Irrespective of how you look at it, once you are offering any kind of product or service, then you are in the business of sales. At the end of the day, the aim is to get the word out about what you are offering so that customers can consume it to both your benefit (revenue) and theirs (enjoying a great product or service). It is for this reason that marketing and advertising is a significant part of any budget, and why, even in tough times, marketing and advertising fields stay steady and even grow, as businesses, brands, persons and services find that they must innovate ways to reach new clients and markets.
Of course, effective advertising and marketing is not limited to only one space. That is, marketing and advertising efforts can take place both offline and online. In fact, a marketing strategy is at its best when it combines both the online and offline measures. Still, the growth of the Internet, has undoubtedly given rise to faster modes of communicating and getting the word out. Email marketing is one such mode.
Direct Mail Marketing
Email marketing is, in essence, directly marketing a commercial message to existing and prospective customers who have subscribed to your mailing list. This takes place offline as well, where marketers would send catalogs, pamphlets and other pieces of information through the mail/post to clients and prospective customers. Of course, email marketing is much faster than the regular post. With that said however, one does not have to replace the other; they can work together.
The number one reason people should opt for using both online and offline direct mail marketing in business is this: email marketing is faster, but snail mail is more likely to get a response. The truth is, although emails are a faster means of communication, they are, many times, left unopened. Yes, it is true that your subscriber list is growing, and your emails are very creative. However, research is showing that less and less persons are opening marketing emails, even when they have willingly subscribed. Some researchers have found that up to 80% of these emails remain unopened. On the flip side, mail sent through the post is likely to be opened, as opposed to remain unread. In this sort of scenario, if you had also opted to get the word out about flagship commercial products or services by way of regular mail, chances are the word would have gotten out. It is for this reason a combination of both methods may be your most effective bet.
How To Improve Email Marketing Effectiveness
Marketing emails may remain unopened for a number of reasons. Sometimes, the recipient simply missed it due to the volume of emails he or she may receive on a daily basis, or maybe they simply ignored it. In any case, there are ways marketers can increase their chances of their direct marketing emails being opened. They include:
- Fine tune your approach. Pay attention to your tone and choice of words. It makes a big difference when the customer feels connected to what you are offering.
- Be moderate. It is important to establish some form of pattern regarding how regularly you email clients. Gentle reminders a few times a week are fine, but you never want to come across as bombarding the customer for the purpose of ‘getting that sale.’
- Use creative subjects. This goes without saying: attention grabbing subject liners work. They make a big difference in which emails clients will open and which ones they will not. Be creative, and be careful.
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