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Email Marketing is dying, just like Direct Mail!
By Simren Deogun on March 22, 2011
Isn’t that what everyone keeps on saying? If you’re in the Direct Mail space, then naysayers tell you it’s a dying channel. If you’re in the Digital Marketing space, then you’re told email has become passé.
People love to jump to conclusions! When we see something new and shiny on the horizon, we have a tendency to let that become the center of our universe – Social Media is the quintessential example, à la Twitter, Groupon or Quora.
But don’t get me wrong, I know that we are in the age of information overload and most of that information is coming at us via digital channels – email being one of them.
As our inbox becomes bloated and we become tired and cranky, we begin to assume that email is no longer working, but I call that blasphemy – for both the non-profit and for-profit worlds!
Consider the following:
- 42% of those who use social media still check their email 4+ times a day (from an eMarketer study about social media and email)! That’s the digitally active segment we love to talk to.
- 65% of marketing executives are going to increase spending on email marketing in 2011 (states eMarketer)! That’s because email can and does work.
- 35% of surveyed North Americans selected Direct Mail as their preferred method for receiving information about charities cites a Consumer Channel Preference Study from ICOM in 2010, so, like email, Direct Mail is far from dead.
So, I’m here to tell you that you can cut through the clutter!
How can you boost your email marketing?
- Have Faith in your Readership – They trusted you with their email address, that counts for a whole lot!
- Design an Email Marketing Strategy – Develop a plan of who you’re going to talk to, what you’re going to talk about and, most importantly, when and how.
- Try Something New – Have you been using the same email template since the invention of the World Wide Web? Do the letters “HTML” scare you witless? If yes, it’s time for you to take the leap!
- Trust the Experts – If you don’t know where to start with the above, then ask us, we’re here to help!
So, to the pessimists and cynics who say email is a goner, I’ll just laugh and say: I love a challenge.
Paula Attfield wrote, on 08:48 at Mar 29, 2011
Great blog Simren! As for direct mail, I recently received an acquisition piece from Google! If Google are still using mail, then clearly it’s not dead!
Paula Attfield wrote, on 08:49 at Mar 29, 2011
Just to be clear, by “it” I meant direct mail isn’t dead!
Simren Deogun wrote, on 17:11 at Mar 31, 2011
Thanks Paula! Yeah, the amazing thing is that even though Google is an online shop, they also understand the importance of offline and online, and thus integration!
Plus, I’ve also noticed from them (as a Google AdWords users), more frequent and helpful email communications! Ah, I LOVE digital.
Paul Nazareth ( twitter @UinvitedU ) wrote, on 16:18 at Feb 23, 2012
Professionals who respect other professionals must maintain intellectual integrity – I came to this blog from the @ST_Digital tweet to rip you a new one, honestly….
Because I LOVE email marketing! And I am newish to social media so I take cheeky blog post titles way to personally ( Pinterest is only for cupcake pictures?! What the hell? )
Anyway I’m new to email marketing, some of the charities I support and help are doing a great job at it and I got some early advice from ST once on it and it was of huge value. Again, to be honest, I even wasted some time the other day at a training event on email marketing from a strange new brand when your tips above were of more value than that session – so a caveat: Don’t trust the “experts” ( social media guru’s with 10 twitter followers ) – trust the experts you trust who prove themselves over and over ( that means you ST team ).
Great post, great value. Thanks team, see you at YNP in March!
Simren Deogun wrote, on 17:23 at Feb 23, 2012
Thanks Paul! You’ve brought a huge smile (ear to ear) to my face.
Email is definitely not dead and we prove that day in and day out at ST, and I’m happy to see you jumping in feet first Paul!
Looking forward to seeing you in a month as well!