Everyone who is online has an email. Without an email, you can’t sign up for any social media site, subscribe to YouTube, or even send your CV in response to a job offer. Most people are automatically logged into their email service via phone, which means they’ll even get a notification when the email arrives.
Given how 4.3 billion people use email, saying that email marketing is unimportant is preposterous. There’s no other digital marketing method with such a reach or one that can be as persuasive. On top of this, email marketing has some of the most dependable KPIs. Lastly, the ROI of email marketing is still through the roof.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is a powerful tool in any business’s digital marketing strategy. It provides a direct and personal way of delivering content to customers — from one-to-one messages to email newsletters with promotions, and so much more. This form of digital marketing is beneficial for both small and large businesses, as it helps promote products or services with lead generation, brand awareness, and by building relationships with customers.
One of the key advantages of email marketing for businesses is its ability to automate the process when used in conjunction with popular marketing automation tools. For instance, automated emails can be set up to send after certain actions are taken within an email sequence or segmenting customers, so that different campaigns are sent based on their characteristics or activities. Automation opens up new opportunities for efficient use of your time and resources in targeting potential customers while providing personalized communication at scale.
Why Email Marketing is Important
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways for businesses to nurture leads and boost customer loyalty. There are many reasons businesses should prioritize email marketing, here are the top three.
First, emails remain the #1 communication channel for both individuals and businesses worldwide. Email allows businesses to develop a well-defined dialogue with their customers across multiple channels as opposed to a onetime conversation on social media or cold call. Email communication is not only efficient in keeping customers up-to-date on product launches, promotions, sales and more, but also personalizes emails based on customer data, signifying an appreciation for their loyalty.
Another reason email marketing is important is because it has one of the highest ROI’s compared to other digital advertising tactics. With having great access to analytics tools that can track opens, clicks and conversion rates; companies can gauge what’s working best for them in order to improve their campaigns and make smarter decisions. Utilizing existing customer data within emails helps target potential segments of consumers who would appreciate offers special discounts or promotions related to their likes/dislikes, which would ultimately lead to higher open rates and click-throughs.
Overall email marketing provides a unique way to reach customers in a streamlined and cost-effective way. With its ability to nurture leads, build relationships with customers, target segments of consumers, and create a personalized experience for them; email marketing should remain at the forefront of any business’s digital strategy for years to come.
How do you build email lists for marketing?
Building an email list is essential for successful email marketing campaigns. To ensure you keep your contacts list up to date and accurate, you must only add people who have given their express permission–otherwise known as ‘opting in’. Anybody you add to your list will have agreed to receiving emails from you once they provided their email address with an email signup form on your blog, website, landing pages, social media or other platforms.
To get started building your email list, consider adding signup forms in places that are already popular with customers. Your website, blog or landing page are obvious places to start but don’t forget about the power of social media either. Adding a signup form to your Facebook page or Twitter profile could be a great way to capture email addresses. You could also consider running promotions with competitions or discounts as incentives for people to join your mailing list.
Six compelling reasons email marketing will still be important in 2023
#1. ROI
According to some surveys, the ROI of email marketing is still 4400%. With every $1 you invest, you can expect to get $44 back. In a year of economic uncertainty, where you need to know that every dollar is spent wisely, this is precisely what you’re looking for.
Now, the costs of email marketing vary. It can go from $10 to $1,000 per month. The first figure is not even an exaggeration. It all comes down to the platforms and software licenses that you choose to buy. With the rise of SaaS startups and services, this becomes even more viable.
Companies that outsource their email marketing campaign for anywhere between $300 and $500 per month, which is more than manageable.
Either way, you’ll have to plan your email marketing budget before proceeding.
Another thing you need to consider is the quality of the content you’re sending. Writing custom content will cost you extra, but it may be worth your while.
Also, some marketers are concerned about hidden costs. You must conduct a careful interview and inspect the information. There’s simply no way around it.
#2. Better results
Email marketing has superior conversion rates than social media marketing. Some studies show that email marketing is 40 times more effective than social media marketing at getting new customers.
The results are even more impressive regarding specific niches and industries. For example, if you focus your campaign on email marketing for dentists, you’ll get better results than if you try to be all things to all people.
