Micro mailers (with a list size under 5,000) had read rates that averaged slightly over 35% and click rates between 5% and 9%. Those results are well above the broad average of 27% and 4.4%. The weekends were the best time for click-throughs, averaging 8% to 9% versus 5% to 6% for Tuesday through Thursday.

Use this link to download the eROI report.

Some surveys report open rates (read rates) of close to 80% for niche in-house lists with highly targeted messages.

When looking at this type of data you need to be careful about its relevance to your business. Often the majority of data relates to Business-to-Consumer (B2C) lists. These are usually the huge lists with a high frequency of messages.

So if your company is in the Business-to-Business arena you need to think carefully about the impact for your particular situation. B2B lists are generally smaller and less frequent.

My observations of other survey results over the last six months or so tend to agree with the findings by the eROI study - that the average open rate is around 30%. That means two-thirds of people aren't even opening your message.

Imagine standing in a room and making an announcement. Also imagine that two-thirds of the group ignore you!

But it may not be that bad.

The 'open rate' can be measured in different ways by different surveys. For example, is the message 'opened' when it appears in a preview pane, or just when the full message is displayed?

My gut feel is that the overall 'view' rate would be slightly higher than the open rate reported by various studies. But it is still quite low. Probably not even 50%.

So don't rely on email alone to get your message across.

All service businesses need an integrated marketing strategy to ensure they are consistently reaching clients and prospects.

Unlike a product that may sit in front of the customer as a constant reminder of who supplied it, your service might be invisible until next time it is needed.

You have to stay in front of your clients so they don't forget you.

Email is a great tool to use, but don't put all your marketing eggs in the one basket. Increase the effectiveness - and reliability - of your marketing activities by including the opportunity to create a variety of touch-points with clients.

About the Author

Stuart Ayling runs Marketing Nous, an Australasian marketing consultancy that specialises in marketing for service businesses. He helps clients to improve their marketing tactics, attract more clients, and increase revenue. For additional marketing resources, including Stuart's popular monthly newsletter, visit his web site at www.marketingnous.com.au