Content Marketing Today

XM Radio Really Misses the Point with its eNewsletter

They are blowing their chance to retain me as a customer.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love XM radio. What I love most is being able to listen to music and information channels that I really enjoy.  Conversely, I don’t have to listen to anything I hate.  That’s why satellite radio is such a threat to old-fashioned radio. 

However, since there are other musical choices, XM needs to remind me why I should listen more regularly than I do.  Their eNewsletter could be the perfect retention vehicle, but it’s not.  Here’s what they doing wrong.

They have forgotten all the lessons they learned when they created the satellite service.  It’s obvious from the eNewsletter that I’m receiving a copy that is identical to what all the rest of their millions of subscribers receive. 

First off, they start by asking me for a favor.  They want me to turn a friend on to XM radio.  Now my hypothetical friend would get some benefit from this, but I don’t get anything.  Basically, the eNewsletter begins with something that’s all about them rather than all about me. 

The issue then segues to a feature on a singer from the musical group, Heart.  I didn’t listen to them in the 70s–and certainly wouldn’t listen to them now.  The next area of content involves professional hockey scores–and hockey is the one sport that I would attend only if I can luxuriate in the VIP box.  Links then follow to college basketball and some sort of winter baseball meetings which interest me even less than hockey.

Only after wading through all this, do I get to the “New Music on XM” section.  They highlight five artists of whom I know or would listen to just one, Tim McGraw.  In fact I’m slightly appalled that it features a song from Snoop Dogg–Sexual Seduction.  I hope young people aren’t getting this eNewsletter.

The newsletter wraps up with a hodgepodge of this week’s highlights, apparently chosen at random.

What’s wrong with this picture?

XM radio lets me select and retain my favorites which are linked to my account.  Therefore XM should be able to target my interests and those of people with whom I share at least a broad range of preferences.  Instead, I get a newsletter which might focus in on my interests only by accident.  Not only am I inclined to unsubscribe, but I’m not being motivated to spend more time listening to XM radio.  Thus, instead of achieving its goal of retention, the eNewsletter is achieving an unintended goal of irritation.

Don’t follow the XM Radio example.  Follow BookSurge instead.

Don’t make the same mistake with your content marketing efforts .  Target your content to the interests of your current and future customers.  Don’t treat them like some anonymous audience with no known preferences.  You can improve retention significantly by understanding what it is that most interests your customers and delivering regular content that targets their interests.

If you would like to learn from an organization that’s getting it exactly right, check out our article on the BookSurge eNewsletter here. BookSurge understands its customers and provides information that will help them succeed.