In 2020, you might find yourself asking—what is email marketing? Is it still relevant? With the rise of social media, SEO, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and videos, it is possible to conclude that email marketing has surpassed its prime. However, if you think email marketing is outdated, you could be missing a lot going by the real metrics.
This is because email marketing is still a very effective tool for marketing, and many businesses are enjoying a lot of success by using it. In this article, we will discuss what email marketing is, why your business needs it, and how you can use it to grow your business.
What Is Email Marketing?
Simply put, email marketing refers to the act of promoting products and services to your customers and/or potential clients by use of email. Essentially, it is the same as sending mail, only that instead of sending direct mail by using postal services, messages are electronically sent via email.
The purpose of email marketing is to enhance the merchants’ relationship, brand awareness, customer loyalty, and trust with their previous and current customers over time to achieve repeat business. This is achieved by sending advertisements, soliciting sales, sending coupons, and requesting business by use of email.
Types of Email Marketing
1. Direct Emails
This involves sending promotional messages to potential or existing customers, such as a product catalog or a special offer via email. Businesses usually build an email list or rent email addresses to send direct promotional emails.
2. Opt-in Emails
Opt-in email advertising involves sending promotional emails to customers who have consented to be receiving them. A newsletter is a good example of opt-in email advertising, which informs customers of the firm’s new products, promotions, or upcoming events.
3. Transactional Emails
Transactional emails are usually sent when a customer completes a transaction with a company. The purpose of these emails is to confirm, facilitate, or complete a transaction between the sender and the recipient.
Transactional emails include:
- Password reset emails
- Receipt emails
- Purchase confirmation emails
- Order confirmation emails
- Dropped basket messages
- Order status emails
Tips for Starting a Successful Email Marketing Campaign
Email marketing requires consistency and hard work to see tangible results. Although you might assume your email is unique, chances are that to your target audience, it appears the same as the other emails. This is because most people are overwhelmed by adverts, interruptions, spam emails, and pitches everywhere.
So, how do you stand out and make your email marketing campaign a success? The following tips will guide you on your email marketing campaign.
1. Build Your Email List
Typically, the first step of your campaign is to compile an email list. There are plenty of ways you can use to build your email list, but the best one is placing registration forms on your website where people can fill out their email addresses. Social media platforms also provide a great avenue to gather emails.
Address the following questions to help build your ideal email list:
- What will they gain from subscribing to your emails?
- Will you spam them?
- Will you protect their emails or sell them?
- Will you offer them special discounts?
2. Be Disciplined
After compiling your email list, your next step should be figuring out how to maintain your subscribers. Avoid spamming your subscribers or making false promises, and always treat them with respect. This is because making your subscribers happy can turn them into loyal customers and even transform customers into fans.
3. Combine Email Marketing With Other Forms of Marketing
Email marketing works excellent when combined with other forms of online marketing. For example, you can use social media to build an email list that you will use in your email marketing campaign. You can also promote your social media profiles on your email list and request that subscribers follow you.
4. Put the Right Content in Your Promotional Emails
Email marketing is far more customizable than other forms of marketing. This is madepossible by the wide scope of content available and the unique formatting options available.
Some of the best content you can put on your emails include:
- Links to your website’s articles
- Customer testimonials
- Information about new products and upcoming events
- Rewards for loyal customers
- Reminders to potential customers
5. Create and Stick to a Schedule
You should observe a regular schedule when emailing your subscribers. For example, if you send newsletters to your email list on regular days, they’ll know what to expect and when to expect it from you.
Also, sending emails at certain hours of the day is more effective than others. For example, emails sent between 1 am, and 5 am and those sent after working hours outperform those sent during working hours when it comes to open and click rates.
6. Follow the Legal Regulations on Email Marketing
Different countries have enacted various laws to govern email marketing. These legal requirements require you to provide your name and address at the bottom of the email, a genuine subject line, and a guide to unsubscribing.
These regulations include:
•The Canada Anti-Spam Law (CASL)
•The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 in the USA
•The Australian Spam Act 2003
•Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications in the European Union
7. Don’t Just Send Promotional Messages
Emails can also be used to build rapport and interact with customers. For example, you can give them valuable tips and insights that will help them understand your expertise and know more about your business.
Benefits of Using Email Marketing
1. Access to a Wider Audience
Email marketing offers you an opportunity to reach a greater percentage of internet users compared to other digital marketing methods. Recent studies show that 94% of Americans have active email accounts compared to only 64% that actively use social media. Interestingly, 75% of adults who use the internet say that they prefer email marketing to other advertisements.
2. Ability to Monitor Consumer Behavior
Businesses that use email marketing usually use an ESP (email service provider) to track the behavior of their subscribers. The information gathered provides insight, which enables businesses to know who opens their emails and who clicks to their websites through emails.
3. Save Money
Unlike other marketing methods, email marketing does not require businesses to invest ad money for their emails to reach their designated audience.
4. Personalize Your Message
Email marketing allows businesses and organizations to identify and send customized promotional emails to their target customers using demographics like income, age, among others. This can help a business build and maintain a strong relationship with customers, which translates to customer loyalty and increased sales.
5. Communicate Quickly
Compared to traditional mail, email marketing is usually faster since your promotional message is only a click away from the recipient.
Learn More
If you don’t use email marketing, it is high time you reviewed your marketing strategy. Software and automation tools can help make your email marketing campaign easier. These tools can send emails and help you track and interact with your subscribers. The only downside of email marketing is that, for a beginner, it can be time-consuming. Fortunately, Wren Interactive provides timely help and can also handle all your marketing needs for you. Contact Wren Interactive to learn more and see how we can help you make your email campaign a success.
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