While the number of social media users is rapidly rising, the numbers are still nowhere near the number of email users. On average, we estimate the number of email users at 4.3 billion. That’s more than half of the total human population. Email is the primary medium.
Daily, around 333.2 billion emails are sent. While this sounds like it crowds people’s inboxes the number of emails that are opened and responded to is not to be underestimated, either.
There’s a reason 2 out of 3 marketers use email marketing for organic content distribution. Not to mention that the results delivered by email marketing are easier to measure. The open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate are pretty indicative. In all these fields, email marketing has better results.
#3. Permission from the target audience
The best way to describe email marketing is with the word “consensual.” The thing is that you’re sending them an email that they have no obligation to answer. They can put it in spam, not open it, or ignore it entirely.
That they have a choice means that if they open it, they’re already more receptive to your message. You’ll manage their expectations from square one if you know how to make a compelling subject line. One of the biggest problems with digital marketing is unusually high bounce rates. This happens because of tactics like clickbait. The opposite is true in writing a good subject line.
With every step, you ask your clients for permission and gently lead them down this path. A well-written email will tell them what to expect, introduce them formally, and make a suggestion. A good CTA will drastically increase the chance of success, seeing as how the audience knows exactly what to expect after clicking.
The main reason why this works is because of a principle known as the customer lifecycle. According to this, your customers take a step-by-step journey to becoming paying customers. They hear about your brand, research it, follow it, and only then decide to buy it. Some take minutes, but for others, it may take weeks or months. Either way, email marketing fits this perfectly.
#4. Personalization
Everyone loves preferential treatment. No one likes to receive generic messages, especially if they’re not sure they come from a human. So, it’s very important that you know how to personalize your email marketing strategy in the right way.
Addressing people by their names is the first step. You can get a lot of this customer data from various email platforms. CRM platforms are even better, giving you many cross-selling and upselling chances. If you know the last pages your target audience went to, you can make them an offer that will be hard to turn down. There are many great resources to help you further improve this.
Also, it gives you some fantastic opportunities for re-engagement. The best ways to increase your sales are to find out how many people abandon their shopping carts and to reach out to past customers again. Personalized, customized emails are perfect for that.
Remember, however, that these emails take more effort. They require customer data, and they ask for more of your time. Their ROI is through the roof. This way, your customers feel heard and noticed and respond in kind.
#5. Measurable results
Previously, we’ve mentioned that email marketing performance is effortless to track. Since the KPI is so informative, it’s easy to tell how well your campaign works and which areas need improvement. The vital KPIs of email marketing are:
- The number of emails delivered: The number of emails that are delivered, compared to the number of emails that are sent, shows your bounce rate. This is the efficiency metric that can be solved with a simple email verification tool; however, this is an extra expense for your campaign.
- The number of opened emails: If you’re not marked as spam, every email you send will be delivered. However, many people might choose not to open your emails. This is determined by familiarity and your subject line. Also, by comparing your open rate to others in the industry, you’ll get an idea of where you stand.
- Click-through rate: Your CTR is the number of people who clicked on the CTA in your email. This CTA is the purpose why you sent the email in the first place. If anything, this might be the most important metric of them all.
- Click-to-open rate: How many people who have opened your email have clicked on the CTA? By determining this, you’ll get an idea if there’s something wrong with your email content.
- Unsubscribe rate: Some people don’t like being flooded by emails, especially if they’re not responding. The rate at which people unsubscribe may be a powerful indicator that there’s something that you’re not doing right. Perhaps you should lower the rate you’re sending emails or something along those lines.
In the end, these KPIs show the exact area of your email marketing that needs improvement. They’re completely invaluable to any marketer.
#6 Segmenting subscribers
You can segment your subscribers in so many ways using email marketing. You can segment them by the products they buy, how frequently they open their emails, or even how much they’ve purchased lately. This way, your message to this audience will be most impactful.
There’s no point in spamming people with emails if they aren’t opening them. If anything, this is the quickest way to get marked as spam. Once you get marked as spam enough times, Google will start paying attention, and you might face a ban.
