The Adcom Group’s Email Marketing Manager, Ken Holmes shares his insights on email marketing. Look for more posts from Ken as he will be one of our ongoing guest authors delivering the latest and greatest around email.
 
I am often asked as an email marketing professional if I see email marketing going away over time.  The question is usually followed up with a statement as to where direct mail has fallen in the marketing funnel.  Comparing direct mail with email however contains one major flaw, direct mail never allowed itself to become transcendent with time.  

As marketers we are now in a transformation period as to what our primary marketing methods are.  I will not argue that email has lost ground in certain aspects.  A few years ago email marketing was the first line of defense that was used for a campaign.  Now with the enforcement of things like video, social media, paid search, etc. it is just another duck in the pond.  As an email marketer I am not afraid of these changes either, I embrace them. 

Most marketers are still thinking of email in terms of its historical use:
• Receive a list
• Create a great looking email
• Send it

I however already know what email can currently do, so I am now focused on where email marketing is going.  Take 10 seconds away from reading this blog post, and think about a few challenges you have in terms of work…got them?  Okay, now think about how email can be implemented to help relieve those challenges. 

For example, I went to the grocery store yesterday and had to wait in a line at the deli for nearly 10 minutes.  Sure they had a ticket number that I took, but I still had to stand there doing nothing.  I almost reached a point where I wanted to drop my items and walk out of the store.  I began to think what if the grocery store deli had a kiosk in place where I could quickly type in my email address or cell phone number.  I then go finish my shopping and receive a short email/text message that says my deli order is complete.  The details of this would obviously need to be flushed out, but the point of the example is to think of email outside the box.

Email platforms today are very robust and have functionality that marketers of years past could not imagine.  I want you as our new age marketers to first imagine how email can be used, and before you dismiss the idea, discuss it with someone.  I have hundreds of “email ideas” – I’m sure a decent amount of them may not be efficient, but maybe a few are the next trend in marketing?!  Just remember, that in 2010 over 100 trillion emails were sent, so I think it’s safe to assume email is not going anywhere.

If you enjoyed this post please stay tuned for future articles as I will be continuing to provide new and exciting content in the world of email marketing. Thanks for reading!  –Ken Holmes