| If youve been getting caught up in all this talk of RSS | | | | marketing in 2004, while 77 percent using paid search. |
| versus email, its time to stop wondering. | | | | Despite spam and email overload 45 percent see |
| Marketing Sherpa just posted a new report that stirred | | | | email as a good way for companies to stay in touch |
| up the old RSS vs Email debate again. | | | | with customers. |
| The report starts out by stating, It chills our blood when | | | | Customer retention and increased loyalty is the main |
| we hear email marketers and publishers blithely state, | | | | objective for email marketing among 63 percent of |
| Im thinking about switching over to RSS entirely! Oh no. | | | | surveyed marketers |
| Please dont. RSS is worthy of testing, but its not an | | | | 62 percent also see email as a way to acquire new |
| email replacement and it never will be. | | | | customers. |
| A report in Jupitermedia titled E-Mail Marketing: Alive | | | | Email volume in the US is expected to rise from over |
| and Well notes, RSS won\'t be immediately effective | | | | 2 trillion message this year to nearly 2.7 trillion by 2007. |
| as an alternative to e-mail marketing. (But) for some | | | | Even though both email spam and email delivery are |
| companies (primarily publishers who cater to a | | | | on the rise, end-users are getting used to spam and |
| technical audience), it\'s sensible to press forward with | | | | it\'s bothering them less than it used to. |
| RSS now as a supplement to e-mail marketing. | | | | The Marketing Sherpa report also notes that 91% of |
| A lot of people think this debate has been going on for | | | | US Internet users use email on a regular basis, while |
| long enough. RSS is NOT a replacement for email. It | | | | roughly 4% use RSS feeds on any sort of basis at all. |
| does not (and may never) rival the marketing reach | | | | It suggests that publishers do test RSS, but |
| and immediacy of an email message. | | | | recommends that they not treat RSS as shovelware |
| Those whove been mourning the death of email | | | | for email content because it is a new medium. |
| marketing dont seem to get the fact that RSS hasn\'t | | | | Other disadvantages it notes for RSS publishers is the |
| reached the tipping point yet. More people read email | | | | challenge of metrics. |
| than RSS feeds many more. | | | | No deliverability, open rates, hard vs soft bounces. No |
| I believe that a smart publisher or marketer must use | | | | a/b tests, no usability tests, no offer tests, no recency |
| both - Email and RSS. Its not an either/or question. | | | | frequency tests, and multivariable testing\" |
| I know for a fact that my blogs get read more when I | | | | \"The kind of data that marketers and publishers rely |
| send out an email with a blog post roundup. I personally | | | | on to make business, content, and marketing decisions |
| prefer email and tend to read those blogs more | | | | for email campaigns is almost entirely lacking for RSS |
| frequently that use email notification. | | | | at this time, says the report. |
| But the news is not all good for email marketing. | | | | So if youre wondering what you should publish - a blog |
| According to DoubleClick, 64.7% of all legitimate email | | | | or an email newsletter - I suggest you do both. |
| being sent (based on their own customers\' stats) is | | | | Or at least publish a blog with email notification built in. |
| never opened. Email delivery is cited as the #1 email | | | | Remember, your list is still your most valuable asset |
| marketing headache. | | | | online. |
| The good news is that email marketing has a terrific | | | | Keep either Email or RSS out of your marketing |
| Return on Investment (ROI) bringing in $15.50 per dollar | | | | toolbox and youre losing out on a significant portion of |
| spent on a campaign according a report in Email | | | | your audience. |
| Sherpa. | | | | RSS has other advantages that email does not have - |
| That $15.50 per email-marketing dollar spent is roughly | | | | like being able to syndicate your content across the |
| 17% more than in direct-mail campaigns and 73% more | | | | web. It can be a very useful tool for building link |
| than telemarketing campaigns.eMarketer reports that | | | | popularity - if you do it right. |
| email is still a powerful marketing tool if used well in a | | | | As a marketer you do need to start brushing up on |
| new report, \"Email Marketing: How to Improve ROI.\" | | | | your knowledge of RSS and a good place to start is |
| Some points it notes: | | | | here. |
| 71 percent of US online advertisers used email | | | | |