The volume of emails sent globally hit 333.2 billion in 2022. Industry research estimates that this number will keep rising in the upcoming years. It’s projected to eventually reach 376.4 billion by 2025.
This flood of marketing content has businesses searching for better ways to connect with customers. Electronic direct mail (EDM) marketing is one of the prominent ways to achieve better marketing communication.
EDM marketing is a lot like email marketing — and more. Similar to email marketing, this strategy allows you to send tailored messages to your target audience.
However, what distinguishes EDM from email marketing is its ability to integrate multiple channels.
Through this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore what EDM is in marketing and how you can create an effective EDM campaign.
What does EDM marketing mean?
EDM marketing stands for electronic direct mail marketing. It has become a prevalent strategy for businesses to reach specific audiences.
Defining EDM marketing
This involves using direct emails to engage with potential and existing customers. EDM is similar to email marketing, but it takes a more holistic approach beyond email communication. It’s like advanced email marketing with other channels and marketing automation incorporated.
Emails are the initial touchpoint, introducing the recipient to the campaign message. However, EDM marketing doesn’t stop there. It uses more channels to reel customers in, especially those who showed interest.
This can include retargeting ads displayed to people who interacted with the email. It can also involve synchronized social media campaigns.
Ultimately, the goal is to reinforce the campaign message across various channels.
How EDM marketing stands apart from email marketing
These two types of marketing may share some similarities. However, there are key differences that set EDM apart as a distinct marketing approach, including:
- Depth of communication: Both EDM and email marketing involve targeted communication. However, EDM marketing takes it a step further and focuses on building ongoing connections through intense personalization and targeting.
- Level of customization: EDM marketing strongly emphasizes personalization. Businesses use detailed customer data to personalize marketing communication.
This could involve personalized product recommendations or offers catered to the recipient’s needs. The level of customization in EDM marketing goes far beyond the traditional email marketing approach.
- The extent of integration: Email is a core component for both marketing forms. While traditional email marketing stops there, EDM marketing extends across various digital channels. This can include social media, SMS, digital and print ads, in-store experiences, and more. In other words, it can be called omnichannel marketing.
Advantages of EDM marketing
EDM marketing offers several key advantages. It’s one of the most effective marketing strategies that drives good returns. Let’s examine its benefits.
Cost-effectiveness and time efficiency
One of the biggest benefits of EDM marketing is its cost-effectiveness. EDM campaigns require less investment than paid advertising or social media marketing. There are no bidding wars for ad placement. Also, the cost per EDM email sent is minimal.
EDM allows for precise targeting, which maximizes the ROI by reaching a specific audience with tailored messages. These tools often offer scalable pricing plans. This means businesses of all sizes can find a plan that fits their budget.
Another significant advantage is time efficiency. Setting up an EDM campaign can be quick and straightforward, and email marketing platforms provide templates for creating and sending emails with minimal effort.
These platforms also offer features that automate email creation and delivery. You can set up autoresponders that trigger emails based on specific actions or events. This automation can reduce manual work and ensure timely communication with the audience.
Trust and customer loyalty
A report by Ascend2 found that 65% of global marketers consider personalized emails the most effective marketing tool. A personalized EDM campaign can drive better engagement and marketing results.
With such campaigns, you can follow up with customers through various touchpoints. This reinforces your message and demonstrates a genuine commitment to engage with your customers.
As customers see the brand consistently across various platforms, they develop a sense of trust and familiarity.
Moreover, consistent and valuable EDM marketing communication can cultivate customer loyalty over time. Regularly providing customers with relevant content or offers can encourage repeat interaction.
Advanced personalization
EDM marketing enables a deeper level of personalization using advanced analytics and segmentation. You can collect data on your subscribers’ demographics, interests, and engagement.
This allows you to build detailed profiles and segment your list into targeted groups. Based on the segments, you can create emails suitable for each group.
Advanced personalization also extends to the timing and frequency of emails. With EDM marketing, you can analyze data to determine the best times to send emails for maximum engagement.
Crafting your EDM marketing campaign
Creating an EDM campaign requires careful planning and strategic execution. Here are the essential steps to create an effective marketing campaign:
Step 1: Selecting the right email marketing platform
To kickstart your EDM marketing strategy, choose a feature-rich yet easy-to-use platform. These tools will allow you to manage subscriber lists, design and personalize emails, track campaign performance, and more.
First, assess the platform’s features and functionalities. Check for features that can help streamline campaign management. This includes email templates, automation, A/B testing, integration, and others.
The usability of the platform is another important factor. Consider platforms with intuitive interfaces and easy navigation.
Also, check the customer support options provided by the platform. Reliable customer support can make a difference when you encounter technical issues. Go for platforms that offer responsive support via multiple channels. Online resources are also a plus.
Step 2: Developing a comprehensive subscriber list
Your email list is an important part of your EDM campaign. Having a well-curated subscriber list can ensure your message reaches interested recipients.
