When it comes to digital marketing, business owners are always looking for the next new thing.  Chances are that these same business owners are overlooking something that truly delivers. Email marketing is not dead.  It is older but that means it is more developed and it is something the consumer is comfortable with.

Customers Prefer To Be Reached By Email

In survey after survey consumers say they prefer email marketing to any other.  Because of this preference your customers are more likely to open and respond to an email.  Email is dependable and easy. It puts the control in the consumers hands and they appreciate this. If a customer doesn’t like an email they can delete it with the touch of a button and if they don’t want your emails in general, they can unsubscribe.  

In fact, many consumers will use their email marketing as a passive means of research.  They know exactly when the local grocery will send out coupons and wait for that email each week before making their list.  They wait for the Amazon deal of the day to show up in their inbox before going in to change their latest “Subscribe & Save.  They look forward to emails from the local running shop to learn more about the next road race. In addition, often times our clients find that even customers who are not opening are emails will call them to schedule a service because the email showing up in the inbox reminded them to make that call.

Email Marketing Is Inexpensive and Gives You Control

Email marketing is inexpensive. In most cases you will pay for the monthly email service such as Robly, Salesforce or Constant Contact but that is where your expense stops. Just like with the consumer, email marketing gives you more control.  Not only can you send out large numbers of emails for very little cost, you can send multiple emails each week to specific segments of your customer base.

Email Marketing Platforms Give You Detailed Insights

Most email marketing platforms allow you to drill down into the details of who is opening your emails, what time, and what they are doing once they are there.  A/B testing allows you to find out the types of subject lines that work best for your customers. Looking into the time of day your emails are opened will allow you to send your email at the optimal time.  Very few marketing tactics will give you the detailed insights email marketing does. You may be surprised at the customers who are clicking through to your website.

Email Marketing Reaches Customers On Their Phone

This year ASMM has attended two major conferences for digital marketing.  The focus on each conference was the move by Google and other search engines to change the web to “mobile first.”  Desktops are becoming the way of the past. If you want to reach your customers in the future, you will need to reach them on their mobile device.  Their phone is where they check their emails while they brush their teeth in the morning. It is what they read when they are having lunch and it is what they take to bed with them at night.  Email marketing is the easiest way for any business to be seen by today’s mobile-based consumer.

Email Marketing Adds Consistency

Consistency is the key to an effective marketing campaign.  Email marketing allows you to stay consistent with your message across the board.  At ASMM, we think of email marketing as the final ingredient to your marketing recipe.  Emails gives you one more opportunity to bring all of your efforts together.

As we move into fall, our home services clients will be posting about their fall tune-ups on all of their social media platforms.  They will have blogs about how a fall tuneup can help your HVAC system last longer and they will send out an email blast that brings this message together with a coupon to encourage their customers to schedule today.

Email marketing is older.  It’s not the next new thing but it doesn’t have to be.  It is inexpensive and effective. It offers you an easy way to reach your customer base the minute you offer a new product or service and it gives you the ability to monitor the results.

If you would like to talk about creating an email marketing plan for your business, call today - 443-679-4916.