by Email is making a comeback.
OK, it never really went away, but email doesn’t always grab the headlines like the next latest and greatest social media platform. We’re here to tell you, though, that if you’re not using email – specifically email newsletters – to reach customers, then you are leaving a lot of marketing potential on the table for your business.
Customers control their email inboxes
In our increasingly cluttered digital lives, the email inbox remains the one place where people feel a good amount of control over who reaches them. People don’t just give away their email addresses to anybody – and they can take themselves off email lists as quickly as they were added.
That’s why it’s such a significant sign of trust when a customer gives you their email address. They are offering you access into their email inbox. If you can deliver quality content in the form of an email newsletter, then you can become a valued part of their email-checking habits.
This is an opportunity that your business should not waste. It’s why you need to invest in an email marketing strategy that leads to results.
Start an email newsletter to reach customers
A customer’s email address is a terrible thing to waste. With email addresses, you have a direct line of communication that can be used to draw their attention, increase their loyalty and drive more sales.
But you can’t abuse that line of communication, which is why newsletters are so effective.
Your newsletter will get noticed
With a newsletter, you stand a better chance of breaking through the clutter than you would with just a social media post.
That’s because people pay attention to emails. They spend a lot of time checking their inbox, too – 2.5 hours per day, according to Convince and Convert. And that’s just while they are at work.
Your business can earn customers’ attention with quality content in the form of a newsletter. You just need to know how to create the content your customers crave – and when to deliver it.
Nearly every age group uses email
A business’s newsletter has a great chance of reaching customers no matter their age.
According to OptinMonster, as of 2017, use of email was popular in nearly every age bracket. OptinMonster found the following use rates:
- Ages 15-24, 91% use email
- Ages 25-44, 93.4% use email
- Ages 45-64, 90.5% use email
- Ages 65-plus, 85.5% use email
So, no matter your customers’ age range, email can be an effective marketing strategy.
Why email is so effective
Email newsletters are effective thanks to a number of reasons. For one, email is so easily personalized that a reader can feel as though the message was sent to them and only them with the right amount of touch.
Personalized emails aren’t just a better form of communication, either. They can actually lead to more sales for a business.
Your business can personalize newsletters by adding certain tags and elements to the body of the email so that it addresses the recipient by name, such as a personalized greeting, for example.
You can also create email list segments that sort people on your email list based on their interests. This makes sure you send them emails containing information that is as relevant and interesting to them as possible.
Newsletters provide connections with customers
Newsletters packed with quality, relevant content create a way for subscribers to the email list to stay engaged with a business.
Many of the people who subscribe to your business’s email newsletter list likely also follow you on social media, too, so this is an additional way to stay in touch and top of mind. With email, though, you can take that personalization up a notch and forge stronger relationships that build loyalty to your brand.
Once you have that loyalty locked in, subscribers are more likely to become customers, who are then more likely to become repeat customers. With email newsletters, you can cash in on those connections and that loyalty by sharing products, explaining why a person would benefit from purchasing those products and giving them incentives to purchase.
Newsletters can be educational
That strategy lends itself to another key purpose of newsletters: education.
With a newsletter, you have an opportunity to educate customers about not only your products or services, but also about your business or industry. This can establish your brand as an authority on a topic related to your business.
Once you become an authority, readers may be more inclined to forward your emails to friends. Don’t be afraid to ask them to do this! Encourage readers to forward emails or share links to your emails on social media. This practice can grow your email list and lead to new customers down the road.
Email is a low cost strategy
Compared to other marketing strategies, email is a very low cost option. Email newsletters can be produced relatively inexpensively and can lead to more results than their cost might suggest.
Consider for a moment how much you might spend on advertising or printed marketing materials and you will quickly realize how cost-effective email really is.
Newsletter content ideas are everywhere
Don’t limit your newsletter to trying to sell products, either. There are so many great ideas for types of content to include in newsletters, including media mentions, business changes, new employee hires, company milestones, job postings and many more.
Remember: Customers don’t just want to be sold to if they are on your email list. They appreciate your business and its brand – so let them feel a part of it.
Measuring email success is key
How do you know what newsletter content is leading to results? Well, you have to measure the data, including open rates, click-through rates, new subscriptions, unsubscribes, etc.
This is where having a marketing partner that knows the ins and outs of email can give your business a leg up on the competition and capture your customers’ attention.
Emagine can help put together a successful email marketing strategy for your business, including creating email newsletters, that is driven by data and focused on achieving results.
Request a free consultation to learn more.
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