User Behavior Triggered Filtering Coming Soon to Hotmail

Hotmail will be introducing a behavior-based filtering system that uses the individual user’s behaviors to influence the delivery of email. This type of behavior or interaction-based filtering has been talked about in the industry recently as a means to help alleviate spam in user’s inboxes.

So this is not just about showing up in Junk Mail. This is about all those unopened messagages in your inbox.

Hotmail plans on looking at metrics to help determine where an incoming email should be placed, including:
§ Emails that are read, then deleted
§ Emails that are deleted without being read
§ Emails that are replied to
§ The frequency of receiving & reading emails

While this new ISP trend of behavior-based filtering is ramping up, it’s a good time for eMarketers to take a hard look at their email programs. Now more than ever, its important to make sure that your emails are timely and relevant to the recipient. Apply behavior-based segmenting to target those who are ‘Active’ more frequently than those who are ‘Inactive’.

Devise a plan to engage those ‘Inactive’ recipients rather than mail them week after week with no response. Think about a dual strategy - one for your responders & one for your non-responders. The non-responder segment needs to be activated to not hurt your overall chances of being delivered.

Email relevance is driven by personalization - real one to one. Now, Hotmail is going to monitor how an individual accepts your message - it's back to one-to-one.

Stay tuned for more information regarding the Hotmail Behavior Triggered Filtering. For more information, read our partner, Return Path’s article on Media Post.

Many thanks to Sharmila Sorenson & Praveen Aggarwal for this timely update.

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Segmentation is About Precision

Precision is a key tactic to creating relevance & engagement. To achieve this precision, you have to focus on your segmentation strategy; here are five points to drive a successful segmentation strategy:

1) Select recipients based on past behavior – including buyer/ non-buyer; RFM Score; previous responder/ non-responder; just completed a purchase, return, ATM transaction, etc.

2) Direct recipients to focused landing pages – perform multivariate testing, creating at least two offers in each email and then testing what works better. If your technology can support it, create dynamic landing pages where you can test more variables.

3) Look at your results in Real Time – Watch how campaigns are performing during the transmission process, refine your results and if you can, make small tweaks (i.e. live A/B testing.)

4) Test different Images – A simple picture change could make all the difference in recipient engagement, swap it out and see how it enhances your results.

5) Words are Powerful – Make sure your call to action is clear, test pricing variables, end dates or other words that may drive people to complete a particular transaction.

If you were to group your recipients into three broad categories - you would have your digital channels, your traditional channels, & those who interact on both channels. Think about how you can drive people between your traditional & digital channels.

Also segment your social 'elite' or influencers into tactful segments that can help spread your brand message.Email is a very powerful tool; you just need to use it correctly to achieve one-to-one marketing.

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Just In: Gmail Introduces Inbox Priority

Gmail has introduced a new way for its users to combat spam and unwanted emails called ‘Priority Inbox’. This new feature is currently in beta, but will be rolling out to its users within the next week.

What is ‘Priority Inbox’?
Priority Inbox is a way to organize a Gmail inbox using the user’s interactions to decide whether an email is important or not. Gmail will automatically categorize emails into three sections, “Important and unread”, “Starred” and “Everything else”, depending on a number of factors.

Priority will be given to those who are emailed the most, emails that are opened and replied to and those that the user choose to increase priority for. Gmail users can also decide which emails they want to increase or decrease priority on.

What does it mean for Email Marketers?
The new feature may impact Gmail open, click and conversion rates if the emails are missed in the Inbox due to the new categorization structure. To overcome this new challenge, marketers need to make sure they are sending timely and relevant emails that users want to receive. Segment out your Gmail recipients and include a customized message to tell them to make sure and give priority to your emails so it doesn’t get lost in the Inbox.

For more information about ‘Priority Inbox’, read the Gmail blog.

Many thanks to Sharmila Sorenson for this important & timely update.

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You Have to Operationalize Your Segmentation

Many organizations have plans in place on how to segment their consumers & most of these organizations succeed in putting their consumers into segments. The two key challenges are to make sure that you have made the right assumptions as you build segments & very importantly that your segmentation strategy is operational. Having an operational segmentation strategy means making sure that the segments are working correctly.

Here are a few checkpoints & examples to make sure that things are being done correctly:

Make sure that the segments are being served up appropriate content. My son (18) signed up to receive emails from a electronic game company. The first few emails were targeted and incredible. We purchased things from them. He is now getting offers that are more appropriate for a kindergartner. (We have no one at home that matches that profile.)

Check to make sure that there is no 'overlap' - that your segments are not getting multiple offers. I got two offers to sign up for digital wireless - 40% off, followed by a 35% off - all within 15 minutes. While I was thrilled that I got more, I did wonder if someone else got 50% off.

Make sure that your segmentation strategy is recognized by all your channels, especially your people channels. It makes no sense to call a consumer 'elite' and then make them trudge through long lines, give them the wrong seat, or mess up on their rooms. One of my friends called his credit card company, stayed on hold forever despite being a member of their preferred club. The minute they recognized her, a supervisor took over, apologized, and expediently rectified the issue. Recognize and reward your segments within transactions.

If you mess up, have a plan in place to follow up in near real time versus sending letters / calling when nothing can really be done. This causes even more resentment & moreover diminishes the value of your 'expedient' channels. A cataloger called a customer to apologize about sending the package without gift wrapping three weeks after the 'gift' had been delivered. This just opened up old wounds.

Automate whatever you can and do check up on your higher value segments. You can create rules to check and see 'when' your 'special' segments are going to touch your brand. That way you can follow up with them. Do the same thing on the way out as this will make sure that nothing falls through the cracks. So for example if a high value customer anonymously logs into their internet banking application, adjust your messaging & acknowledge them as they complete their transaction.

If your systems are not able to check on how your segments are traversing your 'sites,' spend money to make them operational. Write use cases on how you think the consumer may traverse or interact with your business. Validate these use cases with your team & test them continuously to make sure that things are working correctly.

Make sure that your people are aware of your segmentation strategy, and give them the power to do things. This way your people are aware & empowered to take care of the most important person - 'your customer.'

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