Email marketing is a major force in our marketing toolbox, and it isn’t going anywhere. It is one of the best ways to stay in contact with our clients and customers, and the best way to provide information and assistance on a consistent schedule. But, when you are sending your business email, what does the “send from” address say about you? In a word, everything!
As a Constant Contact Authorized Local Expert and Accredited Solutions Provider, I present informational seminars on a consistent basis, and request feedback from my attendees. And, it never fails that some of these small business owners return my form with their email address in the format of XYZCorp@aol.com (or gmail or yahoo or outlook), even when they all have a website, www.XYZcorp.com. However, they haven’t even taken the time to set up an email address on their company domain.
What does this say about their business?
It can be summed up simply, and this explanation was provided by an attendee at a recent seminar:
“When I see a business email address that ends in aol, I delete it without ever looking at it.”
When pressed, he said he felt the same about yahoo and gmail.
All that time you spend cultivating and building your list and sending out great informative email messages goes to waste. Your audience is not even opening your email, let alone reading it or taking the action you desire.
Your perfectly crafted email message is gone. And, you may even lose a subscriber, which is far worse.
What is a company to do?
The answer is simple.
Make sure, when setting up your website, you also set up your email address. Most hosting packages include some sort of email service, and allow you to send and receive email to an address linked to your company domain.
There is no excuse to use an email address not linked to your company domain.
In the end, it’s all about professionalism, and whether you work from a home office (like so many people today do), or you are just starting out, there is no reason to not have a branded email address.
What’s your take?
Do you read business email from non-branded accounts? Do you trust email from aol, gmail or yahoo? Let me know by commenting below.
Craig Yaris is owner of Social Ribbit, a boutique digital marketing agency, and is a continuing education lecturer at Hofstra University, helping small business owners begin their journey through social media. He can be reached on Twitter at (@CraigEYaris) and (@SocialRibbit).
