Tuesday, April 17, 2007

5 tricks to develop a successful permission based marketing strategy


Permission marketing is about building an ongoing relationship of increasing depth with customers. In the words of Seth Godin, "turning strangers into friends, and friends into customers." Permission marketing has been hailed as a way for marketers to succeed in a world increasingly cluttered with marketing messages,because permission marketing initiatives are directed to only those who’ve already agreed to receive information about your products or services.
Permission marketing works well and generates high response rates for any size of businesses. Here’s how you can create a perfect permission marketing strategy.

1. Define the irresistible offer
Consumers have a selective nature and so they grant a company permission to communicate only when they know what's in it for them. You have to provide immediate rewards to your prospects for paying attention to your messages. Offer something that your customers will want to learn more about and may be unable to find elsewhere, such as newsletters, ebooks, magazines, free offers, gift certificates, etc.

2. Create a targeted business list
Having your own database is a must. If you already have a clean and updated file with contact info of your prospects and customers, then that will work the best. If you don’t then you can compile one through industry directories, website, current customers, and their referrals. You may also buy a customized list relevant for your industry. Verify all email addresses in the list – if they don’t work get them appended, as accuracy is the key factor behind the success of your permission marketing campaign.

3. Create the opt-out message
This is the most critical part of your campaign. The opt-out message should be framed in a way that it creates a positive image of your company. It should also provide an immediate benefit and tell the person about the advantages of opting in. You are respecting the privacy of your prospects by asking them to opt-out. This also ensures that you get to target only those people who are genuinely interested.

4. Craft the perfect pitch
Remember that permission marketing builds trust via a two-way relationship with your customers. You need to be ready to talk about their needs and concerns, not simply to get their business. Your marketing campaign should touch those pain-points of your prospects, so that they get touched by your message, and take the next step.

5. Reinforce the relationship
Keep reinforcing the relationship as your permission marketing program matures. Maintain regular contact with your prospects (at least once a month) and keep reminding your prospects how and why the conversation started. Give them the option to unsubscribe at any time during the process. If you keep offering value to your clients, they would never get a reason to opt-out.

At each step, try a mix of different options available and select the best one for your business. By applying these methods you can run a highly effective permission marketing campaign that will generate more business for your organization.

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