Email Marketing Addendum: It's Okay to Be Deleted

Phil Bernstein has worked as a media rep for Clear Channel Communications for more than a decade. For the last several years, he's faithfully written and emailed an electronic newsletter to his contacts, including previous customers, prospective customers and subscribers.

Twice per month he sends a fun and informative email relating to marketing and advertising topics that would be of interest to his clientele—advertisers. While he includes notice of special advertising sales and other relevant news about his services, that content gets second billing.

When he began the newsletter, he said, he committed himself to be disciplined. But the payoff makes it easier to stay true to his goal of sending regular and consistent communication.

What kind of payoff is it?

At least twice per year, Phil says he lands a deal as a direct result of his newsletter contact. With $5,000-$10,000 ad buys being made with no more than an email or two in follow up to the newsletter, Phil says the effort is well worth the time it takes for him to manage his e-marketing program.

Phil and I met each other on Wednesday morning, after I had posted the below advice on email marketing. That's when he related his own successes to me.

As self-proclaimed "Portland's Finest Media Rep," Phil knows how important repetition, visibility and consistency are in marketing.

"Even if all they do is delete the email," he said, "they still have to look at my name as they do it."

Amen, Phil.

Although you don't want every message you send to your contact list to be immediately zapped into cyber-trash (relevant content and thoughtful timing is important to avoid being flagged as spam), there's still value even in just having your message deleted.

Read more about Phil Bernstein and his valuable advertising advice on Portland's Finest Advertising Blog.