Properly segmenting your audience will make any limited-time or special offer more impactful. For instance, you can make a waitlist or a preorder list of your most loyal customers. Return customers already make up 80% of your income; this way, you can push this notion even further.
One of the smartest ways to divide your audience is to let people opt out of topics. This will prevent them from unsubscribing in the traditional sense. It will also make your emails more impactful.
Video: How to Master Email Marketing (2023)
How do you choose a reliable Email Marketing SaaS?
Choosing a reliable email marketing SaaS (Software as a Service) product can be a daunting task with so many options available. Here are some factors to consider when making your decision:
- Deliverability: A reliable email marketing SaaS should have a good track record of delivering emails to subscribers’ inboxes. Look for platforms that have high deliverability rates and are known for keeping their customers’ emails out of the spam folder.
- Features: Look for a platform that offers the features you need to execute your email marketing campaigns successfully. These may include automation, personalization, segmentation, A/B testing, and integration with other marketing tools you use.
- Ease of use: A user-friendly interface and easy-to-use tools are important, especially if you’re new to email marketing. Look for a platform that offers a drag-and-drop editor, pre-designed templates, and straightforward analytics.
- Customer support: Choose a platform with excellent customer support to help you troubleshoot issues and make the most of the platform’s features. Look for platforms that offer support via multiple channels such as phone, email, and live chat.
- Pricing: Compare pricing plans and choose a platform that fits within your budget. Look for platforms that offer transparent pricing, without hidden fees, and provide clear information on the features available on each plan.
Here are some popular email marketing SaaS platforms you may consider:
- vBout: vBout offers a comprehensive suite of email marketing features, including automation, segmentation, personalization, and analytics. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and extensive integrations with other marketing tools. It offers pricing plans based on the number of contacts you have.
- Acumbamail: Acumbamail is a powerful email marketing SaaS that offers features like automation, segmentation, A/B testing, and a drag-and-drop editor. It has a reputation for excellent deliverability rates and offers transparent pricing plans based on the number of emails you send.
- Mailchimp: Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform that offers a variety of features including automation, personalization, and analytics. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and offers a free plan for users with up to 2,000 subscribers. It also offers paid plans with additional features.
- Constant Contact: Constant Contact is a well-established email marketing platform that offers features like automation, segmentation, A/B testing, and analytics. It’s known for its excellent customer support and offers pricing plans based on the number of contacts you have.
- Sendinblue: Sendinblue is a powerful email marketing platform that offers automation, segmentation, personalization, and analytics. It’s known for its excellent deliverability rates and offers transparent pricing plans based on the number of emails you send.
Ultimately, the best email marketing SaaS platform for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. By considering the factors mentioned above and researching different platforms, you can choose a reliable email marketing SaaS that helps you achieve your marketing goals.
How do You Prevent Marketing Emails going to Spam?
Having clear and concise emails is important for successful communication. However, it can be frustrating if your emails get marked as spam or end up in the junk mail folder. You want to make sure that the recipient will actually see your professional emails rather than miss out on them by having them filtered out of sight.
To prevent this from happening, start by ensuring that you are using correct email etiquette including a proper subject line, sending relevant content, and avoiding “spammy” words such as “free” or “special offer”. It also helps to have the recipient add your company website to their safe contact list so that they know your emails are legit and trustworthy. You should also use an email deliverability service like Mailgun or Amazon SES to ensure consistent deliverability of your messages. This way you can be positive that your email won’t get blocked or marked as spam. With these simple steps, you can set yourself apart from other spammers and give yourself peace of mind knowing that your emails will always reach the intended recipient’s inbox.
Wrap Up
No marketer is abandoning the concept of email marketing. This means that all your competitors are doing it successfully. You are putting yourself at risk of missing out. This is a luxury that you can’t afford.
Many amazing tools are out there, offering packages to enterprises of all sizes. As we’ve said, you can get a CRM and email verification platform for a modest investment and drastically improve your marketing. Outsourcing is also not expensive and has a high return on investment. This means that you have virtually no reason to avoid using email marketing.
Regardless of what other type of marketing you’re using, you should never forget that 4.3 billion people use email. This means that nothing else has this kind of reach.
Originally posted at RuhaniRabin.com. Click here to subscribe now