On a recent vacation to Wyoming, it struck me that Old Faithful is to Yellow Stone National Park what Email Marketing is to Business. Perhaps I need to get out more, but perhaps we could all learn something about communicating with customers from this geographical wonder. Email marketing is the one digital marketing strategy that has stood the test of time, continues to draw crowds, and visitors get something out of it every time.
Predictability – Old Faithful got its name because of its predictability. Every hour and a half it shoots between three and eight thousand gallons of boiling hot water more than 100 feet into the air. No fail. Just like your company’s emails are sent to your subscriber list on schedule. No Fail. Customers enjoy the predictability. Your deals, wisdom, and updates become something they at least glance at every day, and at most wait for. As an added bonus, like photos from past vacations, they are archived conveniently in an inbox and can be experienced again and again at the recipient’s leisure.
Draws a crowd – Nearly three million people travel to Yellow Stone National Park every year. Old Faithful, located right in the middle of things, certainly attracts the most eyes. The parallels to marketing emails are uncanny. If you have something valuable to offer, like a daily deal, coupon or piece of advice in the form of newsletter, customers will converge to your subscriber list as they do to the famous geyser. Your message is getting to 100% of your intended viewers, 100% of the time, and it’s coming to them right in the middle of things, their personal inbox. This makes it much more effective than social media.
Get something out of it every time – People flock to old faithful year after year; they bring their family and recommend their vacation to their friends because they get an amazing experience out of it. So too with marketing emails. If you’re helping your subscribers by offering them value, they’ll look forward to your emails, share them with friends and family, and revisit your business and website for years to come.
Maybe I do need a longer vacation, or maybe I’m onto something here. In digital marketing there is always the new, cool attraction: the app, the social network, the magical answer that promises conversions, customers and a high return on investment. While it’s always good to venture off the beaten path and try new things, having an Old Faithful you know can drive the results you seek is a sure way to keep your business relevant to customers.