Is Email Marketing Dead?

With the increase of social networks and digital tools, some marketers are wondering if email marketing campaigns are dead?  Apparently, this is not the case as more than 27 percent of emails were opened on a mobile device during the second half of 2011, according to the marketing agency, Knotice.  Marketers should be using email campaigns to not only boost sales and customer retention, but also to increase engagement on social networking sites.

The real question companies should be asking is how to boost the results of their email marketing program(s).

Team McKinley has reached out to IMM and email marketing guru, Jeanne Jennings, to learn more about effective email marketing practices.   Jeanne is an interactive marketing strategy and product development consultant with more than 20 years of experience in the online realm.  Jeanne has helped McKinley’s clients execute strategic email marketing campaigns, manage online marketing programs for new products, and manage a brand’s online communications.

Jeanne affirms, “Email remains the top marketing channel, online or offline, delivering the best Return-on-Investment (ROI) according to the Direct Marketing Association.  There are many ways to boost your email marketing performance. One of the simplest and least expensive ways is to optimize your creative concepts for email campaigns.

When creating emails campaigns for clients, I focus on the preview pane view of the email which is roughly the top 300 pixels.  Image blocking is widespread today, so make sure your preview pane view isn’t just one large picture. You want to include a benefit-oriented headline, in rich text format, in this space to engage your readers and pull them into your message.”