Lessons from Email Marketing: How Email Could Work to Get Campaigners Elected

Facing criticism, Presidential campaigners practice better email marketing strategies, but their emails are still not what everyone wants to read.

– Just another email to skip over. That’s what comes to mind for many when emails from Presidential hopefuls fill their inboxes. And as the latest emails will likely not be read, they can’t be doing any good for democracy.

While their recent actions have succeeded in improving the effectiveness of the sign-up system and email diction, campaigners have not fully addressed the motivational factor that is essential in effectively optimizing email marketing software – a difficulty easily overcome by applying techniques from the business community when constructing emails.

What is the bottom line? Obama and Hillary’s most recent campaigns are ambiguous about this issue. The latest email campaign from Bill Clinton offers subject line: “Not big on quitting.” No subject is apparent in the line. Who is not big on quitting? Hillary? Bill? The email team? The supporters? Next, take the latest message from the Obama team: “What’s next.” Again there is no subject, nor is there an action in this line. Open the email and find the first calls to action; “contribute by our midnight Monday deadline” and “check out these resources” by Bill Clinton and Obama, respectively.

Compare Obama’s and Clinton’s email practices to those of a well-known fashion retailer. Subject lines like “Tee Time: Buy 2 Save 20%” and “All The Dresses You Need For Spring” noticeably state the benefit of opening and viewing the email before email users have read any content. The first line employs two strategic verbs, “buy” and “save,” while the second line directly addresses the reader.

A simple rewrite of the subject lines with a seller-buyer framework could yield: “Deadline Ahead: Don’t Quit, Act Now” and “Everything You Should Know about Obama.” These subject lines create a sense of importance and shift the locus of power from the sender to the recipients of the messages.

Still beating around the bush in their subject lines, Hillary’s camp has made significant changes in the body of their emails. In an effort to create easy-to-read, visually stimulating content, they utilize bold font every few lines to underscore main ideas in the paragraphs. They also showcase a bold-colored countdown clock with a yellow “Contribute Now” button link. Similarly, Obama’s email highlights information by categorizing it under 3 headings (The Basics, Organizing, and Fundraising).

Lamentably, emails from both camps lack images. Obama and Hillary rarely offer photos in their emails, and McCain includes just a few small photos in his email banner. In contrast, retailers, internet providers and pizza joints alike have been utilizing large picture links to attract consumers. Presidential have yet to catch on.

Democratic nominees realize that they need to modify their marketing strategy, however, and have begun using email marketing software to offer campaign contributors sweepstakes prizes, such as a private meeting with Obama or Clinton. Unfortunately, these offers can be difficult to locate. For example, Obama sent an email with the subject “Deadline,” but the email included a drawing to win a dinner with Barack Obama himself, which was listed towards the bottom of the email.

Obama’s use of contribution incentives in his email marketing campaigns could explain why his email campaign ranks third on Email Data Source’s 2008 Email Brand Equity Ranking while McCain, who does not use similar tactics, is not among the top 5 of that list. Other factors may include the perceived lack of imperativeness in the emails or the news-like wording in McCain’s subject lines.

Four years ago, Presidential candidates undoubtedly trailed far behind emailers in the business, technology and entertainment industries. This year, the Presidential hopefuls got with the program; they just weren’t entirely sure how to use it.

For more information about email marketing software or for a sample copy of this article, contact Jen Udan or visit www.email-marketing-options.com.
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About Zilker Ventures:

Zilker Ventures is a web publisher specializing in reviewing and consolidating information about business to business and financial products.

Jen Udan
Zilker Ventures, LLC
(512) 448-9031
pr@zilkerventures.com
www.zilkerventures.com

~ by zilker on May 15, 2008.