We’ve all heard it, time and time again: email marketing is dead — nobody reads most of the junk that lands in their inbox, so marketing dollars are better spent elsewhere. But that’s not true at all, and it’s causing many businesses to miss out on prime customer engagement and conversion opportunities.
Even in the age of likes, follows, and hashtags, email marketing remains crucial and relevant, cementing its status as one of the most reliable digital marketing and direct customer engagement tools.
Think back to that one day in October 2021 when Facebook experienced a global outage, essentially leaving all of social media at a standstill. On that day alone, brands that rely heavily on social media platforms to drive customer engagement lost a lot of revenue — perhaps more than they could ever stand to lose — simply because they had no other means of nurturing customer relationships.
It’s unprecedented events like this that prove the value and longevity of email marketing. Simply, you’re in control — of the message and target audience, customer database, and distribution. And no matter how many social channels are down and how long they’re inaccessible for, working with an email marketing agency ensures you stay connected with customers that matter most: subscribers who are genuinely interested in staying up-to-date with brands, ready to take action on the latest offers.
Social media may have made it easy to reach new audiences with curated, highly visual, and interactive content. But email marketing has always been at the heart of personalization and effective audience targeting. While social media is a gamble of dominating news feed algorithms, email marketing is above this competition — and it remains a top digital marketing trend.
To get on your brand’s email list, customers have to invite you into their inboxes on a regular basis. They signed up to receive updates on your latest offers, promo codes, and other exclusive content. This interest means they’re more than likely to engage, from opens and views to sales and repeat purchases. All that’s left to be done is craft the right email campaign — and continuously optimize emails for increased opens and views.
Whether you’re still debating the merits of email marketing, or you’re considering investing more marketing dollars with a reputable email marketing agency, let’s take a closer look at every reason why email marketing remains relevant — a crucial component of every effective marketing strategy.
Email marketing is a great way to cater to different customers with unique offers and tailored messages. It’s personalization at its finest: product recommendations, promo codes, and other targeted customer touchpoints tailored to customers’ specific interests and demographics, such as previous purchases, shopping preferences, available offers in their region, birthday, loyalty, and other characteristics.
Plus, with email marketing automation, it’s now even easier to curate customer segments and maintain personal, open communication with every customer. Even the simplest of personalizations—like greeting subscribers by their first name, or sending birthday or sign-up discount codes—go a long way in adding a memorable personal touch that improves brand recall and customer engagement. And with regular email newsletters tailored to every customer’s interests and characteristics, you’ll always be at the top of their inbox.
Did you know that email marketing has a higher ROI than other marketing tools? Email marketing campaigns deliver six times more conversions than tweets and are 40 times more likely to be noticed than Facebook posts by brand pages.
Unlike in social media platforms where followers and engagement are ultimately anchored on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter and their policies, email newsletter subscribers are all yours. As long as customers consent to receive communications, email marketing campaigns help maintain constant engagement that occurs on your terms. Because emails don’t compete for visibility determined by algorithms and rapidly changing trends, you can ensure that the right message reaches the right person at the right time, with an increased likelihood of conversions.
Take a look at email marketing performance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply, email marketing has been instrumental in keeping businesses afloat. As more customers shopped online, open rates soared 31% year-over-year, with conversions increasing by almost 23%. As a result, revenue from email marketing campaigns increased by 86% — an unprecedented growth rate, and proof that now more than ever, email matters.
One of the most basic rules of marketing is making customers feel welcome and special, with their needs met in a timely manner. Email marketing allows you to do these with exclusive content and access, enticing more potential customers to subscribe to your newsletter for promo codes, sales, and other limited-time offers.
But more than driving direct sales tactics, email is a great way to create more value in each customer interaction. The high degree of personalization in email campaigns allows you to distribute exclusive, value-added content, such as helpful guides, industry news and insights, and answers to customers’ questions — straight to customers’ inboxes.
Even customers who may not be shopping at the moment are likely to derive value from these perks, resulting in improved brand recall and eventual purchase, with lasting trust in your brand. In the process, these offers may also inspire less active and engaged subscribers to start opening your newsletters, with the goal of accessing these exclusive offers.
Whether it’s been a while since you sent a newsletter or you’re just starting one, now is the perfect time to revitalize your email marketing strategy. Today, email marketing automation tools exist to optimize campaigns, from personalization to distribution.
Collaborate with our experts at Consultus Digital on your next email marketing campaign and long-term strategy. We use the latest automation tools to drive campaign performance, with the goal of increasing delivery, open, and click-through rates. From analyzing subscriber demographics and creating customer segments for automated touchpoints, to campaign development and optimization through A/B testing, reap the benefits of regular, impactful email newsletters.
As we look ahead to top marketing trends in 2022, now is the time to lean in and revitalize your email marketing strategy. Are you landing in customers’ inboxes, with optimal conversions and sales? Talk to our email marketing agency about your latest campaign, strategy, and automation needs.
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