In cyberspace this group of characters are as renowned as the famous phrase, a `giant leap for man` uttered some 250 thousand or so miles away from planet earth in a different type of space.
When Ray Tomlinson’s incoherent message travelled one solitary metre from one computer to another that evening in the autumn of 1971, “electronic mail” was born and the humble accountant’s ’@’ sign was on its way to becoming a familiar everyday symbol for all. Since then email has evolved into an incredibly effective marketing tool as science is blended with art to create messages that speak directly to the hearts and minds of receptive audiences.
Many forms of marketing communicate in an untargeted way. The number of relevant prospects that advertising, for example, reaches is left largely to chance and in truth, this is how email marketing was until recently.
But ESP’s worth their salt have evolved from ‘batch and blast’ merchants to providers of ROI-driven digital marketing solutions; from being volume-oriented to customer relationship-oriented. A recent Epsilon survey revealed an overwhelming customer preference for personalised direct marketing with two-thirds wanting to receive personalised content and offers based on their personal online behaviour such as their browsing or purchasing history or, in the case of pharmaceutical goods, tailored content based on their medical history. Companies need to use the clues left by customers to deliver segmented and personal content.
By delivering email campaigns that say the right words, at the right time, to the right audience, email marketing is capable of driving a reliable return on investment. In fact, in a study* into the effectiveness of direct marketing channels, email marketing was recognised as the top ROI channel, coming first by a long stretch - almost twice as effective as second-placed direct response TV and much stronger than its traditional competitor, direct mail.
As marketing budgets for digital channels such as social marketing, affiliate marketing and paid search are being revised downwards, email marketing has actually seen growth in its investment levels. Its success, measurability and fast turnaround make it a preferred channel across a wide range of campaigns, from acquisition, retention, loyalty, up-sell and cross-sell through to public education and transactional messages.
Asked whether email would stand the test of time against social networking and other forms of digital communication, Tomlinson said "I suspect possibly we’ll see a morphing of e-mail and other, more instant methods but there will always be a need for people to be able communicate asynchronously, that is, send messages that won’t be read or replied to immediately, and that’s what e-mail allows you to do.” In today’s information overload society this is probably now more critical than ever before.
Social networking is certainly popular but it remains unproven as a viable marketing channel. Few companies have achieved this successfully to date and in these times of downwards pressure on marketing budgets, now is probably not a good time for experimentation. Integrating social networking tools into email marketing strategies is a far more reliable route to success.
Email marketing has come of age and as we continue to innovate, there are no limits to the possibilities.
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