Nine Ways to Keep Up With Increased Inbox Competition in 2009

photo by Gaetan Lee

I've talked about how companies are increasing spending on email marketing during the recession and how email marketing is more relevant than ever in 2009, so this will lead us to another point to discuss about email marketing this year.

With so many companies planning on INCREASING their email marketing expenditures because of it's affordable pricing and ROI, that means there is going to be increased COMPETITION as well.

Are your email marketing campaigns ready to face the increased competition? Will your email list messages stand out from all the others in your customers inbox? Let's review a few questions that will help judge the potential of your email campaigns:

1. What do your emails offer that the competition does not?
2. Are you offering short term value, long term value or both?
3. Is everyone in your company on the same page about you email marketing?
4. Are your emails reflective of your brand image?
5. Are your email campaigns well targeted?
6. Are you sending too many emails?
7. Are you offering clear benefits to signing up?
8. When you have and exceptionally good or exceptionally bad campaign, are you taking the time to find out WHY?
9. Do your email marketing campaigns have clear objectives?

Ask yourself these questions, discuss them with your sales team and find ways to improve your campaigns for 2009 so you can stand out from those full email inboxes and keep your customers opening your offers.

Too Many Emails Will Lose You Customers

Photo by Ricardo Liberato

You know I'm a big advocate of email marketing. I talk about it here every day. I make money with it and so do many of the clients I perform email marketing consulting with. So how do I feel about he email marketing messages that end up in my personal inbox?

The answer to that question will lead us to today's lesson: Don't send TOO MANY email messages.

Yes, there is definitely such a thing as too many email messages. Of course, this should be obvious, because you, much like myself, are deleting emails out of your inbox every day without ever reading them. Yet somehow, many of the email marketing campaigns run by some of the largest and most successful companies in the world fail to realize this.

Here's an example. I ordered a product online from a well known clothing retailer that you can find in major cities across the country. When I placed my order I was signed into their email list, which I had absolutely no problem with. I really like their products and check into their site when there are specials, because when not on sale their clothes are a little expensive for me. But when they send me an email, there's always a link to the "SALE" section of the site, which offers online only discounts. This sale link is another great thing to add to your email messages by the way. Promote your main offer, but include a couple other links of interest.

But the point is this: I am voluntarily opted into their email list. I really like this store. I really like their products. I WANT to receive messages from them. So what's the problem.

The problem is this: Over the course of the month of December, I began to receive DAILY emails from them. Every single day there would be a new email. Now, who really needs to receive a marketing email from store, even one that you like every single day? Maybe some people do, but I do not.

So I opted out. I withdrew myself from the email list of a company who's products I enjoy and who I had even wanted to receive emails from. But they abused my permission. They didn't have something valuable to offer in each message, they were just pestering me. This isn't what I wanted, and research shows it's not what most people want. The average customer is fine with one email a week. Five a week though is TOO MUCH.

Learn the lesson: If you abuse your opt in email lists, you're going to just anger the very people who you're trying to sell to. You're going to get people like me, who love your products and want to receive your emails, to say "Forget it!" and opt out. You're emails are going to get marked as spam, which will hurt the deliverability of all your marketing emails. You're going to lose customers and you're going to lose money.

SO DON'T ABUSE YOUR EMAIL LISTS!!!!

Contact Orange Spot Email Marketing for Email Marketing Software Pricing

Why Email Marketing is More Relevant Than Ever in 2009

Photo by Peter Kaminski

Is Email Marketing in your advertising mix for 2009? Are you thinking email is sooooooo been done, nobody reads it anymore? If so, it's time to adjust your thinking, because email marketing usage continues to grow, even as other marketing budgets shrink.

Why is that? It's not because it's a fad, email is well established now and not just the "next big thing" like Twitter is now and Second Life two years ago. Email marketing has been used and abused for so long it just seems like old hat to some people.

Everyone else though, is still using it. Many, many people and companies are using email marketing to make big money. Others are using it for promotion, branding, list building, advertising and lead acquisition..... which in the long run will make you more money.

At the start of 2009, as advertising budgets are shrinking, many companies are INCREASING their email marketing budget. Why is that? Because email marketing is cheap, highly traceable and accountable for every dime that is spent. When you compare the price of a TV ad to the price of email marketing, it's not even close. You can reach tens of thousands of customers instantly with email, and you will know exactly how many of them viewed it, visited your site and spent money. No other media spend can give you that kind of certainty.

If you have been ignoring or underutilizing your email marketing efforts, it's time to look at this medium again. Find Custom Email Marketing Solutions with Orange Email Marketing.