What Your Customers Need is a Transition!

Transition marketing is a powerful online marketing strategy that remains largely underused. It consists of a clearly defined process through which companies convert acquired leads to customers quickly and effectively by sending new leads strategically timed emessages containing targeted conversion content.

Additionally, a well-executed transition-marketing program enables companies to use the data collected during transition to value each of their acquisition sources independently.

Companies spend significant monies acquiring leads through search, list-append, advertising, co-registration, and list buys; but once acquired, the value of these leads is not maximized. Leads are lost because there is not a clear strategy executed to maximize conversion: instead leads are simply channeled into a common database and receive the same e-messages as everyone else on the company’s list.

The solution is a transition marketing strategy and technology. Starting at the point of acquisition, new leads are placed into a transition program lasting two to six weeks. During this period of time they receive a series of e-messages specifically designed to optimize conversion. Technology enables automated message deployment, with results tracked to both ROI the lead source.

Typical mailings introduce leads to the company, give them a sense of how it does business, and make sure that they know how to access additional information and support. In the same messages leads are offered special benefits like a new-members-only sale, or a series of coupons or special discounts. The emphasis is on making new leads feel special and appreciated so that they want to move to become enthusiastic customers.

Acquired leads gain a strong sense of being welcomed, of feeling valued, and in turn they value a company that offers such a program. Post transition, they have substantial knowledge of the company’s products/services and understand how to access them.

In addition, customer participation in special offers enables key segmentation data (product categories, etc.) to be harvested throughout the transitional period.

A carefully devised and implemented transition strategy immediately improves lead conversion, customer relations and the bottom line.