When it comes to consumer tolerance, there is a very fine line between email acceptance and inbox madness. At what point do your digital communications cross from helpful to haranguing in the fickle mind of the consumer?
Here’s my best advice: If you’re not creating value, then don’t send it.
Think about it. Knowing your customers’ addresses doesn’t give you card blanche to cram their mailboxes with unwanted junk. At least in a paper world there was a defined cost and timeline required to send someone a mailing. But with email, the reduction in costs is offset by an increase in responsibility – to be sure the message matters.
If we apply the same disciplined thinking to digital channels that we applied to traditional paper channels, then the messaging would be that much more thoughtful, and relevant. We could trade in quantity for quality – and that is a line we should all aspire to.
