Has email had its day?
Author: Helen Christopher, FCIM, Chartered Marketer is CIM South West’s Manufacturing Ambassador and an internationally experienced B2B marketing leader.
Everything has its time and place in business life.
When I first started my career in marketing, it was all about snail mail. Social media wasn’t even a thing. Email was a novelty. The Internet was just rising.
Over the years, I’ve embraced everything from traditional marketing to virtual reality and all aspects have value. Being in a virtual exhibition hall, for example, and not having to travel thousands of miles is brilliant. Playing with virtual products and not being disturbed is wonderful, provided the program is well presented.
I actually enjoy getting cards in the post (if meaningful), it’s novel! I still like a consultative sale. I was looking for new glasses recently and appreciated going into a store to meet a professional who can offer advice, allowing me to try on different frames and be constructive.
I had an interesting discussion with my daughter Emma, about generation X versus millennials. She asked a very poignant question; Do you prefer it the way it was in your generation, or how it is now? My answer was neither. I like both, but I learnt personal interaction before social media and also how to embrace the online world.
I remember discussions with my friends in the 80’s and 90’s about how cool it would be to listen to any record at any time you wanted (YouTube). How great it would be to stay in contact with your friends constantly (Facebook).
I was at the curve of discovering online media. It was scary. I remember my first LinkedIn request and thought, what the hell is this? Fast forward and I know the appropriate way to conduct yourself online. I also know the value of connecting with someone across the world in a virtual context and then meeting them face to face. The ice has already been broken.
Your social media is a footprint and I like to think the next generation also know how to engage in person. Nothing beats seeing the whites of people’s eyes. However, the industry I served has little time and we scour the Internet for solutions.
Engagement has to be meaningful. Idle requests on LinkedIn or by other means with empty promises of follow ups are not cool. I’ve come to the following conclusions:
- Email is good for targeting, if genuine and well meaning.
- Grass roots marketing is still a necessity.
- Trends change rapidly, for example snail mail is back in vogue.
- If you keep producing marketing information, blogs, literature and such like, but hear nothing back then review your communication protocol.
- Optimise web pages and make it easy for people to contact you.
Practical Insights: Why you should keep sending emails
CIM is running a webinar Practical Insights: Why you should keep sending emails with Danny Bermanton Wednesday 11 July 2018, 13:00. Register here.