Cast That Net: Use Email to Capture Content for Your Content Marketing Program
Just like a great email can start with great content, it can also work the other way around. As an email marketing consultant, one of my most surprising suggestions has been to use email campaigns as a way to feed the need for future material. A good content marketing strategy doesn’t just look out to the web, nor even into your soul. You can cast a net to your very own email list and see what comes back to you. Here’s how you can coax new content or fertile ideas by tapping into drip or triggered email marketing campaigns.
1. Make a blast from the past
If you have used email to conduct surveys and solicit customer feedback, your customers may have already provided you with content that can be repurposed as part of your email marketing plan. Look back at previous questionnaire responses, suggestions, positive reviews, and even complaints. Do you see any patterns, surprising results, or clear-cut metrics that are statistically significant? Do your customers indicate any favorite aspects of your products or services? Do you notice a customer swing from one preference to another? If so, you have found the seeds for new factoids to post, new messages to promote, and even new marketing or product opportunities.
2. Ask for input, send a survey, or request reviews
Many customers love to share their experiences and opinions. Use email to ask for reviews, unusual uses for your product, success stories (or funny ones), photos, and more. Consider yourself the expert research organization and query your customers for their thoughts on what is important to them regarding your current products, future demands, or even the state of the industry. You can prompt higher survey participation by providing an incentive. Publish your survey results, including an analysis on trends. You can then repurpose these results in a press release, booting your name as an ambassador and thought leader in your field.
3. Create a contest
Want to drive a steady stream of über relevant content? Make a customer contest, whether it be for original videos, songs, limericks, or other creative expression related to your product or service. Nothing could be more relevant than the content created by one customer for another. Plus, by putting customers’ minds to work thinking about your company, you unconsciously build brand loyalty.
Tapping into your triggered emails to solicit content can in turn help your email deliverability by sending emails your customers look forward to opening. More appealing than a sales pitch, these emails help your customer engage with you. Who doesn’t want to be asked for their opinion? Who doesn’t prefer the email that asks for something rather than sells something? Such content-building emails can keep your brand top of mind while generating unique, compelling messaging for you long into the future.
Need help setting up a triggered email program? Call on ClickMail as your email marketing consultant!
About the Author: Sharon
