Is there a Fundamental Rule of Email Strategy? I’d like to put one forward for you to consider…
There’s a great little blog post called “Dozens of Practical Tips for Higher Email Marketing ROI.”
A quote in the article jumped out at me and I wanted to echo it in this post:
“The biggest benefit to email is that it’s trackable,” says Jessica Harley, VP, Online Marketing, FTD.com. “Not only does it work and generate a high ROI, but I can tie it back to a CRM-identified source. It’s also custom. I can give the consumer the offer that is right for them.”
The last line is particularly important. I’d like to elaborate by saying that the way to know what offer to send someone only becomes apparent after understanding WHO through the Email Marketing Strategy of Cutting Through the Noise with Relevance. RFM Analysis combined with a CRM system is the best way to do this… not terribly complicated to get up and running and a wealth of information that lets you:
Communicate one-on-one to the customer about what matters to the customer in a way that the customer gets it and understands what is expected of them.
Using this rule you could even begin to build a checklist to match up your email messages with:
Communicate one-on-one to the customer
- Is the email from a real person to a real person?
about what matters to the customer
- Does the email discuss what matters to the customer (not about what matters to the company or the sender)?
in a way that the customer gets it
- Does the email use the language of the customer in communicating?
and understands what is expected of them.
- What are you asking them to do? Is it CLEAR to them the one thing you want them to do? (aka the Call to Action).
Does it surprise you that you should expect something out of a communication? It really shouldn’t. You always expect something, even if it is only an agreement or reinforcement of a message. However, I would suggest NOT sending someone an email UNLESS you believe that what you are asking them to do is something they REALLY want or need to do or know about…
…anything else is just a waste of their time and your credibility.
That fundamental Rule of Email Strategy will lead to more revenue now and in the future.
Jason Bedunah
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