By Patrick Sharpe
Chief Operating Officer, Lessiter Media
psharpe@lessitermedia.com
262-492-9006
Modern marketing has become remarkably efficient at sending messages.
Unfortunately, it has become much less effective at making sure those messages are actually received.
Most marketing teams today launch an email campaign to thousands of prospects in minutes. CRM systems automate follow-ups. AI generates content. Marketing automation platforms schedule touch points around the clock.
Yet despite all this technology, one uncomfortable question remains…
How many of your intended communications are actually reaching the people you want to influence?
The statistics are sobering.
Industry benchmark data suggests that typical email open rates range from roughly 35%-45%, meaning most marketing emails are never opened by recipients. Even among highly engaged audiences, a significant portion of your message never gets seen.
Not to mention deliverability issues that can prevent a significant percentage of messages from reaching inboxes. Meanwhile, studies indicate that as many as two-thirds of business voicemails go unheard, and voicemails from unfamiliar numbers are ignored even more frequently.
Think about what that means.
If 35%-45% of emails are never opened and 67% of voicemails are never heard, it may take multiple attempts before a prospect even becomes aware that you're trying to communicate with them. And if your early messages fail to demonstrate relevance or value, the odds of future engagement decline even further.
This creates a dangerous trap for marketers. Don’t mistake activity for communication.
Marketing teams celebrate the number of emails sent, campaigns launched and calls made without examining whether meaningful conversations are actually occurring.
The best marketers understand that communication is not measured by what leaves your system. It is measured by what reaches, engages and influences your audience.
A simple exercise can be revealing.
Pull a report from your CRM showing outbound email activity. Examine open rates, click rates and reply rates. Then compare those results to phone activity. How many calls are actually being made? How many conversations are occurring? How many opportunities originated from direct human interaction?
The answers may surprise you.
In many organizations, the winning behaviors and losing behaviors become crystal clear once the data is visible.
Technology can amplify communication, but it cannot replace it.
The companies winning today aren't sending more messages, they're creating more conversations. Take a look at the infographic below to better understand the significant difference between the two.
At Lessiter Media, we believe the goal isn't simply to send more messages, it's to create more meaningful connections. Through trusted media brands, engaged audiences and industry-leading events, we help agricultural marketers reach decision-makers when they're most receptive and ready to engage. Give us a call, we’ll help.
Because marketing success isn't measured by messages sent; It's measured by conversations started and relationships built.
