If you want to improve your database’s health in the new year, start with your email inbox.
In fact, email replies like “Out of Office” and “Left Company” contain valuable sales data about your leads. Your leads’ phone numbers, titles, and even emails are often included in those auto-replies. Email mining provides the most current data and is the simplest process to maintain database health.
Closing the Loop on Email Marketing
More than half of B2B marketers believe email is the most effective revenue channel. That’s because 86 percent of professionals prefer email for business communications.
While some experts predicted social media would dethrone email, email has only grown in popularity among B2Bs. With organic social media reach becoming increasingly difficult to achieve, many marketers are realizing that 1,000 email contacts are worth far more than 1,000 social media followers. Many marketers also like how email marketing allows for more personalization and segmentation.
An effective email marketing strategy should end with email reply mining. It allows you to get the most out of your email marketing campaigns and increase your overall ROI. In short, email mining turns a simple communication channel into a database cleansing solution, and new leads and sales opportunities! Every response, automated or human, contains data that can be used to improve your database’s accuracy and performance.
To reap these rewards and maintain a healthy database, simply check your inbox.
Email Mining Is Easier Than You Think
Email mining is a simple process:
- Continue sending your email campaign. Processes and systems need not be changed.
- Examine each response. Separate human or action-required responses from auto-responses.
- Extract data from each response. Replies include full names, phone numbers, titles, and backup contacts.
- Update your database
- Notify sales or account owners when a lead leaves or a domain changes (possible M&A).
While human resources can do this, a reply email mining service can automate the entire process. This frees up human talent for tasks like nurturing prospects further down the sales funnel.
Regardless of how you mine responses, the results are impressive. Let’s see what we can learn from a standard LTC auto-response.
Left-The-Company
This LTC auto-response informs you that your existing contact, Pamela, has left the company. First, delete her from your database. Because you are not sending to expired email addresses, you maintain a good sender reputation.
This LTC also includes a replacement contact, Jenni, with her title and contact information. Add Jenni to your database and reach out.
You wouldn’t know Pamela left until you got a hard bounce. You’ve lost any timing advantage you had by now.
Beyond Database Health
Regular email campaigns generate OOOs and LTCs. A week old information, for example, is sent to the same leads every week. So you find out quickly if a lead left the company via an LTC. This LTC auto-response may last 6-12 months before a hard bounce occurs.
Imagine the possibilities if you were 6 months ahead of your competitor!
Remember that new hires are eager to make a mark, especially if they have purchasing power. For existing customers, the replacement contact can help secure a renewal. You could use the new contact to introduce yourself to other influencers and close the deal. Assuring quick access to a new contact can be a significant competitive advantage.
The other side of the equation: your former employee. What happens after you delete them? They’re probably in a similar industry elsewhere. If you liked them, find out where they went and if you can do business with them at their new company. People buy from people they know and like, so losing a lead doesn’t mean the end of the relationship.