Commentary

New-Member Communication Streams

by editor , David Baker , August 14, 2006

Congratulations, you've just acquired a new e-mail subscriber! Now what do you do? How do you capitalize on the attention of these newly interested individuals and get them engaged with your brand and products? The answer for marketers is usually along the lines of "We just start e-mailing them," or "We hit them with marketing offers," or (raise your hand if this sounds familiar) "We blast them." Is there a rhyme, reason or rationale to your new- member messaging strategy? If not, there should be. Here's why.

New subscribers have just told you they are interested in hearing from you, but that interest can wane rapidly. In an October 2005 study, Informz showed that open and click rates of new subscribers drop noticeably after 30 days, and even more so after 60 days. The bottom line: you have to get new subscribers into the fold quickly. How do you do that? For an increasing number of marketers, the answer is a new-member communication stream. I have been discussing this issue with one of my senior strategists, Richard Rushing. We wondered why more marketers aren't putting more emphasis on this initial introduction. Richard summed up our thinking thus:

At its most basic, a new-member communication stream is a series of e-mails sent to new subscribers highlighting various aspects of a brand, program, or e-mail list subscription, with the goal of sharing knowledge and building affinity, and not just driving response.

This type of communication stream has distinct benefits for us as marketers. It allows us to:

quickly identify those who show interest by opening and/or clicking;

test offers and response;

identify potential laggards (defined as those who do not respond at all);

systematically increase a subscriber's knowledge about us and our products;

begin to manage subscribers' familiarity with and navigation of e-mails through the use of consistent layout, copy, look, and calls to action;

build a relationship with subscribers while they are still in the "honeymoon" period; and

set the stage for future interaction.

The basics of a new-member stream

This communication vehicle can take various forms, but there are several key elements that define the more successful new-member streams.

Frequency. A weekly e-mail is usually optimal. Other e-mails for which a customer has subscribed must be taken into consideration. The last thing we want to do is flood a member in the first few weeks of membership.

Stream length. Usually three to five e-mails will suffice. This should afford you the opportunity to highlight and educate on the program aspects you deem most important.

Relevance and expectations. Tell your new members they are receiving these e-mails specifically because they are new to your list, and set expectations in each e-mail for what to expect with the next e-mail.

Content areas. What you talk about in these e-mails will depend on your business and the level of customer engagement you would like to attain. The most popular topics include: reinforcing the reasons for receiving e-mail from you, how to manage their account, how to use your Web site to find information, and special offers for new members. This is a great testing opportunity, as you will want to find the optimal content areas.

Navigation to previous e-mails. What if a member missed the third e-mail in a stream of four? Not a problem! Just include links within each e-mail that allow the member to view the previous e-mails in the stream. You may choose to allow subscribers to view future versions as well, but you run the risk of deflating open and click rates in doing so.

Alignment with other channels. - If your Web site allows it, serve a targeted message that reinforces the content in the e-mails the new members are receiving.

Regardless of how you choose to message your new members and subscribers, it is absolutely essential to gain their attention, loyalty, and engagement quickly. Since most consumers have e-mail subscriptions with multiple companies, you'll need to go the extra mile to cut through the clutter of the inbox. A well-thought-out, well-executed new-member communication stream may be the key to getting started on the right foot.

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