Allocating Your Marketing Budget: Do You Give Email the Budget Dollars It Deserves?

For too long now, email and the Internet channels have been given a relatively small piece of the marketing budget pie. Why is it such a challenge for some marketing professionals to read the research reports that continue to document the massive shift from traditional to interactive media? There's no denying this paradigm shift is happening and will continue to gain momentum with each passing year as the dinosaurs of the pre-Internet era become a smaller and smaller part of the consumer spending landscape.

Every year both during and after the December Holiday spending frenzy, we collectively gasp as the percentage of dollars spent online continues to rise. These numbers seem to multiply two- or three-fold year over year. The message to marketers should be pretty clear: follow the consumer's research and buying habits.

Marketers should be budgeting more for this important medium as more and more consumers utilize email in their daily lives. Instead, these marketers continue to pump significant dollars into traditional media in the misguided belief these channels will return to the glory days of direct mail, TV, and radio as the broadcast channels of choice, an indelible entry in every "successful" media plan... seemingly old school, wouldn't you say?

Now please don't get me wrong - there's a place in most marketing mixes for many of these media options, but, for example...

Do you pay attention to billboards?

I can't tell you the last time I took any action based on what I saw plastered on Interstate 70. While there's merit in saying the past isn't going away, neither are vintage Camaros and Elvis records. However, isn't it time we stop focusing on what worked in the past and realistically plan for the future by allocating dollars appropriately?

Email continues to generate some of the most trackable and impressive ROIs (Returns on Investment) based on every metric I've seen, yet advertising and marketing teams are pressured to make email communications an under-funded endeavor. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "our budget for email is limited" or "I need to reduce costs around our Internet spend." Is this pressure on email budgets based on misinformation relative to email's overall performance or is it an attempt to rationalize a misappropriated media allocation and budget?

To me, it's counterintuitive that a medium that continues to demonstrate an incredible knack for outperforming other media instruments in its ability to grow sales from your best customers cost-efficiently and -effectively (when applied properly) is so under-valued when it comes to budget allocations. The potential ROI for email campaigns is truly impressive, if done right. I've never experienced anything close to this rate of return on any traditional medium. Is it possible the specialists managing companies' email marketing campaigns aren't fighting the battle with the traditionalists and legacy players who adopt the "this is the way we've always done media, so why change it" crowd? Or are folks trying to prove their worth by earning negotiating kudos that demonstrate to the corporate powers that be that they can find and leverage email products and services at the lowest price?

I continue to see marketing dollars pumped into traditional media at the expense of higher-yielding investments in email. How powerful is email? It's a question I'm often asked by clients, colleagues, and friends. People are curious and eager to debate whether email plays a serious role in influencing loyalty and purchase decisions.

There are really only four ways to communicate with someone: in-person, in writing, over the phone, or digitally. Email is center of digital communications.

As the world continues to evolve and receipt of digital communications becomes available in many forms outside of the standard Inbox (RSS, text, blogs, etc.), some people forget email is still the heart of these digital communications.

So how powerful is email really?

Using outgoing or marketing email in your marketing strategy may not always be front and center, but I guaranty any digital communication efforts you employ can use email leading practices to help evolve and shape success.

As the shift in consumer purchasing and informational patterns continues to move toward more relevant, meaningful Internet dialogues, the choice is yours and the budget makers in your company. You must either put the emphasis and resources required to build a dominant, meaningful commitment to email communications strategies, technology, and deployment to work for your company, or be left behind sooner than you think.

Those of us who have worked in and around media for the last decade or so know the truth about this medium's power. It's time we gather the courage to fight for our fair share of the marketing budget and end any misguided or misinformed efforts to relegate email communications to the back burner.

What does your marketing mix look like... and when was the last time you updated it?

Email Copywriting - Hints and Tips   How to Use Email Marketing to Increase Event Registrations?   How to Maintain a Clean Email List   Email Marketing Etiquette   

Bulk Mail Services - A Cost Effective Solution For Your Business

If you want to grow your sales as a business owner then bulk mail services is a profitable solution and it expands your loyal customer base. In fact, It is an advertising media that exert high-volume sales result. This kind of services can really fulfill your business marketing needs and it is a reasonable solution that can be used for delivering your marketing materials. By Using this service, you can be confident that your target customers accept the email packages, which include your marketing materials.

With the help of email services, companies can obtain potential customers and enhance chances of growth with existing customers. These services are becoming one of the most favorable means of approaching a mass audience and you can send different copies of magazines, booklets, form letters and post cards to various addresses. Bulk mailing is a tool that can always be used with minimum expenditure to advertise the products/services that you wish to.

One of the best things about effective bulk mail services is the fact that you can depend on these services every time. When you search for the company that will be offering you with this service, it is mandatory that you take time to know what previous customers think about their service, so that you can find whether they are right for you or not. There are various companies who provide mailing services but you should make sure that you are selecting a company that will give the services you need. For example, if you want to create a mailing list for you, then be sure about choosing a printing company that could do this type of work.

The main benefit of bulk mail services is that one to one communication is available with the target audience. You can create HTML newsletters and send it to the whole world. The newsletter can be made personal which adds more authenticity to the recipients. In addition, a massive market can be obtained economically. There is no need to pay much on advertising/promotion because email costs less than television, radio and print medium.

Although you can mail all stuff by yourself, but it takes precious time. Email services charge a fee, the time given individually for managing large quantities of mail can be used working on other side of your business.

Bulk mailing helps to build a strong customer base. It can create new leads and stimulate repeat business from existing customers. Small businesses, as well as sales person and big retail companies, all use mass emails to reach distributor and shopper.

Effective and targeted mailing lists are essential for doing business. Although it is your job to maintain precise records of customers because this kind of service can only help in keeping your list up-to-date and enhance your approach. It is mandatory to note that if mass mailing involves words like lottery then email services cannot process the marketing material. So, be sure your emails comply with legal regulations.

However, bulk mail services is the new trend in marketing mix. It is the cost-effective method of doing marketing over internet. Marketing of products and services has become surprisingly easier with introduction of the bulk emails. Most of the businesses are converting themselves to online means of advertising because of the wide approach of the world wide web and the lowest cost it can potentially include.

Email Copywriting - Hints and Tips   How to Use Email Marketing to Increase Event Registrations?   How to Maintain a Clean Email List   Email Marketing Etiquette   Capture Attention With Email Marketing