Accounting Documents

What is email marketing?

When you hear the phrase ‘email marketing’, you may mistakenly associate it with sending out ‘spam emails’, which are unsolicited emails to random people in the hopes that it will garner a sale. As you are probably aware, this is very annoying – especially if you receive several spam emails each day.  However, that is not what email marketing is. 

Email marketing is an innovative way of keeping in touch with potential and current customers, by sending them emails about your products and services and encouraging them to make a purchase. However, the key difference is that they have signed up for the service – perhaps by joining a mailing list or providing their contact information on your website. 

As technology continues to develop, so do email marketing strategies. As a result, email marketing remains one of the most popular and successful forms of online marketing – helping companies grow and develop their customer base each and every day.

In fact, whilst some forms of advertising have dipped in and out of popularity over time, email marketing has continued to provide consistent results over the last 20+ years and will continue to do so into the future. 

As a result, you must dedicate some time to crafting the perfect email marketing strategy for your business/company. 

Why should email marketing be an essential part of your business?

Due to its consistently high success rates, email marketing should be considered an essential part of your business strategy, especially if you are looking to improve your sales. However, it also has a range of other benefits, including: 

  • Email is one of the most popular forms of online communication, with most people checking their email at least once a day. This means that people will take more notice of the information you send to them.
  • Newsletters or mailing lists also allow you to develop a strong yet friendly relationship with your customers, as you keep them up to date with what is happening with the company, provide insight into new product releases, and promote your products through offering exclusive discount codes. It is a great way to build loyalty between yourself and a client.
  • Not every email you send has to be about sales, you can use it to find other ways to generate traffic to your website, or ask for feedback from customers. In fact, the more feedback you receive, the more your business will grow as it allows you to improve your business/products. 
  • Finally, well-written emails will encourage sales.

Types of email marketing

There are numerous different types of email marketing/marketing automation that you can utilize to your advantage. They include: 

  • A weekly newsletter, providing company updates or sharing interesting stories related to your brand.
  • An email announcing a new product/service. Or, you can share little snippets of information in the run-up to a new release, garnering interest early. You can also embed video in a mail to  increase the email open rate.
  • Monthly emails detailing new releases or things to look out for. It could be based on a specific theme, for example: ‘Must-have products this fall’
  • Event invitation or reminder emails.
  • Emails that are sent in collaboration with another business, perhaps if you are releasing a product/attending the same event. These are referred to as co-marketing emails.
  • Thank you for emails – thanking customers for making a purchase/signing up to your mailing list.

You can begin your email marketing efforts with email automation software such as Outfunnel to create drip campaigns and work on your lead generation.

10 reasons your business needs to consider email marketing in 2021

  1. It’s a great way to boost your sales

As you develop a client/subscriber list, you will be able to send emails directly to the customers who are most likely to make a purchase. After all, if they have signed up for the service they have already demonstrated an interest in your product. Therefore, all you have to do now is lead them towards the sale, by sending a quick, persuasive email with a link to your sales page.

A study by Campaign Monitor found that 72% of people prefer receiving promotional content through email, and are more likely to purchase than they would be should they see an advertisement on social media. According to the DMA, email advertising earns a company around $38 for every $1 they spend – meaning it is a worthwhile investment for your company.

  1. A sure-fire way to increase your website traffic

Email marketing is also a great way to increase traffic towards your website, which can improve the overall visibility of your company/business and bring more clients your way.  

After all, The more people looking at your website, the more you will grow. As mentioned previously, people are more likely to click on a link they have received in their email than they are to follow a link from social media. 

This is because they have signed up for the service and know that they can trust you. When they are clicking a social media link, there is less security involved and consequently, less trust.

  1. Quick results

Email marketing can also ensure you receive quick results. This is partly due to the fact that you do not need to spend a lot of time creating, or sending out content – it can be done within the click of a button and the result is near-instantaneous. As soon as customers receive their email, they can browse through the information provided and make their way over to your website. 

  1. Lead generation

Lead generation is the process of identifying potential customers and presenting them with information regarding your products or services. It is more likely to increase your revenue than paying for ads to be promoted more generally, as it directly targets your target audience. Email marketing is a great way to see results from lead generations, as you know whether or not you are marketing towards the right people. 

  1. Promote your services

Sometimes, a person may follow several hundred companies on social media. As a result, they may not always see the posts your brand puts out there and may miss out on vital information. 

As a result, email marketing is a great way to help you remain at the forefront of their mind, as they receive consistent updates directly to their phone. The information comes to them, and they don’t have to go out there and find it. As a result, your services are promoted more efficiently. 

  1. Build up your audience

Email marketing is also a great way to build an audience. The more people that sign up for your mailing list, the more potential customers you have. Furthermore, to keep your audience engaged – you need to remain in regular contact or provide them with consistent content. 

For example, there is no use running a social media page if it is outdated or barely used. Sending a weekly email is a great way to entertain your subscribers, whilst keeping them informed about what is going on with your company and what products you are set to release. 

  1. Find new clients

For your company to grow, you need to reach a wider audience that will allow you to develop further and increase your sales. However, it can be particularly difficult to reach out to new customers, especially as you don’t want to feel invasive. However, email marketing is a great way to increase your client base. 

For example, if you run a clothing company, your client may originally sign up to your mailing list as you send out regular styling tips and tricks. However, if you embed links to products within those emails, a casual viewer of your website could become a client with just the click of a mouse. 

  1. It adds a personal touch

Email marketing allows you to add a more personal touch to your marketing, which makes customers feel more valued. For example, most email software allows you to address the receiver directly, using the name they signed up to the service with. Instantly, they feel a stronger connection with you/your brand. 

Furthermore, you can personalize the content you send out depending on which of your mailing lists you are getting in contact with, ensuring that they receive the kind of email they are going to be interested in. 

  1. Help your brand thrive

Email marketing is also a great way to help your brand thrive. For example: 

  • It shines a spotlight on products/services that customers otherwise might not know about.
  • It generates excitement, as you can share information about upcoming releases. This builds hype around your products.
  • It encourages people to make a purchase. The more products you sell, the more people will come across your products/brand.
  1. Strengthen the relationship with your clients 

The key to building a good relationship is communication. Therefore, you must find numerous ways to communicate with your clients should you wish to succeed. While this can include interacting over social media, email is the most effective way to maintain regular correspondence, especially if you send out weekly or bi-weekly newsletters. 

This helps the customer feel well informed and up to date with everything that is happening and can lead to them making more purchases in the future. 

Email marketing has plenty of benefits and it’s not something your business can simply pass by. With very few drawbacks, this is the kind of marketing that works and delivers every time.

By Anurag Rathod

Anurag Rathod is an Editor of Appclonescript.com, who is passionate for app-based startup solutions and on-demand business ideas. He believes in spreading tech trends. He is an avid reader and loves thinking out of the box to promote new technologies.