How often do you use email? Probably every day, right? Maybe even every hour (every minute!)?
We ask because if you are one of the 4 billion people worldwide who use email, then you are likely to see some value in it.
In fact, “4 out of 5 marketers said they’d rather give up social media than email marketing.” That’s a big deal. Social media has been marketing’s darling for years.
But if you still need to be convinced of the importance of email marketing, that’s cool. We’ve broken out our top 10 reasons why we think email marketing should be a top tool in your digital toolbox.
1. Email marketing is easy to use
With all the options available on the market, email marketing is easier to use than ever.
No longer do you need to know HTML or be a graphic designer to create stunning, effective emails. Platforms come packed with ready-to-use templates and drag-and-drop features that make simple work for the user.
Email marketing can be easy to use, but there are definitely some nuances to this form of marketing. For example, don’t start rapid-firing error-filled messages to your client base.
You’ll need to have a basic understanding of email laws, such as the CAN-SPAM Act. But when in doubt, you can always hire a professional with experience in email marketing to take care of this kind of thing for you.
2. Email marketing is affordable and cost-effective
If you are working with a small budget, email marketing can be an affordable tool, especially if you want a big return on your investment. Popular email platform Constant Constant reports that “For every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average return of $42.”
So not only is email marketing incredibly affordable, but you can reach a large audience for less than pennies per message.
Some email platforms, like MailChimp, offer free pricing plans for those who don’t need all the bells and whistles but also offer other affordable monthly email plans based on the needs of the business.
But back to what we mentioned earlier about enlisting a professional – the creation of campaigns can take time. Campaign creation, writing, designing, reviewing for errors and scheduling – all of these tasks need to be done by somebody (who knows what they are doing), so consider this when launching your email marketing efforts.
3. Email marketing helps you connect with your audience
Did you know that 99% of email users check their inboxes every day? Some people check it 20 times a day (per OptinMonster, 2020)! If you want to connect with your audience, you’ll definitely get in front of them with email.
Whether you need to share updated news about your business, want to send a special birthday offer or have some great, informative content that you think your clients should know about, email is a great tool to boost engagement.
Speaking of engagement…
4. Email marketing can be personalized and targeted to your client
Presumably (we hope), you have an email list. Now. What good is that list going to do for your company if it’s not being used? Not a lot. Make your contacts work for you with lead nurturing and generation.
Based on where your subscriber signed up for your list, it is likely that they have different needs. For example, one lead may have signed up to receive your newsletter. Another client might have entered your marketing sales funnel through a lead magnet opt-in form (sort of like this Website Planner download that we created for anybody who might be thinking about redesigning their website).
Based on the knowledge you have of where they originated in the buyers’ journey, you can create content that is tailored specifically to their needs. Segmenting your list will help you target each group more effectively.
AND speaking of lead generation…
5. Email marketing helps increase leads
Email marketing isn’t just about getting more subscribers to your monthly eNewsletter. That’s great and all, but if that’s all you’re using it for, it’s time to step up your strategy.
It all starts with an opt-in form on a website.
- You enter your information.
- In exchange, you receive a lead magnet download with helpful, informative content.
- Then you begin to receive an email sequence that contains even more informative content that is specific to your business needs.
And just like that, you’ve entered the marketing funnel.
The hope is that, eventually, you will find the content that you’re receiving from the company impressive enough to hit that “schedule an appointment” button.
Email is a valuable sales tool that can let you put lead qualification on autopilot.
6. Email is widely used
Let’s revisit the fact that 4 billion people worldwide use email.
Email presents an incredible opportunity to reach customers and build brand awareness. And obviously, to increase sales.
A lot of people use email. A lot. Your marketing department should too.
7. Email marketing drives traffic to your website
Oh hey, let’s definitely not forget about the center of your online universe – your website. If your emails have great content and a great subject line, then your audience will actually open them.
Including lots of calls to action in your email campaigns will help generate website traffic. And once you get visitors to your website, make sure you do everything in your power to ensure that the user journey that you send them on ends in a sale or conversion.
8. Email marketing is easy to measure
Your email analytics can tell you a lot about how your campaigns are contributing to your overall revenue and whether the time invested in the campaigns is worth it.
Email services like MailChimp, Constant Contact, Hubspot, etc., make it easy to track the results of your campaigns.
Email open rates, click-through rates, errors and subscriber engagement data make it easy to easily make improvements and optimizations to email campaigns. All of this information typically comes neatly packaged within the email system, so it’s not hard to understand and digest.
9. Gain valuable customer insights and Feedback
People like to be heard, so give them a voice.
“What are we doing well?”
“In what areas can we improve?”
These are great questions to ask your email subscribers.
Customer feedback plays an essential role in email marketing. Leveraging this platform to get valuable client feedback can help you improve your business. It also ensures that you are meeting their needs as customers so you can build their trust.
10. Increase Brand Awareness
If you’re top of mind, or in the case of email, at the top of the inbox, it’s easy to get subscribers to think about your brand.
But please! Do not bombard your subscribers with multiple emails a day. That’s annoying and you will quickly be moved to the spam box. Nobody wants that for you, bud!
Increasing brand awareness with email marketing isn’t about sales. It’s more about building trust and familiarity. This is where news announcements and monthly newsletters come in handy. These formats are great opportunities to showcase your humor and personality.
Ready to Embrace Email Marketing?
So, it’s probably clear to you by now that email marketing isn’t for everyone.
Actually, yes… it absolutely is.
Regardless of the size of your business or the industry you are in, you should be using email marketing.
And if you need assistance figuring out how to integrate email into your marketing strategy, give us a shout.