It wasn’t long ago when it was thought emails were dead unless you were a B2B (business-2-business) marketer.
Surprise, Surprise! Emails and text messaging are in resurgence mode thanks to consumer behavior/sentiments and mobile marketing. Just like the fashion industry that old style will and does come back in fashion.
Marketers can now use emails, text and push-messaging to communicate important service-oriented messages with customers they transact with. These messages are transactional in nature and include orders being shipped, providing tracking information, confirmation of orders, delivery notifications, service requests, etc. Consumers value these messages and typically have a higher open rate by customers, especially text and “push” messaging.
Additionally, marketers have the advantage of personalizing messages to offer promotional, loyalty or exclusive deals within these transactional messages. The utility-value of these messages is unlimited.
Consumers’ adoption and affinity for smartphones has emails back in vogue. Consumers check their emails, texts, and social media multiple times throughout the day. Plus, they use their search capabilities to garner more information (comparative shopping and locations information) while on the go. Hence, one can understand why mobile marketing is having such an impact on a wide variety of industries.
Now, before you run out and start texting and “pushing” a variety messages, consumers expect companies to be responsible. Make sure you coordinate your messages and ensure that the messaging is delivered within a variety of channels such as text, email, and push. The channel the message is delivered in implies degree of importance. So, be sure w you text, it is time-sensitive and the customer needs to know something immediately. Otherwise, an email may be more suitable. All of this goes into determining your channel (text, email, etc.) strategy for each and what the corresponding message strategy should be. This provides a well-thought out approach. Many consumers are deciding who to spend their money with based on their ability to provide timely service-oriented messages and not bombarding them with unnecessary contact that isn’t relevant.
It’s clear that developing your mobile approach beforehand is important and will contribute to your ROI. Each contact with a potential customer determines the quality of the experience and whether repeat business will be realized. Use technology to quantify and optimize your mobile executions, build a cross channel approach, and apply real-time messaging within your message portfolio. These elements keep the consumer first in your marketing plans and in-time should drive your ROI goals.
Adele Lassere is a marketing/advertising consultant, freelance writer and author of “Elements of Buying” (a self-help advertising guide), available at Amazon.com. Adele was listed as Black Enterprise’s 2016 Women of Power in Advertising & Marketing and 2013 Top Women Executives in Advertising & Marketing. Contact: [email protected]
