Why you should use email marketing as an important ingredient in your overall strategy.
With a plethora of marketing options available–from direct mail to social media, video, native advertising and SEM–the task of designing just the right marketing strategy can prove overwhelming. All too often, businesses overlook significant email marketing benefits in favor of glossy alternatives that may provide an abundance of glamour with comparatively small ROI.
For organizations looking to reach the right customers at the right time with the right message, statistics would suggest a second look at an old standard.
Did you know, for instance, that according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), email boasts a higher conversion rate than either social media or direct mail? Or that 72% of consumers specify email as their preferred source of communication?
Email Marketing Benefits #1: ROI
If you only remember one statistic, this is the statistic to remember. According to DMA, email marketing offers a return of $38 for every $1 spent. That represents a greater ROI than any other channel. For one in five companies, the return is greater than 70-1.
Email campaigns require less time and effort than traditional marketing, at a fraction of the price tag. With no printing costs, no script, and a process that can require limited personnel and just a couple of hours, you can place your products literally in the palm of the consumer’s hand via smartphone.
Email Marketing Benefits #2: Targeted Message, Specific Audience
Sophisticated tools allow you to take personalization to greater heights than ever before. You can control exactly who sees your message by targeting emails according to any data you choose. With intelligent email automation, your emails will arrive at the optimal time in your customer’s purchase cycle.
For example, based on purchase history, a home improvement business can send emails to customers who have previously purchased lawn fertilizer, reminding them to winterize their lawn and offering deals on just the right product.
Email Marketing Benefits #3: Customer Engagement
More interactive than traditional marketing, email makes it easy for consumers to share an advertisement with friends or click through to access more detailed content. Thanks to comprehensive email analytics, every consumer click helps you refine your strategy and more accurately target your marketing.
With low cost, high conversion rates and unmatched ability to offer precisely targeted advertising, email forms an integral part of the smart digital advertising campaign. These and other email marketing benefits suggest that this tried and true tool will continue to power customer contact for the foreseeable future.
