When I think of “large companies” what comes to mind are multi-layered enterprises that typically consist of various organizational divisions each of which has its own set of management objectives, strategies and tactics. To the extent that each division has a specific need and a desire to promote its products and services via email with varying degrees of urgency, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a pressing need for centralized cat control. Without it chaos reigns.
This isn’t terribly different from brand management’s responsibility to create/identify the brand, communicate the rules surrounding its use, monitor how the rules are being followed and enforce compliance. More typical than not such an individual and, in some cases whole departments have clearly defined email responsibility within large companies. And, given the ability of any one division or group to pollute the pond for everyone else, well they should.
Like those responsible for brand compliance, it is up to the enterprise email manager to establish and communicate the email marketing rules to which everyone will adhere. These include who will be added to the opt-in list (and equally important, who will not), whether the company will use single or double opt-in, under what specific circumstances trade show attendees/verbal opt-ins will be added (or not added), how frequently the enterprise will communicate with any one individual within a given timeframe, what each and every email will include in terms of the subject line, from address not to mention graphic design and content and a myriad of other rules. All of these are designed to collectively ensure corporate compliance with both CAN SPAM and email best practices, as well as to create synergy and advance a collective voice through message uniformity and consistency.
So where does this control start? I think it starts with a corporate commitment to recognize the need and to assign both the responsibility and the authority for all email within the enterprise to one individual. Management has no difficulty doing so with respect to its brand largely because of the brand value itself, because that’s what brand managers have demanded and because doing so increases ROI. While each of these same reasons apply to email responsibility assignment within large companies, we can also add in that assigning ultimate responsibility for all email to one individual will also reduce the risk of getting blocked, blacklisted and/or sued.
At the risk of self-promotion, the channel solution we provide does more than simply help our clients monitor compliance with the rules they’ve established. By controlling images and content across all divisions and downward within divisions in fixed, locked-down formats it ensures email, brand and regulatory compliance. That in turn allows our clients more time to deal with their cats who, in true feline fashion, always want to test the bounds of email propriety, best practices and legislation.
Everybody loves features. Salespeople point out fancy features to heighten customer interest, and customers love knowing those fancy features will be at their disposal once they’ve made a purchase. Unfortunately, many of those features never actually get put to use—you may have slipped your feet into a pair of ROOS at one time, but did you ever actually use that little zipper pocket? Didn’t think so.
In the same way, a typical email client boasts quite a few features that, if used properly, can make for a much better end-user experience. However, it’s taking a long leap of faith to assume that your subscribers are utilizing any of these features outside of the basic Create-Send-Open-Reply variety. For instance, while the application of Filters (aka, Rules) can do wonders for subscribers who are frustrated with their crowded and unorganized inboxes, it’s much more likely that the emails you send are being delivered to the top level inbox along with every other non-Junk message that is received.
Preview panes are another feature that makes inbox skimming easier and more productive for recipients, but they are not a default setting on all email clients and therefore must be activated by the user.
From any number of articles I’ve read and from numerous conversations with colleagues, it seems a generally accepted fact that total email spend in 2009 will outpace that of 2008 by anywhere from 15% to 20%. Obviously, like most generalities, much will depend on the specifics like to whom you’re talking, the industry in which they operate, the impact of the recession, the markets served, etc. If you accept that percentage increase as fact or close to it, there is the even more-widely held tenet that email marketing has far and away the highest ROI of any measurable media at our disposal today.
So we’re spending more on email because it gives us the highest return and, conversely, spending less on the more costly media that deliver lower ROIs. That seems to make sense. Stated a bit differently, we’re allocating more budget dollars to that marketing channel which is most efficient. That has me scratching my head. Specifically, it’s the “more” to “most” which is troublesome. What if we were spending most of the marketing budget on those initiatives that were most efficient (had the highest ROI)? That makes far more sense to me.
The answer lies in the fact that “efficiency’ is not the only metric that marketing must address. The other and equally important is the issue of “volume” in terms of units sold, revenues or profits generated, incremental profits produced, etc. Email may be enormously efficient but it’s nowhere near the revenue driver of say, internet marketing excluding email. So what’s the answer?
Selling a wide variety of products is good for business, but makes email marketing relevancy difficult. See how the folks at Sam’s Club put the power of preference in their subscribers’ hands.
In light of today’s economic struggles, not too many marketing departments are being given carte blanche when it comes to investing in new initiatives. But by turning email communications into a source of revenue through the sale of advertising space, not only can an email marketing program pay for itself, but additional revenue can be used to supplement an expanded marketing reach.
Before you start carving up your email newsletter template to designate ad space, however, make sure to keep a few things in mind:
Be selective
Just because an advertiser is willing to pay for ad space on your email newsletters does not mean their ads will have any relevance to your subscribers. Recipients will be much more tolerant of advertising that holds some value to them, and it might even increase the value of your email communications in their eyes if you point them in the direction of a brand with whom they go on to have a positive experience.
Mix, but separate
It’s important that a clear distinction is made between your own content and any advertising on your emails. Your advertisers will want their messaging to stand on its own, and it’s in your best interest to accommodate them. This helps avoid the possibility of recipients clicking on an advertiser’s link or reading their copy and mistakenly thinking it belongs to your business.
That being said, avoid the “neon lights” approach to your ad space and try to present ads in a way that is unobtrusive. Your content is the reason you have a subscriber list—don’t bury it. Your audience wants to see your content, and it’s important to stress to potential advertisers that the performance of their ads hinges largely on the willingness of your subscribers to engage with your emails.
Monitor reasons for unsubscribes
Periodically checking the reasons your recipients give when they unsubscribe is a good habit to get into regardless, but it takes on an added importance in light of any recent changes you have made to your emails—such as the addition of advertising. If enough subscribers indicate that the presence of advertising was enough for them to remove themselves from your mailing list, it should at least bear a second look at whether or not the added revenue of advertising is worth putting a dent in your audience.
Ease into it
Even if you sell your first ad space in no time, resist the temptation to add a banner ad to your email from anyone willing to pay for it. Start out with a single ad to gauge audience response and build from there, ready to pull back if ad performance suffers or unsubscribes increase.
When I think of “large companies” what comes to mind are multi-layered enterprises that typically consist of various organizational divisions each of which has its own set of management objectives, strategies and tactics. To the extent that each division has a specific need and a desire to promote its products and services via email with varying degrees of urgency, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a pressing need for centralized cat control. Without it chaos reigns.
Everybody loves features. Salespeople point out fancy features to heighten customer interest, and customers love knowing those fancy features will be at their disposal once they’ve made a purchase. Unfortunately, many of those features never actually get put to use—you may have slipped your feet into a pair of 
From any number of articles I’ve read and from numerous conversations with colleagues, it seems a generally accepted fact that total email spend in 2009 will outpace that of 2008 by anywhere from 15% to 20%. Obviously, like most generalities, much will depend on the specifics like to whom you’re talking, the industry in which they operate, the impact of the recession, the markets served, etc. If you accept that percentage increase as fact or close to it, there is the even more-widely held tenet that email marketing has far and away the highest ROI of any measurable media at our disposal today.
In light of today’s economic struggles, not too many marketing departments are being given carte blanche when it comes to investing in new initiatives. But by turning email communications into a source of revenue through the sale of advertising space, not only can an email marketing program pay for itself, but additional revenue can be used to supplement an expanded marketing reach.
