Don’t Turn Me Off: Metro Email Review

I’ve been asked the question many times. What’s the worst thing you can do as an email marketer?

I don’t know what would be the worst possible thing you could do in email marketing is. I do know that there are a lot of companies doing very poorly. I do know that there a lot of things you can do that are very negative. Probably the worst thing you can do is avoid it.

But Metro attempted to prove that theory wrong with a recent email they sent me. It needs no introduction or lead up. Here is the email I saw when I clicked to open it:

If I don’t allow images, this is what I see. This is what everyone on their list sees first, unless they’ve agreed to see images before. Sure, Gmail is a pain in the ass when it comes to email marketing, because you are forced to accept all images. But that means marketers need to include text based information in their emails so it does not look THIS BAD.

And you know what makes it worse? It’s the way the email looks after I accept images:

It’s great. It’s a powerful, meaningful email that I am interested in. Why risk losing me at first sight?

Come on, Metro.

Grade = F, for Fix it.

Marketers as the Facilitators of Communication

Marketers know what it takes to sell their product or service. We build it into all of our ads. We build it into our websites. And if we had our way, we’d build it into the look, feel, and sound of every piece of communication to potential customers.

This blog was originally started to cover all the aspects of what I call, marketing communications. And one of the most important aspects of communication as it relates to the marketing realm today is what other members of the company are saying about your products or services.

In a small company, the amount of people who interact with potential customers might be limited. But the larger a company is, the greater the chance that people outside of the marketer’s direct management are dealing with customers.

Most likely, there is a customer service team, a sales team, potentially a fulfillment team, etc. who all deal directly with customers, and more importantly, with potential customers.

As a marketer, it’s important that you take the lead in relaying the message throughout the company. The marketing message should become part of the corporate culture. It should become part of any new employee’s indoctrination into the organization. And as it shifts or changes, those changes should be communicated directly to the frontlines.

One of the reasons marketers make great CEO’s and business owners in today’s world is that marketing often facilitates, or guides most other facets of an organization or business process. And it’s our job to make that so.

If We Could All Launch Like Apple

Every business owner dreams of a world where millions of people tune in every time they have an announcement to make. They pray for coverage in every major news outlet. They would sell their souls for the opportunity to sell out on pre-orders.

And yet somehow, Apple has managed to do all that, and then some.

The world stops. We all pay attention. They announce a new product. And it sells out.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

They have built a world in which they command our attention. They have a community of fans, customers, and evangelists that will do anything for the brand. Apple can’t lose.

They’ve created a demand that is unparalleled.

It’s a marketer’s dream!