The SEO Queen
The essential role of an e-blast in drip marketing is changing. Why? Many reasons, but the main one is the increased emphasis that Google has put on relevant content. Content has always been the SEO Queen and the inbound links (people are linking to your site so you must be important) has been the SEO Princess. Since businesses can now purchase cheap inbound links by the hundreds from Southeast Asia, the Princess has been demoted. Blogs have risen in importance because they are high in relevant content. So now the role of the effective e-blast is to drive traffic to your best, newest blog posts.
New Recommendation
Here is what we recommend for your E-blast format now: Give your E-Blast a Yahoo News flavor. By this we mean, take your three most recent or best blogs and put a salty picture and headline in a row on your e-blast promoting each blog. Salt your customer’s interest in your blog posts. Your customer can scan the three for useful information and click. If you have a website then the customer finds themselves not only reading your blog, getting the info they want (relating to your expertise) but they are in the middle of your website with your brand and navigation surrounding them. If they are interested in doing or maintaining a business relationship with you, this is a great place for them to be.
Remains the Same
Other aspects of the E-blast role remain the same. E-blasts are still an amazing form of cost effective drip marketing, keeping you in touch with your customer base and new prospects. The purpose of the E-blast is the same. No “sell, sell, sell”. E-blasts that are used purely as sales flyers make sense for consumers or home businesses trying to save a buck out of their pocket. Business accounts are less transactional savers and more system-wide/strategic regarding savings and other benefits. E-blasts with robust information to support and inspire your customers and prospects around your expertise are effective for accounts large or small. Your E-blast and blogs should work hand-in-hand to build your brand and customer relationships. Next blog: The New E-blast Checklist.
Brand well and prosper,
Andy Cleary