Email marketing is an important arm of a digital marketing strategy. In fact, it is safe to say that it is one of the most important methods of digital marketing used today.
An interesting fact is that emails are still a popular mode of communication in spite of the advancements in technology.
Emails have transcended the boundaries of time. They are considered as effective as any other recent and newer forms of communication.
So, What Is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is a marketing strategy that uses emails or electronic mails to directly communicate with prospective customers.
Email communication is a powerful mode of communication. It has the power to convert sales into profits and garner the loyalty of customers.
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Interesting Snippets About Emails and Email Marketing
- Ray Tomilson, an American computer programmer, is regarded as the inventor of the email. He sent the first email from one computer to another computer placed right next to each other. The first email he sent was a test message. What was funny is that he told one of his colleagues not to disclose that he had sent the email because it was not what his boss directed him to do. Who knew that he actually started a communication revolution.
- The first-time email used as a marketing tool was in 1978 when Gary Thuerk sent about 400 emails to recipients informing them about the sale of his company computers. These emails actually resulted in a whopping sale. Ironically, this email is also considered as the first spam email.
- Hotmail launched in 1996 was the first free public email service. This was when marketing agents grabbed this novel marketing opportunity
Now that we have seen the impact of email marketing as an important digital media strategy, let’s look at the advantages of email marketing for your business
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Cost-Effective
One of the main benefits of email marketing is that it is one of the most cost-effective methods of marketing. Unlike other methods of marketing, email marketing does not require the use of paper or postage.
It does not require much physical skill of campaigning either. The cost of sending numerous emails at one time may incur some expenditure, but it is still a negligible amount compared to other marketing costs.
Builds Company Reputation
Another benefit of an email campaign is that Email marketing has the power to build a company’s reputation. Well drafted emails with precise content about the product on sale can ensure customer satisfaction and build customer trust.
More Informative
Emails have no space constraint therefore emails can contain a lot of informative content that keeps the customer informed.
For example, a newspaper or billboard advertisement has space and budget constraints.
However, an email can contain a large number of particulars about the company, its products the description, and offers without any constraint on space.
Moreover, the budget does not fluctuate according to the email size.
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Versatile
Email as a marketing campaign is more versatile than other modes of marketing. An email need not only advertise products or services for sale.
It may also include other information that a company would like to convey to its customers or prospective customers.
For example, a company may send season greetings through emails as a way of staying in touch with its customers.
Increased Revenues
According to HubSpot, research revealed that marketing agents recorded an increase in revenue by about 760%.
Whether you have an online store or a retail outlet in town, emails are an effective mode to attract customers. Emails have more than one effect.
Emails can attract customers to your website or even attract them right to your stores’ doorstep.
Therefore, it is evident that email campaigns in an important marketing strategy. It leads to an increase in sales and revenues.
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Customer Influence
According to a survey conducted by salecycle.com, a whopping 59% of marketing email recipients said that these emails influenced their purchase decisions.
Creates a Channel of Communication
Another email marketing benefit for business is that it provides a channel of communication between the company and its clients.
Emails can be formal or informal depending on the need of the hour. It can also be personalised which makes it more effective. Email marketing provides a smooth flow of communication.
Non-Evasive Mode of Communication
Today, the privacy of an individual is paramount. One of the advantages of email marketing is that it is a non-evasive mode of advertising.
Marketing through emails does not involve the active participation of a customer for that moment.
On the other hand, telemarketing is one of those modes of marketing that require the immediate response from the customer or prospective customer at that very moment.
This form of promotion can have negative effects on the promotional campaign. Here, the psychological behaviour of the customer at the moment of point of sale has to be considered.
Whereas email marketing is a non-interfering and non-disturbing, yet effective, mode of communication.
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Email Marketing Allows You to Study and Improve Your Marketing Strategies
One of the benefits of using email marketing is that it allows you to analyse and scrutinise your own marketing plans. It gives you information on what works and what does not work for your business.
According to Miranda Paquets interview of Ally Whittaker, Public Relations Manager of the Local Good, Ally Whittaker says:
“Email has definitely helped us with web traffic and attendance at our events. I like that after I send an email out, I can go back and see how many people clicked through on which links. That way I can tell people are interacting with our content and click through to our website,” Further she states “I always track sales for our events after our emails go out. We always have a little surge after emails go out.”
Email campaigns allow you to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaign. It gauges the success or failure of your communication with a customer.
Email marketing is one of the methods of calculating your business’s Net Promoter Score. Net promoter score is a measure of customer satisfaction.
It evaluates how likely your customers are willing to recommend your business to another.
Accordingly, email marketing allows you to monitor your marketing campaigns
Easy and Uncomplicated
Email marketing is an easy marketing tool. It does not require much expertise in the field. With the basic knowledge of emails and content deliverance, email marketing proves to be an easy marketing strategy.
Anywhere and Anytime
One of the best advantages of email marketing is that it reaches an audience anywhere and at any time. With the advancement in technology, emails can be accessed through, PCs, laptops, and even mobile phones.
With such convenient accessibility, email marketing can reach the target audience at all times. Irrespective of time or place. Unlike a billboard, radio, or television mode of communication.
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Two-Way Mode of Communication
When communication is two way, it gives scope for the better conveyance of information.
Email marketing is a two-way channel of communication thereby increasing the scope of a stronger link between the company and the buyer.
Customers can reply to emails sent by the company’s thereby creating an effective corridor of communication.
Creativity at Its Best
Email marketing does not only mean long, boring black, and white words to recipients. Emails are now more effective with the use of colour, images, font, and style. Using colourful images in emails is one of the most effective ways to attract customers.
In a blog on Constant Contact by Ryan Pinkham titled 10 ways you can use images to bring your emails to life, he showcased a list of customers who use images to add life to their email marketing strategies.
Almost Instant Results
One of the benefits of an email marketing campaign is that results are almost immediate. Some email marketing campaigns get a response immediately after the email is sent.
Unlike a television or radio advertising campaign that sees results only after weeks.
The best example of this is when Karen Kowel and her daughter Nicole, entrepreneurs of Mother Earth Pillows, started using email marketing in 2009.
Karen explains “It’s rewarding because we always get an immediate response through orders,” Karen explains. “Whenever we need to trigger sales, we’ll think of a great special to put out there.”
Conclusion
With a host of advantages, email marketing is a convincing and effective method of digital marketing. With good email content management businesses can benefit greatly from marketing through emails.
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