Permission Marketing Really Works. Really!
by Alan Gladish
One of my favorite marketing tactics is permission marketing. And no, "permission marketing" is not a euphemism for spam. It is a communication that people actually agree to receive, and, in fact, ask to receive. If this is a little hard to believe, let me give you two examples of true permission marketing that I think work extremely well.
Moore Brothers, a boutique reseller with shops in Pennsauken NJ, Wilmington DE and New York City, recently celebrated their tenth anniversary. Most of their early growth came from word of mouth, but in the past two years, they have successfully used permission marketing to attract customers to their shops with weekly specials. It doesn't hurt that each email is filled with wine anecdotes and stories about the producers they represent in France, Germany and Italy, stuff that oenophiles (like me) just love to read about. Their newsletter is something I actually look forward to receiving, because in addition to the gorgeous descriptions of wines and the families that produce them, they offer products that I really want much of the time. This doesn't mean that I make haste to their shop every week, because, for one thing, I couldn't afford it, but it does mean that if I want what they're offering, I'd better call and reserve it because they often sell out their offerings within a day or two of the email. In my opinion, this is what permission marketing is all about.
It may have a funny name, but this online shop based in New Mexico is a place I discovered several years ago while looking for a source of fresh New Mexico chili pods. (Why? you ask. Well, that's another story.) Anyway, some time ago, they started a monthly newsletter. I always forget about it until it arrives, and then I think "Oh yeah! I need stuff from there!". Aside from promoting their monthly specials (Dos Hernandos Red Chile Pork and Green Chile Tamales, for example) they offer recipes using products and ingredients that you can only get from New Mexico. In my freezer at home I have 20 lbs of roasted peeled and chopped green chile for making green chile stew all winter (highly recommended with braised lamb shoulder), and the special form of red chile grown only in the north near Taos, called Chimayo. I could go on, but you get the point. Their newsletters are aimed at a loyal fan club, and are appreciated by the target audience. Even if I were ever to consider opting out, I would have to wonder if I'll forget how to reach them if I need some indigenous ingredient really badly.
Granted, these two examples are for retail products, and perhaps it's a little easier to imagine people wanting emails from stores or websites they already do business with than from a widget manufacturer they don't yet know. Nevertheless, the philosophy and approach are the same in the business world: Give people information, product data, and articles on the things they're interested in, and they'll admire you, appreciate you, and look forward to receiving your newsletters.
Every company is unique, and a newsletter may not always be the best tool to build fan loyalty and grow its business. But for those to which it is well-suited, a thoughtfully designed permission marketing program can be an ideal tool to inform your customers about new products, or to attract new prospects to your website and entice them to take an additional conversion action, getting them a little closer to becoming happy customers as well.
Next month: Techniques to convert those clickthroughs to your website into real leads.
Contact Alan at agladish@praxisagency.com.