Our client participates in a large number of trade shows and seminars, and at each event, they use surveys to collect contact information. But there was a problem with their system. Due to staff constraints, it had become impossible to follow up with the contacts that they generated in a timely manner. Qualified leads were collecting dust, and sales opportunities were being missed.

To solve the problem, our client came to us to develop a communication program for following up with "opt-in" attendees. Timeliness and cost-effectiveness were priorities, while maintaining ongoing contact with the event database was also a goal. After all, if they lost track of their "opt-in" attendees, what was the point of investing in trade shows in the first place?

1. We created a cost-effective follow-up email communications program using customized, high-end creative and messaging.

2. We researched all aspects of corporate and CAN-SPAM compliance to inform our protocol and ensure that all requirements were met.

3. We mapped out a schedule to input all survey data and contact information into the partner’s database within one week of the event and to deploy a follow-up email within two weeks.

4. We put measurement tools in place so that detailed reports could be generated every quarter to evaluate campaign progress.

5. We prepared the survey results and list of opt-in contacts after each event and supervised the distribution process to ensure accuracy and timeliness.

We sent eight emails per quarter for a total of 737 contact receipients. To maximize functionality, our emails enabled opt-in attendees to obtain further product information, register for additional events or training programs, or purchase the product. Strikingly, the timeliness and relativeness of our emails enabled us to outperform the industry average for open percentage (49.7% vs. 28%) and click-through percentage (7.05% vs. 5.30%). Plus, our detailed reporting demonstrated the cost-effectiveness our program at $22.15 per email. In the end, our partner now has a valuable database for future outreach, product updates and promotions.