Myth No. 3: Shoppers think personalization is creepy. The privacy horse has already left the barn. Shoppers know they're being tracked; that isn't their problem. As Mark Zuckerberg said, "the default is social." Rather, the problem is they're being tracked yet still spammed with irrelevant messages. Shoppers expect that their favorite retailers understand them and know their preferences, tastes and interests. Yet 41 percent of consumers say that most emails they receive from brands don't contain anything that interests them. This is a huge problem. Not only does it diminish the effectiveness of a retailer's email marketing efforts, but it can actually damage the brand. The CMO Council reported that 54 percent of consumers would consider ending their relationship with a retailer if they're not given tailor-made, relevant content and offers.
Myth No. 4: Mobile means email doesn't matter. Mobile is making email more relevant than ever. In fact, commercial emails opened on mobile devices are on pace to surpass PC opens by the end of the year, with retail and consumer services seeing the highest mobile engagement. And the expectation is the same — shoppers want personalized communications from retailers, regardless of the channel used.
Myth No. 5: Email marketing is an art, not a science. There's a common misperception that email marketing falls in one of two buckets: it's either an art or a science. In reality, it's a combination of both. The "science" can take care of all the data-driven elements (e.g., exact products to show, specific deals to offer, etc.), which is extremely important, but the art is still essential to differentiate yourself from your competition. Why buy from you? What does your brand stand for? Why should a consumer have you in their consideration set? These have always been the essential questions for marketing, and this is truer now that technology can take care of highlighting the rights products or offer.
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5 Email Marketing Myths Debunked
Myth No. 3: Shoppers think personalization is creepy. The privacy horse has already left the barn. Shoppers know they're being tracked; that isn't their problem. As Mark Zuckerberg said, "the default is social." Rather, the problem is they're being tracked yet still spammed with irrelevant messages. Shoppers expect that their favorite retailers understand them and know their preferences, tastes and interests. Yet 41 percent of consumers say that most emails they receive from brands don't contain anything that interests them. This is a huge problem. Not only does it diminish the effectiveness of a retailer's email marketing efforts, but it can actually damage the brand. The CMO Council reported that 54 percent of consumers would consider ending their relationship with a retailer if they're not given tailor-made, relevant content and offers.
Myth No. 4: Mobile means email doesn't matter. Mobile is making email more relevant than ever. In fact, commercial emails opened on mobile devices are on pace to surpass PC opens by the end of the year, with retail and consumer services seeing the highest mobile engagement. And the expectation is the same — shoppers want personalized communications from retailers, regardless of the channel used.
Myth No. 5: Email marketing is an art, not a science. There's a common misperception that email marketing falls in one of two buckets: it's either an art or a science. In reality, it's a combination of both. The "science" can take care of all the data-driven elements (e.g., exact products to show, specific deals to offer, etc.), which is extremely important, but the art is still essential to differentiate yourself from your competition. Why buy from you? What does your brand stand for? Why should a consumer have you in their consideration set? These have always been the essential questions for marketing, and this is truer now that technology can take care of highlighting the rights products or offer.