Many people are starting to consider email marketing as an older and less progressive form of marketing; however, I disagree completely and here’s why:
An email inbox is one of the most direct ways you can reach your audience digitally. Unlike social media advertising where you are targeting an audience and are hoping/expecting them to see your ad which isn’t guaranteed (I love social too don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about that), email marketing places your content, brand and message right in your audience’s inbox. According to TD Insights, there will be 3 billion email users in 2020. That’s a pretty large audience to be neglecting.
Email marketing doesn’t have to be time costly, with various services available, it’s about taking the time to create the right template(s) for your business then updating it as necessary with a new message or offer. Plus, it isn’t big on physical expense, some platforms offer free usage until you reach a certain number of audience members. Win!
One key thing to remember when incorporating email into your marketing strategy is that frequency is key. Too often and people will unsubscribe, too little and your audience may forget about how they ended up on your email list in the first place. Remaining top of mind is important, but so is not annoying your audience with unnecessary emails just for the sake of reminding them that you exist. TD Insights also provided another encouraging figure, ‘welcome emails can generate 320% more returns’ which goes on to highlight why sending that first email is crucial.
TIP: Outline key marketing dates like promotions, events, or seasonal initiatives important to your business and create a base schedule around this. From there you can plan other email campaigns to boost these marketing initiatives or promote other aspects of your business or products in-between.
Great, now you have your email sent, but what about actually getting people to open it before they hit delete? An enticing and informative subject line is the carrot you need to convince your audience to open your email. Experiment with humour (where applicable), emojis and discounts/offers. Ensure the email you’re sending to your audience is specific and relevant to them, otherwise, they will be encouraged to unsubscribe.
One way to ensure that you’re targeting the right people with the right offers is to segment your audiences into different lists. This will help you to keep your message specific, concise and tailored.
Now, if you’re ready to really get serious about email marketing you can start thinking more strategically about retargeting tactics to increase the value of your existing clients or customers through an upsell. This requires nurturing the audience/individual through your marketing funnel, so they are gently guided towards the conversion goal.
So, have I given you enough info about email marketing for you to decide if it’s the right marketing strategy for you? Is it the missing piece of the puzzle from your existing strategy?
If you need help to commence your email marketing journey, contact our team and let’s have a chat!