In school, we usually learn how to communicate with active
stakeholders. However, companies should not neglect their dormant stakeholders
either. As an online retail business, it is common to have inactive members on
our website. However, we should not just leave them be. Instead, we should try
to engage in two-way communication with them, and try to persuade them to be
more active on the website.
We learnt about the many different stakeholders in school,
but we never really focused on dormant publics. One day, my superiors told me
that she wanted to send a newsletter to members who are inactive on our
website, and being inexperienced in this field, I could only research on the
internet to look for effective ways to do so.
One of the most common tips given was to not send them the
same message that you would send to regular members. This would turn them off
immediately, and most of them wouldn't even care about the newsletter.
As they are members who we have not interacted with
for a long period of time, I felt that it was important to know how why they
were inactive, and what would make them come back to our website. At the same
time, it wouldn't exactly be the most feasible idea to just shove a survey in
their face and expect them to do it without any returns.
Therefore, I suggested to my colleagues that we should ask
just a few simple but effective questions, and offer them incentives in order
to encourage them to come back to shop at our website. By doing these, it would
show that we care about them, and are willing to listen to them so that we can
improve on our website. After all, we are a consumer-based business, and we
should always be able to adapt quickly to our consumers’ needs.
That being said, I'm still nervous about the turnout. Would
it be good, or would it fail miserably? Or would my colleagues not use the idea
at all? I can only wait and find out. Well, this is all from me for today! See
you again when I write my next post!
Tay Si Min Priscilla
15909891
Curtin University (Singapore Campus)
15909891
Curtin University (Singapore Campus)
