• by Ryan Deutsch , April 2, 2009

While skipping over commercials last night on the DVR, I found myself stopping at specific Apple commercials -- specifically the iPhone Application ads. I couldn't help but draw the parallel between the ads flying by me on the TV and the myriad of email subject lines I skim each day in my inbox.

So why did the Apple ads make me pause the DVR, rewind and watch? Can we apply the same motivation to opening specific emails in an otherwise cluttered inbox?

Apple's advertisements grabbed my attention because they help enhance my experience with the iPhone, informing me of new tools that may be of interest. If a broadcast media like TV can educate the consumer on new product features, think about the implications of email, the most targeted channel of them all.

Here are a couple of ideas for marketers looking to use email to reduce churn and enhance the customer's overall experience simply by delivering the right message cadence at the right point in the customer relationship.

The "Micro" Customer Lifecycle
While email is great for annual consumer lifecycle communications (birthdays, etc.), it is also excellent for what I call "micro" lifecycle events. These are windows of time in which the customer is making a decision that impacts his/her relationship with a product or brand. As an example, many businesses evaluate solutions before they buy. This evaluation period gives a marketer the opportunity to deliver valuable product information across a definitive window of time.

Take Sun Microsystems' "Try and Buy" program. The program allows technology buyers to "test" Sun Products for 60 days and then make a purchase or return the product. Think about the lifecycle email opportunity within this window:

(1) A welcome message provides details and parameters around the program.
(2) Weekly communications educate the evaluation team on features and capabilities that differentiate the product.
(3) Every other week, case studies are delivered that show how similar companies within the evaluators' industry use the technology.
(4) Surveys are delivered at 30- and 60-day intervals to gauge the overall experience.
(5) You could also go completely crazy and integrate a "chat" component into every message. If the team evaluating the product needs to ask a question, the answer will rarely be more than a click away.

Many businesses have these micro lifecycle events (think about a consumer planning a trip or purchasing a car). Take a closer look at how business and consumers interact with your organization. If you can identify a few micro lifecycle events, there could be a great opportunity to increase email cadence, value and overall impact to the business.

The eMail Professor
I am convinced that I only use about 30% of the features on most of my gadgets. With that being the case, I'm surprised that email marketers have yet to leverage the email channel to truly enhance my experience with their products. Just sitting at my desk, I see my Casio digital camera, a Maxtor external hard drive, my iPhone and an HP all-in-one printer. Aside from Apple, which does an excellent job of using email to enhance my use of their products, the other brands have successfully established email silence.

For example, I can tell you I know relatively little about the features on my Casio digital camera. I would welcome communications that allowed me to better use the device. So I thought, why not jump to Casio's site in search of product education opportunities. After all, I may not have opted in during registration. Even after re-registering my product AND subscribing to the company's email program, it was the same old stuff -- offers, offers, offers. Am I really ready to buy a tri-pod when I still can't get the date set correctly?!

Most businesses we work with maintain a wealth of data on their customers, and those with registration data certainly know who owns what products. Leveraging this information to send targeted tips on product features, care and maintenance serves to reduce churn and increase the likelihood of repeat business.

I understand why email is so insanely popular with direct marketers -- it's inexpensive, effective, fast, accountable, etc. But, as direct marketers, we should consider how our incredibly flexible channel can be used to help our brands do more than just sell.

Schedule a meeting this week with your VP of customer care and ask how email can help educate clients on products and services, reducing inbound calls to the call center and improving customer experiences. Schedule a meeting with direct sales and discuss where email could fit into the pre-sales process and part of a "mini lifecycle event."

You have one of the best communication "gadgets" in your organization. It's only fair to share your toys.

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