Category — Email

An open letter to direct marketers…

There are those who say that direct marketing is dying. It is being replaced with a new “unmarketing” philosophy embraced by consumers and forward thinking companies. There will be no room in the future for the tactics that used to motivate people to respond to corporate messages.

The opposing viewpoint is that social media is a fad that will disappear like pet rocks and the Macarena. This group argues that most of the people tweeting, linking, and nudging are kids with nothing better to do. Before long, we’ll be back to normal.

Which side is right? [Read more →]

Once or twice a week, I sort through hundreds of emails from companies I love, like, or need. Every time, I wonder what the marketers are thinking when they press send. I suspect that there is a prayer on their lips, “please, please, let people respond so I get to keep my job.”

I’m looking for personal and interesting. They send promotional and unimaginative. Email marketing has become a numbers game. It begins with acquiring a list of addresses, continues with sending offer after offer, and ends with a pat on the back. [Read more →]

Email marketing is cool. You create one, send it to your customers and prospects, and they send you money. Yes, that is definitely cool. And, it used to be that easy. Today, it is much harder.

The effectiveness of email campaigns aren’t a secret. Everyone in business from big box department stores to your local auto mechanic knows about it. And, they want their piece of the pie.

This means that the folks in your database are being bombarded with emails.

When they open their inbox and see tons of new messages, their minds overload. Regular cognitive functionality is diminished and the only thing left to do is… [Read more →]