To build a subscriber list, start by defining your ideal audience. Consider factors like age, location, interests, and purchasing behavior. Then, use different channels to attract subscribers, and ways on how to collect as much information as possible, including phone number, web push notification consent, gender, location, etc.
Here are some channels for collecting email addresses:
- Embed signup forms on your website and blog. Ensure they’re easy to find and complete
- Offer incentives like discounts, exclusive content, or free resources. This will encourage signups
- Use your social media platforms to promote your newsletter. Use targeted ads to reach potential subscribers who match your criteria
- Partner with other businesses to co-host events or webinars. This will provide an additional avenue where attendees can sign up with their email
After building your EDM email list, you should also clean and update it regularly to maintain its quality.
Step 3: Segmenting your audience for tailored campaigns
When you divide your audience into distinct groups based on certain criteria, you can send relevant messages to each group.
Here are the common methods for audience segmentation:
- Demographic segmentation: You can segment your email list based on demographic attributes. Such attributes include age, gender, location, and more. This way, each segment receives marketing messages that suit their needs and interests
- Behavioral segmentation: Group your subscribers based on their interactions with your brand. This can include their purchase history, website browsing behavior, or email engagement
- Lifecycle segmentation: Tailor messages to each stage of the customer journey. The goal is to ensure that subscribers at different stages of the customer journey receive messages to keep them engaged
Step 4: Designing compelling email content
You need engaging content to drive desired actions. Pay attention to email elements like your subject lines, copy, content format, and layout.
Here are some tips for designing compelling EDM email content:
- Start with a catchy subject line that compels recipients to open your email
- For your email copy, focus on concisely highlighting the value
- Add personalized element, like name, recommendation or products from their browsing history
- Use strong visuals like images and GIFs to keep the reader’s attention on your email message
- Ensure that your content is appealing, striking a good balance of text and images
- Use a clean and responsive design and arrangement, ensuring it looks good across all devices
- Include a clear CTA to direct readers to take the desired step
Step 5: Implementing effective automations
Automation workflows are essential to an EDM campaign because they allow you to engage with subscribers without manual intervention.
You can nurture leads at every stage of the customer journey by setting up targeted automations/autoresponders.
Common autoresponders include:
- Welcome email series
- Milestone celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, loyalty, and more
- Order confirmation emails
- Abandoned shopping cart and abandoned browsing reminders
- Lapse-purchase emails, etc.
To set up automations, start by mapping out your customer journey. Identify key touchpoints where automated emails, text messages or web push notifications can add value.
Timing is also important. Space out your messages to follow a structured cadence. You can test different sequences to see what works best.
Step 6: Tracking and analytics setup
To measure the success of your EDM campaigns, you need a robust tracking and analytics setup.
Use your email marketing platform’s analytics dashboard to generate reports. Monitor key performance metrics like engagement and conversions, list growth rates, customer dynamics across lifecycle stages, and more.
These insights can help you understand how your messages are performing and identify areas for improvement.
You can track how recipients are taking the desired actions and why they aren’t. Such data can help you refine your EDM campaign strategies.
Step 7: Integrating EDM with other marketing efforts
This EDM marketing step ensures consistent marketing communication. Combining EDM with social media, content marketing, SEO, and others can broaden your reach. Also, these channels work together towards achieving common marketing goals.
Here’s how you can integrate your EDM campaign with other marketing strategies:
- Align messaging across channels: Plan your content to align EDM campaigns with other marketing efforts. For example, if you’re launching a new product, your email campaigns, social media posts, and blog content should all highlight this launch. Having the same messaging on different platforms can make it more visible
- Implement cross-channel promotion tactics: Use your marketing channels to promote one another. For instance, include email signup forms on your website, social media bios, and even printed materials. You can also include links to your social media pages or website landing pages in your emails
- Sync your marketing data: You can share relevant customer data across your marketing channels. This will help to maintain a unified customer view and provide personalized experiences
Unified brand journey through personalized EDM campaigns
Your EDM marketing campaign should be an integral part of your customer interactions. Each communication should reflect the brand’s values, tone, visual elements, and message. This way, you can cultivate a sense of familiarity and foster a connection with your audience.
Personalization can play a role in building connections and ensuring a unified brand journey. You can automate personalized messages based on each customers’ interactions and lifecycle stage. This lets you create campaigns that suit your customer’s interests and needs every time they interact with your content.
Maintaining a consistent brand identity across marketing channels creates a unified customer journey. They receive a coherent message whether they’re interacting with your brand via email, social media, or your website.
Key takeaways
EDM marketing is a powerful strategy. It allows businesses to use multi-channel and omnichannel approaches for customer communications.
When setting up an EDM campaign for your business, remember to keep a few things in mind.
EDM campaigns need an active subscriber list. Use methods like website signup forms, social media, and more to build your email list.
Personalization is an important component of EDM marketing.
Finally, use an omnichannel approach to reach customers across different touchpoints.
