by Wikus Engelbrecht
21. giugno 2010 03:27
One of the questions we field most often, is “Why should I use email marketing?”
And I, of course, reply: Because it grows your business…
Very vague answer, hey?
Email marketing has long been a proven top-performing direct marketing channel, and it’s still one of the strongest and most utilized marketing tactics. However, there seems to be some confusion as to why exactly it works so well.
I believe the reason for this is the nature of email: It’s a personal tool, one that’s used to build relationships (be they social, business or consumer relationships) through communication.
Email is the most basic of all online activities. Many people on Facebook don’t necessarily have Twitter accounts; business-oriented people might be on LinkedIn, but they’re not on Facebook; and some people don’t really interact in networks, they simply use the internet to search for information or to do their banking.
But email is like Google – everybody uses it. My 80 year-old grandfather has an email account! Email is a constant among online users, and you can be assured that anyone you try to target online has an email account, so when building your online audience email offers you a communication channel that includes everyone, no matter what their age, location or level of technical know-how. It’s the perfect arena to grow your audience.
Of course, you know by now that an email newsletter drives people to your website. You include links to your site in your newsletter, people click on them and you see an increase in web traffic. So why can’t you just rely on search engines? Surely if people have shown enough interest in your products to sign up for your newsletter, they’ll visit your site regularly out of their own accord?
Well, not necessarily. Consumers and browsers can be fickle, but with a newsletter you give them a consistent reminder in their inbox to visit your site. I you offer incentives in your newsletter (like relevant content, promotions or discounts) it gives them all the more reason to visit your site again – and again. You build a loyal following of consumers who will return in future and remain at the top of your consumers’ minds with regular updates.
Further keep in mind that your inbox is a personal space. Email recipients come to trust their inbox. If your email shows up in their inbox regularly without fail they learn what to expect – and hopefully that’s interesting content. Once they’re on your mailing list you can incentivize your emails by sending them targeted emails relevant to their location, interests and past purchase behaviour. In this way you answer your subscribers’ ever-present question “What’s in it for me?” Your readers start to feel like you know them and that you’re taking a genuine interest in their preferences. They come to trust your emails, then you’re brand and, by default, your product.
The key here is recognition. When a subscriber receives your newsletter regularly, they may not always click through to your site. They might not even always open it. But they learn to recognize your name in their inbox, and become aware of your brand. If it’s a business they’ve had positive experiences with in the past, a reminder might persuade them to do business with you again. Making sure that you remain at the top of their minds increases your chance of being the brand of choice when next they’re in the market for one of your products.
Basically, you’re creating consumer awareness without excessive marketing spend.
Also remember that newsletters are an incredibly efficient way of increasing product exposure. Not only can you send out information on particular products, but you can generate traffic to your site. Shortly after a newsletter blast you’ll find that there is period during which your site experiences higher traffic than normal as people click through from your email to your site. Make sure that new products are advertised strategically on the landing pages you lead them to, thereby increasing the subscriber’s awareness of your new product. It’s a way of expanding the trust your readers have in your brand and existing products and services to include your new products.
Your email marketing campaigns give you an opportunity to expand your audience, build relationships with existing clients, increase your brand awareness and generate traffic to your website. All this is done through a low-cost marketing channel and has the potential to increase your sales.
