More Evidence Email Newsletters Work

Recommendation: When requesting email addresses from customers, be sure to tell them what you will use the email address for so they expect (and look forward) to hearing from you.

A few days ago, I wrote about an email newsletter I received from a local jeweler around valentine's day that was offering me a special last minute deal. I mentioned how I like getting deals like this when I've given permission to a business to use my email address.

Today, I read an article that provides some more evidence that email is an effective way to reach consumers. The article and the data are probably artificially high since the company that published the study makes money from email marketing, but the trends are interesting. If you have a moment, give it a read.

This is the most important paragraph: "What actions did respondents take as a result of receiving permission-based email from a retailer? About 88% reported downloading or print coupon, while 79% clicked a link in an email to learn more about a particular service, product, or promotion."

Why does CityVoter care if you use email newsletters? Each year, we run a contest where people get to vote for you. During that time, we engage tens of thousands of consumers in your area. They use their email addresses to vote, and once they vote, we have an opportunity to introduce them to you. Like all matchmakers, we'd love for the relationship to be a valuable one for both parties. We'd love for consumers to get something special (deals, services, product offers) and we'd love for our business owners to grow their business.

In the end, we're being a bit self-serving too. Email newsletters bring consumers back to our guides and our contests. The more people use CityVoter, the bigger and better our contests and local guides become.