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Your tactics section lays out tasks and who is responsible for them. What technology do you need? Do you have in-house e-mail capabilities or should you use an application such as nTarget (www.ntarget.com)? How will you build and manage your list? How will you acquire new subscribers? Who will create content, design and distribute
e-mail?
After you answer those questions, it’s time to turn to your timeline. Develop a schedule for having your technology in place, building your list, creating content, designing and distributing e-mail. Determine if this will be a one-time mailing, or if it will recur on a weekly or monthly basis.
Your budget may help you answer many of questions above. Small budgets may mean you complete a lot of work in-house.
Finally, it’s time to establish criteria for measuring program. An awareness program may call for some baseline research so you’ll know how you are doing. A relationship management program may measure customer retention. Increased click-through from your e-mail to your website is also a measurable element. Sales-oriented programs might measure total sales from e-mail, or incremental sales increases with individual customers.
No matter what your objective in using e-mail, spend a little time cooking up a plan so your results won’t be half-baked.
Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, www.hoover-ink.com. He has 25 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Duke Energy, InterCerve, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, VELUX and Verbatim.
