I don’t know about you but I get a lot of spam email over the course of a day. You know what is the difference between me swiping it into oblivion or opening it? Two quick things:
Who it’s from and what the subject line is.
If it’s from an individual — even a name I don’t recognize — I’ll open it. If it’s from a company I don’t regularly do business with, I move onto my second time saver — reading the subject line. If the subject line interests me, I’ll open it. If it’s something I need, I’ll open it. If I’m unclear, I’ll still open it. Better to be safe than sorry. If the subject line states what’s inside is something I’m not interested in…swipe.
Obviously the better someone “knows” me and my likes the more likely they will get my attention and the more likely I am to open the email.
You may be wondering why a promotional product marketing person is talking about spam. The reason I am is if you are giving out random promotional products that are not inline with your company’s goals or your ideal customer’s preferences, you are “spamming” people with products.
Your tchotchke is ending up underneath their kid’s bed, lost in a drawer somewhere, or in a pile of things to give to charity. If they don’t have a use for it, if it doesn’t appeal to them, they’ll ignore it.
Much like how I treat spam.
Making Your Promotions More Valuable to Your Customer
If on the other hand, you give your customers something they want, that serves a purpose in their life or they find interesting or entertaining, they’ll hold onto it. Just like with email, if it’s tossed you’re not getting the marketing opportunity and eventual sale.
Figure out what your customers like, what is of value to them. What are they worried about? What do they need? What do they struggle with? What entertains them? Knowing these things about the demographic you serve will keep your precious marketing dollars out of the trash.
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