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What’s your e-mail marketing campaign really about? If the answer is YOU, it’s time to find a new answer.
Nearly every day, I read blog posts about creating valuable content for e-mail marketing campaigns. But what most of those posts fail to mention is that we just need to apply (some) of the same proven logic to digital communications that we use in our print pieces.
Whether you’re sending regular enewsletters or targeted blasts, no one wants to receive an e-mail advertisement. Likewise, we know a custom print publication can’t be a crazy brand machine filled with marketing speak and advertorial content.
For print and web, know what your audience is interested in. Know what they’re concerned about. Tell them something they don’t know—something that will change the way they do business or live or look or feel. If you can, drive them to a white paper, video or podcast. Engage them beyond the original message.
Branding campaigns aren’t forbidden. Hardly so. You can tell your audience who you are. But don’t tell them what you do—rather what you can do for them. And if you’re not giving them rockin’ content, build a rock-solid offer.
A simple success test: Would you bite?
–Caroline Hatchett
