Email is not an Aquistion Tool

I wrote this email today in a passionate debate.  I thought I'd share my thoughts with you as well....

The issue here is that people have a finite capacity to engage
with email.   On a daily basis that might be 6 - 10
(a guess...don't ask me for a study: although Shar at Forrester has some thoughts around
this)

So when I get 100 in my inbox I've got to make a choice about which ones I'm going to get engaged with.

The problem with acquisition thinking for email is that what you measure is ROI.  ("I can send a million of these things and the whole program only costs $500 and I sell 1,000 coffee pots")  hoo boy!  Lets send 10mm next time! 

The ROI works great, but that doesn't make it great marketing.  What it
does is kill the golden goose.   Email is the greatest thing that has
ever happened to a true database marketer.   When used with data driving
everything from content to frequency to timing it's fantastic...and
relevant.   Harvard Business Review has a great story this month called
"The Perfect Message at the Perfect Moment"  www.hbr.com

But when email is used as a substitution for a direct mail program that I might normally do with paper....well we see the results;  Legislation, ISP blocking, declining open and clickthroughs and disengaged cynical recipients.

Anyone else see the clickz today:
http://www.clickz.com/experts/em_mkt/opt/print.php/3560656

It all comes down to the perception of the recipient.   Treat me like a
human being and I'll be a loyal & engaged customer for a long time.
Put more value in my email address than my relationship and I'll turn on you.

Comments

[Vincent Flanders]

You need to mention that HBR is subscription only ("The Perfect Message at the Perfect Moment")

[Vincent Flanders]

Also, whatever text editor you're using is messing up the line endings. Check out the last paragraph. Others are the same way.

Also, let us know when the Havard Business Review article doesn't need a login and password.

Kind regards from an ex-Naptown guy,

Vincent Flanders

[Duncan Shand]

Yes agree. It is tempting to send more and more email. I am getting tempted to start sending some paper based dm again as the ROI is falling with email. What do you think - paper dm crazy or not?