When someone says we need to do an "e-blast" I cringe. An e-blast is like throwing a long bomb in football. It sounds great in theory. A quick way to score. When it works you and your team look like heroes. But in practice it’s a low percentage play. When it doesn’t work the whole direct marketing effort can be put on pause...at least until the next e-blast.

First, a bit of definition. An "e-blast" is defined as a one-time message delivered via e-mail to a prospect list. In many cases this is driven by the need to quickly and inexpensively push an important product or service. Sounds like a good idea. However, an e-blast is a single tactic that is often expected to do what a series of connected communications could do much better.

A one-time promotion that jumps into your prospect's inbox has the same effect as a salesman dropping by their office uninvited. The worst offenders are considered spam. But even the least obnoxious sales-blast can turn people off. That's why most e-blasts are duds.

Multiply Your Chances to Connect.
An e-news vehicle is one of the smartest ways to avoid looking like an e-blaster. One of our most successful examples is a monthly subscription created for architects called "nora® designer's notebook". It features just one story each month. These project profiles allow the featured story to do the selling. Here products are talked about as solutions to a set of challenges rather than a list of features and benefits. Best of all, this e-vehicle positions the company as a resource for design ideas and inspiration. The result? Very few opt-outs, and a fresh stream of content into their website every month.

Consider a Multi-Blast.
If someone in your organization suggests doing a one-time e-blast, recommend doing a "multi-blast instead". Frequency in direct campaigns works much the same way that it does in ad campaigns. An invitation to a webinar is a good example. It's a one-time event that may seem just right for a one-time invitation. Yet it actually creates an opportunity for multiple touches — hold that date mailers, e-mail invitations, reminder e-mails, invite a friend links and post webinar follow-ups with web pages to download materials. This repeated exposure multiplies your success rate.

Is Multi-Step Direct Harder?
No. It takes more planning to get started, but it's much easier once it's in place. And all the hard work that you put into brand building in other areas applies to direct too. It will put your creative team to the test, but don't underestimate your potential to create a powerful multi-step program. The results are cumulative because your investment pays dividends over time rather than just one time.

Have any thoughts or direct experiences to share? Blast away.