tom oddo design

They say sales is a contact sport. If used properly, an e-mail marketing campaign is like running a full blitz with pixels. In part 2 of my series on e-mail newsletters, we will delve into the “when” aspect. Simply blasting an e-mail to your clients, customers and prospects may lower the potency of your beloved contact list and forever burn that bridge of communication with them.

To effectively manage this juggernaut of a marketing tool, you must establish a rhythm with your audience. First of all, when they first sign up for your newsletter, make sure you are letting them know how often you intend on contacting them, along with the type of content they expect to receive. If you are planning on sending them a newsletter every month about your newest pieces of artwork and upcoming gallery shows, say so upfront. If you are an e-tailer that says you are sending a promotional e-mail about weekly sales, but end up “blasting” the customer more than twice a week with the same promotion, your customers will know when they’ve had enough sooner than later.

I once had a negative experience with signing up for an Aeropostale e-mail newsletter. One morning I was shopping for new pants online and decided to give the whole “buying clothes online without trying them on” a whirl. While the clothes part worked out, I got annoyed immediately with how they barraged me with promotional e-mails right after I purchased from their website. I hadn’t even received the package yet with my goods and I was sent 4 e-mails with sales fliers. All I did was check off a checkbox that agreed for them to send me promotions. It did not specify that for every weekend sale, I was going to get an e-mail on Friday declaring that the sale was taking place and then a follow-up e-mail on Sunday to let me know that there isn’t much time left before my wardrobe turns to stone, so I better buy some more pants! No, thanks. Unsubscribed in less than a week of that shinanigans. And it’s a shame too, because I really like the clothes from there and, as my wife kindly informs me, I have clothes in my closet from back in high school that need replacing.

What is appropriate has to be in tune with your marketing strategy as a company. The hotly anticipated iPad was introduced by Steve Jobs in late January to a theater of salivating techies. Amidst rumors that the initial launch was going to be delayed, they kept the “Coming Soon” sign up until March 12th when everyone on Apple’s e-mail newsletter list received word that April 3rd would be the official release date. Simple and to the point, they know that their product speaks for itself with all the hype, buzz, whatever-you-wanna-call-it that surrounds each of their product launches. This gentle reminder gives the consumer time to put aside cash in their income tax refund to play with this new, overgrown iPod Touch. I’ll admit, I have no interest in buying the iPad, but I was still compelled to click and check out all the features and prices so I may convince someone I’m acquainted with to buy one.

Overview:

• Don’t use an e-mail blast every time sales get slow.
• Plan your e-mail marketing within your company’s overall marketing calendar.
• When subscribers sign up, be up-front about how often you will be contacting them.
• For big releases, space out the reminders to keep interest high and annoyance low.

In the third installment, we will get more into the philosophy of e-mail newsletter design. Is it a sales flier or an actual newsletter? Which is more effective, and for whom?