Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Succeed being Convenient

In our succeed series thus far, weʼve covered the importance of being structured, useful and clear. Itʼs time to talk about the necessity of being convenient.
 

Sometimes looking at things backwards is a great way to define what you want. In determining how to make your email marketing convenient, letʼs start with a definition of the opposite; inconvenience.
 

When you think of the word inconvenience, a pretty clear image comes to mind. But take it one step further by adding these definitive words to your understanding: discomfort, nuisance, bother, trouble, annoy, disturb, harass.
 

That sounds far too familiar in the world of marketing. Just ask any person whoʼs received a couple solicitation phone calls. Sadly, itʼs far too likely that all of us have personal experience with the concept of being inconvenienced. These are definitely terms and feelings you want to avoid with your marketing. So letʼs look at this from your reader and customerʼs point of view.
 

To avoid bothering, annoying and harassing your clients, think for a moment on how to flip that. Your goal should be to find ways your message fits in well with a personʼs needs, activities or plans. It should involve little trouble or effort on their part. If youʼve been following the series, youʼre already on the right track because these are the very principles weʼve already discussed. Setting yourself a plan, determining how what you can provide is both useful and clear are the keys to making your message a convenient one. But thatʼs not enough. You must also consider other factors here, like frequency and length.

Dress up that bland dish with some spice!
How often will you be sending your marketing material? You may want to start by asking yourself how often you would want to receive the type of material you are sending. Finding a balance between too little and too much is critical. And what of length? Well, thereʼs an old adage for that: “Your material should be like a womanʼs skirt, long enough to cover the subject but short enough to be interesting.” If you find your content running long, consider breaking it up over several mailings. Another great option for adding variety and cutting down length is to diversify delivery. A simple coupon or thank you discount goes a long way. Think of these tactics as your seasoning in cooking. Dress up that bland dish with some spice!

Empower yourself and your business by taking time to think on making your email marketing a convenient one. A little consideration will do much for your campaign and your clients will appreciate your efforts.
 

Other articles in this series:
Structured
Useful
Clear