In part two of my eMarketing Series, I will explore the ever-expanding intricacies of email blasts. Missed part one, read about websites here.

Functions of an E-Blast

The e-blast can be manifested in a plethora of forms:

Generic – General information- or news-based email sent to an approved group of email addresses
E-newsletter – Company and/or product email sent to a group of subscribed individuals at regular and consistent intervals, often monthly
Event-Based – Used often in the form of an e-vite for the purpose of marketing an event, conference, tradeshow etc. to prospective attendees within the relative industry
E-commerce – A product centric email (often retail-based) sent to customers and subscribers featuring sales, new offers and other purchase incentives with which timing can be more sporadic
Campaign – Topic-specific email sent as part of a larger marketing campaign used to advertise a new product or service, an enhancement to an existing product or service or to target prospects/leads

Benefits

Cost-Effective – In comparison to direct mail methods, email sends are much cheaper and can cost as little as $0.01 per email. Even with the usage of specialized email blast applications, where price is subscription-based or per email, the Return on Investment (ROI) is perceived as much higher due to the following benefits, particularly measurement.
Breadth – Large group of people can be easily communicated to with little effort.
Depth (Niche Targeting) – Geography, demographics and psychographics are more easily integrated into email segmentation and statistics. Variations can be quickly drafted and sent accordingly with minimal effort thereby facilitating accurate communications within all markets.
Success Measurement & Tracking – The “relative” success of the e-blast can be measured via tracking technology, wherein statistics such as open rates and click thrus are monitored, and can be compared against previous campaigns, industry standards and website analytics.
Website Correlation – As with all aspects of e-marketing, the e-blast heavily links (directly and indirectly) to an organization’s website. The blast can be used to advertise site changes, news, and features as well as increase traffic and enhance word-of-mouth.

Downsides

Email Saturation – Inbox saturation is the foremost downside to email communications. With any given individual receiving numerous personal, professional and external communications daily, it is important to differentiate your emails while bearing in mind that you do not want to be deleted upon receipt or filtered as junk – inherently, there lies a central and intangible asset of marketing: reputability.
Timing – Specific days during the week and time periods on these days are strategically defined as optimal times to email your audience. Different times can work for different organizations but a rule of thumb states that Tuesdays and Thursdays are best, particularly between 11:00am-1:00pm. Test it out and see what works for you
Impersonal – The email has become a standard for communication, particularly within modern nations, and can carry the perception of being impersonal. Addressing the email to the recipient’s name can help curb the sense of detachment but this has also become common practice – now we are forced to innovate new ways to connect with our consumers via this powerful medium.

Don’t forget about the e-blast! If you have something valuable to offer then it’s better to be in target audience’s inbox than not at all.

Oh and though I did not discuss design in this section (see websites as part of this series) please do take it seriously. Look and feel are often just as important as content.

Stay tuned as I will be following up with email blast best practices.

Resources

Campaign Monitor -My personal favourite
Vertical Response
Constant Contact
MailChimp
Campaigner