Getting someone to listen to your email - Part 1
I'll admit it ... I'm an email junkie. I suspect you might be too. Lately, it seems like I'm spending more and more time selecting what to save and what to delete from the 70 to 120 emails and e-newsletters I receive every day.
Email is now firmly embedded in the way we do business and communicate. Global internet traffic exceeds a billion messages every day, and so it follows that email has become a great channel for communicators and marketers.
Email delivers a cheaper, more efficient alternative to traditional direct mail. But unfortunately the ease and low cost of email have overshadowed the need to uphold traditional marketing standards. What's often forgotten is that, if executed incorrectly, email is just a cheap way of sending the wrong message to the wrong target audience.
What are the critical elements of a successful email program? Image 7 Group believe there are three: the quality of the database, the quality of the message and the quality of the execution and follow-through.
Email success element #1: Who are you talking to?
The best email campaign in the world won't accomplish anything if you don't reach the right people, which is why your database is critical to the success of your program.
Assuming that your market has a computer on their desk doesn't mean they will respond to email marketing communications (marcom). The truth is that people who receive many (sometimes hundreds) of emails a day, like business owners, IT professionals and journalists, will often be more likely to delete unsolicited messages or to have an assistant deal with the emails.
From a standing start, you'll probably be renting or purchasing an existing database. Such lists tend to produce highly variable responses but trade magazines are usually the best bet. Fewer publications are making these lists available due to privacy legislation.
If you do decide to acquire your database from an outside supplier, make sure you understand its bloodline. More importantly, single opt in and double opt in databases are generally more successful and will generate more return on your investment.
If your intended list is small (less than 2,000 names), building the list from the ground up is often the best way.
If you are unsure about the list you can test the error rate by sending your email to a sample from your database. As well as testing your error rate, you'll also get a hint of how your audience will respond to your message. Based on the response, you can eliminate the database or revise your message before committing to a full-scale release.
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