Conducting An Opportunity Audit

By Christine Oldenbrook
Monday, March 2, 2009

You might think that conducting an “opportunity audit” is a result of budget cuts and declining responses. Well, you’re right. However, it is really just smart marketing. Optimizing every visitor touchpoint provides better customer service, improved retention and drives incremental new and renewed subscribers.

I recently read an article about Web design and it stressed the importance of having a “maniacal focus on the customer’s experience.” I realize that audience marketers aren’t involved in Web development—and I don’t see us becoming Web site usability experts any time soon (we have enough to do)—but I do see us missing opportunities when it comes to form design, auto-responders, confirmation pages and acknowledgement emails. Audience marketers are the logical “owners” of this marketing real estate—we just need to take charge.

Recently, our audience marketing team initiated an “opportunity audit.” I challenged the team to go through their assigned Web sites and sign up for everything, subscribe to everything, buy stuff, cancel stuff and opt-out of everything.

The team gathered screen shots of every step they encountered and as a group we evaluated our many customer touches. We quickly noticed that not only had we gathered lots of examples of lost opportunities, but we were also staring at some very bad marketing copy and customer service practices.

“We have confirmed your removal from the following...”

This sounds like we are referring to waste removal and your customer might feel like they are the waste being removed. Sadly, this is the “marketing” copy presented after someone unsubscribes from one of our enewsletters. There was no “thank you,” no “are you sure?” or “maybe you’d be interested in one of our other newsletters”—nothing, just waste removal.

So who wrote this copy? A well-meaning, highly-skilled Web developer that did not think he was going to be writing marketing copy when he took the job. Each time a confirmation page, acknowledgement email or any kind of auto-responder is presented, it is likely to have been written by your technical folks or your fulfillment bureau. As a result you miss an opportunity to cross-sell newsletters, subscriptions, sell products or even provide a link back to your Web site—all of which can deepen your relationship with that new subscriber or visitor. By the way, your Web developers will love you for providing them with that marketing copy.

Landing Pages, People, Landing Pages!

You worked hard to develop an effective renewal e-promo and your call to action worked perfectly, then the customer clicks and lands on the most unappealing subscription form. You know the one—the same one your fulfillment bureau designed for you and every other publisher.

Your subscription forms should be consistent with the look and feel of your promotions and your brand, plus you should re-state the benefits of subscribing and provide a few images of the publication. Just because someone made it to the subscription form doesn’t mean they will be inspired to complete the transaction.

Develop your promotions all the way through to the confirmation page and acknowledgement email. Include marketing messages about the value of your editorial, a link to your Web site, a link to the latest issue of your newsletter, links to popular articles or a promotion for an upcoming trade show. In your acknowledgement email, give your new subscriber a way to “invite a friend.” Here is a great opportunity, so please don’t land your new “friend” on that dreadful fulfilment bureau-issued subscription form—you’ll need to sell your publication to this new prospect.

Don’t Just Renew, Then Walk Away

This is not the title of a country song, but the way we sometimes behave once we’ve captured that annual renewal or requalification.

These are your best customers, so reach out to them outside the scheduled renewal series by sending a “What’s new on our Web site?” or an issue alert reminding them of all your publication offers. Be sure to include links to popular or timely articles, links to a popular blog or invite them to join your new Facebook group.

Build a Preference Center

Anytime a subscriber decides to opt-out of a newsletter or promotional email, they aren’t necessarily opting out of everything you send them. Build a preference center that allows a subscriber to choose what newsletter or type of promotions they prefer. Maybe they still want the newsletter, but would prefer receiving it only once a month. Maybe they would like to just receive breaking news. Giving your subscribers choices keeps your email lists from eroding.

Include these practices throughout your Web site and other products. Webinar and trade show registrations, product sales, customer service or any Web site registrations are all opportunities that you can easily optimize.

Christine Oldenbrook is director of marketing and emedia at Bobit Business Media.