The importance of email marketing has often been a hot topic of debate, especially in recent years. In 2021, as new, exciting technologies emerge and email embarks on its 50th (!!) anniversary, it’s understandable why some marketers may have their doubts about where email fits into their marketing mix. But as any good #emailgeek would tell you, the data shows us that when implemented correctly, email can be one of the most successful channels available. In this article, we’ll dive into six reasons why email marketing is an effective, valuable and important part of any marketing strategy.
- Permission
- Personalization
- Segmentation
- A/B Testing
- Automation
- Return on Investment
Is email marketing effective?
There are many ways to look at email marketing effectiveness depending on what goals your business is trying to achieve. At its core, email marketing is most effective when you’re reaching the right person, with the right message, at the right time. Sounds simple, right? It can be, but in order to achieve that, you need to ensure you:
- Have your audience’s permission: Not only are you legally obligated to have a customer’s permission to send them marketing emails, but an opted-in recipient will lead to better engagement and therefore, better results for your business.
- Personalize your content: Personalized, relevant content is key to creating a 1-on-1 experience and connecting with your customers to build their trust in your brand. Something as simple as using a customer’s first name in a subject line has shown to increase open rates by 50% (Oberlo), but it doesn’t end there. Depending on what data points you have available, you can personalize your email content by geographic location, loyalty status, product interests and so much more.
- Segment your audience: In addition to personalization, it’s also important to segment your audience. Gone are the days where “batch and blast” email marketing tactics yield great results. Customers expect to receive messages that are relevant and valuable to them, and if every subscriber is receiving the same content, you’re not providing much value. The ways to segment your audience vary and will heavily rely on the goals you want to achieve with your email strategy, but here are a few examples of ways to segment your subscriber list: email engagement, purchase behavior, product preferences or website activity.
- Test, implement…then keep testing: The beauty of email marketing is that it allows you to quickly and easily run A/B tests to learn what your audience responds best to – and implement those insights almost just as quickly. From subject lines, CTA buttons, time of day, layouts, color scheme… the possibilities are endless. Once you’ve run your test, you can gather the data and use those insights to impact your next email campaign… and then move on to the next test!
Is email marketing valuable?
The value of email marketing can be addressed by looking at two factors: 1. How much effort you’re putting into email strategy and execution and 2. How much return you are seeing on your investment. Email automation and ROI data play a large role in ensuring you’re getting value out of your email marketing efforts.
- Automation: Have you ever heard the term, “work smarter, not harder?” That applies to emails, too. With email automation, you can set up a campaign one time, and let it continue to do the hard work for you. Plus, data shows that automated email messages such as welcome series, abandoned cart and re-engagement campaigns lead to higher engagement and conversion rates than manual emails. One caveat of automated campaigns: ensure you’re reviewing these messages at least on a quarterly basis to keep tabs on metrics and ensure your content is still timely and relevant.
- Return on Investment: When compared to other channels like social media or PPC ads, the ROI for email is extremely high, which makes it a very valuable piece of your holistic marketing strategy. According to Litmus, for every $1 marketers spend on email, they receive $42 in return. Want to make sure you’re earning every penny of that ROI? Implement good list hygiene and maintenance practices. Sending messages to bad email addresses or unengaged subscribers who aren’t seeing your messages can dramatically decrease your returns.
Check on your email metrics by downloading our Email Marketing Benchmarks Report.
Email marketing: Facts and figures
If the information above isn’t enough to convince you of the importance, effectiveness and value of email marketing, take a look at the data! Here are just a few recent stats that show why email marketing is a great addition to any marketing strategy:
- By 2024, the number of email users is projected to climb to over 4.4 billion – over half the world’s population! (Statista)
- Over 70% of the U.S. population (18-65+) uses email (emfluence Benchmark report)
- In 2020, email send volume increased by 177% in the emfluence marketing platform
- The number of daily email sends is projected to be over 347 billion by 2022 (Statista)
- 49% of consumers said they would like to receive weekly email messages from their favorite brands (Statista)
