Why Consistency Is Critical in Email Marketing
Do you currently keep a publishing calendar for your eNewsletter? When people subscribe to your blog or email newsletter they want to know what to expect in terms of content and frequency.
First, Declare Your Plan
On the opt-in or registration page make it clear to people exactly what type of content you are going to send them and how often they will get it. Nobody likes surprises. It may take some serious planning and consideration to your resources to determine how often you can commit to publishing new content. Depending on the content topic, it may also be difficult to come up with new content on a regular basis.
Second, Don’t Deviate From the Plan
What will it take for you to remember to hit your schedule? Do you need to set a calendar reminder or delegate the responsibility to a different person in your organization? Also, don’t be tempted to sneak in a different type of content. If you promise to send Home Owner Tips, do not send coupons or announcements about your companies new product or service. It is OK to add those coupons or announcements as ancillary items at the bottom or to the side of your primary content.
The Potential Consequences
If you send an email every week and then go three weeks without sending anything… what do you think will happen next time you send something out? What will happen if your subscribers are happily engaging in your content only to be hit with a marketing message that is inconsistent with what your promised to send them? Your contacts are MUCH more likely to unsubscribe or worse, mark it as SPAM.