Integrating Channels: More Email, Less Mass Distribution
Heinrich Marketing
Multichannel Marketing: More Email, Less Mass Distribution
Some marketers have, perhaps subconsciously, dismissed the idea of email marketing, as if there were space for only one contemporary tool in the marketing mix and clearly, social media had stolen the show. But we’re not buying it, and our partners agree.
“Email is still a solid foundation for direct marketing,” says Ross Kramer, CEO at Listrak, a leading email marketing and analysis firm. “But you have to go full circle by using your social channels to engage with customers and discover their needs, apply what you learn by customizing your email messages, then encourage your email audience to share the email on their social network of choice.”
Easier said than done, but it all starts with creating a relevant, shareworthy email message.
“People will share content that inspires them on an emotional level,” says Kramer. “It’s all about trust, too. Above all, people want to feel like they’re in control of the messages they receive. Send them what they want and you’ll build an emotional bond.”
The Forward to a Friend button has been the go-to sharing gizmo for years. And it’s still important, stresses Kramer, because it ensures the email renders properly and also keeps tracking tools in place.
However, according to a study by Silverpop, a leading multichannel marketing company, social media buttons — where users can instantly “retweet” or post a message to their Facebook wall on demand — have click-through rates of around 0.5%. It may not seem like much, but the Forward to a Friend button garners just a few tenths of 1 percent.
Once the share occurs, the message is out of the bag. Silverpop found that social network users are, on average, connected to between 150 and 200 friends. This means that developing a socially shareworthy email makes your audience instant brand ambassadors.
Once posted, Silverpop estimates that compared to the original email, your reach just went up 24.3%.
Conclusion: Email marketing isn’t yesterday’s news; it’s today’s trusted new tool. Use it wisely.