Ever since the Wall Street Journal famously declared that email no longer rules, we periodically hear about how email is dead, replaced by social media. But, like the low-tech business card which thrives in the digital world (as discussed here), email is far from dead. In fact, it remains an effective and vital part of an overall marketing strategy for all types of businesses from online retail to services, providing increased sales and ROI. Here are some interesting stats, taken from EmailIsNotDead.com:
- 66% of consumers have made a purchase online as a direct result of an email marketing message. Direct Marketing Association, 2013
- Email is almost 40 times better at acquiring new customers than Facebook and Twitter. McKinsey & Company, 2014
- 88% of marketers say email marketing brings them a positive ROI. Exact Target, 2014
As email marketing continues to evolve from the one-size-fits-all messages to the daily almost spammy bargains to the present-day, data-driven content, here are three must-have items to incorporate into your messages.
Video. Engagement with video is helpful for a couple of reasons. It increases the amount of clicks-throughs and it also increases the amount of time people view your content. Not too shabby. Many businesses say they don’t have video or it’s too complicated of time consuming and here’s what we have to say about that: Find something. Produce something. Spend time on quality not quantity. Need more convincing? See this infographic from The Relevancy Group:
Responsive Design. More and more email is read on mobile devices vs. desktop and laptop computers and the trend is spiking upward. Make it easy for your clients and potential customers to see your message and get the most out of it. Either use a responsive template or format it appropriately for mobile devices and then test it with your own before you distribute it.
Mobile email “opens” have grown 180% in three years. (From 15% in 2011 to 42% in 2014) – Campaign Monitor
Personalization. This is more than just a mail merge of the personal Hello Mrs. Smith over the impersonal Hello Friend type. By personalization, we also mean to use research and Big Data to target specific messages and items to the most receptive audiences. Age, location, interests, previous web searches and more can all be utilized to tailor-make your email campaigns.
For more Big Data strategies, check out this clip from The Marketing Mojo Show’s Big Data Intervention with Nancy L. Hohns.
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Social media has not replaced email marketing and as they co-exist, use these tips to ensure your campaigns are engaging, responsive and targeted.
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