The ‘E’ Connection
How to put your direct mail skills to use in e-mail marketing
March 2008 By Pat Friesen
This month’s column is an interview with e-mail marketing consultant and expert Jeanne Jennings.
Jennings is an 18-year veteran of interactive marketing and product development, and she is a staunch direct marketer. Her area of expertise is permission-based e-mail marketing, and she works with medium- to enterprise-sized organizations, helping them become more profitable and productive with their online marketing initiatives.
During her interactive marketing career, Jennings has helped organizations such as Hasbro Toys, the Mayo Clinic, Siemens AG, Verizon, Boston’s Museum of Science and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She is also the author of “The Email Marketing Kit: The Ultimate Email Marketer’s Bible.”
Jennings and I first worked together launching a CRM e-mail initiative for Hasbro. What I learned is that we are both dyed-in-the-wool direct marketers, and that core direct marketing principles apply to both direct mail and e-mail.
Here she shares with Target Marketing readers her insights on what direct mail marketing can teach you about initiating effective interactive marketing campaigns; rules of the road for permission-based e-mailing; how to gather names for your campaigns; successful applications of this marketing medium; and more.
Pat Friesen: What are some of the major benefits of e-mail campaigns?
Jeanne Jennings: Because e-mail is much less expensive to produce and deliver than traditional direct mail, you have the potential for an extremely strong ROI. However, just because it’s “cheap” doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for all audiences. It also doesn’t mean you can get away with [not] doing your homework. As with direct mail, you should test lists, offers, copy and creative.
Another e-mail benefit is that it helps you reach audiences you may be missing. There are those who trust and respond to direct mail, and others who use the Internet as their primary source of information and for making purchases. As a marketer, I want to be every place my customer may be looking for me—both online and off. Neither e-mail nor direct mail is going away. You need to create synergy to have them both work for you.
PF: Tell us about the similarities between the two. What does someone who knows direct mail need to know about e-mail to be successful?
JJ: If you’re already doing direct mail successfully, you need to learn just a few new tricks. As with direct mail, successful e-mail marketing uses relevant content and a strong call to action to engage the reader and generate response.
Jennings is an 18-year veteran of interactive marketing and product development, and she is a staunch direct marketer. Her area of expertise is permission-based e-mail marketing, and she works with medium- to enterprise-sized organizations, helping them become more profitable and productive with their online marketing initiatives.
During her interactive marketing career, Jennings has helped organizations such as Hasbro Toys, the Mayo Clinic, Siemens AG, Verizon, Boston’s Museum of Science and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She is also the author of “The Email Marketing Kit: The Ultimate Email Marketer’s Bible.”
Jennings and I first worked together launching a CRM e-mail initiative for Hasbro. What I learned is that we are both dyed-in-the-wool direct marketers, and that core direct marketing principles apply to both direct mail and e-mail.
Here she shares with Target Marketing readers her insights on what direct mail marketing can teach you about initiating effective interactive marketing campaigns; rules of the road for permission-based e-mailing; how to gather names for your campaigns; successful applications of this marketing medium; and more.
Pat Friesen: What are some of the major benefits of e-mail campaigns?
Jeanne Jennings: Because e-mail is much less expensive to produce and deliver than traditional direct mail, you have the potential for an extremely strong ROI. However, just because it’s “cheap” doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for all audiences. It also doesn’t mean you can get away with [not] doing your homework. As with direct mail, you should test lists, offers, copy and creative.
Another e-mail benefit is that it helps you reach audiences you may be missing. There are those who trust and respond to direct mail, and others who use the Internet as their primary source of information and for making purchases. As a marketer, I want to be every place my customer may be looking for me—both online and off. Neither e-mail nor direct mail is going away. You need to create synergy to have them both work for you.
PF: Tell us about the similarities between the two. What does someone who knows direct mail need to know about e-mail to be successful?
JJ: If you’re already doing direct mail successfully, you need to learn just a few new tricks. As with direct mail, successful e-mail marketing uses relevant content and a strong call to action to engage the reader and generate response.
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