Email; The Red Headed Child of Content Distribution

We regularly talk about the distribution of content through YouTube, blogs, social networks and other digital bits and pieces. But I think we often overlook a hugely under appreciated platform; email.

Take this example sent around a few days before the Brownlow.

Philip Brown, a Quantitative Strategist at Commonwealth Bank, put together a report with a model and analysis on who he believed would win the Brownlow Medal using a few seasons worth of data (which you can download it here if you’re interested). He emailed it to a few of his colleagues where it was quickly forwarded on around the industry and then on to broader audiences (where I received it).

It’s well targeted, interesting and shows how smart the brand is with data. And it doesn’t even matter that I dropped $100 on it and lost my money because the predictions were wrong.

And if you’re even remotely interested in footy, you probably received the  ‘Red Carpet Analysis’ PowerPoint the day after the Brownlow from a friend. Another piece of content distributed very successfully via email.

Email has this crazy potential for amplification (and sometimes longevity) being forwarded again and again and again. As a platform it’s ubiquitous, not going anywhere and cheap to leverage. And personally, I think it’s way underused by brands for distributing content.

No Comments
  • Adam Jaffrey
    Posted at October 8, 2012 9:40am, 08 October Reply

    Email is hugely underrated. It is one truly effective use of direct marketing (if done right).

  • Captain Obvious
    Posted at October 18, 2012 3:14pm, 18 October Reply

    Stop stealing my thoughts.

  • Daniel Oyston
    Posted at October 18, 2012 4:25pm, 18 October Reply

    Zac my good man, a couple of observations

    1 – Pretty much everyone is on email. Unlike Facebook where I still know people who aren’t on it, let alone Twitter, Pinterwhat?

    2 – Email is a great vehicle for content distribution because it carries powerpoint (slidehare), photos (instagram, pinterest etc), video (youtube) blah blah and can do so as a link or attachment. It’s the most universal content distribution tool I reckon and one that people have ‘open’ for long periods of time each day.

    3 – Email is very easy to share with others without having to have a social connection. Email is great for sharing a funny email with my boss who I am not FB friends with.

    Interestingly, I think email should be the real pointy end of a distribution strategy. Create lots of great content and put it up everywhere but use email to help ensure it gets in front of people.

    That’s is all.

    Don’t forget to call me.

  • Michael Bian
    Posted at October 17, 2013 6:51pm, 17 October Reply

    Salient, well said…

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