Why Email Marketing Still Matters

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]As people age, there’s a tendency to hold onto the past, maybe for nostalgic reasons, or maybe you think things were just done better “back in the old days.” The Internet has been around long enough, that there are aspects of it that can be considered old or old-fashioned. If you’ve heard your computer say “You’ve got mail!” you know what I’m talking about.

It seems weird to think of something called “email marketing” as being old. Sure, it’s been around a long time, but it’s certainly not old-fashioned. Like an aging hall of fame athlete, it still has game. Unfortunately, too many companies keep it “riding the pine” while they use all those younger marketing tactics. Okay, enough with the sports analogies… here’s why you are missing out on a powerful tool if you haven’t at least considered email marketing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”Arial Black, Gadget, sans-serif” text_size=”34″ align=”left” font_type=”safefont”]”There are three times more email accounts than there are Facebook and Twitter accounts combined.” – Radicati[/mk_blockquote][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4919″ alignment=”right” border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]You have a captive audience. With most marketing tactics, you have to work harder to convince people to take a desired action. With email marketing, you’re just a click away from reaching your customers or clients. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that they will click, but effective email marketing is for a different discussion altogether.

Sure, you have a somewhat captive audience for your social media followers. But, assuming you are doing things above board and people on your email list voluntarily opted in, they are more committed to your business than someone who likes your Facebook page. And even though most of us get a good amount of email, there isn’t the same amount of noise you have to break through on social media platforms.

When someone signs up for your email list, it’s a more “intimate” commitment to your brand. As KISSmetrics aptly puts it, you are a part of “their inner electronic sanctum.”

According to technology market research firm Radicati, there are three times more email accounts than Twitter and Facebook accounts combined. Maybe that doesn’t phase you because your target demographic is on social media anyway. Okay, well take a deeper look at the numbers. While it varies, emails generally see about a 20 to 25 percent open rate. That blows away the 6 percent average organic reach on Facebook.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Email is a priority for most people. While social media dominates our society in so many ways, people can take time off from it, even if it’s just for a few days or a week. People who use email (basically everyone), can’t be as flexible with it, assuming they are getting important correspondence through it.

Don’t misunderstand me. Social media is a vital marketing tool nearly every type of business needs to take advantage of. It’s just that you are missing out, if you don’t at least evaluate the possibility of implementing an email marketing strategy.

Email subscribers want what you have to offer. If your business centers around selling a product or service (as opposed to content-driven media businesses), email subscribers are more likely to fork over their hard earned money.

Social media is the superior way to keep your customers constantly engaged and for general brand awareness. But when you want to “close the deal,” email is often the way to go.

In fact, Monetate’s 2013 Ecommerce Quarterly showed that email was responsible for more conversions than both search and social: 3.19 percent for email, 1.95 percent for search, and 0.71 percent for social.

Email integrates well with your social media strategy. You can grow your email list through social media, and conversely, promote social engagement through your email communications.

Whether one works better for you than the other matters less than the fact that they can each be implemented to complement and boost the effectiveness of the other.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]