I have become an increasingly big believer in email for most clients. It may not be sexy or new (like, say, TikTok), but it is powerful. Executed in conjunction with other PR and marketing initiatives, it adds impacts for a relatively low incremental spend.  

The biggest key to success is offering content that is compelling, unique and provides something useful or entertaining to your target audience. We have all gotten emails from a company touting its latest industry award or client win, and we don’t care.

Because we understand content and storytelling for email, our  clients consistently have open rates that are above industry averages. For Cary, NC mixed-use development Fenton, the open rate is 59 percent. That’s because we offer exclusive deals and insider information, making recipients of The Fentonian feel like VIPs. Read a full case study on Fenton’s email program here. 

And email marketing is not just for consumer-oriented programs. An  employment law firm can share information that is useful about how to workplace concerns related to current events (e.g. Is it legal to sponsor March Madness gambling? How many companies are making Juneteenth a paid holiday?). By providing useful information, we are positioning the law firm as a thought leader and keeping it top of mind with potential clients.

Here are Wilbert’s steps to email success:

1. Based on your overall business goals and communications objectives, we develop an email strategy. 

2. Our design team builds an email template that reflects your brand.

3. We curate the right email list. We can work with an existing list. For most clients, we  solicit email addresses on the client’s website and/or through paid social media campaigns.

4. We develop a content plan.  We don’t just repurpose what you are also sharing on social media; we provide something additional so people click. 

5. We integrate. We ensure the program complements other communications efforts, such as social media and media relations.

We measure. One of the best things about email is the metrics. We know how many people opened each email, what they clicked on and how much time they spent. That data helps us get better.