Two ways to let email boost recession profits

The sky may not exactly be falling, but the economy keeps getting tighter. This week in the US the House of Representatives couldn't pass a bailout bill to help struggling economic firms, which sent the stock market into a bit of a tailspin. With no end to this struggling economy in sight, is there a way to recession proof your next ad campaign?

by Kristina Knight

Well, there are no guarantees, but here are two ways to help boost profits from email campaigns even during a recession.

First, don't forget about loyalty. Loyalty programs are nothing new but when times get tough financially, everyone begins cutting back. By expanding your loyalty program, your best buyers will be influenced to purchase more products rather than "doing without". Offering deeper discounts, free shipping and add-ons or other benefits will catch consumers' eyes and may influence them to buy with you rather than a competitor.

Second, send fewer communications. Sound counter-productive? Think about it this way: consumers have less money to spend. Why would they want more email to sift through, offering products they can't afford right this second? They wouldn't, and additional emails could cause them to tune out your messages completely. Rather than sending straight promotional messages each week, think about the content you are providing. Give consumers a little bit more - some money saving tricks, allow a coupon to open when they click through on an ad. Marketers could even send out a strategic email asking what consumers on their list are most interested in. Take those answers into account before beginning that next campaign.

Recessions don't have to be the end of your business, but they should change the way you look at advertising. Take a few seconds to examine your email practices to determine if there are ways to tweak the messages into returning a greater profit.

Tags: email marketing, loyalty marketing, loyalty programs, online advertising