Why Email Marketing is Still Numeral Uno

Many expert marketers warned us in the past that email marketing was on its way out but nothing could be farther from the truth.

There is no denying that Email Marketing is still one of the most effective methods of directly connecting with customers.

Why email

First, we all use email.

Second, email is the most personal and trusted way of contact and it gets more attention per reader than any other medium.

I know when I get an email from a trusted source, I pay more attention to it than I would a tweet or a Facebook post.

Third, email is permission-based and those that opt-in are giving you the go-ahead to send them information that they deem as trustworthy and of use to them. Email can easily be personalized and adapted to a target group with a specific campaign.

Building a list

As I stated above, customers that are connected via email are more likely to purchase and spend more than those that only associate via social media.

What does that mean? You should make building your email list a priority.

• Capture emails through forms
• Opt-in modal popups on your blog
• Many of the more successful blogs offer free content in exchange for their readers email address. eBooks, white papers, special reports and user guides are just some of the great ways to capitalize.
  

A prominent opt-in form should be displayed in a “can’t miss” area of your site.

If you are using WordPress there are plugins that allow you to add an opt-in checkbox option on your comments form - if you allow comments on your blog.

Email vs. Social Media

Judging by the deluge of articles about social media, it is hard to believe that email has three times as many accounts as Facebook and Twitter combined.

There are over 144.8 billion emails sent every day (Radicati Group) and still it seems that everyone is talking about social media.

While social media is important, research has proven that the good old-fashioned email is still the best method of obtaining and retaining loyalty.

Going mobile

Email is a big hit with mobile advertising campaigns as well. More email is being accessed via mobile devices over desktop application. Research suggests that close to 50% of all email is viewed on smartphones and tablets (Radicati Group).

Mobile isn’t going anywhere; in fact, it is growing in popularity at an exponential rate.

The ugly

Email still has room to improve especially when dealing with spam rates. Studies show that 84% of email sent today is spam (Radicati Group) leaving many readers wary of giving their email address to just anyone.

Despite its few shortcomings, when done right, email can be the center of your marketing efforts for years to come.

Don’t forget about the power of an email and value of your email list.

Flickr Creative Commons image by zenat_el3ain