Email Marketing is Dead
Inbox Fatigue
What am I supposed to do, there is a battle going on in my email inbox. The flood of information is unmanageable. When I get a change to read some of this material I am tough with the unsubscribe button. I am also aware that I am spending more time reading the free content and not buying so many ebooks or mp3s. Last year when I bought the a new phone battery the company was important to me, but how many phone batteries do they think I need. I am also unsubscribing from those companies I like and putting them on my RSS.
I wonder if I am any different from those clients on our lists. I guess not, we can get some great insight on the world by just looking at our own response to the messages that we receive. As an aside I often find myself talking to a client discussing a campaign or promotion, that look of recognition when I say “would you respond to this?” it is priceless.
Back to my topic. Once you get to the inbox it is hard to get the messages opened and harder to achieve a response. EVERYONE TAKE NOTE! Falling response rates do not get resolved by increased frequency, it will just complete the cycle of more unsubscribe and greater falling response.
The keys as always is relevant content, was the list built from a tight enough group, have you asked the right questions, do you now who they are and what they want?
Email Marketing is Dead
The Falling response rates has caused some to ask if Email marketing is dead. How can it be, sales of the IPhone and blackberry are still growing, there are stats to suggest that in the US 60% email is read from a hand held device before 11.30am. Reality check it is changing. I have just watched a good Webinar by Jeanniey Mullen she is the chief marketing officer for Zino and its sister company, VIVmag magazine. Called The future of email” it sets out some new concepts in market segmentation. Direct marketing has always looked to response as measure of success some of the new segments do not respond but they share. This is the link between the consumption of content, email and social networking.
The webinar is 60 minutes and is worth watching, if you have an email programme it is not rocket science but you can make it so if you want. Here are five quick tips
- look at the unsubscribe ratios they are a measure of your message relevance.
- Consider asking a question on the unsubscribe link. where are they going?
- Segment your all responders and reward the best with pre product launch or offers
- Look to the no- responders as the future growth adapt the message to them
- Test everything
If you are looking for support with you email projects am always available 20 minutes is free I love to talk about this stuff.
