Is Email Marketing Dead?

In today’s digital world where in-boxes are crammed with spam and social media seems to be choking out traditional marketing, is email marketing even relevant and worth the time or the investment for small business owners?

Is email marketing dead?

A big question on the minds of many small business owners today is, “Is Email Marketing Dead?” Well, the answer might surprise you. Email marketing was never dead. As an advertising and marketing method it’s constantly created a lot more ROI than almost anything else and 68% of customers still choose to obtain advertising deals through email (via emailisnotdead.com). It was stated dead some time back because social networks took off and everyone assumed that was going to cut email out as a viable marketing option.

In fact, though, email is stronger and more in demand than ever. A recent Adobe study finds that email is addicting and highlights that:

• Americans are addicted to email and check it around the clock
• People are guilty of checking email in awkward locations or times
• Email is and will remain a cornerstone of workplace culture
• Millennials check email more frequently than other age groups
• Email marketers need to do a better job to improve conversion rates

Even fortune 500 businesses and social media mega sites speak as much concerning building an email checklist as they talk about obtaining Facebook likes. A survey for the 2015 State of Small Business record, Inc.com reported that 46% of small companies stated they utilize email marketing as a top marketing tactic.

In addition, according to emailsnotdead.com people prefer email for commercial communications where:

• 81% of US online shoppers are more likely to make additional purchases, either online or in a store, as a result of emails based on previous shopping behaviors and preferences. – Harris Interactive
• 72% of consumers say that email is their favored conduit of communication with companies they do business with.
• 61% say they like to receive promotional emails weekly and 28% want them even more frequently. – MarketingSherpa (2015)

What’s Different in Email Marketing Today?

Today’s customers are tech-savvy, busy, and have no time or desire for spam. That means it is up to you to make your business stand out from all the others. No matter what form of marketing you use, or your industry,  the right technique and material should make the distinction between mail being trashed or changed into earnings.

How to make your email stand out and get noticed

• Know what type of information your customers are willing to share. When asking for a customer’s email keep it simple and relevant to your industry or business. Most people are not willing to share more than their name and email address unless it is relevant to your business and their needs.
• Personalize your emails to your customer’s interests, habits, or life events.  According to a 2016 study conducted by Adlucent, 71% of consumers said they would prefer ads tailored to their personalized interests and shopping habits.
• Incite curiosity.
  Option 1. Possibly the most overlooked home page opportunity in the universe…?
  Option 2. Which home page kills it? A comparative analysis
  The first subject line did 4.6 percent better than the second one. This means curiosity does boost your email open rates. (via Inc.com )
• Be explicit about the value consumers will receive when they share personal information. Providing offers and discounts in exchange for an email or mailing address can drive consumer action.
• Test and optimize your campaign. The A/B testing feature in email is a way to let you test two slightly different emails to your audience so that you can obtain information on which triggered the most engagement and then use the most effective email to send as a final email send.