someecards.com - Sorry I don't respond to your emailsA colleague told me of an issue they had, internally, with sending out emails using their new email marketing tool. Prior to using this robust tool, they had a system which didn’t give accurate statistics, so those stats were never communicated to the ones who composed the email. When they got the new system, and those numbers were communicated, the email authors were completely flabbergasted that their particular contacts did not “receive” the email. An awkward conversation trying to explain that the contact, probably, just deleted it without reading it.

Here’s the thing: nothing changed from the old system to the new, but with the “added value” of the numbers, things became a little clearer. That is to say, just because it comes from your company does not mean it’s going to get opened. (Really, think about how many emails you get on a daily basis. Do you open every email?)

If it’s that important that your contact(s) needs to open the email, why not send a personal note? Or, send it to them via a platform that they use regularly. A blog. Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Using one mode of content “transportation” isn’t going to get as much visibility as cross-marketing across multiple platforms. Assuming that your audience is going to open your email just because your company’s name is attached to it—well, that’s presumptuous. And it won’t get you very far.

Side note: because I said promoting content across multiple platforms is a good idea, it doesn’t mean you should use one tool to broadcast the same message across all platforms. As a user on multiple platforms, this can get overwhelming. Choose a different message that matches that particular platform’s audience. Take advantage of more characters when you have it. Experiment with 140 characters. Just don’t be redundant.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

[thank you once again, someecards, for the image]