We are all inundated with e-mail; we’re sending it, receiving it and saving it. In fact, as of November 2012, 144 billion e-mails were being sent every day. But in an age of social media, it seems like e-mails are a marketing campaign of yesteryear. Not so fast, though. Just because 65 percent of all e-mails are spam doesn’t mean that your company’s targeted e-mail campaign has to get dragged to that daunting folder in customers’ inboxes.
Today, the delete button is heavier than the sword. Here are three things you could be doing wrong with your e-mail marketing campaign.
1.) Talking to the Wrong Person
Increasing your brand strategy means showing your customers who you are, what you stand for and what you do. This will hopefully attract them enough to trust you, and eventually, invest in you. The last way to accomplish this is by mass-producing e-mails or talking to your customer like he or she is another number. You would never trust a company who addresses you as “Dear Customer” in an e-mail –let alone give them your money – so spend an extra few minutes assessing your audience and figuring out how to tailor craft your e-mail messages.
2.) Saying the Wrong Thing (Or Saying Too Much)
The last thing you should be doing is sending messages with uninteresting content or over sharing content. Send an e-mail only if it’s purposeful (i.e. a product feature, sale, important company milestone, abandoned shopping cart). We are all familiar with the type of person who is so quick to speak that his or her words begin to lack an impact; don’t be the business equivalent of this.
3.) Throwing Creativity to the Wind
You’re the feather-light needle in a 144 billion pound haystack; therefore, you need your e-mail to stand out like neon lights in a dark night sky. Even if you are saying the right thing, consider if your message is being displayed correctly. E-mail headers should always be fresh, diverse and inviting. Additionally, opt for bright and colorful images or designs in the body of your message over a standard layout. And before hitting send, ask yourself the critical question of whether you’re integrating innovative techniques to gently get sales to the forefront of customers’ minds.
Edited by
Carrie Schmelkin
