Customer's Use of Social Media demands Changes in Email Marketing Strategies

Many marketers are missing the spot when it comes to email techniques, according to the dotMailer annual benchmark study.

It found that the average email effectiveness score has now fallen to 60 per cent, while many major retailers are slipping down the rankings.

Marks & Spencer has now been knocked off the top spot by HMV and Republic, while the Early Learning Centre and Harrods have also experienced tough times in the advertising world.

"For two years in a row, there has been no obvious improvement made by the retailers we have assessed, which is disappointing given some of the simple steps that can be taken to boost the effectiveness of email marketing," said Tink Taylor, managing director at dotMailer.

He added that there is a lack of integration between email and social media, regardless of the growing influence social networking has on the advertising sector.

Meanwhile, Epsilon's open and click rates for the fourth quarter of 2009 showed an increase on the fourth quarter of 2008.

The average click rate is 5.9 per cent, up slightly from the 5.8 per cent for the same time last year.