To-Do in 2012:  Get in shape. Relax more. Take another look at the power of email marketing toward gaining new customers and strengthening my brand power. In a communications world that seems dominated by tools like Facebook and blogging, email marketing lives. This focused, strategic communication tool is unique in many ways from its social media cousins, but one aspect certainly stands out: you get to send the precise stories, offers or information that a precise audience wants.

Even better, this audience is actually asking you for information. Begging for it (Well, maybe they’re not begging, but they’re certainly opening the door to learn more about your products and services. After all, they have subscribed to your email marketing offerings).

Even with new customer-focused tools, the basics of email marketing haven’t changed. Begin with getting readers’ permission to include them in your email marketing updates. Your email marketing campaign can include simple half-page updates alongside a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter. Allow each message to be a call to action. Add several links to your blog and your web site in each email message, as well as easy links to your social media pages. Use a catchy, short subject line that entices them to take a look.

Email Dialogue is Real (Unlike Many New Years’ Resolutions) …
Today’s email marketing strategies are more guided by exact customer preferences and customer-segmented research than ever before. By collaborating with social media tools, the opportunities for creating real and meaningful dialogue with your buyers (or donors) are out there for the taking.

Also note this about email marketing:  it has power to help you regain the interest and loyalty of previous buyers who may have drifted away, as explored in a recent post from Marketing Sherpa highlighting the year’s marketing insights.

The Quality of Your Email Marketing Content is Still King
Above all, hold fast to quality with your email marketing strategies. This includes not over-doing it on how many messages you send, but instead, planning your messages strategically. Focus on useful, pertinent information that truly answers readers’ questions about you. The quality of your email marketing strategies will keep users interested and coming back to you, far more often than quantity.