In these straightened times it is probable that you are considering what offer might tempt those on your email lists. If the times change then should your method of email marketing follow suit? For many companies the answer would appear to be: Yes.

There seems to be a preponderance of VAT-themed offers coming into inboxes at the moment. There are suggestions that there is no increase in VAT, no VAT and even a rather disingenuous “20% off, so VAT exempt”. The last is a bit naughty. Most people know that 20% off £120 does not bring it to bang on £100.

Given the hype surrounding the 2.5% increase in VAT it was probably a good thing to suggest a reduction in price negated the rise, or even reduced it further, but in email marketing you have to stand out from the crowd.

You will, of course, be subscribing to your competitors’ email lists, considering what they are offering and trying to beat them. This is the joy of email marketing: little is secret. It is the main problem as well as there is little doubt that they will be monitoring yours too.

You need to steal a march on the rest, to get in ahead and to change your offers at the right time. The only question is: How do you know when the time is right?

All you have to do is try something different with, say, 5% of those on your email list, or any statistically significant figure. That is easy enough to say, and rather obvious. You will, however, want to know what to try.

Go for what worked for you before. There is every chance that it will work for you again. If you are clearing your shelves then tell them that once the stocks are exhausted there will be no more. Or try the free gift or lottery if either gave good returns in the past. Try glamour. It might well be just right for these times.

By experimenting and checking the quick and accurate results you get with email marketing software you will know when it is time to change and bin those dreaded initials, VAT, for something that will excite your customers.