Using Email Marketing – Outdated or Important Strategy?
Email Marketing Could Be The Difference Maker For Your Firm
With the growth of social media and the ease of using search engines, there is a crazy misconception that email marketing no longer works. But when was the last time you checked your email? Most people check their email hourly, and 99% of people check it every single day.
Before you write off email marketing as something that only worked in the ’90s, it makes sense to consider the data. But before you start hitting “send” on those fresh emails to potential clients, you will also want to look at your approach to make sure that your email marketing efforts are as effective as possible.
Is Email Marketing An Outdated Strategy?
Email marketing as a strategy to increase brand awareness and drive conversions isn’t dead. Consider these statistics as proof:
- There are currently 9 billion daily email users.
- 94% of marketers in a recent survey state that email is one of their three most effective marketing channels.
- 73% of Millennials prefer to receive communications from businesses via email.
Why Email Marketing is Important for Effective Digital Marketing
Still thinking email marketing may not be right for your business? Think about your own experiences. Do you know anyone that doesn’t use email in some form? In truth, it is a big part of our lives and a channel too many businesses have started to ignore. Here are several reasons why your firm might want to make email marketing one of its priorities:
- Email is Economic and Cost-Effective
For no other reason, email marketing is one of the biggest bang for your buck marketing channels. It is inexpensive, effective, and simple to execute. Your business can reach a massive number of consumers at a cost of almost nothing per message.
One study by Forrester Research and Shop.org revealed that 85% of U.S. retailers view email marketing as one of the most effective customer acquisition strategies. Compared to direct mail campaigns that are time-consuming and costly, you can create the same imagery and reach more people through these channels.
- Drive Traffic to Your Website
With email marketing, you can send visitors directly to your website using various tactics. For example, your email messages can include a Call to Action (CTA) that prompt users to contact you for an appointment. They can also offer readers additional information on your blog or through a video or downloadable on your website. This traffic helps your website rankings and builds trust with consumers who are more likely to convert to paying customers.
- Gather Valuable Feedback
Every brand wants to know what its customers think about their experience. This information is vital for continuous improvement. You can use email marketing to ask clients to complete client satisfaction surveys or even request an online review that will also help your local search rankings.
Ways to Make Your Email Marketing Efforts Count
You may have heard some staggering statistics about email marketing, such as the ROI on your efforts could be as high as 4,400%. But, if you have ever tried an email marketing campaign and gotten less than stellar results, you might be a bit skeptical.
Here are several ways you can make your email marketing efforts produce some of those impressive results:
- Personalize Your Communications
As with everything else in marketing today, consumers will be more responsive if your message is personalized. According to one survey, 72% of consumers admit they will only engage with marketing messages that are tailored to their interests.
Personalization also builds trust, and you can start by complying with the CAN-SPAM Act and other state-specific laws designed to protect consumers. Beyond including the customer’s name in your greeting, know where they are at in your sales funnel. How did they find your business? Create the most authentic message possible, and you will get better results.
- Clean Up Your Lists
Nothing can hamper email marketing campaign performance worse than having an outdated and unengaged list of subscribers. At least a few times per year, clean up your email list and archive any subscribers who have failed to open your email messages.
It might be tough to cull these lists, but your strategy will be more effective when you do. When a consumer hands over their email address these days, they generally want to hear from your brand. This puts the responsibility on you to build a positive relationship through email that involves adding value.
- Leverage Automation
Fortunately, you don’t have to sit in front of your computer and type out individual email messages all day long. Over two-thirds of marketers now use some type of marketing automation tool, and there are plenty that can help simplify your email marketing campaigns.
When you use automation, your internal team can focus on running the business instead of email campaigns. A few ways to leverage automation in email marketing include:
- Set up drip campaigns that are released on a timeline.
- Use date-based messages that trigger on certain milestones.
- Incorporate If/Then branches to create a customized email journey.
- Use Your Metrics
Everything you do to market your business online should be validated with plenty of data. Beyond measuring open and click rates, make sure you are segmenting your subscribers so that your messages have the strongest impact.
There are several variables you can use to segment your list, such as the date of original engagement, previous interaction with your brand, gender, age, and geo-location. Once you have segmented your list, it becomes easier to send out personalized content.
What’s Next? Get Help With Your Email Marketing
If you have ever felt disenchanted with email marketing, you are not alone. It is a specialized approach to digital marketing that can be challenging. Done right, it can produce fantastic results for your business.
At Sundown Marketing Group, every client receives a detailed needs assessment before we outline a personalized digital marketing strategy designed to produce results. Contact us today to learn more about how our solutions, including email marketing, can help your business boost its visibility and reach more potential clients.
