With the cacophony of pundits praising the value of social media some business
owners doubt whether they should continue to focus on email marketing.
After all, budgets are stretched to the limit and some business is seeing actual
buying patterns develop on social media platforms.
The answer is most companies need a social media presence…however NOT at
the cost of your
email marketing workhorse. Study after study proves email is one of the
most profitable marketing channels available. In fact a
Custora study claims “Customer acquisition via email has quadrupled over
the last 4 years.”
Mobile Devices Drive Email Effectiveness
The strongest push toward email marketing may be a surprise. Mobile devices have
caused an enormous growth because of easy access to email. Research shows that
at the end of 2013, the number of emails being opened on a mobile device exceeds
the number opened on a desktop. This is a big deal.
Email is permission based. It allows the recipient to control what they consume.
Other media is more similar to the old traditional model. Such efforts like Pay
Per Click and advertising on Facebook may be a redefined model of interruptive
advertising – but it still is a push media in a way that turns off many decision
makers.
Email Opens are Increasing
According to a
study in 2013 by Epsilon, the number of people opening emails is rising. The
reason may well stem from the fact people use their smart phones to “fill in the
blanks” of their life. If you have been in a waiting room or stood in line lately,
you know the person who is not looking at their mobile device looks like an outcast.
Checking email has taken the place of conversing with strangers. Although this
may seem like a tragic consequence for humanity, it is good for email marketers.
Content Drives Engagement
Lame email will quickly get your recipients to stop any engagement with your company.
Often they will take the easy route of marking your email as spam rather than unsubscribing,
so it is critically important you offer something they find valuable.
In fact, the cry for relevancy demands even more content to be developed. The
more you develop content specifically targeted to a clearly defined audience at
the proper stage of their buying cycle – the more effect your email marketing will
become.
You may groan at the idea of having to develop even more content. But an investment
providing value to your potential customer far outweighs the cost of getting it
developed. Many companies, large and small, are hiring freelance writers or adding
content staff to meet the need. People who buy products and services demand useful,
educational and actionable information. You gain nothing by resisting the need
for more content.
As you ramp up the email marketing content with specialized information your prospects
want, the complexity of your marketing increases. It is essential you invest the
time in scouring your CRM software for clues how to best
enhance email marketing. You can no longer do a generalized email blast and
hope for any results.