Email is such a vital part of today’s marketing mix. Already, much has been written about President-elect Barack Obama’s campaign and its highly effective use of new media and direct marketing tactics to tap into and engage with a wide base of supporters. Many say this strategy gave Democrats the crucial edge needed to win this year’s election.
It wasn’t just Obama’s presidential campaign that used email effectively this year; it was the Democratic National Committee program as a whole. They followed email marketing best practices to engage and inform their subscribers, as well as solicit donations.
Here are a few lessons we can all take away from the DNC’s email program from the past year:
Be on target. I know this is over simplified, but how many people miss it everyday? In a nutshell, being on target means sending messages that appeal to the interests of your recipients. A message that isn’t relevant isn’t likely to get much attention. Sometimes you have to read something and hear it repetitively to finally get it– Be on target to your audience!
Be engaging. The DNC kept a constant barrage of emails coming during the campaign, keeping them engaging by using such tactics as creative — often dramatic — subject lines and timely alerts. Most interestingly, they used different friendly “from” lines, coming from various Democratic celebrities like “Hillary Clinton” or “Michelle Obama.”
Be clear. A good call-to-action should always let recipients know what steps they should take and where a link will take them if they click on it. The majority of emails from the DNC included prominent buttons with bold text reading “Please Donate,” in addition to well-articulated text links that included strong emotional appeals combined with clear steps to take action.
Be strategic. Successful execution of any email program starts with long-term strategy and planning. It’s obvious a lot of thought went into the DNC’s email program. Without laying the groundwork of segmentation, messaging, list-building, frequency and contingency planning, they wouldn’t have been able to effectively execute and adapt to the rapidly shifting political landscape throughout the long campaign.
Were you on the email list? What did you receive? Learn? Do?
Tags: call to action, DNC, email, email marketing, lessons to be learned, Obama, online marketing