A study from Adobe estimates that millennials spend about 6.4 hours each day reading their emails.
It’s not just millennials using email. Most people use email daily, and they check their inbox everywhere: while working out, eating, and even using the bathroom.
Email marketing provides a reliable form of communication between your brand and your customers. It’s a cost-effective solution to reach customers where they visit every day — their inbox.
Find out the other benefits that make email marketing a smart solution for communicating with your audience, finding new customers, and growing your business.
Why email marketing works
Unlike some other marketing channels, email marketing allows you to keep in touch with your customers on a consistent basis. Be it a simple, “Thank you for subscribing,” a cheery, “Welcome on board,” or a sincere “Happy Birthday,” email is the easiest and most effective way to let your customers know you value them. Customers love it when a business treats them as an individual, not just like everyone else.
That value should show in the emails you send, and the more value you provide to your target audience, the more they’ll look forward to hearing from you. When that happens, it’s easier to get them to engage with your call to action. And also,
01. Email is an easy way to reach mobile customers.
One reason email marketing has value for business owners is that it’s an easy way to start reaching consumers on mobile without investing a lot in new technology or software.
Nearly three out of every five email marketing messages doubles as a mobile marketing message. Using email is better for mobile marketing than SMS because:
- It works on mobile devices other than phones
- Emails are free for the consumer, whereas texting may incur a charge
- Emails have far more space for content than text messages, allowing for better marketing pieces.
02 It’s an effective way to keep customers informed
Email marketing isn’t something marketers do just because they can and it’s easy. The tactic is very effective at helping business owners and consumers stay connected. In fact, consumers often seek out email marketing campaigns from their favorite brands and local stores.
03. Email coupons drive online and in-store sales.
Email marketing is a good way to start reaching the growing number of online bargain hunters. The big brands are already using this tactic for that purpose.
Take your marketing to the next level with email
Email continues to be one of the best ways to reach out to your customers and potential leads alike. There are several benefits to planning out the perfect email marketing strategy for your business:
01.Targeted and personalized content
Email marketing allows you to segment your customers into different lists based on their preferences to send highly personalized content. From crafting the perfect subject line to images that resonate with your customer, and valuable content that helps your audience, email is the perfect channel to drive engagement.
Adjust your messaging for different audiences so your emails are always engaging. Ignore the impulse to push for a hard sell too early in the process. Cultivate a strong foundation of trust between your brand and the recipient first, and create a bond with your customer that can grow over time.
02.Build credibility
Emails from an unknown sender or with a shady subject line can feel like spam. It just feels off, and customers often just delete these emails.
For some customers, an emoji will make them click and be happy. For others, the same subject line might make them go hunting for the unsubscribe link. You need to tailor your content according to what your readers want. Knowing your readers’ interests and needs gets your email into the inbox, instead of the spam folder.
Creating a permission-based email list that includes a checkbox for users to opt-in to your mailing list ensures that a customer knows which emails they’re signing up for, and how often they’ll be receiving emails from you.
03. Better brand recognition
Some of the most recognizable brands in the world today are so well-known that they are synonymous with the industry in which they operate. Spotify is a great example. All of their emails are relevant and brilliantly curated.
Now imagine your small business standing out as a clearly identifiable brand like Spotify.
Email marketing is a great way to develop your brand identity because it gives you a direct line to the email inboxes of your customers or potential customers. Once you begin creating valuable content for the customer, you’ll have an edge over your competitors.
You can even use your emails to get useful feedback. Are customers happy with the content you’re providing? Would they like to learn something different? Use a survey or start a discussion on social media. Once you get them involved in the process, you’ll know exactly how to provide valuable content in your emails.
04.Boost sales
Email marketing provides a great opportunity for impulse buying. You can entice a customer to make another purchase in a few ways:
- Feature items that are often purchased alongside the products the customer bought.
- List similar items to the customer’s past purchases.
- Create a special offer or discount for future purchases.
Customers often act on impulse when they get an email letting them know about a relevant product that is related to their previous purchase. This is especially true if there is a relevant promotion.
05. Stronger customer relationships.
Your customers appreciate a good email. The time and effort it takes to craft the perfect email don’t go unnoticed. They want to know what’s happening with your business, and how they can get involved.
It’s nearly impossible to reach out to all your customers in person or by phone. Email marketing campaigns bridge that gap. You could even set up a drip marketing campaign to help you smooth out the process.
Drip campaigns are ongoing and drive the user down the buyer’s journey to a final conversion point. They’re often used to provide constant value to subscribers while helping keep your brand top-of-mind. Oftentimes, these emails slowly “drip” helpful information, products, or tips, over days, weeks, or months.
For example, the emails you receive when you browse Amazon, but don’t buy anything, are a drip email marketing automation at work.
06.Optimize your time and budget
Even targeted direct mail campaigns that deliver flyers to nearby mailboxes can be costly. Between designing, printing, and mailing costs, you could spend several dollars per flyer delivery.
All this time spent not focusing on your business is lost revenue, and a lost opportunity to connect with your customers on a personal level. One of the most significant advantages of email marketing for small businesses is the efficient use of time and budget. Designing a professional email marketing campaign is not complicated, or time-consuming. Sending emails to many subscribers is also still cost-effective.
07. Increased traffic to your website
Emails are a great way to get customers to visit your website. You can include relevant links to your site within your email content. You can also use your email campaigns to get customers to engage with other great pieces of content available on your website or blog.
For example, a local design school could send out emails to let them know about their new design class that has a limited number of seats. Many of their customers and potential leads may have missed out on this opportunity to attend the class, had they not revisited the website in time. The design school then can fill all the seats more quickly, instead of waiting for reservations to trickle in.
Include social sharing buttons in your emails to encourage your customers to promote your content across their own social channels.
08. Build excitement
Everyone likes to belong to a special group, especially email consumers who like exclusive perks.
Your customers aren’t all the same, and the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. Use your email campaigns to drive home the message that your customers are unique and important to your business.
Whether you’re giving a section of customers a sneak peek into an upcoming product launch, or simply rewarding them for being loyal customers, they all love a sweet deal. Volkswagen offers email subscribers free movie tickets several times a year.
Author – buddira Edirisooriya
