Top 3 Reasons You Should Invest in Email Marketing

The key to successful marketing is the ability to go where the people are.  When radios were all the rage, marketers were on the radio.  When televisions took center stage, those same advertisers flocked to the little picture box.  Now target audiences are spending more time on their computers and mobile devices and communicating via email and social media.

For marketers, email can be used for a variety of purposes. It is the preferred way to keep relationships with customers alive. It can be used to introduce your company to potential clients.  It can also be used to tell existing clients about the great deals that you have, events that your company will be at, or new products you’re offering.  If your company doesn’t have an email list to contact and follow up with customers, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.

Email Marketing Renaissance

Email marketing has flagged in the past, especially when spamming was a real problem. However, it is an effective way to maintain a customer base. It’s coming back and coming back big. Thanks to people carrying mobile devices everywhere they go, email marketers can now reach customers anywhere and anytime. Forbes Magazine states that more than 70 percent of marketers now use email marketing as a major part of their strategy to promote business. Nearly 60 percent of marketers will increase their email budgets during 2015 and in the years to come.

Email Marketing is Cost Effective

Television, radio, and billboard marketing require that you design an advertisement and buy time in various markets.  For a national brand, the budgets for these types of campaigns can quickly be blown out of proportion.  An email marketing campaign still requires good design, but you can get that in front of someone in Atlanta just as easily as someone in Dallas with a few mouse clicks.You can expand your marketing efforts without having to expand your budget.

With a large list and a small production cost, the Direct Marketing Association says that email marketing can have a ROI of up to 4000%.  Once the mailing list is in place, all you have to do is write an email and then hit send.  No need to collaborate with market providers like you would have to do with traditional forms of marketing.

Also, email doesn’t need flashy additions or crazy add-ons. In fact, many of the spam filters out there will outright reject emails that look too much like an advertisement or use shady tactics.Simpler is better. All you need is an effective copywriter on your side.

Filtering and Better Content is the Key to More Emails Being Opened

In the beginning, business email was very ‘me’ centered. It was always pitching a product.  The message that customers have overwhelmingly sent is that they would rather receive an email from a company whose list they subscribed to, one that provides value beyond a product pitch.

An email marketing message from a subscribed list is seen as relevant and not spammy. It takes more than just an existing business relationship to make an effective marketing message. With the right headlines, an email becomes more appealing to open. If the content in the mail is appealing enough, the customer will stay subscribed.

An email that you send to a list of interested customers is more likely to be opened than a message that you’ve been mentioned on Facebook. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn also have email subscriber lists for their various groups. You can get someone’s posts or tweets sent directly to your email. However, what many people find is that their inboxes get flooded with information after they subscribe. Much of it gets passed over, attention fatigue sets in, and the user unsubscribes.

Email has evolved from being a broadcast medium filled to overflowing with a ‘buy me’ message into a tool which modern marketers use to tell stories, get people engaged with the products, and offer real value to their clients. In return, companies get continued attention, brand recognition, and conversions. Email marketing is still a useful tool, but it is a tool that must be correctly used. Craft a value-filled email and you might be surprised at the return that you get from such a simple marketing strategy.

Shariq Toor is Content Strategist and Outreach Expert at Marketing Zen Group.. He loves discovering the latest trends in Technology, Social Media, and Health. In his off time, he practices landscape photography and keep up with his favorite sports. Twitter: @Shariqtoor