November 11th 2011 was unofficially dubbed 'National No Email Day' in the US. Perhaps it was a surprising idea, but the Facebook group set up to mark the event was so active that it appeared that a lot of people were taking it very seriously in a bid to 'be more productive', according to Sam Cece, CEO for StrongMail, who suggests several ways in which email marketers could avoid being sidelined in the future.
The so-called No Email Day was hyped as a way to 'be more productive with your time' and, as its manifesto made clear, it stemmed from the all-too-common frustration of having an over-crowded inbox. Judging by the interest shown, it appears that many people share these frustrations and would dearly love to reduce their email count to closer to zero.
Some good strategies were offered for email users that wanted to reduce the amount they read and send but, for all its admirable objectives, No Email Day had one fundamental flaw: most people do still choose email as their preferred communication channel because it's quick, easy, convenient, and free. The aim therefore shouldn't be to abolish email altogether, but to make sure that companies get better at sending relevant, timely and necessary messages.
According to a recent survey by Econsultancy, 44% of UK consumers choose email as their preferred customer service channel, despite the fact that only 33% think it is the most effective channel. This suggests that email is a channel that remains very much in demand, but that there is also a definite malaise among those who doubt its continued importance.
So where are marketers going wrong? Relevant, targeted emails have been shown to drive 16 times more revenue than traditional broadcast mailings. But, despite this fact, a surprisingly large number of companies continue to blast the same exact email to all of their customers. As a result, many businesses are still only scratching the surface of email's true potential. For any marketer seeking to add to the value of the email channel, these simple steps provide an easy, affordable and profitable way to begin that process:
So, if you are still unsure as to whether these basic email marketing best practices are the right way to go, think about No Email Day. Fail to address the shortcomings of the email channel and the resistance to it will only increase. But, if you get to know your customers, send them relevant emails based on their preferences and known behaviours, you can shift the focus of your messaging to what suits the customer instead of your own corporate agenda.
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