As a keen cyclist, I’ve made many comparisons on this blog between the act of cycling and email marketing. The bike and email are both incredibly efficient methods of propelling yourself or your business in a forward direction. They are also very accessible, by which I mean they are affordable, easy-to-use (you never forget how to ride a bike or send an email) and the benefits of participation are clear.
Sadly, both cycling and email are all too easily forgotten in favor of alternative (and less efficient) modes of transport or marketing.
I’ll confess – over the past few months my bike has spent far too much time in the garden shed. I can attribute itto a prolonged period of cold weather and an episode of man-flu (it really exists), but essentially I’ve just been a bit lazy, favoring alternative options (the car) for getting back and forth to the office. While this might appear quicker and more comfortable, the time spent in rush hour traffic jams with my youngest daughter kicking the back of my seat would appear to tell another tale. Then there is actually cost of driving (gas, tax, and insurance), the unseen impact on the environment, and let’s not forget my best laid plans to get rid of all that extra weight I put on over the holidays (two months ago now and going nowhere).
The thing is, on the days I’ve persuaded myself to get out there and cycle to work, I’ve really enjoyed the rush of speeding through rush hour traffic and even occasionally (when the weather permits) extended my commute by six miles or so to take in a route along the beach (you would never do this in a car).
When my bike is locked up in the shed, nobody benefits. It costs me money, it impacts my health and it makes me less happy.
I wonder how many other good intentions are locked up in metaphorical garden sheds.
How often do you take your email marketing software out for a spin? Are you an occasional sender or do you try and push your campaigns out more often? Could the mechanism with the greatest potential to propel your business forward in a profitable direction do with a little lubrication now and again?
With both cycling and email, I tend to jump in the saddle more often when I’ve invested in a little strategic planning ahead of my activities. The investment in time spent carefully poring over a map or designing a series of carefully targeted sends keeps me focused on the job at hand and excited about the benefits I’m about to enjoy.
Oh – while we are busy comparing cycling with email – email has one more advantage in its favor. Nobody has to see you in Lycra. So what are you waiting for? Unchain your email marketing software and start on a new journey towards success.