There are benefits to email tracking software that go far beyond the simple ability to tell if your marketing message was opened or discarded. Once most companies get their hands on new email analysis tools, they are astounded at how much can be learned about their email campaigns.
Here is one crucially important – and equally cool – feature that you might not be aware is available in marketing software tools. So don't say we didn’t try to clue you in!
X-Ray Vision
Okay, that’s something of an exaggeration – but it’s pretty much the next best thing. We’ve already established that using email marketing software, you’ll be returned information on things like delivery success rates, open rates, click through rates, and conversion rates. All of that’s pretty valuable information. In fact without it, you’d be taking wild stabs in the dark with your marketing campaign and would never have an opportunity to refine your approach on targeted leads. But a marketing software tool can also let you peer beyond the actions of your intended recipients and tell you if that person forwarded your message to another party. This usually happens if your recipient spies something in your message that they think might be of interest to a friend or family member. If that’s not awesome enough for you, email tracking software will even tell you if that third party opened the message or not.
The Benefits of X-Ray Vision (AKA Forward Rates Analysis)
So what could you possibly want with that information? Well, let’s think about it. The ability to peer through walls to find out what your list subscribers’ friends think of your marketing campaign is valuable info that you can use for more than just stroking your ego. You can actually take that information and incorporate it into your email campaign. Many companies will offer “refer a friend” discounts to their list subscribers as a way to generate new targeted leads, and this email analysis will tell you if your efforts are working. But even if you’re not actively operating a “refer a friend” campaign, this information can still be a useful indicator that tells you whether or not you’re consistently providing the kind of relevant content that will make your subscribers think “Whoa… wait ‘til I share this with So-And-So.” If you’ve got a low forward rate, you might want to take a closer look at the information you’re putting into your marketing messages and experiment with content to see what will cause a spike in those specific analytics. When you notice a spike, identify what you did differently – and do it again.
So the next time you encounter someone who tells you that survey and email marketing software isn’t worth the cost, just smile and nod your head. Or tell them everything you’ve just read and see what they have to say then. You might just help someone else see the light.