I swore this year would be different. This year I would indeed be the world’s greatest son and finally live up to the proclamation plastered on the coffee mug I received as a graduation present many years ago. I would never forget another Mother’s Day. At least that’s what I told myself as I repeatedly apologized to my heartbroken mother last year.
Fortunately, I received an email with a subject line that immediately caught my eye – Save 15% on all Mother’s Day Gifts! The truth is I almost forgot another Mother’s Day until I saw the email beckoning me from my inbox. I was thrilled for the reminder and to find a retailer that carried reasonably priced mother’s day gifts. It’s the thought that counts, right?
I found something nice and inexpensive and made the purchase online right there and then, only 5 minutes after receiving the initial email. I was psyched. Not only did I get my mother’s day shopping out of the way two weeks early, I saved enough money to buy something for myself, after all if it was not for me my mom couldn’t celebrate Mother’s Day now could she?
Once again, email came through in the clutch and introduced me to a product and service that I would have otherwise never heard of. It has reminded me of countless holidays - Valentine’s Day in particular, of which I would have typically forgotten and been forced to sleep on the couch. And it really is no surprise. According to a recent study by Constant Contact, email marketing and online marketing is more popular with small businesses than traditional marketing tactics. In fact, the study claims an overwhelming 81% of these marketers will use email marketing to promote their offerings this Mother’s Day.
What other form of advertising can be so powerful? When tailored appropriately, email really can be the most effective form of advertising around. I don’t know any other medium that has moved me to purchase something within 5 minutes of receiving the message. Magazines have never made me stop what I was doing and run out to a store and make an immediate purchase. Television advertising has almost no effect on my shopping habits thanks to TIVO and a slight attention deficit disorder. And radio? Well who actually listens to the radio anymore?
It is a shame not every retailer is following this strategy of delivering extremely relevant email messages. While I have been noticing an increase in the amount of emails that I actually want to open and read, there are still some marketers that don’t get it, specifically, they don’t get me. As marketers continue to become more proficient with the email channel, and more and more messages meet my needs, I will likely be making all of my purchases from behind a computer.
