Deal of the Day Is Great - But Not For Everyone!

From: Epson
Subject Line: Epson Daily Deal: 50% off Specialty Paper Today Only
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2009


First off, let me say hello" to everyone. I am a long-time reader, and now a first-time blogger. The Responsys Strategic Services team has joined forces with the Smith-Harmon folks and will begin contributing to this blog on a regular basis. Okay, now on to the good stuff!

I know it's the holidays and you want to drive as much revenue as possible. Lots of marketers wrestle with the temptation of Deal-of-the-Day campaigns (think of the potential revenue opportunity if you mailed promotions to EVERYONE on your list EVERY DAY). I am here to say, proceed with caution!

I was reminded of this temptation when I noticed that a certain unnamed company - who suppressed me for inactivity back in July - was now emailing me daily with promotions! Deal-of-the-Day emails are great and they work well during the holiday season, but my advice is to set up a specific opt-in box for these campaigns and limit your distribution to subscribers who are interested in this content. Mailing to everyone might seem like a good strategy, but overall, it causes big list attrition. Some subscribers will convert, but most will be annoyed, and ultimately you will drive higher unsubscribe and complaint rates.

Epson recently kicked off their Daily Coolville Deals campaigns. They clearly ask for opt-in on all related pages, and they even have a specific unsubscribe opt-out for those folks who don't want to hang in for the whole 24 days. Mailing every day can be successful, but use it in moderation and be sure you send it only to those who are interested.