Last month’s direct marketing package from Readers Digest brought me a flood of email about marketing packages. Many of the people who took the time to write wanted to know how email marketing packages differ from regular mail campaigns. As a follow-up, I’m posting some tips for email marketing packages.

My post on how to do email marketing without spamming has some suggestions for complying with PIPEDA. Aside from complying with PIPEDA, I think the biggest mistake email marketers make is doing one-off email marketing campaigns. Every email marketing package should be part of a larger strategy for a company’s marketing efforts. A single campaign lacks the power of integrated marketing communications. Prospects don’t have the energy to stop and pay attention to a single piece, whether it comes by email or mail. It can take three or more tries before your prospects have true recognition — let alone recall — of your marketing efforts, given all the messages they receive. So make sure you integrate your marketing communications, leveraging the investments you’ve made in developing messages, images, tactics and strategies. A focused, consistent campaign will help your prospects understand and recognize your company and products.

(c) 2005 by Andrea Coutu. Vancouver Marketing Consultant. All rights reserved.