Outbound Marketing

The world has changed, and it’s time to take a fresh look at one of the simplest and most effective digital marketing tools in your toolbox — outbound marketing. The need is self-evident; the pandemic has effectively isolated people from normal channels of communication. It has also essentially eliminated two important avenues of communication: the trade show and the in-person sales meeting.

While there are virtual trade shows and web meetings, neither replaces in-person.  With the shift away from contact marketing, outbound remains one of the best methods to reach and communicate with your audience. Outbound marketing with email includes two typical forms: newsletters and eblasts. There are foundational aspects of both that determine which will work the best for your next campaign.

But first, let’s consider your audience.

Target a Developer Audience

All marketing efforts start with identifying your audience. For outbound marketing efforts, start by reviewing the contact lists in your CRM system. To expand that list, sponsor developer newsletters or eBlasts to the much larger, double opted-in mailing lists of developer-to-developer communities via DeveloperMedia. Since you’re advertising on a newsletter or dedicated mailer that developers have requested, the list has been validated by a reputable source, and the list will be clean, de-duped, and up-to-date.

It will target the relevant and engaged developer audience that you want. In addition to access to the list, you’ll rest assured that it is opt-in compliance to anti-spam regulations such as CASL, GDPR, and others. (This is a big advantage because the penalties are severe for abuse.) Finally, there is considerable brand equity as well as brand security in associating your brand with the support of developer communities.

Newsletters

While eblast- and newsletter-focused outbound tactics have their place in the marketing mix, newsletters are different from eblasts. Newsletters are delivered regularly, with curated content tuned to your readers’ interests, and the subscriber list is evergreen — new names can be added daily. Newsletters appeal to developers who have made a long-term commitment, because they offer a series of content which is so engaging that readers look forward to receiving it on a regular basis.

Structure your newsletter so that alongside informative and interesting content, your audience will find items of interest from your company, including tips and tricks, and product and service promotions. Positioning matters. While newsletters can be easy to create, make sure your advertising takes advantage of “above the fold” prominence.

The association of informative content with your brand will help you gain credibility in the minds of your readers, and make your newsletters a high-performance means of engagement.

Eblasts or Dedicated Email Offers

Eblasts or exclusive email offers are high-impact marketing tools where information is sent irregularly. When used judiciously, eblasts are effective, offering the opportunity for multiple links, leading to a high click-through rate (CTR). According to the 2020 Developer Marketing Survey by Evans Data Corporation, unsolicited email is one of the most effective ways to reach developers, though overuse will lead to annoyance or even banishment through opt-out.

As an outcome of the pandemic, many marketers have turned to email marketing as a means of reaching their customers. Work to ensure that your efforts are pragmatic and do not overwhelm your audience. The counter to this situation is that, because of the isolating effect of the pandemic, audiences are more tolerant of unsolicited emails. The question is: How do YOU cut through the clutter and create the ONE email that your target customer wants to read?

The rules are simple:

  • Stand out with an engaging subject line. and with good visual appeal to the body. Make it personal, keep it professional, and appeal to curiosity without using clickbait tactics.
  • Offer something of value to your developer audience, like an inside scoop on a new product, early release data, a tip, or a white paper.  Collaborate with your audience, and give them the “inside track” when it makes sense.
  • Don’t saturate by e-blasting too often. Follow a schedule or calendar as part of your campaign plan.

D2D Community Outreach Works Best

Advertising within developer-to-developer (D2D) communities engenders high trust with the developer audience. This holds true for generating newsletters. DeveloperMedia has curated a cohort of developer communities that trust the brands who support these communities.

Outbound email marketing with DeveloperMedia means your message goes to double opt-in subscriber lists that are clean, and compliant with anti-spam regulations. Lists are updated in real time, so your content, branding and advertising reach the members of the developer community who want to hear from you.

Talk to us about adding newsletters and eblasts (dedicated emails) to your developer campaign today! Contact sales@developermedia.com.

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