7 reasons why email marketing is more important than ever
And why it’s one of the best marketing strategies you have available
Digital marketing is an ever-changing trend.
Social media will always remain a sure-fire way to connect with your audience (if you do it right, that is).
However, things like paid ads are slowing losing credibility with more and more people choosing to block ads and banner ads on websites becoming a thing of the past.
Chugging along in the background, which it has for years, is email marketing. And no, it hasn’t died. In fact, with consumer trends constantly changing, email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective and widely used forms of digital marketing.
Why?
Because it works. You are speaking to an audience who chose to hear from you, and you’re creating an authentic connection.
With more and more fluff and fakeness being found on social media, consumers are far more trusting of email marketing from companies they want to connect with.
Here are my top 7 reasons why email marketing rocks
1. It’s targeted
The beauty of email marketing is you know what your audience is interested in when they signed up to join your list. It may have been your general email list, it may have been for an offer you had, or it may be for an event you’re offering.
What this does in turn, is allow you to segment your audience into their interests and leads. You can then create emails and special offers that they’d want to know about.
For example, they may have signed up for your social media marketing checklist. From here, you know they’re curious about social media, so you can send a series of emails all relating to tips on using social media effectively. This not only shows how you freely share your knowledge and help them but keeps you at the front of mind if they choose to outsource their social media.
2. It’s measurable
If you haven’t got email marketing software, you should start looking at them. If you’ve got a small database, many of the platforms allow you to use them for free until your database reaches a certain number.
The reason I recommend these platforms is because it makes it easy to track the success of your email marketing efforts. You can gauge open rates and click-throughs and can track your customers from click to purchase. It helps you see what is working, what isn’t, and what is making your customers buy.
From here, you can also set up other pathways to either entice them back into your sales funnels or thank them for a purchase and follow up.
3. It’s personal
Unlike social media where you’re effectively ‘speaking to the masses’, email marketing allows you to personalise your message. You know why the person is on your email list, so you have a general idea of what they are needing – what answers they are seeking.
To start, you can personalise your email in the form of using their name. People are more likely to continue reading an email that is personally addressed to them, rather than one that starts like a general, email to all type greeting. It’s all about ego!
Then you can compose your email with content that the person wants. Meeting their needs and providing them with relevant information is one of the quickest and easiest ways you can guarantee click-throughs and make more sales.
4. It’s affordable
In the world of digital advertising, email marketing is one of the most inexpensive ways you can reach a large number of customers.
Things like Google and Facebook ads can be very hit and miss, and with more people blocking ads, this can become a very expensive way to advertise your business. Others choose to list their business on paid sites where you may get a couple of enquiries that don’t cover your subscription costs.
You’ll find email marketing platforms relatively cheap in terms of advertising, as your efforts are targeted, you know your audience is already curious about you and your offerings, and you’re more likely to make sales without being pushy.
5. It’s simple
Most email marketing platforms are super easy to use. They have templates set up ready to use, so all you need to do is create your content and copy it onto a template you choose. And you can add your logo and your social icons etc. without needing to be a trained website developer!
It’s quick to import your contacts, and you can choose the fields you need (i.e. first and last name, phone number, address, etc.).
You can send yourself a copy of the email before sending it out (checking how it looks, looking for typos etc.) and when you’re ready to send, it’s as simple as pushing the send button.
Most platforms have training available too, or you can always choose to outsource this part to a trained virtual assistant who does this for multiple clients and will do it in half the time it takes you!
6. It keeps you top-of-mind
Email marketing works by keeping you and your brand in your customer’s mind. Subtle emails that show up in their inbox at certain times keeps reminding them about what you do and what you’re offering them.
Some big companies email their database every single day. And that’s ok as they’d have someone doing this for them. Honestly though, unless their subject header blows me away, I delete most of them.
But subtle, well-timed emails are well received – so long as each email offers them something of value and isn’t a blatant sales pitch.
For example:
They want your checklist on social media management, so they sign up
You email a thank you with the checklist
You send them a follow-up email to see how they’re finding the checklist – has it been helpful etc.
You email offering them some advice on the topic
You email offering them something else of value (i.e. an eBook on the topic etc.)
And so on.
It’s just little ways to keep reaching them while still offering value, and hopefully, the end game is the customer buying your big product or using your service. You’ve built that trust.
7. It can be automated
With so many of us being time poor in business, being able to automate this process is amazing! It’s not overly hard to work out how to do this, but again, you may find it better to outsource if it’s not your thing.
Not only can you upload a few emails at a time and schedule them to send when you want, but you can set up a series of emails to send based on what your customer clicks.
For example, if they’ve downloaded your offer, you can automate this email to send them the product (i.e. an eBook etc.). You can then set conditions that if they open the email, you send another email with more information. If they click a link, you can send another email with another offer. And so on.
There is no limit to what you can achieve through your email marketing efforts.
Some big things to remember about email marketing
I want to drill home the importance of personalisation and relevance. Always keep in mind that those on your database have chosen to be there, so they want to believe that you value them.
Use your contact’s name and send them content that they are needing.
People who tell you email marketing is dead are those whose efforts have failed. But if you ask why, you’ll probably discover that they didn’t know their audience, sent far too many emails, and their content wasn’t what their audience wanted.
And on that, make sure you always have an unsubscribe button, so people feel they have the right to opt-out of your email campaigns at any stage.
It’s all about freedom of choice – yes, I want your emails, or no, I don’t find your emails relevant anymore.
And finally, make sure your email is mobile friendly as most people are now checking emails on their phone so like your website, you need to make sure your email ‘looks good’ on a mobile.
Have you had email marketing success you’d like to share with us?
If you’ve run a successful email marketing campaign, I’d love for you to share your story with us. What did you do, how did your audience react, and how easy did you find it to set up and implement?
Or if you’d like more information about email marketing, or want to discuss how this could work for your business, please feel free to get in touch, and I’d be happy to run through email marketing with you.