These days, it’s all about social media. Millennials don’t even use email. Email gets flagged as spam. It ends up in the junk file. Email marketing is kaput, it’s on life support, it’s dead. No, not really. While many in marketing believe the email approach is, at best, moribund, it’s actually alive and kicking. It’s actually thriving! There are about 5 and a half billion email accounts on the planet. Roughly half of those who have an email account will spend up to an hour a week browsing marketing emails. Half of marketers say their emails generate $42 for every dollar spent. That’s a return on investment (ROI) of 4,200%. Doesn’t sound mortally wounded, does it? Email marketing remains a vibrant, effective marketing tool. Don’t bury it.
The Numbers Game
The numbers are big. More than 300 billion emails are sent and received every day. The email market was valued at $7.5 billion last year and is expected to reach nearly $18 billion in another 5 ½ years. 99% of email users check their inbox every day. In a 2020 survey, 4 out of 5 marketers said they’d rather give up social media than email marketing.
Building a Better Email
There is no exact formula for creating an effective email. There are many variables: the industry, the target, the competition, premiums, promotions, and so on. But there are some basics. Here are five things you can do to improve your email marketing results.
- Have a good header. It will draw the reader into the rest of the email. It can be cute, fun, funny, or serious. Just don’t be boring.
- Your message should be clear, brief and specific. Don’t muddy the water by promoting too much or adding things that don’t relate.
- You want a call to action. Tell them what to do next. Click on a link? Fill out a form? Take a survey? Watch a video?
- Use a compelling image. Graphic only emails can work, but a photo or image will typically increase its effectiveness. Try to stick with a single stunning image. Too many visuals in an email is like too many cooks in the kitchen.
- Write a solid subject line. Be short and simple. Avoid words that will send your email to spam folders. You can find a lot of examples of those online. Sometimes, asking a question can pique curiosity: “When was the last time you had a really great meal?” Lists are common, but effective: “Top ten ways to pay off debt.”
reality@email.com
Social media hasn’t made emails obsolete. In fact, emails can promote your social media and social media can increase awareness of your brand, raising the likelihood a consumer will recognize your email. Marketing and advertising continue to innovate and create new tools. There’s always a sense that “older” tools will go by the wayside when new things appear. That rarely happens. Use the tools that still work. Email marketing is one of them.