Why email marketers need to be tech-savvy

Start a relationship with a geek

Too often, marketers have bold plans for their email campaign, without first establishing whether their ideas are even achievable; they can spend weeks crafting ambitious plans that can’t even get off the starting line.

I know of one big brand whose agency hatched a grandiose campaign, without first realizing that the brand’s CRM didn’t even hold relevant customer data - resulting in three months of additional development time. Embedding your tech team early in your creative briefings will help establish what’s possible from the get-go, avoiding needless delay, cost and disappointment.

Segmentation is a powerful beast - but it needs feeding

Segments are not just for Trivial Pursuit boards - they are also a great way to reach different users with different messages. Imagine targeting a segment of females in their 30s in California who have made two prior purchases - this ability could drastically change the offers or news you emailed them.

But this kind of targeting needs hard work - if you haven’t first turned customer behavior into many database indicators, you don’t have the raw materials from which to build a segment. Start today by seeking opportunities to capture or generate these indicators from customer actions and characteristics that might seem mundane today - but which could begold tomorrow.

What other tips or advice do you give marketers when they look to you for email campaign help?