What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is a form of digital marketing that uses email to build relationships with its audience, connect with potential customers, raise brand awareness, build customer loyalty, and promote marketing efforts. ~coursera
History of Email Marketing
The year 1971 was the beginning of a new era of communication. The very first email was sent in 1971 by a computer engineer named Ray Tomlinson. Tomilsn was the first person who introduced the usage of the “@” symbol in email addresses.
In 1978, a marketing manager at Digital Equipment Corp named Gary Thuerk used this new method of direct communication to send out the first commercial email to let people know about a new product.
By the ‘90s, the Internet had become commercially available to the masses. The way people communicated with one another began to change dramatically, and marketers discovered that email could be an effective way to advertise. The emergence of marketing emails also ushered in need for regulatory updates; the U.K.’s Data Protection Act, for example, was adjusted to require an “opt-out” option for all marketing emails
Why should you do Email Marketing?
1. Boost brand awareness.
Keep your company and your services top-of-mind for the moment when your prospects are ready to engage.
2. Promote your content.
Use email to share relevant blog content or valuable assets with your prospects.
3. Generate leads.
Entice subscribers to provide their personal information in exchange for an asset that they’d find valuable.
4. Market your products.
Promote your products and services.
5. Educating the Audience.
Use emails to educate your audience in any industry in the form of newsletters.
Email Marketing Benefits
Improved sales: Email marketing can help you boost sales by applying different CTA’s(Call to Action) of their programs or products and also by running different email campaigns.
Increased brand awareness: It can help improve brand recognition by maintaining a consistent tone and colour scheme across your emails.
Increased website traffic: This can help increase website traffic by directing visitors who are already interested in your brand to your site.
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- Improved SEO: Email marketing can play a big role in improving the SEO of websites by directing their email list to high-quality site content that includes relevant keywords and resource links.
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- Easy to track and measure: Email marketing tools can help you easily track metrics like click-through rates, open rates, and conversion rates.
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- Personalized content: It also helps us draft personal emails for our audience through various automation with recipient’s names, preferences etc. We can easily grab attention oof our customers.
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- Cost-effectiveness: Compared to traditional marketing strategies like Ads, banners etc. Email marketing doesn’t cost much and it has a higher ROI(Return on Investment).
Still have doubts? Consider this:
Email marketing has an impressive ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. Furthermore, email marketing revenue is expected to reach $12.88 billion in 2024, according to Statista.
Get started with Email Marketing:
1. Define Your Goals and Audience.
Identify your target audience. Determine what kind of subscribers you have and what are their interests and desires.
2. Choose an Email Marketing Platform:
You should choose a platform for this. There are many, like Mailchimp, Active Campaign, etc. Select the platform based on your budget and requirements.
3. Build Your Email List:
Start collecting emails from your target audience through various strategies like social media, opt-in forms or FREE lead magnets.
4. Creating engaging content:
Content is the most important thing when it comes to email marketing. Copywriters satisfy this need here. The content can vary from newsletters, promotional offers, educational resources etc.
5. Monitor and Optimise Your Campaigns:
Track ke metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and unsubscribe rates by using your email marketing tool. Analyze the performance of your campaigns from time to time.
Beginning Email Markeitng
The most important rule which you should keep in your mind is writing your high value emails.
You should write your copy as if you’re talking to your friend and helping him out.
The more you help your subscribers, the more they want to stay in your email list and more will your sales.
FAQ’S
Q1. How often should I send emails to my subscribers?
The frequency of your email campaigns depends on your audience, industry, and goals. Some businesses send emails daily, while others send them weekly or monthly. It’s essential to find the right balance between staying top-of-mind with your audience and avoiding email fatigue.
Q2. What is a good email open rate?
The average email open rate varies by industry but is typically around 20% to 25%. However, what constitutes a “good” open rate depends on factors like your industry, the quality of your email list, and the effectiveness of your subject lines.
Q3. What are some common email marketing mistakes to avoid?
Common email marketing mistakes to avoid include sending emails without permission, using spammy subject lines or content, neglecting mobile optimization, not segmenting your audience, sending too many or too few emails, and not testing your emails before sending them.
Q4. Is email marketing still effective in the age of social media?
Yes, email marketing remains highly effective even in the age of social media. Email allows for direct, personalized communication with subscribers and often yields higher engagement and conversion rates compared to social media platforms. Additionally, email marketing can complement and enhance your overall digital marketing strategy.