Email Marketing – The Essentials

One of the hottest marketing channels, if not THE hottest marketing channel, being discussed in the Internet Marketing industry these days is the email marketing (email marketing services in Vancouver) channel.

Why? Considering the majorities are plugged in to using email to communicate – whether from their home computer, cell phone, crackberry (errr, blackberry, palm, trio), or at work, consumers and business worldwide utilize the email channel to communicate day-to-day. This channel has by far the greatest direct response (data supports 80% visibility – open rates – within the first 48 hours), is extremely cost-effective (when used properly) and is complimented with real-time data to gauge reach, visibility and response rate. Why wouldn’t more businesses and marketers be leveraging this channel?

Whether your business is a small mom-and-pop shop, or a large corporate conglomerate, email marketing has a place that meets any businesses budgets and marketing plans. If you’re not using it, you’re missing out. Whether for a one off email campaign, or focussed on customer and visitor retention through customer lifecycle email retention programs, the ROI from the email channel is the most cost effective medium to consider. For example, were all familiar with the 80/20 rule (80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers). What do you do to retain and build relationships with these customers? Are you the type that assumes if they buy from you once, they will return, or that they’re so loyal their not shopping around? It’s a poor assumption and I guarantee you’re losing business if you’re working with these assumptions.

In todays competitive market – especially if your business has a strong online business component, it is even more crucial to retain your customer segments – especially thosse 20% VIPs.

The email channel can function tremendously to build on those relationships – creating that one-to-one dialog, resulting in increased sales and increased brand equity in the eyes of those customer segments.

So what’s the key to an effective email marketing strategy or email campaign? Well, there are numerous factors to consider – email reputation, infrastructure, relevancy, customer segmentation, timing, etc. However, if you’re looking for a one-line formula to improve the lift and response in your email campaigns – consider this formula. Increased ROI/Response = Permissions (of the recipient) + the right message/offer + at the right time + relevancy (customer segmentation).

What other channel can you make hundreds or thousands of personal touch-points with through a dynamically personalized one-to-one tone and a message specifically relevant to the recipient with an instanteous response? None.

Remember, times have changed over the last 2 years of how marketers use the email channel. It’s now become a speciality where when it’s done right – it’s effective, when it’s done incorrectly, its can be damaging to your brand and reputation.

So beyond the how to strategically use the email channel (ex. retention programs, loyalty programs, acquistion programs, lead generation programs, educational programs, viral / word-of-mouth) etc., a good place to start is to thumb through the new DM New’s Essential Guide to E-marketing. Alternatively, contact us to discuss your email marketing requirements – whether your starting to build your email framework, or seeking strategic consulting on how to integrate this medium into your mix.