Yes, you read it correctly – it’s called the “theory of relevance.” I’ve never been one to place marketing (online or offline) on the same level as science, but the theory of relevance seems to have asserted itself as the cornerstone of the online industry. That’s a nod to all of us who use the Web. You’ve made it clear through your searching (let’s not call it Googling, okay?), your portal subscriptions (think myYahoo!), and through your spam filter that you want information that relates to who you are and what you like. The rest, honestly, is simply for someone else.
As a marketer, the theory of relevance is always in play at some level – but the current online trends make this concept paramount. Nowhere is this more evident than with email. If you want to know the secret of modern email marketing campaigns, this is it. I mentioned spam above, and that’s the driving force as to why crafting relevant messages are so very important. However, the psychological filters that each of us brings to the daily routine of checking and reading email are just as important as spam filters. In fact, since your subconscious is permanently preset, one could argue that it’s more relevant to relevance. Huh? Wait a second! Maybe I should have said it’s just more important to the relevance than spam is. Well I would have, but that’s not what I meant. It doesn’t look pretty, and it might read a little funny, but it is what it is. Let’s quickly examine relevance, as applied to email, to master the core of creating an effective email message.
The Webster’s definition of relevance is “relation to the matter at hand.” See how far that one got us? This is why a simple concept like this can remain a mystery. Besides, it means someone gets to look smart if you don’t know it. Okay, enough fooling around. When applied to email, the theory of relevance means sending the right message to the right person at the right time. Another way of saying it is that the message has to be relevant to you or you won’t read it. Of course it does! That makes perfect sense, right? After all, why do you open an email instead of not opening it? And why do you read some of your Delta Airlines Skymiles emails and delete others without even opening them? Hmmm… I’ll make a safe guess on this one and say it depends. Time maybe? No vacation days left this year? Perhaps it’s a budget issue. See why “it depends”? That’s because it really does, and why you’ll never see me put marketing on the same level of science. However, there are some other safe bets to increase the rate of how often someone opens your email and they all center around the theory of relevance.
In my next post I’ll address crafting a relevant subject line. Understanding the subject line is the next fundamental piece of creating your message. It seems easy, but there are key elements that help lead to an understanding of how to create an effective message. Until then, think about the theory of relevance and how you interact with your email. If it doesn’t fall in line with your pattern of interaction just email me and I’ll become your monkey’s uncle. 
