Email marketing is about providing timely content

Some things about modern technology are always changing, but some still remain the same. One truth that hasn't budged is that email, despite its lack of novelty or luster, remains an absolutely vital strategy for customer engagement for any business. If you want to take those one-time patrons and turn them into loyal customers who keep coming back, you definitely want to have an email marketing strategy that hits all the right notes.

So what are the keys to successful email marketing? Here's one of them without a doubt - be timely. Pay attention to the latest trends and developments that matter to your customers right now, and address them on the spot. Don't waste days or weeks hemming and hawing over what to say. If you wait too long, an opportunity for customer engagement might pass you by.

Business 2 Community recently cited a great example of this. Marketing expert Ryan Pinkham profiled a grocery store - Island Natural Markets, in Nanaimo, British Columbia - which was able to get a little extra attention from potential customers by emphasizing Thanksgiving-centric discounts and deals. By offering real value on Thanksgiving foods and other items relevant to the holiday, the store was able to keep customers intrigued about its offerings. Pinkham said this made a big difference in sales.

"One of the keys to their success has been the ability to understand what customers are interested in at different times of the year," Pinkham said of the market. "This has certainly been true for their email marketing. They send a monthly email newsletter with information about seasonal events, recipes for different times of the year, and products that are popular that month."

This is one of the keys to any kind of marketing, really - provide people with the information they want, when they want it. When building a brand, slow and steady doesn't necessarily win the race.