Okay, so e-mail marketing is not dead. Good. But is it relevant?
It’s a pertinent question that any internet marketing service provider should think about. And according to an article from the Internet Retailer, social data may be the key.
According to Silverpop Systems, Inc., Internet marketing service experts should use the trove of social data from social platforms and even mobile apps to “increase the relevance of e-mail marketing.” The article further adds that social intelligence can fill in the information gap about elusive online subscribers. This sounds easier in theory than in practice because mining data from social media sites is a daunting task. But the article reiterates a key point: there is an overlap among these Internet marketing services—Twitter, Facebook and e-mail. The secret is to find the “most engaged and the most influential customers.”
For example, internet marketing service providers can use social data to target and segment the market based on the interests they have expressed in social sites.
Another crucial element to restoring the relevance of e-mail is optimizing it for smartphone viewing. Content should be short, sweet and yes, relevant to the consumer’s most immediate needs. For example, location-based mobile data can be used to generate loyalty from customers. Triggered, tailored and relevant e-mail messages show significant effort on the part of the retailer and the Internet marketing services provider. And it’s something customers appreciate and consider when deciding to be loyal.
Do you think e-mail is irrelevant? How do you use it these social media-driven times? Let us know what you think!