Introduced in 1971, email remains one of the most popular and effective marketing tools. In fact, 30% of global consumers rank email as their preferred channel for receiving brand communications while only 13% claim Facebook as their favourite. Roughly 80% of marketers have reported an increase in email engagement over the past 12 months. For ten years in a row, email has generated the highest ROI for marketers, with every $1 spent generating an average of $38. With numbers like this, your business can't afford to ignore email marketing!
What is email marketing?
Email marketing refers to the use of email to promote a business' products and services and build customer loyalty. Emails are used to inform an audience of the unique value of your brand, generate leads, build relationships, educate regarding product/services, encourage conversion and maintain engagement between purchases.
Reasons to make email marketing a top priority:
There are a number of reasons why your business should consider email marketing.
- Email is the most used communication channel. 99% of consumers check their email on a daily basis.
- You own your email list. It cannot be suspended or deleted at any time, for any reason. No one can take these leads away.
- Email works. It has an average open rate of 21.5% and a click-through rate of 2.3%.
- Email converts. The average email conversion rate for 2021 was 15.2%.
Types of marketing emails:
The following are examples of some of the types of emails that can be used for email marketing purposes.
- Promotional: This style of email is used to promote special offers, new product releases, gated content (ebooks and webinars) and brand awareness.
- Acquisition emails are sent to those who have opted to receive your emails but have not yet converted into customers. These emails contain attractive offers and informative content and are a great way to move leads through the conversion funnel.
- Retention emails are sent to existing customers who haven't interacted with your business or email campaigns recently. These emails request feedback and/or make an offer. The intent is to keep the lines of communication open and keep your hard-won customers.
- Informational: This type of email is aimed at providing facts and instructions to your target audience.
- Newsletters share information related to your business (milestones reached, new product capabilities) and feature valuable content about your product/service (how-tos). They're an opportunity to share insights, thoughts, tips and other data that brings value to your audience.
- Announcements: This style of email, quickly and efficiently, informs customers of new releases, changes to service, shipping delays and/or website or software difficulties.
Use email marketing to:
- Build relationships through personalized engagement.
- Boost brand awareness by keeping your company's products/services top-of-mind.
- Promote your content, sharing relevant blogs.
- Generate leads, enticing subscribers to provide their personal information in exchange for an asset that they'd find valuable.
- Promote your products and services.
- Nurture leads with content that can help them succeed in their goals.
Tips on using email marketing:
- Be aware of email regulations. Make sure you adhere to all legal requirements and applicable laws when sending automated emails. The regulations are based on both your location and the location of your subscribers. Become familiar with the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States, the Canadian Anti-Spam Law (CASL) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union for the treatment of personal information.
- Never buy email lists. Instead, concentrate on encouraging folks to opt in to receiving messages from you by using lead magnets (discounts, free shipping, prizes, etc.).
- Only send when you need to. Don't abuse the trust of your list members by flooding their inboxes with unnecessary emails. Focus on sending relevant, engaging messages.
- Have a conversation with your customers. Let customers know you appreciate them, say hello, send out surveys and give them the means to provide feedback.
- Automation is a must. It helps increase conversion rates, improve efficiency and makes scaling easy.
- Optimize for mobile. Ensure that your design and content display perfectly on all mobile devices.
- Utilize personalization. Focus on humanizing your interactions, writing emails as though you are talking to a single person. Make sure all content is relevant and anticipate your subscriber's needs.
- Segment for best results. Group together customers who have certain attributes in common (demographics, engagement, stage of journey, source). This allows you to design customer journeys that are unique to the group, personalize content and increase efficiency.
- A/B testing is a must. Test important elements to help you improve your campaigns.
- Re-engage inactive subscribers. Don't forget about your existing customers! Re-engage dormant customers/readers with an enticing offer, the right email copy and/or a discount.
- Tell a story. Stories are memorable and compelling. Tell a story about your newest product/service and/or share a success story.
- Use dynamic content. Automatically change the content of your email to match your reader criteria (gender, geographic location, purchasing pattern, website behaviour).
There are many methods available to your business for reaching your audience. Don't forget emails! Email marketing is one of the most effective channels for attracting, engaging and connecting with consumers. It drives sales and revenue to your business. Incorporate emails in your marketing campaigns.
Interested in an email marketing campaign? Need help with your marketing strategies? Call us at (403)-456-0072 or email [email protected]. Allow us to be your very own marketing department! Connect with our tightly-knit team of knowledgeable digital-first consultants, each eager to help your business grow. Contact us today.
