The internet is noisy. Luckily, our inboxes can be a haven for intentionality.
Does it seem like every day the internet gets just that little bit harder to navigate? Between notifications pinging off from Messenger every two minutes, TikTok’s scarily accurate algorithm that knows exactly what you’re looking for (even if you don’t), and whatever is happening over at Twitter/X/whatever it’s called now. The internet is a child’s third birthday… It’s noisy. And someone is crying in the corner.
So for those in marketing, how do you cut through on a medium where attention retention is scarce? How do you actively engage with your audience in a more personalised way when you have to compete with videos of people falling over or someone dancing to a track you’ve never heard. We’ve got three letters for you: EDM.
The humble EDM (electronic direct mail, if you’re not in the know) is one of the internet’s oldest marketing techniques, but it’s honestly still one of the most reliable. And here’s why.
There’s no algorithm
People’s inboxes are a haven for intentionality (even if you do have 3,000 unopened emails). This is because people get to choose what they do and do not subscribe to, there’s no explore page suggesting emails based on their past opens. People choose what mail they receive, meaning if they’ve subscribed to your email – it’s because they want to receive it. Similarly, when they don’t want to see your business’s name in their inbox, they’ll just unsubscribe. It’s that simple.
You can personalise the experience
Another aspect to the great connection you can form with your audience through EDMs is rooted in the personalisation aspects of the format. For someone to sign up, they have to give you some kind of personal information – usually a name. Being able to change a subject line to say something simple like “Ramesh, here’s the latest listings for Warrendale” has been proven to increase open rates by 50 per cent, according to Oberlo. It’s never been easier to start a conversation.
Don’t worry about purchasing ad space
Ad space is an annoying expense, but completely necessary to run ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google and more. EDMs are different. Why you can put money behind your email, most marketers don’t. And for good reason too. Most times you just don’t need to, your audience members who are going to see your email are going to see it regardless of if it’s organic or not.
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