Lessons in e-mail marketing: Have something to say

I received an e-mail from Toys R Us last week with the subject line: “It’s Been A While… ” My first thought was they need a copy editor (it’s awhile — not a while), and my second thought was that maybe they were offering me coupons since I hadn’t shopped there in awhile.

I opened the e-mail, and here’s what it said, in a nutshell: We haven’t e-mailed you in awhile, but when we do e-mail you, we’ll send you valuable information.

That was it. No coupons, and no valuable information.

Someone at Toys R Us probably realized it was time to message their contact list to keep customers engaged, but they didn’t know what to say. E-mailing for the sake of e-mailing is as good as not e-mailing at all, because now you’ve wasted your client’s time. It seems pretty obvious, right?

Here’s an e-mail marketing best practice: When messaging your client(s), either give them something of value (a white paper, case study, etc.) and/or engage them in a meaningful conversation (inquire about a new product release, for example).  Don’t waste everyone’s time — and risk losing customers — by sending an e-mail just to put your name in their inbox. — Crystal Bedell, Freelance Technology Writer and Content Developer