As I read this white paper from Responsys on the new rules of engagement for email, I couldn’t help but agree with the basic idea that email needs to get more relevant if it’s to cut through the clutter. Not just the spam clutter, but the clutter of untargeted email.
For example, I regularly receive updates from a networking group, telling me about their meetings taking place each month and encouraging me to attend. Trouble is, they’re quite long, and half a dozen towns are featured as well as my own, meetings I’m unlikely to travel to.
I used to open these emails in order to see what was happening in my town, who would be at the meeting, guest speakers coming up, etc. This kind of information might persuade me to go along. Instead, I got a bit fed up with reading about what all the other groups were doing, and not a lot about Lewes.
If this list were segmented geographically, it wouldn’t be hard to send out emails which just focused on each recipient’s local group. Over time, members and prospects would become more engaged, as they found out more about the people involved, the venue, what happened at the last meeting.
In the Responsys report, the authors note that ‘untargeted, irrelevant messaging will result in a faster decline in engagement.’
As email marketers, it’s something we and our clients must take on board.
at last – a blog that is relevant to my needs!