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October 7, 2008
Relevance Rules
I just got off the phone with a partner looking to execute some e-mail newsletters for clients. In all three cases, the discussion revolved around finding a "starting point" and then moving to segmentation and more complex concepts.
What's wrong with this picture???
I get 200+ e-mails a day. OK, I am the exception, not the rule. But, nevertheless, it points out a fundamental consideration in e-mail — relevance matters if you are to break through clutter and really connect with an audience challenged for time and flooded with competing messages. Blanketing a list with a one-size-fits-all message is, more than ever, a waste of time and resource. In part, I say this because it implies that you know nothing about your target audience and therefore can't even define a single layer of segmentation (customer vs. prospect or male vs. female, etc.) In short, it implies you might be a spammer.
For years now, marketers like me (and other even more august writers...if that is possible ;-) have been preaching the relevance sermon. But it still doesn't seem to sink in. My advice to any organization setting out on a new e-mail program is to ensure that you have at least one level of segmentation built into your plan. This ensures you are honing a skill/discipline that will need to become more refined over time. At the same time, it sets you on a path that shows at least basic respect for audience preferences...again somthing that will need to refine over time in order to ensure long-term success.
Posted by jcioban at October 7, 2008 1:28 PM
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