Does Email Marketing Have Enough Pep?

I have found there to be considerable disagreement in my circles about the use of email marketing for small business.  Is email marketing still a good bet?

On the plus side, email remains highly affordable (even free in most circumstances), easy to use, easy to customize, and easy to respond to.   On the minus side, email can be very impersonal and many consumers have abandoned email in favor of texting and other formats.

Email lists are also not hard to build.  Adroit use of web site, requests to customers at time of purchase, and social media offers can quickly build substantial lists.  These solid, opt in lists make for especially promising ROI.

I am not especially concerned about reports of email's demise.  This has been the claim for some years now and email remains a widespread channel, albeit one that is inconsistently read by quite a few consumers.  Moreover, in replacing email we would want something with greater or equal reach, and that has not yet happened.

However, email boxes are quite full for the average consumer, so getting inside with the right subject line and offer is critical.

Bottom Line:  Email marketing will continue to be a strong choice for small business.  This channel has a meaningful return on investment and enormous reach, and can be customized quite well.  But it is important to use appropriate and appealing messaging.

The E-mail Conundrum

It is a widely known fact of marketing that in study after study consumers tell us that they most prefer to be contacted by email, in contrast to mailers, phone calls, texts, or other channels.  Which would be wonderful for us in marketing because this channel is so inexpensive!  Except that consumers also complain loudly that they receive too many emails.  And we know what that means: many emails are deleted, filtered into folders-that-are-ignored, or simply ignored.

What do we make of this conundrum?  and how can we respond?

I believe we can use email to advantage.  When we are told there is too much email, we know that no one means certain kinds of emails---do you complain about too many messages from friends and family?  coupon codes from your favorite vendors?  Of course not!.

Our marketing messages by way of email need to be crafted carefully so that they become impactful and welcomed.  Here are some guidelines that may help convert "spam" into "bacon":

1. Keep it simple.  Be parsimonious with text and graphics.  Get to the point quickly and try to keep your appeal to a few sentences.  This email should be quickly digested.  If you have more to day, invite people to click links to your website and/or blog instead of reprinting the whole thing.

2. Watch the frequency.  I think the worst thing we can do is send a cascade of emails every week.  I receive some that sent multiple emails each day.  Good grief!  I would recommend visiting your customer once a week at most and at a predictable time.

3. Stick to benefits for the customer.  Concentrate on a special deal of the week, or a particularly valuable announcement.  Or point to the newest issue of your newsletter.

4. And most of all, select an irresistible subject line.  Entice the reader to click the email and discover the goodies.  Is there a big sale?  something free?  Something they need to know now that will change their day?  Use a complete sentence with a verb.

You can cut through the clutter and make your email message welcomed.  I can help!