If You Think Email Marketing is Dead, Don’t Call the Morgue Yet
In today’s world of Social Media, Web 2.0, SMS, and other new shiny objects it’s easy to think that email marketing is dead. Maybe you believe it because your own results have been dropping or are non-existent.
Email marketing used to be the most powerful way there was to build your business. If you have been around internet marketing for any length of time, you have heard (over and over and over again)…
“The money is in the list…”
But, in the new world, you might be questioning if all that time you spent building your list is still valuable.
It's easy to see why with over 800 million Facebook accounts, 200 million Twitter users and LinkedIN growing at 2 users per second (Wikipedia). With stats like that, you might begin to think that email marketing is dead and you can't get the results you want. And it can't turn your leads into customers.
Well, fortunately…
Email is not dead. It is still one of the most powerful ways there is to engage users, build relationships and create sales opportunities. But, if you are worried your email marketing might be dieing, there is a prescription.
Social Media Is The Rage!
There is no denying that social media is hot right now. I mentioned stats earlier, and there is no doubt more and more of your potential clients are on at least one social network.
So, why not integrate your email and social media campaigns? Email providers like constant contact have tools that allow you to broadcast to your social media followers, along with your subscribers.
Plus, you can cross pollinate leads from social sites to your email list. And increase your “Likes” and “Follows” on your social channels from your subscriber list.
Besides, email marketing gives you 2 big advantages over social media.
- Email marketing followers are more committed, since it is a bigger commitment to offer up an email address than it is to click a like button.
- Emails go directly to your subscribers’ inbox. With social media, it’s easy to have your message lost in a news feed since it is surrounded by pictures of dancing puppies.
Blackberries, I-Phones and Tablets are taking Time Away from the PC
Everywhere you go, people are sitting on their mobile devices, scrolling away. I laugh every time I go out to dinner and see a family, where each of them is reading their i-phones.
But what an awesome opportunity this is for your business. You just have to make sure that your emails are formatted to display properly on these devices. This is usually a slight adjustment.
Plus, because of QR codes, you have thousands of new opportunities to grab new leads for your list. With the millions of new phones and mobile devices being added every year, there has never been a better time to use email marketing for capturing leads.
But Isn't the ROI on Social Media Higher than Email Marketing?
Just like any “shiny object” the gurus are going to hype up the latest gadget, or technique. And that happens to be social networking.
And I am not going to sit here and tell you that social media isn't important.
But email marketing is king when it comes to your return on investment. A 2010 study showed that 39% of marketers reported a higher ROI from email marketing than other channels. And according to Exact Target, 58% of internet users cite checking email as their first activity of the day.
“You've Got Mail” is still a powerful draw.
Email marketing has a high readership and ROI. But, sometimes you need to give it a little medicine by integrating it with your social networking, making it mobile friendly and making sure the information and subscriber list are current.
If you are looking for a doctor to revive your email marketing campaigns, we can help. Get more information on our email marketing services here.
Email marketing is not dead. But like everything in marketing, sometimes it needs to be improved or changed with a good shot in the arm.
