• by Dianna Dilworth , Staff Writer, December 13, 2013

When designing emails, marketers should remember that there is a human on the other end, said Wacarra Yeomans, director of creative services at Responsys on the panel "Content is King" at the Email Insider Summit today. On the panel, Yeomans pointed out that brands should take the time to craft strong content and said that this investment is better than sending lots of coupons. 

Authenticity is core to good content, as consumers can see through advertising, concluded many of the panelists. David DeVore, CEO of FanCentric, said that brands should send emails that help people improve their lives. Justine Jordan, marketing director of Litmus, added that brands should make emails about the consumers not about themselves. Being able to solve problems for consumers is powerful for email engagement.

Kathleen Chambard, senior director of digital marketing at Scholastic, said that tailoring messages for specific audiences will resonate well among readers. Scholastic targets teachers and parents of school kids of different ages, and the publisher has found that when they take the time to tailor content for these different recipients, customers appreciate it and engagement is higher.