Like all marketers today, magazine publishers are going beyond the printed page to build relationships with readers new and old. That means a robust, content-filled website and a solid strategy to collect email addresses.
How can you build your file?
* If you don't have a line requesting an email address on all of your subscription devices—including bind-ins, blow-ins, direct mail packages and renewal efforts etc.—add one now. Unless you see requesting an email address depresses overall response, there is no reason to leave it off any of your materials.
* If your house file is large enough, consider an e-append project to add missing email addresses. If you have not done an append project before, you should expect to gain around 20% and the costs are quite reasonable, especially if you are selling other products to your subscribers to help recover that cost. You can append your current file and 18 months of expires and still stay complaints stemming from CAN-SPAM.
* An e-newsletter is probably the best way to build your email universe with little effort or expense. An e-newsletter can be as simple or as complex as your resources allow, and is an effective way to inform prospects about your products or services.
Here are five steps to remember when working to build your email file:
1. Drive readers to your website by offering additional content not available in your print product. Don't be shy – mention your website as often as possible in your print edition.
2. Use a prominent location at the top of your home page to encourage people to sign up for your email list.
3. Immediately acknowledge a new sign up with a welcome email. (Many email deployment platforms allow for triggered emails and this is an excellent tool because once they are set up they basically run unattended until a content change is needed.)
4. Over the course of the first weeks, make several additional contacts to build community and accustom subscribers to hearing from you via email.
5. If your privacy policy allows, you can also generate revenue by serving third-party emails to your audience—current print advertisers are often quick to take advantage of this extra exposure to a proven audience.
Jim Chiavelli is a circulation consultant
Network
