Product Suggestion Email Marketing

Marketing has had many opportunities and many challenges with the arrival of the digital age. Marketing and advertising in the 20^th century used to be about crafting effective tools that could reach out to the masses and get out a general message for general consumption. At that time, the only limits were those of the chosen medium, whether it was a print ad, a television commercial, or a billboard on the road.

In the 21^st century, the complexity of a world connected to the Internet and consuming digital content has changed things radically. It’s no longer enough to create a generic message to reach out to the masses and this is because, for the most part, the masses no longer regard themselves as a mass, and no longer want to be treated that way. Digital and online technology has made it possible for consumers to be treated as individuals, and because of that, addressing them as just one more body in a collective group is one of the fastest ways to lose any potential interest in a marketing venture.

People want customization. They’ve grown used to it. They want to be acknowledged for who they are, and, more importantly they want to be remembered, especially their preferences.

And that’s where product suggestion email marketing comes in.

The Age Of The Individual

While the physical mail box has lost much of its importance in the world of personal marketing, the digital “inbox” has taken on new significance. However, with the rise of email as the new way to reach out to consumers, it has become a new battleground with much tougher stakes. Increased volume of marketing, junk folders, spam filters and a user’s own predisposition to skim and delete incoming content not immediately recognizable as from acquaintances all make the prospect of grabbing and holding the attention of a potential shopper more difficult now than when it was a simple matter of putting a flyer in a physical mail box, or sending a premium ad campaign through mail. People simply dismiss content at a faster rate now that there’s more of it.

However, they stop when that marketing appeals to them. And the best way to make marketing appeal to a person is make it clear that the marketing actually knows them.

This is the greatest strength of product suggestion email marketing, and this is why it is so effective compared to less focused, more generic efforts. People respond to personalization and customization. People respond to something that has taken the time to recognize them as an individual and proves it by remembering their preferences.

Marketing That Is Tailor Made

Product Suggestion Email Marketing is a technique that remembers what users have done when they engage with an online shopping service. Potentially, it can track purchases, note when digital “shopping carts” have been abandoned without completing purchases, or even keep track of what items shoppers have been viewing in the online store. It then takes this information, compiles viewed or purchased items, or makes note of similar items, and, in some cases, even takes note of consumable items or perishables previous purchased, and compiles a personalized email that shows the individual user items related to their viewing and shopping activities.

In other words, product suggestion email marketing points users towards products that are directly relevant to their individual shopping interests.

The advantages of this are obvious. The personalized nature of the email puts it a significant step ahead of more generic marketing efforts. The fact that it suggests products based on real shopping information creates more relevance for the user, and, if the emails occur on a regular basis in tandem with shopping, it creates a relationship, and establishes a positive feedback loop where users actually welcome product suggestion email marketing because it continues to add value to their shopping experience.

Making Connections

The key strength of product suggestion email marketing is the ability to encourage retention. Shoppers that have had a positive experience with online purchases will be more inclined to return and shop again if their participation has been recognized and even rewarded.

Product suggestion email marketing is the start of building that retention and relationship with the customer. By keeping their interest high with products relevant to their personal preferences, additional opportunities can be made with special offers, discounts, special “welcome back” recognition, or even product education or post purchase engagement that fosters a greater sense of care for the shopper, and in turn strengthens their connection to a specific service or retailer.

The ability to tailor electronic advertising to the specific needs and interests of an individual had been a pie-in-sky dream of the advertising and marketing experts of old. In the 21^st century, we’re seeing the first major steps in this kind of technique, with product suggestion email marketing being the vanguard of this process. There are still many ways for this marketing to evolve, taking better advantage of specific devices such as smartphones and tablets, or experimenting with exciting new technologies such as virtual and augmented reality.

But the intelligent, interactive nature of digital advertising creates exciting opportunities for those willing to embrace them. Product suggestion email marketing is one aspect of this.