Dana Shirlen, Optimove’s Director of Email Marketing, just published this blog on how to keep your email program healthy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She will also host the webinar, “Optimizing Email Deliverability in Times of a Crisis”, on Thursday, March 26th at 5:00PM GMT / 1:00PM EST.
Additionally, she attended a webinar by Litmus, also dealing with the question of how to stay connected with your customers in uncertain times.
For those of you who were unable to be there, here are her notes – her professional touch and insight included.
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Why use email marketing right now VS other channels?
- It’s quick
- It’s easy
- It’s low cost
- It’s easily accessible by your customers
- It’s the appropriate context for the formality of crisis-based messages
How do you communicate well during a crisis?
First and foremost, we must understand that we’re all in this together.
Secondly, email marketing is the basis of relationship-based communication and you should use that in your messaging. Send emails that are helpful. Empathize with your customers and key into their needs and values.
Lastly, crisis comes with a biological response. Think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This motivational theory in psychology comprises of five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid: physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
Now, relate this back to how you can communicate safety needs and the feeling of love and belonging in your content. Remaining consistent can convey security, so reminding your customers or subscribers that you’ll check back in with them (send an email) every X day at X time to update them, may help during a crisis. Everyone loves a little bit of reassurance.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Don’t capitalize on fear and Avoid making COVID-19 a marketing opportunity. It comes across as insensitive.
- Don’t forget to review your automated templates and Make sure they’re still relevant and that the content is consistent and works with the current global situation.
- Don’t send email notifications to your entire list. COVID-19 messages aren’t considered transactional and ISPs aren’t considering them as such – so sending an email to all your customers can impact your reputation and deliverability.
- Don’t ignore the tone of your message. Customers are sensitive and anxious right now, more than ever. Modify your tone so that it’s calming and instils security.
Final Takeaways
Email is the most powerful channel to create connections and build trust – especially amid challenging times like the coronavirus pandemic.
We know that segmenting clients into various target groups is key to meaningful email marketing. And now, it’s crucial more than ever. Use it by considering who has a real reason to hear from you based on the content of the message.
We hope that this helps you better understand the email marketing best practices in uncertain times. If you’re struggling with specific questions regarding your emails, feel free to reach out to dana_s@optimove.com.
Stay tuned for additional webinars that we plan on joining and also hosting in the near future.