Customer communications

"Well I never realised that our customers preferred ..."

Communication is a fundamental part of any marketing activity, and the Internet is the most flexible and cost effective global communications tool. Therefore, you should be using the Internet in your marketing activities, particularly for two-way communication between your business and potential or actual customers. Here is what you can do to make that happen:

• Upload relevant content and news articles to your Web site - but that's only one way communication
  
  
• Use a chat room for real-time interactive (text) discussions; or use video conferencing tools - but you all have to be available at the same time
  
  
• Use a newsgroup as a forum for discussion - but not everyone knows how to use these, and you may not have control over the content
  
  
• Use an e-mail distribution list as a forum for debate, news and special announcements
  
  
• The content within a forum
  
  
• Administration of a forum
  
  
• What do you propose to do?

Probably one of the best ways of communicating with a group of customers, or potential customers, is through e-mail. You can use an e-mail distribution list to send information to everyone that "subscribes" (free or otherwise) to your forum. Forum members need only know how to use e-mail to read and participate in the forum. Here is what you can do to make that happen:

Have a form on your Web site that collects information from people who want to subscribe to your forum(s), or simply ask them to send you an e-mail with the details. Collect contact details and other appropriate information such as topics of interest. Indicate what this information will be used for and whether it will remain confidential.

Only send e-mails to those who have requested information, or those you are already in dialog with. Do not send unsolicited e-mail (junk mail; spam).

Add the users details to an address list / address book, and perhaps a database. Create a group of e-mail addresses for the forum.

Set a topic for discussion; or prepare a news article for example.

Send out the information in an e-mail addressed to all users in the forum (using the group name in the address book). If a user wants their e-mail address kept private put it in the BCC field (you can put the group name in BCC if you want). If you put all the recipients e-mail addresses in the BCC field no recipient will know who else has received the e-mail.

If you are initiating a debate, tell the recipients that and ask for responses (to be sent to your specified e-mail address).

Collect the responses and compile into a new e-mail message to send out as above. (Repeat above steps.)

If you use the BCC field then the To field will be blank. If you want this to automatically contain each individuals address then consider using a list-bot.

What is a list-bot? This is another way of administering an e-mail forum. Some list-bots are free.

So now you have the technology know-how, what about the content of the forum? You may want to consider this:

Virtually everyone suffers from information overload and not enough hours in the working day. Therefore, make your content relevant, useful, interesting and concise.

Think about the incentive for the recipient. Why should they read your messages or participate in your forum?

What is the purpose of your forum? - for you and other participants.

If you want to promote your services or products do it carefully. Recipients do not want to read a load of adverts all the time. Make sure adverts are relevant and concise. The forum should always contain relevant and useful information. If it simply becomes your billboard you may lose your participants.

Always include instructions on how people can un-subscribe from the forum and stop receiving e-mails. (e.g. e-mail xyz@mybetterbiz.com and put remove from abc3 forum in the subject field)

Consider having more than one forum if you are lucky enough to have lots of participation and lots of topics to discuss.

Use a descriptive entry in the subject field of the e-mail.

Be aware that any liable statements may result in the owner of the forum (you) getting sued - even if it is a closed forum. (The same may also be true of e-mails in general.)

Keep all e-mails concise. If you have a comprehensive article make a reference to it - either put it on your Web site with a link to it, or ask people to request it by e-mail.

So now you have the know-how, you just need to make it happen. All of the technology is virtually free - but it does require your time. You may want to consider this:

All marketing costs - in terms of your time and/or money.

If you get too many members, or too much forum activity, it may take much more of your time than you expected. Weigh up the pros and cons…

If you do get lots of members you could attract paid advertising or sponsorship.

Remember to check for and avoid liable.

Do not be tempted to have strong editorial control over the content submitted by members as it may reduce the overall quality and usefulness of the forum … and their incentive to contribute again.

Do edit content into a clearly readable format.

Be clear about what you want to achieve from the forum. How can it help to improve your business? Better products, services, customer care, marketing, …?