• Who are you “Following” and who are your
“ADVOCATES” (people who spread the message about you)
At ShoppeSimple Network we have fused the concepts of Social Proof with Social Sharing into a powerful and proven Sustaining Social CRM program we developed and call Push The Button.
ShoppeSimple Network’s Push The Button program plugs directly into your business and enhances what you are already doing with social and mobile media. Quickly through Push The Button, your consumers will be having conversations with their “Trusted Referrals” AMPLYIFYING your brand offers to consumers you know and, more importantly, consumers you don’t know through Facebook, Twitter, email, MyHome pages, ShoppeHub, ShoppeSafe and, certainly not least, mobile sharing.
Through Push The Button, you will see higher average order values, increase order conversion rates, find new social consumers and reactivate older ones by delivering permissioned, brand messaging multiple times a day, 365 days a year. We do all of this for your business turnkey. You will be up and running in less than 10 days without any up front implementation costs. We simply work with you for an affordable monthly subscription fee or revenue share, whichever works best for you.
Why not let us show you how Push the Button will work for your business and drive new incremental social and mobile commerce in as little as 30 days or you don’t pay. That’s our guarantee.
Best
Jeffery
P.S. – This week, I spoke to a full house of marketers at the Midwest Direct Marketing Association’s Annual Conference. My talk was entitled “Is Your Social Toast Burning?”. It was a really fun presentation and it gave me an AHA moment or two.
The first was when I asked the room by a show of hands, “How many felt that their business was Doing Social Right?” The answer was no hands raised. Not surprised!
The second was when I asked, “How many in the audience were generating at least 1% of their online sales volume using social media?” Hands raised… ZERO…yes ZERO!
This led me to think maybe your organization would like me to speak directly to your Team and help your business take the necessary steps along the path to Social Commerce success. If this makes sense, just call me at 612-349-2740 or email me at jeff@shoppesimplenetwork.com.
P.P.S. – You will be able to view the MDMA presentation on June 3rd by clicking here.