With the rise of social media, PPC campaigns and content advertising, the digital economy can sometimes beg the question does email marketing still work? Well, with over 360 billion emails sent every day, there would be a lot of pointless messages flying around if it didn’t. However, good email marketing doesn’t mean what it used to.
Email marketing is only 4 years away from its 50-year anniversary, so of course, it’s changed a lot over the years. This piece will explore the secrets behind email marketing effectiveness in the 2020s, while also touching on the developments that have impacted the practice negatively.
Why is email marketing dead to some people?
In some marketing circles and teams, email marketing is simply not a concern. The primary reason for this is that there are simply so many other digital marketing channels available to people these days. Many of these could be considered equally, if not more effective than email marketing, such as:
- PPC advertising
- Content marketing
- Social media & influencer marketing
- SEO optimisation
- Direct messenger marketing
- Affiliate marketing
With so many different options available, all showing clear results, some can be led to believe that email marketing has lost it’s relevance.
Others might consider the one-size fits all approach of email marketing to be to its detriment, especially in a time when personalisation is more relevant than ever. A step beyond flavourless email marketing is the ever-present loom of spam – the ultimate marketing turnoff.
All of this, combined with the increasing sophistication of email applications in categorising messages have caused some businesses to abandon email marketing altogether.
What are the secrets to effective email marketing?
So, even with all these elements working against it, why is email marketing still effective? Well, with the projected worldwide revenue from email marketing sitting at just below $10 billion this year (and rising), there must be something going right.
The trick to making email marketing work for you is to embrace the advancements in the format, while also understanding its limitations in the wider digital marketing landscape.
Personalisation is key
As touched on before, email marketing needs to have a touch of personalisation by nature, without tipping the scales into the realm of ‘creepy’ or ‘invasive’. Using data analytics software is a great way to personalise messaging, giving it a better chance to engage with each recipient on your marketing list.
Automation supports personalisation
While personalisation is key to success, it can also be very time-consuming, which is where automation comes in. Using email marketing automation tools, personalised messaging can be sent out without each having to be written and scheduled individually.
Mobile-first design
Does email marketing really work if it doesn’t leave an impression on people using their phones? With more and more online activity taking place on mobile devices, email marketing should be treated as a mobile-first practice. This means using responsive design techniques that are fully optimised for mobile devices, so people can truly connect with messaging, regardless of the device they’re using.
Offer value in email marketing
Effective email marketing should offer something to your leads, even if they don’t take the next steps immediately. This means including something beneficial to them in the content of the email whether it be a special offer a link to an informative blog or even an educational video. Just give your audience a reason to see the email through.
Email marketing is not dead, you just need to keep it healthy
Email marketing can still be a significantly effective limb of a promotional campaign, it just can’t be approached in the same way that it was 45 years ago. With a holistic, modern approach, email marketing can remain, as it is in many cases, the most effective element of a marketing strategy.
