How can brands bolster their image via marketing emails?

In an era of sender accountability, where reputation takes priority over content, you can't risk damaging your image. It is frustrating that so many companies fail to adopt best practice and end up unintentionally creating a chasm between their brand and their customers.

For any business that earns revenue directly or indirectly from email, getting into recipients' inboxes is crucial. Deliverability must be every email marketer's priority.

Deliverability goes far beyond the look and feel, or even content, of an email. Legitimate emails need to not only pass through obstacles such as spam filters and corporate gateways, but positively engage the recipient when they arrive.

In essence, successful email marketing relies on the fine balance of deliverability and content. Make sure your emails reach your intended audience, and that the message is engaging and well targeted.

THE AGENCY

Ben Stephens, Managing partner, Stephens Francis Whitson

Brand image can be enhanced or severely damaged by email. On the one hand, using the age-old intelligent principles of direct marketing, email can enrich and enliven a brand, giving it credence, relevance and a sense of purpose.

Used poorly, as it so often is, email delivers the exact opposite. Too many marketers still see email as a mass-mailing option; they bombard customers as often as they can (because it's cheap) and wait to see if anything sticks. Unfortunately, what does stick is the belief that the associated brand is overzealous, disrespectful and probably desperate.

Email should be used not merely as a tool to sell, but one to inform, educate, entertain and get personal. That's a more effective use of the channel, and one that will ultimately lift its respect and response levels among consumers.

When was the last time you received a marketing email that was well written, engaging or intriguing? Just because the broadcast cost can be measured in pence doesn't mean emails should mirror the standards of fax spammers.

THE SUPPLIER

Paul Bates, UK managing director, StrongMail

Email has matured from being informational to being transactional. In fact, much of the potential revenue being generated online now resides in the up- and cross-sell to which email marketing lends itself so well.

The problem is that few businesses have figured out how to mine the transactional nature of their emails to generate returns. For many, the transactional email is simply a text-based accounting reference, a deal-closer void of any further revenue opportunity.

In part this is understandable; emails often contain confidential and financial details of a customer transaction, details that the business prefers to keep separate from marketing campaigns outsourced to a third party. However, the technology exists for brands to manage email marketing in-house and turn a lowly invoice into a dynamic message.

Marketers urgently need to explore the potential of their transactional emails and put in place a strategy to mine these emails for the gold that lies within.

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