by Doug Smith, President, The Woodhaven Group, LLC
As a CEO, I wish that 30 years ago I had this extremely productive tool to communicate with my customers and prospects.
If your business is not using email marketing, then you need to make it a part of your marketing mix going forward. What benefit will your company get from email marketing? Here are 10 good reasons:
- It will increase your business cash flow: Email marketing costs less than direct mail, television, radio and other forms of purchased media. This means more cash for your company to use in other areas of the business. Executed properly, over both the short-term and long-term email marketing will have your highest return on investment of any marketing channel in your business.
- Can segment your customer base: Instead of a general message to a mass audience you can tailor your message to a segment of your customer base that has shown a desire for information on a specific topic, product or service that you offer. Relevant targeted content is at the heart of effective email marketing.
- Can build a 1 on 1 relationship: This is not possible with television or radio. Each email can be personalized with the recipient’s name, they can reply to what you have sent and you can directly respond to their comments or questions.
- Can review response history of the individual: Did they open the email? Did they click-through to a link? Did they buy? Compare this to newspaper or television where you have no idea whether your customer even knew the ad or 60 second spot even existed.
- Allows you to use triggered emails: Based upon response history, you can automatically target future emails to their area of interest. For example, if you are an attorney and your prospect clicked on an estate planning article, you can follow-up with an email on trusts. Triggered emails can be set up by date such as birthdays, anniversaries of a successful completion of a job, for holiday messages and many other ways.
- It lets your customer be in control: Marketing has changed. The consumer now controls the relationship. With email marketing the consumer can choose what part of the email to read, when to read it, if they want to respond to an offer and even opt out of receiving future emails if they conclude that your information is not relevant to them. This is a good thing. The best performing company will win. Make sure its your company.
- Email marketing can be synchronized with other marketing channels: Email marketing does not have to stand alone. You can use other channels like social media or direct mail to sign up prospects to receive emails about your company. By identifying a specific area of interest, a key person can respond with a personalized letter or phone call and not waste your prospect’s time.
- Can utilize education-based marketing: Email marketing is not a sound bite or tweet. It allows you to dig deep into a topic and educate your consumer. Better yet, your company can send a series of emails weekly on a topic of interest.
- Builds brand: A consistent ongoing message can build trust and credibility in your company. When the time finally comes to make a buying decision you will have built a reservoir of goodwill that will give you a chance to close the sale.
- Can link to your website: Your website should be treated as if it was another location of your company that is used to strengthen the relationship with a prospect or customer. Linking to different parts of your website from an email can educate, sell, and communicate what makes your business unique.
There are some who say that email marketing is on the decline and is being replace by social media.
I disagree.
Email marketing continues to be at the core of an integrated marketing strategy that can build sales and profitability increase the cash flow of your business over the long-term.
I would be interested to know what your experience has been with email marketing.