Marketing the pandemic way- @Email
The pandemic has forced people to stay inside and glued to their phones. The tech dependant people have become even more technology-oriented due to Social distancing norms. Even simple outgoing activities like grocery shopping have become a thing of the past. Thus, businesses and retailers have taken note of this and moved towards tech-dependant means of marketing. One such major area is email marketing. This non-glamorous way of passing relevant information to potential customers is still the most effective one.
What Email Industry Giants think
There is a very knowledgeable piece of work on streetfightmag.com by Adam Robinson.
This article sheds light on the future of email marketing after the aftermath of COVID-19, just what I discussed above. Adam here writes that the major transformation is the automation of personalization. It means that a business understands precisely where the potential customer is in the sales cycle using certain user behavior information and then carefully designed steps to ensure that person is involved. For example, you can inform a specific message of customized recommendations to return them to your online store by viewing past searches or purchases. It is all about moving people in the way they are going, based on their actions to achieve the goal. Adam’s data is refined and credible as he is the CEO of GetMails. He says that the key to gaining a customer is messaging them, and emails are the cheapest form available.
From the experts of marketing: rules of new retail
There is another well-written piece of work available on the internet. Written by Denise lee Yohn, a consultant, speaker, and author of What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest and the new book FUSION: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies. Her article is available on the Harvard Business Review.
Denise makes a strong and, straight point about retailing in the pandemic. She says that retailers cannot expect things to become “normal”, them will have to look for a new baseline and will have to comply with every safety and hygiene rule possible. Brick-and-mortar retailers have been fighting for customers with online channels, and, this has further exaggerated in the times of the pandemic.
She gives two excellent recommendations, first, the BOPIS technique where one buys online and picks in-store, and second, using tools as LensKart.com does, try things like frames and spectacles on your face online.
Should you start email marketing for your business?
In my opinion, people will have to change habits and, businesses will have to evolve with these habits owing to the dark times we are living. To gain a potential shopper’s attention, businesses used to put up billboards and posters, at places where people might look. Now, the customers are tied inside and they only place they are looking right now, are phones and tablets, and thus, emails. Thus, emailing them with the right technique using enough personalization and perfect keywords for their attention will work like a charm at a very low cost. Resorting to technology is the only hope to gain customers. After gaining leads, businesses should use AI-based answering tools or different designing tools to show how clothes would look on them, or for clothing retailers, having an online stylist for personal experience could work.
Email marketing has no carbon imprint, low cost, more turnaround for customers and, doesn’t require going out thus, lowering the risk of the undefeated coronavirus. So, go for it!
