In the current marketplace, a considerable number of organizations leverage email marketing to connect with potential customers and forge better relationships with existing clients. While there is much debate on its efficiency, the fact remains that when it is carried out effectively, email marketing can be an indispensable way to reach out to a company's consumer base to boost awareness and loyalty to the brand.
"In fact, email is not only alive – it's the number one direct channel in terms of daily use and consumer preference for both personal and marketing communications," Exacttarget contributor Kyle Lacy wrote.
By the numbers: Statistics prove the impact of email marketing
According to Capterra contributor Caroline Malamut, there were 3.9 billion active email accounts across the globe last year. That number is expected to climb to 4.9 billion in the next three years. That means there are nearly 4 billion opportunities for organizations to gain new clients – or improve their standing with existing customers.
Furthermore Malamut noted that consumers who received marketing emails spent an average of 138 percent more with the company than those who didn't.
Taken by themselves, these numbers may not mean much. But collectively – and compounded by the fact that 91 percent of consumers utilize their hosted email accounts at least once a day – they demonstrate the impact email marketing can have for a company. Studies show that email is still a more effective means of growing a group's client base than social media, Malamut pointed out. Overall, the message is clear: Email marketing is essential, and will be for quite some time.
Marketing emails: Make sure they aren't lost in the shuffle
The effect email marketing can have is clear. But clients can only be impacted by these messages if they actually notice them. Users receive countless emails every day, so your message could get lost in the shuffle. However, there are certain strategies businesses can utilize to make it more likely that their email is not only read, but taken to heart, including the follow approaches:
- Leverage data to better target recipients – Lacy noted that so-called "batch and blast" campaigns are not as effective as those that are specifically geared toward a certain group of clients. Enterprises should utilize customer data – including location and gender – to better tailor email messages.
- Personalization is key – Customers love a personalized experience, an aspect that can be successfully brought to email marketing campaigns. Lacy advised that whenever possible, companies should customize their messages to include special recommendations for individual clients. This strategy can boost sales conversations by up to 25 percent and can increase click-through rates by up to 35 percent.
- Seek permission – Before launching an email campaign, companies should send out a preliminary message asking clients' permission to send them messages. This not only ensures that those who want the information receive it, but this technique can also help with personalization.
- Ensure emails are mobile-optimized – Today's clients are utilizing their mobile devices more than ever before, meaning that if an email is not optimized for display on this channel, it could be passed over or deleted. Return Path research shows that 63 percent of American shoppers throw out emails that aren't optimized for mobile, Lacy noted. For this reason, it's critical that the email is designed to properly display on mobile devices.