How a Seasonal Retailer Evolved from Promo s to Year-Round Content Marketing

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "How a Seasonal Retailer Evolved from Promo s to Year-Round Content Marketing"

Ernest Jefferson
5 years ago
Views:

How a Seasonal Retailer Evolved from Promo Emails to Year-Round Content Marketing Marcia Oakes

1 How a Seasonal Retailer Evolved from Promo s to Year-Round Content Marketing Marcia Oakes Senior Online Marketing Manager Calendars.com Courtney Eckerle Manager of Editorial Content MECLABS

2 Session Speaker Black & White Marcia Oakes Senior Online Marketing Manager Calendars.com Marcia directs the marketing channel for Calendars.com, an Internet Retailer Top 500 site and the largest online calendar retailer. Marcia has 15 years of marketing experience, including 11 years in B2C marketing and six years managing and loyalty programs. Prior to moving into the e-commerce arena with Calendars.com, she directed marketing efforts for several restaurant concepts and also has experience in media planning and advertising sales. 2

3 About Calendars.com

4 The Problem Ideally images have no borders or background 4

5 The problem Highly seasonal product Compelling promotions in off-season is a challenge Deliverability issues from decreased engagement and inconsistent mail volume

6 The problem Trapped in endless buy now messaging cycle All s were promotional in nature All s had high revenue expectations 6

The problem Trapped in endless buy now messaging cycle All emails were promotional in nature All emails

7 The problem Trapped in endless buy now messaging cycle All s were promotional in nature All s had high revenue expectations We needed a Ideally images have no borders or background new way to engage 7

8 Problem solving 8

9 The solution Create an newsletter to deliver compelling content all year long. 9

10 The Challenges Part 3 Bridging the gap 10

11 Defining objectives Engage subscribers in a new way Provide interesting and relevant content all year long Utilize our trademarked phrase: Flip Day 11

12 Defining Objectives: Promote social media channels 12

13 The Challenges Part 3 Finding our voice 13

14 Being ourselves with Strategic Design + Content No boring, traditional newsletters Design that builds on our brand Content that entertains and informs 14

15 You can t always get what you want and it takes a significant time investment to get what you need.

16 You can t always get what you want and it takes a significant time investment to get what you need. Connecting content to consumers Develop quality content Identify evergreen content you may already have available Create a content calendar make a plan for the resources and time you need

17 Connecting to our content 17

18 Connecting to our content Themed days 18

19 Connecting to our content Themed days Real dates in history 19

20 Connecting to our content Themed days Celebrity birthdays Real dates in history 20

21 Connecting to our content Themed days Home organization tips Real dates in history Celeb b- days 21

22 Connecting to our content Themed days Links directly to popular Pins Home org tips Real dates in history Celeb b- days 22

23 The results Blog traffic after Flip Day newsletter send

24 The results Newsletter produces a positive ROI, despite low conversion rates Good customer feedback +71% Open Rate* *Other factors contributed

25 The results Newsletter produces a positive ROI, despite low conversion rates Good customer feedback I enjoy reading your monthly Flip Day calendar. -Kim You nailed it. -Beverly +71% Open Rate* BRAVO for your wonderful Flip Day newsletter! -Claire *Other factors contributed

26 26

27 The challenges In-season messaging conflicts Flip Day was developed during the off-season to promote engagement In-season, it caused messaging conflicts and concerns about list fatigue First tested combining Flip Day with a promo campaign, and saw poor results 27

28 Solution In-season messaging conflicts 98% Increase in open rates Compared to Flip Day open rate during off-season months Strategically identified audience for Flip Day during highfrequency months of September through January Recent purchasers who are typically suppressed from promos Subscribers who have previously engaged with Flip Day 28

29 Current challenge Unsubscribe rates Subscribers opt-out at a higher rate on Flip Day messages 29

30 Current challenge Unsubscribe rates Subscribers opt-out at a higher rate on Flip Day messages When using the filtered, or strategic audience selection, negative impact is minimized. 30

31 Solution: Unsubscribe rates Preference Center changes are planned this year to provide a choice about receiving Flip Day. Assumption is that some subscribers only want promotional messages Adding other opt-down choices as well Current Preference Center: No Flip Day option! 31

The takeaways 1 2 3 4 Don t be afraid to try something new Manage expectations for the executive team Watch your metrics

32 The takeaways Don t be afraid to try something new Manage expectations for the executive team Watch your metrics and adjust your strategy as needed Ensure your design, content and voice work together to positively reinforce your brand

33 Thank you to my team! Sarah Farrar Calendars.com Channel Partner-in-Crime Ashton Fasel Calendars.com Graphic Design Content Curation 33

34 Thank You Marcia Oakes Senior Online Marketing Manager Calendars.com Courtney Eckerle Manager of Editorial Content Black & White Headshot

Planning for Marketing

Planning for Marketing Copyright 2008 Constant Contact Inc. Agenda Planning for Email Marketing Questions to Answer and Planning Suggestions for Success Types of Email s What Do I Want to Achieve Who Should I Send to When Should