Welcome to the first article in nine-part series, The Sum of the Parts, in which consultant Rob Galkoff will discuss the various elements critical to successful e-mail marketing. Here, Galkoff gives an overview of what we can expect in the articles ahead.
Some of us forget that e-marketing is still in its infancy; in fact, it’s only just thinking about starting preschool.
In the early days it was all about creating a selling portal. Data and communications weren’t that important; PR and banner ads were the way people would come to your Website. We had e-mails, but they weren’t as commonplace and empowering as today.
It wasn’t until the mid-noughties that we became more tactical in our approach. Technology that allowed us to more accurately target our customers no doubt helped. And the industry has continued to grow throughout the economic downturn. But is the majority of the growth organic—a result of more people gaining access to the Web, connection speeds becoming quicker, customers becoming more savvy about shopping around—rather than strategically planned?
Yes, we’re getting smarter. But so are our customers. Customers are more aware of the market and of how to get the best price by shopping around or getting promotional codes. They’re also happier, especially in Europe, to shop across borders, and they are more comfortable trying new brands.
This is where our challenge starts. How do we get our share of voice? How do we communicate with our audience so that they respond to our messages? When’s the right time to speak to people? And what’s the best method of communication?
We’re going to explore this over the next eight articles. I believe e-marketing needs to replicate offline direct marketing. E-commerce sites are catalogs, and e-mails are the way of promoting your wares and services. Local shopkeepers are now selling on a global scale.
We’ll look at data for the first three articles, then look at reactivation and recruitment e-mails before discussing multichannel marketing (a particularly favorite topic of mine). The final article will look at return on investment.
My aim of the articles is to give my personal insight to the particular topic. I’ll use some examples along the way, but I won’t try to sell anything or promote any suppliers. Please feel free to challenge me and ask questions, and I’ll do my best to respond.
Rob Galkoff is CEO of the Business Consultants. He was previously marketing director at multititle UK mailer Findel.
