Tackling email marketing problems is what TouchBasePro does best. Our latest challenge: CliffCentral, the unCensored, unScripted, unRadio platform. Their existing email programme had room to grow, and we had the tools to help.
TouchBasePro was featured on The Gareth Cliff Show, listen to the podcast here.
TouchBasePro's plans
CliffCentral's regular email newsletters were holding an average open rate of 10.41%. The click-through rate, though, was only 0.83%.
We measured that against two relevant benchmarks:
Entertainment and Events: open rate 21.21%, click-through rate 2.33% Media and Publishing: open rate 22.14%, click-through rate 4.70%
The gap was clear. We set out to overhaul CliffCentral's email marketing from the ground up, targeting results in line with where their industry peers already sit.
What we've implemented
Getting your message across depends on sending the right email at the right time. With TouchBasePro's Automation feature, CliffCentral now runs a full set of triggered emails for their subscribers. These were built once and run daily on their own.
Using the RSS function, podcast reminders go out at a set time after each show, with a direct link to the latest episode for listeners who missed it. On top of that, a custom integration on our side means listeners can also be reminded about podcasts they started but haven't finished.
Previously, CliffCentral sent daily newsletters to their full list. Sending everything to everyone was overwhelming subscribers with content they had no interest in. The first thing we did was segment the list by interest.
CliffCentral still sends daily newsletters, but each one is now themed around a specific interest that subscribers have expressed. Subscribers stopped getting irrelevant content, and engagement on the emails they actually want went up sharply. In a short time since launch, the click-through rate increased by more than 8 times.
By adding subscribe forms to every show page and rebuilding the main signup page, CliffCentral's database grew by more than 400 subscribers in under a month. When subscribers sign up for podcast reminders, they can also add themselves to other segments and interest areas. Giving people control over what they receive makes them far more willing to sign up in the first place.
Some subscriber drop-off is normal, but you want people to look forward to your emails. Re-engagement campaigns give us a way to bring back subscribers who have gone quiet, rather than writing them off. This is now part of CliffCentral's ongoing programme.
Where we're going from here
This overhaul started at the beginning of March 2017. Re-engagement and list growth remain the main focus. Over the coming months we'll keep testing new ideas, refining what's already running, and tracking campaign and newsletter performance as the numbers come in.
Sign up to the CliffCentral Newsletter to see our work in action
Frequently asked questions
- What was CliffCentral's click-through rate before TouchBasePro's overhaul?
- CliffCentral's click-through rate was 0.83% before the overhaul, against an Entertainment and Events industry benchmark of 2.33% and a Media and Publishing benchmark of 4.70%.
- How did segmentation improve CliffCentral's email engagement?
- By grouping subscribers according to their declared interests and sending themed newsletters to each segment, CliffCentral stopped sending irrelevant content to its full list. The result was a click-through rate increase of more than 8 times.
- How did CliffCentral grow its email database?
- Subscribe forms were added to every show page and the main signup page was rebuilt. This approach added more than 400 new subscribers in under a month.
- What role did automation play in CliffCentral's email programme?
- TouchBasePro set up RSS-driven automation to send podcast reminders at a set time after each show, with a direct link to the latest episode. A custom integration also allows listeners to receive reminders about podcasts they started but did not finish.