Posted by Sid Liebenson, EVP, Director of Marketing
In my earlier posts I described the "ruthless" environment of the e-mail inbox. And the fight for reader attention is only going to ramp up.
Forrester predicts e-mail volume will reach 838 billion messages by 2013, with growth fueled by wider adoption by smaller companies, more aggressive tactics by current practitioners, lower costs from e-mail service providers, and the “green” trend that encourages marketers to replace printed materials with electronic communications. With 77% of online consumers already fed up with e-mail volume (according to a 2008 Forrester report), e-mail use is declining among many consumers in favor of communications via social networks and text messaging. The business world is still e-mail-centric, but don’t be surprised if other online channels begin to emerge in this space as well. Yet e-mail will remain an essential medium for business-oriented communications. And successful marketers need to make it work effectively.
I am often asked the ideal frequency of e-mail contact with customers. My advice is to communicate as often as you have relevant information to share. In some cases, it makes sense to ask customers how often they’d like to hear from you.
I have nothing against United Airlines. I was a loyal frequent flyer for years, and even though company travel policy now dictates that I fly other airlines most often, I still have some fondness towards United. But their e-mail policy is relentless. Every week I feel bombarded with offers from Mileage Plus partners for mortgages, cruises, investment services, and so on, as well as a dizzying array of promotions. I know they are trying to demonstrate customer service, but it kind of smacks of desperation.
Worst yet, their e-mails come to my home in HTML-format, so I have to click to see graphics and activate links, which creates another barrier to readership. I shouldn’t pick on United, because plenty of other marketers are in the same boat. According to an Epsilon study from a few years back, 65% of e-mail users encounter image suppression. This means that all too often our elaborate promotional efforts won’t be seen by our target audience. The problem is probably even worse in 2008. Increasingly, e-mailbox providers, including AOL, Yahoo!, Google, and Microsoft, are blocking HTML in an attempt to fight transmission of viruses through e-mail.
The Epsilon study showed that only 69% of those who experienced suppression sometimes activated images from senders they patronize. Just 15% said they always turned on graphics in promotional messages from senders with which they have a business relationship.
With images suppressed, the target audience sees text only. And in some cases, that means the first thing they see is opt-out instructions. Ouch!