What Is Branded Email and How Is It Important?
Email is used by just about everyone in business. It has quickly become the most common and essential form of written communication for and between businesses. Yet did you know that most people and businesses aren’t using it as an effective branding tool. To illustrate, would any reputable business ever send you a business letter on plain white paper? Of course not – they use paper with their letterhead on it!
If done correctly, branded email is formatted with a consistent, professional look that includes your company or product logo – which is your brand, your signature, and your marketing message. It’s just like business stationery – but for email!
How Branded Email Helps Your Business
No matter if you’re a one-person home business or a large corporation, using branded email in business communications is one of the most effective and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Just as printed stationery and business cards offer the opportunity to more effectively communicate and build your image and brand in the marketplace, branded email does the same thing.
Every business email you send represents an opportunity to establish a positive, memorable impression of you and your business. Non-descript, impersonal, and haphazard looking emails don’t project the impression your business wants to project in order to grow and prosper. Branded email, on the other hand, leaves a strong, professional, dynamic impression with each and every email you send.
- Your logo is an invaluable tool that reinforces your brand!
- Your signature creates a strong, memorable, personal impression.
- Clean, consistent formatting conveys professionalism.
- Your marketing message is reinforced in every email.
- Links that allow recipients to read web pages containing additional information, market solutions, and offers extend the value of branded emails.
The marketing value of branded email is clear and enormous. It’s also inexpensive and simple to use. Stop sending email that goes unnoticed and unremembered. Start sending branded email today!
What to Look For in Branded Email
Branded email should be formatted for maximum, effective, professional impact. It’s most effective when it is tasteful, is in a generally accepted business format, and is personalized for the sender. It should include all of your company’s contact information with a link to your web site. It shouldn’t be too much like your website. Remember, this is a business communication. Personal contact information and job title are essential. An added graphical signature makes your email more engaging, personal, and persuasive.
It’s important to make sure your branded email gets delivered, looks the same every time and for each employee in your company, and that it can be viewed no matter what email program the recipient uses. It should be possible for your recipients to file and archive your business communications and know that they will appear exactly the same in 10 years as they do today.
Some Common Principles to look for in Branded Email
- Is it simple to set up and use?
- Is it easy to make changes in the email format?
- Does it display correctly no matter what email program a recipient uses?
- Does it get delivered, even after going through commercial grade anti-spam filters?
- Does it display properly on a laptop, a computer, a smart phone or tablet?
- Will the graphical content of saved and archived messages change should you change branded email vendors?
Whatever Branded Email Solution you consider, the answers to the above questions should be YES!