Early this week, I introduced 4 email marketing goals for 2009. Today’s post will focus on Goal #1:
Relevant
At Bronto we constantly are preaching to our clients, other marketers, the community, the world, whoever will listen… some version of the following statement: Send relevant, timely, targeted email to those who have asked for it.
I strongly believe that this statement alone - while admittedly chock full of best practices - is advice that gives your email marketing program the best chance to realize success. We’ve blogged about this plenty in the past, mostly related to list health, deliverability, reputation, and spam.
5 Keys To Email Health
Email Deliverability Is in Your Hands
Reputation DOES matter - go figure
Why “Good” Emails Get Marked “Bad”
How Do You Manage Your Spam Folder?
Here’s what I want you to do. Take out that black marker (see above) and write Relevant in as big of letters as you possibly can. Keep this word next to your desk at all times. Memorize it. Every single time your team (or you if you don’t have a team) begins to plan your next email marketing campaign, ask the following questions.
1. Is the list segmented to those subscribers who it is most applicable to? (relevant, targeted)
2. Is the email timely? Has this segment recently purchased? Have they been dormant for several months? When are you sending? 4AM? 6PM? Monday? Friday? (timely)
3. Is the the content of this email consistent with what the recipients have asked for? Is this a partner email? Is it your normal newsletter? A special offer? (those who have asked for it)
I realize that sometimes it is difficult to make radical changes to your email marketing program. Often, many modifications are not entirely in your control. Therefore, my challenge to you is simple. Make it your goal to ensure at least 25% of your emails this quarter are relevant, timely, targeted email to those who have asked for it. If you are already at 25%, try 50%. And so on. By the end of the year, that number should be 100%.
Note the improvements in your metrics. Take these numbers to your boss. Write them down using your black marker and set them on his or her desk. Use the numbers as proof that relevant emails work.
Stay tuned for the other 3 Email Marketing Goals of 2009:
Design
Choice
Test
DJ Waldow
Director of Best Practices & Deliverability at Bronto
Related posts:
- Design: 2009 Email Marketing Goal #2 (of 4) When was the last time you opened a marketing email...
- Choice: 2009 Email Marketing Goal #3 (of 4) Remember when it become popular to put your picture...
- To Get Delivered You Need to Get Relevant In the second of three posts (see first) written by...
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
DJ, you are so right on. Just as email marketing is a key component of an integrated marketing campaign, relevancy is one of four critical success factors that I have identified for integrated marketing overall:
• Diversification
• Reach
• Relevancy
• Frequency
Check it out: http://www.imarketingmix.com/audit.html
this is a good post, thanks for tweeting it - bookmarked
you could go into more detail on what makes an email “timely”
DJ,
Nice work. I especially liked your encouragement to make targeted progress and share the metrics with others–especially bosses. Looking forward to your discussions on design–and will share with our design team. Again, nice job. Thanks.
Jeff
@Melissa - Good to hear we are on the same page. Now we need to spread the word!
@Jerimee - Regarding what makes an email more “timely,” that could (and should) be a post in and of itself. Basically, think of timeliness as delivering content when your subscribers want it. Think about it from the customer perspective - pull vs. push.
@Jeff - Thanks for your kind words. Share away! I think that too often we talk about these warm, fuzzy best practices, but never act on them.
dj