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please stop saying "email blast"

Any email marketer will beg for the term "email blast" to be removed from marketing vocabulary. And here's why:


The term "email blast" originated in the 1990s, the early days of email marketing. At this time businesses would send an email to a list of subscribers all at once -- if they were even subscribers at all. (The CAN-SPAM Act didn't take effect until 2004) Email strategy (used loosely) was: increase brand awareness, reach a large audience base, quickly.


Okay, so let's further examine the word "blast" and why it was paired with email marketing so early:


blast

[noun]

1. a destructive wave of highly compressed air spreading outward from an explosion

2. a strong gust of wind or air


[verb]

1. blow up or break apart (something solid) with explosives

2. be very loud; make a loud noise


[exclamation]

expressing annoyance


... Uh. Ok well none of those are the way I want my email marketing strategy described.


Other terms to use instead of "email blast":

  • campaign: 'Let's create a campaign for our newest subscribers.'

  • newsletter: 'The newsletter is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 a.m.'

  • event invite: 'What's the conversion rate for the event invite?'

  • promotional email: 'Next month we'll schedule a promotional email for 20% off.'

  • email send: 'How did our email send perform?'

  • email: 'Let's run an A/B test on our next email.'


Email is not meant to be destructive, strong, explosive or existing just to make noise or be annoying. Well-laid strategy is the complete opposite. It's useful, beneficial and precise. The strategy is segmented and conscientious and I can guarantee every email marketer reassess the entire campaign seconds before (and after) hitting "send".


That's because there was a plan in place. It wasn't forced or insincere and it definitely wasn't blasted into existence.


_Kara




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