I subscribe to a number of eNewsletters. A number of them demonstrate nicely that email marketing, while it seems straightforward, does require a certain level of understanding and skill (Howards Storage World being a case in point).
Just as driving a car may seem like a straight forward concept you still need to understand all the bits that actually go into driving.
Email marketing is a bit like driving a car – it may sound like an easy concept:
• Throw together some messages or offers (hands on steering wheel)
• Blast it out to the audience (keep your foot down)
But it’s actually more like:
• Strategically craft the message, call to action etc (hands at 10 and 2, keep an eye on what’s happening around you).
• Carefully select the audience (right foot accelerator and brake).
• Understand the limitations of your audience’s inbox (left foot clutch, left hand gear stick: start in first, accelerate into second, third, fourth etc).
• Make sure your email message and design adheres to relevant email standards, regulations and best practices (know the road rules and road etiquette – stop at the stop sign, merge like a zip, give someone a wave if they let you cut in).
• Test, test and test it on different email clients, with different preview pane settings etc (practise driving on some back roads before getting on the highway).
• Be aware of the fact that most of your subscribers will never see your email the way you do (assume most other drivers are out to kill you – thanks for that advice Mum).
• Monitor and track responses, fine tune your campaign (keep an eye on the dash so you don’t run out of fuel or oil or water or get a speeding fine).
The upshot?
Everyone starts out with L Plates, there’s no shame in that – but you really need an experienced driver guiding you through the first stage of getting your licence.
Email marketing is similar – you’ll have a much better success rate if you have access to someone who knows (and I mean really knows, not just thinks they know) the full capabilities and limitations of email marketing and how that fits into your overall marketing strategy.
