If there was a contest for unsung hero in the marketing world, we would nominate email marketing for the prize. It sometimes gets knocked as an old-fashioned way of reaching prospective clients, but those critics are missing the boat.
Not convinced? Here are some of the top reasons why email marketing can be one of the most powerful conversion vehicles for your business:
1. Email is an invitation to share your marketing message.
Unlike other forms of marketing, which aren’t necessarily an opt-in audience, email marketing is an invitation from prospects to share your deals, your expertise and remind them of the value of who you are and what you offer.
Of course, you still have to have a strong subject line and message, so you don't squander your opportunity to engage them. And, just like digital ad campaigns, you can reach clients via phone, computer, tablet and even wrist nowadays.
2. Email can be targeted and measurable.
All email marketing has some level of targeting, such as area of interest, age, gender, marital status, ZIP code, household income, etc. This targeting makes sure you are reaching the exact audience that you are seeking.
Email is also measurable. You can see how many opened your email, what specific links they clicked and how much traffic was sent from that email to your site or conversion page.
3. Everyone has an email address.
Hard as it may be to believe, not everyone is on social media. And if they are, it’s hard to break through to get their attention. Same can be said for digital ad campaigns online.
They are both great marketing tools, but for getting people closer to becoming your customers or continuing to give you their business, email is tops.
According to a study conducted by the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing has a median ROI of 122% – more than four times higher — than other digital marketing tactics such as social media, paid search and online display ads.
That’s a number that’s hard to ignore. To fully grow your business or organization, it’s better to have a toolbox, filled with marketing options to help solve any problem or build toward any goal, than to just rely on one tool.
Yet too often, I encounter businesses whose marketing plans are relying on that trusty wrench (Facebook ads, for instance). And they are afraid of trying out the hammer (email marketing).
If what you are doing is working for you, that’s great. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do even better by adding email marketing to the mix. Email is shown to be effective at every stage of the purchase funnel: branding and awareness, interest and research, consideration, intent, conversion AND retention.
With that level of engagement and ROI, it deserves more respect among marketing tactics.
