At Velocity Media we are big believers in the power of email marketing - not only because it is the foundation of our inbound strategy but also because we know it works.
Done correctly, this branch of marketing is up to 40 times more effective than social media (Source: McKinsey & Company). The same study also shows that the buying process happens 3 times faster than in social media... and we've got the case studies to prove this statement.
What Is Email Marketing?
Does Email Marketing Still Work?
How To Perfect Your Email Marketing Strategy
We know you know the answer, but just in case let's run through the way we see email marketing. It is the use of email within your marketing efforts to promote a business’s products and services, as well as incentivise customer loyalty. It can also be a softer sell to educate your audience on the value of your brand or keep them engaged between purchases, such as sending out weekly or monthly newsletters.
Email has become such a popular marketing tool for businesses partly because it forces the user to take some kind of action; an email will sit in the inbox until it’s read, deleted, or archived. But email is also one of the most cost-effective tools available, too. In fact we'd go so far as to state that if a business does not use email marketing, are they truly on top of their game? The humble email campaign has grown into an industry staple and a norm to boot.
Email marketing still works and is particularly helpful for small and big business owners alike. But like any other marketing channel, it takes time and effort to learn and set up properly. Leveraging automations and marketing integrations can help you take your email marketing to new levels and your business to new heights of profitability.
When you run an advertisement on television or in the newspaper, you have no control over who will see your content. You choose where to advertise based on the publication or channel’s target audience, and hope their readers and viewers are interested.
However, with email marketing, you can segment your email list based on lead status, demographics, location, and other data. This allows you to send targeted emails based on the needs and interests of your customers. You can also personalize your messages for each customer, which can lead to higher conversion rates. Without giving away too much, we will guide you through the HOW shortly.
The first step (and a continuous one at that) is to build your database... after all, you need email addresses to send your emails to, right? Right. This database will be made up of people interested in your brand and products. That's half the battle won! Whether they are prospects wanting to find out more or existing clients and customers, all that matters is that you get them to sign up. This can be done through strong call to actions strewn across your digital presence. Good places to start would be pop-ups on your website, competitions, nudges through social media and lead magnet offerings.
But how do you build an audience of people to send email to as part of your internet marketing efforts in the first place? There are a few ways, and all of them have to do with treating your customers right, taking into consideration marketing best practices.