Email Targeting is Important

In spite of the recent growth in promotion using digital marketing platforms, email marketing still remains unmatched. A research conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has confirmed that email still remains the leading media through which business owners enhance their online presence. However, another important aspect highlighted by this research is that there is increased competition in every subscriber’s inbox. It’s imperative for firms to know the way to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

“Irrelevant emails will simply be deleted”, says Paul Cross, the product and marketing manager for Thomson Local. According to him, the only way forward in this era of cut-throat competition is to get your email targeting right. How do business owners ensure that they target their mails properly? “Effective email marketing starts with an accurate data list”, explains Paul. He adds “If you don’t have accurate data, your email won’t reach your recipient at all and you will have wasted valuable time and marketing budget.”

Research can be an important weapon in this regard. Although it entails huge costs and manpower, nothing works better. Robert Keitch, the chief of membership and brand at the Direct Marketing Association, claims that businesses should never overlook any chance to get an insight into their clients. His words were “All too often direct marketers rely solely on prior campaign results and broad testing to make important decisions. The power of direct marketing lies in its targeted approach and to ensure that this precision is maximized it is vital that direct marketers use all the tools available to them.”

Mr. Cross presented similar views when he said that the best way to enhance email relevance is “to know your customers”. He went on to say “Examine things like their size, location, core business activity, and use this information to build up an ideal customer profile.  You can then use this profile information to identify other similar companies you should be talking to using your email communications”.

Once you know your exact target audience, you can then frame your emails accordingly, and ensure maximum relevance. Mr. Cross suggests that if a firm can’t do the research on its own, it’s always useful to hire a third-party. He also stresses on testing by saying “See which email campaigns get the best response in terms of generating opens, clicks and leads and use these results to refine your communications further.”

Target your audience and pack a punch in your emarketing campaign.