You might see a lot of email marketing and think it is ineffective. But email marketing still remains the one of the most effective marketing strategy to date.
Why email marketing is important
From sending emails to your list of contacts to sending out mails to new leads, email marketing is a vital part of any business’ success online. It’s so important, in fact, that many companies and marketers rely on email marketing as their main source for leads and sales. Email marketing is still the best way to reach your audience directly. It’s cost-effective and easy to track. And it really is the best way to get your message across because it doesn’t require people to leave their inboxes or remember passwords or enter their credit card numbers.
It’s also flexible. Email marketing can be used as a one-to-one communication channel for special offers or announcements or as a broadcast channel that goes out to multiple users at once. Email marketing is great for building relationships with existing customers, too, which can lead to repeat business and referrals down the line.
Recognise why people are using email less
Email is no longer the “go to” marketing channel that it once was. However, many businesses are still using email as their primary marketing channel for Facebook, Facebook Live and Instagram. But not everybody is using email in the same way, so it’s important to recognise why people are using email less.
To start with, it’s important to recognise that different people use email differently. The key influencer for how someone uses email is their age.It is no surprise that the younger generation are using email much less than other generations. Research shows that Millennials use email up to 60% less than their predecessors did at the same age.
Instead of using it for sharing ideas and collaborating on projects, they prefer using instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp or iMessage on a smartphone or technology such as Dropbox for collaborative projects.
This makes sense when you consider that the majority of them have grown up with smartphones and therefore have become accustomed to new ways of staying in touch with friends and colleagues online. In addition, they aren’t motivated by money in the same way as previous generations were, so they prefer social media platforms where they can share information freely.
Your email list is your army, train them
Think of your email list as your army. It’s the most loyal bunch of people who are there to back you up during your business journey. They will be there to support you and buy from you when you’re launching a new product, running a new promotion or even just need to vent out your frustration.
You can never take this group for granted because if they feel neglected, they may abandon you and then where would that leave you?
So how do you keep them engaged? How do you keep them on your side? You send them useful and relevant content on a regular basis. Updates about new products, tips and tricks, giveaways and so on can keep them excited about what’s happening in your business.
But there’s always the risk that some of these subscribers might accidentally end up in the spam folder, which is why it is important to make use of opt-in forms such as pop ups and double opt-in whenever possible.
Also, consider using an autoresponder service that allows you to schedule content in advance so that your subscribers won’t miss any information from you.
One more thing: try not to bombard them with emails too often (no more than once per week).
Make sure you’re getting good open and click through rates
The key to making your email marketing profitable and sustainable is to make sure you’re doing it right.
Here are some tips:
Optimise your subject line. This is the first thing people see when they open their inboxes, so it needs to be compelling and eye-catching. Keep it short and sweet, and include as many keywords as possible.
Make sure you’re getting good open and click through rates. If people aren’t opening or clicking your emails, then they aren’t helping you sell anything! Focus on ways to improve those numbers before moving forward with your campaign.
If you’re not doing it already, start building your email list today!
Email marketing is still one of the most effective channels of communication. You can reach a large audience at relatively little cost. In fact, email marketing is still the most effective channel for ROI, with a 3500% return on investment. What’s more, over 90% of adults check their email every day. Whether you’re sending out a message or simply responding to someone who has responded to your email, there’s no better way to increase your sales than through email marketing.
If you would like to start sending email campaigns, or require assistance with your existing campaigns Contact Us.