Is Email Marketing Dead?
If you’re reading this now I got your attention. There are countless myths out there when it comes to email; for example, Monday is the best day to send an email, morning emails get faster responses, social media is replacing email, and of course the big one…email is dead.
Sure, social media rolled in like the new kid on campus, but Facebook can never completely take the role of email. The fact is, email isn’t dead; it’s forever developing and changing. Not only is email still the leader for business and office communication, but email marketing remains one of the top digital marketing strategies still to this day.
Social Versus Email
Social media sites are noisy channels where information is both plentiful and disposable. Email provides a direct line of communication that Facebook and Twitter can’t compete with. This is why email marketing matters now more than ever, because while user engagement on social sites is high, email marketing provides the opportunity for quality connections. In fact, a McKinsey & Company study found that email is almost 40 times better than Facebook and Twitter when it comes to acquiring new customers.
Quality over Quantity
Email marketing is your opportunity to build and develop lasting relationships with loyal customers. This all starts with streamlining your email list and really getting to know your customer base. That direct line also means you can personalize emails and send information to those who will actually find it interesting or useful.
HubSpot’s Science of Email data shows emails that are addressed by name or include “thank” in the subject line all have a higher opening rate than commercial emails that don’t. By utilizing email marketing as a powerful relationship building tool and personalizing your emails you can make those daily interactions really count.
Perception and Persuasion
Changing attitudes towards email is also a major factor when thinking about email marketing. Successful email marketing campaigns need a strategic approach that is intelligently planned. This is mainly due to users changing behaviours regarding email.
HubSpot’s Science of Email report also provides a lot of information when examining people’s email behaviour. While the amount of commercial emails being sent is increasing, fewer promotional emails are actually getting through to customers. Now this may sound bleak from a marketing standpoint, but the reality is marketers need to be more intelligent when it comes to designing marketing campaigns. It’s the age old question; what can you do to get readers to open up your message?
On a more encouraging note, there is a high Return On Investment (ROI) when your message is marketed right. An emailexpert report recently found that for every $1 spent on email marketing, the average return is $44.25.
Not Dead Yet
So while email marketing may be more challenging today than it was in the past, it’s still an invaluable tool in digital marketing. The key to email marketing strategy is to know your audience, build quality relationships and use intelligent and targeted strategies to get the highest ROI.
Learn More About Our Email Marketing Program