Your Customer - Another line in a database

Email marketing can be the trickiest thing in the online marketing jigsaw. Most promotional emails end up as being marked as read or spam. No one cares! Well because most of the time, the ones sending it through a database also don't care.

You may need a CRM system with an accurate machine learning algorithm that targets the right set of people with content that matters to them. That's one way of looking at things and perhaps the right away. Another way can be targeting fundamental human needs such as being made to feel important, liked etc. I am not getting in to theory here. In case you are interested, try checking out David McClelland's theory of needs or the media uses and gratification perspective. This should be part of every communication (not just email).

Coming to the point I got this email today, which could've been another generic emailer that would've been skipped in the pile of emails that come everyday. However it's sender chose to be creative, and authentic. 

Hi Sushant,

I sent you an email today that was painfully generic and I apologize. The whole team was super excited to introduce you to Jenny and the dreadful CONTACT.FIRSTNAME salutation was delivered to your inbox. It's not good to feel like just another line in a database.  

So, Sushant, please accept my sincerest apology for addressing you as another contact, because you're not. You're Sushant, and our whole team - fuzzy green deer, blow-up cactus and all - are happy to know you.

With warmest regards and a bit of a puppy-face "I'm sorry",

There is an important tip here - Are you making your customer feel like another line in a massive database? If yes, then chances are that she is going to reject you.

P.S. Content matters!