E-mail marketing is alive and well!
During 2009 we heard the call that email marketing campaigns were no longer effective and that marketers would beturning to other means of advertising.
Well, from a survey of recent reports and a look at the data, nothing seems to be further from the truth. Email marketing remains the most trackable and measurable form of direct advertising and the Direct Marketing Association finds it has a very high ROI (about $57 per $1 invested).
Here are some more figures to impress you that email marketing is not fading away in the near future. Reports from VerticalResponse and StrongMail show that most businesses plan to increase their email marketing in 2010 and that over 90% will be using email marketing. Indeed a number of corporate firms plan to divest from more expensive forms of advertising such as TV and radio and concentrate more on email advertising.
Along with that good news, email marketers will however be faced with new trends and challenges that were already apparant in 2009. Here are a few key points to note:
- Relevant content: With potential customers already plagued by overloaded inboxes, the pressure will continue to deliver relevant content that not only gets through spam filters but also entices email recipients to actually open up and read the email. One solution is to stay ahead of the key trends in your market so that you have the relevant information. Another is to segment your customers and market to their more defined needs. (see the next point on this too).
- Data analytics: The importance of email analytics will continue to grow in 2010. In general, experts predict that during 2010 there will be more intensive use of new analytical software that provides total analysis of subscriber activity in the social networks, search engine preferences and direct online purchases, allowing email marketers to make data driven decisions about their lists, including segmentation, open and read rates, preferences etc. This will result in more profitable email campaigns, higher retention rates and customer satisfaction.
- Expanded audiences: Global reach of email campaigns is gaining popularity. This is not only related to the lowered value of the US$ but also to the increasing internet participation of users in China, Asia and India. If you are interested in expanding into trans-national emailing, remember the importance of writing in formats and even languages that are relevant to the cultures of those markets. Also, it's wise to check the email spam and privacy laws of those countries. They may be different from what you are used to.
- Integration with other media: 2010 will see a continued merging between email and and other forms of contact, especially social media marketing. Email marketing is also expected to integrate further with the upsurge in mobile phone communication advertising.
NimdX sees itself playing an important role is all these new developments, providing you with the information and resources to gain more leverage and profit from your email marketing campaigns.
To your success,
Mike Firer
NimdX Admin
