“Email is dead. We can still use it to communicate with one another on an individual basis, but as far as content is concerned – RSS holds infinitely more value and promise.” – Chris Pirillo, interviewed by Lee Odden. Later on, Chris adds, "I’ll likely continue to ‘do’ email newsletters…”
Portrayal of the demise of email reminds me of the British chant whenever there is a death of a monarch, “The King Is Dead! Long Live the King!”
Let’s get real. In response to the above interview, email marketing is not dead. It’s just evolving rapidly and only the strong will survive.
In February 2004, Jakob Nielsen reported that a study of email marketing showed that targeted e-newsletters continue to show strength, but that only 11% of newsletters were read thoroughly, so layout and content scanability are paramount.
Email newsletters are still an important way to stay in touch with customers and prospects. Ezines build relationships with readers, on one condition: that you don’t waste readers’ time with information that is superfluous and irrelevant.
The bottom line? Improving the quality of your content will ensure your email marketing and newsletters survive, get opened, get read, and work for your business.
Tomorrow: 10 “New Rules” for Successful e-Content