e_Marketing

In yesterday's post I discussed how Email advertising can be much cheaper than other advertising alternatives such as traditional mail.

But is it "effective"?

"Effectiveness" is a relative term. We always have to ask "effective compared to what?"

Let's begin by comparing Email advertising to traditional postal mail advertising. For example, think of yourself as the editor of your company newsletter. Let's just assume that you have an up to date list of people you want to send your newsletter to. The list includes names, postal addresses, and email addresses, and included on your list are regular customers and prospects who have expressed an interest in some product or service offered by your company.

Which of these two "media" - postal mail or Email - is the more effective way to reach the people on your list?

A few years ago it might have been a toss up, but these days Email wins hands down.

Why?

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One big reason is that Email fits the modern methods that most of us use to communicate - especially for business purposes. Email is so convenient and so immediate that most people involved in decision-making roles in business could not survive without it. But let's get more specific...

Email is fast and immediate. It is easy and inexpensive to prepare an Email message, and it can be delivered with the minimum of hassle. Compare that to postal mail.

Email goes directly into your "Inbox" on your computer or communication device (such as a Blackberry) where you can respond in the appropriate way almost immediately.

Email is interactive. If you are promoting products or services, you can embed links in your message that will take your contacts directly to more information about the products.

Email allows prospects to respond immediately. Prospects read your promotional message and can respond by return Email. Or better yet, they can be taken directly to an order page where they can order your products.

Email can be easily stored for future reference. If your prospects don't want to act now they can just save the message and look at it again when they are ready to pursue it further.

And of course Email is cheap. Email communications - even newsletters - can be produced much more easily than printed newsletters. And among other things that means you can stretch your budget by increasing the frequency at which you send out your newsletters. Instead of just once every two or three months you can send out quick updates ever one or two weeks.

The impact this increased frequency can have on "effectiveness" is obvious and can be very dramatic. You can promote a range of products, or focus on different features and benefits in every mailing. This increases brand awareness and, if done right, will make your customers and prospects more familiar with your products and special services.

Greater frequency also increases the chances that your contacts will receive your information at the right time - when they are actually open to buying your product.

Is there any question that Email has the potential to be vastly more effective than many of the traditional alternatives such as postal mail?

I don't think so.

And yet there are some important concerns about the use of Email, and I will address some of them in the next post.