You remember Vinnie Barbarino from Welcome Back Kotter?
When Vinnie Barbarino didn’t know something, which was often, he approached his lack of clarity the same way every time: “Who? What? Where?” Sometimes, asking the simplest questions can lead you to a great answer.
I had a recent dilemma where a client was seeing next to no response from his opt-in list of engineering prospects. The client had great content, a well-established name in the industry and a solid product offering. He even had a great opt-in list of prospects anxious to receive additional information.
I went back to basics.
Who: Who is this audience and what is the best way to engage them?
Talking to engineers is a different approach. According to a new CMP study, super hip media doesn’t thrill engineers. For us, this translated to a new, simplified, guided approach to delivering information.
What: What does this audience want out of their communications?
According the CMP, engineers want the following:
- Breaking news — 42% prefer email newsletters, 26% went to trade publication Web sites but only 6% went to vendor Web sites.
- New product info — 27% prefer email newsletters, 26% went to vendor Web sites and 18% to trade publication Web sites.
- How-to design ideas — Only 8% preferred email newsletters, while 37% went to vendor Web sites and 15% to trade publication Web sites.
Where: Where do they go for information?
94% of engineers visit Web sites looking for downloadable data sheets and application notes. The trouble is that if the information isn’t organized at this location, the prospect will not engage.
The Solution
As a result of this inquiry, we spoke with the client and recommended a revised strategic approach combing simple rich text email, a slimmed down content offers and simplifying what was required to access the content. Using this approach we were able to increase response by over 400%.
Consider asking the basic questions to find the best marketing approach for your campaign.