It’s tempting to dismiss emails as a bothersome, old school tactic and thus shy away from employing them as an effective marketing tool for 2017. It’s true that most unsolicited emails are annoying, rarely relevant and inbox clogging. It’s also true that open and response rates, even for internally cultivated lists, continue to decline.
None of this, however, means that email marketing can no longer be effective. Like so many dimensions of digital marketing, intelligent email marketing performance is closely tied to specific factors. Additionally, unlike most other digital marketing channels, carefully developed email campaigns can be saved by prospects and filed away for future use. In MoreVisibility’s case, we’re continually wowed by the fact that we receive new business inquires that come as a response to an email we sent months (or even years) ago.
Successful email marketing initiatives incorporate the following:
Email marketing is a piece of the marketing puzzle. Use it efficiently and the rewards should accrue over time as people respond when they are ready to engage in a meaningful way.
- Trust
- Your best opportunity to leverage email is when you know the person you’re sending to and they have a favorable impression of your business. Even if they have no need for your product or service in the short term, they are apt to reach out when the timing is appropriate, if they received and filed away your note for future use.
- Relevancy
- Simply knowing someone doesn’t mean that your email will be embraced and acted upon. It’s vital to ensure that your message and call to action are in the realm of something they may be interested in. Non-relevant emails will erode your credibility.
- Respectful
- Too much of a good thing is a bad thing when it comes to emailing people. Limit your frequency to remain top of mind without being burdensome.
- Well written
- Whether it’s your newsletter or a personalized email to prospective customers, be certain that all grammar is correct and that your message is conveyed in the most precise manner. Getting someone to read your email is a feat which can be jeopardized by ineffective messages or proper language utilization.
