Email Marketing Isn't Dead! Here Are 6 Signs it is Kicking Ass
Why would anyone say that "email marketing is dead"?
I am curious. Why do people keep referencing the quote, "Email marketing is dead"? Who said this? It seems every person on earth seems to know this isn't really the case. Absurd, right? Logically, I think we can verify that by looking at our inbox every day. I don't know about you but my inbox is filled with 100's of messages a day and those are the ones I WANT! Email allows for more personal communication than social media. Social Media is important but email marketing is essential.
Your Business Goal
Isn't every business owner's end goal to build their email list (at the very basic level)? Can you have a growing, successful business if you don't participate in an email marketing campaign? You can't build steady revenue, you can't communicate effectively with leads and you can't determine where people are in the buyer's journey without email.
People would shout, "What about cold calls, personal interaction or referrals?" There are always customers you can generate this way but your reach is limited and small for the amount of effort that you put in. Also, one of the main goals of these interactions is to get their EMAIL address! These efforts aren't fruitless but their impact is decreasing. It is all about reaching the most people and the right people, at the right time. There is no better way to do this than a solid email marketing strategy that can be analyzed and adjusted in real time.
Fretful Fred's Journey Continues
If you remember from previous weeks, I introduced you to my friend Fretful Fred who was starting a brand new construction business. HIs contact list is pretty small but growing steadily. Many of today's business tools are different than what Fred is familiar with. Fretful Fred talks to his trusted and wise mentor Yoda and asks, "How can email help grow my business? How can I generate leads and revenue from that?
Yoda says, "Understanding the importance you must learn. Let me show you the way."
1. Email marketing has a huge return on investment
According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing yields an estimated 4,300 percent Return on Investment (ROI). Every dollar spent on email marketing offers a return of $43. Check out this nifty ROI calculator brought to you by http://www.emailmarketingroi.com.
2) Email marketing drives purchases
Did you know that according to Direct Marketing Association (DMA) report findings, 66 percent of online consumers made a purchase as a result of an email marketing message?
3) Email marketing is the most widely used marketing technology
4) Email use continues to grow
The Emails Statistics Report (2013 - 2107) from the Radicati Group, Inc shows some mind boggling statistics and forecasts for the future of email.
"The total number of worldwide email accounts is expected to increase from nearly 3.9 billion accounts in 2013 to over 4.9 billion accounts by the end of 2017. This represents an average annual growth rate of about 6% over the next four years."
"Email remains the predominant form of communication in the business space. This trend is expected to continue, and business email will account for over 132 billion emails sent and received per day by the end of 2017."
5) Email marketing messages are vital. An article from Campaign Monitor shows these statistics:
6) People prefer communication through email more than other forms of communication. This graph is from marketing research that was completed by Marketing Sherpa.
Next Steps
This infographic shows simple tips you can use to create an email marketing campaign that isn't dead.
Use the tips above and some of the tricks below to begin to grow your email list:
- Create stellar content that you can use and repurpose to generate interest for your product.
- Create a webinar - when people sign up their email addresses will be requested
- Create an incentive - coupons or discounts or free educational material
- Have a contest
- Add a call to action button on your Facebook page
- Add a link on your digital signature to your sign-up page
- Partner with experts (guest blog or building a following on forums)
Fretful Fred never imagined how much impact email marketing had on a business. He could see how using email could improve his business in many ways. He said, "Thank you again Yoda, you are full of priceless information."