E-mail markers believe recession will continue

A survey by Silverpop has suggested that 88 per cent of e-mail marketers believe the recession will continue, while 75 per cent say it has hurt their business.

The company conducted the online survey of 300 e-mail marketers in late November 2009.

Asked when they thought the recession might end, 39 per cent of e-mail marketers said 'not any time soon'.

Indeed, one out of five believed the economy would not improve before the fourth quarter of 2010.

According to Silverpop, the survey results indicate that while recession concerns linger, marketers remain positive about e-mail's ability to cost-effectively increase customer loyalty and drive revenue.

In fact, four out of 10 marketers reported that their email budgets in 2010 would increase, and 47 per cent said their budgets would stay the same.

In the coming year, 52 per cent of survey respondents said increasing customer loyalty was a top e-mail marketing goal.

Overall, 51 per cent of respondents want to drive incremental revenue with their e-mail programme; 65 per cent of those with larger e-mail budgets say this is their top goal in 2010.

Bill Nussey, chief executive officer at Silverpop, said: 'When consumers' purse strings tighten, savvy marketers remain respectful but attentive, so their brands are top of mind when their customers are once again ready to buy.

'Today's marketers are mindful of the important role relationship building plays in a successful marketing strategy, and they understand the unique ability of e-mail to engage customers,' he added.

Increasing utilisation of the tools and tactics that build customer engagement is evident.

Behavioural targeting - or sending messages based on recipients' past open, click or website actions - was a tactic that worked well for 28 per cent of survey respondents this past year, and incorporating promotional offers in transactional e-mails proved successful for an equal number of marketers.

While marketers remain positive about the role e-mail will play in meeting their goals in 2010, they are also prepared to face related challenges.

In the survey, 37 per cent of respondents said the biggest challenge in the coming year will be 'inbox clutter'.

Not surprising, given that Forrester Research estimates consumers will receive more than 9,000 e-mail marketing messages a year by 2014.

Twenty per cent of e-mail marketers said they will struggle with 'providing timely and relevant content'.

Marketingsherpa has reported that lack of relevance is the number one reason people unsubscribe to e-mail programmes.

To ensure messages are anticipated and welcomed, 27 per cent of the marketers surveyed plan to incorporate behavioural targeting into e-mail campaigns for the first time in 2010, and 26 per cent will begin to use surveys to gather useful customer data.

Overall, more than 84 per cent plan to include social media into their e-mail programmes in the coming year, and 38 per cent will add SMS.

Marketers enjoying budget increases are even more likely to add these to their programs; 89 per cent will incorporate social media and 44 per cent SMS.

Nussey added: 'Linking e-mail to popular social networks can be a very successful strategy.

'If the messages are timely and relevant, recipients will share them with their networks, and the opportunity for additional exposure increases exponentially.

'And as customers become more mobile, their marketing must reach them in more timely ways and through channels such as SMS.

'E-mail marketers willing to take the time and effort to create one-to-one messaging that is timely, relevant and targeted will be able to soften the sting of a tight economy,' he said.

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