“Master Your Success” Series:
George McBride,
SFI Team Leader and Online Guru!
Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why Does Email Marketing Work?”
Businesses all over the world are using email marketing very effectively. But, why?
A few years ago, the AOL moniker of “You’ve Got Mail” was something that excited all of us! But after several years of “I have 3 million for you “Bank schemes,” lottery scams, and piles of unsolicited spam and junk mail, how do people feel about email these days?
Is email marketing still a worthwhile tactic for small-business owners and marketers to use?
The short answer is “yes”.
But you would expect to hear that from a guy that provides email marketing tools, wouldn’t you? So, let’s look at some of the big reasons email marketing still works:
1. Email marketing is easy.
One of the reasons email marketing is so valuable for business owners is that it is an easy way to start reaching consumers on their mobile devices without requiring a big investment in new technology or software.
According to the Pew Research Center, 52 percent of US cell phone owners access their email from their cell phones.
Forrester Research adds, “42 percent of retailers’ email messages were opened by consumers on their cell phones. 17 percent were opened by consumers on tablets.”
2. Email marketing is effective.
Consumers often seek out email marketing campaigns from their favorite brands and local stores. 28 percent of US online shoppers intentionally subscribe to receive store and product related emails, according to Nielsen.
Loyalty 360 says, “59 percent of US moms say they would sign up for email updates from brands if rewards were offered.”
There is real value to staying connected to your customers. Email marketing makes that easy to do. If you offer value, people want your emails.
3. Email marketing is adaptable.
The versatility of email marketing is a major reason marketers should keep this tool in their marketing toolbox. Email marketing messages can range from simple to very complex. Emails can be personalized to include the name of the user and even more.
4. Email marketing is inexpensive.
The best reason to use email marketing? It’s easy, effective, and inexpensive. Email marketing allows business owners and entrepreneurs to reach a large number of consumers at a rate of pennies per message as compared to much more strategies such as TV, radio, or direct mail.
And it’s not just saying this. A joint study from Shop.org and Forrester Research found that 85 percent of US retailers consider email marketing one of the most effective customer acquisition tactics.
Are you Email Marketing?
Email is still King.
Success with email marketing comes down to doing a few things consistently and doing them well.
Whether you are selling digital services, downloads, hamburgers, coaching, music lessons, t-shirts, books, opportunities, or real estate, your success with email marketing will come down to making sure you are doing a few things consistently:
1. Create Your Email Marketing Messages
Your email marketing message needs to be clear about what you are offering and how your subscribers can take advantage of the offer. Create effective email marketing messages that will help you convey your message and offer to your potential customers.
2. Getting Email Leads
Your options include:
a) setting up a hosted capture page in your TrafficWave.net account.
b) adding capture forms to your blog or web site.
c) using a third party capture page service.
d) adding subscribers from various networking events you attend.
3. Send Your Emails
You can set up automated follow up letters to go out over time. You can also broadcast special offers and newsletters to your subscribers at any time.
4. Your Emails Get Opened
Your message gets opened. It is important that your message stand out so that it gets opened and read by your subscribers. This is where you are making your mark, building your reputation, and letting your subscribers recognize your authority in the market place.
5. Your Offer Link Gets Clicked
You want to be sure you have a clear call to action so that your readers know how to learn more and take advantage of your offer. Once they have opened your message, good layout, design, and call to action will help keep their attention and close the sale.
6. Close The Sale
The details on this will vary depending on your offer, your industry, and how you interact with your subscribers. Make sure your landing page provides clear instructions not the next step whether that be to place the order, contact your for an appointment, etc…
Some of these steps require some time to set up and some testing to make sure you are getting the results you are looking for. The time you invest now will pay off with time savings, more leads, and more sales in the future.
