Email in Her Forties and Going Strong
In 2018, marketing email celebrated a 40 year anniversary – crazy to think this was happening when I was in high school – but it was! The first mass email was sent in 1978 by Gary Thuerk of Digital Equipment Corporation to 400 potential clients. Mr. Thuerk claims that email resulted in $13 million worth of sales – more importantly it was an AHA moment. Email marketing worked and well – the rest is history.
I’ve heard email marketing is dead. For the 1000th time (or more) I’ll say “Nope, still relevant and effective” to the naysayers.
I’ll also tell people – the more the merrier. I get looks, gasps, and OMG I can’t spam my clients with email.
If the content is GREAT, you aren’t spamming – you are bringing value.
Not everyone on your list will read every email you send out.
Yes, some will go to spam.
Yes, some firewalls will block you.
Yes, you will get some opt-outs Who cares?
How do you win?
- Sanitize your lists. If they haven’t opened an email in 90 days – remove them. They aren’t interested.
- Let them Opt in. We’ve all added folks to our email lists, and I’ve known more than one company who has bought lists. The BEST ROI from your email marketing will come from an opted in list or lists. If someone opts in – they want to get information from you. It’s really that simple.
- People DON’T want to be sold to. People do want opportunities, they do want to solve pain points, they do want to add value and pleasure to their life. THEY want to make that decision based on information they’ve garnered and digested. If you are constantly asking for the sale and offering no value in return – you will get deleted. Go back and look at the emails you’ve read AND ones that you’ve taken action from. WHY did you do it? Your customers are no different.
- Tell a story. Your email marketing should be conversational. People want to feel like they are sitting across a table from you at the little coffee shop on the corner, or sipping a scotch at the local country club – whatever that vibe is – they need to FEEL it when they are reading your emails. The best brands make you FEEL, they pull you in, and they are masters at FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) as in OMG if I don’t have this I won’t be part of the inner circle or my life will never be the same. Seems crazy – but FOMO has worked for as long as humans have walked the earth.
- Be Authentic. Damn if I haven’t preached this for decades… but I’ll say it again. You can’t fake it – be authentic. Show your true colors, not the colors of your competitors – you can’t be a copy cat and win. Just be yourself – you will attract the right clients and the right time and the right place. Trust me on this one – just be you and let your team be them.
Happy 41st Birthday Email Marketing – Damn we love you lots and wish you a long long life.