September 30, 2010
Are You Guilty of Email Marketing Overkill?
Be honest: How many email messages did you delete this morning without even opening? If you’re like us, the answer is probably plenty. Face it – we’re all suffering from email overkill. That’s partly why marketers are turning again to direct mail to break through the din of digital messages overtaking our collective email inboxes.
But that doesn’t mean email won’t continue to play an important role in the marketing mix. What it does mean is that smart marketers have become more judicious about the number of email marketing messages they send and they’re increasingly opting for a more comprehensive, cross-media strategy.
Research into recent marketing trends confirms the power of a multi-channel approach and suggests the following best practices:
- Avoid Spam-Jam: Double opt-in programs (where a user has explicitly requested email communication and confirmed the email address) enjoy lower complaint rates, but aren’t immune to having their messages rejected as spam. Avoid this dreaded fate by ensuring that your email messages are easily recognizable and always relevant.
- Scrub Your Lists: Send too many emails to bad addresses and you risk significant deliverability issues with Internet service providers who use this information to determine sender reputation.
- Get Social: Despite what you’ve heard about Facebook and Twitter crowding out email, don’t believe it. Recent research reveals that social media actually boost email use. Marketers who integrate the best of social media into their messages—including personalization, customer reviews and commentary—enjoy higher open rates.
- Maintain Control: Allowing independent stores, agents, or chapters to send emails on behalf of your organization risks brand integrity and, more importantly, compliance with CAN-SPAM regulations. Avoid this by maintaining centralized control of your messages and your lists.
To find out more about how to incorporate email into a successful integrated marketing campaign, contact your direct mail provider or email us at marketing@euservices.com
