Email Marketing

The most important and effective tool for gaining conversions

GENERAL TAKE

Even with all of the latest tools in the toolbox for marketers, email is still the most important, efficient and effective way to gain conversions.

There are many reasons for this, but just a few include: 

    • Most likely, if you have an email address that you are using, you have already established a relationship with the audience, and they have at least some interest in your brand.
    • You are able to control whether they receive the message. Other channels are unreliable as social media algorithms can de-prioritize your messaging, and advertising can can be ignored.
    • Most people have and use their email regularly (as many as 85% of people in the US).
    • Emails can be totally automated, adding to its efficiency. However, automation should not be used at the expense of compelling and dynamic content.

The keys to email marketing are to increase open rates and avoid spam filters.  The best way to accomplish both of those goals is to start with great content. I have always taken it upon myself to ensure emails include compelling and engaging content so readers look forward to opening them. Strong visuals, insider information and exclusive offers are tactics that I have found particularly effective. 

Emails should also be as dynamic and targeted as possible. In all likelihood, you should know at least some information about each person in your database depending on how they signed up. That information should be used to customize imagery, content, offers, and even the cadence.

It’s also important to have a strategic calendar of email communications. We were always careful to keep a consistent presence in the customer’s inbox in order to stay relevant, but not so often that they would unsubscribe or stop opening.

Princess Cruises Experience

BACKGROUND

At Princess Cruises, I led email strategy efforts for a variety of customer segments, each with their own business objectives, opportunities and challenges. Thanks to required email information gathered from guests over the last 30 years we had an extensive email database to start from. We also had a large number of emails from prospects who had signed up to receive offers or digital brochures. Since email communications were such an important source of revenue for the company, the careful planning of scheduling and messaging was vital.

PAST CUSTOMERS

Our most successful segment by far was our existing past customer database. And not surprisingly, the more frequently they purchased, the more engaged they were with our email communications. Over time, I studied what encouraged the most engagement, and then focused on providing that type of content. Through constant analysis, I knew that they were most interested in:

    • Insider information on new product offerings, especially new ship details. I constantly strived to provide ever more compelling content including virtual reality experiences, video renderings, stunning photos, etc.
    • Exclusive offers on new promotions and new sailings.
    • Behind the scenes look at operations…in the galley, on the bridge, in the ship planning process.

PROSPECTS

Another targeted segment database included prospects who hadn’t yet purchased, but had ordered brochures, or signed up to receive emails on the website. This segment was less engaged, but still more likely to purchase than those reached through traditional advertising. With this audience, timing was critical as they were most likely to purchase soon after registering (or not at all). So I helped to implement a dynamic and frequent cadence for this segment following their registration in order to encourage a more immediate conversion rate. The content to this audience focused on:

    • Providing information on destination/sailing offerings. 
    • Promotions for shorter and less exotic cruises.

PRE-CRUISE EMAILS

Finally, an extremely important segment were those who had purchased a cruise, but had not yet sailed. Pre-cruise communications generated a large portion of the onboard revenue by presenting opportunities, deals and offers for their upcoming cruise. In building this new fully automated, fully dynamic email system, I also utilized it to serve other important roles for the company including:

    • Customer service – the emails helped to answer frequently asked questions to the call center to reduce call volumes.
    • Brand excitement – Helped customers get excited for the opportunities on their upcoming cruise and feel a strong association with the brand.
    • Customer retention – The emails encouraged customers to stay engaged with their upcoming cruise in order to avoid cancellations.
Dynamic Pre-Cruise Emails