E-Mails: As relevant as a one-on-one conversation?
When creating an e-mail campaign the crucial question we have to ask ourselves should be: How can we elevate marketing e-mails to (or close to) the level of a personal conversation?
Most importantly, the rapid technological advancement in recent years has provided us and many other e-mail marketers worldwide with countless new opportunities. A wide range of heterogenic factors (based on personal data as well as behavior) can now be gathered, intelligently analyzed and applied when creating e-mail campaigns. Starting with controlling when the e-mail is being sent up to providing personalized product recommendations.
E-mails that know what time it is?
Of course that doesn’t mean it’s time to sit back and relax. Because personal factors are not the only thing that matters when it comes to content relevance. The context in which the e-mail is being read plays a significant role. Responsive design enables us to send e-mails that automatically detect the device that is being used to open the e-mail. Now, let’s think one step further!
Picsonal: E-mails that KNOW what time it is!
Combining images with other analytical tools offers a whole new way to send tailor-made messages. That’s why we teamed up with Kickdynamic, Ltd. This strategic partnership is the basis of the platform and integration service Picsonal by Publicare – powered by Kickdynamic. Here are just a few of the possible applications:
Location awareness
 Dynamic branch locator
Customers of a company will receive an e-mail with a discount offer. This sale will be going on in all branches for the next three days. In order to support the campaign effectively, the location of the branch closest to each recipient should be displayed. But where is this customer right now? At home in New York? With friends in Berlin? With family in Moscow? There is no way of knowing in advance. But we will find out. Because each time the e-mail is opened, the recipient’s location has already been determined – and the nearest branch location will automatically be displayed.
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Time awareness (1)
 Countdown
Your coupon is only good for one week? You can only enter the raffle today? Time restriction is a popular motivator and conversion driver. The urgency of calls-to-action can be increased by adding a countdown. Each time the e-mail is opened, the actual time difference is determined and the countdown starts. This type of countdown can also be used when a new product is being launched, an event is about to start, and so on.
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Time awareness (2)
Greetings and product recommendations based on the time of day
Linking offers to the time of day when addressing the customer: A contact who checks his e-mail late in the day? Why not wish him “good evening” while recommending the appropriate bedtime reading material you carry in your product line? Or maybe a nice relaxing tea! Your contact will be stunned when he opens the same e-mail the next morning and is greeted with “good morning!” |
Weather awareness
 Weather based sightseeing tips and product recommendations
Tour organizers can provide their customers with weather updates for their destination straight to the customers’ smartphone. Or even sightseeing tips right on the spot. For instance if it’s nice and sunny out, you may want to suggest climbing or hiking. If it’s raining maybe a trip to the museum is in order. Product recommendations can also be issued based on the weather at your recipient’s location. Indoor products for crappy weather and outdoor products for good weather. This is how the conversion rate can further be optimized depending on the context.
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Device awareness
 App download
Many companies offer apps for download onto mobile devices. This usually means that several different download options have to be available for different app stores. But now you can get rid of those redundant alternate download options for mobile e-mails! Depending on whether the recipient is using an iPhone or an android device, the corresponding download button can be displayed dynamically. .
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Store awareness
Item sold out?
Promotions that feature a specific item from an online store face a dilemma: If they turn out to be more successful than anticipated, this item could possibly sell out in no time. The commitment of all “too late clickers” is wasted. At the checkout page they are disappointed once they come to realize the item they wanted is no longer available. There is no need waste precious buying interest. You can automatically display and link alternative solutions in your e-mail right from the beginning. Previous purchase information or web analytics data can also be helpful in refining the rules for delivery of your dynamic images.
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… and so much more!
 Social media for example: latest tweets
Does your company tweet a lot? Even the latest tweets can be delivered in sync with your marketing e-mails.
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 Advanced analysis options
Context sensitive image delivery has yet another advantage: Not only does the recipient always receive the right content but you receive more information about the context in which the e-mail was received.. |
 Advanced possibilities for campaign optimization
Just think about the possibilities of a dynamic A/B testing campaign in real time: The image with the best response is automatically displayed to the majority of receivers without first running a separate A/B list split and A/B test run. |
