Different brands are using their email marketing strategy in different ways during this pandemic, but it’s important to contextualize your messaging and be empathetic.

In this episode of AMP Up Your Digital Marketing, Glenn Gaudet speaks with Tracy Sestili, Global Head of Marketing at SparkPost, an email intelligence software company. They discuss the different ways organizations make use of their email marketing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic, and how you can optimize your email marketing strategy on both the back-and-frontend. You’ll learn:

* Why you should be empathetic and contextualize your messaging.

* The importance of segmentation and good list hygiene.

* What metrics to look at, and how to optimize your email marketing strategy both during and beyond this pandemic.

During the time of the coronavirus pandemic, emails are spiking. Brands are sending out emails more frequently and people are reading them more often. Is it because brands send the right messages at the right time? Or is it because people are home and glued to their devices?

You may have noticed that some organizations are sending emails around the coronavirus quite frequently, while others are sending out emails that are less about what’s going on in the world as a purposeful way to give you a small distraction.

There are some really great email campaigns going on right now, and what they have in common is they’re contextual and empathetic. That is what you should strive for with your email marketing strategy.

“You want to make sure the context of your message fits the current situation,” Sestili said. “We can all learn from this experience that we are going through right now. It has to be contextual, and I think if you can do that, then you’ll have success.”

Building Brand Affinity During Coronavirus

People are getting peppered with coronavirus content these days. Whether it’s on TV, on social media, the radio, or anywhere else, people can’t escape the COVID-19 talk.

Now, all this talk of the pandemic is certainly warranted because it’s leaving its mark on all of us at all times. You’re probably reading this at home right now because of it. But people need a break.

What you need to do is either give them an escape or offer a way to solve their problems. You should not give a sales pitch. This is an opportunity for you to use the right messaging, and deliver the right content that your target audience will appreciate in the long run.

“Now, in this time period, people are looking to brands for information,” Sestili said. “It’s a great time to build brand affinity and brand trust with your end-user. If you’re sending them content they find useful, they’ll remember that. They’ll remember your brand in the long run.”

Organizations need to be mindful of if they’re sending the same type of message too much or if they’re emailing people too much in general. But Sestili pointed out that if your service is helpful to people, your emails might be as well.

“Maybe getting your inspirational yoga email is valuable in this environment,” she said. “How can you be empathetic and helpful and give value of some sort without shoving your product down people’s throats? It’s a really fine line, honestly.”

Source: Hot Yoga Bowling Green

What Metrics You Should Look At