Most companies could be much more aggressive with their e-mail marketing initiatives. A new report from MarketingSherpa shows that customer retention is by far the top priority, with objectives around new opportunities not gaining nearly as much attention. Listen to this message from the market, and you’ll hear the whisper: “It’s time to make your move.”

When I saw the latest chart published by MarketingSherpa, I was shocked. Eighty-eight percent of respondents called “retain[ing] existing customers” a very important objective for e-mail marketing. Only 78 percent ascribed this level of importance to “generat[ing] new sales leads,” and “increase web traffic,” “build brand and educate market” and “drive offline sales” each was considered “very important” by only 56 percent of respondents.

So most of the time, you’re using e-mail marketing to protect what you have. Picking up new traffic, generating leads and educating the market tend to be far less important. Doubtless, this thinking is the result of a constrained market. Corporate budgets are still being managed tightly, so account penetration may not be too easy to affect. Likewise, new business slows down when the market’s tough.

As everyone digs in, however, doing the same appears to cost marketing departments an opportunity to seize market share. Focusing on objectives that reflect “net new” business when the competition is not can catch them off balance, leading to marketing and sales wins in a business climate in which bold tactics are unexpected.

The data from MarketingSherpa indicates that your competitors are trying to maintain the status quo. You should take this as a hint from the market that it’s time to amp up your campaigns, set challenging objectives for net new business and commit to revenue targets that may feel a tad out of reach. Push ahead, and you won’t feel the resistance characteristic of a strong market — now is the time to act.

[Source: MarketingSherpa]