Acquiring Leads

The selection and use of third party email lists, the types of offers that tend to work best and the economics are different from retention email. There are also differences in how to approach creative.

Email prospecting works for many companies … but not for all. Success is the combination of the right offer, to the right list with the right creative.

Defining Objectives and Strategy

• Establish goals for campaign
• Decide what you want to learn
• Determine how you will measure success
• Create permission standards

Establishing Goals for Campaigns

Generate leads

• Sell a product or service
• Create awareness
• Drive retail traffic
• Collect names to monetize (third-party list rental, ad banners in newsletters)
• Grow online sales
• Minimize customer acquisition costs

Build loyalty and satisfaction

• Sell product(s) or service(s)
• Reduce the cost of communications
• Drive retail traffic
• Improve purchase frequency
• Grow online sales
• Cross-sell and up-sell
• Build lifetime customer value

Decide What You Want to Learn From Prospecting

What target lists will be most receptive to my offer?

• Within those target lists are there segments that will perform better?
• Is there a difference in response with text and HTML formats?
• Does long or short offer copy work?
• Once I receive a lead, what is the cycle time to convert the individual to a customer and is that different from other marketing channels?
• What subject lines will give me the highest response?

Determine How You Will Measure Success

• Cost per lead
• Cost per qualified lead – that matches internal criteria
• Cost per order
• Site traffic
• Site registrations
• Roll-out potential to the market