It’s a Jungle Out There – What Animal is Like Your Email Marketing?

by | Jan 18, 2014

According to a recent article from Curata, 71% of marketers plan to increase their budget for content marketing in 2014.  Since a large percentage of that content is used in email marketing campaigns, take a look at some of the other things Curata’s Michael Gerard says about best content marketing practices.

Which Animal Totem Represents Your Email Marketing?

 

For the third year, Curata has conducted a content marketing benchmark study.  They used the 2014 study to craft a few questions.  Although a huge majority of marketers will increase content marketing, only a few will see huge increases in their results.  They describe the differences in the companies in terms of animal characteristics.

•    Fox:  Known for their ability to use available resources for survival, the fox is cunning, strategic and quick thinking.  They adapt well and use clever solutions to meet their needs.
•    Elephant:  Stability is the main characteristic of the elephant.  They are patient and slow to adapt to changing environments.
•    Wildebeest:  The ultimate follower, the wildebeest follows the pack and makes sure they never get left behind.
•    T-Rex:  Extinct.

To Win You Better be Like a Fox

Increasing your budget for content in your email marketing efforts is a very good idea.  But don’t rush into spending money unless you are very clear where you want to invest.  Contrary to the old days of broadcast outbound marketing (aka traditional advertising), the best result of good email marketing campaigns is the inbound affect they have on the buyers.  In other words, when you think strategically and execute well, your sales leads will literally raise their hand to purchase from you.

The average business hears about the incredible results of using content in effective email marketing campaigns and then loads their prospects with a bunch of low quality information or – worse yet – promotional content.  This is a sure-fire way to remain average.

Fox-Like Email Marketing Strategies

Remember that your sales lead may be reading content from thousands of other publishers in your industry.  Determining how to differentiate your company from the masses will help you break through the noise.  Forget about increasing the quantity of content and focus on offering high quality content that is useful to your best customers.  Ask what they really want to hear from you…then provide the information in a clear, concise, easy-to-consume manner.  Here are a few things Curata suggests:
•    Plan, strategize and customize your content.
•    Have someone in your company that is responsible for leading the strategy.
•    Use customer insights and feedback to respond to sales lead with new and valuable information.
•    Focus on quality, relevance and usefulness…rather than more content.

•    Include repurposing content in the strategy.  For example:  good blog posts may be repurposed in your email marketing campaigns…or an eBook may be turned into a quickly scanned infographic.

Maximize your email marketing effort by thinking more like a fox in 2014.  Give your readers a diverse mix of perspectives that will keep them engaged, offer more value and deepen their level of trust in your company.