That’s an ongoing question for nearly all businesses. With Social Media platforms continuing to grow, as ‘influencers’ and monetizers abound, is there still a place for dedicated marketing communication?
The answer is: yes.
Done correctly email is still a very powerful tool for marketing and sales. Research(1) shows that 15-25% % of opt-in marketing email gets opened and read v. 0.07% of social media posts.
But percentages only tell part of the story – let’s talk about people. Specifically, your customers. Time. Is. Money. And a dedicated email addresses and respects that – you are signaling to your customers that there is inherent value within that email – something of value to them.
In terms of ROI, email marketing tends to have a significantly higher return than other channels as it's estimated that email generates $38 for every $1 spent—an astounding 3800% ROI. Social media comes in at a distant second place with an estimated average ROI of 28%. (2)
In short, dedicated marketing email allows a directed focus towards the customer’s business, whereas social media is geared towards pleasure viewing and is often a focus AWAY from a Call to Action.
So. How do you make email a continuing effective marketing tool?
Glad you asked! Here are a few of suggestions:
Target your emails. The better-targeted your marketing materials are, the more successful you'll be. With email, you can segment your list as many ways as you want to target specific demographics.
Do not inundate your list. In general, everyone on your list has already opted-in to receive email from you – but too much of anything – even a good thing – can quickly become annoying and your target audience will simply ignore them.
Give them an ROI. This is where email really shines! Social Media platforms are full of broad-based stories that focus on the seller. That’s fine for personal use. But in business, especially in industries other than direct retail (services, etc), it’s essential that you give an ROI. In business, time really is money. Make it worth their while.
Need more info on how to effectively leverage email (and social media) marketing? Let us help you! Our staff is highly experienced in all aspects of marketing and can help you grow your business to the next level – and beyond!
Footnotes
(1) Campaign Monitor via Agency Analytics, 17 February 2021
(2) Agency Analytics