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What Can Toothpaste Teach You About Email Marketing?

Have you noticed how many different kinds of toothpaste there are?

There’s whitening and 24 hour protection. There’s Pro Health and Total. There’s cavity protection and stuff for sensitive teeth. Then they have every combination possible, different levels of whitening and your choice of paste or gel.

I find it pretty annoying, and I’m yet to find anyone who thinks otherwise. But, there’s a lesson here you can apply to your email marketing… without annoying anyone.

First off, let’s look at why are there so many kinds of toothpaste.

It’s market segmentation. They make an option to fit every desire and every budget. Supposedly, they’ll get more satisfied customers by meeting people’s needs more precisely. In the case of Crest and Colgate, I think they’re causing more frustration.

Either way, they are squeezing every last penny out of each consumer. If you’re willing to spend a lot on toothpaste, there are high priced options to let you… and don’t forget the special mouthwash, whitening strips and toothbrush to match. The same goes for folks who are up for moderate and low budget options.

There’s a price point for every budget.

Hardly a penny of profit is missed. Whatever you’re willing to spend on toothpaste, they’ll take it. Plus, a retailer has to devote so much shelf space to Crest and Colgate that other options are easy to overlook. (I suspect they ensure this by making retailers sign contracts detailing minimum shelf space coverage.)

That’s annoying market segmentation. You’ll see it in pet food, too, and even yogurt! But, that doesn’t mean market segmentation is a bad idea.

When you’re communicating with a customer, client or donor, you’re speaking to an individual. When you send out an email blast, you’re speaking to a bunch of people at once. Segmentation can help make your communications more personal and profitable.

Time for an example.
[Read more…]

January 31, 2013 by Peter

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: email marketing

Email Marketing Services & Their Ads in Your Footer

I absolutely hate it when email marketing services advertise for themselves in the footers of their paying customer’s messages.  I mean, you’re paying them right?  Why the heck should you have to advertise for them too?  So, here’s a breakdown of email marketing services and their policy of intruding into your messages.

  • Aweber – No footer ads, ever.
  • MailChimp – Footer ads can be disabled easily in your account if you’re a paying customer.
  • Vertical Response – You’ll have to contact support to get the ad removed.
  • Constant Contact – Same, you’ll have to put in a support request… adding your logo costs extra.
  • iContact – Pay 10% extra per month (minimum $4.95) to remove the ad.  In their defense, iContact does have the least intrusive footer ad, plus they’re based right here in Raleigh, NC.

While I’m at it, I have to tell you why I hate Constant Contact.  It’s the name.  Sure, you want to be in constant contact with your list, but I’ll wager you’re readers would rather not hear from you constantly.  Years ago, I actually unsubscribed from a local company’s newsletter because of that Constant Contact logo at the bottom.  “Constant Contact?  I don’t want that.  My in-box if full enough already!”

Got a tip or something I missed? Share it in the comments below!

This post first appeared in my monthly small business newsletter.

November 17, 2009 by Peter

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: email, email marketing, newsletter, small business

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