Email Marketing

Make it your mission to land in an inbox because email marketing still provides one of the best ROI’s for digital marketing efforts.

Think of your own behavior, you wake up in the morning and the first thing you reach for is your phone. And after turning off your alarm, on your phone, because it probably woke you up in the first place, what’s the first thing you check, even before coffee? I check email. And then maybe my meeting schedule. Why? I don’t actually know- habit, seeing what sales are going on (the eCommerce machine has me), who sent me important information, how I will prioritize my day? Regardless, it is what I do first.

Large commercial email providers like Hotmail started popping up in 1996 (note, that is over 20 years ago now) and are still going strong. Emails are still the foundation for how we connect with friends, groups and brands online. Our inboxes are surprisingly intimate in a world of shiny ads. Think about it, you actually control everything that is in there.

You have opted in to receive it, for the most part.

It’s where we browse through sales from the brands and organizations we love, see what our friends are updating on social media, and get updates on our latest work projects. You may get 200 a day, but in between the delete, delete, delete, you still engage with the ones that are giving you the information you want or telling you about the most recent sale at your favorite store. Yes, I actually need 5 reminders about the sale that is running because I am busy, and don’t remember I clicked on that email two days ago, built a cart full of clothes, and then navigated away because I got distracted.

As a retail brand or service company, email marketing is one of the best places to reach your customers. Here are a few statistics to back that up.

• Gmail alone has one billion active users and across all other email networks that number jumps to three billion users. Everyone. Has. An. Email.
• Email marketing is easy, fast, and affordable; for every $1 spent, it returns an average $38 in ROI.
• And for eCommerce brands, it is important to note, email notifications about abandoned carts have up to a 40.5% open rate.

Don’t forget mobile when talking email marketing.

Where do you check your email the most? Did you know that 55% of all emails are opened first on a mobile device? Of these, 80% are opened up on iOS. That means you need an email marketing campaign that is designed to put mobile (especially iOS) first.
Being a mobile aficionado isn’t just a good idea, it is a must.

You don’t have to be perfect out of the gate; it takes time to understand what your customers react to. Campaign strategies are driven by experience and practice. Make sure you set up your account, put together a plan (or audit the strategy you’re already using), look at results and modify again. Email Marketing work is constant— you should always be monitoring, tweaking, and refining your strategy to create the most value for your brand and your subscribers.

In summary, email marketing gets you exclusive access to your customer’s inbox—some of the lowest hanging fruit and one of the best places to build a relationship and drive sales. Be there, and in a big way.