Preventing customer burnout when running email campaigns

[mandy]

Until 10 months ago, Road Runner Sports’ e-mail marketing philosophy could be best summed up as “the more mailings the better.” The retailer blasted out e-mails promoting discounts and other promotions twice a week.

But rather than generating increases in open, click-through and conversion rates, Road Runner’s e-mail campaigns had just the opposite effect. Among the new customers the retailer acquired each month, response rates dropped significantly within 2½ months. “Someone would order from us for the first time, and they would get this barrage of discounts and promotions without really knowing anything about us, without knowing anything about what we provide runners,” says Dan Bock, e-commerce manager.

The e-mail campaign experience of Road Runner, which operates four stores in addition to RoadRunnerSports.com, is not unique. In retailers’ enthusiasm to reach out to customers, they too often flood inboxes with promotions of little value to the consumer, experts say. The end result is a burned-out customer who clicks the unsubscribe button and takes his or her business elsewhere...

full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=19368