When people hear that I’m an expert and run a consulting company specializing in helping people be more efficient, they often assume that I can’t stand email marketing. After all, most newsletters feel like junk and therefore a waste of time. But in truth, the opposite is true. I love email marketing, because it’s a great way to be more efficient and effective in our daily lives.
Too many people falsely associate legitimate email marketing with spam. But thanks to the efforts of email service providers (like Constant Contact, Mailchimp, and Delivira) and laws like CAN-SPAM, email continues to be a thriving mechanism of communication. And although it seems like the simplicity and widespread availability of email marketing would overrun us with messages, in reality this technology is used more judiciously and selectively than ever.
For example, scrubbing or eliminating email addresses that are no longer responsive from your database can increase the effectiveness of your email activities. Doing so results in a larger percentage of your subscribers who are actually reading marketing messages.
Likewise, you can increase productivity through segmentation. If people don’t want to receive marketing messages about all of your products and services, they can just select the kinds of communications that interest them. And you can help your customers and partners to be more satisfied by showing them that you are human—with an apology email. After all, there is maybe no better way to keep people engaged than to admit to your mistakes and make things right.
Of course, one of the best aspects of email marketing and productivity is that you’re able to reach lots of people at the same time. This touch isn’t nearly as personal as a phone call or a handwritten note, but it does allow you to maintain a relationship with far more people than you could individually.
If you’re a small business, having an email marketing program is an absolute must. It’s inexpensive and incredibly effective. And things which have a low cost but a high return: those elements are the hallmarks of productivity. So, get started, today!
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Guest post by Robby Slaughter
Robby Slaughter is a workflow and productivity expert. He is the founder of AccelaWork, a business improvement consulting company. His team works with a wide variety of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, regional non-profits, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs to help increase productivity, simplify workflow and optimize business processes.
Robby has written numerous articles for local publications such as the Hamilton County Business Magazine and the Indianapolis Business Journal. He has also been interviewed by national news outlets including the Wall Street Journal. Robby is a local and nationally known speaker. He is also the author of several books. His latest is “The Battle For Your Email Inbox.” Twitter @robbyslaughter
