Who even checks their email anymore? Email was invented ages ago for the baby boomers of today. Now we have smartphones and a dozen social apps for communication. Who has the time or need for an email? You probably hear those kinds of statements all the time and wonder if emails really are outdated? The truth is that people who share those opinions don’t know a thing about digital marketing trends or statistics. Emails are still widely used for day-to-day interactions, sharing of valuable data/files, issuing important notices, and so on. They are most popular in professional environments, and a preferred channel to communicate in the workplace.
Trust the Experts and Statistics
When the statistics of different digital marketing strategies are compared, the results show that email marketing is responsible for generating about a quarter of all Ecommerce sales. Digital marketing experts speak highly of the influence of emails in the modern advertising industry. Agencies that provide Email Marketing Services claim that the ROI from email campaigns exceeds that from paid ads through SEM and Social Media Marketing. If an email marketing scheme didn’t work for your business, there’s a simple explanation for it. While email marketing continues to thrive, old techniques sure have died.
Email marketing trends have evolved over the years; just like all other forms of modern advertising, emails have to be tailored to the expectations and likings of the target audience. Believe it or not, 90% of the U.S population aged 15 and above check their email every day. Many of us are checking in more than a dozen times per day, which proves that email accounts are here to stay. Let us not forget that we have email apps now, so we remain constantly aware of what appears in our inbox. There’s no denying that we ignore at least 70% of the mails we receive, but the remaining are certainly of some importance.
Go for ‘Targeted’ and ‘Organic’
The emails that remain unread, go to the junk/spam folder, or are sent to trash are essentially lacking in relevance and character. If you want the recipient to take out the time to read your email and engage in its content, you will have to make it worth their while. First of all, if your alleged emailing list is bought or paid for, discard it this instant. Loyal and promising consumers are generated organically, i.e. they willfully opt into receiving emails from you and look forward to them. Sending out promotional emails to random users who know nothing about your brand, and probably hold no interest in what you have to offer are obviously going to ignore you. You have to know your audience to target the right people – social media marketing tools can help you with that.
Timing and Relevance matters
The next thing you need to work on is your email subject or tagline. The generic and overused phrases have to go. Modern users prefer personalized mail that intrigues them, which is quite the challenge to overcome. However, you have to stay true to your brand; if you start sending out extraneous stuff as click bait, you might bring in the traffic, but you won’t earn any customers or followers. Building a productive and responsive mailing list takes time; you have to update it regularly as well. Make your emails fun and make sure the timing is right for your campaign.
For instance, if you are hoping to sell Holiday/Christmas themed stuff, you should start sending out those promotional emails by the end of November. This way, the consumers you engage through your emails will have time to take a look at everything you have and think over it. Make sure you display a few items that stand out because Ecommerce is a highly competitive market. Your lead magnets should be well-stocked, and don’t forget to send in a reminder about ten days before Christmas Eve.
