• by Blaine Mathieu , April 12, 2010

Marketers have less bandwidth and smaller budgets to work with these days. But that doesn't mean that management has lowered expectations for revenue from marketing campaigns. With fewer resources than ever, how do successful marketers find budget-friendly ways to generate sales and reinforce brand messaging?

Automated email programs, like trigger campaigns, are one way for marketers to earn revenue from their marketing programs. With little investment in time or money, companies can strengthen customer relationships and increase revenue through such programs.

Companies that engage in trigger-based marketing programs are yielding as much as a 400% improvement in response rates over traditional email campaigns. They are matching their knowledge of customer behavior with trigger-based technology that allows them to strike while the iron is hot, all without busting the marketing budget.

The first step is to develop a trigger email plan that defines what will be sent, to whom and when. Consider these important factors:

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1. Set the objectives of your program on a broad level with goals such as increased revenue, decreased attrition or increased response to campaigns.

2. Determine what data and data resources are available to build a program. What segmentation, testing tools and Web analytics are available to guide your company in determining offers, timing and audience? What information do you actually have about customers' preferences and behavior?

3. Inventory all customer communication to determine if any current transactional or marketing email messages can be combined and put into a trigger email program. Then define and develop categories of possible trigger email content and classify by obvious or less obvious opportunities.

4. Think about your recipients first. Are the offers, timing and targeting right for your recipients? If you're brainstorming ideas for trigger email messages, consider conducting a survey of your existing subscriber base or start a Twitter or Facebook thread to get feedback from your audience on what kinds of trigger email they would find useful.

5. Define the triggers to be used. Is it customer-reported data? How about behavioral triggers like opening a new account or a change in spending or purchase habits? Also, determine if you can use your Web analytics to set triggers. Having the ability to send "abandoned shopping cart" messages or use Web visit data to personalize content can mean the development of highly effective trigger campaigns.

6. Set frequency rules and a contact cap. With a complex email follow-up path, you could be sending too many emails or sending emails too frequently to your subscribers.

7. Review response and ROI figures to optimize your trigger email program. Make sure you have a testing plan in place for each trigger and a plan to refine or eliminate any non-performers.

8. Automate, then validate. Although the idea behind trigger email is that the programs are "set and go," review the process regularly. Test the system frequently and revisit any trigger email programs if the marketing strategy, product offerings or other factors change.

A trigger email program gives you the power to send your customers the right message at the precise moment they are most likely to act on it. Automated email campaigns and trigger programs can lead to open rates of 40% or higher and can increase rate of return without putting more pressure on already strained marketing resources or budgets.