Email marketing desperation

I’ve received a record number of commercial email in my inbox this week. Some of it has been unsolicited, some of it not. Much of it has not been very targeted to my personal preferences.

This is an indication that marketers are starting to get desperate.

Email is great because it is low-cost and can be very effective. But at least this week, the game is a little different. There has been a significant increase in noise that’s all trying to get my attention. I’m guessing that the game is going to be like this for quite some time.

How do you play this new game? Here are a few tips:

• Be laser-precision relevant. If you’re just blasting a message to your entire list, then this probably is not the best approach. How can you segment your list and talk to the needs of mini-groups? If you can’t do this with your data, then you’re doing it wrong.
• Timing is key. Don’t send the email overnight. The recipient is going to be grumpy in the morning because of the number of unsolicited emails waiting. This increases the chances of your message being deleted with all of the others.
• Provide more value than you’re taking. Give away some valuable information in your email. Don’t just promote a product or service and leave it at that. Link the user to articles on your site or blog. Put tips directly in the email. Be creative.
• Less is more. Send less email, and spend more time on creating something interesting and relevant. Don’t just blast emails because you need more sales. Blast them because you have something interesting, relevant, and valuable to say. In other words, don’t be lazy.

Any other tips to share? Please enlighten the rest of us in the comments.