October 2009 Newsletter

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October 2009 NEWSLETTER

*Table of Contents*
>	What's that saying about when you assume?
>	Email vs. social media: Is email down for the count?
>	Are your customers Net Promoters?
>	Free webinars that solve problems
>	It's not too late to get in on the DMI Biggest Loser 2009 Challenge
>	Should Online Acquaintance Be Forgot? We Think So.

What's that saying about when you assume?

For marketers, making assumptions about your target audience is easy. But is it always accurate? It's tempting to look at a person's buying history, or review gender and age demographics, to help customize marketing messages. However, you should do so with care, as assumptions can just as easily backfire on your good intentions.

Just because someone buys a tricycle, don't assume they are married with young kids … it could have been purchased as a gift.

That's the point of Loren McDonald's message in a recent Email Insider article. (Loren is a "he" not a "she." And he doesn't have an ounce of Irish or Scottish in his genes.) In his article, "My Name Is Loren. BTW, I'm a 'He,'" McDonald warns of awkward and costly mistakes when you bring stereotypes and assumptions into your marketing efforts.

"The downside of wrong assumptions about your customers and prospects goes beyond potentially annoying them and even hurting your brand," he said. "It can also hurt your bottom line by continually sending subscribers offers and communications based on 'bad' data."

To steer clear of these situations, keep these tips in mind:

Collect key demographic data when members opt in. Case in point: McDonald received an email promoting engagement rings despite being married for 26 years - something that should have been easily captured by the marketing team.
Gather data useful to your key business lines. Credit unions can benefit from gathering financial preferences of its members, such as if they own or rent (mortgage products), recently purchased a car (auto loans), or have children approaching college age (student loan programs).
Collect members' basic interests and preferences. This helps you provide messages that are more applicable and well-timed, as well as member' preferred method for receiving messages.

DigitalMailer has the know-how to help you execute an effective email communication program - call (866) 994-4900, ext 103, visit www.digitalmailer.com/arb or email info@digitalmailer.com for more information.

Email vs. social media: Is email down for the count?

No one argues that the role of email is changing as social media gains popularity. The debate lies in whether that's good or bad for the future of email.

According to an Oct. 12 online story in the Wall Street Journal ("Why Email No Longer Rules …"), email's glory days are over. Email, while still used and still growing, is best designed for "the way we used to use the Internet" - checking online messages in chunks of time. But today, more people stay connected using real-time, on-the-go communications through the likes of Twitter, Facebook and instant messaging. And social media is growing at a much faster pace than email, the article suggests, making it challenging for the "king of communications" to compete in today's online world.

Not so fast, argues an Oct. 12 online article in Fast Company ("Why Twitter and Facebook Will Never Kill E-mail"). Email is not down for the count, suggests the article - despite its faster and more convenient social media competitors. Email offers many advantages over other messaging methods, especially in business settings:

Email lets you easily embed files and share documents.
Many seniors - the nation's fastest-growing demographic - have adopted email as their messaging method of choice.
Email can be as used both informally and formally to fit the situation.
Email is simple to use and easily can reach a single contact or many in a matter of seconds.

At DigitalMailer, we expect email to remain a dominant force in the e-communication marketplace. With its simplicity, low-cost and wide-spread access, email easily holds its own in the online messaging world. It's still a strong contender.

In our FREE "Do You Want Fries with That?" webinar learn all about how up-selling online is possible, and how you can turn email addresses into revenue and deepening customer relationships. Click here to learn more , visit our Automatic Relationship Builder page www.digitalmailer.com/arb or email info@digitalmailer.com for more information.

Are your customers Net Promoters?

Net Promoter® Score, a loyalty measurement, has been adopted by organizations and asks the question: "How likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?"

Dan Schoenherr, an experienced credit union consultant, recently shared a story on how credit unions are using DigitalMailer's Net Promoter Surveys to ask one more question and are "Closing the Loop". Ready to ask the question and close the loop? Our Net Promoter Score Survey tool can help you get the job done! Click here to learn more on our website or send an email to info@digitalmailer.com with the subject "tell me more about Net Promoter"

For more information on how DigitalMailer's Automatic Relationship Builder certified email system can benefit your organization, call (866) 994-4900, visit www.digitalmailer.com/arb.html or send an email to info@digitalmailer.com.

Free webinars that solve problems

Northwest FCU is the most recent example of using collected emails and our ARB engine and their email addresses to Cut Delinquencies and Costs. Our solutions continue to help clients solve problems and we are happy to share the stories in our webinars. Here are two new ones:

Just a Reminder Webinar - When additional collections staff is out of the question and delinquency rates are rising, how do you interact with members in a way that's non-threatening, productive, and easy to understand? A simple email reminder might be the best solution for your credit union. Click here to come learn all about our collection solution in our new webinar.

The End of the PostAge Webinar - On average, postage for customer notices such as NSF or Payment Due can cost your organization $50,000 or more each year. With the recent postage rate increase, have you considered your USPS costs? DigitalMailer can help you bring your postage costs down to size with a savings of over 30 percent on your mailed notices, and help you save even more on electronically presented notices. Click here to come learn about our daily notice solution in our new webinar.

It's not too late to get in on the DMI Biggest Loser 2009 Challenge!

Contest is open August 1, 2009 - December 7, 2009. This is a chance for our Credit Unions to compete against each other to LOSE those high mail costs! We're looking for Credit Unions who want to increase their eStatement enrollments. SLIM down your spending. BULK up that budget. See REAL RESULTS!

http://www.digitalmailer.com/biggestloser.html

Best of the Blogs for October 09

Should Online Acquaintance Be Forgot? We Think So.

I came across this story the other day from Usability Post which asks "Is it time to make 'Remember Me' the default for password protected websites?" This question comes as the result of a few articles about password memory, one which asks if it's time to do away with the option of "Remember Me" and go with automatic login. Another article by web-genius Jakob Nielsen suggests we get rid of the "dots" in the password field (i.e., "Password: ******"), because doing so would increase confidence in those who have trouble with passwords and save them the trouble of copy-pasting passwords.

Click here for the full article.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR & COMPANY: Ron Daly is President/CEO of DigitalMailer, Inc., a firm that provides clients the power to reach their customers across multiple digital channels. The firm combines its technology know-how and online communication tools to create an affordable way for clients to drive profitable growth. For more information, contact DigitalMailer at (866) 994-4900, go to www.digitalmailer.com or you can email Ron at rdaly@digitalmailer.com if you want more information on any topic found in our newsletters or web site.