[VIDEO] IS EMAIL MARKETING STILL EFFECTIVE?

Today we'll start with one of the most important stages of Inbound Marketing: the close stage. That's right, it's the stage where we turn those leads into paying customers.

We'll start this session by answering a very important question.

Why is email marketing still so important?

With new technology emerging every day, it might seem like email is on its way out. That's why I want to be very clear about one thing: email is still a very important part of marketing.

Around 2004, PC Magazine published a piece titled “The Death of Email.” It begins by asking the reader, “Has email peaked and become increasingly useless?”

As a marketing professional, what you want is for it to be as effective and efficient as possible, so it's fair to ask yourself: Is email really worth it?

I think it will be very helpful to clear up some misconceptions people have about email.

First of all, many people believe that email marketing means SPAM (or junk mail).

Now, to be fair, 70% of all emails sent are categorized as spam. And some of those are sent by marketers who buy lists and send those emails endlessly to a massive list of people who don't want to hear from them.

People also think email marketing is old school (a thing of the past).

Email has been around forever, and people wonder if it still has any value. “Isn't email like banner ads?” “Am I using email less and less?”

That brings us to the big question:

Is email still effective?

I'd like to answer that question with a loud and resounding YES! Here are 6 reasons why:

1. There are currently more than 4.3 billion email accounts; that's a lot of people using it. No other marketing channel has been adopted so universally.
   
2. 95% of online shoppers use email, and 91% report checking their email at least once a day. If people are checking their email every day, it can be a really good marketing channel, don't you think? And since email stays in your inbox unless you delete it, it has a longer shelf life than other marketing channels, such as social media, for example.
   
3. Email is a channel you own. While Google and Facebook can change the way they display their search results and visual content, you'll always have a 1:1 relationship with the people who open your emails.
   
4. 77% of consumers prefer to communicate with their vendors via email. You can take advantage of that by connecting with people where they want to be contacted.
   
5. Email lets you be very personal. You can create a contextual message with a highly targeted objective that's unique to each person who receives it.
   
6. And finally, we still use email because it has a 4300% return on investment. For every USD $1 you spend, you get $43 in return. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?

In fact, email is growing. According to the Direct Marketing Association, 76% of marketers say they use email more now than they did 3 years ago.

At this point, you must be thinking, “You're right, I'm sold, but.. how can email help me?

The best part about email is that it's very versatile. When you consider the inbound methodology, email is primarily used to close prospects into customers, and it can also be used to delight your current customers.

The main function of email is to turn your prospects into customers, and we achieve this by sending the right email to the right audience at the right time.

Send your leads relevant, helpful content so you can build a relationship with them. It allows you to position yourself as a consultant, ready to help them with their challenges and needs. Inbound is about knowing how to combine context with content. If you do it right, your prospects will want to interact with you.

As I mentioned, you can keep using email even after someone has become your customer.

Inbound businesses recognize that the point of purchase is only the beginning of their relationship with the customer. They use email constantly to delight people who have already purchased their product or service.

And it can be as simple as an occasional hello, or maybe sending them something helpful that's “Customers only.” Attention is the key to delight, and a happy customer can be our biggest promoter.

Plus, it's an inexpensive and effective way to delight your customers. You can strengthen relationships, sell them new products, and keep them from forgetting about you and no longer using your services or buying your products.

At the beginning of the video, we asked, “Is email still effective?” By now the answer should be clear: Email plays a very important role in helping you reach the goals of your customers and promoters.

That's why I remind you to subscribe to our YouTube channel or our blog at digitalegia.com so you don't miss the next video, where we'll look at best practices for sending the right email to the right person.