Death of an Email Salesman

The capacity for advertisers and marketeers to exploit new technology for their own devices is extraordinary. But as much as we all hate advertising we often overlook the benefit to us as consumers. Advertisers support services that, were advertisers not around, we would otherwise have to pay for ourselves. In other words, we get something for free because other people pay for the privilege of advertising at us. Newsletters, newspapers, radio, and television all fit into this category and, although we sometimes pay a fee for these things, that fee is (or at least in theory should be) much lower because advertisers are providing a much larger source of income.

Then came the internet age! The only thing that has developed as fast as the technology that provides the internet and other computer network-based services, are the techniques for exploiting them for the purpose of advertising. As online networks have grown so has the potential for companies to expose their products and services to an ever increasing number of people. Naturally, as the extent of advertising increased so too did our capacity as consumers to ignore them. Spam could be blocked, we could unsubscribe from newsletters, and banner ads...well, I don't even notice they're there any more. For a while there it seemed as though we were starting to get ahead of the advertisers. But not any more...

For the first time it appears as though advertisers have got one, perhaps even two, up on us. Advertisers have realised that the data we willingly post to our online social profiles is perhaps the most valuable and honest information they could ever get access to. Using information we provide they can produce targeted campaigns to particular demographics with a precision never before achievable with radio, television or email. Provided they continue to support popular social networks (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.) with their advertising revenue, both they and we are happy.

As hosted services evolved (read about Google Wave) and our reliance on delivered information, such as email and feeds, decreases the effectiveness of email campaigns will plummet. As ever it is small to medium business that will suffer the most from this change as the low cost and high distribution capability of email marketing makes it very appealing. But with the right techniques and planning, businesses of any size can take advantage of the new techniques. Moving towards online campaigns, such as Google Ad Words or other targeted advertising networks, is a start. Replacing your email newsletter with a blog is another good step, and one that will increase the standing of your website in search engine listings. The key, as with anything, is not to get left behind. The same strategies and intelligence might work, but the methods must evolve.