The Future of Email Marketing Mike Pugh, VP of Marketing, Explains the Future of Email Marketing

This is Part Three of the full Learn About Email Marketing With Campaigner interview with Mike Pugh.

Bryan: Where do you see the email marketing industry in 5 years from now?

Mike: We predict a convergence with social. Email will continue to be the preferred communication channel for B2B and B2C communications and for transactional messaging.

Bryan: Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, has really changed how we communicate. How has this change affected your business?

Mike: Yes, people are sending out more emails to promote their Facebook and Twitter pages. We’ve also adapted our product to support these media. They both use email to communicate with their members, so they are all supportive of each other and the overarching goal of engagement.

Bryan: Are email lists typically larger or smaller than social media followings, such as Facebook fans, or Twitter followers? Are they typically the same people in both groups?

Mike: Email lists tend to be larger and there will be some overlap. However, Facebook pages tend to get additional followings through a passive recommendation from a friend. If you see that they liked Campaigner in their news feed, they might check out the page and decide to like it too.

Bryan: What’s the most important component of an email marketing campaign?

Mike: The permission and the message. If you don’t have permission you get high complaints and get blocked. If your message is poor, then you’ll also negatively affect your future campaigns. Unfortunately one bad campaign can have an impact on future ones. Make sure you explain clearly to your subscribers what they can expect from you and then keep that promise.

Mike Pugh is vice president of marketing at j2 Global Communications, Inc., a pioneering provider of cloud-based services. Campaigner is a division of j2 Global.

This is Part Three of the full Learn About Email Marketing With Campaigner interview with Mike Pugh.