Keeping Your Email Program Out Of The Penalty Box

Author:

Ryan Deutsch

Source:

So, it has happened: For the first time since 1961, the Chicago Blackhawks have won Lord Stanley's Cup. As a hockey fan here in Chicago, it's hard to focus on anything other than last night's victory this morning. On the drive into the city, I listened as local radio stations reported the whereabouts of the Blackhawks...after landing at 3:47 AM at O'Hare airport, they moved from bar to bar and are now grabbing some breakfast at a "joint" by the United Center. While they have been celebrating, I, of course, have been thinking about email marketing.
 
Throughout the playoffs (and in particular the championship series between the Blackhawks and Flyers), penalties helped to determine the outcome of game after game. For those non-hockey fans out there, when a penalty is called on the ice, the offending player is sent to the "penalty box," leaving the game for a period of time. This creates a power play for the opponent, leaving the offenders' teammates "shorthanded" to do their best to prevent a goal. Penalties can kill the momentum of a game and change the outcome in seconds. As email marketers, you need to make sure your email program isn't playing "shorthanded." Here are a few penalties I would call on emails that I have received in the last two weeks.
 
Penalty: Out-of-Control Cadence
 
There is no shortage of opportunities to engage with subscribers. Its seems almost every system within a business (Call Center, Campaign Management, CRM, eCommerce, etc.) has the ability to trigger email communications. On top of that, as self-service email tools have become easier to use and less expensive to implement, departments within brands have been enabled to easily launch ad hoc campaigns. The result of this is a decentralized email communication strategy that, if left unchecked, results in ....