Challenge
Simply Audiobooks, well known for being the Netflix of audio book rentals, offers the most comprehensive range of audiobook services in North America, with rentals, downloads, and sales of CDs and tapes. Being an online business, they knew how important it was to expand from their current, basic email marketing program. They were using a service that had very limited reporting capabilities and no ability to send segmented/targeted campaigns. To grow their online marketing channel, they had to proactively incorporate these types of initiatives into their marketing activities. They also knew the better they could understand their customer’s behaviors and interaction, the more successful they would be.
Solution
Simply Audiobooks required a robust email marketing platform that could handle more than just high volume sends. They needed a tool to manage customer data and allow for segmentation capabilities. Plus, it was important for Simply Audiobooks to form a strategic partnership with an email service provider who could provide guidance and best practice information to ensure they maximized the full range of available technology. They turned to Knowledge Marketing’s integrated email marketing platform as the best solution. Simply Audiobooks quickly put the Knowledge Marketing tools to work! We had a hot title that we wanted to get to our customers but were concerned with purchasing expensive inventory that had a short projected lifespan. says Heather Boag, Email Marketing Specialist. Simply Audiobooks quickly identified which segments in their email list would be likely buyers and delivered a highly targeted campaign message to that segmented audience. The campaign was a huge success! Each successful campaign propelled them to expand their online marketing communications that included:
- Targeted surveys to test ideas and monitor their customer service levels.
- Email campaigns to specifically target inactive customers to try them again
- Additional exclusive email offers
Results
The implementation of their new email program showed immediate and impressive results. For the hot title campaign, they saw an astonishing 50% open rate and a 27% conversion rate. What was more encouraging was customers who received this offer, whether they converted or not, had a 35% reduction in their cancellation rate over the following 2 months, compared to the control group. The success of this promotion indicated crossover possibilities between the rental and download clubs. Today they see open rates as high as 65%. Once we started using Knowledge Marketing’s email program regularly, we were able to attribute an increase in direct sales through this program. Results continuously show a spike in upgrades the day we send out the email. I would definitely recommend Knowledge Marketing’s solutions. They have great features and the customer support is excellent.
