{"id":14798,"date":"2022-02-18T16:48:06","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T16:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/18\/dont-let-innovation-overcome-email-common-sense\/"},"modified":"2022-02-18T16:48:06","modified_gmt":"2022-02-18T16:48:06","slug":"dont-let-innovation-overcome-email-common-sense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/18\/dont-let-innovation-overcome-email-common-sense\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t let innovation overcome email common sense"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As marketers, we need to know what should be on our collective radar to plan and optimize our email <\/a>programs. The annual parade of trends articles for the coming year helps us do just that.<\/p>\n

However, rarely do the writers advise their readers to think about their primary challenges, develop strategies to solve them, and then \u2013 and only then! \u2013 think about the tactics (labeled as trends) they will use to carry out those strategies.<\/p>\n

What happens? We end up with solutions in search of problems. That\u2019s when marketers can end up chasing shiny toys that drag their email programs way beyond the norms and divert time, money and attention away from the solutions that can actually make a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are two scenarios I\u2019ve seen recently.<\/p>\n

1. Over-segmentation.\u00a0<\/h2>\n

We know that email programs drive more value when you build them on segmented, targeted and triggered messaging. Every customer in your segments or triggers gets a message with content that reflects their behavior, preferences and interests.<\/p>\n

This comes as close to an email best practice as insisting on getting subscriber consent and permission before sending emails.<\/p>\n

But if you send only<\/em> triggered or highly segmented campaigns, what do the customers or subscribers who don\u2019t fit into your segments or meet your trigger criteria receive? What if they don\u2019t open\/click\/buy that often or leave a data trail from browsing? If they don\u2019t get your emails, they can\u2019t generate opens, clicks or conversions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen this trend developing over the last couple of years as well-meaning marketers take that best practice too much to heart. These days it\u2019s easy to do because even the most basic email platforms make it simple to create highly targeted and triggered campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This wastes one of email\u2019s superpowers \u2013 you can contact your customers whenever you want. Your email messages can nudge your customers into action. You don\u2019t have to wait for your customers to find you on their own or through search.<\/p>\n

You can solve this problem by creating a catch-all broadcast campaign that goes to everyone your highly personalized messages don\u2019t reach. Your brand continues to show up in their inboxes, ready for them when the time is right to engage.<\/p>\n

2. Creating \u201cbest of breed\u201d emails<\/h2>\n

These are emails that showcase the latest advanced email features \u2013 allowing email to accomplish feats no one could ever envision and making your emails the envy of your industry friends.<\/p>\n

These often get expressed as trends or a \u201cmust-do\u201d list of tactics intended to help you build engagement. They all promise the same thing:<\/p>\n