Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and You Tube bring you the celebrity spats, videos of cute, one-eyed cats and cool infographics.
And email…well, its still good for sharing a document with a business associate, same as it’s been doing since last century. Lately, it’s better known for offers of knock-off pharmaceuticals.
Yet at the same time, email is more engrained into our society than any of the social media platforms. Do you know anyone from a teenager to a senior citizen that doesn’t have an email address?
Twitter has more than 100 million accounts in the U.S., but up to 25 percent of them are never used. Facebook just topped 1 billion users worldwide. Still, Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail, together and alone, tops that number. And one study showed that 72 percent of people check their email more than six times per day.
This all means email is still a vibrant, effective means for reaching current and potential customers with tailored marketing messages. The key is having a quality list. Some companies keep their customer lists up-to-date and continually add leads from the sales staff. Most aren’t that conscientious about it. In that case you may need to buy a list from an email address provider. Count on your PR consultant to help you find the right list provider for your needs.
Next up is creating a message that will get recipients to pay attention. You can take a straight-forward or a more lighthearted approach. But one way to get people to read your message is to get them involved. Ask them questions. Are you getting what you need? Is your business all it can be? What problems do you need solved?
When you get replies, respond immediately. Use the information you get back from your questions to craft a tailored response for each. At that point your emails will stand out from the unsolicited clutter that jams many mailboxes.
Keep the campaign going. Offer your list something they need. Listen to your potential customers and respond accordingly.
Do this and you’ll be well on your way to a successful email campaign. Meantime, don’t forget the growing power of social media. Just don’t underestimate the value of email.
