For starters, emails should promote a thorough brand experience. Though this is the low-hanging fruit of email production, it’s often overlooked. Gene Liebel, of iMedia Connection, quotes, “Each time you send someone an email, you create a little user experience for them. Yet most companies don't involve their user experience teams in the creation of email marketing campaigns… What's happening here?” Receiving an email not optimized for experience is like eating at a restaurant with no decoration – it’s bland and not very appetizing. While brand-driven communication can cover any different function, it should at least cover the basics.

Moving along, a proper email often involves some degree of segmentation. Technology has given us the power to customize messages to different sets of people, and it’s quite wise to advance on this ability. Different audience segments have different demographics, priorities, and are in different stages of the buying process. For this reason, singular messages don’t usually appeal to mass populations. Silverop CEO, Bill Nussey, quotes, “How you segment your lists is as important -- or more so -- than the creative you send and the offer you deliver. Dividing your email list into smaller groups of like-minded individuals can dramatically improve the relevance of your campaigns.” Constantly emailing the exact same message is like eating at a restaurant with one item on the menu. Even if it’s good, it doesn’t quite have the range. Fortunately, in marketing, fragmented audiences no longer means fragmented results.

Creating an experience and segmenting audiences enhances potential – but how can you know the best way to optimize them? A smart mind and professional title aren’t enough. You need a legitimate strategy. In other words, test. Test your materials, test your approach, try them out, and test them again. If you always have your finger on the conversion pulse, you’ll better understand your audience and why they’re bothering to open your email. Jeanne Jennings, from ClickZ, quotes, “A 7 percent increase in opens [was achieved] by mailing a few hours earlier… A 50 percent increase in clicks [was achieved] by adding a single paragraph… A 75 percent increase in sales [was achieved] by moving the offer copy.” Emailing without testing is like cooking without tasting. The only way to know what you’re serving is to investigate beyond an attractive outer layer.

And finally (for now), emailing is greatly enhanced when it’s part of a rich, integrated campaign. As a standalone piece, it’s only telling one part of the story. Influential brands should be employing such diverse elements as microsites, mobile campaigns, and widgets, in addition to traditional media (the oldies, but still goodies). These channels, working together, create a synergy unmatched by any single medium. Erik Sass, from Online Media Daily, quotes, “Email is a powerful tool for reaching consumers, and it works even better in conjunction with other disciplines, both online and offline. But marketers are still running up against obstacles… First of all, email doesn't get the credit it deserves because it's sometimes distant from the purchase, even if it influenced the decision.” Sending emails without a network of media is like eating fine food without a glass of wine. Each, alone, is nice. But together, they’re exceptional. Fortunately, there are qualified agencies that know how to tell the whole brand story.

The bottom line is that email has incredible abilities, but those abilities have to be actualized through best practices. Considering the potential, it’s worth taking every measure. How else could you better do this?

The New Marketing Economy is brought to you by Annodyne, Inc., a full-service provider of integrated marketing solutions. Annodyne is an enlightened breed of agency, bridging the gap between traditional and digital media – to modernize business and brand.