Inbox 2.0 - Long Live Email

I just read Scott Dorsey's debate with Robert Scoble in the Business Week Debate Room.   The title of the debate was:

E-mail Faces Deletion: Web 2.0 applications such as Twitter will unseat simple electronic mail as the No. 1 business communications tool. Pro or con?

I thought Scoble made a great case in favor of some of the Web 2.0 technologies that do in fact help overcome some of the weaknesses in email.  Obviously, since I'm now in the Corporate Blogging Software business, I feel strongly that technologies like Blogging have a strong place in any Corporate Marketing Mix.  The debate continues in both Scoblizer and in the blogs of folks such as Lisa Barone over at BruceClay.com. 

In full disclosure, I was a co-founder of ExactTarget and as such have a vested interest in the success of email.

My point goes to support Scott's comment on "Inbox 2.0" and is driven from relevance and data.

The problem with email through out it's history is the abuse by organizations who looked at the medium as "Cheap Paper".

In that light, these people replicated an broken Reach & Frequency advertising model by applying those same Mass Marketing tactics to Email.

This is changing quickly.  The beauty of email as a marketing tool is the ability to leverage data and deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.   

I may be brand-loyal to Goodyear Tires, but their product isn’t the type for which I would subscribe to their RSS feed or visit their site very often.  If they want my business they have to recognize who I am and the best time to send me any communications.  To be successful they have to pay attention to me. Know how I buy.  Know when WINTER COMES where I live.  Or how many miles I’m likely to drive so they can send me the right product reminders...the sort of thing that can be done brilliantly with the right combination of strategy, creativity, email & data.

Beyond face-to-face or the telephone, email is the only way to have a dialog, an actual one-to-one conversation in a medium that is almost universal.

It's been abused for sure...but the profits from email abuse are diminishing....and market forces are driving email marketers to become much more timely and relevant.

Comments

[Linda Bustos]

Welcome back, Chris.

Great post. I agree that email is not going to die because new methods of communication are appearing. I do think it's important to offer readers or customers different ways of communication so they have a choice. RSS, microblogs, SMS, email -- but definitely not to put too many eggs in these new baskets.

Technically you can have a two-way dialog through Twitter but it's quite un-user-friendly and its penetration is still low. With Twitter-competitor Jaiku recently swallowed by Google, it will be interesting to see how the medium of microblogging might evolve and disperse.

[Ryan Clark]

Nice Post Chris and kudos to Scott D. for a great response. Email will remain a tool for the masses. Other 2.0 apps named above will have some benefits unique to thier offering, but you won't have any substantial shift away from email for at least a decade.

[evol789]

Is it legal to send an email to a person to ask if they want to be added to a email marketing list or to get emails about products or services or is that illegal. Also what is too much bulk sending and what constitutes too much bulk sending? Thanks

[Griff]

Email is just one alternative in the marketing bag. However, it generates instant results and statistical feedback, is inexpensive, and delivers a great ROI when the audience is appropriately targeted.

[Griff]

In response to evol, unsolicited emailing is legal as long as the requirements for the Can Spam Act of 2003 are followed. It is essentially an opt-out law. So, for the answer specifically, you need to research the requirements of the prevailing federal law.

[Andrew Kordek]

Chris,

Welcome back. Just wanted to say that I am through 3 chapters of your book and am loving every minute of it. Its such a quick read and reinforces what I have been preach for years to my organization.

[Roy Van Rivero]

whatever new internet marketing medium is to be used, one thing is important, that we know the basic and effective strategies to succeed online.

Email serves as a basic foundation..fundamental to succeed in online venture..

Nice Post!

[Anders Hjorth]

does anyone know is there is a service out there that allows me to collect additional data on my subscriber in the confirmation email? I have been looing at constant contact, campaigner, compaignmonitor etc but no one seem to be able to do this.

On my site
1. People sign up with -Name- and -Email- and press "submit"
In their mail
2. they receive an email confirmation with additional questions.
fx. -zip code- -Interest area- and press the"confirm" link/button
3. the additional data should then be added to the already submitted -Name- and -Email-

[trademark registration]

What are the limits of unsolicited emails?

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[Richard Carenton]

Email marketing is iffy sometimes because of spam concerns. It's also not permanent. I like to use article marketing because it's a much more permanent form of marketing. If you use something like Artemis Pro to get your articles sent to as many directories as possible, which sets a groundwork for marketing links. Emails can be deleted, and often are.

[Opt-In List Building]

I agree to disagree,

A new form of communication would give a better name in keeping in contact with your prospects. I think that email marketing will not disappear any time soon. Think of all of the people that use it to communicate. I heard all of the hype when RSS came out and that did not change much.

[Davinator-Viral Marketing Strategist]

While I might be a little late on this post, as I just sort of stumbled across this interesting post here.

To the comment on article marketing being more beneficial, I would have to disagree. While article marketing does have some fantastic merits, such as traffic, and a viral factor, and also great for SEO in terms of getting some good back links, it fails to do one thing that email marketing does accomplish for you.

Email marketing is the surest way of forming a relationship with your prospects. We all know the ratios of buyers on actual visits to a website. Quite low really, often the prospect is never to return. Getting them into your subscriber list is the best way, at least that I know of to keep continual communication, and with repeat efforts establish a trust a repoire with your prospects.

Whenever possible, if the article directory allows it, it's often a good idea to try and get 2 links in your sig. One to your website, and also one to a squeeze page if possible. My two cents worth anyhow.

Cheers, loved the post!

Davin

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[Daniel Mcgonagle]

Email is still the best mode of communication. Where all else fails, you can always rely with the basics. Email will never go of style. This is one of the things I just can't live without.

[Email Marketing]

I agree with Daniel Mcgonagle. Email is a fantastic resource for our personal lives as well as our business lives.

I found a great site with a top-10 of email marketing best practices.

http://www.marketingemail.com.au/

Have a look and post below your thoughts.

Thanks
Dave

[Bruno - Inovação & Marketing]

I think that we no longer can live without e-mail.

The e-mail came to stay put.

[Caleb]

It was once said 'e-mail' would replace 'snail mail' and that hasn't come true...so I don't think e-mail will be replaced either. Both are effective means of communication within their own right.

[Daw Hosting BLog]

It is true that "Beyond face-to-face or the telephone, email is the only way to have a dialog". I would add that besides that you can handle correspondence better than any other form of communication.

[EmailMarketingEZ]

After not even 15 years, I can barely remember communication before email - and I find it hard to imagine not having it anymore.

I just don't see anyhting that is bound to a website being nearly as effective, versatile, or secure as email is . . .

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[Pete The Cheap Web Hosting Guru]

Email communication will never die until the internet is alive. I think that email marketing will not disappear any time soon. Think of all of the people that use it to communicate. It has become the need of a person. Email is the best mode of communication and where all else fails, you can always rely with the basics. This is one of the things I just can't live without. So to send email to a person to enquire is not any ellegal effort.

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[Mark]

This blog is such a great resources. If you don't mind I would like to offer a couple more that have helped me over the learning curve.

http://emaillistrental.blogspot.com/
(Blog from the VP, Email Marketing at Viralytics Media)

http://blog.verticalresponse.com/verticalresponse_blog/
(Vertical Response company blog with past results)

http://www.email-marketing-reports.com/iland/
(Mark Brownlow's great Blog on email marketing)

[Katie]

Email marketing is the most cost effective way to get new customers.