Email marketing has long been hailed as a fundamental component of any branding and advertising strategy. However, in the era of social media, mobility, search engine optimization and other advanced platforms and channels used to reach customers, some entrepreneurs might have been fooled into believing that email marketing is dead. This could not be further from the truth, as it is still yielding some of the highest returns on investment among all types of branding initiatives.
A new report highlighted the fact that email advertising is not only a critical driver of conversions for businesses but also a critical measure to retain customers for longer periods of time and keep them engaged with the brand every step of the way.
The raw numbers
Citing research from several different firms, eMarketer recently compiled an article representing the various statistics involved in today’s email marketing arena, and suffice it to say that the figures were exceptional. According to the news provider, email marketing was the most widely cited tactic for both acquisition and retention among survey respondents, with the next closest ones not coming anywhere near that popularity. About 80 percent of respondents stated they used email marketing for acquisition and retention, with the next highest for the former initiatives being organic search at 62 percent, and the latter being social media at 44 percent.
Interestingly, the average business owner and marketing professional is getting smarter with their email advertising campaigns, especially from an analysis and organization standpoint. The source pointed out that nearly 9 out of every 10 advertising professionals are now using software to handle their email marketing campaigns.
Simply put, any business – regardless of size or industry – that is not leveraging email marketing campaigns needs to begin doing so as soon as possible. No matter what angle researchers have taken in the past few years, email advertising has consistently been at the top of the charts with respect to performance and value.
Now, let’s take a look at how to leverage email marketing to its utmost success.
Best practices
Marketing Land recently listed some of the more important factors to remember when crafting and executing an email marketing campaign, affirming that each mailing must have substance and achieve the highest possible quality. Either not offering any type of value, or presenting the information in a sloppy and raw fashion, will likely have a negative impact on the brand rather than a positive one. Businesses can ensure that emails are indeed yielding value in the eyes of the customer by including simple components such as information on deals or discounts, as well as coupons.
Furthermore, the news provider suggested putting in the legwork to determine the right frequency of mailings, the times of day that they are sent, and how data created from each campaign will be managed and analyzed before getting deep into the strategy. With the right planning and strong execution, email marketing can completely transform a brand’s image in the eyes of its current and prospective customers.
